Reaper's Lullaby

Nora: Patching Up

"It is such a secret place, the land of tears."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Nora was in bed when she heard the tiny tapping on the window that sounded like intermittent drops of rain. She sprang up and opened the pane. There was Lucas in the yard below, staring up at her. Nora motioned to the back door. It was long after midnight, and her parents were sound asleep. As soon as she got down to the back patio door in the kitchen, Lucas was already there leaning against the door frame, his face streaked with blood, dirt and tears. His hoodie and jeans were equally filthy.

"Oh my God! What happened? I got your text and then they took my phone! I've been freaking out!" Nora gasped.

"Can I stay here tonight?" he asked softly.

Nora ushered him inside and up to her room as quietly as she could. She carefully closed the door and looked at him sitting on the bed. He was staring at the carpet, thoroughly defeated, like a dying animal who'd just lost the fight for its life. He looked like a ghost of himself.

"Baby..." she said softly.

Nora sunk down onto the bed beside him, and Lucas let her wrap her arms around him. He rested his head against her chest as she stroked his hair.

Nora gently kissed the top of his head. "Tell me everything," she said.

Lucas began to tell the story of the last few hours while Nora sat in horrified silence. When he got to the part about the belt buckle, she stopped him.

"Let me see," she said.

Lucas shook his head. "The blood glued my shirt to my skin. It fucking stings."

"I'll be gentle. Just let me see."

Lucas let her slowly, slowly roll his shirt up and over his head, working each bloody wound free of the fabric. She gasped.

"Jesus Christ," she whispered.

There were fresh red bruises from the neck down, some surrounded by streaks of dried blood. Bloody holes from the metal fastener were scattered everywhere. And finally, the imprint of the heavy buckle itself. All over him. Nora covered her mouth with her hand as tears filled her eyes.

"How bad? You think it'll scar?" Lucas asked.

"Lucas... your back," she said in a strangled sob.

Lucas turned his body to face hers. Now it was his turn to hold her. She sobbed as quietly as she could as he stroked her hair.

"I'm okay, Nora. I promise. I'm okay," he said.

"This isn't okay!" she sobbed. "Goddammit, Lucas! Show your mom! You've got to!"

Lucas shook his head. "If I do, Brian said he'd break me in half. His words. I can't risk it, Nora. I thought he'd kill me tonight! He's fucking crazy! Now I know he's capable of anything!"

"Then we run. Together. You have to get out of there!"

Lucas sighed. "I'm not letting you drop out and throw your future away, and I sure as fuck won't run without you. So that means we're stuck here... for the next year at least. But we can leave after high school. That was my plan I told you about. I got a cousin in Chicago. We can stay with him. I already asked. We can get jobs."

"Why did he do this?" Nora asked, wiping tears off her cheeks.

Lucas looked down. "I stole something from him."

"What?"

"Please don't hate me," Lucas said, and he pulled a prescription bottle out of his pocket. Nora took it and read the label.