FREAK SHOW

Chapter 23: Torn

Chapter 23: Torn

WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER

~"I still remember you as a little girl who overwaters plants because she doesn't know when to stop giving." ~ unknown

A couple days passed. No matter how hard Scarlett scrubbed at her hands it still felt like Charlie's blood stained the pale skin and remained dried under her nails. And no matter how hard she tried to forget about what she did, Scarlett could still see the way Axel laughed alongside her or how dejected Minerva looked as she sat on the floor of the room, a strip of white skin on her finger showing the imprint of a missing wedding ring. She had wanted Charlie to feel guilty, to hurt, but now here she was being the remorseful one.

            Just like when she tried to escape with Irene, Scarlett did not receive any direct punishment, not even a deduction in the food given to her at dinner. It was one big mind game. In the end, it only made her want to be punished, and maybe that was the intended consequence.

            No one heard of the incident. She was grateful for that at least; she didn't really want everyone to know about how she nearly stabbed Charlie in the ribs and ended up mutilating his nice face. Everyone saw obviously. The day after, it was clear as day something unfolded and that he was the receiving end of it. His upper and bottom lip was quite literally split and even through stitches it looked gruesome and bloody. He received a lot of looks. But no one knew of how he got it. And no one dared to ask, Charlie looked positively murderous with his hard-set jaw and cold eyes. Scarlett had to admit she was a little scared as well; what if he decided he wanted some sweet revenge on her for disfiguring him.

            Everything went back to normal fortunately, as normal as it could get there. Minerva went back to flipping pancakes. Scarlett tried to go back to a time where she didn't feel insane or flying off the rails. It was easier with help.

            Noah helped a lot.

            He was the one to scrub the blood of her knuckles. He was the one to comfort her when she was gushing between wails about how she almost killed Charlie. Noah guided her through things other than that as well, things that were not exactly relate to the trauma she endured. Things like sneaking into the kitchen –which was on higher security now- to satisfy her weird cravings for food, to find her a pregnancy book from Nia's room, and the things in between like asking her if she felt okay or getting her random glasses of water.

            Scarlett was nowhere near to being incapacitated like he was making her out to be. Her stomach was becoming a little visible but she was more active than ever and could still sprint if she wanted. The only noticeable effect of her pregnancy besides throwing up –the nausea was less overwhelming now- was peeing more and her breasts straining through her bra.

            What Noah was doing was heartwarming to her, despite it not being necessary. Her fondest memory was when they were flipping through the pregnancy book he stole and pointing at pictures. The baby inside of her, who was now considered a fetus, was about the size of a kumquat. His heart was beating and his limbs were able to bend. Scarlett wished she could hear his heart beat at the doctors or see one of those black and white photographs of her baby. Noah shared the same enthusiasm. He acted more like the father than the actual father(s) did.

            Through it, they bonded closer than she thought was possible. It was healing, looking through the pages of the book and smiling softly with him. People were not medicine, but Scarlett sure used him like he was one. He repaired her mind bit by bit with his gentle gestures. And she encouraged it with her own gestures: a flutter of her eyelashes, a secret smile, and a soft touch of his elbow.