Page 104 of Paper Stars Rewritten
I look down at the shiny object that was hidden underneath. It’s a ring, like a wedding band. I pick it up. Four small red rubies wink at me. I turn the ring over and over. I see the inscription inside. I see Jayson kneeling down in front of me at the Eiffel Tower. Wait, I dreamed that before, didn’t I? My breath comes out in strained puffs and I feel like I can’t get any oxygen in. The red rubies begin to melt, turning into small blobs that look like drops of blood. As if it burned me, I throw the ring across the room and hear a metallic clink when it hits the dresser. My vision tunnels, the light in my bedroom fading to black. I call out to Ryder. Ryder will save me. He always saves me. But it’s not Ryder that comes for me. It’sHim.
My head is throbbing as I try to open my eyes. It’s dark so my pupils don’t have to adjust much, but they still hurt when I get them to fully open. Why does my head hurt so bad? I try to reach up to touch my temple when I realize my hands won’t move. What the hell? I try to move my legs and arms and get nothing. Fear and panic overtake me. I yell out and move around but it’s no use. There’s something covering my mouth, duct tape, I think. And my arms and legs are bound to one of the dining room chairs. Even though I’m screaming, hardly a sound escapes the tape around my mouth. I buck and rock in the chair. It topples over sideways with me trapped in it. My side and head hit the floor and more pain explodes inside my body.
“Oh, good. You’re awake.” Black tennis shoes appear in front of my eyes before hands roughly lift me up, chair and all, so I’m upright again.
“I’m running out of time,” the voice speaks to me. Terror fills me as the sharp edge of a knife is dragged up my middle like a caress, sliding up between my breasts and under my chin.
The man nicks the knife under my jaw and I jump in response. “Look what you made me do, Elizabeth.” I can already feel blood trickling down my neck, the small slice of skin stinging. “I said look!” he bellows. I don’t know what he wants me to look at. What is happening? Why is he doing this to me? Oh, God, where are my parents? Where’s Hailey? I try to capture images of his face, what he’s wearing, anything that I can give to the police if I’m able to make it out of here alive. He’s tall, about Ryder’s height. He’s wearing all black, a black face mask covering his hair and face. Even with the dim light, I’m able to see the color of his irises. His pupils are blown but the rims around each are visible. One light blue, one brown.
I whimper and try to tell him I don’t know what he’s talking about when he jerks my chin up and steps to the side. I try to look away from the utter horror I see, but he won’t allow me to turn my face. Across from where I sit tied to the chair, lying motionless on the living room floor, are my parents. There’s enough light coming in the room from the streetlamps outside for me to see the carpet is painted in a halo of dark crimson. My mother’s vacant, cloudy eyes are staring at me, my father next to her, his face I can’t see. I scream behind the duct tape, thrashing around wildly, desperate to get to them, to save them, even though I already know they’re both dead.
“Good. Now you see, my sweet Elizabeth. But that’s not all I have to show you.” He releases my face and walks over to the pantry and opens it. I hear a loud thump and then a noise like something’s being dragged across the floor. The man appears in front of me again, his hand fisted around Hailey’s hair as he tugs her limp, naked body in front of me and tosses her down on the floor. Her body is covered in cuts, bruises, and burn marks, and if she didn’t make a tiny moaning sound when she hit the floor, I would have thought she was dead too. I vomit inside my mouth but there’s nowhere for it to go, so I’m forced to swallow it back down—the burning, acrid taste making me gag and wanting to vomit all over again.
The man starts talking frantically, his words a jumble my mind is having trouble processing. I ignore him and focus on Hailey.Get up! Get up, Hailey!My muffled words plead to her.Get up!
The man bends down and flips Hailey over on her stomach. Her muscles twitch, but she remains motionless, her skin sticky with dried blood. I’m watching my sister die right before my eyes and am helpless to do anything about it. Hot, overpowering rage rises up, aimed at the man in front of me as he hovers over Hailey. If I can just get free, I will rip every bone from his body. A pinkish-orange hue passes over Hailey’s pallid, blood-streaked skin. The early morning sun filters through the windows. Ryder said he would come by this morning. Ryder will save me. I just have to hold on until he gets here.
“Do you see now, Elizabeth? Your pathetic sister thinking she could take your place.” He’s not making any sense. If I thought seeing my parents dead on the floor and my sister’s life draining out of her right in front me was enough to break me, what he does next obliterates me leaving nothing but a husk of myself remaining.
The man lowers his zipper and climbs on top of Hailey’s back as she lies prone on her stomach, not moving.This is not happening, this is not happening. This can’t be happening. I watch helplessly as he plunges the knife into Hailey’s side over and over as he rapes her right in front of me and my mind fractures. I scream so loud and so long and so hard that my vocal cords shatter. Tears pour down my face, clouding my vision and mixing with the blood covering my neck.
The man grunts and then a minute or two pass by. I hear movement before the sound of water splashing and the smell of urine assail my senses. I realize in horror that he’s urinating on my sister. Next, I feel the knife slide across my leg bindings. A second of clarity hits me. This may be my only chance to escape.
“Don’t you see, Elizabeth? She wanted to be you. Stupid bitch.” Once my legs are unbound, I rear my head back and smash it into the top of his head as hard as I can.Jesus, fuck! That hurt.I hear him yowl in pain as dizziness swamps me. Using my legs, I push down with all my might in order to stand up and run, but my arms are still tied to the chair. The man grabs my ankle and I careen into the dining room table, striking the side of my face against the wooden edge, the chair shattering.
“Why, Elizabeth! Why did you do that!” The man is spitting and screaming at me.
He tries to straddle me like he did Hailey and I lose it. I fight with everything in me, kicking, biting, thrashing. Voices from outside can be heard and I try to scream but no sound comes out. Just a gurgling noise like coffee percolating. My head lulls to the side in time to see the man pull the knife out from the side of my chest.
He croons to me in a soft voice. “Shh, Elizabeth. It will all be better soon.” He slides the knife into me again and kisses me softly. “My sweet Elizabeth.” He gets up off of me and I hear his footsteps running toward the back of the house.
My body is floating and I feel no pain. I try to take in a labored breath, but it’s too hard to pull in air, like my lungs aren’t working properly. My eyes track to the dining room window searching for Jayson’s window, but the old oak tree is in the way.
There’s a tug on my body and I hear Ryder’s voice, faint and far away, calling my name. My eyes are too heavy to open and my limbs won’t work. I hear Jayson’s voice. I need to tell them before the darkness takes me away. I need more time. I can’t leave them. I’m not ready.
Ryder’s frantic golden eyes swim in front of my vision. With the last breath I can muster, I rasp out, “I love you.”
Chapter 31
Jayson
Jules just called to let me know he and his team arrived safely in Orlando where the Halloween Cup is being held. I’m thinking of driving down tomorrow to surprise him. Mom and Dad arrived there yesterday and are staying at a different hotel. I know Jules will appreciate having me there with them, cheering him on from the stands. I check my phone. Still no text from Liz. I hate the stillness and quiet of the condo. I’m used to noise. I’m used to living with Julien and Ryder. Ryder, my best friend who is now living with my girl. Living the life I was supposed to have.Fuck. It hurts. It hurts so goddamn much. Is this how Ryder felt all those years? Did it hurt him this much to watch every time I kissed Liz, every time I touched her, every laugh and smile she gave me and not him?
I hear raindrops hit the window and walk out on the balcony. Back home, Liz and I used to sit out on her patio and watch the rain fall. Liz loved thunderstorms the best. She said they reminded her of the fireworks from that Fourth of July when I took her behind the dunes. The first time my fingers gave her an orgasm. My mind keeps playing back all those first times. All those next times. Ryder is me now, and I am him.
I walk back inside but keep the balcony door open. The cool late autumn breeze blows in; the smell of wet earth clings to the air. The rain is quiet. The breeze is quiet. Everything is so damn quiet. Fuck it. Deciding to head to Liz’s place, I close the balcony door and go to grab my keys. If she wants me to leave after I get there, I will. I shove my shoes on and grab my wallet. The rain isn’t so hard that I’ll need an umbrella. I open the front door and stop.
Liz is standing there. She’s trembling and soaked to the bone. Her long hair is plastered to her face, her neck, her body. Her chest moves in and out as if she ran all the way here from her apartment in the rain. But it’s her eyes that stop me cold. I have never seen Liz’s eyes glow so vibrantly green before. It’s unnerving. She looks like a fairy goddess come to slay the dragon. And those green eyes are locked on me.
“Liz? What’s wrong?” Even though concern for her consumes me, I’m afraid to touch her. I’ve seen her memory blackouts before. This is different.
“Baby, you’re scaring me. Please tell me what’s wrong. Why are you standing out here in the rain?”
Those bright verdant green eyes flash.
“Everything,” she says, her voice sounding as fierce as the look in her eyes.
“What?”
