Storyteller

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up, adjusting to my surroundings. Matt’s hazy figure became clear. He was curled up on the couch, shaking from the cold. His hair was matted on his forehead with sweat and his arms were crossed against his chest.

I slid out of bed, careful not to place any weight on my left ankle. I wobbled my way over to the couch, wary of my hurt ankle, but as I sat down, I realized that my ankle was not throbbing or swollen. As I shook my head, Matt stirred in his sleep. He convulsed in his sleep as if he felt his nightmares like I felt mine.

Suddenly, he jerked up and was breathing heavily. He rested his head on his forearms, which were lying on his knees. He took generous deep breaths, calming himself down. After a couple of moments, he glanced up at me with his frightened eyes. They told stories that couldn’t be told by him.

“Are you alright?” I timidly asked.

He rubbed his temples and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, agitated.

I got up and ran the sink in the kitchen. The water bubbled as I gathered some in a cup. “Drink some water. It should help,” I held out the cup with a shaky hand. He took it with both hands and gulped it down. He gave it back as he wiped his chin on his arm. “What did you dream about?”

He looked up at me with curious eyes. “Nothing.” I dropped the cup into the sink and turned to stare back at him. He quickly asked, “What did you dream about?”

I hesitated. “The past.”

“I’m guessing it’s not pleasant,” he straightened his back and put his feet onto the floor.

I coiled up on the opposite side of the couch. “Why would say that?”

“I,” he paused, thinking about how to word his sentences. “I saw you sleeping.”

 

Matt:

“That,” I smiled, “came out a little weird.” She returned a small smile and looked over at the window. I hadn’t realized before, but it was dark in the apartment. “What’s your past like?” The room’s atmosphere turned damp, the room looking a little darker than it was a couple of moments ago.

Rena didn’t look over at me. We sat there in silence as the question sank in. “I think you should go.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as she shut down my question. I nodded and stood up. She didn’t make an effort to turn my way. “You should,” I paused, “get some sleep.” I walked over to the door, but before I could reach the handle, I felt her eyes on me. I turned.

“Don’t you get it? The reason why you can’t sleep at night is my reason, too.”

It took me a while to understand what she said. I slowly returned to the couch, her eyes locked with mine. “Why can’t I go to sleep at night?” I folded my hands as I sat down.

“Because you know once you close your eyes, you’re dragged into that one place you made sure to leave behind and you can’t wake up.”

I tried to swallow. “That may be why you can’t sleep at night, but it’s not why I can’t,” I lied, my palms clamming up.

“I saw the way you slept. You can’t just make those memories disappear.”

I knew I was in a vulnerable spot. I needed to get out of here. “Just forget I brought any of this up, okay?” I blurted out harshly. She shrunk farther into the couch, her eyes wide. “Wait, I’m sorry. I- I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

She pulled her hair behind her ears and shook uncontrollably. I leaned forward, extending my arm. “Don’t touch me,” she gritted her teeth.

I rubbed my eyes and stood up, embarrassed. “I’m really sorry.” I walked out the door, heat rising to my cheeks.

Everything I built up with Rena was gone. Just like the dreams we dared to dream.

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

“I don’t want any of this leading back to me,” I gripped my hands together. Sweat slipped down my neck. The images kept appearing. The guy’s face. His eyes boldly staring into mine. His spit piled in front of my door. The way they all ran away like cowards when a distant door opened.

The detectives glanced over at each other. “We’ll see what we can do,” Detective Winter responded, staring at Detective Price for a moment longer.

I felt Matt’s big, coarse hand tenderly on my shoulder, encouraging me to tell what I witnessed. I felt as if I was spilling a secret so unknown to the world, as if I was the only one left who knew about it. Taking a deep breath, I unfolded everything I saw, heard, and felt.

Detective Price carefully leaned forward, his handsome face close to mine. He whispered, “Rena, I want to thank you so much for telling us about this. You’re doing great. I think we have everything we need. Thanks for your help. Make sure you take care of yourself, okay?” He gave me a small smile. I nodded, unsure of all of the information I told him. “You have my card. Call me if you need anything. I’m always here to help.”

Matt stood up, his tall body towering over mine. The detectives got up with him and walked over to the door, waiting to be let out. “I’ll be right back,” Matt reassured me and went over to open the door. They were exchanging whispers as I went into my bedroom and rolled into my bed.

When I heard the front door shut, I was already close to sleep. The warm, thick blankets were no longer around me, but my leotard and black parka were. I was upright and packing up my belongings. Everyone had left before me because I had stayed after to make sure I had my pirouettes on key. My ankle throbbed from how it twisted in the performance the day before. Tomorrow was the performance of the year. The Christmas special that everyone in New York went to see. The Nutcracker.

Being Clara was a once in a life time chance. I’d never be able to get my part back if I didn’t work four times as hard as the others. If I made sure every step and jump was exactly on point, I’d have at least some chance of getting into the Joffrey Ballet School. A scout was supposedly going to be watching our last performance, which was the next day. He or she would pick two exceptional dancers to go to the school. I not only wanted it, I needed it desperately. Having classes at Joffrey Ballet School is every ballerina’s dream if they lived in New York. This school had the highest amount of graduates go to work for big companies not only in America, but all around the world. I needed the performance to be perfect.

But I never got the chance. My ankle rolled as I limped through the streets and I collapsed onto the sidewalk, unable to get back up. I felt the sharp pain ice its way up my leg. It caught me off guard and I whined with pain. The next day, I bandaged my ankle and got a cab to drive me to the theater house. The first lesson a ballerina in big shows like these learns is to always- no matter what happens- always have a pleasant look on her face. I went on stage and got through most of the scenes without stumbling and kept most of my weight on my stronger leg.

However, with the last scene, I misplaced my footing and I tumbled to the hard, wooden floor. Excruciating pain sizzled through my veins as I quickly stood up and remained my position. Heat crept up to my cheeks and the back of my neck was full with sweat. I smiled as I blinked my tears away. My heart sunk as I thought of the horror I had just been through. My small chance of getting picked to go to Joffrey Ballet School disappeared when I fell with a loud thud in front of the largest crowd we had- all year.

Matt:

I saw her peacefully sleeping, wondering when the last I ever slept like that was. I furrowed my brows as I remembered the hot and slimy cot I had to sleep in, depending on what you considered sleeping, every night. Everything was just too clear. The heat was suffocating, squeezing sweat out of every pore, dripping onto the hard pillow. Unable to take sufficient breaths, I remember sitting up in the dark. I couldn’t see my hands right in front of my eyes. Had I been blind, I would have no worries sleeping. Each and every moment I tried to close my eyes, the horrid nightmares would jump out in every direction. Pictures of everyone I ended up killing, the thoughts of their families weeping, and the guilt I felt with each bullet that left my gun.

I brought myself back to the present and realized that Rena’s face contorted in her sleep. The same face my mother made when I told her I was leaving. Stepping into a foreign country and committing all of that damage wasn’t what I wanted anyone to know about.

I called up a therapist and arranged to have two sessions a week. At first I was finally relieved that I could get rid of the empty and guilty feelings, but after the first session, I knew it would take a long time before the feelings, if any, disappeared.

Knowing that at any moment, I could be deployed back to the murky countries I left behind scared me the most. It wasn’t about dying that I was worried about. I had signed up in the first place to end my life dying for my country. I would give pride to my family’s name and finally have my dad be proud of me for something. He wouldn’t look at me as the dumb drunk known as his kid, but a true hero. And my mom would never be so happy as to be able to hold me in her arms.

But none of that happened. I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t die, but came back almost untouched physically, but brutally damaged emotionally. Facing a life that I had left to crumble down wasn’t something I had thought about.

On the way home from the unspeakable places, I couldn’t stop thinking that I should have been the guy who died as soon as he stepped foot into the battle field. I should have been the guy who fought in front of the others and was killed, not the kid who somehow miraculously survived each battle because the brave soldiers gave up their lives to save mine.

It might have been comforting that I had survived and was coming home, but it just wasn’t right or fair. I soon realized that I didn’t deserve to have the love and care I received from people I barely knew because I was a veteran. I should have been nobody. I could have been a nobody with a clear conscience and a peaceful mind.

But the nightmares never dwindled. And neither did the guilt.

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

“Miss Spero, open up. It’s Detective Price and Detective Winter. We need to talk to you,” he pounded on the door.

I covered my ears. I heard Matt shuffle to the door. “Mr. Lowenthal?” the detective asked, confused.

“Could I speak with you outside?” I heard Detective Winter step out of the frame. I looked up to catch Matt shut the door behind him.

“Miss Spero?” Detective Price slowly came forward to me, “Are you alright?” I curled up tighter. “I’m not here to judge you in any way. I just want to know what you saw.”

“I saw nothing,” I mumbled.

He stopped before me. “Miss Spero, please, I promise nothing will happen to you. If you tell me everything truthfully, I can help you.” I shook my head. “I’ll make this very easy for you.”

“Is this where I call a lawyer?”

His eyes sparkled for a moment, fear spread across his face, but left as soon as it appeared. “It’s your choice, but if your innocent, you don’t need one.”

I thought for a moment. I had no money to pay for a lawyer and I wasn’t going to bring my parents into this. I made a deal. “If I have Matt with me, I’ll talk.”

Matt:

She pulled me out and led me down the hall. “So, do you know her well?”

I shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, like I said before, I help her with her puzzles all the time.”

“She agrees to let you in?” Detective Winter asked, almost shocked.

I nodded. “Look, I know she’s not going to talk to you guys by herself, but maybe if you let me talk to her, I-“

“Mr. Lowenthal, I know that you know her better than us, but let us do our job,” she cut me off abruptly, “We have experience with these kind of people.”

“These kind of people?” I asked, anger creeping up behind my neck. “She’s no different from me or you,” I stepped closer to her, my voice rising.

Her eyes clouded over. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it in that kind of way. I meant that Detective Price and I know how to deal with people who have been through a traumatic experience. I think the best way for her to talk is through either me or him, not you.”

Before I could object, the other detective swung the door open and looked around. He motioned for us to come over. “She says she’ll talk if he’s with her.”

I saw her embarrassment as her cheeks turned a brighter shade as she turned towards me. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

I nodded and walked inside, almost smug that I had been right about Rena and that she wanted me to be with her as she spoke to the detectives.

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

He quickly came knocking at my door after a few minutes after I had shut my door and crumpled the card the detective gave me.

“Rena,” he panted out of breath, “please let me in.” I quickly ushered him in, afraid of seeing those three men appear in the hall. “What’s going on?” he asked as he settled the brown package down.

I shivered against the fear. “I don’t know.”

“It happened right outside of your apartment. The cops are going to come back to make sure they know everything,” he came closer. “I know you know at least something.”

I hesitated. “No, I don’t.”

He let out a breath of air and returned to the couch. “Rena, they’re going to tear you apart by hounding you with questions. Those detectives will subpoena you. You might be the key that’ll answer the man’s murder.”

“I’m not the answer to the man’s murder. I have no clue who this person is.”

He rubbed his face with his coarse hands. “Look, if you’re scared of whoever did this, you need to tell the police. They can help you get protection from this person if he saw you. You can put this person behind bars. Trust me, the police only want justice.”

“I know they will come after me,” my heart pounded at the sound of what I said. “If I tell and testify when they get these men, they’re going to hunt me down. I know it. If they don’t do it personally, someone will.”

Matt hesitated. “Who, Rena? Rena, they can’t hurt you. Trust me, the detectives will put the person away and they won’t ever be able to touch you.”

Matt:

We sat opposite each other on the couch. Quiet. She was curled up, her head on her knees. I leaned my elbows on mine, my chin in my hands. Neither of us wanted to talk, but neither of us wanted to be alone. There wasn’t anything to talk about. I stole a couple of glances at her, but she always in the same position. Her back was arched like a sphere and her head was lightly on her knees to the side, facing away from me. Her brown hair was in a high bun, pulled all the way back. Her arms circled her long, toned legs and her worn out toes dangled over the edge of the couch. Her feet were slender, but bulked with the strength of a dancer and the blisters to prove her determination. Her toenails were thick, and had a light purple hue.

Suddenly she whipped her head at me and saw that I was staring at her feet. Embarrassed, she quickly hid them.

“Do you still dance?” I asked her.

She clenched her jaw. “No.”

I sat up straight and faced her. “You should get your feet checked. It looks like you have a fracture that might have healed.”

“Are you a doctor?”

I chortled. “No.”

“Then, what are you?” she rocked back and forth.

“I’m your average delivery man,” I lied. Her eyes lost the bright autumn color and she leaned her head on her knees again, facing the door.

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

The three men came and went throughout the whole week. But then one day, they just stopped showing up and banging on the door. The floor was silent again. No yelling. No arguing. No nothing. Empty.

They clearly must have meant their threats. Apartment 38C was under investigation.

“Is anybody home?” a muffled voice came through the door. “CPD open up.”

I shyly opened the door a tiny gap.

“Hi, I’m Detective Price and this is my partner Detective Winter. We want to ask you some questions,” a handsome man stood in front of me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends. Suddenly, I wanted Matt to be here with me.

I shook my head slightly, “I don’t know anything about what happened. I’m sorry.”

Before I could shut the door, his foot was wedged in between the door and the frame. “Please, I don’t want to have to bring you in.”

I took a small breath of air and opened the door with shaking hands. They slowly came in, looking around with their hungry eyes. Taking note of every detail. Categorizing me. Detective Winter spoke, “So, you like puzzles?” Her voice was gruff. I stood awkwardly in the corner and nodded. She smiled, “They’re beautiful. You have a good eye for them.” Her voice lightened suddenly as she admired them and looked up at me with her shinning smile.

“Miss-?” Detective Price started.

I flicked my eyes towards him. “Spero. Rena Spero.”

He quickly jotted notes down. “Please, take a seat.”

“I’m fine.”

He glanced over at his partner and began asking me questions. “Where were you three nights ago, Miss Spero?”

“Home. Like always,” I rubbed my arms.

“Is there anyone who can verify your alibi?” he paused his pen on the notepad.

I looked down at my feet. “No.”

“Do you know the family who lived in 38C?”

I shook my head. “I never met my neighbors.” Detective Winter walked around my apartment. She was prowling against the wall looking for any little detail like a bloodhound smelling the ground and air for the small trace of its target.

“Did you maybe hear something or possibly seen something out of the ordinary outside your apartment?” he questioned, almost impatient.

“No. Is that all because I have things to do.”

He took a step closer to his partner and raised his eyebrows. “Nope. Thank you for your time.”

I led them to the door and grasped the doorknob, hiding myself partially behind the door. Detective Price turned and reached into his coat pocket. “If you find anything out, please, call me. If you need anything.” He wrapped my hand around his card, gave me a slight smile and left.

Matt:

I was walking down the hall when two people approached me. “Excuse me, hi, I’m Detective Price and this is my partner Detective Winter,” he flashed his badge at me. “Do you come to this apartment often?”

“Yeah, I deliver puzzles to Apartment 39C. Is something wrong?” I shifted the boxes down.

They shared a questioning glance. “Do you know Miss Spero well?” Detective Winter asked.

I shrugged. “I guess. I mean I help her with her puzzles all the time, but she likes to keep to herself. Is she alright?”

“Well, we’d like to know if you know anything about the murder in apartment 38C,” she ignored my question and pointed to her left at the door with the police caution tape.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Where were you three nights ago at 9:50PM Mr.-?” she flipped out her notepad.

“Matthew. Matthew Lowenthal.” My heart pumped. Rena couldn’t have done anything. “I was with my boss. We’re family friends and we were catching up at his place.”

“We’ll need the name of your boss and the company you work for,” she clicked her pen. 

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

There’s a way to never let go, but then there’s another way to just forget. Where everything and anything means nothing. Living inside, unable to venture out, causes one to take those two ways and merge them into one road, which one will constantly take because it’s the only way one knows to go. The constant reminder in my flesh. The sounds echoing in my ears. The fear eating at my heart. Always kept in the shadows in the back of my mind.

There was commotion outside of my apartment door. I slowly, with sweaty palms, crept onto my tiptoes to look at the hallway. Through the distorted peephole, I saw three large men, bundled up with their big parkas and their dragging jeans way below their waists. The man in front of the other two, clearly the leader, banged on the door, barking at the person inside to pay up. He slammed his foot into the door, shaking the door and chipping the paint off. He heaved after kicking the door a couple of times, failing to get the person to open their door.

One of the other men, on the left, touched him on the shoulder, “Maybe he ain’t home.”

“Yeah, we should go. We don’t need nobody asking us questions and having them call the police,” said the one on the right.

“Shut up. Don’t you think I know that?” The man in front turned and spat on the floor, right before my door. “If he ain’t home next time, I’ll tear his whole life apart. And I’ll start with his apartment. I’ll kill him and his family. All of them.”

He looked up at my door. I realized that I had been holding my breath. I saw his face, then. He squinted at the door as if he could see me through it. He took a step closer to my door, but quickly dropped his gaze and turned his head toward a door down the hall that was opening. The three men quickly scattered the other way.

Matt:

I watched as he bent down to leave behind the bright pink cosmos in the damp grass. He leaned a hand on his knee to support himself get up. He was a weak man, now. He had nothing left in the world besides his house that was older than him and a son he would never be proud of or love. Staring helplessly at the empty space around him, he sighed and made his way out of cemetery.

I went over to where he had stood a moment ago, his shoe impressions still visible in the grass that had been pushed down by his weight. I sat down in front of her and cleared the dead leaves that were covering the marble.

I laid my head on my hands, “You look beautiful today, Rose.” I let the wind take my words. I picked at my thumb. “I thought I’d bring you some cosmos, but Dad always brings you those so I brought some sunflowers for you. I got them down by the deli, where you always went. Mr. Liskin had taken good care of his garden and told me that these are just the small ones, but they were perfect. It’s getting pretty cold. We’re expecting some snow by the end of the week.”

I picked my hood up and allowed the silence to soak in. “I met a girl a couple of months ago,” I pulled the grass. “Her name’s Rena Spero. She orders puzzles all the time and I help her with them. I mean she’s shy and fearful, but I guess it’s because I’m just some stranger. She likes ballet like you.” I looked up at her name. I leaned over and ran my fingers over it, memorizing the grooves of each turn in the letters. I kissed her name and stood up. “The hunter’s key lies within the hunted’s heart. I promise to remember.”

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

Within a blink of an eye, the hands of the clock shifted. It took every bit of strength to open my eyes and stay put instead of logging onto Dico’s puzzles and ordering puzzles. The pitter-patter of rain slashed against the windows, soothing me to sleep. Once again, there was nothing for me to do. The apartment was empty. There were no sounds of pieces clacking onto the wooden floor. I couldn’t hear Matt’s relaxed breathing or feel his gaze on me. I was alone, stuck inside.

Would opening the window be as risky as I thought? Or would is be the first step into the world that’s quickly changing without me?

It was raining. Not many people would be outside. I’d have to do it sooner or later. Slowly, I pushed the curtains aside, but only enough to see Visceral. My hands trembled as I unhooked the lock.

“Prove it to yourself, Rena. You can breathe outside these walls,” I muttered to myself. A crack was just enough. The winds blew up the curtains, roaring into the tiny space. The rain splattered onto the floor, soaking into the knicks and crannies. My breath was caught in my throat. I pulled down the window, the cold leaving behind the rosy shade on my cheeks. The rush was incredible. There was no other moment I felt more free. I had met with the outside, gave it a kiss, and it had disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

Matt:

“Mr. Cohen, I have something to tell you,” I stood awkwardly in his office.

He shuffled papers away, “Come. Sit down.”

I looked down at my hands as I rubbed them together, uncertain about how I should approach it. “I, uh, talked with Jen and I-“

“Is she alright?” his eyes widened.

I paused. He jumped out of his seat and shut the door. Mr. Cohen sat down next to me and pleaded, “Please, Matthew. I just want to know what’s going on. I can’t lose anyone anymore. If I lose her, I’ve lost everything. She’s the only reason why I get up in the morning.”

I bit my lip. “She needs you to trust her right now. All she wants is to bring closure to everyone.”

“Where is she?” he held onto my arms.

 I swallowed, sweat rising on the back of my neck. “New York.”

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

The door knocked as I slowly shuffled out of bed from my sleepless night. The room was cold with the thick air still. As I left the bedroom, the gray clouds outside colored the living room with charcoal shadows.

“Who’s there?” I whispered against the door.

There were squeaks of shoes on the other side. “Hey Rena, it’s Matt. I’ve got your puzzles.” I stared through the peephole. It was him. I opened the door and allowed some space for him to come inside. “Actually, I can’t today. I’ve got a lot of deliveries to make and the rain’s going to slow me down.”

I let out a sharp breath of air, gripping the door until my knuckles turned white.

“I’m sorry,” he held out the clipboard. “Next time, I promise.”

Next time, I promise. Hearing the familiar words made me cringe. The thick air seemed suffocating. Fear rushed through my veins as sweat poured out onto my forehead. I grabbed the clipboard, scribbled an illegible signature and slammed the door shut. I flung the puzzles next to couch and rushed to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face over and over again, needing to wake up from the memories flashing through my head. There were knocks on the door. I heard Matt calling my name, asking if everything was okay, but there was no going back there. I ran the water in the tub for a bath and climbed in. Matt’s constant knocking was in beat with the pounding in my head. I went under, the warm water seeping through my ears. Everything slowed down. I didn’t feel the pulse of adrenaline through my veins or the struggle to forget.

Rena. Over and over again. I popped my head out of the steaming water, splashing out waves onto the floor. He had closed the door and was outside sitting against it. “I didn’t want to make you upset. I just-“

“What are you doing here?” I covered myself with a towel. I shivered as the water evaporated from my skin.

“I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I pulled on my pajamas and opened the door. He quickly got up on his feet. “I’m fine,” I squeezed past him and went into the living room. Matt quietly followed behind me. I turned to face him, “Stop following me like that.” I sat down on the couch, crunched up.

He sat down next to me. “Rena, I want to be your friend,” he gently held my hand. I pulled away. “Please, take care of yourself.”

“Always do,” I mumbled.

He rubbed his eyes. “Staying inside all day isn’t taking care of yourself.” He looked into my eyes.

“Staying inside means that I won’t get hurt,” I argued.

He stood up. “Look at you. You’re a walking skeleton. You’re hands are cold all the time. You shake and tremble whenever I come near you. You even have bed sores. How long do you stay in bed? Rena, this isn’t taking care of yourself. Staying inside is what’s hurting you.”

“I do just fine. I didn’t ask for your opinion on how I live.”

Matt sat down next to me again. “You deserve better than to live inside with fear from whatever it is.”

I coiled my wet hair. “Please, just go.” I looked away. With a few dragging seconds, he was at the door.

“I’ll see you next week,” he softly closed the door behind him. I felt cold and wet for the rest of the day.

Matt:

The windshields wiped the fat raindrops off onto the streets. Even with the heat turned up, my hands shivered with every spin of the wheel. I rubbed my frozen face at a red light, trying to forget Rena’s sunken eyes and her frail frame. The car behind me honked impatiently as my phone rang.

“Hello?” I answered.

It was Mr. Cohen. “Matt, has Jen called you today?”

My clammy hands slipped against the steering wheel. “No, is something wrong?”

I heard the worry in his voice, “Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. I was just curious. Are you almost done with the deliveries?”

“Yes, I have-” an incoming call came before I had the chance to finish. “Mr. Cohen could I call you back?” He hung up as I picked up the call.

“Matt?”

I pulled over. “Jen? Where are you?”

Cars honked in the background, “Matt, I’m in New York City. The detective told me that the last place anyone saw Bradley was here.”

“New York City? Does your dad know about this? Who’s this detective you keep bringing up?” I shot questions at her.

“Look, I don’t have that much time. My dad doesn’t know. I haven’t called him. I’m so close, Matt. I just need a little more time. I swear, I’ll call him soon. The detective’s name is Nate Price. That’s all I know.”

“How do you know you can trust this guy?”

She hesitated. “I just do. It’s something about him that makes me feel like he’s going to find him. I know, he will.”

I sighed, “Jen, you should come-“

“No,” she cut me off, “I made a promise to myself that I would find him, if it’s the last thing I do. I have to go. I’ll call soon.”

The line ended. 

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

It was routine. Order puzzles, greet Matt inside and do puzzles together for thirty minutes. He was my gateway drug out of my apartment. The long wait for someone to come along and persuade me into talking with them was finally over.

“Well,” Matt straightened his back and stretched his arms, “I guess that’s it for today.” He smiled at me.

I returned a small grin. “I guess so.” 

He paused with his back leaning against the worn, navy couch, as if he was waiting for me to say more. His eyes never left me, not even when I glanced over at him. They were reading me, judging me before I could defend myself. He swiftly leaned over, his elbows pressing against his crisscrossed legs. “How come I never see you outside? You’re never out at the mall or walking in the park.”

I shrugged, pulling my cardigan closer around me. “I like to stay inside.”

“How?” he questioned, his eyes yearning for the information I was about to tell him. He looked like a little boy being told about Santa’s workshop.

“I don’t need the outside and it doesn’t need me.”

I held his eyes for a moment before he quickly leaned back again, his hope drained. “Just like that?” I nodded. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, sliding into his jacket. “I’ll see you next week.” I got up and gripped onto the door as Matt crossed the doorway. He turned around. “Rena,” he clenched his jaw, clearly contemplating on what to say, “take care of yourself.”

“Always do,” I shut the door and bolted every lock I had. For one week I’d be alone, locked inside my tower, unable to escape. One Week.

Matt:

Jen was waiting at the table when I arrived at the small coffee shop. “Matt, over here!” she waved at me.

“Hey,” I sat down in the chair, “you sounded nervous over the phone. Are you alright?”

She shifted her eyes side to side before she leaned over the table. “I need your help. Remember when I told you I needed your opinion on something for my class?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s about Bradley.” I bit my lip. “Before you say anything, I already have it all set up. I talked with a detective and he told me he’d do everything he can to search for him. I mean there’s so many new ways to find out what happened and-“

“Jen, slow down,” I shook my head. “What’s going on? Are you searching for Bradley, again?”

“I know he’s out there. He needs me, his family,” Jen’s eyes teared.

“Jen, I know, but it’s been six years. If he needed his family, he would have came back by now,” I held her hands.

She jerked her hands away, “I thought you wanted him back.”

I hesitated. “I do, but I’m not bringing my hopes up for something that I’m not sure will come back.”

“I know that this detective will find him,” she grabbed her purse. “Just wait. I’ll prove it to you and my dad.” She pushed her chair back and stormed off to the door.

I rushed after her. “Jen, I just don’t want you to hurt by this again. You’re traumatizing your dad and yourself. You need to let him go.”

“I can take care of myself. I don’t need your help and don’t tell my dad about this. He doesn’t need to be brought into it,” she walked out onto the sidewalk.

I followed her out and grabbed her wrist. “Jen, he deserves to know at the very least. You need to tell him.”

She turned to look at me, “No, I can’t. He won’t let me find him then.”

I sighed. “Look, if you don’t tell him, I will.”

Jen glared at me and ripped her arm away from my grip. “What? Bradley trusted you to always keep a secret. I trusted you. You can’t just turn your back on me.” She shook her head, turned around and sped to her car.

Unfinished- add on

Rena:

His eyes lazily staring at me with one eyebrow cocked up. His smile almost seemingly crooked, but straight. That was what I constantly thought about. The way he was never afraid or drawn away from anything made me want to know more. How was he able to live on the outside, with no worries? Was it easy?

I quickly ordered some puzzles to see him again, but he didn’t show up. A different delivery boy’s face appeared as I slightly opened the door. “Where’s Matt?” I whispered.

“Out,” was his reply. He snatched the clipboard as I held it out and left.

It was a week into the last set of puzzles I bought. I wasn’t even finished with the third one before I signed into Dico’s Puzzles and ordered five more. I realized that not only did these puzzles give me closure when I bought and made them, but seeing Matt same as always did too. Maybe it was just how he tried to get to know me. Or maybe it was because he was the breath of the outside that I so wanted.

He came to the door two days after I ordered my last set of puzzles online. I peeked through the tiny fish-eye peephole. It was him. My palms were sweating as I turned the bolt lock. With my heart pumping, I opened the door, cautiously, but with excitement.

“Hi, I have your puzzles,” his smile was the same.

I sheepishly took the clipboard and signed it. “Thank you.” We lingered, staring at each other, not sure what to do. “Could you-“

“Yeah?” he automatically replied, laughing afterwords.

Giggling for the first time in such a long time, I realized how good it felt. I finished my sentence, “Could you bring the puzzles in?”

“Sure,” he picked up the boxes and walked in. After placing them down, he turned toward me. “You’re not done?” he questioned, seeing pieces broken apart and unfinished puzzles.

Embarrassed, I leaned against the far wall, “I wanted more puzzles.”

“Want some help?” he plopped down onto the floor. I crept over, skipping the floorboards that groaned every time I stepped on them. I scrunched my knees up to my chest as I watched him go piece by piece, contemplating on each one, memorizing the edges before placing them into the right grooves.

He glanced up at me after a while. I immediately looked down at my toes. “Don’t you want to do them with me?”

Silently, I picked one piece up and tried to push it into one of the holes, but it didn’t fit. As I was about to put it down and pick up another one, Matt held out his hand. “It goes here.” I gently gave it to him, gracing his hand with my fingertips. Chills ran through my fingers as our skins touched. I almost felt the outside air, the touch of another person.

Matt:

“Hey, Matt, I was wondering if we could meet up some time this week. I need your opinion on something I’m working on for my class,” Jen’s voice chirped through the phone.

I locked my apartment door, “Yeah, sure. Just give me a time and date and I’ll meet up with you.”

I heard the excitement in her voice, “Alright, sounds good! I’ll let you know when I have a free schedule and we’ll work things out. See you soon.”

I shoved the phone into my pocket and exited the apartment building.

“Matty. My office,” Mr. Cohen called me in as soon as I entered.

With everyone’s eyes on me, I dropped my stuff off at my desk and walked in to the decent sized office. He gruffly sat down at his desk and leaned back, unbuttoning his suit jacket. I sat across from him.

“Tell me something will you? Why is it that you only delivered two out of the eight deliveries I needed you to do?” he rubbed his balding head.

I closed my eyes, realizing that I forgot to finish my route yesterday. “Sorry, it was my fault. I’ll get them done today. I guess I was-“

“Look. Matthew, I need someone who is willing to take on this job. It’s not that hard. One day, I want someone who I know will take care of this business like I would have. You’re the closest person I’ve known as a second son. I need the best.”

I nodded. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“I know it wont.”

I walked out of the door and sat down at my desk. Bradley was a tough subject to talk about. No one knows where he went or why he ran away. It was a big tear between the Cohen’s and they never really discussed it. If he’s out there, does he know how much Diana hurt, knowing her son will never come back? He was never the thinker in a problem. He was always on the go and never missed an opportunity to anything. He took every chance he got, in whatever, and it cost him everything he loved to be left behind.