A Brand New Ending

Chapter 66

Phoenix



My conversation with Tate spilled out of me at a rapid rate, my mind and mouth going a million miles an hour. When I had finished I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But every time his name came up it felt as though there were tiny needles being inserted into my heart. I finally look up from the ground and Tate's eyes are wide. The burn in my cheeks grows.

"I…How…" is all that he could mutter.

I just shrug.

"These a*sholes are in jail right?" he asks, his fingers curled into a fist.

"I only know about Carl, the other one I'm not so sure, I left shortly after the incident."

"You have to go back," he says standing up. "They'll need you to testify."

I stand up abruptly, fear coursing through me.

"I'm not going back," I spit. "I have nothing left there. I have nothing anywhere. I am alone and that's the way it should be. No more of people getting hurt because of me. I'm not worth it."

"I think that's for the other person to decide," he says softly. "Plus, anyone would be crazy not to want to be around you, Phoenix."

A voice emits from his radio.

"Negative. No disturbance, coast is clear," he says into it. He looks back at me. "I have to go, people are going to start wondering where I am. Are you going to be OK?"

I give him a small smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

He nods. "Maybe you can come over sometime, I'm sure my parents would love to see you."

"I'd like that," I respond.

He reaches over and puts his arms around me. I don't flinch.

"It's really good to see you," he says softly.

I shut the door behind him, locking the handle and the deadbolt, something I never felt was necessary before. With the crackle of the fire now filling the room, I lay back down on the couch, my encounter with Tate running through my mind. And then I think about him. Curling up into myself, I stare at the dancing flames of the fire, wondering what he was doing right now. Was he mad at me? Was he looking for me? Was he forgetting about me? I continue to lay there and watch as the sun begins to rise, this time sleep not reaching me.

~

Getting up, I pull the blanket off the couch and wrap it around me. I exit through the back door and the fresh smell of rain reaches my nose, the weather matching my disposition. I sit down in one of the rockers and just stare out into the forest. My body is shaking from the cold but it somehow numbs the pain, making my body calm and my mind blank. A temporary coma. I don't know how long I am out there before movement catches my eye. I look at the figure and quickly look away, my eyes probably playing tricks on me.

"Phoenix?" a delicate voice says.

I look back again, the figure closer.

"Rain?" I say in a hushed tone.

She smiles back at me. Pulling myself from the chair I bound over to her, wrapping my arms around her, her warm body touching my cold skin. I pull back and really look at her. It seems as though I haven't seen her in years with all that has happened.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, still shocked that she is here. "Wait…did you have a vision?"

She laughs.

"No," she starts. "Although when I saw Dr. Harris come in I knew something was wrong." I am somehow disappointed. I snap my eyes back at her.

"Dr. Harris?"

She shifts her eyes around.

"Guess I'm not good at keeping secrets am I?" she smiles.

"He…sent you here?" I ask. "How did you know where to go?"

"It doesn't take a smart person to figure out where you would go, Phoenix. You only really spoke of this as your true home. Plus, someone noticed your picture at the bus station."

My knees become weak at the thought of the Harris' searching for me. I never wanted to cause anyone any grief. But I guess I was too naive. I sit back down in the chair and Rain sits in the one beside me, my eyes resuming their position into the forest.

"So, what, are you here to bring me back?" I ask harshly.

I feel Rain's hand slip into mine.

"I would never force you to leave. I am here for nothing but companionship."

I look back over to her. "I am so happy that you are here, but I don't think I will be great company. Wait….how are you even here? Aren't the people at the hospital going to be looking for you?"

She smiles again.

"I leave the hospital escaping to you," she starts. "I left by choice, Phoenix. Remember?"

I think back to what seems like so long ago, Rain's story about how she came to be in that hospital. She was there by choice, not force. We fall silent again until the grumble of my stomach fills the air.

"Let's go get you some food," she says while tugging my hand.

"I'm not hungry," I say softly.

"Well, I'm starving." She smiles.

We walk back into the house and Rain holds a bag out to me.

"I know that you couldn't care less right now, but you look like hell."

I scowl at her. "Well, then my outside matches my inside," I announce.

She lets out a sigh.

"Just go take a shower, for me?" she asks sweetly.

I grumble and take the bag from her, making my way upstairs.

"I'll be down here whenever you are ready," I hear her voice call out.

When I reach the confines of the bathroom I start to undress when something gets caught on the inside of my sweatshirt. Looking down into it I see that attached to the inside of the sleeve is my bracelet. I had forgotten I was even wearing it. With shaky hands I reach down, unclasping it and set it on the counter top. The silver wings bounce in the light. I place it in the medicine cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind.

When I pull myself from the shower I wrap myself in the towel that Rain brought, tucking it underneath my armpit. Opening up the bag some more, I dump the contents of it out onto the counter, grabbing the brush and run it though my tangled hair.

"Ouch," I call out.

When I'm done with it I set it back down when something shiny catches my eye. In a cup near the faucet is my father's razor. I stare at it for a second before taking it between my fingers. My father was always into the old school way of shaving. With my opposite hand I open the straight razor. I look up at myself in the mirror and press the cool metal against my skin. My breathing becomes hitched and I feel like I have been transported back in time. Closing my eyes I concentrate on my breathing, my hands frozen. Braeden would want you to live.

The next thing I hear is metal hitting porcelain. Looking down the razor is no longer in my hand, but now at the bottom of the sink. A sense of panic washes over me and I hastily pull on the clothes that were in the bag, slamming the door to the bathroom shut behind me. I fly down the stairs to see Rain trying to tidy up.

"Don't even bother," I say through labored breath.

Rain drops the towel and turns towards me. "You look refreshed," she smiles.

"Ready?" I ask, assuming she still wants food.

"Yup!" She smiles, grabbing her bag.

"Wait, how are we going to pay for food?" I ask. "Never mind, I know the answer to that."

I hated the fact that they were still taking care of me even though there was a whole state between us. I had taken so much from them and I gave them nothing in return. Grabbing the front door handle I pull it open and my eyes are met with a figure standing before me, his arm raised in mid air.

"Tate, what are you doing here?" I blurt out.

His eyes shift from me to Rain.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company," he says and starts to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" I call out after him.

He stops in his tracks. "This is…this is Rain," I explain.

He turns back around and faces us. I know that he know who she is from my story last night.

"I just don't want to intrude," he explains. "You obviously have a lot to talk about."

"You're not," Rain calls out behind me. "We were just about to go get some food, want to join us?"

A sense of jealousy washes over me, Rain's ability to blend into society despite her past astonishes me.

"I'd love to." He smiles at me.

Tate is no longer in his uniform but sporting a button up shirt and dark jeans. His clothes too nice to be from any shop here in town. Shutting the door behind us I follow behind Rain and Tate. The rain has stopped but the ground is still wet, the smell of damp concrete filling the air. We choose to walk, considering the town is so small there is very little need for a car here. When we decide on a place we slide into the booth, every patron and worker has their eyes on me. News travels fast here.

I eat mostly in silence except for the occasional person coming up to me, all of their faces unrecognizable. Rain and Tate fall in and out of conversation but I remain mute, picking at my plate of food. The walk back to the house is sluggish, my body is tired and the small amount of food I was able to choke down is making me feel heavy. When we reach the house again there are three people sitting on the porch. I don't have to second guess who two of them are. When they see me they both stand up, smiles wide across their face.

"I almost didn't believe my son when he told us you were back," her soft voice says as she pulls me close. "We truly missed you, Phoenix."

"I missed you guys, too," I respond as I pull back.

I look over to the figure standing beside her.

"Hey, Mr. Hendricks." I smile.

"It's good to have you home, Phoenix, the house hasn't been the same since you left. Well…since you both left."

I just nod, trying to hold back the tears. My eyes then fall upon the person I don't know.

"Phoenix, this is Mr. Bernstein," Mary explains. I reach out and shake his hand.

I hear Rain clear her throat behind me.

"Oh…ummm…this is my friend, Rain."

"It's so nice to meet you," Rain says, shaking their hands.

"Mom…Dad…you have something to tell Phoenix, right?" Tate pipes in.

Mary looks at me again and smiles.

"Yes I do. And I hope that it will make you very happy."