ERASED

Chapter Four

“This one!” I said admiring my reflection in the long mirror sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall in Nancy’s room. I had make up on, ensuring the concealer covered the dark circles around my eyes that appeared due to lack of sleep these past few days. I would only toss and turn on the bed until the streaks of sunlight in the morning hits my face.

Here I am, dressed in her long and flare sage green skirt that cinched my waist perfectly making it appear smaller, a camisole tucked in neatly and a floral printed shirt sitting on it.

“The skirt isn’t mine, it belonged to my daughter, but I highly doubt that she’s going to be wearing it again. Do you have any shoes to wear with this?” She asked but then shook her head, “never mind my darling, I’ll just search her old wardrobe and bring what I find. She had a bunch of shoes while she lived here but now that she’s moved, she’s gotten a lot more shoes her husband calls to complain every single day,” she said laughing at her own statement, I only smiled to be polite. She disappeared into the corridor and now out of sight,

“What size do you wear hun?” I heard her yell from one of the rooms,

“Fourty!” I yelled back. Nancy reappears with a pair of cream colored flat shoes, “try these while I get my coat and Bible,” she says and moves across the room throwing things around while I try the flat shoes on.

Nancy lives alone in this huge four bedroom apartment. I asked her why and she said, during the holidays, her kids usually come by to spend time with her, and her favorite part of their visit, is her grandkids. She loves playing with them and caring for them. She said it gives her a sense of fulfilment, she told me her daughter is the same age as me, and I wonder, does mother ever worry about grandkids?

I’ve heard my colleagues at work complain that their mother doesn’t let them be until they bring home a man as a husband and kids, my mom has never for once mentioned marriage or grandkids to me. Sometimes I wonder, does she think I’d never be able to pull anyone or is she genuinely not interested in things like that.

Here it comes. I could feel a panic attack coming on, I leaned against the wall and began to breathe in and breathe out simultaneously until i felt calm, my heart still felt heavy, like a huge weight had just been dumped on it.

Why does the word ‘church’ scare me? As far as I can remember, I dont have any memory of being in church. My parents have never taken me to one, never heard or seen them going to one, the word just exists, but I’ve never experienced it, so why? Why does it trigger anxiety attacks? Why does it cause the pit of my stomach to rumble in fear?

“Ready?” She asked. I shook my head honestly,

“I’m scared, I and I don’t know why Nancy,”

“It’s okay to be afraid of trying new things and going to new places.” She wrapped her hand around mine and flashed a toothy smile at me, “I’m here to guide you all the way.” She said reassuringly and that made me feel safe and a bit more comfortable and calm.

She locked up her house and got into her car, a nice black Toyota Corolla that smelt of strawberries and candies on the inside, she took decorating her car to a whole other level with the glittery covers for her steering wheel, chair covers and little unnoticeable things,

“This is a lot of glitter,” I said laughing as I buckled my seatbelt.

“What can I say? I’m a young girl at heart, can’t blame me,” she shrugged and ignited the engine, reversing out of her parking lot and now driving on the freeway. The journey to her church took about twenty minutes due to the traffic we experienced on our way there.

“We’re heeere,” she sang the here excitedly, looking more excited about me coming to church with her. Is she always this happy? I mean, who wouldn’t be if they were in her shoes? A simple life, no kids to disturb, not much on her table, just literally living for herself right now and she looks like she must be enjoying it. I must be like Nancy when I grow older,

“I noticed Liam’s car parked outside as we drove in, I’m definitely introducing you two to each other,” she turned the engine off. I didn’t want to be rude to decline the introduction, she’s been nothing but nice to me, I just do not like meeting new people. I plastered a fake smile on my face as he headed towards the threshold of the church.

~~

Stepping on the threshold of the church pulled her into a trance, she could see the visions again, the same little girl that looks exactly like her younger self being dragged into a building by the same wicked lady that she kept seeing,

“She’s possessed!” The woman yelled dragging the girl,

“Please mommy, please,” she cried, pleaded and trying her best not to be dragged into the church, she got bruises on her elbows and knees as the wicked lady dragged her like a lamb taken to s*******r, the environment surrounded by thick bushes, located in the middle of nowhere.

“I am sick and tired of her trying to ruin my home!” The angry woman growled, throwing the girl into the arms of the men dressed in white, “take her away and ensure that she comes out doing exactly what we need her to do!” She watched to see where the little girl was being taken to, a lot of men and women trailing inside and outside of the building, all dressed in white.

As soon as they opened the door, a huge amount of smoke escaped the room she was to be locked in.

Marilyn is pulled into another trance, a much happier trance.

Three little kids, a girl and two boys, were chasing each other, running around the church premises, giggling and laughing along the way. The little girl fell to the ground, sitting and panting,

“Liam I don’t want to run anymore, I’m out of breath!” She said holding her chest and trying to catch her breath, the boys plop down beside her too shaking their heads,

“You are so lazy Tee, Dylan and I can beat you in any race,” the boy snatched the pony in her hand and began to run away,

“Come and get it, come and get it,” the boys jumped up again yelling and running,

“Give back my pony Liam and Dylan!” She jumped to her feet and began to chase after the young boys.

~~

“Are you alright?” My vision was very blurry when i opened my eyes, unable to see clearly the person before me, I could feel a sharp pain on the right side of my head again,

“arrrggghhh!!!” I groaned in pain, trying to get up.

“Miss, should I alert the church? Do I take you to a hospital?” I looked up again to see who my saviour was, the perfume he wore smelt so familiar, but it made me feel nauseous at the same time.

“Liam?” And all I remember is my vision becoming pitch black and clear almost immediately.

“You know my name?” Drawn back to my reality, I’m holding on to a stranger,

“What happened?” The sharp pain coming in stronger than the previous one causing to fold in,

“I was leaving the building when I noticed you were falling to the ground, you need medical attention,”

“It happens all the time, I’m doing okay,” I assured him. I know I mentioned earlier than I’m scared of the church even when I have no idea why, but I’m way more terrified of hospitals than I am afraid of churches. Hospitals scare me to my bone marrows,

“Who are you?” I ask him how that I’m leaning against the wall,

“I should be asking you that, you called my name as soon as you regained consciousness,”

“I did?” I asked confused,

“Liam, that’s the first name you mentioned as soon as you opened your eyes,” I tried so hard to remember but the more I did, the more the pain became worse,

“I don’t remember but thank you for catching me in time.” I said in hopes to kill the conversation. He was about to say something when he stopped, his head tilted to my right side, his eyes staring straight ahead.

“Is there something in my face?” I ask but no response, he moved his hands from my shoulders, lifting off the hair that fell, tracing his hand on the scar that runs from the back of my right ear down to my collar bone,

“Liam! Help!” The little girl screamed. “Help me!” She cried out again, laying in a pool of her blood. “Anyone! Mommy!! Dylan!!! Help me!” She cried out until she couldn’t anymore, watching him disappear with a knife in his hand, her blood on the edges.

I jumped back in reflex, my heart begins to pump really fast and all of a sudden, a cloud of fear covers me,

“Tiana?” Who’s Tiana? I checked it there was anyone behind me but there was no one. “Tiana!” By now, the stranger had thrown himself on me, hugging me very tightly, “where have you been?”

“She’s not Tiana!” A brunette snapped beside him looking really angry, yanking him off me,

“I’m sorry miss, I thought you were someone else,” his answer didn’t convince me because of the way he looked at me, unapologetic and stern like he was very convinced I am who he thought I was. I just nodded my head and followed them into the church leaving the threshold,

Nancy turned around to find me by the door, she waved her hands so dramatically and patted the empty seat right next to her,

“I see you have met Liam and his crazy fiancée,” is this where I heard the name Liam mentioned only? I look to my left to notice Liam’s row is right next to mine, eyes glued to the scar on my neck, so I cover it with the collar of my shirt.