Olivia
I was waiting on the bench while waiting for Blake to buy an ice tea for me.
I couldn’t believe I almost breaking down inside the attraction. It was rare for me to do that. That was the first time. It was sad and painful to remember that I had no one cared enough to take me in. Not even my relatives, my birth father, and even my grandparents. But I had Blake and I was grateful to him and by having him with me, I could get over my past.
“Here,” Blake returned with my ice tea as he handed the cup to me. I took a nice sip. Letting the cold of the tea inside my throat. I definitely needed this. “You’re okay now?”
“Um, yeah. Thank you. You got out safely?”
“I just need ten minutes to finished it.” As expected. “I knew that you were going to be rather late but when fifteen minutes passed, I started to get worried. And by the time they had a blackout. So, I stormed back in, ignoring their warning afraid that I might not be coming back, and searched for you.”
“Well, you found me.”
“I will always find you, Olivia,” he said the same thing back inside the maze room. His words comforting me. He said it like it was an oath. Indirectly promised me that no matter what happened, even if I was lost in a big city, Blake would always come for me.
“I saw you got a little panic attack inside. I suppose it was not because of the ghosts.” He was right though. I was hallucinating and when the person with this freaky mask appeared saying stuff that I was a spoiled little girl who couldn’t do anything by herself, he got me really good.
The memories I had back when I was in seventh grade popped inside my mind like crazy. I didn’t want to think of it or remember any of it. The past can’t be changed and I had to live with it.
I drank the rest of the ice tea and I stood up. I threw the cup inside the bin next to the bench and I faced Blake. “Thank you, Blake, for coming today. I had fun.”
“I had fun too. It’s been a long time for me to visit this kind of occasion.”
“I know. You deserved a little bit of refreshing.” He smiled lightly at me. “Well, I should go to the auditorium now. The headmaster is going to give a little speech and closing the end of this semester.”
“And the start of summer holiday,” Blake added.
“Yes.”
Summer holiday, oh how I couldn’t wait for it. It was right around the corner and I was so excited.
“Well, I’ll be waiting in the car so we can go home together,” he said. I smiled widely at him. I thanked him and headed to the auditorium.
Karen was right outside the door. “Hey, girl!” She wrapped her long arm around my shoulders. “Did you have fun with Blake?”
“Yes. We went to the panic haunted room.”
“No shit. Are you alright?”
“Well, I live.”
“You suck at horror stuff, Olive. Good thing you had Blake with you.”
“Ditto.” And we walked inside the hall. Sitting in the middle and listening to the headmaster’s speech. We were going to have an eleven weeks holiday. I already thought of what I wanted to do. From going to the beach and maybe searching for a part-time job. I really wanted to try that. I wanted to earn my own money.
Well, I had to admit that allowances from Blake were enough. That was his money and not mine. I couldn’t exactly spend it carelessly. Ever since our first fight, he increased the allowance from $75, 000 to $100, 000. Come on, Blake. That was too high for a high-schooler like me. What am I going to do with all those amounts of money?
After the speech was done, we could go home but Karen and I went back to the class to helped clean up. But when we got back there, there was already food and drinks there. “Wow.”
“Alright,” Karen moved forward and grabbed a cup of coca-cola. “First of all, I want to thank you for all of the hard work you put into this year’s festival. Great job, everyone! Enjoy the treats, although there are no beers and we have to endure with the cokes,” she said and everyone laughed at her. “And have a nice summer holiday! Cheers!” We cheered and I went to the window after I grabbed myself a cup of coca-cola.
I pulled out my phone and texted I am still in the class for a small celebration from Karen to Blake and sent it. He replied fast by saying I am in the car and still waiting for you.
“Hey,” Karen appeared and leaned herself on the window. “Is Blake still waiting for you?”
“Yeah.” Karen was looking at me until she went to the table where the foods and drinks were served. I saw her grab some chicken wings and fries, also some marshmallows, and she went back to me. “Here you go, girl,” she handed the box with the foods inside. I looked up at her and she smiled. “Go home, Olivia.”
“What? But they are still—”
“No buts. You can’t make your dear father waiting for you. You did well today and you should use your remaining day with Blake. He’s going to be super busy along with summer, right? That’s what you told me every year.”
“Um, yeah.” Well, Karen had the point though. Although I was going to be free for more than two months, Blake was going to be incredibly busy.
“That’s why you better spend some quality time with him,” Karen suggested as I smiled at her and hugged her.
“Thank you, Karen.” I grabbed the box from her and walked out of the class. Straight to where Blake was.
I went to the parking lot and I could see the black Aston Martin. I immediately recognized the car as Blake’s. I gently knocked on the window, opened the door, and sat on the very comfortable leather seat.
“What is that?”
“Oh, this is from Karen. She said that I should have it and we can eat together back at home. It’s just some chicken wings and fries also some marshmallows but maybe it’s quiet enough for dinner.”
“Indeed, it is. Well, good thing Karen gave us that so you don’t have to cook tonight,” Blake commented and he drove us home.
When we reached the house, we stepped out of the car and entered the house. I lighted the lamps and put the food on the dining table.
“Go get change, Olive. I’ll set out the plates,” Blake suggested.
“Okay.” I headed to my room and looked for some clothes from my wardrobe. I put on a pink Uniqlo t-shirt and sweatpants. Until my eyes caught on a paper on my bed. My heart was beating fast and I took it. I turned it around where my eyes widened a bit reading the message.
Not again.
***
Blake
I had a great day at Olivia’s school. I needed it after a long busy week at the office. I never expected to meet Cindy at the school. It has been a long time and I had to admit that I…missed her.
I loved her so much but her decision that she made a few years ago left me so disappointed.
Cindy was smart but she was blinded. I didn’t want to get involved so I chose to leave.
I shook my head as I put the plates on the table. Putting the chicken wings on one plate while the fries on another one. I put the marshmallows on the bowl. Olivia definitely wanted that. Now I waited for Olivia.
The dinner was surprisingly looked enough for both of us. Well, Olivia was not going to eat much and I had to finish most of them. She had to eat marshmallows because I won’t eat them. I might have had to toss it away if she asked me to eat it.
I sat on the chair and remembering when we were inside the panic haunted room. I rarely saw Olivia like that. My little girl always stayed strong and never shown any weakness. But back there, she was like a child needed for protection. She looked the same when I saved her.
I was weak with her tears and I didn’t want to see any of it. She was not supposed to cry. No one could make her cry. All her expressions belonged to me. If she wanted to cry, that must be tears of joy. Or pleasure.
While I was busy thinking of my daughter, I could hear her steps coming down the stairs. Already changed with her pink t-shirt but she looked…down? What the fuck?
“Olive?” I called and her body jerked and turned to me. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, um, nothing,” she lied. She just lied right on my face. “Um, Blake. I’m…really tired and I just really want to crash. Can I have the remaining food tomorrow?”
“I don’t mind.” Something just happened to her. “You can have the marshmallows tomorrow and I leave some of the chickens for you.”
“Thank you. Good night, Blake.”
“Good night.” Olivia went back to her room. She was so naïve. She thought I couldn’t see it. She thought…I didn’t know any of that.
I smirked and pulled out my phone from my pocket. I dialed a number and put the phone in my ear. He picked it up on the first ring. “Did you get him?”
“I did, Boss.”
“Good, I’m on my way now,” I said and ended the call. Time for a clean-up.
I didn’t want to leave Olivia alone but I had to. I headed to her room and knocked on the door. “Come in.” I walked in and saw her sitting on her bed with her phone. Probably texting something with Karen.
“Olive, something is going on in the office and I have to go now,” I informed. I could see the worry from her eyes.
“At this hour?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, it’s not something big and I’ll be back before you know it. When you woke up tomorrow morning, I’m already back at home.”
“I see. Alright then.”
“Just don’t open the door for anyone and just locked it. Even if someone knocks on the door, ignored it and call me. I have my spare key so if there is or there isn’t something happen, I don’t need to wake you up.”
“Okay. Be careful then.”
I leaned forward to her and kissed her forehead. “Good night, Olive.” She smiled at me and I walked out of her room. I put all the food inside the fridge and walked out of the house. Locking it and headed to my car. Driving to my destination which was not my office.
I only needed fifteen minutes to reached an abandoned house inside the forest. It was not far from the main road. I saw John was already waiting for me. I walked out of the car and approached him.
“Good job, John.”
“Thank you.”
He allowed me in and saw the person being tied up in the chair. His head was lowered down facing his thighs. The boy didn’t learn his lesson.
I thought the last torture he had was enough to not bother my little girl but maybe he loved it. And he was going to get it. The difference was…
He was going to pray that he should not do that and he was about to faced his worst nightmare.