Read Online 13 Drops of Blood by James Roy Daley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Roy Daley
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mouth, eyes like baseballs. Her jaw dropped as her heart rate accelerated. She was going to scream–– had to scream, because screaming was the only logical thing to do.
Surely, this couldn’t be Richard. It couldn’t be the man she considered a perfect match for her sister. Not him.
She looked away from his face.
Hanging from his shattered frame was a suit that must have been worn by the Incredible Hulk because it was tattered and frayed in ways that didn’t make sense. The pale, dehydrated skin on Richard’s hands seemed to belong on a living corpse. More so when he lifted those hands––hands that were covered in a thin layer of dirt, hands that were connected to arms with unnatural looking joints and elbows, hands that were reaching out.
Oh God, he was reaching out.
Kate’s mouth was still wide open, but the scream she was looking for was hiding deep inside. Soon she’d find it, and when she did she would set it free. She would––
“Wait,” Richard said. He tried to smile but with half his teeth smashed out he looked absolutely ghastly. “Please wait. Don’t scream. I’m still alive… so help me, Kate. For the love of God, help me.”
“Oh shit,” Kate said, staggering back another foot. Her hand remained on her mouth; her bottom lip began to quiver. “What the hell is this?”
“I’m not dead… I was never dead.” Richard dragged his left foot forward. His balance was reassigned and his right foot followed. The movement alone looked painful. “Help me come inside.”
Just like that, Kate started crying. She couldn’t help it. Her body was shaking and her knees trembled and full-sized tears were running down her cheeks. Had she not just used the bathroom she may have suffered an accident. To say Richard’s presence was making her nervous would be like saying a pitchfork in the face might leave a mark.
She babbled, “But… but…”
“Help me Kate, I mean it.” Richard slumped into the house and tossed a broken arm around his sister-in-law.
Kate screamed then. It slipped out before she knew it would happen. She screamed long and loud and when she was finished she screeched, “Oh, I’m sorry. Oh Richard, I’m so sorry. What do you want me to do?”
“Help me get to bed… and I need some water.”
Despite the way he looked, and despite the fact that he smelled worse than death, Kate helped Richard into the bedroom and assisted him onto the bed. Doing so made her skin crawl, but what else could she do? Running away was possible, but this was Richard . He was family and friend. And most of all, he was in dire need of help. Besides, the notion of running came with an unsettling side-thought: what if he chased her? What would happen then?
Once Richard was settled Kate turned away, planning to fetch the water. Mostly she just wanted to be somewhere else, away from him, away from the monster.
Richard grabbed her by the arm. “Where’s Jennifer?”
Still terrified, Kate said, “At the hospital. I was on my way to see her.” This wasn’t entirely true but in another thirty minutes it would’ve been.
“Why?”
“She’s having complications with her pregnancy.”
Richard mumbled, “I bet she is.” Then he looked out the window, sizing up the darkening sky. “Do you know what time is it?”
“Seven-thirty? Maybe eight?”
Richard groaned. “Listen, Kate. Listen to my words and hear me well. Don’t tell anyone I’m here. Don’t call the doctors; don’t phone the police. Don’t explain things to your husband and don’t go yapping to your father. It’s got to be our little secret, Kate. You understand me? Nobody can know I’m back.”
“But why?!” Kate’s emotions were getting pulled in every direction now. She felt like laughing and screaming and yanking the hair from her head in bunches. “You need help, Richard! You need medical attention right away!”
“No!”
“Are you serious?! Look at you, Richard! You look like a––” She was going to
Surely, this couldn’t be Richard. It couldn’t be the man she considered a perfect match for her sister. Not him.
She looked away from his face.
Hanging from his shattered frame was a suit that must have been worn by the Incredible Hulk because it was tattered and frayed in ways that didn’t make sense. The pale, dehydrated skin on Richard’s hands seemed to belong on a living corpse. More so when he lifted those hands––hands that were covered in a thin layer of dirt, hands that were connected to arms with unnatural looking joints and elbows, hands that were reaching out.
Oh God, he was reaching out.
Kate’s mouth was still wide open, but the scream she was looking for was hiding deep inside. Soon she’d find it, and when she did she would set it free. She would––
“Wait,” Richard said. He tried to smile but with half his teeth smashed out he looked absolutely ghastly. “Please wait. Don’t scream. I’m still alive… so help me, Kate. For the love of God, help me.”
“Oh shit,” Kate said, staggering back another foot. Her hand remained on her mouth; her bottom lip began to quiver. “What the hell is this?”
“I’m not dead… I was never dead.” Richard dragged his left foot forward. His balance was reassigned and his right foot followed. The movement alone looked painful. “Help me come inside.”
Just like that, Kate started crying. She couldn’t help it. Her body was shaking and her knees trembled and full-sized tears were running down her cheeks. Had she not just used the bathroom she may have suffered an accident. To say Richard’s presence was making her nervous would be like saying a pitchfork in the face might leave a mark.
She babbled, “But… but…”
“Help me Kate, I mean it.” Richard slumped into the house and tossed a broken arm around his sister-in-law.
Kate screamed then. It slipped out before she knew it would happen. She screamed long and loud and when she was finished she screeched, “Oh, I’m sorry. Oh Richard, I’m so sorry. What do you want me to do?”
“Help me get to bed… and I need some water.”
Despite the way he looked, and despite the fact that he smelled worse than death, Kate helped Richard into the bedroom and assisted him onto the bed. Doing so made her skin crawl, but what else could she do? Running away was possible, but this was Richard . He was family and friend. And most of all, he was in dire need of help. Besides, the notion of running came with an unsettling side-thought: what if he chased her? What would happen then?
Once Richard was settled Kate turned away, planning to fetch the water. Mostly she just wanted to be somewhere else, away from him, away from the monster.
Richard grabbed her by the arm. “Where’s Jennifer?”
Still terrified, Kate said, “At the hospital. I was on my way to see her.” This wasn’t entirely true but in another thirty minutes it would’ve been.
“Why?”
“She’s having complications with her pregnancy.”
Richard mumbled, “I bet she is.” Then he looked out the window, sizing up the darkening sky. “Do you know what time is it?”
“Seven-thirty? Maybe eight?”
Richard groaned. “Listen, Kate. Listen to my words and hear me well. Don’t tell anyone I’m here. Don’t call the doctors; don’t phone the police. Don’t explain things to your husband and don’t go yapping to your father. It’s got to be our little secret, Kate. You understand me? Nobody can know I’m back.”
“But why?!” Kate’s emotions were getting pulled in every direction now. She felt like laughing and screaming and yanking the hair from her head in bunches. “You need help, Richard! You need medical attention right away!”
“No!”
“Are you serious?! Look at you, Richard! You look like a––” She was going to
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