Part II
Mary opened her eyes to dark clouds peeking through the blinds in her room. The sun was completely hidden, and rain was drizzling down her window. Mary couldn’t move her hands, and her arms were tied down with fabric bands and Velcro. The claw marks over her eyes were scabbed with dried blood, and her broken fingernails were beginning to heal.
Sedatives were keeping Mary still. Even as thunder clapped and roared repeatedly overhead, Mary didn’t budge. For three days the world outside was wet and wild with storms, but Mary hardly recognized as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
Mary’s eyes sprang open when a hand suddenly grabbed her head, bending her neck to near breakage.
“Let’s watch cartoons, huh?”
The room opened to a myriad of blurry hues as Mary tried to regain consciousness. The hand slipped from her head to the remote that sat beside her bed, and the television popped on with a fuzz, buzzing her ears and goosing her skin. As Mary’s field of vision steadied, she saw channel after channel wobble in and out of focus, until the surfing finally stopped on a cartoon. Mary watched as two men waged war with carrots, fighting over who would get the bunny rabbit that was living in the grassy field. When she saw the carrot cake, she felt a jab in her stomach--a tinge of hunger from days with only fluids through an IV drip. When the giant carrot appeared, Mary wanted to smile, but the sedation was like paralysis for her. As sleep began to call, Mary’s head tilted to the side, and her eyes locked with his.
Sedatives were keeping Mary still. Even as thunder clapped and roared repeatedly overhead, Mary didn’t budge. For three days the world outside was wet and wild with storms, but Mary hardly recognized as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
Mary’s eyes sprang open when a hand suddenly grabbed her head, bending her neck to near breakage.
“Let’s watch cartoons, huh?”
The room opened to a myriad of blurry hues as Mary tried to regain consciousness. The hand slipped from her head to the remote that sat beside her bed, and the television popped on with a fuzz, buzzing her ears and goosing her skin. As Mary’s field of vision steadied, she saw channel after channel wobble in and out of focus, until the surfing finally stopped on a cartoon. Mary watched as two men waged war with carrots, fighting over who would get the bunny rabbit that was living in the grassy field. When she saw the carrot cake, she felt a jab in her stomach--a tinge of hunger from days with only fluids through an IV drip. When the giant carrot appeared, Mary wanted to smile, but the sedation was like paralysis for her. As sleep began to call, Mary’s head tilted to the side, and her eyes locked with his.
“A--A--” The tube in Mary’s throat prevented her from speaking, and the cuts inside were stinging with fresh pain.
“That’s right, Ms. Hawkins. It’s me. Go on, you can say my name. Aw-dru-ick. Go on. Audric!”
The monitor next to Mary’s bed began to beep faster. Her face burned. She struggled, writhed between her sheets, but her ankles were tied down. Mary tried to scream.
"Sorry, what was that? Oh, you want to scream? Sure, let’s just get that out of your mouth.”
Audric reached down and gripped the tube that was helping Mary breathe. With one swift movement, he jerked the tube out of her mouth. Blood splattered on her white blanket and dribbled out her mouth.
“That’s what you get for trying to rinse your mouth with glass. I only told you to chew the glass.”
The beeping sped up. Nurses screamed and rattled the door to Mary’s room.
“Oh, Mary, don’t worry. They can’t get in. No one can hurt you, not while I’m around.”
Audric pulled the pillow out from under Mary’s head.
“The doctors called you a schizophrenic. Have you ever heard of a nine-year-old schizophrenic?”
He looked down at Mary as her face turned purple.
“Your sister was a bitch. I told you those hedge-trimmers wouldn’t work as well as a knife, but it got the job done. But you had to tell everyone you were hearing my voice. What did you think they’d do? Your mother works all the time. Your father has been gone for years.”
Mary shook her head, tears trying to rinse the blood from her face.
“No? You don’t think I’m telling the truth? Or do you just not want me here? You know, the day I met you on the playground, I had just left another friend. I left him for you. I saw something in you. A darkness. A void. You were empty.”
Audric looked up at the television, and chuckled.
“Bye, bye, Bunny! You see that, Mary? You’re the bunny. Sweet. Cute. But innocent? No. You killed your sister. You tried killing yourself. But me? I’m the hawk. I’m here to take you away. No more pain.”
Mary’s body fell limp.
“The act of disappearing is sometimes fast, Mary. But sometimes, death is slow. You’re welcome.”
As Audric left the room, the door to her room burst open, and a herd of nurses fell inside Mary’s room. They ran over to Mary, tried CPR, tried shocking her, and then everything was black.
Mary opened her eyes, and Audric removed his hand from her head. She was in her bedroom. No blood. No hospital. She could hear her sister talking on the phone in the next room. She looked up at Audric, crying.
“So, Mary, you saw everything--from the very beginning.”
He leaned in closer.
“Let's begin”
“That’s right, Ms. Hawkins. It’s me. Go on, you can say my name. Aw-dru-ick. Go on. Audric!”
The monitor next to Mary’s bed began to beep faster. Her face burned. She struggled, writhed between her sheets, but her ankles were tied down. Mary tried to scream.
"Sorry, what was that? Oh, you want to scream? Sure, let’s just get that out of your mouth.”
Audric reached down and gripped the tube that was helping Mary breathe. With one swift movement, he jerked the tube out of her mouth. Blood splattered on her white blanket and dribbled out her mouth.
“That’s what you get for trying to rinse your mouth with glass. I only told you to chew the glass.”
The beeping sped up. Nurses screamed and rattled the door to Mary’s room.
“Oh, Mary, don’t worry. They can’t get in. No one can hurt you, not while I’m around.”
Audric pulled the pillow out from under Mary’s head.
“The doctors called you a schizophrenic. Have you ever heard of a nine-year-old schizophrenic?”
He looked down at Mary as her face turned purple.
“Your sister was a bitch. I told you those hedge-trimmers wouldn’t work as well as a knife, but it got the job done. But you had to tell everyone you were hearing my voice. What did you think they’d do? Your mother works all the time. Your father has been gone for years.”
Mary shook her head, tears trying to rinse the blood from her face.
“No? You don’t think I’m telling the truth? Or do you just not want me here? You know, the day I met you on the playground, I had just left another friend. I left him for you. I saw something in you. A darkness. A void. You were empty.”
Audric looked up at the television, and chuckled.
“Bye, bye, Bunny! You see that, Mary? You’re the bunny. Sweet. Cute. But innocent? No. You killed your sister. You tried killing yourself. But me? I’m the hawk. I’m here to take you away. No more pain.”
Mary’s body fell limp.
“The act of disappearing is sometimes fast, Mary. But sometimes, death is slow. You’re welcome.”
As Audric left the room, the door to her room burst open, and a herd of nurses fell inside Mary’s room. They ran over to Mary, tried CPR, tried shocking her, and then everything was black.
Mary opened her eyes, and Audric removed his hand from her head. She was in her bedroom. No blood. No hospital. She could hear her sister talking on the phone in the next room. She looked up at Audric, crying.
“So, Mary, you saw everything--from the very beginning.”
He leaned in closer.
“Let's begin”