Unrequited

Repeating History - January 2000

John was sitting on a stool with his bass resting on the top of his thighs while he and the rest of his Terroristen band took a break. They would be playing a few dates in Japan soon and were having a few rehearsals beforehand. He checked his cell phone for what was probably the tenth time, and there weren't any call notifications. Not that he was expecting a call, but he and Arianna had gotten into a bit of a row before he had left. She had not been feeling well at all recently, and it had been affecting her mood. Hell, to be truthful, she had been downright cranky and nasty lately.

They had quarreled over something completely stupid: his choice of clothes. Usually, she would just shake her head at him or giggle, but that morning, the verbal barbs had flown at him. He was totally stunned and became defensive. The fight escalated - mostly on her part - until he finally, in total exasperation, yelled at her, 'Shut the fuck up!' She had said nothing, but gave him a nasty glare, left the kitchen, went into her office, and slammed the door. He had tried to get her to come out, but she had refused to answer him. Eventually, he just left to go to the rehearsal. She knew where he was going, he rationalized.

He hated that he had yelled at her like that and hated even more that he had left without saying goodbye to her. But she had been stubborn and difficult. Ever since Christmas, he felt like she was possessed, and he just wished that he could have his normal wife back. The other musicians were filing back into the rehearsal room, probably from a smoke break, just as John's cell phone started to ring.

"Hallo?" he answered after seeing that it was Arianna calling. And all that he heard on the other end was sobs. "Arianna? Is that you?" he asked as a chill ran down his spine. Something wasn't right.

"John, come home," she begged, and panic filled his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you. Please. I'm scared," she said, and John shot to his feet, almost dropping his bass.

"Be there straightaway," he said and ended the call as his eyes moved to the others. They were all looking at him, and he was sure he looked panicked. That was certainly how he felt.

"I have to go. That was Arianna, and she sounded pretty upset," he told them as he put his bass in its stand.

"What's wrong, Johnny?" Gerry Laffy asked, and John shook his head.

"Dunno, but she sounds completely distraught. I'll call you," John said and hurried out the door.

He zoomed up the driveway fifteen minutes later and sprinted from the car to the front door. When he opened the door, he walked into total chaos. He could hear Luc crying, and the baby sounded completely upset. He followed the infant's cries and found him in his crib, red-faced, sweaty, and screaming.

"Where's Mummy?" John asked as he lifted Luc from his crib.

Why would Arianna leave the baby to cry like that? He carried him to the changing table and changed his diaper. Then he brought the baby into the kitchen to warm him a bottle. That was when he saw it. A bloody handprint. He felt the color drain from his face, and panic rose once again in his throat.

"Arianna?" he tried to yell, but it came out as a squeak.

Where was she? He hurried back the hall towards their bedroom. He found both their bedroom and bathroom empty, so he checked the kids' rooms. They were also empty.

"Arianna!" he bellowed but was met with more silence.

He looked around, trying to figure out where Arianna was. Then he saw the streaked bloody handprint going into the hall bathroom. He ran to the doorway, and when he beheld the small room, he almost dropped Luc in utter shock. Arianna was lying on the floor, unconscious, and blood was running from a cut on her forehead. But that small cut was not enough blood to be the cause of the bloody handprints. Plus, he could tell that she had hit her head on the toilet as she fell, as there was a tiny bit of blood on the seat edge. He looked her over from head to toe, and that was when he realized that her jeans were soaked with blood between her legs.