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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: All Pretender related ideas and characters are the property of NBC’s not mine. As much as I wanted them to, the Pretender characters, such as Miss Parker, Jarod and Sydney, do not belong to me. –Sorry-
Author’s note: Okay, I usually write only 2 part stories, sothis is my first shot at a real ‘series’. I am going to try my best at it, so here it goes. (My biggest problem is finishing the stories, so keep your fingers crossed.)
What’s Left
By AngelWings
Jarod smiled at the woman behind the counter. “If it isn’t
‘Handsome Baby Brown’,” the elderly woman said with a
sweet, kind smile.
“Hello Mrs. Jones,” Jarod said politely, as he slid into
one of the stools.
“Let me guess… coffee, decaffeinated, cream and a
donut… glazed donut!” she said with a cheerful tone,
happy she remembered the order.
Jarod let out a gentle chuckle. “On the nose.”
The woman let the proud smile yank at her mouth as she
quickly poured the coffee, grabbed the donut from the
shelf and grabbed a couple of cream cups from
underneath the counter. Placing the items in front of
Jarod, she leaned her elbows on the counter and smiled
at him.
“How are you Baby Brown?” Jones asked.
He smiled at her, as he opened one of the small cream
cups. “I’m perfect,” Jarod replied.
‘Baby Brown’, that was what Mrs. Jones called him since
the day she saw him because she claims he has the
eyes of a child; bright and brown. He doesn’t mind her
calling him that. He feels cared about when she says that
to him. If he didn’t know any better, he would say she was
his mother. He only hoped she loved him
back the same way.
“Perfect? Well that’s great! So… you want to come over
tonight and keep an old lady company?” she asked with
innocent eyes.
He looked up from his coffee and lifted an eyebrow,
before smiling. During his pretend, he had gone to Mrs.
Jones’ house and asked her questions about her
grandson who had died mysteriously. Somehow, Jarod
had stayed for almost three hours talking to the nice
woman about things off the topic of the whole reason he
had gone there. Jarod, finding Jones to be good
company, had gone back to her house, after he had
promised her, to hear more stories about her and to
actually tell stories about himself, the ones he could at
least, and promised her he would come back again.
They had grown close over the couple weeks and Jarod
almost found himself calling her mom.
“Well, how about it?” she asked. Jarod stared at her with
a smile on his lips.
“Of course I would,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with
happiness.
“Great! Eight, okay?” she asked.
“Okay,” he replied.
Jarod, his head in her lap, lay on the couch and hung on
every word she said. Her fingers lightly stroked his hair
back from his brow as she told him about her dead
husband. She described him in such detail that Jarod
could see him: his face, his smile. Jarod felt completely
at peace with Jones. She had that affect on him. Jarod
didn't usually get close to the people in his pretends, but
she was different. She would just chase every worry
away.
Jarod felt her fingers still on his temple before she asked
quietly.
“Why aren’t you married, Baby Brown?”
Jarod slowly sat up from her lap and looked at her gently.
“It’s complicated,” he said simply, pulling his legs up and
sitting Indian-style on the couch beside her.
“Complicated? Is that the best you can do?” she asked,
scooting closer to him. “You are sweet, handsome, well
dressed, good money, good sense of humor, well
mannered, nice car… what else would a lady want? I
mean, you must have them lined up right?”
Jarod smiled and shook his head as he fiddled with a
string on the blanket that laid half on his lap, half on the
couch. “Yeah right,” he said softly.
“There is something else isn’t there?” she asked, getting
a brief glance from Jarod. “What is it Baby Brown? You
can tell old lady Barbara!” Jones said, wrapping her arm
around Jarod’s shoulders. He smiled and looked at her
with gentle eyes.
“I’m… not normal,” he answered, the smile softening.
“Honey, no ones normal these days,” she answered,
squeezing a little on his shoulders.
Jarod shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. I-“
“You’re gay?” Jones finished for him.
“No!” Jarod snapped. Jones let out a chuckle before
muttering an apology under her breath. Jarod gave her
an accusing smile before he went on. “I was… involved
with these people. I’ve been called a freak numerous
times… and I-“
“What people?” Barb asked with worry, her eyes
questioning.
Jarod stared at her for a long moment. He had gone too
far. He should have never even said what he said, but…
he trusted her.
“You wouldn’t understand if I explained it to you,” Jarod
said.
“Try me,” Jones replied.
Jarod briefly closed his eyes. “I was… stolen from my
parents when I was very young by these people… called
the Centre. They took me in and with my genius abilities,
trained me into a-“ Jarod paused and stared at Barb.
The sirens in his head were telling him to bail out, don’t
tell her! “Into a Pretender.”
“A what?” Barb asked.
“A Pretender. A genius that can become anyone they
want to be. Barb, I’m a Pretender.”
Jones stared at him for a long moment, her face blank,
her eyes searching for the truth. Jarod stared back, his
eyes glittering in hope that she’d understand. His heart
skipped a beat as the gentle smile yanked at the corners
of her mouth.
“I knew you were smarter than the average bear,” she
said with a soft chuckle. Jarod returned the soft smile
and leaned his head on her shoulder. After a moment of
silence, she spoke again. “You were stolen from your
parents?” Jarod lifted his head level to hers again and
nodded sadly.
Jones gave him a look of sad eyes. “You poor baby,” she
said sadly, placing a kiss on his forehead. “If these
people got you? Why are you here now?”
“I escaped. After finding out they were using my abilities
to hurt and kill people, I ran away.”
“Kill people?” Barb asked with surprise. Jarod nodded
slowly. Jones inhaled sharply. “Did you find your
parents?”
Jarod sadly looked to his lap. “No… I can’t find them…”
Jones pulled Jarod into a hug and kissed the top of his
head. “I’ll be here as long as you need me, Baby Brown.
As long as you need me.”
Jarod smiled, and was thanking whatever power there
was that brought Jarod to Jones. She was the protector
of his nightmares and creator of his dreams.
“Let’s get off the subject of the evil past, okay?” Jones
said with a wink, releasing him from her embrace. Jarod
nodded. “So… is there anyone special in your
life? Any little lady with eyes of stars from the sky or
something?”
Jarod smiled. “I thought we were getting off that subject?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she kind of leads back to the ‘evil past’.”
“Oh… how is that?”
Jarod stared at her and then shook his head. “Never
mind.”
“Honey, you need someone to love.”
Jarod snapped his eyes to her face. “Why? I’ve got along
fine without it my whole life…” he said sadly.
“If you don’t have love and trust in your life, then what’s
left?”
“Mom?” she called, opening the door and setting her
black bag on the floor. “Mom, you home?” she called.
“Bliss, shh!” Barb hushed her quickly, walking into the
room with her finger to her lips. Bliss cocked her head to
the side in confusion. She watched as her mother
motioned with her head towards the couch.
There lying on the couch, was a man, looking around her
age, sleeping. Bliss shot her mother a questioning look
and tiptoed over to the sleeping form on the couch.
“Who is he?” Bliss whispered to her mom who came
walking up behind her with a smile, watching Jarod
sleep.
“He’s a friend of mine. He was here last night and had
fallen asleep. I let him stay the night since I didn’t want to
wake him and-”
“And you wanted me to meet him,” Bliss stated, staring
into her mother. Barbara smiled at her daughter. “Oh,
mom! I hate it when you set me up with guys I don’t
know!”
“Oh, but honey. This one is way different then the others.
Look at him. He is good looking, no?”
Bliss stared at the handsome man on the couch. He
looked so peaceful.
“I’ll admit, he is rather cute… but he is probably stuck on
himself and-”
“Oh no. Jarod is sweet, funny and fun to be around.”
“Jarod?” Bliss asked, liking the name. Her mother
ignored her.
“He is also compassionate. Hey, he has to be
compassionate if he is here with me, right? No man
would ever hang around a weird old bag like
myself!”
Bliss smiled. “Oh, mom.”
“Come into the kitchen. I’ll make us some coffee. When
he wakes up, I’ll introduce you two.”
Jarod slowly opened his eyes and let them focus on the
strange room. He jolted upwards and tried to remember
where he was. He let out a sigh of relief, followed by a
moan when remembering the location. He must have
fallen asleep last night during one of Barb’s stories. He
swung his long legs off the small couch and sat up
completely.
“Ah, you’re awake,” he heard Barb’s friendly voice sing
as she entered the living room. Jarod smiled up at her.
Bliss followed behind her mother, but stopped at the
doorway so he wouldn’t notice her just yet.
“Sorry, Barb. I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that. You
should have woke me."
“Oh nonsense, Baby Brown. I enjoyed having you here.
You looked so peaceful; I couldn’t bare to wake you. The
way you fell into a dreamless sleep seemed to me that
you don’t sleep often.”
Jarod bit his lower lip. I don’t sleep often, he
wanted to say, but something caught his eye. He
snapped his attention to the woman in the doorway of the
kitchen. She was beautiful: long, brown hair to her
shoulders, blue eyes and a beautiful smile. She just
stared at him with that smile.
“Oh, Baby Brown, this is my daughter Bliss,” Barb said.
Jarod still stared at her and returned the smile.
“Hello,” he said softly.
“Hi,” Bliss replied as her smile widened. Barb smiled as
well at the progress they were showing. Bliss stared at
the man who still sat on the couch. The sparkle of
curiosity in his gorgeous glare took her breath away.
When he was sleeping, his eyes were closed, but with
him awake, his eyes completely brightened up his whole
face.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Barb said quietly, scurrying out
of the room before protest.
Bliss slowly walked over to the chair from across the
couch and sat down. “So… Jarod, what’s your last
name?”
Jarod’s smile lowered a notch. “Weiss.”
“Jarod Weiss. I like it.”
“Bliss Jones…? Or are you married?”
“No!” she snapped, too quickly. She swallowed, quickly
recovering. “I mean, I am available.”
Jarod’s smile went to ear to ear as he watched her
blush. He has never seen some thing so beautiful in his
life.
“Bliss, it means total happiness?” Jarod asked, more of
a statement, then a question.
“Yeah. Silly name, huh?”
“No, of course not! I think it is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Jarod.”
“You’re welcome, Bliss.”
“Do you two want anything to eat or drink?” Barb
suddenly asked, breaking the silence. They both
snapped their attention to her.
“Mom,” Bliss snapped, giving her a look of warning.
“Gee, I should really get going,” Jarod said, looking at his
watch and getting up from the couch.
“No, please stay Baby Brown,” Barbara pleaded with
him.
“Oh,” Jarod moaned in protest. “I would love to stay Barb,
you know that. But, certain people will be asking
for me. Can’t have them finding out where I am now do
I?” Jarod said with a smile, but in his eyes he pleaded
with Barb. She understood what he was talking about
and quickly nodded. He got up from the couch and
walked over to Barb, hugging her and whispered in her
ear, “My past in our secret.”
“Your past is safe with me, Baby Brown,” she whispered
back before he released her from the embrace. “You
take care now, you hear?”
Jarod smiled at her before walking to the front door. He
turned around and smiled at Bliss. “It was really nice
meeting you, Bliss.”
“You too, Jarod Weiss.”
He gave her a final wink and opened the door, and
exiting from their view. Bliss let out a long sigh and Barb
caught it.
“Well now, what do you think of that piece of work, huh?
Isn’t he the cutest little thing you have ever-“
“Mom! How long have you known him?” she spat out at
her angrily. Barb took a step back in surprise.
“Ah… almost two weeks now.”
“And you never told me about him?” she shouted, the
smile soon following. Barb smiled in return.
Jarod prayed that Parker and her gang wouldn’t show up
at Barb’s doorstep and parade through her house. That’s
the last place he would want them to be, scaring her and
her daughter. Jarod briefly closed his eyes before
quickly returning them back to the road.
Now, to get out of this state. He had to get far away and
cover up his trails good. He turned off the main road and
onto a dirt road called Craig. He surveyed the
surroundings and admired the beautiful green of the
leaves on the trees blowing in the wind, to the soft clouds
gliding in a sky of blue. He smiled faintly to himself as he
stopped at a stop sign.
Turning to the right he could see a ditch up ahead that
had a bridge going over it. As he reached a couple feet
from the bridge, a red dodge skidded wildly out of a road
across the bridge and sped Jarod’s way. Jarod, sensing
something was wrong with the driver slowed down a bit,
but it was too late. The drunk driver slammed into the left
front side of Jarod’s car and through it through the rail of
the bridge.
The small blue car was no match for the truck, and it
rolled down the ditch helplessly, coming to rest on its
hood, glass surrounding the demolished vehicle. The
dodge was stopped on top of the bridge, and the
passenger side door opened, revealing a screaming
young girl.
“You stupid asshole! You hit him!” she screamed, running
to the side of the bridge and looking down at the car.
Soon, the driver’s door opened, and out wobbled a
teenage boy.
“He was in my way!” he slurped, walking up behind the
girl and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Let’s go
back to my place, sweet cheeks.”
“No!” she screamed, hitting him away. “We can’t leave
that guy down there like that!”
“Fine!” he shouted angrily, a hick-up following. “You can
stay here and be a hero, while I go back to my place and
get more to drink.”
“You drunken son-of-a-“
“Fair well my dear… bimbo!” he shouted at her. He
scrambled back into his huge truck and drove off with a
skid.
The girl watched after the speeding truck and then turned
back to the car below. She made her way to the end of
the bridge and began to follow a path that led to the
bottom. As she reached near the bottom she began to
scream, “Hello? You okay? Sir? Can you hear me, sir?”
She reached the car and saw that its hood was
completely crashed down, leaving no room for anyone to
be sitting up.
“Shit,” she whispered in astonishment. She got down on
her knees and peeked through a small slit between the
car door and the ground. She couldn’t see anything; it
was too dark in there, do to the dark shadows the trees
provided over the large ditch.
“Oh god,” she whispered. “Hello?” she said louder.
“Hello, are you in there? Are you okay? Hello?” Nothing,
not a single sound. “God damn it.”
Gathering her courage, she reached in with her arm and
felt around. Feeling her hand lay upon something, she
pulled it out. As if a miracle, she held in her hand a
cellular phone. “Damn, I’m good,” she said with a
smile and flipped the phone open.
“Okay, help is on their way, okay?” the annoying 911
operator said to her as if she was a small child. “Stay on
the line Sweetie.”
At that, the girl hung up on her. She got up from the
ground and trotted over to the driver’s side and knelt
down. She peered in once more, but still saw nothing.
Letting out a huff, she climbed to her and let the phone
drop to the ground. She bent down and grabbed the
door handle, giving it a tug. Like before when she tried, it
didn’t budge. She was too weak to do a job like that.
“Damn,” she whispered, getting down on the ground
again. She picked up the phone and flipped it open
again. She pushed the speed dial button
and saw 0-Sydney. Hmm she thought, maybe
his friend should know what happened and with any luck,
he could be somewhere near here and help me!
She jammed her finger on the button and pulled it back
to her ear.
“What does it mean?” Broots asked as Sydney and
Parker studied Jarod’s last ‘gift’ to them. It was a
medium sized box with many contents… a toy
whale, a picture of a dolphin, Mickey Mouse ears, a
picture of the Cinderella castle and a postcard with the
costumed characters of Mickey Mouse and his gang.
“Oh, wait, it’s easy. He is in Florida. Disney World
and Sea World are in Florida.”
“Too easy,” Miss Parker snapped.
Just then, Sydney’s phone rang. Sydney glanced at the
two briefly before lifting the phone off the receiver.
“This is Sydney.”
“Ah… hi there Sydney,” he heard a young female say
over the line nervously.
“Who is this?”
“My name is Celina… and well, see this guy who owns
this phone was in a car wreck. I called the ambulance
already, but I can’t see him.”
“Who?” Sydney asked, the worry building up in his chest.
“I don’t know who. I just know that this is his phone. I think
he is badly hurt. Are you anywhere near here?”
“Is his name Jarod?” Sydney asked, getting confused
looks from his other two companions.
“I don’t know! I told you!” she snapped. “Please, are you
anywhere near here, because I need help!”
“Where are you and I’ll tell you if I’m near,” Sydney
replied.
“Okay, Youngstown, Ohio. And you?”
“That’s only an hour away… what road are you on?”
“Craig.”
“Okay… I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
Fifteen minutes later, the ambulance arrived. She
watched as they trotted down the pathway and trotted up
to the car. They studied the vehicle a second or so
before they quickly called in more help.
Celina watched helplessly as the men surrounded the
upside down vehicle and cut away at the car. They would
stop once in a while to look inside the car and see if they
could reach him, before continuing on.
The paramedics declared the driver unconscious, but
they didn’t know how badly hurt he was. It seemed to be
hours of cutting away the car when Celina spotted
an old man, a woman with a short skirt and a balding
man come down the path in mid trot. Sydney took one
look at the scene and almost fainted. Miss Parker stood
behind him with an open mouth, as Broots looked away
from the terrifying scene.
Sydney tore his eyes from the crushed car as he noticed
a young teenager walk up to him.
"Are you Sydney?” she asked. Sydney said nothing, only
nodded.
“I’m sorry Sydney. You know, for calling you like that and
letting you know the hard way.”
“Looks like you didn’t need my help after all,” Sydney
said quietly, his eyes fixed on the car, the sound of the
saw cutting at the car filling his ears. The sound of the
door giving way caught everyone’s attention. They
watched as the paramedics rushed in and peered into
the car.
“Get the stretcher!” one shouted up to the ambulance that
was parked on the bridge.
Sydney and Miss Parker watched in horror as three men
pulled Jarod from the demolished vehicle. They carried
him a couple feet away from the car and laid him gently
on the ground. Sydney trotted up as close as he
could before one of the men told him to stay back. He
watched in utter terror as the paramedics checked
breathing, pulse, wounds and bones. His throat became
dry as he watched. Closing his eyes to calm himself, he
swallowed hard and began to pray to the lord above.
All four watched as Jarod was loaded on the stretcher
and was carefully pushed up the hill. Sydney shook his
head and held back the tears, hiding his terror for his
friend as much as he could. He felt Miss Parker place
her hand on his shoulder from behind him and whispered
softly, “He’ll be okay, Syd. I know it.”
Miss Parker and Broots watched as Sydney paced
nervously. “Syd, you know, you are just torturing yourself
if you do that. Calm down,” Miss Parker said.
“How can I calm down when Jarod is in there either dead
or in critical-“
“He’s not dead Sydney.”
“How do you know that?” he spat out at her.
Just then the doctor walked out of the hospital room,
chart in one hand and a glitter in his aged eyes. Miss
Parker and Broots stood up from their seats and came
to Sydney’s side.
“How is he doctor?” Sydney asked, worry filled his tone.
The doctor gave all three a half smile. “He's fine for now.”
Sydney let the sigh of relief escape his lips. “Thank god.”
“What's his condition?” Miss Parker asked.
“He has a broken arm, three broken ribs, blood loss and
a fracture in his left leg. He was wearing a seat belt
luckily, or he would have had greater injuries or worse.
He does have a minor concussion and was very close to
loosing his left leg. It was jammed between the door and
the dashboard and I can’t even imagine how it got away
with just a fracture.”
“Is he awake now?” Sydney asked.
“Yes, he's in and out, but he was awake when I was in
there. You may go in if you like-“
Before the doctor could finish his sentence, Sydney was
in the hospital room. Miss Parker and Broots followed
behind but stopped at the end of the bed and watched
Sydney sit down in the chair by Jarod’s side.
Jarod slowly opened his eyes to see his new visitors and
almost cursed at the face of Miss Parker and Broots
staring back at him from the end of his bed. He slowly
turned his dizzy gaze to the person who sat next
to him.
“Sydney?” Jarod whispered hoarsely.
Sydney nodded. “Yeah, it’s me. How are you doing?”
Jarod stared at him for a split moment before answering
softly. “I feel like shit, Sydney.”
Sydney smiled weakly. “I know. What happened?”
“I was in a car wreck.”
“Well, I know that. But… how?” Sydney asked.
“Didn’t they tell you?” Jarod said, lowering his eyebrows.
“Didn’t ask.”
“A drunk driver hit me from what I can remember.
Knocked me off the bridge and my car rolled down into
the ditch. I remember being upside down in seat for a
few minutes, covered in my own blood, before I
blacked out.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sydney said softly. Sydney noticed the
surprise flash through Jarod’s brown eyes.
“It’s not like you to apologize for something you didn’t do,
Syd,” Jarod said softly and slowly. “What is wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Here you are in a hospital bed and
I'm--“ Sydney began. He was showing and telling too
much of his feelings for Jarod. He stopped in mid-
sentence.
“And you are what, Sydney?” Jarod asked.
“Nothing, Jarod. Just that you can’t go back to the Centre
in this condition and I was--“
“Disappointed,” Jarod finished. Sydney saw the hurt and
betrayal in Jarod’s eyes and hated himself for being so
cruel to him.
“Baby Brown!” a woman said in worry from the door
behind Miss Parker and Broots. She hurried over to the
bed, as a younger woman followed her but stopped at
the door. “Oh, honey are you all right?”
“Barb!” Jarod said with a smile.
The woman leaned down and hugged him gently. “When
I heard that you were in an accident I came right away.”
She kissed him gently on the forehead and then on both
cheeks. “How are ya doing, Baby Brown?”
“I’m fine,” Jarod answered sadly, briefly giving Sydney a
look. Barb smiled down at him and then looked up at the
confused faces of the strangers.
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” Barb
quickly apologized.
“Ah… you didn’t,” Sydney replied with a smile, holding
out his hand.
“Oh, I’m Barbara Jones, and that is my daughter Bliss
Jones,” she said, pointing with her free hand to the
woman at the doorway, while shaking Sydney’s hand
with the other.
“Hello Barbara. I’m Sydney, and that is Broots and Miss
Parker.”
“Hello all,” she said with a smile. “I’m guessing you aren’t
family.”
“Why?” Sydney frowned.
“Because Jarod already told me he doesn’t know where
his family is. So who are you? Friends?”
“Yeah, we are friends,” Sydney replied, looking down at
Jarod.
Barb nodded and sat down in the chair opposite of
Sydney. Sydney suddenly stood.
“Well, I’ve got things to do and plans to ruin. I’ll be
back in an hour or so,” Sydney said, making his way out
of the room.
Broots followed, but before Miss Parker left, she
watched Bliss walk over to Jarod and sit down in the
chair Sydney had sat in. Bimbo Miss Parker
thought to herself, but quickly shook the thought out.
That day, Sydney, Miss Parker and Broots had been
gone most of the day, Sydney especially. Barb sat by
Jarod’s side and smiled at him. He now was prompted
up against the headboard, with of pillows behind his
head. Barb gently took his hand in hers and asked softly,
“Are you okay, Baby Brown?” His eyes slowly turned to
hers and they glittered in confusion.
“Why do ask?” he asked with a smile.
“Well, you look like something is bothering you, well,
besides the fact that you are lying in a hospital bed.”
“Oh nothing…”
“What is it Baby Brown? You can tell old lady Jones.”
He smiled warmly at her, his smile reaching his eyes.
“I’m just so glad you are here, that’s all.”
Barb’s face lit up in happiness, and in the same time
sorrow. “Oh baby,” she whispered, leaning down and
hugging him gently. She pulled away after a moment to
give him a sweet kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be where ever
you need me to be, you got that?” Jarod bit his lower lip
and nodded.
“Knock, knock,” they heard the soft voice of Bliss come
from the doorway. She held flowers in her hand and a
smile on her face.
“Why, look who’s here,”’ Barb said with a smile. “I
thought you had to go to a friend’s party?”
“I was… but I decided something else was more
important,” she replied, sitting down by the bed, opposite
of her mother.
Jarod smiled at her. “But you hardly know me, Bliss. Why
would you cancel something for me?”
“I know you through my mother. She talks about you a
lot,” she replied, smiling briefly at Barb. She lifted the
flowers up to him. “And oddly, I always want to listen.”
He took the flowers from her slowly. “Thank you,” he
whispered, looking down at them. There was a small
card that read: Get well soon, Love, Bliss. He smiled
warmly, before setting them carefully on the nightstand
beside his bed.
“Well,” Barb said with a smile. “I’ll have to get something
to eat. I’ll be right back. I’m going to the lobby to grab
myself a donut.”
Jarod and Bliss nodded and watched as she left the
room silently. Bliss turned to Jarod a moment later. “I’m
sorry about what happened to you. Something like that
should never happen to someone like you.”
Jarod smiled, before swallowing hard. “Thank you, but
there are better people than me and most of them are
dead.”
Bliss briefly looked to the ground before leaning forward
towards him. “Can they get any better?”
Bliss’s heart skipped a beat at the smile he gave her.
His eyes sparkled like the stars in the midnight sky. His
eyes were dark enough to be the sky.
“Yeah, they can,” he replied suddenly. “There’s you, isn’t
there?”
Bliss couldn’t hold back the blush that crept up from her
collar. She bit her lower lip in order not to smile widely.
“You’re too much,” she whispered in a bashful manner.
Jarod let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I know,”
he said in playful sarcasm.
Miss Parker slowly peeked in the doorway and watched
as the two talked to each other with silly grins. She
watched in envy as the woman, around
her own age, made Jarod smile in a way she has never
seen him do before. Unable to take it anymore, she
barged right into the room.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting anything?” she asked in
mock concern.
Bliss looked away from Jarod to look at what the cat
brought in. This woman looked as sharp as a dagger,
wearing a black suit over a short black skirt. Her dark
hair was curled out perfectly at the ends and her
eyes were as blue as ice. She has seen her in here
before, but never really got a good look at her.
“Hello,” Bliss said softly.
"Hi,” Miss Parker snapped, lifting both eyebrows.
“Careful, she bites,” Jarod whispered to Bliss, causing
Bliss to smile.
“What the hell is your problem?” Miss Parker snapped,
coming around the other side of the bed.
“Ah…” Bliss began, looking at Jarod quickly for help.
“Knock it off Parker,” Jarod said with an annoyed huff.
“Knock what off Rat Boy?” she asked innocently.
“Rat Boy?” Bliss asked, watching as Jarod rolled his
eyes.
“Yeah, just like your old lady calls him Baby Brown. You
know it’s a nickname…” Miss Parker explained as if she
was talking to a young child.
“Don’t talk about Barb like that,” Jarod growled at her.
“Why does she call you Baby Brown anyway?” Miss
Parker asked, looking back at Jarod.
“Do you need to know?” Jarod asked.
“Maybe I do,” Miss Parker said, not taking her eyes from
his face.
“Why do you?”
“Because!”
“Because why?”
“Because I want to know!”
“Well why?”
Bliss watched as the two shouted back and forth in
amazement. “Are you two sister and brother or
something?” she asked suddenly.
Both paused and turned their gaze on Bliss. Bliss
wanted to dig a hole and hide at the look both of them
gave her.
“NO!” they both snapped at the same time.
“What’s going on?” Barb asked, coming in the room with
a donut in one hand. “Sounds like someone released the
dogs. There is a lot of growling and barking in here.”
Bliss, almost in relief, leaped to her feet. “Mom! Good,
you’re back. Hi!” Bliss said with a smile.
Barb stared at her for a moment in confusion. “Ah…
yeah,” she said slowly, unsure. She snapped her eyes
down to the donut. “You’re not getting my donut, if that’s
what’s it about.”
After an hour of talking, Bliss and Barb left Jarod to rest,
but Miss Parker stayed. She watched the two leave the
room, before walking from her corner of the room, up to
the side of his bed. He slowly turned his gaze on her.
“Well, Parker, are you leaving?” Jarod asked.
“No, I’ll wait until you’re asleep before I leave,” Miss
Parker replied with an evil smile.
Jarod lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll probably stuff a pillow
over my head and wait until I suffocate.”
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea,” she said, sitting down in
the chair. She watched as he rolled his eyes, before
attempting to scoot down in a lying position. A moan,
followed by a hiss escaped his lips as the pain that shot
through his body. “What’s your problem?” Miss Parker
asked, placing a hand on his arm.
“God, my whole body aches,” he moaned.
“You want me to help you?” Miss Parker asked, no worry
or concern in her tone. After he said nothing, she began
to help him. She gently pulled each pillow from under his
back, and held the back on his head so he wouldn’t just
fall backwards. Placing only one pillow down, she laid
his head down.
“Thank you,” he whispered, letting out a sigh.
“Whew, who’d a thunk would have heard those words
from you, eh?”
He smiled, not looking at her, but it was a good smile.
Miss Parker let out a sigh before leaning her elbow on
the bed.
“You, ah, want me to turn the light off or something so you
can sleep? Or are you one of those guys who can sleep
whenever, where ever?” Miss Parker asked, looking
down at him. His eyes finally met hers.
“Why are you doing this?” he whispered. She stared
down at him for a long moment. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind,” Jarod replied. “Um, the lights off please.”
She gave a simply nod before getting up and walking to
the doorway to where the light switch was located.
Before turning off the light, she shut the door quietly.
Walking back to his side again, she sat down with
a sigh. “There,” she said, no expression in her tone.
He swallowed before nodding his gratitude. “Thanks.”
She watched as he closed his eyes, but after a moment,
had them snap open again. Through the dim darkness
she watched as his eyes met with hers, shooting a chill
down her spine. “I hate to break it to you,” he began
quietly, almost too softly, “But I can’t sleep with you
watching me.”
She smiled with all teeth. “Poor thing,” she purred. “You
want me to turn around or something? Because no
matter what you say, I am not leaving.”
“What to keep an eye on me, huh?” he asked softly.
“You betcha. You are not escaping my sight!”
He let out a sigh of defeat. “Of course not,” he answered
softly.
Miss Parker sat quietly in the corner of the room, her
eyes on the form on the bed. It had been about ten
minutes since she agreed to sit farther away and he
hasn’t said a word. It was too dark in the room to tell if he
was awake or asleep, but as she could hear his even
breathing she could guess which one it would be.
She slowly got up from the chair and tiptoed towards the
bed. Sitting down softly in the chair by his side, she now
could see his face. His eyes were closed, and his face
was slightly tilted towards her. She stared for a moment;
getting lost in her thoughts, but quickly pushed the
unwanted ones away. God, this job sucks, she
thought, staring at him.
She has blamed him for all the things that go wrong all
her life, trying to force herself to hate him. But, now, as
she stares at him sleeping, she was now forced to hate
herself. But why? Why did she feel so guilty? It’s
her job to recapture him, to bring him back to the Centre.
But that guilt weighed on her shoulders heavily. Letting
out a sad sigh, she leaned her chin down on the bed, still
keeping her eyes on his face. She leveled her chin with
the bed and stared at him. He looked so peaceful, so
innocent. He looked so damn sexy. Damn you,
Parker, she scowled herself, get a hold of
yourself.
“Excuse me,” she heard someone whisper from the
doorway. Miss Parker snapped her attention to the
female nurse who had her head peeking through the
crack of the door. “Visiting hours are over.”
“May I stay with him?” Miss Parker asked, for once,
tenderness in her voice.
The nurse stared at her for a moment and then smiled.
“Of course.”
“Ah… Miss Parker?” Broots asked, poking the sleeping
woman in the side.
She didn’t wake, still with her head lying on the pillow
Jarod was using, their faces inches away. Sydney came
in the room, saw the scene and couldn’t hold back the
wide smile that yanked at his mouth. Broots looked
nervously to the old man and smiled as well.
“Why, isn’t that something new?” Sydney asked, coming
up to the two sleeping forms.
“I, ah, don’t want to wake Miss Parker. She’ll, you know-“
Broots mumbled. Sydney nodded in understanding. He
walked over to the other side of the bed and gently put a
hand on Jarod’s shoulder. He squeezed a little and then
shook. Jarod’s face tensed and a whimper escaped his
lips. Sydney leaned down and whispered, “Jarod, wake
up.”
Jarod’s eyes fluttered open at that. He waited until his
gaze focused on the man that stood over him and then
turned to the person who was sharing his pillow. “Shit!”
he spat out, seeing Miss Parker’s face next to his. He
sprang to the other side of the bed, almost falling off, and
letting out a gasp and moan of pain. Sydney chuckled
softly and leaned down to Jarod.
“You are going to kill yourself if you don’t stay put,” he
whispered in humor.
“No, Miss Parker will kill me if she does that again,”
Jarod whispered back, staring at Miss Parker’s sleeping
face that still lay on his pillow.
“So, I’m guessing you didn’t know about it,” Broots
asked.
“Know about what? Her sleeping with me- I mean
sharing the same pillow. Oh no,” he said, still staring at
her.
All three men watched as the sleeping woman stirred
and slowly sat up without opening her eyes. As she
started to flutter them open tiredly, she wanted them
closed again. All three men had huge smiles on their
faces and just stared at her.
“What the hell is…?” she began to ask angrily, but it hit
her. Her mouth dropped open and tried to block out the
laughter around her. “You son-of-a-“
“Ah-ah, Parker, you are the one who fell asleep by me!”
Jarod said, waving a finger at her.
Miss Parker inhaled sharply before leaping to her feet.
“You all are just a bunch of morons!” she spat out angrily.
“Oh c’mon Parker, we are laughing with you!” Sydney
sang in humor, his voice full of laughter.
Miss Parker shook her head, trying to hold back the
smile.
“Check mate,” Jarod said with a grin on his face. Sydney
shook his head in defeat.
“Three times in a row!” Sydney said in astonishment.
Broots looked up from his newspaper to look at the two
playing chess. Jarod was sitting up again, with one of
those portable tables over his lap and Sydney sat
at his right side, staring at the board on the table.
At that moment, Miss Parker walked in, coffee in hand
and looked at the two chess playing men. “Sydney, aren’t
you going to give it up? You can’t beat him.”
“Yes I can,” Sydney said. “Let’s play again.”
Jarod shook his head with a smile on his lips and began
to set up the board again. “All right Syd, have it your
way.”
“So, when is ‘Prefect Happiness’ and ‘Baby Brown
Calling Jones’ going to be here?” Miss Parker asked,
sitting down at the small table that Broots sat at across
the hospital room. Jarod looked away from the board
briefly, before returning his attention to the game.
“Um… Barb said she was going to try to get to work
early so she can get off and come here. As for Bliss… I
don’t know.”
Miss Parker nodded, setting her cup down.
Damn, she thought. “Give me that,” she hissed,
stealing the comic section of Broots’ newspaper.
After a moment of silence, only the sound of the vent
system and the tap of the chess pieces now and then,
Miss Parker looked up from the paper and looked at the
two that were involved in their little game.
“Isn’t my father and Mr. Raines going to suspect
something went wrong since we’ve been gone so long
and no word?” Miss Parker asked.
Sydney, still staring at the board figuring his next move,
he spoke, “You better call them, Parker. Lie to them,”
Sydney said with out a thought, picking up a piece and
moving it a square ahead.
Jarod looked up from the board to Sydney, seeing if he
heard him right.
“Lie to them?” Miss Parker repeated.
Sydney looked up from the board, as Jarod considered
his next move, and looked across the room to Miss
Parker. “Right, lie to them. You know that Jarod can’t go
back to the Centre in this condition, can he? Tell them
we haven’t found him yet and that we are following
‘bread crumbs’,” Sydney said.
Miss Parker stared at him for a moment, only to have
him look away towards the chess game to move his
piece to another square. “Fine, Syd,” she snapped. “I’ll
call daddy later tonight.”
Sydney looked over at her and then nodded with a soft
smile. “Good.”
“Umm… Sydney?” Jarod asked, still staring at the board.
Sydney looked away from Parker to Jarod. “Check
mate,” he said with a smile, knocking Sydney’s piece
down.
“Yes Daddy,” Miss Parker said, leaning against the
hallway wall. As she listened to her father tell her about
‘failing’ to catch Jarod, she saw Bliss coming down the
hall. “Uh huh,” Miss Parker said to her father, but her
attention was on the brown-haired bimbo coming her
way.
As Bliss got nearer, she smiled at Parker as best she
could. Miss Parker ignored her and pretended that the
phone call was very important. Bliss walked passed her
and into the Jarod’s room, and Miss Parker could
have sworn that bimbo called her a bitch. Miss Parker
peeked in the door at the woman who came around and
sat by Jarod’s bed and almost growled.
“Angel?” she heard her father say.
“Yes daddy!” she snapped to attention.
She heard her father’s heavy sigh and then him saying,
“Look, just find Jarod and get home, all right?”
“Of course,” Miss Parker said with a light sigh. “Good-
bye daddy.”
With the click from the other line, Miss Parker flipped her
cell phone shut and walked into the hospital room.
“Hello, Bliss… again,” Miss Parker sneered.
“Hello, Parker,” Bliss said, an obvious fake smile on her
lips.
Sydney watched the silent cat fight and almost smiled
when the truth dawned on him. My, my Parker, I never
would have guessed, he thought.
“You want to share something, Syd?” he heard Parker
interrupt his thought.
“Hmm?” he asked, snapping his attention to her face.
Miss Parker only rolled her eyes.
“Did you call your father?” Sydney asked. Miss Parker
gestured towards Bliss with her eyes and then widened
them in warning. “I know,” Sydney replied softly. “Did
you?”
“Yes Syd, I did,” she replied.
“And…?”
“And, he said to try to find… a cat, and then bring
it home so Daddy and I can name it together.”
Sydney smiled. Miss Parker looked away from Sydney
to Jarod and Bliss. Both had confused expressions on
their faces and just stared at her. She lifted both
eyebrows at them before walking over to the table
Broots still sat at and sat down.
“So… Bliss, where’s your mom?” Sydney asked, trying
to make conversation.
“She is at work,” Bliss replied kindly, looking from Jarod
to the older man.
Sydney nodded. “Where does she work?”
“At a café in town. It’s a real nice place if I can say so
myself.”
“Yeah, I’ve been there more than once,” Jarod replied.
“That’s where I met her.”
Bliss nodded. “I know, my mom told me,” she replied with
a smile.
“What is the café called? Maybe I should stop there
sometime,” Sydney asked.
“Oh, it’s called Blue Light Café. Really nice place.”
“Look, this is all really nice and… nice, but I really
need you people to shut-up,” Miss Parker snapped.
“Parker,” Sydney scowled, as if he was talking to a small
child.
“Sydney,” Parker said in the same tone.
“Look, whatever your problem is, lady, I wish you would
knock it off!” Bliss spat out suddenly, rising to her feet.
“All I have seen from you is disrespect! You treat Jarod
like shit and you even talk to your elders like a damn
piece of gum under your shoe! Either you get out or
shape up, because I am not going to take it anymore!”
The three others in the room just stared at her in open
mouth. Miss Parker quickly snapped her jaw shut and
gave her the most iron stare she could manage. “Do you
want to fight for your words? Or are you expecting me to
forget you said that?” Miss Parker sneered.
“I’ll fight for my right if that’s what you mean.”
“Fight for whatever the hell, I’ll take your ass down with
one iron bullet to the head!”
“Knock it off you two!” Sydney said, breaking the fight up.
“Miss Parker, may I speak to you in the hall?”
“No,” she snapped, still staring at Bliss.
“Now, Parker!” Sydney roared. Miss Parker finally tore
her eyes from Bliss and looked at Sydney’s face. She
slowly made her way to the door as Sydney followed
close behind.
As the two were out in the hall and the door was shut,
Broots got up from his seat. “Damn, that was awesome.”
Bliss smiled at him. “Thank you, thank you.”
“You are going to get yourself killed, you know that?”
Jarod asked her from below. Bliss sat down again and
smiled warmly at him.
“I don’t care, at least I’ll get my point across.”
Jarod smiled in return.
“Guess what?” Barb asked, walking into the room. “You
are going to be out of here today!”
“Already? It’s only been a week,” Broots said, glancing at
Miss Parker and Sydney.
“Well, the Doc said that his bones are healing just fine
and the swelling in that big brain of his went down a lot.
Baby Brown, you are free to go!” Barb said smiling,
walking over to him and kissing him on the forehead. He
smiled up at her.
“Well, that’s just great!” Miss Parker said softly in
sarcasm.
“You want to come to my house and stay there for a
while, babe? The Doc said someone should take care of
you for a while,” Barb asked Jarod, still having her gentle
hands on the sides of his face.
“Ah, no Mrs. Jones, Jarod will come with us,” Miss
Parker said, getting up from her seat at the table.
“Sure Barb, I would love to stay with you,” Jarod said with
a smile, glancing briefly at Miss Parker’s furious face.
“No, Jarod. You are coming with us. Isn’t that right
Sydney?” Miss Parker asked, looking to Sydney for help.
Sydney had that faint smile on his face like always.
“But, I want to stay with Barb,” Jarod said, looking up at
Barb briefly.
Miss Parker stared into Jarod, giving him a fierce
warning look. But her glare didn’t faze him at all. He just
stared back with a half smile.
“No, Jarod. You are coming with us if you like it or not!”
she said, walking over to him. “Get up, now!”
“Miss Parker,” Barb began. “What’s so important that
you need him to-“
“He is coming with us!” she shouted at her. Barb leaned
back in amazement.
“I’m not going with you Parker!” Jarod shouted at her.
“Oh yes you are!”
“Well, I guess you are going to drag me unconscious
because I am not going back to the Centre!” he shouted
angrily. Silence rang through the room. Barb looked
between Jarod and Miss Parker in surprise, then
catching her daughters confused expression. Barb
silently stood up from her chair.
“Get out,” she whispered to Miss Parker angrily. Miss
Parker cocked her head to the side. “Now, get out!”
Jarod watched Barb’s face become furious. “Barb-“ he
began to whisper to her.
“Out!” Barb shouted at Parker. “You three, now!”
Broots and Sydney began their short way to the door, but
stopped to look over their shoulders at Miss Parker. She
still stood there, staring at the old woman.
“Miss Parker, let’s go,” Sydney said. Still keeping her
eyes on the woman, Parker turned towards the door.
She stared at the woman for a split second more before
ripping her eyes from Barb and storming out of the room.
Barb let out a sigh of relief and sat back down. She
looked down at Jarod and smiled.
“Thank you,” Jarod whispered.
“Oh baby,” she whispered, leaning down and hugging
him. “It is true. I believed you before, but you
know… it was a little murky. Now it puts everything in
place. I am so sorry.”
“You mind explaining this to me?” Bliss interrupted.
Barb and Jarod turned their attention to Bliss, who stood
there with her arms crossed her chest.
“Come here,” Barb said, gesturing to the other chair.
“But we need to explain it fast, because we have to get
away from here,” Barb said with a wink at Jarod.
Jarod smiled.
“What?” Mr. Parker asked.
“He got away daddy,” Miss Parker said. “We even went
to the old lady’s house… nothing. Not even his usual
‘bread crumbs’.” She had never mentioned that he was
in the hospital, but she told him about Barb and
Bliss.
“All right, find more about the two, Barb and Bliss, all
right? That’s where he’ll be.”
“Yes daddy.”
More than six weeks went by and Jarod was able to walk
again. His leg was still a little sore, but he was able to
wobble around the cabin that was purchased by Barb’s
late husband. Located on a beach, the three had been
sharing it for the past three weeks.
The weather was wonderful in Florida this time of year
and the three enjoyed their bon fires on the beach at
night, because the nights were so warm.
“Where are the matches?” Bliss asked her mom as she
opened another kitchen drawer and searched in there.
“You're going out on the beach again?” Barb asked.
Bliss smiled at her as she nodded.
“Yeah, aren’t you coming?” Bliss asked, finally spotting
the matches under a bunch of junk in one of the drawers.
“No, I can’t this time. I am tired. You guys wore me out at
the movies and then that dinner.”
Bliss smiled. “Fine, but you are missing out on some
fun!” She gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love
you!” she shouted happily, taking off out of the sliding
glass doors and running out towards the beach where
Jarod sat on the blanket setting up the logs in the pit.
He smiled as she ran up to him through the darkness
and collapsed on the blanket. “Where’s your mom?” he
asked.
“She said was tired tonight,” Bliss replied, handing him
the matches.
“Oh,” Jarod said, shrugging quickly afterwards.
As she watched him start the fire, she bit her lower lip.
“You know, this will be the first time it’s just you and
me…”
He turned his eyes from the building fire and looked at
her carefully. “I know.”
She smirked at him, her eyebrows curling together. He
returned the smile. She slowly reached up and placed
her hand on his cheek gently.
“You know Jarod, I have never felt this way towards any
man before. You are different. Not because of the
Centre… it’s just, something about you… I don’t know
how to explain it.”
He smiled, the warmth of the gesture reaching to his
eyes. She leaned forward a little so their lips were inches
apart. “Do feel the same way I feel about you? Please
say yes.”
“Yes,” he whispered. As their lips were about to come in
contact, a crack from the sky got their attention. Both
turned towards the water and watched as fireworks
colored the dark, starlit sky.
Bliss smiled. “How beautiful.”
Jarod smiled. “Yeah,” he turned to her again. “Very
beautiful.”
She ripped her eyes from the flashes of bright blue and
red to look into dark brown. She stared into his eyes for
a moment before smiling warmly.
“I never got the reason why my name is Bliss. But now
that you’re with me, I know why. It was fate Jarod.”
He smiled, one side of his smirk curling up farther. He
watched as her gorgeous face was lit up with gold, green
and blue from the flashes in the sky above. “You are
my perfect happiness,” he whispered.
“God, you know exactly what to say,” she whispered,
capturing his lips at that. Their passion grew at every
flash of fire in the sky. She pulled him down on the
blanket with her and wrapped her arms around his
neck. Pulling her lips away from his, she whispered
breathlessly, “I love you, Jarod.”
He stared down at her for a long moment before smiling.
“I love you too, Bliss.”
She smiled and brought his face down to meet hers
again. She kissed every inch of his face as the loud
cracks and pops echoed through the sky, along with
flashes of fire of red, green and gold. But soon, the
fire of their bomb fire and the beautiful explosives in the
sky tuned out of their attention. Only the passion was
what they were aware of now.
Bliss watched the sleeping form beside her on the
blanket. She knew it was really late and their bon fire
was dying, providing their only light, but she didn’t want
to wake him. He looked so peaceful. She let out a sigh
and began to caress his cheek, thinking about what had
happened an hour ago. That was the best night of her
life. She smiled at that. Now I know the true meaning
of my name, she thought, staring at him as he slept.
Only the silent song of the crickets, the crack of the
fire and the crash of the waves were all the sounds she
heard.
She inched her head closer to his face and kissed him
on the tip of his nose. He let out a tired whimper and she
smiled warmly. Never in her life has she ever loved a
man so much. But of course, he had to be on the run.
There was always something. But god, she would run
through fire with him if he needed her to. No, she would
run through hell if he needed her to!
Suddenly, Jarod stirred and let out a moan as he opened
his eyes. Seeing Bliss there beside him, he smiled.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi,” he whispered back hoarsely. She placed a gentle
hand on his cheek and rubbed her thumb in circles over
his lips.
“We should get inside, Baby Brown,” she whispered with
a smile.
He smiled back. “I know, but… I don’t want to.”
“Oh poor baby,” she whispered, kissing his lips softly.
He let a moan escape from his throat and it echoed into
her mouth. She smiled against his mouth and pushed
him back onto the blanket. “All right, tough guy. Get up,”
she said, getting up from the blanket and grabbing
his hand. “C'mon, up!”
He let out a moan of protest and climbed to his feet.
“All right you win,” he mumbled tiredly.
She smirked at him as she picked up the blanket and
brushed off the sand.
“So…” she began. “You gonna be lonely in your little,
cold room?”
Jarod gave her a smug smirk with one eyebrow lifted.
Barb tiptoed through the hall and peeked into Jarod’s
room. She smiled as she saw Bliss lying on Jarod’s
chest in the darkness, fast asleep. She bit her lower lip,
holding back the smile.
“After one bon fire and I miss out on everything!”
she said to herself happily.
Barb smiled at the two that walked into the kitchen and
sat down at the breakfast table. She took a bite of her
eggs, still staring at the two as they piled some of the
eggs and bacon on their plates.
“How did you two sleep?” she asked with a knowing
smile.
Jarod and Bliss exchanged looks and then smiled.
“Great mom,” Bliss answered, taking a bite of her eggs.
Barb nodded. “That’s good,” she replied, still smiling.
Suddenly, there was a huge bang at the door. All three
stood up as they heard people parading into the cabin
from the other room.
“Jarod, run!” Barb screamed, as men in dark suits
poured into the kitchen. Jarod took off towards the
sliding glass doors, but one of the men grabbed him by
the arm and pulled him roughly onto the counter of
the kitchen. Bliss let out a scream of panic and through
her plate of food at the man. It hit him square in the
forehead, his head snapping back from impact. Jarod
leaped off the counter and was about to run towards the
exit with Bliss, when he stopped.
“Freeze Jarod! Or the old lady gets it!” one sweeper
shouted, holding a gun to Barb’s head with his arm
around her neck. Jarod froze and stared at Barb in
terror.
“Run Jarod!” she screamed.
“Shut-up!” the sweeper shouted in her ear, causing her to
wince.
Jarod’s eyes flicked over to Miss Parker’s approaching
figure, Sydney and Broots close behind her. She
stopped and smiled at him evilly.
“What will it be Jarod?” Miss Parker asked.
Jarod swallowed hard, looked back at Barbara and just
stared. Barb pleaded with him with her eyes. She
mouthed the word, ‘leave’, but Jarod shook his head.
“Jarod, make up your mind! Either you have Barb’s
blood on the floor or you come back with us.”
“Mom?” Bliss asked, staring at Barb with worry and
terror. Jarod briefly closed his eyes and took a step
towards them. “No Jarod!” Bliss shouted, reaching out
and grabbing his hand, pulling him back towards
the sliding doors.
“Stop!” the sweeper shouted at them.
BANG!
“BARBARA!” Jarod screamed, running towards her
fallen figure. Two sweepers got in Jarod’s path and
grabbed him. “NO! BARB!” he screamed, tears running
down his face.
“MOM! Oh god, mom!” Bliss shouted, running towards
her mother’s bloody body on the floor.
Sydney watched in horror as Jarod struggled with the
men, desperately trying to get to Barb. Sydney looked
from the scene to Miss Parker, who stared, her lips
slightly parted, no expression at all.
“She’s dead!” Bliss announced, tears running down her
face. “SHE’S DEAD! You assholes! You killed my mom!”
“No… NO!” Jarod shouted. The sweepers began to pull
the struggling pretender towards the entrance of the
cabin. “NO! Bliss! Bliss please!”
Bliss looked up from her dead mother, through the tears
looked at Jarod, anger in her eyes. Her stare grabbed
his heart and squeezed painfully.
“No… PLEASE BLISS! Please!” he screamed, not able
to see her anymore as he was dragged out of the kitchen
and into the living room. “Bliss! Bliss I love you! PLEASE
FORGIVE ME!” he screamed, his voice cracking
from his tears.
Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney still stood in the kitchen
watching Bliss cry over her mother. As Jarod screamed,
she cried more, her sobs shaking her body violently.
Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes as Jarod shouted his
love for Bliss, but she said nothing. Miss Parker quietly
walked out of the room and followed the sweepers to the
limo, as Sydney and Broots followed close behind.
“Sydney! Sydney how could you let them do that?” Jarod
screamed, as the sweepers struggled to shackle Jarod’s
flailing arms behind his back.
Sydney looked from Jarod to Miss Parker, shooting her
a look of pain and anger. Turning his attention back to
Jarod, he watched in horror as they began to beat him.
“Stop it!” Sydney screamed, stepping closer to the
sweepers. The sweepers kept hitting him; Jarod let out
grunts of pain at every blow to the stomach. “Miss
Parker, please!” Sydney pleaded.
“Stop,” Miss Parker snapped, the sweepers sneaking in
a couple more blows before stopping. Miss Parker
swallowed back the anger and tears as she watched
Jarod fall to his knees, spitting out blood in the process.
Sydney ran to Jarod and bent down on his knees. “Jarod
are you okay?”
Sydney asked softly, his tone full of concern for his pet
project.
Jarod’s eyes slowly looked up from the ground and rose
to Sydney’s glare. He stared at the older man with no
expression at all, only pain behind his brown eyes and
tears down his cheeks.
“What do you care?” he whispered, almost not audible.
Sydney’s eyes flashed with sorrow.
“I’m sorry, Jarod,” he whispered back. “I never meant for
this to happen.”
“The hell you didn’t!” Jarod shouted, leaping to his feet.
Sydney rose to his feet slowly, keeping his eyes on the
screaming man’s face before him. “You are the reason
why I’m who I am today! You are the reason the Centre
wants me!”
“Jarod, listen to me…”
“No listen to me for once! I lived my whole life in hell!”
Jarod screamed, more wet tears running down his
flushed cheeks. “They treated me no other than a lab rat,
making me run their mazes and then threw me back in
my little cage! Do you know how many nights I wept…
alone thinking that I was no one and that no one wanted
me? Thinking that my family never loved me?” he paused
to see the reaction of Sydney’s face, only to have the
older man look to the ground. “Thinking that you never
loved me,” Jarod whispered.
Sydney’s eyes snapped up to the younger man’s face in
surprise. He watched as Jarod’s lower lip quivered, his
eyes staring into him. Sydney shook his head slightly,
sadly.
“You know better than that,” Sydney whispered. He
watched as Jarod’s eyes glitter from his tears, staring at
him sadly, only to have them skip over his shoulder.
Sydney slowly looked over his shoulder to see Bliss
standing in the open doorway, listening to everything.
Her eyes were red and puffy, tears still running down her
cheeks. Sydney turned his attention back to Jarod, who
still stared at her.
Never in Sydney’s life has he seen so much emptiness
and sadness in those brown eyes. Sydney swallowed
back his own tears as he watched Jarod fight the
unspoken battle with Bliss. His eyes were pleading and
his lower lip quivered again.
Miss Parker had watched with sadness as Jarod
screamed at Sydney, and then found them all in silence
as Bliss came into view. Knowing, for the first time, what
pain Jarod was feeling, she almost whimpered a loud.
“Sam,” Miss Parker whispered, inhaling sharply at the
quiver in her tone. “Sedate him,” she simply said.
The sweeper nodded and walked to the limo to retrieve
the needle. Jarod watched as Bliss’s eyes ripped from
his gaze to the sweeper who made his way to the limo.
Her eyes were confused, her jaw quivering as she
watched him quickly grab something from inside the limo
and begin to make his way back to the one sweeper that
held tightly to Jarod’s handcuffed figure.
Sam pulled out the needle, filled it with the liquid and
pushed the air bubbles out. Jarod, his attention never
leaving Bliss, winced a little as he felt the needle being
jabbed into his arm’s flesh.
“No,” Bliss said softly, taking a step from the door. Miss
Parker pulled out her gun and aimed it at the woman.
“Don’t make me-“
“No!” Jarod shouted. Miss Parker looked away from
Bliss, looking over her shoulder at Jarod and glared at
him. His eyes bore into her, his eyebrows lifted together
in sadness, his cheeks wet from his weeping. He didn’t
look like the man she knew to be the little devil who
played games with her or the one who had tormented her
all her life. No, this man wasn’t him at all. This was a
screaming soul ripped from his being and sucked dry
from life.
Miss Parker slowly slid her eyes off his face and turned
her gaze back to the woman who stood a step from the
door of the cabin. She still stood where she was…
staring at Miss Parker and her gun.
“Get back in the cabin. If I see you so much as peek out
a window, I’ll come in there and shoot you! You got that?”
Miss Parker said dangerously.
Bliss stared at her, her eyes weak from tears. She slowly
took a step back, glancing at Jarod briefly, before turning
on her heel and leaving their view as she entered the
cabin and closed the door. As soon as she was out of
sight, she ran for the phone. Miss Parker turned back to
the man who was on the verge of unconsciousness. She
knew Sydney was digging his nails in his palms as
he watched Jarod fall lifelessly against the two sweepers
arms.
The two sweepers carried the unconscious man to the
black limo and placed him inside, strapping him down
quickly. Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney climbed in after
them, Sydney grabbing the seat next Jarod and Miss
Parker and Broots across from the two. The sweepers
climbed in front.
As they drove, Miss Parker watched Sydney’s face as
he stared at Jarod. Finally, looking away painfully, he
turned his gaze out the window.
“I’m sorry Sydney,” Miss Parker whispered. Sydney’s
eyes looked at her in anger.
“You’re sorry?” he asked angrily.
“Look, there was no other way.”
“No other way? Look at him Parker!” he screamed,
gesturing towards Jarod’s unconscious form. Jarod’s
cheeks were still wet from tears, his face pale and
bruised on one side. Miss Parker swallowed back the
sadness as Sydney continued. “He was treated
like shit his whole life, having no one to love, no one to
trust. And then, when he finally is able to have some kind
of freedom, we steal it away. He was able to find
someone he loves and trusts; we steal it! All the Centre
did was steal from him. Not from his life, but his soul and
humanity!”
“Sydney… he is only a lab rat-“
“Excuse me?” Sydney asked, feeling the heat of anger
building up in his head. “Will you listen to yourself? Lab
rat? He is not a lab rat! He is a human being! He
deserves freedom!”
“Listen to yourself Sydney! He is a pretender! You said
yourself he needs to be isolated!”
“That was only to get over my true feelings!” he said
bitterly, pausing in surprise at the truth in his words. He
swallowed hard. “But… I said he deserves
freedom… not to be free.” He closed his eyes
briefly, opening them again to focus on his pet project.
Staring at him for a moment, he turned his gaze to the
window again, letting the silence flow through the vehicle,
his last words hanging in the air.
Miss Parker leaned forward and gently wiped a tear from
Jarod's cheek.
Author’s note: Okay, I usually write only 2 part stories, sothis is my first shot at a real ‘series’. I am going to try my best at it, so here it goes. (My biggest problem is finishing the stories, so keep your fingers crossed.)
What’s Left
By AngelWings
Jarod smiled at the woman behind the counter. “If it isn’t
‘Handsome Baby Brown’,” the elderly woman said with a
sweet, kind smile.
“Hello Mrs. Jones,” Jarod said politely, as he slid into
one of the stools.
“Let me guess… coffee, decaffeinated, cream and a
donut… glazed donut!” she said with a cheerful tone,
happy she remembered the order.
Jarod let out a gentle chuckle. “On the nose.”
The woman let the proud smile yank at her mouth as she
quickly poured the coffee, grabbed the donut from the
shelf and grabbed a couple of cream cups from
underneath the counter. Placing the items in front of
Jarod, she leaned her elbows on the counter and smiled
at him.
“How are you Baby Brown?” Jones asked.
He smiled at her, as he opened one of the small cream
cups. “I’m perfect,” Jarod replied.
‘Baby Brown’, that was what Mrs. Jones called him since
the day she saw him because she claims he has the
eyes of a child; bright and brown. He doesn’t mind her
calling him that. He feels cared about when she says that
to him. If he didn’t know any better, he would say she was
his mother. He only hoped she loved him
back the same way.
“Perfect? Well that’s great! So… you want to come over
tonight and keep an old lady company?” she asked with
innocent eyes.
He looked up from his coffee and lifted an eyebrow,
before smiling. During his pretend, he had gone to Mrs.
Jones’ house and asked her questions about her
grandson who had died mysteriously. Somehow, Jarod
had stayed for almost three hours talking to the nice
woman about things off the topic of the whole reason he
had gone there. Jarod, finding Jones to be good
company, had gone back to her house, after he had
promised her, to hear more stories about her and to
actually tell stories about himself, the ones he could at
least, and promised her he would come back again.
They had grown close over the couple weeks and Jarod
almost found himself calling her mom.
“Well, how about it?” she asked. Jarod stared at her with
a smile on his lips.
“Of course I would,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with
happiness.
“Great! Eight, okay?” she asked.
“Okay,” he replied.
Jarod, his head in her lap, lay on the couch and hung on
every word she said. Her fingers lightly stroked his hair
back from his brow as she told him about her dead
husband. She described him in such detail that Jarod
could see him: his face, his smile. Jarod felt completely
at peace with Jones. She had that affect on him. Jarod
didn't usually get close to the people in his pretends, but
she was different. She would just chase every worry
away.
Jarod felt her fingers still on his temple before she asked
quietly.
“Why aren’t you married, Baby Brown?”
Jarod slowly sat up from her lap and looked at her gently.
“It’s complicated,” he said simply, pulling his legs up and
sitting Indian-style on the couch beside her.
“Complicated? Is that the best you can do?” she asked,
scooting closer to him. “You are sweet, handsome, well
dressed, good money, good sense of humor, well
mannered, nice car… what else would a lady want? I
mean, you must have them lined up right?”
Jarod smiled and shook his head as he fiddled with a
string on the blanket that laid half on his lap, half on the
couch. “Yeah right,” he said softly.
“There is something else isn’t there?” she asked, getting
a brief glance from Jarod. “What is it Baby Brown? You
can tell old lady Barbara!” Jones said, wrapping her arm
around Jarod’s shoulders. He smiled and looked at her
with gentle eyes.
“I’m… not normal,” he answered, the smile softening.
“Honey, no ones normal these days,” she answered,
squeezing a little on his shoulders.
Jarod shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. I-“
“You’re gay?” Jones finished for him.
“No!” Jarod snapped. Jones let out a chuckle before
muttering an apology under her breath. Jarod gave her
an accusing smile before he went on. “I was… involved
with these people. I’ve been called a freak numerous
times… and I-“
“What people?” Barb asked with worry, her eyes
questioning.
Jarod stared at her for a long moment. He had gone too
far. He should have never even said what he said, but…
he trusted her.
“You wouldn’t understand if I explained it to you,” Jarod
said.
“Try me,” Jones replied.
Jarod briefly closed his eyes. “I was… stolen from my
parents when I was very young by these people… called
the Centre. They took me in and with my genius abilities,
trained me into a-“ Jarod paused and stared at Barb.
The sirens in his head were telling him to bail out, don’t
tell her! “Into a Pretender.”
“A what?” Barb asked.
“A Pretender. A genius that can become anyone they
want to be. Barb, I’m a Pretender.”
Jones stared at him for a long moment, her face blank,
her eyes searching for the truth. Jarod stared back, his
eyes glittering in hope that she’d understand. His heart
skipped a beat as the gentle smile yanked at the corners
of her mouth.
“I knew you were smarter than the average bear,” she
said with a soft chuckle. Jarod returned the soft smile
and leaned his head on her shoulder. After a moment of
silence, she spoke again. “You were stolen from your
parents?” Jarod lifted his head level to hers again and
nodded sadly.
Jones gave him a look of sad eyes. “You poor baby,” she
said sadly, placing a kiss on his forehead. “If these
people got you? Why are you here now?”
“I escaped. After finding out they were using my abilities
to hurt and kill people, I ran away.”
“Kill people?” Barb asked with surprise. Jarod nodded
slowly. Jones inhaled sharply. “Did you find your
parents?”
Jarod sadly looked to his lap. “No… I can’t find them…”
Jones pulled Jarod into a hug and kissed the top of his
head. “I’ll be here as long as you need me, Baby Brown.
As long as you need me.”
Jarod smiled, and was thanking whatever power there
was that brought Jarod to Jones. She was the protector
of his nightmares and creator of his dreams.
“Let’s get off the subject of the evil past, okay?” Jones
said with a wink, releasing him from her embrace. Jarod
nodded. “So… is there anyone special in your
life? Any little lady with eyes of stars from the sky or
something?”
Jarod smiled. “I thought we were getting off that subject?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she kind of leads back to the ‘evil past’.”
“Oh… how is that?”
Jarod stared at her and then shook his head. “Never
mind.”
“Honey, you need someone to love.”
Jarod snapped his eyes to her face. “Why? I’ve got along
fine without it my whole life…” he said sadly.
“If you don’t have love and trust in your life, then what’s
left?”
“Mom?” she called, opening the door and setting her
black bag on the floor. “Mom, you home?” she called.
“Bliss, shh!” Barb hushed her quickly, walking into the
room with her finger to her lips. Bliss cocked her head to
the side in confusion. She watched as her mother
motioned with her head towards the couch.
There lying on the couch, was a man, looking around her
age, sleeping. Bliss shot her mother a questioning look
and tiptoed over to the sleeping form on the couch.
“Who is he?” Bliss whispered to her mom who came
walking up behind her with a smile, watching Jarod
sleep.
“He’s a friend of mine. He was here last night and had
fallen asleep. I let him stay the night since I didn’t want to
wake him and-”
“And you wanted me to meet him,” Bliss stated, staring
into her mother. Barbara smiled at her daughter. “Oh,
mom! I hate it when you set me up with guys I don’t
know!”
“Oh, but honey. This one is way different then the others.
Look at him. He is good looking, no?”
Bliss stared at the handsome man on the couch. He
looked so peaceful.
“I’ll admit, he is rather cute… but he is probably stuck on
himself and-”
“Oh no. Jarod is sweet, funny and fun to be around.”
“Jarod?” Bliss asked, liking the name. Her mother
ignored her.
“He is also compassionate. Hey, he has to be
compassionate if he is here with me, right? No man
would ever hang around a weird old bag like
myself!”
Bliss smiled. “Oh, mom.”
“Come into the kitchen. I’ll make us some coffee. When
he wakes up, I’ll introduce you two.”
Jarod slowly opened his eyes and let them focus on the
strange room. He jolted upwards and tried to remember
where he was. He let out a sigh of relief, followed by a
moan when remembering the location. He must have
fallen asleep last night during one of Barb’s stories. He
swung his long legs off the small couch and sat up
completely.
“Ah, you’re awake,” he heard Barb’s friendly voice sing
as she entered the living room. Jarod smiled up at her.
Bliss followed behind her mother, but stopped at the
doorway so he wouldn’t notice her just yet.
“Sorry, Barb. I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that. You
should have woke me."
“Oh nonsense, Baby Brown. I enjoyed having you here.
You looked so peaceful; I couldn’t bare to wake you. The
way you fell into a dreamless sleep seemed to me that
you don’t sleep often.”
Jarod bit his lower lip. I don’t sleep often, he
wanted to say, but something caught his eye. He
snapped his attention to the woman in the doorway of the
kitchen. She was beautiful: long, brown hair to her
shoulders, blue eyes and a beautiful smile. She just
stared at him with that smile.
“Oh, Baby Brown, this is my daughter Bliss,” Barb said.
Jarod still stared at her and returned the smile.
“Hello,” he said softly.
“Hi,” Bliss replied as her smile widened. Barb smiled as
well at the progress they were showing. Bliss stared at
the man who still sat on the couch. The sparkle of
curiosity in his gorgeous glare took her breath away.
When he was sleeping, his eyes were closed, but with
him awake, his eyes completely brightened up his whole
face.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Barb said quietly, scurrying out
of the room before protest.
Bliss slowly walked over to the chair from across the
couch and sat down. “So… Jarod, what’s your last
name?”
Jarod’s smile lowered a notch. “Weiss.”
“Jarod Weiss. I like it.”
“Bliss Jones…? Or are you married?”
“No!” she snapped, too quickly. She swallowed, quickly
recovering. “I mean, I am available.”
Jarod’s smile went to ear to ear as he watched her
blush. He has never seen some thing so beautiful in his
life.
“Bliss, it means total happiness?” Jarod asked, more of
a statement, then a question.
“Yeah. Silly name, huh?”
“No, of course not! I think it is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Jarod.”
“You’re welcome, Bliss.”
“Do you two want anything to eat or drink?” Barb
suddenly asked, breaking the silence. They both
snapped their attention to her.
“Mom,” Bliss snapped, giving her a look of warning.
“Gee, I should really get going,” Jarod said, looking at his
watch and getting up from the couch.
“No, please stay Baby Brown,” Barbara pleaded with
him.
“Oh,” Jarod moaned in protest. “I would love to stay Barb,
you know that. But, certain people will be asking
for me. Can’t have them finding out where I am now do
I?” Jarod said with a smile, but in his eyes he pleaded
with Barb. She understood what he was talking about
and quickly nodded. He got up from the couch and
walked over to Barb, hugging her and whispered in her
ear, “My past in our secret.”
“Your past is safe with me, Baby Brown,” she whispered
back before he released her from the embrace. “You
take care now, you hear?”
Jarod smiled at her before walking to the front door. He
turned around and smiled at Bliss. “It was really nice
meeting you, Bliss.”
“You too, Jarod Weiss.”
He gave her a final wink and opened the door, and
exiting from their view. Bliss let out a long sigh and Barb
caught it.
“Well now, what do you think of that piece of work, huh?
Isn’t he the cutest little thing you have ever-“
“Mom! How long have you known him?” she spat out at
her angrily. Barb took a step back in surprise.
“Ah… almost two weeks now.”
“And you never told me about him?” she shouted, the
smile soon following. Barb smiled in return.
Jarod prayed that Parker and her gang wouldn’t show up
at Barb’s doorstep and parade through her house. That’s
the last place he would want them to be, scaring her and
her daughter. Jarod briefly closed his eyes before
quickly returning them back to the road.
Now, to get out of this state. He had to get far away and
cover up his trails good. He turned off the main road and
onto a dirt road called Craig. He surveyed the
surroundings and admired the beautiful green of the
leaves on the trees blowing in the wind, to the soft clouds
gliding in a sky of blue. He smiled faintly to himself as he
stopped at a stop sign.
Turning to the right he could see a ditch up ahead that
had a bridge going over it. As he reached a couple feet
from the bridge, a red dodge skidded wildly out of a road
across the bridge and sped Jarod’s way. Jarod, sensing
something was wrong with the driver slowed down a bit,
but it was too late. The drunk driver slammed into the left
front side of Jarod’s car and through it through the rail of
the bridge.
The small blue car was no match for the truck, and it
rolled down the ditch helplessly, coming to rest on its
hood, glass surrounding the demolished vehicle. The
dodge was stopped on top of the bridge, and the
passenger side door opened, revealing a screaming
young girl.
“You stupid asshole! You hit him!” she screamed, running
to the side of the bridge and looking down at the car.
Soon, the driver’s door opened, and out wobbled a
teenage boy.
“He was in my way!” he slurped, walking up behind the
girl and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Let’s go
back to my place, sweet cheeks.”
“No!” she screamed, hitting him away. “We can’t leave
that guy down there like that!”
“Fine!” he shouted angrily, a hick-up following. “You can
stay here and be a hero, while I go back to my place and
get more to drink.”
“You drunken son-of-a-“
“Fair well my dear… bimbo!” he shouted at her. He
scrambled back into his huge truck and drove off with a
skid.
The girl watched after the speeding truck and then turned
back to the car below. She made her way to the end of
the bridge and began to follow a path that led to the
bottom. As she reached near the bottom she began to
scream, “Hello? You okay? Sir? Can you hear me, sir?”
She reached the car and saw that its hood was
completely crashed down, leaving no room for anyone to
be sitting up.
“Shit,” she whispered in astonishment. She got down on
her knees and peeked through a small slit between the
car door and the ground. She couldn’t see anything; it
was too dark in there, do to the dark shadows the trees
provided over the large ditch.
“Oh god,” she whispered. “Hello?” she said louder.
“Hello, are you in there? Are you okay? Hello?” Nothing,
not a single sound. “God damn it.”
Gathering her courage, she reached in with her arm and
felt around. Feeling her hand lay upon something, she
pulled it out. As if a miracle, she held in her hand a
cellular phone. “Damn, I’m good,” she said with a
smile and flipped the phone open.
“Okay, help is on their way, okay?” the annoying 911
operator said to her as if she was a small child. “Stay on
the line Sweetie.”
At that, the girl hung up on her. She got up from the
ground and trotted over to the driver’s side and knelt
down. She peered in once more, but still saw nothing.
Letting out a huff, she climbed to her and let the phone
drop to the ground. She bent down and grabbed the
door handle, giving it a tug. Like before when she tried, it
didn’t budge. She was too weak to do a job like that.
“Damn,” she whispered, getting down on the ground
again. She picked up the phone and flipped it open
again. She pushed the speed dial button
and saw 0-Sydney. Hmm she thought, maybe
his friend should know what happened and with any luck,
he could be somewhere near here and help me!
She jammed her finger on the button and pulled it back
to her ear.
“What does it mean?” Broots asked as Sydney and
Parker studied Jarod’s last ‘gift’ to them. It was a
medium sized box with many contents… a toy
whale, a picture of a dolphin, Mickey Mouse ears, a
picture of the Cinderella castle and a postcard with the
costumed characters of Mickey Mouse and his gang.
“Oh, wait, it’s easy. He is in Florida. Disney World
and Sea World are in Florida.”
“Too easy,” Miss Parker snapped.
Just then, Sydney’s phone rang. Sydney glanced at the
two briefly before lifting the phone off the receiver.
“This is Sydney.”
“Ah… hi there Sydney,” he heard a young female say
over the line nervously.
“Who is this?”
“My name is Celina… and well, see this guy who owns
this phone was in a car wreck. I called the ambulance
already, but I can’t see him.”
“Who?” Sydney asked, the worry building up in his chest.
“I don’t know who. I just know that this is his phone. I think
he is badly hurt. Are you anywhere near here?”
“Is his name Jarod?” Sydney asked, getting confused
looks from his other two companions.
“I don’t know! I told you!” she snapped. “Please, are you
anywhere near here, because I need help!”
“Where are you and I’ll tell you if I’m near,” Sydney
replied.
“Okay, Youngstown, Ohio. And you?”
“That’s only an hour away… what road are you on?”
“Craig.”
“Okay… I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
Fifteen minutes later, the ambulance arrived. She
watched as they trotted down the pathway and trotted up
to the car. They studied the vehicle a second or so
before they quickly called in more help.
Celina watched helplessly as the men surrounded the
upside down vehicle and cut away at the car. They would
stop once in a while to look inside the car and see if they
could reach him, before continuing on.
The paramedics declared the driver unconscious, but
they didn’t know how badly hurt he was. It seemed to be
hours of cutting away the car when Celina spotted
an old man, a woman with a short skirt and a balding
man come down the path in mid trot. Sydney took one
look at the scene and almost fainted. Miss Parker stood
behind him with an open mouth, as Broots looked away
from the terrifying scene.
Sydney tore his eyes from the crushed car as he noticed
a young teenager walk up to him.
"Are you Sydney?” she asked. Sydney said nothing, only
nodded.
“I’m sorry Sydney. You know, for calling you like that and
letting you know the hard way.”
“Looks like you didn’t need my help after all,” Sydney
said quietly, his eyes fixed on the car, the sound of the
saw cutting at the car filling his ears. The sound of the
door giving way caught everyone’s attention. They
watched as the paramedics rushed in and peered into
the car.
“Get the stretcher!” one shouted up to the ambulance that
was parked on the bridge.
Sydney and Miss Parker watched in horror as three men
pulled Jarod from the demolished vehicle. They carried
him a couple feet away from the car and laid him gently
on the ground. Sydney trotted up as close as he
could before one of the men told him to stay back. He
watched in utter terror as the paramedics checked
breathing, pulse, wounds and bones. His throat became
dry as he watched. Closing his eyes to calm himself, he
swallowed hard and began to pray to the lord above.
All four watched as Jarod was loaded on the stretcher
and was carefully pushed up the hill. Sydney shook his
head and held back the tears, hiding his terror for his
friend as much as he could. He felt Miss Parker place
her hand on his shoulder from behind him and whispered
softly, “He’ll be okay, Syd. I know it.”
Miss Parker and Broots watched as Sydney paced
nervously. “Syd, you know, you are just torturing yourself
if you do that. Calm down,” Miss Parker said.
“How can I calm down when Jarod is in there either dead
or in critical-“
“He’s not dead Sydney.”
“How do you know that?” he spat out at her.
Just then the doctor walked out of the hospital room,
chart in one hand and a glitter in his aged eyes. Miss
Parker and Broots stood up from their seats and came
to Sydney’s side.
“How is he doctor?” Sydney asked, worry filled his tone.
The doctor gave all three a half smile. “He's fine for now.”
Sydney let the sigh of relief escape his lips. “Thank god.”
“What's his condition?” Miss Parker asked.
“He has a broken arm, three broken ribs, blood loss and
a fracture in his left leg. He was wearing a seat belt
luckily, or he would have had greater injuries or worse.
He does have a minor concussion and was very close to
loosing his left leg. It was jammed between the door and
the dashboard and I can’t even imagine how it got away
with just a fracture.”
“Is he awake now?” Sydney asked.
“Yes, he's in and out, but he was awake when I was in
there. You may go in if you like-“
Before the doctor could finish his sentence, Sydney was
in the hospital room. Miss Parker and Broots followed
behind but stopped at the end of the bed and watched
Sydney sit down in the chair by Jarod’s side.
Jarod slowly opened his eyes to see his new visitors and
almost cursed at the face of Miss Parker and Broots
staring back at him from the end of his bed. He slowly
turned his dizzy gaze to the person who sat next
to him.
“Sydney?” Jarod whispered hoarsely.
Sydney nodded. “Yeah, it’s me. How are you doing?”
Jarod stared at him for a split moment before answering
softly. “I feel like shit, Sydney.”
Sydney smiled weakly. “I know. What happened?”
“I was in a car wreck.”
“Well, I know that. But… how?” Sydney asked.
“Didn’t they tell you?” Jarod said, lowering his eyebrows.
“Didn’t ask.”
“A drunk driver hit me from what I can remember.
Knocked me off the bridge and my car rolled down into
the ditch. I remember being upside down in seat for a
few minutes, covered in my own blood, before I
blacked out.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sydney said softly. Sydney noticed the
surprise flash through Jarod’s brown eyes.
“It’s not like you to apologize for something you didn’t do,
Syd,” Jarod said softly and slowly. “What is wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Here you are in a hospital bed and
I'm--“ Sydney began. He was showing and telling too
much of his feelings for Jarod. He stopped in mid-
sentence.
“And you are what, Sydney?” Jarod asked.
“Nothing, Jarod. Just that you can’t go back to the Centre
in this condition and I was--“
“Disappointed,” Jarod finished. Sydney saw the hurt and
betrayal in Jarod’s eyes and hated himself for being so
cruel to him.
“Baby Brown!” a woman said in worry from the door
behind Miss Parker and Broots. She hurried over to the
bed, as a younger woman followed her but stopped at
the door. “Oh, honey are you all right?”
“Barb!” Jarod said with a smile.
The woman leaned down and hugged him gently. “When
I heard that you were in an accident I came right away.”
She kissed him gently on the forehead and then on both
cheeks. “How are ya doing, Baby Brown?”
“I’m fine,” Jarod answered sadly, briefly giving Sydney a
look. Barb smiled down at him and then looked up at the
confused faces of the strangers.
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” Barb
quickly apologized.
“Ah… you didn’t,” Sydney replied with a smile, holding
out his hand.
“Oh, I’m Barbara Jones, and that is my daughter Bliss
Jones,” she said, pointing with her free hand to the
woman at the doorway, while shaking Sydney’s hand
with the other.
“Hello Barbara. I’m Sydney, and that is Broots and Miss
Parker.”
“Hello all,” she said with a smile. “I’m guessing you aren’t
family.”
“Why?” Sydney frowned.
“Because Jarod already told me he doesn’t know where
his family is. So who are you? Friends?”
“Yeah, we are friends,” Sydney replied, looking down at
Jarod.
Barb nodded and sat down in the chair opposite of
Sydney. Sydney suddenly stood.
“Well, I’ve got things to do and plans to ruin. I’ll be
back in an hour or so,” Sydney said, making his way out
of the room.
Broots followed, but before Miss Parker left, she
watched Bliss walk over to Jarod and sit down in the
chair Sydney had sat in. Bimbo Miss Parker
thought to herself, but quickly shook the thought out.
That day, Sydney, Miss Parker and Broots had been
gone most of the day, Sydney especially. Barb sat by
Jarod’s side and smiled at him. He now was prompted
up against the headboard, with of pillows behind his
head. Barb gently took his hand in hers and asked softly,
“Are you okay, Baby Brown?” His eyes slowly turned to
hers and they glittered in confusion.
“Why do ask?” he asked with a smile.
“Well, you look like something is bothering you, well,
besides the fact that you are lying in a hospital bed.”
“Oh nothing…”
“What is it Baby Brown? You can tell old lady Jones.”
He smiled warmly at her, his smile reaching his eyes.
“I’m just so glad you are here, that’s all.”
Barb’s face lit up in happiness, and in the same time
sorrow. “Oh baby,” she whispered, leaning down and
hugging him gently. She pulled away after a moment to
give him a sweet kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be where ever
you need me to be, you got that?” Jarod bit his lower lip
and nodded.
“Knock, knock,” they heard the soft voice of Bliss come
from the doorway. She held flowers in her hand and a
smile on her face.
“Why, look who’s here,”’ Barb said with a smile. “I
thought you had to go to a friend’s party?”
“I was… but I decided something else was more
important,” she replied, sitting down by the bed, opposite
of her mother.
Jarod smiled at her. “But you hardly know me, Bliss. Why
would you cancel something for me?”
“I know you through my mother. She talks about you a
lot,” she replied, smiling briefly at Barb. She lifted the
flowers up to him. “And oddly, I always want to listen.”
He took the flowers from her slowly. “Thank you,” he
whispered, looking down at them. There was a small
card that read: Get well soon, Love, Bliss. He smiled
warmly, before setting them carefully on the nightstand
beside his bed.
“Well,” Barb said with a smile. “I’ll have to get something
to eat. I’ll be right back. I’m going to the lobby to grab
myself a donut.”
Jarod and Bliss nodded and watched as she left the
room silently. Bliss turned to Jarod a moment later. “I’m
sorry about what happened to you. Something like that
should never happen to someone like you.”
Jarod smiled, before swallowing hard. “Thank you, but
there are better people than me and most of them are
dead.”
Bliss briefly looked to the ground before leaning forward
towards him. “Can they get any better?”
Bliss’s heart skipped a beat at the smile he gave her.
His eyes sparkled like the stars in the midnight sky. His
eyes were dark enough to be the sky.
“Yeah, they can,” he replied suddenly. “There’s you, isn’t
there?”
Bliss couldn’t hold back the blush that crept up from her
collar. She bit her lower lip in order not to smile widely.
“You’re too much,” she whispered in a bashful manner.
Jarod let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I know,”
he said in playful sarcasm.
Miss Parker slowly peeked in the doorway and watched
as the two talked to each other with silly grins. She
watched in envy as the woman, around
her own age, made Jarod smile in a way she has never
seen him do before. Unable to take it anymore, she
barged right into the room.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting anything?” she asked in
mock concern.
Bliss looked away from Jarod to look at what the cat
brought in. This woman looked as sharp as a dagger,
wearing a black suit over a short black skirt. Her dark
hair was curled out perfectly at the ends and her
eyes were as blue as ice. She has seen her in here
before, but never really got a good look at her.
“Hello,” Bliss said softly.
"Hi,” Miss Parker snapped, lifting both eyebrows.
“Careful, she bites,” Jarod whispered to Bliss, causing
Bliss to smile.
“What the hell is your problem?” Miss Parker snapped,
coming around the other side of the bed.
“Ah…” Bliss began, looking at Jarod quickly for help.
“Knock it off Parker,” Jarod said with an annoyed huff.
“Knock what off Rat Boy?” she asked innocently.
“Rat Boy?” Bliss asked, watching as Jarod rolled his
eyes.
“Yeah, just like your old lady calls him Baby Brown. You
know it’s a nickname…” Miss Parker explained as if she
was talking to a young child.
“Don’t talk about Barb like that,” Jarod growled at her.
“Why does she call you Baby Brown anyway?” Miss
Parker asked, looking back at Jarod.
“Do you need to know?” Jarod asked.
“Maybe I do,” Miss Parker said, not taking her eyes from
his face.
“Why do you?”
“Because!”
“Because why?”
“Because I want to know!”
“Well why?”
Bliss watched as the two shouted back and forth in
amazement. “Are you two sister and brother or
something?” she asked suddenly.
Both paused and turned their gaze on Bliss. Bliss
wanted to dig a hole and hide at the look both of them
gave her.
“NO!” they both snapped at the same time.
“What’s going on?” Barb asked, coming in the room with
a donut in one hand. “Sounds like someone released the
dogs. There is a lot of growling and barking in here.”
Bliss, almost in relief, leaped to her feet. “Mom! Good,
you’re back. Hi!” Bliss said with a smile.
Barb stared at her for a moment in confusion. “Ah…
yeah,” she said slowly, unsure. She snapped her eyes
down to the donut. “You’re not getting my donut, if that’s
what’s it about.”
After an hour of talking, Bliss and Barb left Jarod to rest,
but Miss Parker stayed. She watched the two leave the
room, before walking from her corner of the room, up to
the side of his bed. He slowly turned his gaze on her.
“Well, Parker, are you leaving?” Jarod asked.
“No, I’ll wait until you’re asleep before I leave,” Miss
Parker replied with an evil smile.
Jarod lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll probably stuff a pillow
over my head and wait until I suffocate.”
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea,” she said, sitting down in
the chair. She watched as he rolled his eyes, before
attempting to scoot down in a lying position. A moan,
followed by a hiss escaped his lips as the pain that shot
through his body. “What’s your problem?” Miss Parker
asked, placing a hand on his arm.
“God, my whole body aches,” he moaned.
“You want me to help you?” Miss Parker asked, no worry
or concern in her tone. After he said nothing, she began
to help him. She gently pulled each pillow from under his
back, and held the back on his head so he wouldn’t just
fall backwards. Placing only one pillow down, she laid
his head down.
“Thank you,” he whispered, letting out a sigh.
“Whew, who’d a thunk would have heard those words
from you, eh?”
He smiled, not looking at her, but it was a good smile.
Miss Parker let out a sigh before leaning her elbow on
the bed.
“You, ah, want me to turn the light off or something so you
can sleep? Or are you one of those guys who can sleep
whenever, where ever?” Miss Parker asked, looking
down at him. His eyes finally met hers.
“Why are you doing this?” he whispered. She stared
down at him for a long moment. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind,” Jarod replied. “Um, the lights off please.”
She gave a simply nod before getting up and walking to
the doorway to where the light switch was located.
Before turning off the light, she shut the door quietly.
Walking back to his side again, she sat down with
a sigh. “There,” she said, no expression in her tone.
He swallowed before nodding his gratitude. “Thanks.”
She watched as he closed his eyes, but after a moment,
had them snap open again. Through the dim darkness
she watched as his eyes met with hers, shooting a chill
down her spine. “I hate to break it to you,” he began
quietly, almost too softly, “But I can’t sleep with you
watching me.”
She smiled with all teeth. “Poor thing,” she purred. “You
want me to turn around or something? Because no
matter what you say, I am not leaving.”
“What to keep an eye on me, huh?” he asked softly.
“You betcha. You are not escaping my sight!”
He let out a sigh of defeat. “Of course not,” he answered
softly.
Miss Parker sat quietly in the corner of the room, her
eyes on the form on the bed. It had been about ten
minutes since she agreed to sit farther away and he
hasn’t said a word. It was too dark in the room to tell if he
was awake or asleep, but as she could hear his even
breathing she could guess which one it would be.
She slowly got up from the chair and tiptoed towards the
bed. Sitting down softly in the chair by his side, she now
could see his face. His eyes were closed, and his face
was slightly tilted towards her. She stared for a moment;
getting lost in her thoughts, but quickly pushed the
unwanted ones away. God, this job sucks, she
thought, staring at him.
She has blamed him for all the things that go wrong all
her life, trying to force herself to hate him. But, now, as
she stares at him sleeping, she was now forced to hate
herself. But why? Why did she feel so guilty? It’s
her job to recapture him, to bring him back to the Centre.
But that guilt weighed on her shoulders heavily. Letting
out a sad sigh, she leaned her chin down on the bed, still
keeping her eyes on his face. She leveled her chin with
the bed and stared at him. He looked so peaceful, so
innocent. He looked so damn sexy. Damn you,
Parker, she scowled herself, get a hold of
yourself.
“Excuse me,” she heard someone whisper from the
doorway. Miss Parker snapped her attention to the
female nurse who had her head peeking through the
crack of the door. “Visiting hours are over.”
“May I stay with him?” Miss Parker asked, for once,
tenderness in her voice.
The nurse stared at her for a moment and then smiled.
“Of course.”
“Ah… Miss Parker?” Broots asked, poking the sleeping
woman in the side.
She didn’t wake, still with her head lying on the pillow
Jarod was using, their faces inches away. Sydney came
in the room, saw the scene and couldn’t hold back the
wide smile that yanked at his mouth. Broots looked
nervously to the old man and smiled as well.
“Why, isn’t that something new?” Sydney asked, coming
up to the two sleeping forms.
“I, ah, don’t want to wake Miss Parker. She’ll, you know-“
Broots mumbled. Sydney nodded in understanding. He
walked over to the other side of the bed and gently put a
hand on Jarod’s shoulder. He squeezed a little and then
shook. Jarod’s face tensed and a whimper escaped his
lips. Sydney leaned down and whispered, “Jarod, wake
up.”
Jarod’s eyes fluttered open at that. He waited until his
gaze focused on the man that stood over him and then
turned to the person who was sharing his pillow. “Shit!”
he spat out, seeing Miss Parker’s face next to his. He
sprang to the other side of the bed, almost falling off, and
letting out a gasp and moan of pain. Sydney chuckled
softly and leaned down to Jarod.
“You are going to kill yourself if you don’t stay put,” he
whispered in humor.
“No, Miss Parker will kill me if she does that again,”
Jarod whispered back, staring at Miss Parker’s sleeping
face that still lay on his pillow.
“So, I’m guessing you didn’t know about it,” Broots
asked.
“Know about what? Her sleeping with me- I mean
sharing the same pillow. Oh no,” he said, still staring at
her.
All three men watched as the sleeping woman stirred
and slowly sat up without opening her eyes. As she
started to flutter them open tiredly, she wanted them
closed again. All three men had huge smiles on their
faces and just stared at her.
“What the hell is…?” she began to ask angrily, but it hit
her. Her mouth dropped open and tried to block out the
laughter around her. “You son-of-a-“
“Ah-ah, Parker, you are the one who fell asleep by me!”
Jarod said, waving a finger at her.
Miss Parker inhaled sharply before leaping to her feet.
“You all are just a bunch of morons!” she spat out angrily.
“Oh c’mon Parker, we are laughing with you!” Sydney
sang in humor, his voice full of laughter.
Miss Parker shook her head, trying to hold back the
smile.
“Check mate,” Jarod said with a grin on his face. Sydney
shook his head in defeat.
“Three times in a row!” Sydney said in astonishment.
Broots looked up from his newspaper to look at the two
playing chess. Jarod was sitting up again, with one of
those portable tables over his lap and Sydney sat
at his right side, staring at the board on the table.
At that moment, Miss Parker walked in, coffee in hand
and looked at the two chess playing men. “Sydney, aren’t
you going to give it up? You can’t beat him.”
“Yes I can,” Sydney said. “Let’s play again.”
Jarod shook his head with a smile on his lips and began
to set up the board again. “All right Syd, have it your
way.”
“So, when is ‘Prefect Happiness’ and ‘Baby Brown
Calling Jones’ going to be here?” Miss Parker asked,
sitting down at the small table that Broots sat at across
the hospital room. Jarod looked away from the board
briefly, before returning his attention to the game.
“Um… Barb said she was going to try to get to work
early so she can get off and come here. As for Bliss… I
don’t know.”
Miss Parker nodded, setting her cup down.
Damn, she thought. “Give me that,” she hissed,
stealing the comic section of Broots’ newspaper.
After a moment of silence, only the sound of the vent
system and the tap of the chess pieces now and then,
Miss Parker looked up from the paper and looked at the
two that were involved in their little game.
“Isn’t my father and Mr. Raines going to suspect
something went wrong since we’ve been gone so long
and no word?” Miss Parker asked.
Sydney, still staring at the board figuring his next move,
he spoke, “You better call them, Parker. Lie to them,”
Sydney said with out a thought, picking up a piece and
moving it a square ahead.
Jarod looked up from the board to Sydney, seeing if he
heard him right.
“Lie to them?” Miss Parker repeated.
Sydney looked up from the board, as Jarod considered
his next move, and looked across the room to Miss
Parker. “Right, lie to them. You know that Jarod can’t go
back to the Centre in this condition, can he? Tell them
we haven’t found him yet and that we are following
‘bread crumbs’,” Sydney said.
Miss Parker stared at him for a moment, only to have
him look away towards the chess game to move his
piece to another square. “Fine, Syd,” she snapped. “I’ll
call daddy later tonight.”
Sydney looked over at her and then nodded with a soft
smile. “Good.”
“Umm… Sydney?” Jarod asked, still staring at the board.
Sydney looked away from Parker to Jarod. “Check
mate,” he said with a smile, knocking Sydney’s piece
down.
“Yes Daddy,” Miss Parker said, leaning against the
hallway wall. As she listened to her father tell her about
‘failing’ to catch Jarod, she saw Bliss coming down the
hall. “Uh huh,” Miss Parker said to her father, but her
attention was on the brown-haired bimbo coming her
way.
As Bliss got nearer, she smiled at Parker as best she
could. Miss Parker ignored her and pretended that the
phone call was very important. Bliss walked passed her
and into the Jarod’s room, and Miss Parker could
have sworn that bimbo called her a bitch. Miss Parker
peeked in the door at the woman who came around and
sat by Jarod’s bed and almost growled.
“Angel?” she heard her father say.
“Yes daddy!” she snapped to attention.
She heard her father’s heavy sigh and then him saying,
“Look, just find Jarod and get home, all right?”
“Of course,” Miss Parker said with a light sigh. “Good-
bye daddy.”
With the click from the other line, Miss Parker flipped her
cell phone shut and walked into the hospital room.
“Hello, Bliss… again,” Miss Parker sneered.
“Hello, Parker,” Bliss said, an obvious fake smile on her
lips.
Sydney watched the silent cat fight and almost smiled
when the truth dawned on him. My, my Parker, I never
would have guessed, he thought.
“You want to share something, Syd?” he heard Parker
interrupt his thought.
“Hmm?” he asked, snapping his attention to her face.
Miss Parker only rolled her eyes.
“Did you call your father?” Sydney asked. Miss Parker
gestured towards Bliss with her eyes and then widened
them in warning. “I know,” Sydney replied softly. “Did
you?”
“Yes Syd, I did,” she replied.
“And…?”
“And, he said to try to find… a cat, and then bring
it home so Daddy and I can name it together.”
Sydney smiled. Miss Parker looked away from Sydney
to Jarod and Bliss. Both had confused expressions on
their faces and just stared at her. She lifted both
eyebrows at them before walking over to the table
Broots still sat at and sat down.
“So… Bliss, where’s your mom?” Sydney asked, trying
to make conversation.
“She is at work,” Bliss replied kindly, looking from Jarod
to the older man.
Sydney nodded. “Where does she work?”
“At a café in town. It’s a real nice place if I can say so
myself.”
“Yeah, I’ve been there more than once,” Jarod replied.
“That’s where I met her.”
Bliss nodded. “I know, my mom told me,” she replied with
a smile.
“What is the café called? Maybe I should stop there
sometime,” Sydney asked.
“Oh, it’s called Blue Light Café. Really nice place.”
“Look, this is all really nice and… nice, but I really
need you people to shut-up,” Miss Parker snapped.
“Parker,” Sydney scowled, as if he was talking to a small
child.
“Sydney,” Parker said in the same tone.
“Look, whatever your problem is, lady, I wish you would
knock it off!” Bliss spat out suddenly, rising to her feet.
“All I have seen from you is disrespect! You treat Jarod
like shit and you even talk to your elders like a damn
piece of gum under your shoe! Either you get out or
shape up, because I am not going to take it anymore!”
The three others in the room just stared at her in open
mouth. Miss Parker quickly snapped her jaw shut and
gave her the most iron stare she could manage. “Do you
want to fight for your words? Or are you expecting me to
forget you said that?” Miss Parker sneered.
“I’ll fight for my right if that’s what you mean.”
“Fight for whatever the hell, I’ll take your ass down with
one iron bullet to the head!”
“Knock it off you two!” Sydney said, breaking the fight up.
“Miss Parker, may I speak to you in the hall?”
“No,” she snapped, still staring at Bliss.
“Now, Parker!” Sydney roared. Miss Parker finally tore
her eyes from Bliss and looked at Sydney’s face. She
slowly made her way to the door as Sydney followed
close behind.
As the two were out in the hall and the door was shut,
Broots got up from his seat. “Damn, that was awesome.”
Bliss smiled at him. “Thank you, thank you.”
“You are going to get yourself killed, you know that?”
Jarod asked her from below. Bliss sat down again and
smiled warmly at him.
“I don’t care, at least I’ll get my point across.”
Jarod smiled in return.
“Guess what?” Barb asked, walking into the room. “You
are going to be out of here today!”
“Already? It’s only been a week,” Broots said, glancing at
Miss Parker and Sydney.
“Well, the Doc said that his bones are healing just fine
and the swelling in that big brain of his went down a lot.
Baby Brown, you are free to go!” Barb said smiling,
walking over to him and kissing him on the forehead. He
smiled up at her.
“Well, that’s just great!” Miss Parker said softly in
sarcasm.
“You want to come to my house and stay there for a
while, babe? The Doc said someone should take care of
you for a while,” Barb asked Jarod, still having her gentle
hands on the sides of his face.
“Ah, no Mrs. Jones, Jarod will come with us,” Miss
Parker said, getting up from her seat at the table.
“Sure Barb, I would love to stay with you,” Jarod said with
a smile, glancing briefly at Miss Parker’s furious face.
“No, Jarod. You are coming with us. Isn’t that right
Sydney?” Miss Parker asked, looking to Sydney for help.
Sydney had that faint smile on his face like always.
“But, I want to stay with Barb,” Jarod said, looking up at
Barb briefly.
Miss Parker stared into Jarod, giving him a fierce
warning look. But her glare didn’t faze him at all. He just
stared back with a half smile.
“No, Jarod. You are coming with us if you like it or not!”
she said, walking over to him. “Get up, now!”
“Miss Parker,” Barb began. “What’s so important that
you need him to-“
“He is coming with us!” she shouted at her. Barb leaned
back in amazement.
“I’m not going with you Parker!” Jarod shouted at her.
“Oh yes you are!”
“Well, I guess you are going to drag me unconscious
because I am not going back to the Centre!” he shouted
angrily. Silence rang through the room. Barb looked
between Jarod and Miss Parker in surprise, then
catching her daughters confused expression. Barb
silently stood up from her chair.
“Get out,” she whispered to Miss Parker angrily. Miss
Parker cocked her head to the side. “Now, get out!”
Jarod watched Barb’s face become furious. “Barb-“ he
began to whisper to her.
“Out!” Barb shouted at Parker. “You three, now!”
Broots and Sydney began their short way to the door, but
stopped to look over their shoulders at Miss Parker. She
still stood there, staring at the old woman.
“Miss Parker, let’s go,” Sydney said. Still keeping her
eyes on the woman, Parker turned towards the door.
She stared at the woman for a split second more before
ripping her eyes from Barb and storming out of the room.
Barb let out a sigh of relief and sat back down. She
looked down at Jarod and smiled.
“Thank you,” Jarod whispered.
“Oh baby,” she whispered, leaning down and hugging
him. “It is true. I believed you before, but you
know… it was a little murky. Now it puts everything in
place. I am so sorry.”
“You mind explaining this to me?” Bliss interrupted.
Barb and Jarod turned their attention to Bliss, who stood
there with her arms crossed her chest.
“Come here,” Barb said, gesturing to the other chair.
“But we need to explain it fast, because we have to get
away from here,” Barb said with a wink at Jarod.
Jarod smiled.
“What?” Mr. Parker asked.
“He got away daddy,” Miss Parker said. “We even went
to the old lady’s house… nothing. Not even his usual
‘bread crumbs’.” She had never mentioned that he was
in the hospital, but she told him about Barb and
Bliss.
“All right, find more about the two, Barb and Bliss, all
right? That’s where he’ll be.”
“Yes daddy.”
More than six weeks went by and Jarod was able to walk
again. His leg was still a little sore, but he was able to
wobble around the cabin that was purchased by Barb’s
late husband. Located on a beach, the three had been
sharing it for the past three weeks.
The weather was wonderful in Florida this time of year
and the three enjoyed their bon fires on the beach at
night, because the nights were so warm.
“Where are the matches?” Bliss asked her mom as she
opened another kitchen drawer and searched in there.
“You're going out on the beach again?” Barb asked.
Bliss smiled at her as she nodded.
“Yeah, aren’t you coming?” Bliss asked, finally spotting
the matches under a bunch of junk in one of the drawers.
“No, I can’t this time. I am tired. You guys wore me out at
the movies and then that dinner.”
Bliss smiled. “Fine, but you are missing out on some
fun!” She gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love
you!” she shouted happily, taking off out of the sliding
glass doors and running out towards the beach where
Jarod sat on the blanket setting up the logs in the pit.
He smiled as she ran up to him through the darkness
and collapsed on the blanket. “Where’s your mom?” he
asked.
“She said was tired tonight,” Bliss replied, handing him
the matches.
“Oh,” Jarod said, shrugging quickly afterwards.
As she watched him start the fire, she bit her lower lip.
“You know, this will be the first time it’s just you and
me…”
He turned his eyes from the building fire and looked at
her carefully. “I know.”
She smirked at him, her eyebrows curling together. He
returned the smile. She slowly reached up and placed
her hand on his cheek gently.
“You know Jarod, I have never felt this way towards any
man before. You are different. Not because of the
Centre… it’s just, something about you… I don’t know
how to explain it.”
He smiled, the warmth of the gesture reaching to his
eyes. She leaned forward a little so their lips were inches
apart. “Do feel the same way I feel about you? Please
say yes.”
“Yes,” he whispered. As their lips were about to come in
contact, a crack from the sky got their attention. Both
turned towards the water and watched as fireworks
colored the dark, starlit sky.
Bliss smiled. “How beautiful.”
Jarod smiled. “Yeah,” he turned to her again. “Very
beautiful.”
She ripped her eyes from the flashes of bright blue and
red to look into dark brown. She stared into his eyes for
a moment before smiling warmly.
“I never got the reason why my name is Bliss. But now
that you’re with me, I know why. It was fate Jarod.”
He smiled, one side of his smirk curling up farther. He
watched as her gorgeous face was lit up with gold, green
and blue from the flashes in the sky above. “You are
my perfect happiness,” he whispered.
“God, you know exactly what to say,” she whispered,
capturing his lips at that. Their passion grew at every
flash of fire in the sky. She pulled him down on the
blanket with her and wrapped her arms around his
neck. Pulling her lips away from his, she whispered
breathlessly, “I love you, Jarod.”
He stared down at her for a long moment before smiling.
“I love you too, Bliss.”
She smiled and brought his face down to meet hers
again. She kissed every inch of his face as the loud
cracks and pops echoed through the sky, along with
flashes of fire of red, green and gold. But soon, the
fire of their bomb fire and the beautiful explosives in the
sky tuned out of their attention. Only the passion was
what they were aware of now.
Bliss watched the sleeping form beside her on the
blanket. She knew it was really late and their bon fire
was dying, providing their only light, but she didn’t want
to wake him. He looked so peaceful. She let out a sigh
and began to caress his cheek, thinking about what had
happened an hour ago. That was the best night of her
life. She smiled at that. Now I know the true meaning
of my name, she thought, staring at him as he slept.
Only the silent song of the crickets, the crack of the
fire and the crash of the waves were all the sounds she
heard.
She inched her head closer to his face and kissed him
on the tip of his nose. He let out a tired whimper and she
smiled warmly. Never in her life has she ever loved a
man so much. But of course, he had to be on the run.
There was always something. But god, she would run
through fire with him if he needed her to. No, she would
run through hell if he needed her to!
Suddenly, Jarod stirred and let out a moan as he opened
his eyes. Seeing Bliss there beside him, he smiled.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi,” he whispered back hoarsely. She placed a gentle
hand on his cheek and rubbed her thumb in circles over
his lips.
“We should get inside, Baby Brown,” she whispered with
a smile.
He smiled back. “I know, but… I don’t want to.”
“Oh poor baby,” she whispered, kissing his lips softly.
He let a moan escape from his throat and it echoed into
her mouth. She smiled against his mouth and pushed
him back onto the blanket. “All right, tough guy. Get up,”
she said, getting up from the blanket and grabbing
his hand. “C'mon, up!”
He let out a moan of protest and climbed to his feet.
“All right you win,” he mumbled tiredly.
She smirked at him as she picked up the blanket and
brushed off the sand.
“So…” she began. “You gonna be lonely in your little,
cold room?”
Jarod gave her a smug smirk with one eyebrow lifted.
Barb tiptoed through the hall and peeked into Jarod’s
room. She smiled as she saw Bliss lying on Jarod’s
chest in the darkness, fast asleep. She bit her lower lip,
holding back the smile.
“After one bon fire and I miss out on everything!”
she said to herself happily.
Barb smiled at the two that walked into the kitchen and
sat down at the breakfast table. She took a bite of her
eggs, still staring at the two as they piled some of the
eggs and bacon on their plates.
“How did you two sleep?” she asked with a knowing
smile.
Jarod and Bliss exchanged looks and then smiled.
“Great mom,” Bliss answered, taking a bite of her eggs.
Barb nodded. “That’s good,” she replied, still smiling.
Suddenly, there was a huge bang at the door. All three
stood up as they heard people parading into the cabin
from the other room.
“Jarod, run!” Barb screamed, as men in dark suits
poured into the kitchen. Jarod took off towards the
sliding glass doors, but one of the men grabbed him by
the arm and pulled him roughly onto the counter of
the kitchen. Bliss let out a scream of panic and through
her plate of food at the man. It hit him square in the
forehead, his head snapping back from impact. Jarod
leaped off the counter and was about to run towards the
exit with Bliss, when he stopped.
“Freeze Jarod! Or the old lady gets it!” one sweeper
shouted, holding a gun to Barb’s head with his arm
around her neck. Jarod froze and stared at Barb in
terror.
“Run Jarod!” she screamed.
“Shut-up!” the sweeper shouted in her ear, causing her to
wince.
Jarod’s eyes flicked over to Miss Parker’s approaching
figure, Sydney and Broots close behind her. She
stopped and smiled at him evilly.
“What will it be Jarod?” Miss Parker asked.
Jarod swallowed hard, looked back at Barbara and just
stared. Barb pleaded with him with her eyes. She
mouthed the word, ‘leave’, but Jarod shook his head.
“Jarod, make up your mind! Either you have Barb’s
blood on the floor or you come back with us.”
“Mom?” Bliss asked, staring at Barb with worry and
terror. Jarod briefly closed his eyes and took a step
towards them. “No Jarod!” Bliss shouted, reaching out
and grabbing his hand, pulling him back towards
the sliding doors.
“Stop!” the sweeper shouted at them.
BANG!
“BARBARA!” Jarod screamed, running towards her
fallen figure. Two sweepers got in Jarod’s path and
grabbed him. “NO! BARB!” he screamed, tears running
down his face.
“MOM! Oh god, mom!” Bliss shouted, running towards
her mother’s bloody body on the floor.
Sydney watched in horror as Jarod struggled with the
men, desperately trying to get to Barb. Sydney looked
from the scene to Miss Parker, who stared, her lips
slightly parted, no expression at all.
“She’s dead!” Bliss announced, tears running down her
face. “SHE’S DEAD! You assholes! You killed my mom!”
“No… NO!” Jarod shouted. The sweepers began to pull
the struggling pretender towards the entrance of the
cabin. “NO! Bliss! Bliss please!”
Bliss looked up from her dead mother, through the tears
looked at Jarod, anger in her eyes. Her stare grabbed
his heart and squeezed painfully.
“No… PLEASE BLISS! Please!” he screamed, not able
to see her anymore as he was dragged out of the kitchen
and into the living room. “Bliss! Bliss I love you! PLEASE
FORGIVE ME!” he screamed, his voice cracking
from his tears.
Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney still stood in the kitchen
watching Bliss cry over her mother. As Jarod screamed,
she cried more, her sobs shaking her body violently.
Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes as Jarod shouted his
love for Bliss, but she said nothing. Miss Parker quietly
walked out of the room and followed the sweepers to the
limo, as Sydney and Broots followed close behind.
“Sydney! Sydney how could you let them do that?” Jarod
screamed, as the sweepers struggled to shackle Jarod’s
flailing arms behind his back.
Sydney looked from Jarod to Miss Parker, shooting her
a look of pain and anger. Turning his attention back to
Jarod, he watched in horror as they began to beat him.
“Stop it!” Sydney screamed, stepping closer to the
sweepers. The sweepers kept hitting him; Jarod let out
grunts of pain at every blow to the stomach. “Miss
Parker, please!” Sydney pleaded.
“Stop,” Miss Parker snapped, the sweepers sneaking in
a couple more blows before stopping. Miss Parker
swallowed back the anger and tears as she watched
Jarod fall to his knees, spitting out blood in the process.
Sydney ran to Jarod and bent down on his knees. “Jarod
are you okay?”
Sydney asked softly, his tone full of concern for his pet
project.
Jarod’s eyes slowly looked up from the ground and rose
to Sydney’s glare. He stared at the older man with no
expression at all, only pain behind his brown eyes and
tears down his cheeks.
“What do you care?” he whispered, almost not audible.
Sydney’s eyes flashed with sorrow.
“I’m sorry, Jarod,” he whispered back. “I never meant for
this to happen.”
“The hell you didn’t!” Jarod shouted, leaping to his feet.
Sydney rose to his feet slowly, keeping his eyes on the
screaming man’s face before him. “You are the reason
why I’m who I am today! You are the reason the Centre
wants me!”
“Jarod, listen to me…”
“No listen to me for once! I lived my whole life in hell!”
Jarod screamed, more wet tears running down his
flushed cheeks. “They treated me no other than a lab rat,
making me run their mazes and then threw me back in
my little cage! Do you know how many nights I wept…
alone thinking that I was no one and that no one wanted
me? Thinking that my family never loved me?” he paused
to see the reaction of Sydney’s face, only to have the
older man look to the ground. “Thinking that you never
loved me,” Jarod whispered.
Sydney’s eyes snapped up to the younger man’s face in
surprise. He watched as Jarod’s lower lip quivered, his
eyes staring into him. Sydney shook his head slightly,
sadly.
“You know better than that,” Sydney whispered. He
watched as Jarod’s eyes glitter from his tears, staring at
him sadly, only to have them skip over his shoulder.
Sydney slowly looked over his shoulder to see Bliss
standing in the open doorway, listening to everything.
Her eyes were red and puffy, tears still running down her
cheeks. Sydney turned his attention back to Jarod, who
still stared at her.
Never in Sydney’s life has he seen so much emptiness
and sadness in those brown eyes. Sydney swallowed
back his own tears as he watched Jarod fight the
unspoken battle with Bliss. His eyes were pleading and
his lower lip quivered again.
Miss Parker had watched with sadness as Jarod
screamed at Sydney, and then found them all in silence
as Bliss came into view. Knowing, for the first time, what
pain Jarod was feeling, she almost whimpered a loud.
“Sam,” Miss Parker whispered, inhaling sharply at the
quiver in her tone. “Sedate him,” she simply said.
The sweeper nodded and walked to the limo to retrieve
the needle. Jarod watched as Bliss’s eyes ripped from
his gaze to the sweeper who made his way to the limo.
Her eyes were confused, her jaw quivering as she
watched him quickly grab something from inside the limo
and begin to make his way back to the one sweeper that
held tightly to Jarod’s handcuffed figure.
Sam pulled out the needle, filled it with the liquid and
pushed the air bubbles out. Jarod, his attention never
leaving Bliss, winced a little as he felt the needle being
jabbed into his arm’s flesh.
“No,” Bliss said softly, taking a step from the door. Miss
Parker pulled out her gun and aimed it at the woman.
“Don’t make me-“
“No!” Jarod shouted. Miss Parker looked away from
Bliss, looking over her shoulder at Jarod and glared at
him. His eyes bore into her, his eyebrows lifted together
in sadness, his cheeks wet from his weeping. He didn’t
look like the man she knew to be the little devil who
played games with her or the one who had tormented her
all her life. No, this man wasn’t him at all. This was a
screaming soul ripped from his being and sucked dry
from life.
Miss Parker slowly slid her eyes off his face and turned
her gaze back to the woman who stood a step from the
door of the cabin. She still stood where she was…
staring at Miss Parker and her gun.
“Get back in the cabin. If I see you so much as peek out
a window, I’ll come in there and shoot you! You got that?”
Miss Parker said dangerously.
Bliss stared at her, her eyes weak from tears. She slowly
took a step back, glancing at Jarod briefly, before turning
on her heel and leaving their view as she entered the
cabin and closed the door. As soon as she was out of
sight, she ran for the phone. Miss Parker turned back to
the man who was on the verge of unconsciousness. She
knew Sydney was digging his nails in his palms as
he watched Jarod fall lifelessly against the two sweepers
arms.
The two sweepers carried the unconscious man to the
black limo and placed him inside, strapping him down
quickly. Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney climbed in after
them, Sydney grabbing the seat next Jarod and Miss
Parker and Broots across from the two. The sweepers
climbed in front.
As they drove, Miss Parker watched Sydney’s face as
he stared at Jarod. Finally, looking away painfully, he
turned his gaze out the window.
“I’m sorry Sydney,” Miss Parker whispered. Sydney’s
eyes looked at her in anger.
“You’re sorry?” he asked angrily.
“Look, there was no other way.”
“No other way? Look at him Parker!” he screamed,
gesturing towards Jarod’s unconscious form. Jarod’s
cheeks were still wet from tears, his face pale and
bruised on one side. Miss Parker swallowed back the
sadness as Sydney continued. “He was treated
like shit his whole life, having no one to love, no one to
trust. And then, when he finally is able to have some kind
of freedom, we steal it away. He was able to find
someone he loves and trusts; we steal it! All the Centre
did was steal from him. Not from his life, but his soul and
humanity!”
“Sydney… he is only a lab rat-“
“Excuse me?” Sydney asked, feeling the heat of anger
building up in his head. “Will you listen to yourself? Lab
rat? He is not a lab rat! He is a human being! He
deserves freedom!”
“Listen to yourself Sydney! He is a pretender! You said
yourself he needs to be isolated!”
“That was only to get over my true feelings!” he said
bitterly, pausing in surprise at the truth in his words. He
swallowed hard. “But… I said he deserves
freedom… not to be free.” He closed his eyes
briefly, opening them again to focus on his pet project.
Staring at him for a moment, he turned his gaze to the
window again, letting the silence flow through the vehicle,
his last words hanging in the air.
Miss Parker leaned forward and gently wiped a tear from
Jarod's cheek.
