The Betrothed
Part 29
By late that afternoon, Abby had indeed made it out of bed, but only so far as the couch, where she sat watching TV in her robe, eating a bag of chips. Darrick wondered if she even saw what was on the screen, her face looked so dead, showing neither interest nor pleasure. The only part of her that appeared to have any life at all was the hand that brought chip after chip up to her mouth, and the jaw that chewed mechanically away.
Darrick, on the other hand, felt so full of life he could burst, and he was nearing the end of his patience with Abby’s sudden lethargy. He had been trying all day to find some way to spur her to action, or at least to some minimum activity, but all he had accomplished was to move her from one stationary rest to another. Even Angela, coming by to take her to lunch, had been rebuffed. Darrick could feel the clock ticking away, his carefully-laid plans for the special evening falling into naught.
“Can’t you please get up?” he asked for what felt like the hundredth time. “You’ll have a good time, I promise. Just get dressed and come out with me.” Darrick was hopping from foot to foot in his eagerness to get out and away. Their rooms were becoming oppressive, the walls closing in on him. He had to get out, get moving, before he screamed. What do I have to do to get her going? This isn’t the girl I married.
“I don’t want to go out, Darrick,” Abby finally responded, her words so lazy they almost blurred together into an unintelligible slur. “Just leave me alone.” She muttered something underneath her breath.
“What did you say?” Darrick asked. “If you want to say something to me, say it!”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Abby said, petulant. She curled up and lay down on the couch, eyes still not leaving the TV screen.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Darrick thought, eyes darting around the room. There’s no one else here, is there? Did she tell someone about us? Are they coming to take us back? Darrick grabbed her arm and tugged.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said, continuing to pull. He wasn’t sure if he was just trying to encourage her, or actively attempting to pull her manually out of her slump. Either way, the physical action felt good. “You’re not going to ruin my plans like this. Now get up and get dressed!”
“Let go of me!” Abby shrieked, showing more energy in one phrase than she had in all of the past day. She sat up and pulled her arm away, shrinking away from him to the opposing side of the couch. “You don’t want me with you, so don’t pretend! I’ve seen the way you look at Carmen. I know you want her! So go get her! She’s one of your kind, so you should be with her.” Her eyes darted to the side, and her tone sunk to a whisper. “Yes, yes, I know he does. He’ll be happier with her. Better he find it out now than later.”
“Who the hell are you talking to?” Daniel roared. His previous questions solidified to certainties. He knew what was going on. “You told them, didn’t you? You sold us out, and now they’re coming to take us back! You’re talking to them with some kind of Atlantean telepathy or something. You sold us out, you bitch!” Almost of its own accord, his hand flew out and slapped her firmly across the face, the crack echoing around the room. Abby flinched, then her sobs broke forth. Darrick barely noticed; he was too busy watching the windows for approaching figures. “I heard what you just said. ‘One of your kind.’ You mean an outsider, don’t you? That’s still how you see me! To Hell with you and your kind. They can have you, but they’re not going to get me!” Darrick could feel their eyes on him, their footsteps closing in. I have to get out of here. Now! He grabbed his coat and headed out, ignoring Abby’s weeping pleas behind him.
“Please, Darrick, I didn’t mean it! I didn’t tell anyone. I don’t want her to have you. Please come –” The slamming door cut short her cries.
Lies! Darrick thought as he stormed down the hallway towards the common room and the exit. It was all lies! She never loved me. It was just a setup. I’m just a toy to them, a puppet to dance on their strings. Abby, Mother – I was just their tool. Well, not anymore. From this moment, I’m free! In a flash, his anger was gone, replaced by a sensation of absolute elation. He felt light, unencumbered. He could run. He could dance. He could fly! I’m going to celebrate tonight! Celebrate my freedom after six months of captivity!
Entering the common room, he saw Jimmy, Angela, and Carmen huddled around the television, watching the news. It was one more boring report on North Korea. Maybe another time, Darrick would have been interested; maybe another night, his face would have worn the same look of worry he saw on theirs. But not tonight.
“I’m going out,” he announced to the room at large. “Jimmy, you wanna come with me?” All three turned to him with expressions of shock.
“Weren’t you going out with Abby tonight?” Angela asked, still looking concerned. Darrick shrugged.
“Not anymore,” he said. “She’s not up to it. So, wanna go?”
“Son, I’m a bit old to go traipsing out at all hours,” Jimmy said. “It’s your anniversary, isn’t it? If you’re wife’s not feeling well, maybe you should stay in with her.” Darrick’s ire rose at the note of disapproval, and it doubled when he saw Angela’s obvious agreement. With another shrug, he dismissed them, refusing to let his wonderful mood be sullied by such considerations. They don’t know what she really is. They’ll find out soon enough.
“What about you, Carmen?” he asked, turning to her, to the shock of both Jimmy and Angela. “Care for a night out?” She smiled like she had won a prize, and quickly slipped her arm into his, pressing her lush body firmly against his side.
“What a fantastic idea,” she whispered into his ear, her lips just barely grazing his earlobe. Darrick hadn’t thought that he could feel any more euphoric than he already did, but he very quickly discovered heights to his excitement that he could never have before imagined. Carmen’s tone made promises that summoned a host of images in his mind, each more arousing than the one before.
“Darrick, what are you doing?” Angela said in horror.
“You’re a married man,” Jimmy joined in. “Don’t forget that. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
From deep within Darrick, something responded. A small, familiar voice, crying out to him to listen to this man. To turn back and apologize to his wife. To tell her that he loved her and would never leave her. But it was a small voice, easily overwhelmed by this new excitement, and very quickly it receded to the recesses of his mind; once it was gone, Darrick felt all that more eager to be gone.
“Believe me, I’m not,” he said, as much to himself as to Jimmy, and turning, he and Carmen walked out of the front door, arm in arm.
The cold hit Darrick in a bracing wind; his breath caught, and Darrick felt more awake, more alive, than he could ever remember. He let loose a loud whoop, jumping up, releasing the energy he could no longer restrain. Carmen laughed, a deep, throaty sound.
“So where are we going?” she asked, her arm reaching around him. “Someplace private?”
“No,” Darrick responded. “There’s so much around here I don’t know. Take me someplace loud. Loud and filled with people. I’m tired of living like a recluse.” Darrick wondered why he had never cared for loud crowds before; they sounded like such an exciting idea. He had to share it. “Here, give me your cell phone. There’s somebody I have to call.”
Part 29
By late that afternoon, Abby had indeed made it out of bed, but only so far as the couch, where she sat watching TV in her robe, eating a bag of chips. Darrick wondered if she even saw what was on the screen, her face looked so dead, showing neither interest nor pleasure. The only part of her that appeared to have any life at all was the hand that brought chip after chip up to her mouth, and the jaw that chewed mechanically away.
Darrick, on the other hand, felt so full of life he could burst, and he was nearing the end of his patience with Abby’s sudden lethargy. He had been trying all day to find some way to spur her to action, or at least to some minimum activity, but all he had accomplished was to move her from one stationary rest to another. Even Angela, coming by to take her to lunch, had been rebuffed. Darrick could feel the clock ticking away, his carefully-laid plans for the special evening falling into naught.
“Can’t you please get up?” he asked for what felt like the hundredth time. “You’ll have a good time, I promise. Just get dressed and come out with me.” Darrick was hopping from foot to foot in his eagerness to get out and away. Their rooms were becoming oppressive, the walls closing in on him. He had to get out, get moving, before he screamed. What do I have to do to get her going? This isn’t the girl I married.
“I don’t want to go out, Darrick,” Abby finally responded, her words so lazy they almost blurred together into an unintelligible slur. “Just leave me alone.” She muttered something underneath her breath.
“What did you say?” Darrick asked. “If you want to say something to me, say it!”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Abby said, petulant. She curled up and lay down on the couch, eyes still not leaving the TV screen.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Darrick thought, eyes darting around the room. There’s no one else here, is there? Did she tell someone about us? Are they coming to take us back? Darrick grabbed her arm and tugged.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said, continuing to pull. He wasn’t sure if he was just trying to encourage her, or actively attempting to pull her manually out of her slump. Either way, the physical action felt good. “You’re not going to ruin my plans like this. Now get up and get dressed!”
“Let go of me!” Abby shrieked, showing more energy in one phrase than she had in all of the past day. She sat up and pulled her arm away, shrinking away from him to the opposing side of the couch. “You don’t want me with you, so don’t pretend! I’ve seen the way you look at Carmen. I know you want her! So go get her! She’s one of your kind, so you should be with her.” Her eyes darted to the side, and her tone sunk to a whisper. “Yes, yes, I know he does. He’ll be happier with her. Better he find it out now than later.”
“Who the hell are you talking to?” Daniel roared. His previous questions solidified to certainties. He knew what was going on. “You told them, didn’t you? You sold us out, and now they’re coming to take us back! You’re talking to them with some kind of Atlantean telepathy or something. You sold us out, you bitch!” Almost of its own accord, his hand flew out and slapped her firmly across the face, the crack echoing around the room. Abby flinched, then her sobs broke forth. Darrick barely noticed; he was too busy watching the windows for approaching figures. “I heard what you just said. ‘One of your kind.’ You mean an outsider, don’t you? That’s still how you see me! To Hell with you and your kind. They can have you, but they’re not going to get me!” Darrick could feel their eyes on him, their footsteps closing in. I have to get out of here. Now! He grabbed his coat and headed out, ignoring Abby’s weeping pleas behind him.
“Please, Darrick, I didn’t mean it! I didn’t tell anyone. I don’t want her to have you. Please come –” The slamming door cut short her cries.
Lies! Darrick thought as he stormed down the hallway towards the common room and the exit. It was all lies! She never loved me. It was just a setup. I’m just a toy to them, a puppet to dance on their strings. Abby, Mother – I was just their tool. Well, not anymore. From this moment, I’m free! In a flash, his anger was gone, replaced by a sensation of absolute elation. He felt light, unencumbered. He could run. He could dance. He could fly! I’m going to celebrate tonight! Celebrate my freedom after six months of captivity!
Entering the common room, he saw Jimmy, Angela, and Carmen huddled around the television, watching the news. It was one more boring report on North Korea. Maybe another time, Darrick would have been interested; maybe another night, his face would have worn the same look of worry he saw on theirs. But not tonight.
“I’m going out,” he announced to the room at large. “Jimmy, you wanna come with me?” All three turned to him with expressions of shock.
“Weren’t you going out with Abby tonight?” Angela asked, still looking concerned. Darrick shrugged.
“Not anymore,” he said. “She’s not up to it. So, wanna go?”
“Son, I’m a bit old to go traipsing out at all hours,” Jimmy said. “It’s your anniversary, isn’t it? If you’re wife’s not feeling well, maybe you should stay in with her.” Darrick’s ire rose at the note of disapproval, and it doubled when he saw Angela’s obvious agreement. With another shrug, he dismissed them, refusing to let his wonderful mood be sullied by such considerations. They don’t know what she really is. They’ll find out soon enough.
“What about you, Carmen?” he asked, turning to her, to the shock of both Jimmy and Angela. “Care for a night out?” She smiled like she had won a prize, and quickly slipped her arm into his, pressing her lush body firmly against his side.
“What a fantastic idea,” she whispered into his ear, her lips just barely grazing his earlobe. Darrick hadn’t thought that he could feel any more euphoric than he already did, but he very quickly discovered heights to his excitement that he could never have before imagined. Carmen’s tone made promises that summoned a host of images in his mind, each more arousing than the one before.
“Darrick, what are you doing?” Angela said in horror.
“You’re a married man,” Jimmy joined in. “Don’t forget that. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
From deep within Darrick, something responded. A small, familiar voice, crying out to him to listen to this man. To turn back and apologize to his wife. To tell her that he loved her and would never leave her. But it was a small voice, easily overwhelmed by this new excitement, and very quickly it receded to the recesses of his mind; once it was gone, Darrick felt all that more eager to be gone.
“Believe me, I’m not,” he said, as much to himself as to Jimmy, and turning, he and Carmen walked out of the front door, arm in arm.
The cold hit Darrick in a bracing wind; his breath caught, and Darrick felt more awake, more alive, than he could ever remember. He let loose a loud whoop, jumping up, releasing the energy he could no longer restrain. Carmen laughed, a deep, throaty sound.
“So where are we going?” she asked, her arm reaching around him. “Someplace private?”
“No,” Darrick responded. “There’s so much around here I don’t know. Take me someplace loud. Loud and filled with people. I’m tired of living like a recluse.” Darrick wondered why he had never cared for loud crowds before; they sounded like such an exciting idea. He had to share it. “Here, give me your cell phone. There’s somebody I have to call.”
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