SECRETS!

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions to be destroyed”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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As Lia stood in the open area, a group of people was passing by. Distracted for a minute, she did not realize that James had moved from where he was and was standing right behind her. She felt someone breathing down her neck, who then held on to her hand. She thought it was Lucas, but to her astonishment…it was James! Immediately, he placed his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. And in the rush of everyone passing by, no one would witness her about to be assaulted.

Lia was faint of heart. She was bewildered about what to do and so she stood still. She closed her eyes and for a moment, brought herself to a quiet place in her mind. While gathering her thoughts on what to do, she heard James whispered: “You can always try to get away from me, BUT! I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU!”

From where she stood, she could hear: LIA! LIA! LIA! as Lucas screamed through the crowd.

James, who now knew Lucas was there, released his hand from her hand; his hand from her mouth, and walked off in the crowd. James wanted to make sure that Lia had gotten his message and she did. She was able to signal Lucas to where she was with the sound of her voice, then she fell to the ground. She was in total disbelief. She had worked so hard to get herself away from him, and now, he had found her.

With tears streaming down her flustered cheeks, Lucas embraced her. And before he could tell her that everything was going to be ok, she said: “He’s BACK!”

Lucas had been preparing for this for a while. He had studied individuals like James. He said to Lia “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Let us go home.” It was not lost on anyone that James had an anger problem. It had caught up to him many times over, but it was apparent that he had yet to learn his lesson. Lia had always felt safe when Lucas was around, and she feared nothing.

But there was something she had not told him yet. And knew that if she did, everything would change.

So, for that moment, she locked the thoughts in her heart away as they proceeded to file a formal complaint about what had happened that day with James. Lucas, intending to leave a trail of evidence behind, would show how James had become increasingly inappropriate and confrontational. Lucas had something that he was working very hard on. What he had set out to do would require him to go to a place that only he was allowed to visit.

A week had gone by and there was no news about James, but they remained on alert. Lia had taken some time off from work, and her friend Paisley came to keep her company for a while. Lia and Paisley had been friends since middle school. They were inseparable all through high school, college, and remained that way to this very day.

Paisley knew that Lia being worried would not help the situation right now, so she steered her into one of her favorite games: snakes and ladders. Lia was excited to take her mind from all the anxiety she had been feeling lately. So, she freed herself for a second to enjoy the company of her friend, her favorite game, laughter, and a tub of ice-cream.

Lucas, leaving the girls home to have a social night, met up with his close friend Neil. He had brought Neil up to speed on what had been going on, and what some of his plans were. They spent the rest of the night testing every possibility of how they would be able to make it safe for Lia again, without incapacitating anyone.

Lucas was now more determined to protect Lia than he ever was, and nothing was going to stop him from doing just that.

To be continued!

Kerique Hoo-Kim