Promise of dawn

Chapter 10: Percy

We put all of the food in the freezer and go to clean up the living room. I get the ice out of the freezer and pour it into a metal drum that Clara found on the porch. Clara then makes a whole in the middle for the bucket of ice cream.
        “Hey, we have a bar table in the hallway by the bathroom. What do you think if we move it to the living room, where the door is between the hall and the living room.” Clara asks me. She would make a wonderful designer some day.
        “I think that would be a great idea. Let's do that now, so we don't have to do it later.” I say as we walk out of the kitchen. The table was wooden and was cherry stained. We lift it up and moved it to it's position.
        “Okay, I'm going to take my dress off and change. I recommend you do the same, but don't take a dress off, that would just get really awkward. Oh, and I'll get something for Sammy to wear.” Clara says taking down her hair. Her camera almost falls on the floor, luckily it's held in well by a bobby pin. “Oh yeah! I almost forgot about the cameras! Turn yours off.” Clara adds quickly as she turns her’s off. “Hey guys! Turn off your cameras!” Clara bellows as she walks out of the room. I go to change into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt just as Clara and Bethany leave to get their dresses off.
        “So, how's it going with you and Beth?” I ask Sammy, who is just sitting on the sofa.
        “Great, we had our first kiss tonight.” Sammy said blushing and looking down at his hands.
        “Really? How was it?” I asked, “Well that is, if you don't mind.” I took off my clothes and slipped my blue jeans on as well as a simple cotton tee-shirt.
        “It was really sweet. I just couldn't wait, I just loved her for so long and couldn't hold myself back.” Sammy says. It is the sweetest thing ever. I never thought that he loved Beth that much. “How about you and Clara?” Sammy adds.
        “Great! Since I met her, I found that I am a little less violent. She is just the best thing that ever happened to me.” I say going to the sofa and laying down. She really is and I love her to the earth's end.
        “Wow. That's really something.” Sammy says looking at Bethany as she walks in. Bethany was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a baby blue tank top.
        “Clara will be back in a minute. She's just getting some clothes for Sammy.” Bethany says as she puts a movie in the CD drive of the xbox.
        “Hey guys. What y’all talking about?” Clara says walking down in a pair of sport shorts and a pink tank top. She hands Sammy a pair of sweatpants and an oversized tee-shirt.
        “Thanks Clara.” Sammy said. He gets up and goes to the bathroom. Clara come to lay down next to me and I put my arm around her as she leans in closer.
        “Aww! So sweet!” Bethany says taking another picture with her phone. “How about you two do something romantic so I can get a nice picture.
        “Are you sure?” Clara asks half laughing.
        “Yeah, I’m sure.” Bethany says smiling.
        “Okay.” Clara says as she turns in toward me and tilts her head up to mine. I plant a soft and really sweet kiss on her lips.
        “Come on, that’s disgusting!” Bethany says as she snaps a quick photo.
        “If it’s so disgusting then why did you take a picture of it?” I ask pulling away from Clara for just a second.
        “Because it’s also really sweet!” Bethany says with a smirk. Clara pulls into herself just a little more. She’s so cute when she’s sleeping. I hold her to my chest and she settles in and gives a quick smile before fading into a place of nothing.
        “Now that is just plain adorable!” Bethany takes her phone out one last time to take a picture of us nestled together. “So putting this on facebook!”
        “Come here. Let me see!” Sammy asks as he sits on the air mattress. Bethany sits right next to him and swipes through the photos she took of us. With each swipe Sammy’s smile grows just a hint. “You know, you two look awesome together.” he says looking up to me.
        “Thanks.” I respond. Sammy stretches out and Bethany lays next to him. Slowly I find myself caressing Clara’s arm and running my fingers through her soft brown hair. The scent of hair conditioner comes in waves. A sweet citrusy smell that, again, very slowly makes my eyelids drift downward.
        BANG! BANG! BANG! My head hurts as I notice Bethany watching the front door from around the corner. She is sort of hunched over, almost as if she is scared.
        “Beth, who is it?” I ask. Clara is still cradled in my arms, but her smile slowly fades. I stroke her arm and she calms down but only slightly. Her smile returns just in the corner of her mouth, but her body still quakes. Her eyes quickly open, pupils still small then quickly adjusting. She turns into me, a figure in black comes through the front entry into the doorway. I continue to stare at it, the figure of a woman; slim, but still slightly curvy, her walk graceful like a dancer. Quiet as not to disturb us, but then she bolts for us. Bethany attempts to grab her but the figure turns around and punches her in the stomach.
        “Clara! GO!” I shout pushing her to the side. Clara quickly gets to her feet and runs out the door. I stand up and the figure stops. Face covered by black fabric. “Who the hell do you think you are?” I shout reaching out to grab her. She pulls back the corner of her jacket to show a knife, then releases her grip on the smooth shiny leather.
        “Don’t mess with me if you know what’s good for you.” The voice muffled, quiet and refined. It’s a very familiar voice that I swear I have heard before, but who’s is it. The figure chases after Clara running very quickly. Certainly a member of the track team. Clara is almost no match for her, until the side comes within her reach. “You can’t get away from me!” the voice says again. The woman leaps and catches onto Clara’s foot which quickly slips loose. I run to the figure and grab the knife from it’s holster at her side, then flip her on her back.
        “Who the heck do you think you are!” I say holding the knife to the woman’s throat.
        “You should know, Percy. I couldn’t forget you, how could you forget me?” the voice says. Bethany comes running to us with her phone and leans up against the door frame, still clenching her stomach. I begin to gently cut away the fabric by the woman’s face, slowly revealing her true identity. The woman’s long blonde hair comes down her face in a wave. Her gentile features just asking for trouble. I did know her, she is Jenna Palmer. Sammy simply got up and went to the bathroom upstairs. He probably didn’t even understand what was going on.
        “Go get Clara. I will finish up here.” I say to Bethany rolling my eyes and she quietly obeys trotting away in the direction of where Clara went. The woman sat up and quickly kissed me. My eyes closed as the world slowed down to almost a complete stop. I pulled back, even though I enjoyed that quite a lot.
        “What the heck! I have a girlfriend you know!” I shout and she looks at me confused. She pulls out a silk pouch and reaches inside. A thin silver band with a blue gem infused in the center. She admires the small token before handing it to me.
        “Remember this? This was your promise to me that we would get married one day, and I don’t plan on letting you break that promise.” I look at the ring and surely enough on the inside it says P+J married.
        “Look, I got into some trouble up here. I have to finish my job before I can do anything else.” I say looking around to make sure no one is listening in.
        “What? What is going on?” she asks taking the ring and slipping it on her thin little finger.
        “Just trust me. I’m just playing with Clara. Now you have to go, but play along while I get you out of the house. You have to trust me.” I say helping her to her feet. “Now, let’s see. I have to tie your hands and drive you to a hotel okay? Fight me as much as you can and don’t say anything to me until we get to main street.”
        “Okay. I trust you, but why the whole act?” She asks putting her hands together.
        “I have to make it believable.” I say winding the twine around her wrists. Just in time too, Clara and Bethany show up on the stairs waiting for me to get Jenna out. “It’s alright guys, I got it.” I say. As I had directed, Jenna tried to get loose, but each time I would catch her. “I’ll drive her to the police. You guys get inside and chill there alright?” They obey and I get Jenna into the passenger side of my car. Then I quickly get in the driver’s seat and drive away.
        We park at a little shop and I release her from her makeshift handcuffs.
        “So, how did I do?” she asked looking at me proudly.
        “You did a great job. I couldn’t be prouder.” I say giving her a quick little kiss. “Now, where would you like to go?” I say turning the car back on
        “How about back to my place. You realize that I moved here, right? If I knew where you were it would have been easier, but it took me a while to find you.” she says putting on her seat belt. “I live in an apartment in downtown Augusta. I have an amazing view of the capitol building!” she explains as I get back on the road and begin going toward the entrance to i-95 North. Soon, we arrived at the apartment building and she got out. “Call me when you get a chance, okay?” she says and I nod in response. As she enters her apartment, my phone rings.

~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that was interesting... I haven't released a chapter
in ages! So sorry to neglect my readers. Yet again,
I thank you for being patient and waiting for this chapter.
Please let me know what you think in the comments!
                          -Aires
~~~~~~~~~~