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homerfreak2011

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“Well… I was six years old… back home…”

Ben rubbed her fingers, coaxing the story out of her.

“It was, I don’t know, noon-ish, in the middle of August…” Julia could see the scene perfectly in her mind. She paused as the floor beneath her began to shake. “Ben?!” She threw her arms around him.

He hugged her, not letting go of her left hand. “Baby, keep talking.”

“But--”

“Keep talking!”

She clung to him, but obeyed. “I was alone, walking through town…” Julia suddenly felt a sharp pain right behind her eyes. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain…

*

She nodded.

“Keep it up, okay? You’re showing me this…”

“What…?”

“Just keep thinking.”

A small girl with pigtails was skipping along the sidewalk. She skipped right past them without a word, but humming a happy tune. Julia recognized the 6-year-old instantly. By the look on her face, Ben made the connection. He pressed his hand against her lower back, comforting her. She continued to think it, making the scene clearer. Was it a holograph? A dream? … Real?

The little girl continued to skip happily. Ben was focused on her, trying to understand. The girl skipped by a white car, just as the door was opening.

“Hey, Julia!” There was a middle-aged balding man hanging out of the door. Kid-Julia instantly recognized him as her father’s boss. “Julia, come here!” Kid-Julia stopped and turned back to the man. “Why don’t you come here?”

She skipped over to the man. “Yeah?”

“I’ve got news for you. I’m gonna give your daddy another promotion. Would you like to come with me to tell him?”

Kid-Julia smiled and jumped. “Yes!”

“Get in the car then.” He opened the passenger’s side door. Kid-Julia ran around the car to get to it.

Teen-Julia broke away from Ben’s grasp. “Get the fuck away from her, you sick bastard!” She ran to catch Kid-Julia, but Ben grabbed her around the middle, holding her back.

“Baby… they can’t hear you. You won’t be able to stop anything…” Ben let her go, holding her hand, trying to sooth the pain that he couldn’t fix.

As soon as Kid-Julia got close enough, the guy grabbed her by the collar of her dress and jerked her inside the car, slamming the door shut. All that could be heard after was a scream, ‘Daddy! Daddy, help me!’, then a loud threat ‘if you tell anybody, I’ll fire your daddy and he’ll never be happy again’… then it got quiet. Teen-Julia had tears in her eyes. Ben’s expression was one of utter horror. He slipped his arm around her waist, hugging her close.

Within 15 minutes, the door opened and the little girl was thrown out into the street. The car sped off, leaving her there. Kid-Julia had blood on her face and there were rips in her dress. Her sparkling eyes were now dim and unhappy. She lay there in the middle of the street… waiting… Waiting for help… Waiting for rescue…

Then a woman walked by. A friend of her mother’s. The woman screamed and ran to help Kid-Julia, immediately pulling out her cell phone, dialing Julia’s mother. “Connie… Connie get out here… Quick… Bring Billy.”

Before they knew it, ambulances and Julia’s parents were there. Teen-Julia had tears rolling down her face, having to relive it.

“Daddy…” Kid-Julia choked out as Billy leaned over her. “Daddy, I called for you… I thought you were gonna come…” Julia’s parents had aching looks on their faces. Teen-Julia realized something that made her sick to her stomach. She missed her parents. She missed them, and now she could never go back.

Teen-Julia shook her head, shaking out the whole thought.

*

They sat there, on the couch, together. Ben had his arm around Julia’s waist. They were both staring at the wall. He pulled her into his warmth. “I’m sorry… I’m so so sorry…”

She shook her head, turning to hug him. “Benny, it’s not your fault…”

“I’m sorry you had to relive that… maybe Quarantine would be better… I was just being selfish…”

“No!” Julia shook her head, hugging Ben tighter. “No, I don’t wanna go to Quarantine… Ben, don’t give up on me, please… I’m sorry if I didn’t do it right, but please don’t give up on me!”

He put his hands on her forearms. “Baby, baby, calm down… I’m not giving up on you. I just don’t want you to relive that if you don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t wanna be selfish…” He pulled her up in his lap.

“It’s not selfish. You’re trying to help… and I want your help. Did… Did I do it right? Or even semi-right?”

He kissed her gently. “That was perfect, actually… All you have to do is replay it in your mind while I’m helping you, and we just kinda end up there. They can’t hear or see us, but we can them. It’s like… like watching a movie.” He stroked her hair. “But next time something’s gonna be that… bad… let me know, alright?” He kissed her forehead.

She stretched out in his lap. “I’m sorry… I didn’t really think to tell you.”

He hugged her tighter, lacing his arms through hers. “Next time, let’s go through something a little… Easier for you. Alright?”

She nodded, succumbing to his warmth. “Alright… that was just the first thing that came to mind.” She still had a slight pain behind her eyes.

He kissed her temple. “Wanna go lay down? Like, for real, go lay down… Not do anything… I know you’re tired. That’ll take a lot out of you.”

She shook her head. “I want you to tell me more about Quarantine. About this… ‘test’.”

“Well,” He sighed. “When we die, we automatically get sorted. People who commit suicide get sent to Quarantine automatically. Anybody else usually comes here first. They get a number of days to tell their story to somebody. The catch is, the one that listens HAS to do what they can to help. Like, well, with us, I chose to help you, now it’s my obligation to keep you out of Quarantine. If you fail the ‘test’, then I have to re-take it. And if I fail with you, I go to Quarantine too.”

“Then…” She crinkled her nose. “You pretty much risked your freedom… for me?”

He nodded. “Basically.”

“Why?”

“Cause… I don’t know why, but I could tell you were new… like 1^st or 2^nd day new. And you have until the 10^th day to start your story. But, if you don’t start it by the 10^th day, off to Quarantine. I didn’t want that for you.”

“Why? What makes me so special?”

“I know this doesn’t make any sense…” He sighed. “But I knew I loved before I met you. And I actually think you were brought here for me… or maybe I was here for you… but I think we’re meant for each other. And I thought that the second I saw you walking down the sidewalk. Of all those people, you were the one that stood out to me. And when I saw that you were one of us… well… I know it sounds horrible, but I was thrilled. Because I wanted to help you… and possibly get the privilege of being your friend…”

“So… you’re pretty much my guardian angel?”

Ben laughed softly. “In a way, I guess. But I’m really just a guy in love.” He kissed her. “For today, that’s enough, alright?” He stood and made his way to the fridge. “How does left-over Taco Bell sound?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Julia opened her eyes, startled by the blare of a whistle. Ben was watching football, but when she sat up, he flicked the TV off. “Morning, sweetheart.” Morning? She looked at the VCR clock. It was flashing 10:15. She yawned and stretched out. Ben put a hand on her hip. “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine…” She was still slightly tired, but she just scooted close to Ben and leaned against him. “Do you work today?”

He shook his head. “Told my buddy about you. He said he’d cover my shift for me today.” He ran his fingers through her soft, black hair. “You look tired. You want me to let you go back to sleep?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine… really, I’m fine.” She was lying and she knew it, but she didn’t want him to know she was stressing. On one hand, she didn’t want him to know everything about her… what if he decided he didn’t love her? But on the other, she didn’t wanna make him go through re-evaluation. What if he failed and got sent to Quarantine? It would be all her fault…