Sweetheart, West Virginia - 10. Chapter Ten

Entering the one spare bedroom, I saw Claudia lying on the bed while wearing my shirt and jogging pants that were three sizes too big for her, but it was better than wearing clothes that were stained with blood and were a remainder of the ordeal back at the mental institution. I wished I would’ve dusted the room before allowing my sister to rest here, but she told me that she didn’t mind at all and was just thankful to finally relax. Though, I was going to change the bedsheets as soon as I could since they haven’t been changed for so long; I didn’t have many guests that I would offer to stay at my place and that included the hookups I had.

“Hey, Sis. I brought the ice pack for you,” I said as I sat on the side of the bed and gently placed it on her ankle. “Are you sure it’s just a sprain?”

“I’m sure. A very minor one. Thank you, Cash,” Claudia said, holding the ice pack on the injured area. Sighing, she then looked at the window and said, “Do you mind if I open the window?”

“Let me,” I offered, walking to the window and opening it which allowed a fresh, cool breeze to enter the bedroom. “That good?”

“It’s perfect. It’s nice to finally feel air from the outside for a change.”

Guilt formed inside my gut from the thought of my sister not being able to smell fresh air, especially since she was located in the middle of nature. The place was looking more like a prison rather than a place for recovery in my eyes, and the fact that I remained ignorant about that made me feel completely disgusted with myself. Seeing those demonic creatures only solidified my fears that the place wasn’t what it appeared on the outside, being only a façade for what true horrors that place held behind closed doors.

“Anything else you need? Like food? You must be starving,” I said as I sat back on the bed, wanting to comfort my sister as much as possible.

“No, you’ve done enough, Cash.” Claudia’s stomach then growled loudly, betraying her. “Well…a fruit would be appreciated.”

“How about a cheeseburger with all the toppings and fries on the side?”

“That…sounds amazing,” Claudia replied as she rubbed her stomach.

“Good. Ben should be on his way back with the food. I can’t imagine the food from the mental institution could’ve been very appetizing.”

Claudia chuckled. “That’s an understatement. We weren’t even allowed to have plastic forks, so my food options were very limited by that alone.”

“What else weren’t you allowed to have or do?” I asked, both curious and afraid by what she would say next.

“A lot, so much so that I think prisoners had it easier than what me or the other patients had,” Claudia confessed.

“God, I’m so sorry, Sis. If I had known…”

Claudia clutched my hand with both of hers and said, “Don’t be, Cash. It was for my own good, and you came for me and risked your life to get me out of that nightmare. You saved my life, Cash, and that’s all that matters.”

I just nodded and swallowed the tightness in my throat. “I’m glad you’re back home, Claudia.”

Smiling, Claudia hugged me and said, “Me too, Cash.”

A soft knock was heard, and I turned to see Ben standing at the doorway with two brown bags filled with fast food. “Are you two ready to eat?”

“I am. What about you, Sis?”

Claudia chuckled. “You know I am.”

I was about to walk to the kitchen to set up the food, but then decided that eating right on the bed would’ve been better, so Claudia didn’t have to move with her sprained ankle. So, I told Ben just to take out the food and spread them on the bed, and Claudia seemed delighted by the idea of eating in this manner, and I didn’t mind since it seemed more intimate to be eating food with the people I cared about on a bed. I scooted to make room for Ben to sit down and when all the food was laid out, we started eating. I rarely ate fast food, so this was definitely a treat, and it was obvious that my sister was enjoying her cheeseburger with all the toppings very much, chowing down on it like it was going to be her last meal.

Claudia was the first one to finish her main course, and she proceeded to eat her fries with the restaurant’s signature sauce with vigor. It made me very sad as I thought about how Claudia might not have eaten anything for its taste for five years, and that damn mental institution restricted me from offering her my homemade meals when I visited her. However, those times were over now, and I was going to make sure my sister was well taken care of. She deserved that for all the misery she must’ve endured at that place.

We all ate in mutual silence, just enjoying our food with Claudia saying how much she missed just pigging out on fast food after she popped the last fry in her mouth. Ben offered the rest of his onion rings, which my sister graciously accepted. He then offered to take the trash to the kitchen, and I helped him with collecting the empty containers before following him. Throwing the contents into the trashcan, Ben walked to the sink to wash his hands, and I did the same since my fingers were still greasy from the fries even after licking them clean. We washed our hands at the same time and after we shared a dish towel to dry them, we looked at each other and for a moment we didn’t say anything.

Then sensing tension building between us, I took a stepped closer to Ben and said, “I know that this is a stupid question, but…are you okay?”

Ben chuckled, looking down and shaking his head. “Honestly…I don’t know. Are you, Cash?”

I just shrugged, not knowing the answer to that question either. “I’m just glad we got Claudia away from that nightmare come to life.”

“Is she doing all right? I know you had to help her walk when we got of the car.”

“It’s just a minor sprain, she said. But I’m going to make sure that she fully heals. I can’t imagine what she went through being locked up in that surveillance room for a whole night.”

“Me neither… Did…Did you ask her what she knew about what those things actually were? I know she said they were demons, but I think its more complicated than that,” Ben inferred.

“No, I haven’t, and I want some answers too. But I think it’s best that we let Claudia rest first, let her heal before we start asking her all these questions,” I explained.

“Yeah…you’re right. In the meantime, maybe I’ll do some extra research on the mental institution, see what else I can find out about that place.”

“Nah, you need to rest too, Ben. You deserve it after you helped us get the elevator working and repel those demons from attacking us,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Laying his own hand on top of mine, Ben said, “Maybe you should too.” He leaned forward and snuggled his face against my chest. “I never met someone like you before, Cash. You didn’t hesitate to come to your sister’s rescue, and you gave me the opportunity to redeem myself to this town despite my history with Claudia… I really am fortunate to know you, Police Officer Cassius Monroe.”

I smiled, feeling a warmth and comfort bloom in my chest as I hugged Ben. We stood there for a while, neither of us saying one word to each other and just enjoying the feeling of his body against mine. The feeling was made even more relaxing by the gentle shine of the evening sun coming through the kitchen window above the sink, and when I looked through it, I saw a familiar figure sitting at the backyard of my house.

“Hey, Ben. Do you want to meet a friend of mine?”

Looking up, Ben looked confused as he said, “Uh, sure… Who’s this friend of yours?”

Stepping back, I walked to the refrigerator to get a couple slices of ham before heading towards the back door and motioning my hand for Ben to follow me. “She’s at the backyard right now.”

With furrowed eyebrows, Ben followed me to the backyard where my furry friend was located, patiently sitting on the patchy grass. “That’s a wolf, Cash!”

“Don’t worry, Ben. She won’t hurt you. Right, girl?” I said, patting the wolf’s head as she looked up at me with those big, round eyes of hers. “Do you want some ham, girl?”

The wolf quickly raised her paws while remaining in a sitting position, and I rewarded her with a deli ham hand-sliced from the grocery store. Munching on the meat, I turned to Ben who was standing a short distance away, looking hesitant to get near my friend, which I understood. Wolves were wild animals who weren’t known for their friendliness towards humans, but this wolf in particular was different, and I wanted to show Ben that there was nothing to be afraid of.

“Come closer, Ben. She won’t hurt you.”

“How do you know that? She obviously trusts you, but she might not think the same with me,” Ben said, taking another step back which caused the wolf to tilt her head with curiosity.

“You trust me, right?” Ben nodded, and I then said, “Then trust me when I say that this wolf won’t hurt you. Here. Take the ham.” Extending the slice of meat to him, he slowly walked forward with his eyes laser-focused on my wolfish friend before taking the ham. “Now offer it to her, Ben.”

The wolf raised her paws once again, and Ben slowly extended the ham out and when the hammy treat was close enough, my friend gently snagged it with her teeth and took a step back before chowing down.

“See. She’s harmless,” I affirmed, patting the wolf’s head again.

Finally relaxing, Ben reached his hand out and petted the wolf who accepted his touch immediately, tilting her head back, so Ben could scratch the front of her neck. Chuckling, he crouched to wolf’s level and started scratching her with both hands which caused her to lay on her back as he scratched her tummy. I smiled, seeing my furry friend and Ben getting along; it was a beautiful sight.

“I guess you’re wondering how I came across this creature,” I said, crouching next to Ben and scratching the wolf as well.

“Something like that.”

“Yeah, well, you must already know that I used to live in a trailer located at the abandoned camping ground in the middle of the woods five years ago. That was when and where I first encountered this beauty.” Feeling her thick, gray fur between my fingers, I continued by saying, “I was outside of my trailer, cooking food with a small campfire when I heard a cry not too far away. I went into the woods to investigate and discovered the wolf who had her front paw caught in a beartrap.”

“Jesus,” Ben replied.

“I know. I didn’t hesitate to release the wolf from the metal contraption, allowing her to escape back into the woods. I didn’t see the wolf again for weeks, then one day I was returning to my trailer after doing some quick grocery shopping and discovered that my place was broken into, and worst all of the people responsible were still in there.”

“My God. What did you do?”

“Well, my first instinct was to call the cops. But reception there was nonexistent, so I knew that I either had to make my way to the police station and allow the perpetrators to get away, or deal with them myself. I decided to take the latter route and enter my trailer where three teenagers were at, opening every drawer and cabinet to find anything of value. I shouted at them to get the hell out of my home, and that scared them, but what I didn’t expect was for one of them to start attacking me with their pocketknife.”

I rotated my arm and showed Ben the long scar that foamed when that guy slashed at me which required plenty of stitches at the hospital’s emergency center. Ben looked shocked as he lightly brushed his fingers along the scar and looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

“Anyways, I managed to get out of my trailer, but then the knife-wielder was chasing after me, and all I could think of was to run into the woods. I was clumsy, tripping over a tree root, and the guy quickly caught up to me and was about to do God knows what as I laid there, bleeding and completely vulnerable…and right in time, this beautiful creature came out of nowhere and pounced on the guy. She tore away the sleeve of his jacket and scared the fucker away. She then came towards me, and I honestly thought she was going to attack me as well, but when she snuggled her head against me, I knew for certain that she was the wolf I helped weeks ago. And to this day I know that she attacked that guy and protected me as a form of repayment.”

“Did you ever find out who those people were? Did they belong to the town?” Ben asked.

“Nah. I mean, I saw their faces, but I didn’t recognize them at all, so I just concluded that they were drifters from the city. What I was sure though was that I terrified about living in my trailer again, but this wolf here would come around the nighttime and act as my personal guard dog, allowing me to relax and have a peace of mind once again. For her protection, I fed her any meat that I had, and our friendship grew from there. Even after I moved out of that trailer and became a police officer with new house, she found me somehow and every few days she would come and visit.

“She’s like a pet dog, but even better. She’s more than just an animal; she’s my friend who doesn’t judge me when I tell her my problems, her responding with tilts of her head like she understands me. I don’t think I would’ve been able to make it through the struggle of sending my sister to that mental institution and with my father being the drunk that he was, I didn’t really have anyone close that I could confide to with my problems other than this wolf, and she’s a great listener, never leaving until I vented out all my frustrations. Say what you will about wild animals, especially wolves, but she’s different, never bit me or even growled at my direction. She’s very special to me, and I hope you think that too, Ben.”

“You don’t have to convince me anymore, Cash,” Ben replied, patting the wolf’s head again.

I smiled and watched as my friend and the guy who was already falling for continued to interact with each other with such kindness. I was gushing over the sight, and I had to snap a picture of these two together with my phone, quickly making it my phone’s wallpaper. It was moments like these that made me want to stop time and just enjoy it for the rest of eternity.

***

After spending time with Cash and his wolf companion, I reluctantly had to go back home since Tita Jane called me and said that she wanted me back for dinner. I didn’t want to leave Cash, especially since he had his hands full with Claudia, but he insisted that he was going to be okay with taking care of his sister. Though I was still worried about his own wellbeing, he told me he was okay and said that if he needed any help, I was the first person he would contact. So, after saying goodbye to Claudia, Cash walked with me to my car, and with a firm hug and kiss on the lips, I said goodbye to him and drove away.

On my way home, my mind drifted to what happened only a few hours ago at the mental institution. The creatures that I saw, like the stitched-up woman with the child still haunted me immensely. I knew undoubtedly that I did the right thing to use my wand to stop the child and the other creature at the elevator; otherwise, we would’ve died right then and there. But I still saw some of the humanity in the woman who cried when I killed the small demon who mauled that man, Casper, like nothing I have ever seen before. I saw sharks online that were more merciful than that little girl. Yet when that woman crawled to her supposed child, I had deep regret about whether they could’ve been saved. And Casper…

I couldn’t believe I ran out of that elevator, too scared to think of a way to rescue that poor man, survival being the only thing in my mind. I could’ve fought harder against those creatures with my wand, so Casper wouldn’t have had to sacrifice his life. I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by those creatures before being attacked with the same savagery as the little girl. No one’s life should’ve ended the way like his did, and I could tell that Claudia was close to him, kissing him on the forehead before we left him as proof. However, I knew feeling guilty about his death wasn’t going to bring him back, and the best I could do was to be forever grateful for Casper’s courageous sacrifice and ensure that his death didn’t go in vain.

Focusing my attention back onto the road, I turned on the radio of my rental car and allowed the music to carry me away from all the insanity of this world that had so many more questions than answers. Like did demons actually exist and were they connected with my wand? I wanted a few of my questions answered, but I knew that Claudia needed to recover, and I wasn’t going to load her back with questions until she was ready. All I could do at the moment was to do more research online about the mental institution and the history of Sweetheart. No way that everything was kept secret, and I could use my current knowledge and experience as a lens that would reveal any information that would stand out and then I could start connecting the dots.

I soon made my way back home and after parking the car, I entered inside where I was introduced to an incredible aroma of food that could only been made by my tita. Quick footsteps were heard, and Tita Jane appeared with a warm smile on her face.

“Benny! You came back just in time. Dinner is ready!”

“Tita Jane. You were working today. How did you manage to cook dinner?” I asked.

“You know I have my ways. Now come to the dining table, so we can start eating.” Tita Jane hooked her arm with mine and led me to the dining room. “Oh, by the way. We have a guest tonight. I cooked this dinner as a way to welcome him back to this town.”

“Oh, okay. Who’s this guest?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

We entered the dining room where I saw Uncle Jack who looked ready to eat with his cloth napkin on his lap and eating utensils in his hands. And sitting across from him was a man I didn’t recognize, a very attractive man at that. With his blond hair neatly parted at the side and his sculpted, clean-shaven face, he looked like a model straight from a fashion magazine. Then I noticed his arms were covered with thorny, vine-like tattoos which upped his attractiveness even more. He was definitely a ten in my book, but no one could beat the scruffy ruggedness of Cash who I was missing already. Maybe I could invite him to dinner; however, several things needed to be sorted out first before that could happen.

“Benny. This is Kelly Montgomery,” Tita Jane introduced. “He works at the hospital as the new doctor in town. Kelly, this is my nephew, Benny.”

Kelly looked at me and smiled before standing up from his seat, waving his hand at me and saying, “Hey there. Good to meet you, Benny.”

“You too, “I said, waving back. “Are we ready to eat?”

“Definitely,” Uncle Jack said, eyeing the chicken adobo at the center of the table.

“Let’s eat then,” Tita Jane said cheerfully.

I sat down in my seat, and we all proceeded to fill our plates with food that was all freshly cook, none of it being leftovers. Though it wasn’t as grand as when I came back home, but there was still plenty of food that needed to be ate before the rest was given away by my tita’s friends from work. However, I wasn’t too hungry after that hefty fast food meal I had back at Cash’s place. I still managed to eat some of the chicken adobo that Uncle Jack was stuffing into his mouth like it was a Thanksgiving turkey. Also, it seemed that Kelly was enjoying the food as well, complimenting Tita Jane plenty of times that caused her to gush. I then remembered why that name sounded familiar, and I then realized the Kelly at the dining table must’ve been the one who Kevin Conway was seeing. All I could say was that he was a very lucky person to snag someone as handsome as Doctor Kelly Montgomery.

“So, Kelly. What was your life like during your years in medical school?” Tita Jane asked with her hands clasped under her chin.

“It was very interesting, balancing med school and hanging out with my college friends whenever I had enough free time. It was a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun. Going to med school while also living in the city gave me a lot of opportunities to explore myself.”

“That’s wonderful. And if you don’t mind me asking, how did get your tattoos?”

“Oh, I don’t mind at all. I got them from an exclusive tattoo parlor, inked by a very famous tattoo artist,” Kelly replied.

“It must’ve been very expensive.”

“It was. But luckily for me, I got a discount price due to my connections with some of my colleagues who were friends with the tattoo artist. It was still a hefty price, but the results made the cost and hours of tattooing worth it.”

“Well, they look beautiful. Your tattoos actually remind me of the old tribal tattoos of Filipino warriors.”

“Oh, you mean the Visayan warriors called the pintados?”

“Yes! How do you know that?”

Kelly chuckled and said, “I took two courses related to Filipino history and culture during my undergrad years. It was really the only classes I found interesting aside from med school.”

I knew that my tita was elated to have someone who was informed in Filipino culture since she loved the Philippines, her country of origin, where her family lived at the capital of Manila. She transferred money to her family every month, a tradition that many Filipinos who live overseas do to support their families back home, and Kelly knew that as well as he and my tita talked about the struggles that Filipinos faced, but also the beauty of the people who were considered the most charitable nation this year.

I was happily content with listening to them talk, but then Tita Jane turned to me and changed the subject by saying, “You know, Benny also lived at the city, for five years actually.”

“Really? What did you do as profession when you were there?” Kelly asked with interest.

“Oh, just a few jobs here and there to support myself, while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.”

“What about your photography career, Benny?” Tita Jane said. “After I came home from work, your Uncle Jack showed me the pictures you’ve taken.”

“Oh, yeah. That too. They’re nothing really.”

“Don’t be modest. They’re wonderful pictures,” Tita Jane enthused. “He recreates pictures of famous portraits, making them look completely identical from one another.”

I just shrugged and took a big gulp of my water, not wanting to correct my tita by saying that I recreated pictures, emphasis on the past tense. Kelly looked impressed though, and I wished I could be more open with sharing my work without feeling intense sadness for what my career was now, completely discarded along with my reputation and any possibility of rising back up in the city’s art community.

“So, Kelly. You’re not seeing anyone, are you?” Tita Jane asked nonchalantly.

I was taken aback by that sudden question, and I looked at Kelly who just smiled and said, “I am actually; though, I don’t know if we’re serious yet.”

“Oh, I see. My Benny is single, so maybe you can take him around town, and help him meet people who might become his special someone.”

I looked down with my hand shielding my eyes, not believing my tita was trying to get me a wingman. It seemed that Uncle Jack sensed my discomfort since he said that they should clean up the plates with his assistance. Thankfully, Tita Jane stood up and started stacking the plates, telling Kelly and I that we could head to the living room and talk with each other. But I didn’t want that at all, so I made the excuse that I was going to use the bathroom. However, I passed the bathroom and went to the back porch of the house instead.

Feeling the cool, night air on my skin, I relaxed as I looked up and saw the starry, night sky that was so beautiful compared to seeing it back at the city with the light pollution blocking all lights from above with the exception of the occasional helicopter or airliner. Hearing the chirps of crickets, I allowed myself to enjoy this moment of peace when I heard the backdoor open and felt a person standing next to me. I thought the person was Uncle Jack but turning my head I realized the person was none other than Kelly himself.

“Oh…hey,” I said, feeling uncomfortable once again.

“Hey back. You don’t mind me being here, do you?” Kelly asked with his hands in his pockets.

“No, not at all.”

“Thanks. I just wanted to breathe in the fresh air that only a small town like Sweetheart can have. Very different from city air.”

“Very true,” I replied before turning to Kelly and saying, “I’m sorry about my aunt. She can get very…enthusiastic when it comes to helping me to find someone.”

“No, it’s completely fine. She’s a delight, especially at the hospital. She talks about you a lot, even more during the past week after she told me that you were back in town to visit.”

“I see,” I said simply.

Chuckling, Kelly then said, “I think your aunt was trying to hook us up.”

I immediately felt my cheeks heat up, and I had to look at Kelly who was smirking at me that made him look even more attractive. “Oh…that’s what you think she was doing?”

“Before, your aunt was trying to hook me up with some of the other nurses at the hospital, and I guessed she got the hint that women weren’t my thing. Then she would talk about you a lot; I’m guessing she was trying to get me interested in you, Benny.”

I laughed nervously, looking anywhere but back at Kelly. But then the revelation that Tita Jane was possibly trying to hook me up with another man led to the idea that she knew I was gay. I haven’t revealed to either my tita or uncle that I had an interest for the same sex, nor did I give off any hints that I swung that way. At least I didn’t think I did. I didn’t want to think about, at least not now with all that just happened today that weighed heavily inside me.

I cleared my throat, facing Kelly again and said, “Well, I don’t think it matters since you’re seeing Kevin Conway, right?”

Kelly’s eyebrows shot up, and he said, “Yeah. I am. How did you know that?”

“Kevin told me, at the church barbeque. It was after I helped him get out of trouble with the grocery store manager.”

“Oh, that was you who helped him.” Kelly chuckled again as looked down at his feet. “Yeah, I told Kevin that I wouldn’t able to get condoms from that place and not have everyone gossiping about who I was possibly screwing around with. But I didn’t expect him to try to steal them instead. I told him afterwards that he could’ve screwed up his father’s reputation if things went the other direction. He’s getting reckless.”

“I don’t blame him,” I said, quickly looking away from Kelly when he faced me. “I mean, I’d honestly do something just as reckless when it comes to the guy I’m seeing.”

“Really? And who’s this guy you’re speaking of if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, um…promise you’ll keep it to yourself.”

Kelly nodded. “I will.”

Looking above at the night sky again, I said, “His name is Cash, or Police Officer Cassius as his job title.”

“Really? Wasn’t he the person who did those odd jobs around town and lived in a trailer at an abandoned camping ground?”

I nodded. “That’s him…or that was him. He’s a totally different person now, a much better person.”

“I’ll take your word for it then… Isn’t he also the older brother of Claudia Monroe; the girl who was the center of the incident involving prom night around five years ago?”

“Yeah, that’s him…and before you hear it from everyone else, I was the one who was blamed for what happened to her, being her fiancé before ending the engagement.”

Kelly looked at me, and then unexpectedly placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

I smiled a little and said, “Thank you. Other than my aunt and uncle, everyone else pretty much ostracized me from this town because of the false assumption that I attacked Claudia and her prom date because of jealous anger. That was why I left for the city as soon as I could.”

“Yeah, small-town life is great, but it also has its flaws with gossip spreading around like an airborne disease and the whole community condemning you if you don’t fully align with the values of the collective. So, I completely understand where you’re coming from. However, I can’t deny that there’s this charm, this spark about this town, which I felt when I came back after graduating to work at the town’s hospital. I couldn’t get that same feeling back in the city.”

“Yeah, I agree,” I said. “Once a small-town boy, always a small-town boy.”

Kelly smiled and was about say something else when an alarm was heard. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

“I have to go now. My next shift is in the early morning, and I need the sleep.” Putting his phone away, Kelly then turned to me and with his hand out said, “Thank you for the delicious meal and the great hospitality.”

“No problem,” I said, reaching for Kelly’s hand.

As soon as our palms met, a strange sensation surged through my arm, and when a bright light shined from both our hands, I stumbled back. Kelly did the same, looking at his hand that was emitting light from the palm area. I looked at my own hand and saw the same effect, and a closer look revealed the same row of symbols that I first saw when the wand burned my hand earlier today. The light soon faded away, as well as the symbols, and I looked up at Kelly who was giving me a very unreadable expression on his face. Then I looked at his arms and saw the thorny vine tattoos were moving. What was happening?

Kelly suddenly took a step forward, causing me to move back against the railings of the back porch. I didn’t know what he was going to do as the vine tattoos near his wrist came alive and started wrapping around his hand, twisting around each other before retracting and leaving a wand in his grasp. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and when he aimed his wand at me, I held my arms out in defense. But instead of hurting me, a gentle light glowed from the tip of his wand, and I felt something move in my pants. Looking down, I saw my own wand rising from the pocket of my jeans before floating in midair. Before I could grab it, Kelly snatched it first and after looking at my wand for a moment, he then looked back at me with pursed lips.

“How did you get in possession of The Will?”

I was beyond confused. Was that the official name of my wand and the one in his possession? I didn’t have time to think as he neared his wand closer to my face, and I knew that I had to answer his questions or risk getting hurt. This town and its people, no doubt, had charm… Screw my life.