Captivation

27: Tourniquet

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Tourniquet (noun): a device for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery, typically by compressing the limb with a cord or tight bandage

 

I decided to give Henry and his family a break from me. I know that they would tell me that I don’t need to give them their time alone, or that I’m like family, or something equally stupid. I know they like me, maybe not Alina, but still, I’m sure they want to just see Henry be Henry, not the Henry he is around Madelyn; I think they might be slightly different Henry’s.

I am taking a bath, and not the use-as-little-water-as-possible-because-we’re-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean baths. I am covered up to my chin and the bath is loaded with bubbles. I sink deeper, enjoying the warmth of the water. I sigh.

The more I sit in silence the more I think. I wonder if Alina is really as nice of a person as she seems. Then I realize that if she is as nice a person as she seems, I just royally screwed over the nicest person in the world. I close my eyes and submerge under the water. I stay under the water until my lungs burn.

I rise out of the water, my hair stuck to my face. I pull it off my face, as it’s on the verge of suffocating me. I take a deep breath once I’m free and I stare at the door across the room. It’s locked, and everyone’s outside. I lean my head back.

“If you we’re a boat my darling, a boat my darling, I would be the wind at your back…” I sing softly, creating ripples in the water with my hand, causing the bubbles to crash into each other as they float on the top of the water.

I take a handful of the bubbles and blow right into the middle. The bubbles disperse, exploding everywhere, in my hair, on my face, on the floor in the tub, everywhere.

“Well, that was a mess.” I murmur, peeking over the tub at the bubbles on the floor.

After another however many minutes, and the water gets slightly less hot I hear a knock on the door.

“Madelyn?” It’s Henry, as per usual.

“Busy.” I say.

“Of course.” Henry says, sounding amused.

“What?” I ask.

“My mother wanted to know where you had gone off to.” Henry says, “And I volunteered to find you.”

“Of course.” I say. I pause. ‘Lost boys always go looking for their sunbeam girls.’ I recall Henry saying that from the night he talked me to sleep.

“Hey Henry?” I ask.

“Hmm?” He says.

“What happens if I’m a lost girl?” I ask, knowing he’ll get my context.

“Sunbeams are always lost.” Henry says. “How could you hold a sunbeam in your hand?”

I smile. “I’ll be out soon.”

***

Before dinner, but after my bath, I hear screaming and yelling and I leave my spot on the couch with one of Jane’s books to the noise which came from somewhere outside.

My fast paced walking becomes running once I see all the blood.

Jane is screaming, frantic; Griffin looks like he could throw up, and Alina and Henry are trying to be logical. Peter has a gash in his forearm that is deep, and is bleeding far too much.