Danny looks at me, and I know that he can see my eyes. He’s really the only person who I taught how to read eyes. Then I get another text.
“What is it?! sumthing is up so dnt lie” This text is from Danny, I smile a little at his text talk.
“Long story. Tell you later” I look up after sending this and see concern lacing his eyes. Paranoia swept through my mind as my eyes trained themselves onto every shadow, searching for someone I don’t know. My phone rang again and dread swept through me as I checked the new message.
“Kleine, answer me. You are mine, and only mine. Mein Kleine.” The cold and manipulating voice from the nightmares swam its way through the confusion in my mind.
“Who are you?” I sent back with my hands shaking like a leaf.
“You do not remember me? It has been a while. I did not think you would forget. Well my little one, mein Kleine, I am Schwer. You will remember me when you see me.”
“I don’t want to see you” I reply with anxiety coursing through me.
“Wow, you really forgot me. Huh. I will have to break you again.” I almost start to cry at the last sentence, as a memory floods my mind and clears some of the confusion.
“Kleine! Come here!” The voice yelled to me.
“Yes Schwer?” A young version of me runs up to him smiling without a care in the world.
“Take care of her.” Schwer said, I can’t see his face in this, only his cerulean eyes that carry a bored expression in them. He was carrying a limp body of a young girl, who looked about 16, who had bruises lining her body and blood dripping from her nose. As if he didn’t even notice how hurt she was, he dropped her onto the bed in the corner.
“Yes Schwer!” I replied with enthusiasm as I grabbed the first-aid kit from under the bed with my pale little white hands. Schwer left through the flowery door, which seemed like a sick joke to have such a beautiful picture in such a hellish place. The 6 year old me with tangled hair and animalistic green eyes had no sympathy or empathy for the broken girl on the bed. I opened the kit and got out some cotton balls and put them next to her. After that, I put one small hand where her crooked nose should have been, then used the other hand to snap it back to place. The girl laying there whimpered like a dog wanting to go outside. Stuffing the cotton balls into her nose, they became scarlet at the top but didn’t spread. Pressing softly on her ribs, I feel a few broken ones, but not broken enough to cut her lungs. On her arm, she has a huge cut that must’ve came from Schwer’s knife. Blood flowed from the wound like a stream. In a few minutes, I had it all stitched up and her on pain medicine so she could sleep. Then everything faded into blackness again.
“What do you want from me?” I ask with my hands and face almost as pale as me in the memory.
“Oh mein Kleine, we are family. I love you, and you love me. Stay away from that Danny. I will know if you do not. If you tell him about me, I will hurt him. Continue with your lunch now. Do not respond and delete the messages.” I could almost hear his sick voice saying this as I clicked delete messages on my phone. My eyes were reflected back to me from the glass on my phone. They had a numb, defeated, animalistic look in them. One that a prey gets when it gets caught.
The rest of the school day raced by like my thoughts. Who is he? What does he want form me? Who was that girl? How did I even know how to take care of her? I have always had a knack for helping my brother when he gets hurt. I’m not going down without a fight though. He’s not going to break me as easy as he thinks. Although I will try to protect those around me, I won’t give up. I walk home alone and take my shortcut through the woods. Paranoia is eating me alive, and my phone rings.
“Kleine.” Schwer says into the phone. I can’t tell if he is mad or not, I wish I could see his eyes.
“What.” I say with annoyance lacing the word.
“Do not talk to me like that Saumensch!” I had to pull the phone away from my ear at the anger in his words “I need your help tonight. Stay there so I can come get you.”
“What if I don’t?” I challenge him.
“If you remember any patients you had in the past, which is what you will be like after I am done with you.” His words make me shiver at the memory of the broken and bruised girls in the room.
“I’ll be right in this spot.” I reply, the leaves on the tree are shaking just as much as my voice.
“Good Kleine. Hopefully your memory is recovered soon.” Schwer says and hangs up. I sit down on the forest floor. Autumn is a beautiful season, I think to myself. The reds, greens, oranges, yellows, browns, and then I look up and see the cerulean sky. Well, trying to think of anything else but him won’t work, I think as the sky makes me picture his eyes. Suddenly, screeches of tires and slammed doors echo and I instantly stand up.
“Kleine! Get over here!”
