STARGIRL

47. Paroxysm

    There was an intangible feeling of frustration casing her body.

A light gust of wind danced around her, and the bracing breezes delicately pushed her baby hairs to the front of her face.

She stood motionless while she carefully studied the structure standing before her. Her bare feet were planted on the wet grass. She would curl her toes every few seconds to have her skin feel the earth's texture beneath her.

She was standing in front of the shed that so ominously stood in the backyard by the vegetable garden. It was windowless and the thick cement walls were painted a lazy dilapidated olive. Thick weeds were growing around it, and a small gnome in a tutu was placed right in front of its metal door.

The same metal door that Arabella noticed had a total of 14 locks on it, securing its protection from whoever wanted to enter.

She lightly grazed the locks with the tips of her fingers, she was cautious enough to make sure she didn't move any of them. Arabella simply wanted to feel them brush over her skin.

From her mere observation, the teenager noticed that some locks were different than others. More precisely, some locks were dirty with grime and fingerprint stains while others were not.

Shaking her head after piecing it all together, she scoffed at the newfound discovery.

"Fucking psycho," She muttered to herself as a smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Pulling her cell phone out from the back pocket of her shorts, she pointed her camera at the locks and took pictures of them. Individually and collectively. She wanted to test the hypothesis she had formed in her head to be true. She backed away from the shed after checking the time on her phone and realizing that in a few moments he would be coming outside to check his tomatoes before heading to work.

She would wait for him silently. Since she had been back at their home for two weeks already, neither of them crossed word or glanced at each other. They were both waiting for a move.

Her life was a game of chess and Stargirl was so often the king of the game, the most valuable piece. She was the king, manipulating the pawns to defend her no matter the cost.

Arabella was the queen. The most powerful piece that would do anything to protect the king, Stargirl.

She waited a few more minutes with her back leaned up against the wall of the shed, her body was facing the garden that was beside it. She was looking up at the gray sky when Nathaniel entered the garden, unaware that the snake was lurking around.

"Nathaniel," She spoke up after he had already crouched down to check the weeds that were surrounding his plants.

He slightly raised his head, fingers slightly twitching at the sound of her voice saying his name. Nathaniel didn't reply to her. He just kept staring ahead.

"I want to ask you something," She said as she began her slow descent to stand in front of him.

She placed her right hand on her hip and leaned closer to him, "Why haven't you spoken to me?" The question was simple but complicated to answer, for him at least.

"I have nothing to say to you," He bitterly replied as he continued to examine the plants.

"Or, is it because you can't blackmail me anymore?" Arabella complacently asked him as she slightly raised her eyebrow.

Nathaniel bit his tongue, literally. He bit it until the tip of it was bleeding and he was numb to speak.

"Thought so," Arabella added after moments of his delayed interaction. Nate kept his head down, continuing his work although his blood was boiling.