Cursed (13 page)

“I’m sorry for your loss.” His words hung in the
air with the rest of the tension as Shane handed out coffees and
put some cream and sugar on the counter.

Constable Bindley sipped his coffee, “I guess
all we really need here is a statement, Shane were you here when it
happened?”

Shane shook his head, “I was walking home from
school, and Aimee had my truck.”

I smiled at the hint of bitterness in his
voice.

“So Aimee you tell it exactly the way it
happened and if no one else could talk while we have the tape
recorder going that would be great. Ready?” The corporal asked.

I nodded taking a deep breath and began at the
start, ghosts and all.

Chapter Four - THE WORD IS
HAMTARD…

The three and half hour drive gave me more than
enough time to consider the essence of life. My dad didn’t need to
talk which was nice; we could ride in quiet contemplation instead
of try desperately to fill the air. My dad wasn’t a talker on a
good day so his version of small talk always ended up feeling more
like a guessing game.

The only thing he wanted to know was about the
mystery man in my hazy memories. I told him at this point it was
more like a dream than reality.

Now that we were on the last fifteen minutes of
the drive, nearing the hospital I was excited and scared, I had to
tell Giselle the worst news, not only had some psycho try to kill
us but now he was hunting us. I dreaded telling her this news but
the hospital needed to know this was a possibility. The police from
home had called the hospital and put them on high alert but it
didn’t change things, Giselle needed the full story. It sickened me
to have to stress her out more than she currently was.

Dad dropped me off at the entrance and went to
the hotel to check us in for the night.

The children’s hospital was like an amusement
park of doom; pictures and paintings lined the walls with murals of
the sunny days and beaches these children might not ever see again.
I swallowed a huge lump to ensure I wasn’t weepy before I even saw
her. I walked to the main reception, a super friendly lady smiled
at me, “Hello there what can I help you with?”

I smiled back nervously, “I am looking for my
friend, Giselle Benoit, uhm she’s on the fifth floor in room five
twelve. She told me I had to check in here.”

The receptionist smiled brightly, “Yes let’s
just get you suited up and you can right up.” She stood and walked
to a door and opened it, “Just put your stuff in a bag and fill a
locker.”

I walked into the nice changing room where a
full outfit was laid out for me and the receptionist closed the
door leaving me to change. I had no idea I would have to change out
of my clothes, it worried me that Giselle was that sick that even
my clothes were a threat.

I put on my colorful cotton scrubs and booties
then did my hair in the cap and my mask. I stuffed my things into
the cotton bag provided and put it in a locker. I brought my cell
phone and my bankcard. I stuffed them into the side of my bra and
closed the locker. I put the gloves on and looked at myself, I
smiled under the mask, as I wanted to be a doctor seeing myself
ready for surgery was a tiny bit exciting.

I walked out of the room and the receptionist
walked in and locked my locker.

“Take the elevators at the end of the hall,
report to the desk on the fifth floor.” She was beyond perky it was
a little annoying. I felt like I was meeting Snow White at
Disneyland but maybe forty years later.

The elevators were huge, big enough for a few
gurneys at a time. I didn’t really know where to go when the
elevator stopped on her floor; I poked my head out and looked both
ways. It was like The Shining, both sides of the hallway were the
same, long corridors with doors. I walked out and picked left. I
walked till I reached a set of doors that looked more like the
doors to a surgery ward. I turned around to see a man in the
hallway; I was scared at first till I saw he was much older and
dark skinned. He had thick lips that maintained their thickness
even through his smile.

“Can I help you?” He asked with a thick English
accent.

I nodded, “I took the wrong turn off the
elevator I think. I’m lost. I need to find the reception desk.”

He laughed, “Yes it’s a right not a left love.
Back about three corners.”

I nodded, “Thanks.”

He smiled and went through the big doors.

I walked back to the elevators and within a few
seconds of passing them I could hear the reception area.

There were five nurses in a room made entirely
of glass with a window for me to speak through.

The nurse at the opening was not as perky as the
lady down stairs, she raised an eyebrow at me, and apparently that
was a question.

“I’m looking for room five twelve. Giselle
Benoit.” I nearly stuttered she was so awful looking.

She pointed down the hall I had not walked down
yet, “That way. You only have an hour before its time to go. Sign
in here.”

She pointed to a big sheet of paper in front of
me. I filled out my line and left.

The corridor was long but this time it was loud,
kids watching TV and playing in their rooms. My heart was broken
when I saw some of the little kids through the doors, one girl was
about five and she walked like a ninety year old, bent over and
hurt. I felt my eyes filling with tears and made a mental note
never to become a pediatric doctor.

Giselle’s room was the last door before the hall
took a corner; I knocked lightly hoping she was awake.

“Giselle, you here?” I asked poking my head
in.

“OMG Aimee, what took so long? It’s been like
three weeks and I am dying in here. It’s so boring.” She nearly
squealed as I entered smiling.
She was lying on her bed with a light on but the curtains were
closed making it dim.

I walked up hugging her, she smelled funny like
sickness. She gripped me so tightly I could barely breathe.

She let go finally and smiled brightly but I
could see through the façade, she was very sick still. Her eyes
were yellowish and her skin seemed more Asian looking than it ever
had, Giselle was going into liver failure. I didn’t know what to
say so I ignored it and decided she would tell me if she wanted
to.

I sat in the chair in her room, “So did you
hear?”

Giselle nodded, “Yeah it’s all over Facebook
already. So he followed you into the woods, what the hell were you
doing in the woods alone retard?”

I laughed, “Easy with words like that, you’re in
a hospital, say Hamtard. I made the word up for Alise, she says the
other one all the time.”

Giselle laughed, “Yeah I guess they’re retarded
kids here.”

I shook my head feeling like I was in the room
with one, “Yeah but we call them mentally challenged. No one who is
mentally challenged would ever be called that word Giselle. Anyway
I wanted to find him. I know ghosts aren’t real but I just couldn’t
find that guy from the party anywhere and the only place I’ve ever
seen him was at Shane’s house.”

She cut me off, “What is going on with you and
Shane.”

I sighed, “Giselle you’re focusing on the wrong
part of the story. Nothing is going on. He’s just a friend besides
he dated Alise.”

Giselle made a face, I laughed at her.

I continued, “Anyway I can’t stop thinking about
this guy and I wanted to find him so bad I went to Shane’s and
waited in the woods. I hid basically at the base of a tree in the
bushes. I really thought he would just be walking through the woods
but instead the other guy followed me there. He’s a creep. The guy
in my memory or dream rather isn’t the guy from the woods.”

Giselle frowned at me, “You really have the
worst taste in guys. First you like Blake, blech, and then this
crazy stalker who tries to kill us and all the while Shane is in
front of you and you feel nothing more than friendly love.”

I smiled at her, “It’s not the same guy I swear.
What did the doctor say?”

She shook her head, “I can’t seem to shake it.
My bile ducts aren’t healing or something. I am pretty much screwed
Aims. I think the doctors are talking a donor list.”

I felt sick for her, “What about your
parents?”

She sniffed slightly fighting the tears, “My mom
came back. I guess she and my dad haven’t been in love for a long
time. So she decided to Internet date and met some guy. She brought
him here. She’s living in the city with him.” Her face filled with
shame as mine filled with shock and disgust.

I gasped, “Internet guy?”

She nodded, “Yeah it was weird. Creepy bastard,
he patted my leg all high up on the thigh and said he always wanted
a daughter. I actually threw up on him.” She burst out
laughing.

“Oh my god your mom has met a ped on the
Internet. Giselle I’m thinking we need a young priest and an old
priest.”

Giselle laughed, “I have no idea what you’re
talking about but I know right.”

“It’s from the exorcist. I mean I think we're
cursed. At least you barfed on him, what a nasty pig.” I rubbed my
eyes laughing still.

“God is mad at us for something Aims cause this
has been the worst year of my life.” She was still laughing but I
would swear I heard a sob.

I agreed shivering, “Yes it has. The cop who was
with my mom while she died is the corporal on our case. I can tell
he wants to talk to me.”

Giselle shivered, “Oh that’s too creepy. Don’t
they get transferred out ever?”

I shook my head, “I think we are a five year
detachment. He’s got like three more years.”

“I think I’m going to die Aimee, I’m scared.”
Her words were a whisper hanging in the air stopping my breath. I
nodded, “I’m scared too.”

The moment was fleeting.

Then like the master of her emotions she was she
started chatting about the mundane again. The words still hung in
the air like a bad cloud about to pour down on us but we chose not
to look up. Regardless of the fact we both knew it was impending
doom we fought against it with gossip and giggles.

I told her I needed a dress for spring formal
next week. It made her misty eyed as she told me to take the dress
she had bought, someone should get some use out of it. I tried to
argue but it was no use, she wanted me to wear it and I told her I
would be honored. For some strange reason I loved this girl, with
all of my heart. She was the sister I should have had. We lay on
her bed together talking and feeling the need for hope in our
despair filled voices.

“If I grow up and marry a rich man like I plan
to I’m totally making him donate all his money to this place.” She
giggled but I knew better than to see anything beyond the IF in the
story.

I sat in the cafeteria afterward waiting for my
dad to pick me up, I had stayed as long as I could with Giselle but
I could tell she was exhausted from my visit and the hateful nurse
had made me leave. I was lost in thought trying desperately to get
a handle on my misplaced emotions when I saw him. He was sitting at
the cafeteria; he was sipping tea and reading a newspaper.

I felt my heart skip a beat as my stomach
lurched forward. Not knowing what was going on my feet stood and
started to walk toward him. He didn’t look up from his paper, he
seemed lost in something. When I got closer I realized it wasn’t
him. The man sitting there looked at me like I was crazy, “Are you
done with that paper?” I asked brazenly. He shook his head and went
back to reading but kept one eye on me.

I wanted to see him, for some unknown reason my
heart told me this mystery man was not the rapist and that there
were in fact two mystery men in my life. I started to
self-diagnose, the untimely death of my mom mixed with unrequited
love and graduation being a few months away and my last summer home
was making me the classic case for depression or anxiety.

I walked back to my table to see my dad walking
in looking puzzled. I shrugged and walked over to meet him and go
back to our hotel.

Looking back at the man with the paper I
realized he didn’t look anything like the guy I had stuck in my
head. I was officially starting to hallucinate now.

“Hungry kiddo?” He asked as he put an arm around
my shoulders.

“No I want to go to bed. Giselle’s mom is dating
an Internet pervert; he’s an actual ped. Do you think we’re cursed
dad?”

He shook his head, “I’m starting to wonder.” His
response floored me, my dad was a man of science but even he was
starting to become concerned about our little town.

The drive home the next day was not nearly as
painful, I slept the whole time. I had been so exhausted from the
previous day.

I awoke to my phone making a ping; a text
message had come in. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the phone
to see a message from Shane,

‘Hurry home, I’m getting lonely.’

I looked around at the gas station seeing we
were halfway home. I could see my dad inside paying for the gas and
no doubt getting snacks.

I messaged him back,

‘Giselle is sick, very sick.’

My phone rang, “Hello.”

Shane’s voice sounded concerned, “What do you
mean?”

“She’s dying. Liver failure. Shane I can't take
it.”

He sighed, “Oh my god. What can we do?”

“She needs a donor oh and if her mom comes back
to our town we need that guy she’s dating gone. He’s a ped. He
touched Giselle really high up on the thigh and said he always
wanted a daughter.”

“Are you kidding? Ok I will talk to the guys.
I’m pretty sure we can get him outta here. But I don’t think her
moms coming back dude. That’s sick. She is on her death bed and
he’s trying to touch her?” Shane’s voice was full of rage but I
could tell he was trying to stay calm hearing the hopelessness in
mine.

“Yeah. I’ll be there in three hours.” There was
silence on his end, I waited for him to speak and looked at my
phone thinking I had lost the signal when he spoke again
rapidly.