Lover Tamed

 

 

Chapter 7

“Tell me why I gotta drag my ass to play fetch for some motherfucking angel?” Vishous snapped, lighting a hand rolled and shoving the BIC back into his leathers. Blue smoke curled up into the night air as they stood on the curb and took in the monstrosity before them. The place was a crumbling wasteland that was nestled in the thick of one of the seediest parts of town.

Rhage grinned and scanned the empty city street. “Suck it up, V. We can do a little recovery while we hunt.” He patted his buddy on the shoulder making the other male scowl. “You never know. We might get lucky and get some lesser ass to kick tonight. This is prime location for those pasty ass bastards.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go do this before Butch gets here with the Escalade, true.”

They slid through the alleyway and took the back entrance into the squalid apartment complex. There was no need to mask themselves. There were no cameras, no security. Just junkies that were so strung out they probably couldn’t even remember their own names let alone recall seeing anyone suspicious pass by – not that these folks would be forthcoming to the police with any information to begin with. The glassy eyes that swept the stairwells and halls were wary and untrusting even through their drug-induced haze.

They had to take five sets of stairs up to her floor. The scent of filth and decay was permeated in the walls of the place. It was just another festering wound in the underbelly of the city filled with the poor, the unfortunate, and the diseased; something best left a pile of rubble then ever trying to be revived.

They finally found the tiny little apartment the Eve had called home. The brass numbers on the door had long since been ripped away. Instead, they were painted back on like blood splatter with a large biohazard symbol painted over it.

Rhage lifted up a blond eyebrow and motioned to the redecorated gray door. “You don’t suppose she’s running a crack house do you?” he asked with a chuckle.

Vishous shrugged while mentally disengaging the locks inside. There were a plethora of them. “You never know. After a few centuries of lurking on this planet, a five foot nothing girl being a big bad drug lord wouldn’t be surprising. I found a little baggy full of interesting in her bag. It was just a bit of grass, but still.”

“Christ. I’m surprised there ain’t roaches and rats crawling all over this place,” Rhage muttered, kicking an empty can out of his way.

Vishous snorted as he stubbed out his hand rolled and slipped the butt in the back pocket of his leathers. “Even they have higher standards than this, my brother.”

The two vampires pushed inside the place and turned on the lights. There was nothing much about it; no distinguishable rooms within the apartment, just sheets strung up to rope off sections. The only furniture was a futon with rumpled blankets and a pillow, a barstool splashed with varying colors of paint, and a small table that was beside a sink. What filled the room were art supplies. There were unfinished paintings scattered here and there. A sketch pad tossed casually beside the bed/couch. There were brushes in a tin on the floor beside the sink and next to it, another bin filled with wooden and metal tools of some kind. It really wasn’t much of a home. There were no personal touches. It looked more like a gray square storage container for Eve’s things.

“At least it’s clean compared to the rest of this garbage heap. Shit, it almost makes you happy she did end up staying with us,” Rhage said, scanning the innards of the apartment. He pulled back one of the strung up sheets and found a bathroom. “Say what you will about her, but she doesn’t deserve to be stuck in a place like this. I would have thought a politician’s daughter would have better digs than this. Did Butch ever tell you how they knew each other?”

Vishous shook his head and muttered a fowl curse. “Says he knew her mother when Eve was a kid.”

“And I’m thinking by ‘knew’ you mean in the biblical sense, right?” Hollywood examined a sculpture of a nude woman.

“Yeah, but he didn’t say much beyond that. He’s being pretty secretive about the whole thing. I trust him, but I can sense that he is keeping something from me whenever I ask him about it. And I’m thinking this whole thing with the girl goes deeper than a quick lay with the mother. Hell, he was even the one that scraped together all her info. I just told him what to do.” Vishous found the closet behind the futon and pushed the offending piece of furniture out of the way.

Rhage came over to help search for the goods. “Whatever the story is between the two should prove to be interesting. Think we can get away with calling him Butchy, too?”

“Not on your life,” a deep Bostonian accent rumbled from the doorway.

“Ah, come on, buddy. I think Butchy suits you.”

“Shut your pie hole, Hollywood,” Butch growled.

Rhage laughed. “Why don’t you tell us how you met Eve’s mother?”

Butch stood off to the side trying not to get in the way while Vishous and Rhage pushed boxes and clothing out of the way. “She lived in that same building with me at one point. With all the hours I was putting in at the precinct it was just convenient.”

“So what…did you play daddy to this kid and that’s why you’re all soft on her?” V asked, looking over his shoulder at the former cop.

“No, it was never like that. Her mother and I were strictly casual, no attachments, no relationship.” He sighed and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I have a history with Eve, too. One I’m not proud of. She lived with me for a while when she didn’t have nowhere to go. V, you know how I told you I was in a bad place before I came here with drugs and shit. Well…we both kind used together.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me this before?” Vishous asked with an increasing hardness in his tone.

“Does it really matter if I’d have told you? I already know it was a stupid fucking thing to do. I did a lot of stupid shit back then. I have my reasons on why I allowed her to live with me. It was a really bad time for the both of us. I couldn’t just turn her away to the streets. And before you ask, no, I didn’t push the drugs on her or anything like that. She already picked up the habit. I found out and instead of doing what I should have done…” he trailed off letting them fill in the blanks.

V ran his gloved hand through his hair and faced his friend head on. “I can’t believe this. I am at a loss for words right now. And here I thought, being your best fucking friend, I knew all your dirty little secrets. Christ, she had to have been just a kid, cop!”

“You think I didn’t know that? I already feel like shit enough as it is. My conscience is already eating away at me. I don’t need you playing its advocate,” Butch argued back.

“I had no idea that this was going to be the elusive tale on how the two of you knew each other. So was it just the drugs you had in common or were you fucking the kid, too?”

“V, man, calm down.” Rhage placed himself between the two large males in case there was more to this pleasant little tale.

“No! Shit, no. There was never anything sexual between us. When I was fooling around with her mother, I only saw Eve a couple of times, maybe quick introduction or something. I never really met her until the job.  And what happened with her, her mother, it’s not something that I’d soon forget. That’s why I didn’t give you any real deets on our past. It’s not out of disrespect that I’m not telling you everything that went on with us. Shit, you should know that. You guys are my family and I would never put any of you at risk. I just don’t want to hurt Eve anymore than necessary. She’s been through enough. She might act tough but there is a fragility there that she hides. And the transition into our world isn’t going to be easy. If the past held any significance that could be used to hurt you, I’d give it to you in a heartbeat. But telling you everything that went on in her past…it would just bring up unnecessary pain for her,” he explained.

“How is it that when I checked you out, I never got a single mention of the girl?”

“She was a sixteen year old kid. We kept it all on the down low for obvious reasons. People would have jumped to the same exact conclusion that you did. She was in danger with no place to go; I had to keep her safe.”

“I’m sorry for that. Listen, I trust you, cop. It’s just…all this has come at a shock. You know you can tell me anything, true? We cool?” Vishous held his knuckles out to the cop.

Butch slowly nodded then rapped his knuckles against V’s. “We’re cool.”

Once that was settled, the vampires went back to the tasks at hand. After a few seconds of rummaging through piles of clothes, shoes, and other various regalia, Rhage announced he found what they were looking for. It was a large black crate that looked similar to a treasure chest.

“It’s not heavy enough to be gold, that’s for sure. I had a couple chests like this back in the day,” Vishous admitted.

“With that scruff on your face, V, you still look about ready to do some swashbuckling. Just give your ass a wooden leg and a fucking parrot for your shoulder,” Butch joked.

Vishous flipped both his buddies off when Butch and Rhage both stopped laughing. “Let’s open it to be sure. Ain’t no telling what could be in that thing,” he suggested once they settled down.

Rhage set it on the floor and hunched down beside it while opening the lid. There weren’t drugs or weapons, nothing exciting like that. “It’s just some folders and another box.” He reached in and withdrew a shoebox then opened it. “There’s a bunch of pictures in here.” He refastened the lid and put it back inside while Vishous withdrew one of the folders. He flipped it opened and found several newspaper clippings. He frowned as he read the titles.

Boy Murdered, Girl Found Raped and Beaten…

Man Accused in Brutal Rape and Murder Missing…

 There were quite a few with headlines that followed in the same fashion.

Vishous twisted until he was looking into Butch’s eyes. “This what you were talking about?” he asked, waving the articles toward Butch.

Butch sighed then shook his head. “Like I said, her past isn’t a bed of roses. She was hit hard by it. Who wouldn’t be? I don’t want to put her back in that place by dredging all this shit back up, you know?”

The vampire scanned the newsprint then settled it back into the folder. “Did they ever find the guy that did this?”

Butch cleared his throat then shook his head in obvious upset. “No,” he mumbled quietly. He was silent for a moment while the other two vampires continued to look at him. “That was one of the cases I took on. It was never solved. I...the guy just disappeared. I never got him.”

“And you’re still beating yourself up over it.” It was a statement of fact from Rhage. V, continued to stare at him, his knowledgeable eyes knowing the real reason why Butch had a soft spot when it came to Eve. Eve reminded Butch of his dead sister.

Butch had almost forgotten. Seeing her bleeding and broken in an alleyway had resurfaced all the regret he carried in his human life. He had failed her once; he couldn’t do that to her again.

“Yeah,” Butch agreed.

“Come on,” V said, gathering everything that had come to get. “Let’s get the hell out of here. We got what we came for. And when we get home, Butchy, you and I are going to have a very long talk.”

Butch groaned and hoped there was a bottle of scotch waiting for him when they returned to the Pit because he was definitely going to need it.

 

~*~

 

Eve screamed at the shadow looming in the doorway, her heart leaping into her throat. The stench of cheap booze drifted into the room, curling in her nose and making her want to gag. She knew exactly who had entered.

“Get the fuck out of my room, you sick freak!” she yelled, pulling the pajama shorts up around her hips. She knew that something bad was going to happen between them. Her limbs began to shake and her stomach rolled in fear and revulsion. It was just a matter of time before tried to start beating on her, too.

There was an echoing laugh bouncing off the walls in the room. Michael didn’t leave. He stepped over the threshold and stumbled in the room toward her. His face was contorted into something harsh and angry, his mouth twisted into a snarl and his eyes glassy. It was the same guise he wore right before he hit her mother.

“I said get out!” she screeched, but he ignored her, coming closer and closer until he stood just inches from her. She held her ground, trying not to give into the terror gnawing at her gut.

“Whassa matter, Evey?” he slurred, leering down at her. “Think you’re too good for me.”

“Michael, I swear if you put your hands on me –”

She was cut off with a slap that sent her reeling. She staggered back a few paces, the stinging sensation in her cheek painful enough to bring tears to her eyes. It momentarily stunned her until she heard him laugh again.

“You’re soooo pathetic. You need to learn your place jus’ like your mother,” he sneered. He reached out then grabbed a handful of her hair, dragging her to him.

 Eve tried to shake his hold on her, but even though he was drunk, he still had firm grip. She cocked her fist back and smashed it into his jaw. He faltered drunkenly, letting go of her hair to try to steady himself. The wall is what saved him from falling. He seemed dazed for a moment until he realized what she had done. Rage filled his face, distorting it into a savage thing. He stalked over to her, breathing heavy, spittle shooting past his teeth to land on his chin.

“You little bitch!” he bellowed.

Michael reached out for her again, but she knocked his hands away. He clawed at her clothing, but she just kept swinging. He grabbed at her wrists and when he caught hold, he tried to stop the assault. In the struggle, he forced her against the wall. Once he had her pinned, he looked down at her face, his glassy eyes filled with a wild insanity.

Eve opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs, but Michael kneed her in the gut, cutting off the horrible noise. The move knocked the air out of her lungs for a moment, the pain taking away her awareness. The next thing she knew he had taken her down to the ground.  Eve started fighting back again, kicking and trying get out from underneath him. But Michael put his weight down onto her legs to trap them as well. He transferred both wrists to one meaty hand, distributing enough pressure that she couldn’t move them.

“No!” Eve shouted, as his hand disappeared between their bodies. She heard the jangle as he unbuckled his belt. He looked into her eyes, smiling with every bit of malevolence his body possessed.

“Oh, yes, Evey. And I’m going to enjoy every moment of it. This is all you are ever going to be good for. A whore and nothing more,” he whispered coldly, the violence feeding his mind some sort of sick clarity.

“No!” she repeated, resisting with everything within her. She could barely hear the shout over the rushing of blood in her ears. Her heart was hammering so hard she feared that it might burst through her ribs and flesh.

Michael stopped what he was doing and leaned in closer. The stench of booze and sweat was coating her lungs, choking her.

“You like to run off with the mouth, you little cunt. I will teach you how to respect me. You’re going to learn a woman’s place.” She could feel him resume his jerky movements, the jangle of his belt being undone and heavy breathing filled the silence.

Not willing to give up, she struggled still. Even as his fingernails burrowed into her flesh and he pulled the strap of leather free from the belt loops. Eve bucked and twisted trying to throw him off of her. “Get the fuck off me you son of a –”

The blow to Eve’s face sent her vision swimming. Black dots floated in front of her eyes, threatening to take her into oblivion. Her teeth rattled and she tasted blood on the tongue.

He hissed venomously into her ear, “I’m going to own you. I’m going to use you like the trash you are, and then I’m going to break you. You will be nothing. You are nothing. You’ll never forget me, Evey.”

Violent shaking woke her up immediately. She realized it was her body doing the shimmy shimmies on her. Her teeth were chattering and her skin was cold and clammy. It wasn’t from fever, it was from terror.

Eve rolled out of bed and lumbered into the bathroom. After taking care of business she went to the sink, washed her hands, and then splashed her face with some cold water. She gripped the sides of the sink and let the water drip down off her chin and nose into the porcelain below.

She had thought all this nightmare bullshit was done with years ago. But her mental was now serving her up a big helping of fuck-you-very-much. There had been the occasional dream or two, but now it was happening every time her lids drifted shut.

She looked up from the water splashing down into the sink. She was really starting to look like a reject from a zombie horror film. Her skin was milk white and the circles under her eyes were stark in contrast. Her long hair was wild from sleep and stuck out in all different directions. Not caring, she grabbed a hair band and twisted the strands in a pile on top of her head then secured it with the elastic. She looked far from presentable, but who the hell was she trying to impress, a bunch of bloodsuckers and an angel with a bad attitude? She thought not.

Eve curled her lip in disgust and turned away from the ghastly reflection. There was a clean pair of scrubs sitting on the bed and she changed quickly. The clock told her it was the middle of the day, too early for any of the vampires to be up and moving around. The only ones that would be up this time of day would be the doggen and they would more than likely be too busy cleaning and preparing food.

Outside the bedroom was eerily quiet. The lights were dimmed and shutters over all the windows prevented even the tiniest ray of sunlight from trickling through. Travelling with no particular destination in mind, she took her time as she strolled around the mansion. She walked down the hall, passing the statues and going down the grand curving staircase.

From across the vestibule, the sound of a television filtered through. Eve crossed the way and peered into the room where the noise was coming from. Lassiter was lounged across the couch, his arm hanging across the back. Only the top of his blond and black dome and the tips of his shitkickers were the only other visible parts of him. On the tube were reruns of Roseanne. Eve came around and he glanced up at her, then back to the TV.

“You really look like shit,” he said with disinterest.

“Oh, thanks for the wonderful compliment. You really know how to make a girl feel special,” Eve snipped sarcastically, nudging his feet off the couch and out of the way so she could sit down. “We need to talk.”

He gave her a rather bland look then turned his head back to the tube. “Can’t you wait until after Roseanne?”

“You can watch it after we talk,” she groused, snatching the remote from beside him and clicking the power off.

He sat up straight then narrowed his colorless eyes at her. “You’re not going to pass out as soon as I start talking again, are you?”

Eve shivered as she remembered the nightmare that had awoken her. “Believe me. I’m done sleeping for awhile.”

Lassiter stood up from the couch and held his hand out to her. “Come with me,” he said softly. “You really don’t look too good.”

“Where we going?” she asked, placing her hand in his much bigger one. She wasn’t sure if she trusted him completely but she did know that he would not hurt her.

“Outside,” he said, nodding in the direction of the door. The gold jewelry piercing his face glittered in what little light the room offered. “You’ve been cooped up in here for too long. You’re beginning to fade.”

“Won’t Wrath be pissed that I left the house?” she questioned as she was pulled from the sofa.

Lassiter shrugged and gracefully began to lead her. “What Wrath don’t know, won’t hurt him, will it? Besides, I’m not in the business of making the Blind King happy.”

Eve grinned at his back as she was tethered along. “That’s pretty obvious.”

Lassiter pulled her out through a door on the far side of the room. For the first time in three days Eve was in the great outdoors. The almost summer sun was high in the sky and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The warm golden rays soaked into her skin, instantly making her feel better.

“This is what you need. You’re body will absorb the light, healing you and making you feel better. It will also improve the zombified look you got going on there,” he told her. His golden skin was dazzling in the sunlight. Even through his disco ball routine you could see the effect the solar shower was giving him. He might have been breathtakingly beautiful, but he was still a major pain in the you-know-what.

He led them over by the pool to a chaise. Lassiter lounged on it and made room for her to lie down next to him. He enveloped her in his arms and she rested her head against his body, luxuriating in the feel of the warm sunshine and being close to Lassiter. He began to glow a bit brighter and pulled her closer to him.

“Why does the sun feel so good?” Eve asked, blinking up at him.

“It’s how we rejuvenate. Angels are creatures of the light as opposed to the bloodsuckers. It only makes sense that we have a certain affinity to the sun,” he explained softly.

“And why do I have this need to be clingy with you? I’ve definitely never felt like this with anyone ever,” she revealed as she closed her eyes, trying to relax.

“Our kind likes physical contact with one another. It doesn’t always have to be intimate. Just a small brush of fingers across ones skin can make one feel more secure. Some of what you are feeling could be attributed to the fact that I’m the only other angelic being that you have met besides your father,” Lassiter told her.

“Should I be on the lookout for any kind of changes? Wrath seems pretty worried that I am. I think he is worried that I might hurt someone,” Eve said softly.

Lassiter scoffed. “The chances of you being life threatening are minimal. You might develop certain things. Open your mouth for a minute.”

Eve opened her eyes and pulled back from him. “For what?”

Lassiter rolled his eyes. “Just do it,” he growled.

Eve slowly parted her lips.

“Wider,” he commanded.

She spread her jaw a little more. The angel reached up and poked her canine. With a little plop it fell out of her mouth and onto Lassiter’s chest.

“What the hell did you do!” Eve screeched, snatching up the tooth and cradling it her hand.

“The other one is going to fall out too, you know. Don’t worry, they’ll grow back in a few days albeit a bit longer,” he warned, amusement apparent on his face.

Eve pushed her tongue against it and sure enough it wiggled out of place and fell out of her gums. She spit it out into her hand where her other one rested.  She squeezed them in her fist and slapped Lassiter’s arm with her free hand. “You’re getting enjoyment out of all this, aren’t you? You could have warned me that I was going to turn into a toothless hag.”

He smiled, taking amusement at her displeasure. “I wasn’t sure you would grow fangs. Now I am.”

“I thought we were supposed to be angels. Why the hell do we have fangs?” She gave him a sour look. “I’m pretty sure that they are not just for decoration either.”

Lassiter laughed, the sound was pleasant and comforting. It warmed her but she pushed the feeling away. “We are not exactly the type of angels that you are familiar with.”

“No? Then what are we?” she asked confused.

“We are not what you generally think of when you think the word ‘angel.’ We can be extremely dangerous. Actually most are more dangerous than not. Though we cannot hurt the righteous, we can manipulate them into doing something damnable.” He paused as Eve fixed him with a questionable stare. “Angels might be divine beings, but we can become corrupt like any other creature with a conscious.”

“My father said that you were fallen. What did you do to be cast out?” Eve asked.

“That is none of your business,” Lassiter snapped.

She raised a brow to his attitude but didn’t comment on it.

“I can tell that you are tired,” Lassiter said, his voice returning to normal. He grabbed her head and forced her to lie back down. “Get some rest while there is still daylight. You need to heal. I’m sure Wrath and the others will have a conniption when they find that you are missing.”

“I don’t want to,” she said like a petulant child at bedtime.

“Trust me. Sleep. I’ll make sure it’s peaceful.”

“I-I can’t. Every time I go to sleep –”

“I know,” Lassiter said. There was no hint of arrogance or apathy on his face. For the first time she laid eyes on him Lassiter actually looked sympathetic.

Eve looked at him strangely.

“What? I’m not a total bastard, you know,” he said tartly.

“I never said you were, but you always just seemed – I don’t know – nonchalant about this whole ordeal.”

He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chaise. “Sleep,” he commanded. Eve made a face at him before squirming around to get comfortable. Once she settled, she drifted off and for the first time since she was brought here, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Eve was awoken by the gentle shaking of Lassiter. She opened her eyes to his brightly glowing face staring down at her.

“It’s time to go inside,” he whispered.

She sat up and looked around. They were still outside by the covered pool in a lounge chair. Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and looked out at the horizon. The sun was sinking into its resting place and soon the house would be alive with nocturnal creature wandering about.

She rolled off of the angel and stood up on shaky legs.

He nodded toward the house. “Go on. I got something that I have to do. I’ll be back later.”

Eve gave him a questioning look. “Where are you going?”

“None of your business,” he retorted.

Eve sighed then yawned. “You’re always so secretive.”

He just looked at her and blinked his blue rimmed white eyes.

“Okay, okay. I get it.” She turned away and started for the mansion. When she got to the door, she turned around. Much to her surprise, Lassiter was nowhere to be seen. “Damn, these people – vampires, angels, whatever – are creepy,” she muttered, opening in the door and going inside. Her first stop was the kitchen. From the looks of things, first meal had already taken place. The doggen were clearing all the dirty dishes and were beginning their preparation for last meal.

She skipped past the bodies, shifting to and fro to get out of the way. She picked up an apple from a bowl of fruit on the counter and beat feet out of the kitchen. After finishing the apple, she decided to go see if someone had picked up the box from her apartment. Eve ran up the steps. At the top she noticed that Wrath’s office door was ajar. She tiptoed past it, but didn’t make it without causing attention to herself.

“Eve,” he called out, appearing in the doorway.

Shit!

“How the hell did you know it was me?” she demanded, feeling like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“I heard you coming up the stairs. Plus I can smell you.”

 “Smell me? What are you, a bloodhound? Wait, don’t answer that.”

He chuckled. “It is totally apropos. My senses are keener than most.”

“No kidding,” Eve agreed then peeked up at him nervously from beneath her lashes. “Am I in trouble again?” She thought she might be for going outside with Lassiter.

Wrath frowned, shaking his head. “No, you’re not in trouble. It’s nothing like that. I have something that you want. Now, could you come here for a minute?” Something told her that it was not a request, but an order. She strode over to the king’s office. He moved to one side so that she could ease past his large body and into the room.

“Funny…I don’t see a key to freedom lying around here.” Eve made a show of looking around his desk.

“Don’t be a smartass.” He nodded to the corner of the room. “That’s what you wanted, right?”

The black box was in the corner sitting pretty with her messenger bag perched on top. She went over and held it up. “How the hell did you find my bag?”

Wrath crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “One of the guys found it. However, you won’t find your phone. That has been confiscated.”

Of course it has, Eve thought.

“Another thing...that file I had drawn up on you, I put it with your things so you can do whatever you want with it.”

Eve nodded. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, I had Fritz make you up a room of your own. He should be coming in a moment to take you.” As if on cue, a knock sounded on the door.

“You called for me, Milord?” The fuzzy white head of the doggen popped into view.

“Could you please help Eve with her things and see her to her room for me?” he asked the steward.

“Of course, Master. Madam Eve, if you would just follow me please.”

Eve and the doggen grabbed her things and she followed him to a yellow room at the very end of the hall. It was as luxurious as the one she had been staying in and just as untouched. Though the colors were a bit too bright for her tastes, it was comfortable. It was definitely extravagant compared to what she had been living in.

She set everything down, thanking Fritz for the help as he politely and quietly left the room. She set the box down on the bed and sighed as she got used to her new surroundings. She thought about all the changes and revelations that had taken place over the past few days.

Eve no longer thought that she was going to wake up. This wasn’t some drug-induced dream or hallucination. She hadn’t hit her head on anything. No…this was all very, very real. Instead of freaking out, she still felt rather apathetic to everything. Or maybe it was just exhaustion creeping in. Perhaps some sort of fatigue from all the staggering revelations flung her way.

She flipped the latch open and pushed the lid open. The file was front and center just as Wrath had promised. Eve started shuffling through the pages in an odd detachment. There was a copy of her birth certificate and social, her medical records, and random info on her mother. While there wasn’t a play-by-play for her everyday life, there was almost no stone left unturned. The only time that wasn’t really accounted for was when she had gone underground for awhile.

She gasped when a picture of her brother flitted by as she flipped quickly through the pages. It had been so long since she has seen his face. For a while, she tormented herself with his haunting image. After all, it was her fault that Jory had been killed. Seeing his face was only a heart wrenching reminder of that.

Eve slipped the picture back with the other papers and stuffed it back in the chest. The rainbow of color wound around her wrist caught her attention as she was reaching inside. It was just another memory – albeit a less painful one – of the darkness that lurked in her life.

She wasn’t the same girl she had been all those years ago. Having changed so much since she was a sixteen year old kid, Eve felt like she was comprised of a multitude of strangers housed in one body. There had been a period when she was happy and carefree, a period when she was guarded and wary, and a period when she was embittered and angry. Time would only tell what kind of person she would be now.

 But there was one thing Eve was absolutely sure of. It was now time to put the past behind her, to embrace her rebirth as a time for change, something clean and new. She was in a new world with new possibilities. She could try and make an effort to put use to this unexpected opportunity.

 She slipped off all the colored bracelets leaving only the neon green ones in place. Jory had given them to her on her fifteenth birthday. Those would be the only ones she kept with her at all times. The rest she packed away like old childhood toys in an attic. Maybe one day she would travel the broken roads of that life. Until then, everything that she once was would remain locked away.

Slowly, she closed the lid on all that was left of Evelyn Chambers, the girl who was raped and whose brother was horrifically slain.