Dating : Mary Ellen goes home- Conclusion

She was still there unable to move when the rusty white 1990 Chevrolet Silverado pulled up to the curb.

The driver’s door creaked opened and Randy stepped out, a stack of papers held firm in one hand. He kicked the door closed with the toe of his boot. Pulling the collar of his jean jacket up, he walked around to the front and stopped.

“Merrily?” He ran down the path and up the stairs not taking care of the snow covering the steps. Grasping Mary Ellen by the arms he pulled her into the warmth of the entrance.

“She’s gone” Mary Ellen spoke no louder than a whisper, “She left me.”

Randy stripped his jacket off wrapping it around her shivering shoulders.

“Baby come on. I know this has been hard on you. Let’s get inside”

Mary Ellen snapped her head.

Baby?

“Merrily is gone.” she stuttered.

“I need to show you something.” Randy patted the papers he held to his chest.

Mary Ellen blinked, his words not registering.

“Did you not hear me? Merrily is gone.”

His hand touched her shoulder. Light as a feather, gentle afraid to break her. She looked at him framed against the open door.

Why was he here?

It had been hours since he’d dropped her off. It made no sense. She shrugged. She had no idea what her sister’s relationship was like with this man.

“One condition.” Her eyes locking onto his. “You have to help me find Merrily. Tonight.”

His hand fell from her shoulder.

“We should sit down.”

“I don’t want to shut the door. In case Merrily comes back” Her head motioned towards the papers still held to his chest. “You can show me those here.”

“Man, you fight me on everything.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. It was cleaner than she remembered it earlier. His clothes were fresh too. “You are going to want to be sitting down to see this”

“Oh come on Randy. The dramatics? Really?” Mary Ellen huffed, her hand resting on her cocked hip. “Isn’t that a little girlie for you?”

“Damn Girl, you don’t make anything easy.” He lifted the papers from his chest revealing the images on the top page.

It was a news article. Downloaded from an online local news site from 17 years ago. Across the page, words jump out at her, alive. Her eyes skimmed the page trying to digest its content.

Local family
accident
fire
One dead one in critical condition

Cold sweat crept over her as her brow wrinkled up confused.

Randy’s hands shaking reaching for a cigarette behind his ear. There was none.

“Do you see what it is saying?”

Mary Ellen grabbed the paper, squeezing it between her gloved fingers.

“This is your big reveal? It is old news. That was a long time ago. What does this have to do with anything?”

He lifted the next page.

Her eyes once again scanned the sheet before her.

Local man arrested, murder
attempted murder
Wife,
Set car on fire
Daughter in critical condition, severe burns

“Old news,” She tossed the paper and began rubbing her gloved hands together over and over again. She looked over her shoulder towards the door wanting to run away with Merrily.

Randy coughed.

“Why are you bringing up the past?”

“How did your father die?”

The ringing in her head begins. She looks outside away from Randy flipping through more pages.

“You know how.” The snow sparkles in the sun. Clean, alive.

“Humour me,” he pulls out another sheet.

She pauses confused. He knows. Why else would he be here?

“This is ridiculous we are wasting time.”

He shoved another news article in her face.

Local man Robert Twofold sentenced to death for the brutal murder of….

“NO!” Mary Ellen pushes the paper away. Sheets scatter and flutter to the ground. The words lost in the shuffle.

Randy grasps her shoulders forcing her to look at him.

“Listen to me, listen to me!”

She strained her head away, the ringing and the bright lights clicking in the corner of her eyes again. Always clicking, always blinding.

“I need to find Merrily! I can’t leave her alone. She’s all alone, she’s all alone!”

“She has me!” Randy said hugging Mary Ellen tight to his chest. “I am here, I am always here” He began to rub her back his voice calm.

Much to her dismay, she felt herself relax. Randy’s soothing voice droning in the background.

“I got you baby. I got you” he whispered into her ear.

She pulled away.

What was she doing? This was wrong.

Betrayal lingering in the air. The stench putrid and meaty left in the sun too long.

“Merrily, please?”

“I am Mary Ellen!” she plummeted him with closed fists. Beating on his chest.

He grasped her wrist as she struggled to break free.

“Mary Ellen is dead.”

She stopped, her wrists handcuffed in Randy’s hand.

“You have lost your mind?”

“Your father was executed last month for the murder of your mother and your twin sister Mary Ellen.

“LIES, Lies!! We have to find Merrily.”

Randy held steady refusing to let go of his grip on her. S

“Listen please, oh God, Please Merrily. You have to listen and accept the truth. He beat your mother and sister then set fire to the car, leaving them for dead.”

“NO!”

In her head images of that night flickered in and out of her conscious but it wasn’t right? They weren’t her thoughts.

Merrily laying on the ground bleeding as her father drove away. Mary Ellen’s terrified face glancing back out the window their eyes latched together.

“I survived. ” Mary Ellen looked at her gloved hands. The gloves she wore to cover up the burns from the fire. The long white sleeves of her blouse. Hiding the scars beneath.

“I have to go get her” She turned again towards the door. Begging Merrily to come back.

“Look at the snow Merrily.” Randy was holding her arms close to his chest now. His breath touching the side of her face. It didn’t feel threatening, it felt hot and moist. Urgent.

Like he belonged to her.

“Snow?” She shook her head. Nothing was making sense.

He pulled her to the open door. The cold air whipping around them. Hesitant she resisted taking a step back.

“Look at the snow.” He turned her holding her back tight against his chest. A lover’s embrace.

She could feel his heart beating beneath his shirt. Rapid, like a caged bird. Flapping little wings trying in vain, to escape. Who?

Her?

“I don’t know what you want me to see?” She leaned into him, unable to stop herself. The need of his arms around her. Protecting her. Stronger than her urge to flee.

“The footprints, look at the footprints.”

She looked.

One pair of footprints.

There in the white. A clear path leading up the stairs. Footprints, stamped into the snow. Randy’s footprints.

A choked cry struggling to break from her throat.

“No, I don’t understand.”

He turned her to face him, raising her gloved hands. Their eyes connecting. Their breathing, deep and in sync. Locked together unable to break apart, a cord tethering them together.

The noise in her head pulsed loud, making it hard to distinguish what was what. The ringing. The flickering lights. The hush, hush, hush. What began? What ended?

Randy touched the white fabric of the glove, pulling the tip of each finger. Lifting the glove off.

She held her breath seeing the smooth flesh of her hand. He turned it over. Revealing the unblemished palm running his fingers across the surface. Tracing one line and then another. He lifted the other hand, repeating the process this time exposing wrapped gauze. Gingerly, he removed it uncovering the burnt flesh within.

“I…” Angry blisters stared back at her.

Released her, Randy stood back. Watching.

She turned to the door, pressing her hand against its cracked worn frame. Her palm burned hot beneath the cold wood.

She could feel Randy behind her. His presence always visible even when she wasn’t looking at him. Waiting, watching, always there to protect her.

“Merrily?” his voice was deep and husky. Full of wanting. Arms, strong and safe wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into him, breathing his woody scent.

“I got you baby. I got you” He raised his hand fingering the long strand of hair she was twisting and twirling between her fingers.