The young maiden sat between her parents as they traveled to a foreign place. She was kept in the dark of their destination. It was only the three of them, as the young lord of her dream has become a disparaging memory. He was to stand beside her…to defend her against the unjust; to fight for her honor and to stay united against the dark foe. Alas, the dark foes were their own families and he bowed in defeat to his father than to renounce his name.
The stepped away from the trail and to a glorious castle of white stone and sparkling crystal. The enlightened premises did not lighten the heavy feeling on her heart and at step she took she hoped that her young lord would come upon them and take her away from this place.
“We have been expecting you,” a servant in white stated as they stepped into the grand hallway. “Please, come with me.”
“We were promised this would remain in the strictest of confidence.”
“But of course, sir. Our master lives by the rule of the silent law. We are here to serve you and the next generation,” the servant replied as looked to the young maiden. “Do not worry, for it all be taken care of.”
The grand hall, like the outside, was of marble and crystal and silver plating along the side walls. The young maiden knew there was no going back.
“To go back, to go back would be foolhardy,” said the lord of the citadel, a warlock. His clothes were as soft as velvet and the brightness of his alabaster cloak reflected off the floors, the hallway and the ceiling as the servant escorted the party into the room. He stood before a stone alter and moved toward the girl.
“You have chosen wisely, my liege. Time is of the essence.”
“Can it be done?”
“But of course, sire. So many other deeds have been done. We must move fast, the setting sun.” he pointed to the servant who then moved to his side.
At the snap of the warlock’s fingers, the maiden’s parents were gone; replaced with a quartet of faceless beings.
“We must begin.”
The young girl was placed upon the alter as the warlock stood at her side. He called to the faceless ones, he spoke to the servant and that one, the one who shined in glimmering white, brought forth from his cloak a knife covered in the blood of youth. The servant handed the blade to the warlock as the faceless ones readied needles and threads.
The girl screamed as the needles went through her skin. The arms, hands, legs and feet, all attached to twine, all threaded to the hilt of the knife.
“I am now in control. Her family will sleep well for now on.”

Push the Limits

Alex called around 12:30 that night and we spoke very little due to the lateness of the hour. However for every word I said to him, there were paragraphs I wanted to confess about. Not that I needed to, but more like I wanted to. I didn’t need absolution for my past, I just wanted to hear the words come out of my mouth to a listening ear that were not my parents, my friend or a school consular. I thought that he would take it all in and we could talk it over…and by we, I meant me.
But that would be a heavy load to throw upon someone.
Especially so early in a relationship.
Also, what if he was terrified about the things I had done in my past.
I mean I was afraid of the me in the past—and I always saw her in the mirror.

I woke up the next morning with the feeling of eternal dread as I feared having to ride the bus that morning but found my car in the driveway—the only thing wrong with it was a loose wire under the hood. He took a few minutes to ponder how it may have creeped out before he shrugged and said that if it happened again then the car would have to be taken to the dealership for repairs. I only nodded in approval before I picked my backpack up and drove to school.

I had my phone in my hand as I drove down the highway, wondering if it was too early or late to call Alex-maybe he was still asleep or was on his way to school and wouldn’t answer. I laid the phone back into the center console, took a deep breath, and just drove into Reardan.

Kim stood in the parking lot with an expression that switched between all smiles to one of confusion once she knew I saw her. I hadn’t even put the car into park before she opened the door.
“You let Kris drive though home?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, come on, girl, we got to talk.”
“Where’s your shadow?”
“Smoke hole,” Kim replied as she opened the back door and grabbed my backpack. “So, by what I am picking up, for course, it’s kind of obvious, but, Kris still has it for you.”
“Yep,” I replied.
“No, I mean, he is like a wounded little puppy.”
“As long as you don’t say cute,” I said as I closed and locked the doors.
“Well, he kind of is, when his hair’s not going everywhere and no scruff. Oh, come on, you know this.”
“I knew it once, not now.”
“Well, I was kind of surprised when he came into the store to pick me up. I was talking to Alex and he walked up.”

I wanted to ask Kim if they said anything to each other or or if she said anything to them but I also didn’t want to make it seem like I was concerned.
“I said bye to Alex and left with Kris. We didn’t do too much talking he just said you asked him to pick me up because of a problem with your car. He was chatty yesterday during school but last night, just quiet.”
I nodded.
“Ever thought about it?”
“Nope,” I replied.
“Okay, I get it.I mean, he was kind of a jerk to you with the name calling and ignoring.”
I didn’t respond as I didn’t want to rehash the grand lie I told my best friend about my former boyfriend. He didn’t call me anything and he didn’t ignore me. I ignored him and I told him he could go to Hell. Kim took it out on him and he didn’t retaliate. I had to give him kudos once again.

“I think today will be better than yesterday,” Kim gushed.
“Only if Kris transfers out of all of the classes he’s in with me.”
“Ouch girl, that’s harsh.”
“I can think of a lot worse,” I replied as Kim opened the door to the school.

I felt calm that morning with Kim walking next to me—without Tom. There was just something about having a friend by your side when you feel like you’re ready to explode for reasons that you can’t put into words. I didn’t need a guy walking with me to make me feel better, I just wanted my friend.

“Hey beautiful!”
I cringed as I heard Tom calling from behind us as he grabbed and then hoisted Kim into his arms. I took a step away to avoid Kim’s flailing legs. She laughed as she told him to put her down and he did just as she commanded.
“How’s the car, Jazz?”
“Working this morning, Tom.”
“What happened?”
“No idea, we just got it home.”
“Good to hear. Right babe?” He asked Kim.
“Miracles happen.”
I only nodded.

The second day of school turned out much like the first, except without the surprise of seeing Kris in any of my other classes and the first day of cheer practice.
Mrs. Humpherys gathered the six of us onto a pulled out section of the bleachers and sat on the front row.
“Welcome back, everybody to the first day of practice. Glad to see you’re all present and accounted for. As we discussed before camp, we’re going to work more on our unity and dance cheers.”
We all nodded a few times. Some of us with a bit of disdain, others with boredom and others with an attempt to show that we wanted to be positively on fire, in fact, we wanted to find a way to ignite our pompoms and throw the flames of a fiery spirit while on the sidelines. It was usually cold by mid-season so one had to keep their mood high and their bodies warm somehow.
“We’re also going to be working on more aerial stunt work. We’ll cover that during tomorrow’s practice. So, everyone up, and let’s run a few laps.”

No one moaned about running that day, not even Devina, who we all expected to slump her shoulders, slump on her knee, and lament on how hard it was to run laps. She just started running shortly behind Sarah and Divina. I kept a brisk jogging pace in the middle of the pack and traded places with Jennifer and Andrea through the four laps around the gym, up the stairs to the balcony area where the band an choir rooms were, then back down another flight of stairs so you could circle around the gym.

Then, we stretched out and went over the new cheers we learned over the summer. Mrs. Humpherys had several large poster boards with the word written out in what looked like pain-staking detail. Almost calligraphic in appearance. I kind of wondered how long it took to write them out, but decided it was for the best not to as she would ask us to work on a few ourselves.
Practice continued without any other talk about any aerials or who was going to be our flyers for the year as Sarah decided to take her position as “head cheerleader” and to ask if we could not over do ourselves on the second day of school. The others agreed and I did as well, but internally I wanted to do a flip or two, cartwheel across the floor, and then somersault in front of Mrs. Humphrey and tell her I was ready to try anything once.

Unfortunately Mrs. Humphrey decided, instead, we should do a little weight training—which meant we had to share the weight room with the members of the football team who were there. One would think they would all be up on the field, but no, at least ten of them were in the small room that housed the school HVAC system in the back, behind a chain link fence. There was enough room for a few pieces of equipment and maybe seen people. There were five, which meant that two of us would have to steep in while the rest did whatever. I was hoping to be one of the whatevers.

“Andrea, Jazz, you’re in.”
Alas.
“I could use a bit of muscle on the biceps,” Andrea said with a slight grin. “Not like I want to look like Popeye.”
“Maybe we can go out of football next year?
“That! Is like, a great idea. I could be a great kicker. Come in and save the day after a touchdown.”
I nodded as we entered the weight room.
“Plus, I’d be on the team bus.”
“I can’t imagine the smell,” I replied as I tried not to imagine too much.
“It can get raunchy. The smell and the language.”
We stepped over to the barbell and gathered weights.
“And that I can believe.”
“Oh yeah. It’s even worse if they went to Taco Time after an away game.”
“I’ll stay with riding in the suburban or with the band.”
We tightened the clamp holding the weights onto the barbell.
“Oh, you know the band can be just as bad. Do you want to know what happens you chew tobacco and play the trombone?” Andrea asked as she took the position under the bar and I readied myself to be her spotter.
“Not really,” I replied.
“Telling you anyway. It stinks when it finally leaks out of the spit valve. It happened a few years ago and out was like a chew spit cup had exploded. Actually, maybe it was. Ever kissed a spitter?”
“I’m blaming you if I puke before practice is over.”
“Okay. I’m ready.” Andrea grabbed the bar, lifted it off of the stands, brought it up and then basic down. “One”
She lifted it up again and then down as I kept my hands close to the bar.
“To tell the truth, Jazz, Copenhagen is better than Skoal.”
“What?
“It’s kind of minty. You can, like still taste tobacco on his breath, but it’s kind of like, a weak kind of peppermint.”

After a longer than usual shower I gathered my books and ran to my car. I was going to see Alex at work and, if possible, just hang out for a bit as I waited for Kim to get off of work. I mean, I could read a few textbooks at the Taco Time next door if I had to. I had to pace going out so much as my parents would would eventually clamp down on everything.

“You cant’t just hang out at the grocery store.”
“I can sit at the bench at the front, mom.”
I had called my parents to comment on how school was and my plans for the evening. They were not enthused.
“We need to talk a bit more about this boyfriend situation, Jazeta.”
“There is no situation. I mean. I barely see him because I don’t sneak out in the middle of night to see him. And no, that is not future plan.”
“We should hope so.”
“I’m just going to be at Yoke’s. It’s Airway Heights. Nothing happens in Airway Heights anyway.”
“We don’t want you to be the first.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but that would require me take my eyes off the road for about a minute as I would try to see the back of my skull.
“Mom, I’m just going to hang out a bit, then take Kim home.”
“We also need to talk about the use of gas.”
“Okay.”
“Is Kim paying you for gas?”
“Yes,” I lied.
“Is she really?”
“Yeah, every Wednesday when she gets paid, she gives me moment for gas. I’m not doing it to be her taxi, mom.”
“I know. I know. Just, we need to talk some more when you get home.”
“I so look forward to it.”
“Tone the attitude down Jazeta Amber Daniels.”
“Yes ma’am. Bye.”
I hung the phone up and thought about throwing it out the window when it rang.
“Should have apologized,” I thought as I answered the call. “Hello?”
“Jazz? Can you come pick me up?”
“Kim? What’s wrong? Where are you? Are you at work?”
“No,” she said as I contemplated the millions of places she could have been at that moment. “I’m at Tom’s house, I-Just please, come get me. Please?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right there.” I slowed down, made my way to the side of the road and turned around. I would have to call Alex later on instead. Tom’s house was a bit out of the way from everywhere and, yeah, it would use a lot of gas to get there but I didn’t think twice as I accelerated to sixty miles an hour.
I thought about calling 911 but it would take forever before anyone else would arrived. I also thought about how I should have had her stay on the line. Thirty minutes and several nerve-wracking pot holes later I was on a dark and rutted gravel road out in the middle of nowhere when I saw Kim walking down the road.
She ran to the car, climbed into the passenger’s seat and locked the door. “Please, just drive!”
I didn't say anything as Kim put her head against the door and cried. Form the tone of her voice it didn’t appear like it was a night of romance. It was dark so I couldn't see if she had any physical injuries and she had her head turned the other way so I couldn't try to see in the second I had when the door opened.
“Such an ass!” She finally yelled.
I just drove.
“We were talking about us, you know, and he brings up some of the stuff that he used to do with someone else, like years ago.”
No response from me, it was better to just let her vent.
“He’s like, c’mon, baby, can we try it? And I'm thinking, no! Not when you start it like that. Thinking about what he did with some ex and wants to try it out with me? Seriously? Isn't that just sick?”
“Where else would he get the idea from?”
“I don't know. Porn or something. He just didn't have to bring up someone else. That kind of changes the whole feeling about it. I mean I don't want to be compared to someone else. Would he like it if I compared him to some other guy?”
I only nodded.
“So when I said I wouldn't go along with it he walked upstairs and went into his room. Leaving me downstairs for half an hour. I started to think of everything and had to get out of there. Thanks for coming out, Jazz”
“So you're okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe you two should hang out at Jamie's more often.”
“Can't. Jamie doesn't like him.”
I always respected Jamie—from that point on, even more so.
“He’ll come back around and apologize. I know he will.”
I pulled the car over to the side of the road.
“Jazz, what are you doing?”
Then, I turned on the overhead light to look at Kim.
She had welts above her lip and one to her right cheek.
“Kyrie eleison!”
“It's fine. It's not as bad as it looks.
“I suppose you’re going to tell me you fell down the stairs?”
“No, I didn’t fall down the stairs.”
“Slip in the shower?”
“We really did get into a fight.”
“About an ex?”
“I asked him where he went today and he accused me of not trusting him.”
“You got into a fight over that?”
“No, that happened after I called him a cheating bastard.”
“Okay. Was this before or after the position talk?”
"It kind of escalated."