The remaining group sat for a brief moment in silence in the living room. Jane sat down and took a deep breath, wiped away her tears and reflected over the events that occurred throughout the day. She had a nice hot cup of tea with her and it was relaxing.
They each had something on their mind regarding the entire day. Fear swept through all of them the more they thought about it. Samantha’s eyes darted at the door, wondering if the man was going to come in with a gun. Io kept looking at the window with the mindset of making an escape if she needed to. And Jane kept glancing at her coat that she hung up on the coat rack. It was a tense moment until finally someone had to break the silence.
“Well you two should be getting to bed pretty soon. I on the other hand have a bit of research I should be doing.” Jane said as she slowly got up and walked over to her coat and retrieved the little flash drive she received earlier that day.
“Eh, can’t sleep.” Io said as she leaned back onto the floor and stared at the ceiling.
“I quite agree. Today has been one of the most extraordinary days I have ever experienced. I mean what am I going to do here? Where can I go? Do I need a car or something? Or can a bicycle work?” Samantha said as she poked her head out of the tent. She started going on about the wonders of this new world of hers and expressed her fears. Finally it was put to an end when Jane looked at her and said, “Dear, if you wish to immerse yourself in the twenty-first century I suggest you catch up on the last one hundred and fifty years first.” Jane said as she walked over to her desktop computer and slipped in the flashdrive.
“Good idea, Red.” Io said as she leaned over facing her.
“Well I suppose that would be the most appropriate place to start.” Samantha said as she crawled her way out of her tent.
“Books are over there on the shelf” Jane said as she pointed to her bookcase. “Just please be careful and don’t bend the corners of the books.”
“Ah come on now, Red. There is nothing wrong with dog-earing a book.” Io said as she sat up. Jane continued to stare at her computer screen but even Io could tell she was rolling her eyes.
“It will ruin the pages, Miss Kekoa.” Jane spatted out. Her face flushed with passion. Io looked at Jane and gave a slight smile. She was kind of cute when she wasn’t speaking in a cold, harsh tone. The more emotion that Jane showed, the more Io noticed the little things about her and it made her heart flutter a bit.
“Hey Red. It’s Io. Just Io. None of that ‘Miss’ crap.” Io said as she leaned back with a smile.
“Very well, Io.” Jane replied as she focused her attention on the computer. “I still request that you respect my books, please Miss Lorn.”
Samantha nodded and walked over to the bookshelf and started with the book on the left. It was sometime before Samantha returned back to the bookshelf and started on the second book. This happened back and forth throughout the course of the night. Io had a bit of trouble falling asleep. Her shoulders may have weighed down with exhaustion; her mind was still active. She turned and eyed the chessboard that was there.
“Blondie, want to play a game of chess?” Io asked. Samantha perked her head up from inside the tent and shook her head.
“No thanks. I’m reading about…” Samantha paused for a moment as she rechecked the title of the book. “Nuclear Physics.”
Io rolled her eyes.
“Red?” Io asked. Jane focused for a moment and her head turned away from the computer screen.
“Huh...Oh” Jane said as she readjusted her glasses. “Yes, a fine game would be preferable.”
Io leaped off the floor and walked over to the chessboard. She wasn't enthusiastic about chess as others might but anything would be better than staring at the ceiling for another hour or so. Jane pulled up a few chairs and they both sat down.
Io made the first move.
“Pawn to E5. A classic.” Jane said as she made her first move with her knight.
“Yeah. Played a bit with some of the other kids when I was little.” Io said as she moved another pawn.
“Your knuckles are badly injured.” Jane said as she made her move.
“Huh?” Io said as she looked at her hands. “Oh yeah. I boxed without gloves sometimes.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“That isn’t good.”
“Yeah. I know. Gonna be a week or so before I can box again.”
“And your shoulder?”
“Still hurts.”
“Let me take a look.” Jane said as she made her move and stood up. She walked over to the kitchen and removed a first aid kit from one of the cupboards. She also got a small bag of cotton balls, some rubbing alcohol and a long pair of tweezers.
“Whoa, Red. You got a whole pharmacy here.”
“I like to be prepared. Now shirt and bra off.”
“Huh!...Wait what?” Io’s words stumbled out of her mouth. She started to tap on the table nervously. She took a deep breath. “Oh it’s that kind of party?” Io smiled as she took off her shirt and bra. Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. Priorities she thought to herself. Jane adjusted her glasses and looked at the wound on Io’s shoulder.
“As I stated earlier today” Jane said as she soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol. “The bullet abraded your shoulder so there should not be any need for further surgery.” Jane applied the cotton ball to Io’s shoulder. Io let out a yipe as Jane pressed down on the cotton ball with long tweezers.
“Ah! Easy there, Red.”
“Infections don’t take it easy so why should I?” Jane said as she removed the cotton ball.
“Okay I get ya. But do you have to press it down that hard? I mean can’t you go over it carefully with a cotton ball?”
“No.” Jane said as she took a dry cotton ball and wiped around the wound.
“It wouldn’t hurt to try.” Io said. Jane paused. She heard those words before; from other doctors, patients and even Evelyn. Jane then looked down at her handywork and let out another sigh. She dipped a cotton ball in clean water and began to rinse Io’s wound. She took care this time around and without using the tweezers, carefully motioned around the wound. Io was taken back a bit as she was expecting pain. But nothing came about. Before Io knew it, Jane had bandaged her shoulder up and returned the first aid kit back into the kitchen.
“I have some pain killers if you need them. Nothing too strong, just 500mg.” Jane said as she washed her hands. Io gave her a smile.
“Thanks.” Io said.
Jane sat back down at the chessboard and handed Io several painkillers. Io took them dry and continued with the game.
It was not before Jane uttered the words that would signal the end of the game.
“Checkmate.” Jane said as she leaned back.
“Ah nuts! How?”
“Your play is a bit too aggressive, Io. Try taking your time next game. You let your emotions get the best of you. They cloud your judgment. You look like a hot-headed fool.”
Io slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
“Hey I’m not stupid!”
Jane remained calm and folded her arms.
“I never said you were. I was saying you let your emotions get the best of you. It diminishes your intellectual qualities. You’re smart, Io. But you let your anger and frustration get the best of you. And when that happens, you fall.” Jane said as she pointed at the fallen king on the chessboard.
Io let out a grunt and sat down and folded her arms.
“Two out of three.”
Jane smiled at the proposal.
“Agree.” Jane said as Io sat down. “And let me ask you this question. Why are you so angry?”
Io froze at the question. She started to look back on her life. She didn’t want to answer the question honestly, so she shrugged.
“Hell of I know. Maybe I just don’t like seeing people get messed around.” Io answered as the pieces of the board were set back into place.
“Parents?” Jane asked. Io lost it at the question. She thrusted her right hand and scattered most of the pieces and sent them flying. Io clenched her fist and pressed it firming on the board. Jane flinched for a moment and Io caught on. After a moment of silence Io whisphered, “Sorry.”
Io stood up and started to gather the pieces and reset them on the board.
“I don’t like to talk about it. Whenever I do I get upset; angry, frustrated.” Io said as she put the pieces down. Her fingers started to tremble.
“When I was little I remember seeing my parents fight a lot. I can sometimes hear them scream when I was trying to sleep. As I got older it got worse or more like I started to notice more things. I remember seeing my mother crying her eyes out at night alone in the dark on the couch after my father marched down the hallway and slamming his door. I remember trying to comfort her. I gave her a hug and sat with her all night. I hated my father for what he did to her. And it was like clockwork. Every now and then it started the same and it ended the same.” Io said as she sat down and stared at the pieces. “I hated it. But I felt like there was nothing I could do and it scared me.” Io said as she took a deep breath.
“I went to a private school. All girls. Fancy clothes and all that gush. My parents worked hard to get me in there. I wasn’t the smartest kid in the class but I got by. And then comes in Ashley Ray. Think like the worst of the worst kind of people. Lets say from the beginning she and I did not see eye to eye with anything.”
“Bit of a rivalry?” Jane asked.
“Not so much. More like she didn’t like me and I didn’t like her. And so we kept a good distance. That was how it all was until one day.” Io said with a sigh. “I was walking home from school and I passed by Ashley who had another girl up against a wall. The girl looked scared. And then I felt this anger roaring inside me like a grease fire. I started to head over there but then I saw the girl cry with Ashley standing there with a shit eating grin on her face. That’s when I ran into her head first and knocked her on her ass. The girl ran off and Ashley got a teacher. I was suspended from school with the possibility of expulsion. I tried to explain everything but no one would listen.”
“When I got home that night I was greeted with harsh criticism and more fighting between my parents. And then this anger inside of me started to build up again. I tried to explain everything, of what happened. My father blamed me. My mother tried to defend me, and my dad yelled at her.” Io said as her fists clenched. “I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stepped in between them, eyeing him down and he shoved me. That’s when I punched my father in the face and ran out the door.” Io stopped as her words started to tremble. I haven't been back since.” Io said as she took a deep breath. She held back her tears. She wanted to cry but not here, not like this. She looked up at Jane who had been sitting there in silence this entire time.
“I am sorry for bringing it up.” Jane said. Io cocked her head back and gave a short breath.
“Heh, don’t worry about it, Red.” Io said as she held back her pain and spoke in a confident tone. She wasn’t fooling anyone. Jane saw the pain in her eyes as she spoke. But she wasn’t going to bring that up.
Io told Jane more than she expected. She wasn’t sure why she told Jane her life story but she did. Maybe it was time to tell it. Tell it to the first person who asked. She didn’t know. Even though her hands trembled with every motion as she moved her pieces, she still felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her. Her shoulders felt lighter, almost as if she could fly. It was a good feeling. It was the first time in a long while that Io had felt vulnerable with anyone and felt safe. Io didn’t know what to think of Jane. But she felt safe opening up to her and it was a bonding experience for the both of them.