Taste for Trouble

Chapter 2

Hey there, I fixed the previous chapters font. It is much, much easier to read now. So there are only 4 views :( and no votes or comments yet, so did I do well? Not well? I need some feedback please! And oh my gosh, I am on the rough draft late in the second book, and they all, the entire group of characters grow and mature so much...it just....wows me.

I awoke to someone carrying me; I was laying, limp and dead like in their arms. I didn't have the strength to look up and check who it was, but they had warm, reassuring arms, so it didn't matter all that much. I wondered if this was my own personal angel, carrying me away with death. As long as they never let go, I could bare being carried for the rest of forever. I didn't care that it would let them know that I was awake: I snuggled into my carriers arms, willing them to remain holding me. When they simply readjusted to my snuggling, I wondered if maybe I had died and had become a princess in another universe; people never did anything for me. They just never did, maybe I wasn't important enough, or maybe they would rather see me suffer than help me. I didn't know, and it kind of didn't matter after about 18 years of having to live with it. Whether it had been rude glares in stores or strangers trying to trip me on the sidewalks, no one ever seemed to care much, well, the people who never took the time to know me. Maybe my carrier was Eric...I hoped it was...Maybe he had heard my screams, all the way from his house, and had come and beat the monster off of me with his bare hands. If he had, I would have to marry the dude.

My whole body ached dimly, but sharpest in my shoulder and ribs, where I remembered the worst had happened. I also had a slight throbbing right above my left eyebrow, but comparatively speaking, it could have been worse, and it wouldn't even begin to compare to the pain in my shoulder. I also had an exhaust induced headache, and that was just plain annoying. My new awareness of all of my injuries was rude proof that I wasn't dead. I wondered what I would tell my parents about what had happened, and why I was so beat up. Not the truth, that's for damn sure, I wasn't going to tell anybody that I had been chased through the forest by a horrible fantasy like character, which had bit me, and had eerie glowing eyes. They'd send me to the loony bin without a second glance, and not so much as a "Get well soon!" Nope. They locked people who told the truth about traumatic experiences up, and never let the lights on for them again.

I nuzzled farther into my carriers arm, they appeared to be dead set on going wherever it was they were going, and I wasn't in any kind of position to object with anyone's decision right now. The carrier didn't seem to notice my nuzzling. They smelled good, like expensive cologne and aftershave. They didn't smell like Eric and his constant rugged musky smell...They walked briskly, as if I didn't weigh an entire 145 pounds, but as if I was a small kitten in their arms, that they were sworn to protect, and had to bring back to safety. This guy was also much more muscular than Eric, and, as I could hear their feet below me, a lot taller than him, if possible. Which meant this guy was BIG, Eric was one of the biggest guys on the football team, and he was still probably much shorter than this guy. Whomever it was walked for about ten minutes before stopping abruptly. 

They ran a doorbell, which replied with a cheery "Ding Dong". I hoped it was my house and not some place where I'd be held hostage in an underground bunker or something, I did like the earth, but I don't think I'd like being held hostage underground; it just didn't seem like the best idea. After a second of listening to cars drive by behind us, the door creaked open. Dammit, I hated that door. Not only was it obsessively annoying, but Mom would never fix it because it added "character" but I always wanted to kick it when it woke my parents up after I returned from sneaking out in the middle of the night. Even if I had only been gone for a couple of minutes. That door was a perfect tattle tale. The little sibling I never had.

"Claire!!! Oh my gosh! What happened!? Where was she!? How long has she been gone!?" My mother rushed on and on with the questions. Of course she hadn't known I was gone. They never did until I got home. I would have taken it as if they didn't care about me, but I knew it was just because she didn't want to think that I would sneak out, so she never wanted to check; she reassured herself every time I got back that it was just a phase, and that was the last time I would go out without telling her. My mom was one of those people, to make up stories in her head to help ease her nerves. My dad, on the other hand, was the kind of person to say "Who the hell cares, she'll learn her lesson." 

 "Um, hey uh. My name is...uh Johnny, and uh..." my rescuer stuttered. He had a voice that reminded me of warm caramel, the kind of seemed like he would be a very nice person, or the kind of person that was too easy to trust and would use you in the end...except for the stuttering, which made me seriously doubt his intelligence...or maybe he was a serial killer, and was just ACTING stupid..."I was at a party that she was at, and uh, she had too much to drink and kind of...well jumped off of the roof...pretty stupid actually, if you ask me."

What the hell!? This guy was totally stupid, and maybe even delusional. He was totally lying! I was NOT at a party tonight; I was at my boyfriend Eric's house watching Dracula and Frankenstein all night. And I do not drink. EVER. I had learned my lesson the first time when I actually had (because of a dare, but it was still a stupid idea) jumped off of a moving car and broke my leg. Why the nerve of this clown! I wanted to tear his head off, but not before I lectured him...I don't think a lecture without a head would mean much...He was probably the drunken one that had brain damage or mental issues.

"Is she going to be alright!? Why didn't you call an ambulance!?" my mom  rushed, I highly doubt she had breathed once between every question.

"We didn't have any phones. And her injuries weren't that bad, a couple scrapes and bruises. We had a practicing nurse at the party, and she said that Claire would be fine." Johnny answered, he seemed like he had almost had this rehearsed...then the mysterious conspiracier in me told me that he really could have...and he WAS a serial killer...

 My injuries didn't feel "not that bad". They burned and stung from every angle. I knew I was bruised in more places than I could count, and I had lost a ton of blood. I didn't know if I could speak, but I wanted to scream at this "Johnny", and ask him what reason he had to lie. Especially to my mom...maybe he had raped me...I didn't feel strange in that area....but if you had more pressing injuries, would you notice? What concerned me even more was why he didn't mention that stupid creature. Maybe I was the crazy and delusional one...

"Come on! What are you waiting for!? Bring her inside!" My mom gushed out, she sounded tired, and like she wanted nothing more than to get me inside so that she could get some sleep. I know she cares, but she doesn't think at all when she's tired, and she knows it. Before long, I wouldn't be surprised if she was jumping up and down singing "Bringing Sexy Back" in the middle of the street...she had done that once when she got really sleep deprived...

 Johnny stepped inside and managed to shut the door without moving me in the slightest, which I did appreciate, but I also found it kind of creepy, perhaps he was a teleporter too...or had four arms...that's be awesome. My mom scampered off to probably find my dad, or go fix her hair, I didn't know, and I really didn't care. I was just happy to be home, in the warmth. It even smelled like home, like cheap furniture cleaners and homemade waffles. When Mom arrived back in the living room, she directed Johnny to bring me upstairs to my bedroom.

I was slightly irritated, and embarrassed. She should know better!!! Guys weren't supposed to see my bedroom. Not my bedroom and all 500 of my teddy bears! (okay, that's an over exaggeration, I only had like 83, but still) It was embarrassing. Guys I didn't know especially were not suppose to see them. And what was even more pathetic was the fact that I had all of their names memorized, all named after the place I had gotten them or the person who had given them to me...gladly I didn't know any Johnny's so this person would probably just have a funny story to tell all of their friends, which, (hopefully) didn't know any of my friends.

 Johnny pounced up the stairs two at a time without struggling at all and didn't hesitate to lay me on the bed snuggly amongst the pillows. He stood there for several seconds then leaned over and whispered into my ear, in a slightly different voice, it seemed more natural and a bit raspier, more sensual. He whispered so quietly, I had to strain to hear him, "You are strong. Max doesn't wish you to find your place, but you are meant for more than what he has planned for you. I will continue to check up on you. Don't doubt for a second that anything you think happened, happened. Everything happens for a reason, even when you believe you imagined it. You will find us upon this Friday. Keep strong, Clarissa." I felt my brow furrow slightly...was he admitting to knowing about that creature? And how did he know my full name? He set something onto my shelf as I tried to open my eyes, but failed miserably, as I was so tired stapling my eyelids to my forehead wouldn't have kept them open. And then I listened as he turned and left the room. My rescuer. The one person that knew what had happened. But he had told me he would be in touch...how soon would that be? A day? A week? Where was I suppose to go by Friday?

I was fast asleep before he even closed the door to my room, my last thoughts the many questions I wished I could ask.