srhrobin
Short Story
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 20, 2007 18:51:07 GMT -5
Where You Are Chapter One One week after Kay’s Bridal Shower Eve lay in bed, in the guest bedroom at the Russell house. It’s where she had been staying since she broke up with Julian. She felt absolutely miserable now that her life was falling apart again. T.C. had his stroke, she lost Julian, and now the truth about her involvement in Ivy breaking up Sam and Grace had come out. Eve hated herself for what she did to Sam and Grace, and wished she had never had done it. She knew she never meant to hurt Sam and Grace, but it didn’t make her feel any better about it. Now she had lost her best friend and the Bennett’s lives had been destroyed. She decided whatever consequences lay before her in regards to her medical license and her job she would accept. As for Julian, that hurt her heart the most. She had lost the man she loved more than anything in this world. She never thought she would have to go through this again, twice in a lifetime. Eve tried to put on a happy face during the day, but deep down she was dying inside. What she and Julian had was so good and now it was gone. She felt so hurt and angry at him, for the way he had treated her. The fact that he could go back to his old self and hurt her after he promised never to hurt her again was beyond her. Still no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t get him out of her heart. She still loved him, dreamed about him, and missed him. Then there was T.C. Eve blamed herself for hurting him by lying to him all those years and for his recent accident. Now that she was back with him, she had been taking care of him, now that he had his stroke. They had spent some time taking together, but nothing intimate had happened between them. The truth was Eve cared about T.C., but wasn’t in love with him. She just couldn’t see herself giving herself to him. And Julian, the man she loved and ached for, she no longer knew. Eve soon felt tears running down her cheek as she began to cry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That same night Julian was sitting in the kitchen at the Crane Mansion. He was at the table going through his latest liquor bottle. Katherine came in and was disturbed when she saw Julian . She had noticed Julian spiral downward for months since his brake up with Eve, but it seemed to be getting worse. She was definitely getting concerned and worried about her son. “What are you doing?” Katherine asked him. Anger was in her voice. “What does it look like I’m doing?” Julian replied. His speech was slurred. “Oh my God. You’re drunk,” she exclaimed. “That’s my business,” he grunted. At that moment, Katherine had enough. She couldn’t let Julian hurt himself like this, and decided to take action. “All right that does it,” she said as she grabbed the liquor bottle out of his hand and emptied it in the sink. “Wait a minute!” Julian exclaimed irritated. “What are you doing?” “I’m doing an intervention,” Katherine said in a stern no nonsense voice, and started making a pot of coffee. “I’m going to make you a pot of coffee, you’re going to sober up, and then you and I, are going to talk.” “What do you mean? Why are you doing this?” “Because Son, I’ve watched you spiraling down for a while now, and I'm not going to let you self-destruct.” Katherine brought over the pot of coffee, placed it in front of Julian and poured him a cup. “I’m your mother do what I say,” she said as she pointed to the cup. “You don’t have to treat me like I’m a child,” Julian said annoyed. “Well I do if you’re going to act like one.” “You think that just because you’re my mother you can still tell me what to do!” “Now!!” Katherine’s her tone was so firm that if anyone heard their parent use that tone, they would be afraid to defy them. “Yes Ma’am,” Julian said obediently. After Julian finished his coffee and sobered up, Katherine sat down at the table with him. “Now what’s gotten into you?” she asked gently. “You’ve been acting like a completely different person lately. What is it? Eve?” “You might say that.” “Well talk to me. What happened?” "Her wretched ex-husband had a stoke, and she was at his side every waking moment," Julian said bitterly "I hired nurses to take care of him, but no she had to do it herself. I tried to pull her back, arranging a romantic roof top dinner and all she does is talk on her cell phone to T.C.'s nurse. Then I arranged a romantic getaway for the two of us, I even arranged for her patients to be seen by other doctors and she brakes off is engagement." "Wait a minute. You sent her patients away?" said Katherine shocked. "Yes, I did." "Julian, by any chance when you were dealing with all of this with her, were you and talking like you are now?" "You might say that." "I see," said Katherine having a picture of what had happened. "So instead of sitting down and talking things out rationally with her, you decided to get drunk and act like your father." "Why not, nice guys finish last." "No, they don't," she said disgusted. "And frankly I'm very disappointed in you. Darling, if you have a problem with the person you love, you sit down and talk it out with them. You don't go acting jealous and demanding. And you know better than that." "Please. Father was right. The only way to win in this world is to be ruthless and trust no one." Katherine was shocked beyond belief that Julian would say that about Alistair. "How can you even say that after everything Alistair’s done.”? "What I should have done was not let my guard down. T.C. wormed his way back into her life." "No the problem was that you were too forceful. And you know where that got you? Alone without Eve." "Well the truth is love doesn't exist. It only exists in fairy tales. Besides I realized that when past loves are involved, there is no hope. Somehow they come in and split the couple up." "That's not true," she said more gently. "Sometimes relationships are tested, and it's not about past loves it's who you love more. And Eve loves you more. Everyone knows that." "Then why did she choose T.C. over me?" "Look I understand how you feel about Eve spending all of her time with T.C.. But I don't think she was trying to hurt you. If you want my advice, go to her and try to work things out. It's not too late. And what you're doing by and behaving like this is only hurting yourself. And it's not how I raised you." "No you didn't raise me at all. You left me, had plastic surgery, and headed south of the border with your housekeeper's husband." Katherine was hurt that Julian had said that, even though it was partly true. "You're right I did leave you, and it was wrong. And yes I blame myself for a lot of the problems you've had. However, I'm here now and I love you too much to watch you self destruct." "Save your breath Mother," Julian said coldly. And then he stood up. "I don't need your help. You know it's funny. Everyone I ever cared about somehow leaves me. You left me, Timmy left me, and Eve left me. Well I'm never going to let anyone every hurt me again." Julian left the room and Katherine sat there feeling devastated and wondering where she went wrong with Julian. Julian went into the library and sat down at his desk, when his cell phone rang. "Hello," he said when he picked it up. All of a sudden the sound of his voice was completely different. "......Yeah, everything’s going like clockwork. Everyone completely thinks I'm Julian Crane. I even have his mother fooled. Not to mention the lovely Dr. Russell."
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srhrobin
Short Story
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[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 20, 2007 18:51:46 GMT -5
Chapter Two
The next morning, Julian Crane sat in the window seat at the Northern Crane Compound. It's where it had been held hostage for the past four months. His window was his only view of the outside world now. Since Julian had been at the compound, he hadn’t been allowed outdoors or out of his room for that matter. The door was always kept locked up the guards.
The room Julian was kept in was large and luxurious. The size of it was slightly larger then his room at home. The walls were painted light blue. Facing the door, there was a large king sized bed, with a fancy headboard. On the right side of the room, there was a window seat, a wardrobe full of clothes, and a book shelve. There was a door leading to a bathroom adjacent to the bed. On the left side of the room, there was a fireplace, next to a table and chairs.
As Julian looked out the window at the ocean, he longed for freedom and to be back with his beloved Eve. Eve. How he missed her and longed for her. He sighed with a heavy heart, as he thought back to how all this started.
~
Last summer, after Rebecca granted Julian a divorce, Eve and he were so happy that they could finally get married. Then T.C. had his accident and everything changed for them. When T.C. was first brought into the emergency room, after he was driving drunk, Julian felt bad for T.C.. H e didn’t want T.C. to die or for Whitney and Simone to lose their father. Then Eve and he found out that the reason T.C. choose to drive drunk, was because he had lost his family. Eve started to blame herself for T.C.’s accident. Julian then became furious with him for that. Julian thought T.C. was completely selfish to care so little about his own life that his daughters would end up without a father. It wasn’t bad enough that T.C. treated Eve like dirt, but then he had her blaming herself for his outrageous behavior, when it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t deserve that.
Then T.C. had his stoke, and Eve began spending all of her time taking care of him. Julian felt jealous of this. Yes, he felt sorry for T.C., but he wasn’t comfortable for Eve taking care of him. If it had been any other member of Eve’s family he would understand, but T.C. was her ex-husband. Paying for doctors and dropping in once in a while to say hello he could understand her doing. However, Eve spending all of her spare time with her ex-husband, he just couldn’t understand no matter how hard he tried. Julian soon became afraid that Eve would fall back in love with T.C., and he would lose her.
Then one day in August, Julian dropped by the Russell house and asked Eve to come to Paris with him, like they had always talked about. Eve declined saying she had to take care of T.C.. They ended up having a fight and Julian left the house.
Afterwards, Julian went for a walk in the park to clear his head. He hated arguing with Eve. He adored her; he didn’t want to argue with her. Still he wasn’t comfortable with this situation. He hardly ever saw her anymore, now that she was taking care of T.C., and he missed her. He loved her so much and he didn’t want to lose her.
Then it dawned on Julian, that Eve had a tendency to blame herself for things that weren’t her fault, and when she did that she would try to punish herself for it. ‘That’s what she’s doing here,’ he thought to himself. ‘She feels guilty about T.C.’s accident so she’s there out of obligation.’ He knew Eve loved him and what they had together was stronger than anything she ever had with T.C..
Julian knew they could work this out. Next time he saw her; he would sit down with her and talk this out. He would apologize for coming down so hard on her, and help her see that she didn’t have to take care of T.C. or feel guilty about his accident. All of a sudden, he felt a lot better and knew Eve and he would be all right.
Then what happened next, nothing in the word could have prepared him for. As Julian was leaving the park, someone grabbed him from behind, putting their hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming. Julian gasped and felt his adrenaline shot way up and his heart began to pound inside of his chest. He was able to get a look at the person and it was Spike, Jessica Bennett’s pimp/husband and Harmony’s sleeze ball. Julian knew Spike was evil and that he had worked for Alistair. What did he want with him? Spike pulled a gun out of his pocket to Julian’s head with his other hand. “Not a word,” Spike hissed. “Scream or run away, I’ll kill you and then I’ll kill your precious Eve. Are we clear?” Julian nodded obediently.
Spike took his hand off Julian’s mouth and began to handcuff Julian’s hands behind his back. ‘Okay, stay calm,’ Julian thought to himself. ‘Just try to negotiate with him.’ “Look man,” Julian said to Spike. “If this is about money, I’ll give it to you. I’m loaded.”
“It’s not your money I want,” Spike replied.
“Well whatever you want I’ll give it to you. You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut up, Rich boy.” Spike hissed as he grabbed Julian’s handcuffed hands. “I’ve got plans for you. Now any sudden moves and you and Eve die. Spike pulled the gun to Julian’s back and dragged Julian to the parking lot.
Julian felt his heart pound even harder, that this time he could even hear it. His adrenaline shot up even higher and his body was trembling. He never felt more terrified in his life. He realized he wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out of this one, and that Spike definitely had plans for him. Julian also knew how evil Spike was and that if he wanted to hurt him he would. Spike had done things even the ‘Old Julian’ would have found repulsive.
Then Spike opened his car door and pushed Julian inside. Once inside the car, Spike duct taped Julian’s mouth. Julian struggled to get away, but it was no use. Spike injected Julian with something and Julian blacked out.
When Julian came to, he was on a private plane in the air. He hands were still handcuffed and his mouth was still duct taped. His terror level rose even higher now. Where was he being taken? What was going to happen to him? He was scared to death he was going to be hurt or worse.
Finally, the plane landed, and two large goons came out and stood on either side of Julian. They forced him to stand up and dragged him off the plane. When they stepped off the plane, Julian saw they were at one of the Crane compounds. Julian had known Alistair had secret Crane Compounds around the globe; however no one knew where they were, not even Julian. The goons brought Julian upstairs, took off the handcuffs and the gag, and threw him in his room and locked the door.
Julian tried to break the door down, and when that didn’t work he tried banging on the door and yelling to be let out. He had tried to see if he could get out the window, but it was bulletproof and couldn’t even be broken down.
“Hello Julian,” said a voice behind him. Julian turned around and saw on the table, a video laptop with Alistair on the screen.
“Father,” he said as he stared at the screen in disbelief. He thought Alistair was dead. However, nothing at that moment made any sense to him.
“I’ll bet you’re wondering what’s going on right now,” said Alistair.
“You think?” Julian replied sarcastically.
“Well I’ll tell you. First of all, I’m alive. You didn’t really think I’d try to kill myself in that train explosion, did you? No, I only faked my death.”
“Oh my God!” Julian said in fear and disbelief. He knew this was bad.
“Anyways, I had you kidnapped. You see when you and Eve first got back together a couple of years ago, the reason I didn’t try to break the two of you up, was because I thought Rebecca would keep the two of you apart. Well I did lie to you about Chad being your son, but even that didn’t work. We now that Rebecca’s granted you a divorce, there’s no way I’m going to let you marry your black whore.”
Julian grimaced at Alistair’s racist remark.
“So,” Alistair continued. “I had you kidnapped. You should have listened to me when I told you to stay away from that whore. Oh and no one will miss you. You see I’ve hired an imposter to pretend to be you. It’s a wonder what a voice disguiser and a latex mask can do. Oh and there is no way out. Try to escape and there will be dire consequences. Oh and there’s something else you should know about T.C. Russell.” What Alistair told Julian about T.C. shocked him. Julian knew T.C. was an angry man, but never in a million years did he ever imagine T.C. was capable of such evil.
After Alistair’s video clip ended, Julian went into his bathroom and threw up. He felt like this was some sort of nightmare where he couldn’t wake up from. He couldn’t believe his own father could do this to him. Actually, he could believe it. All of Julian’s life, Alistair had tortured him; abusing him when he was growing up, raping his mother Katherine, drove him to drink, kept Eve and him apart, kidnapped their son, and now this. How had he not seen this coming? Of course, Alistair would still try to keep them apart. Julian now wished he had taken some sort of action against Alistair when he had the chance. Maybe Eve and he would be safe and together now.
Julian paced his room trying to figure out what to do now, when he saw something come on the screen of the video laptop. It was a video feed of Harmony. It showed the hospital fair on the wharf, and what seemed to be the Julian imposter. Julian couldn’t believe the physical resemblance to himself. If he didn’t know any better he would say it was him. He figured the imposter must be using a voice disguiser and a latex mask. Then as Julian, watched the imposter talking to Fox and then to Eve, he realized what exactly what was going on. Alistair was having the imposter make everyone think that he was the ‘Old Julian’, so Eve would brake up with him. It was too awful to be true.
~
Life at the compound had become routine for Julian. He was fed three meals a day, and maids even came into clean the room, and do laundry. Julian made them taste his meals first to make sure they weren’t poisoned. The compound was surrounded by guards so he couldn’t get out or escape. At one point he tried to escape by pretending he was sick, to get one of the guards to come in. He punched him, knocking him out unconscious and was able to get downstairs but the guards caught him and threw him back in. Julian realized unless he had a helicopter or a boat there was no out, even if he tried. The only thing he could do was pray for a miracle and he did. He had learned to pray like he had never prayed before.
The hardest part had to be watching what was going on in Harmony. There were his children Little Ethan and Endora. Julian right away found out that Little Ethan wasn’t his biological son. He was devastated. Even though he had never been a real father to Little Ethan, he still loved him and was hoping to make up for lost time. He wasn’t angry at Theresa, it wasn’t her fault, but it was just sad. He realized Alistair was having the imposter try to get custody was just a cruel way of torturing both him and Theresa. As for Endora, he realized Alistair must know that she was his daughter. Alistair was either trying to use the imposter to either take Endora away from Tabitha to raise her to be a true Crane, or just trying to cause as much pain as possible. Either way he feared for his children and wanted to protect them.
He had to watch Spike try to rape Fancy in the mineshaft, and it killed him to see someone hurting his daughter and he wasn’t able to protect her. Julian wasn’t sure why Fox was following the imposter’s advice about Kay, but he knew that if he ever became free he was going to give Fox a good talking to.
He also found out on the monitors that Chris was a fraud and that Alistair paid him to fall in love with Sheridan so she would forget Luis. Julian was furious with Alistair and Chris for that.
The worst part of it all was watching the imposter destroy his relationship with Eve. Julian hated the imposter for helping Alistair try to break them up, and most of all for the horrible way he treated Eve. It made Julian’s blood boil. He would have never treated Eve that way. He feared for her safety with the imposter and with T.C.. If T.C., could do what he did, what’s to say he could do it Eve.
Julian’s life had become hell. He felt stir crazy from being locked up in one room, and helpless that he couldn’t protect Eve and his family. He wasn’t angry at Eve for what happened or upset with her anymore for taking care of T.C.. She didn’t know what was really going on. The problems they were having before Julian was kidnapped, felt so petty to him now. At first, he was afraid Eve might fall back in love with T.C., with the imposter poisoning her mind against him. However, as he had watched Eve on the video monitor, he saw that she was just going through the motions with T.C.. There was no love in her eyes for him. If anything Julian would say that Eve looked like she was dying inside. All he wanted to do was hold her, and comfort her, and let her know that he still loved her. Eve was what got him though the day now. Just the thought of being reunited with her was enough to keep him going.
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 20, 2007 18:52:27 GMT -5
Chapter Three
Back in Harmony, at the Russell house, Eve was still asleep and having a nightmare. In here dream, Julian was tied up to a steak, bound and gagged. Alistair was there whipping Julian, with vengeance, enjoying every moment he was torturing him. Only it was the kind and generous Julian that was tied up.
Alistair then snapped his fingers, and a grave site with a headstone, that said “Old Julian,” appeared in front of them. Alistair then took the chalice that he had tried to steal from the Vatican last summer, pointed it towards the headstone and ‘Old Julian’ raised from his grave. Then Alistair pointed the chalice towards ‘Old Julian’ again and made him more evil than before and had him go out into the world. ‘New Julian’ was trapped helpless to get away.
Eve sat up in bed, waking up in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding and her body was trembling. What had that dream meant? Was Julian alright? Why would Alistair be torturing Julian if he was dead? Eve didn’t know what the dream meant, but it sent chills up her spine. She thought about calling Julian to see if he was alright, but decided not to thinking it would be too awkward.
~
An hour later, Eve was all dressed for work and in the kitchen doing the dishes. It had been a long time since she had done any dishes. Living at the mansion, she never had to do anything for herself. She missed the mansion. Not because of its wealth or glamour, but because she felt at home there with Julian. Of course, Julian now thought she was a gold digger.
As Eve thought this, she realized there was something very strange about Julian calling her a gold digger. In the entire two years that they were together, Eve never took a dime from Julian. If she needed to pay for something, she paid for it out of her own pocket. Not to mention, her salary as a doctor was very generous, and she could live quite comfortably on it. Eve wasn’t even materialistic. Yes, she had lived a wealthy lifestyle with him, but she would have been happy living in a shack with Julian, just as long as she was with him, and he knew that. Even when Julian bought her gifts, like when he took her to rodeo drive, it was he who offered. Even though Eve was flattered and touched by his generosity, she would tell him not to spend so much money on her, but still he would insist.
There were other things that were strange about Julian’s recent behavior, that didn’t sit well or make sense to Eve. For starters when Eve went back to the mansion, to get the brooch Julian had won for her, he didn’t remember the brooch or winning it for her. Julian usually had a good memory when it came to things that happened in there relationship. He could even recall things from their first date. Then Julian had accused her of stealing the brooch, thinking it was real. However, with his wealthy upbringing he could tell the difference between a real brooch and a fake one from a mile away.
Then there was Julian planning a Mediterranean cruise for the two of them. For two years, she and Julian had talked about going to Paris. It had been a dream of theirs. They did talk about going to some other countries in Europe later, but Paris was going to be their first and big stop. It seemed strange that Julian would plan a Mediterranean cruise, when they planned on Paris. Not that Eve would mind taking a Mediterranean cruise.
Then there was Julian giving Eve a hard time about her long hours at the hospital. Julian had never once complained about her being a busy doctor before. It was one of the things he loved about her. When they got back together two year ago, he adapted to the life of a doctor’s husband very well. He was always incredibly support of her and singing her praises. She never even got that kind of support from T.C., even when they were married. Now why all of a sudden was Julian complaining about Eve being a busy doctor?
Then there was Julian trying to force himself on her at Kay’s bridal shower. In the entire time that Eve had known Julian, he had never once tried to rape anyone. He had tried to come on to her when he was the old Julian, but had never forced himself on her like he had. He never even raped Theresa in Bermuda. Even when Liz had lied about Julian raping her all those years ago and Julian thought that he had raped her, Eve had trouble believing it was true. Eve also knew how hard it was for Julian to watch his father abusing his mother Katherine when he was growing up, and how hard it was for him to learn later that Alistair had raped her. So it didn’t make any sense that he would do that.
Then there was Julian’s jealousy over T.C., and the way he had reacted when they broke up. This was not the first time Julian had reason to be jealous, so why did he choose to become all mean and nasty to her now?
Then there was Julian all of a sudden deliberately trying to emulate Alistair. Julian hated Alistair for all the pain he had caused him, Eve, and their families. Just weeks before she and Julian started having problems, Alistair had sent lions to try to kill Julian’s daughter Fancy. Julian was furious with Alistair for that. Alistair had caused Julian nothing but pain his entire life. Alistair had abused Julian when he was growing up, forced his mother Katherine to abandon their family, kept Eve and him apart, and kidnapped their son. Now Julian was using Alistair as a role model. That didn’t make any sense to her either.
Julian had eventually stood up to Alistair for the abuse he had suffered. Eve knew that when people who were abused as children realized what their abuser did was wrong, they usually don’t start emulating them.
Julian wasn’t even this bad when he was the ‘Old Julian.’ Then, it was because of Alistair’s corruption. Now that Alistair’s dead, Julian was worse? Something didn’t add up.
The truth was ever since the hospital fair on the wharf last summer, when Julian first started regressing, she had a strange gut feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn’t right with him. At first, she had chalked it up to his behavior, but that didn’t seem to be it. Over time the feeling was growing stronger and stronger.
Eve had tried to think of any warning signs, that she had missed, to Julian’s recent behavior and there were none. Ever since Julian had changed and came back into her life, three years ago, he had been nothing loving, gentle, kind, and considerate. Even when they first met all those years ago, he was the same way. For awhile she had tried to convince herself that Julian had put on an act, but she knew in her heart that wasn’t true. She wondered maybe he was more vulnerable then she realized, or maybe she had pushed him over the edge with her tending to T.C...
She finished washing the last dish and went into the living room, to leave for the hospital. However, when she got to the living room, she saw T.C. sitting on the couch looking at the floor with his hands folded. He looked upset.
“T.C., is everything alright,” asked Eve.
“No, everything is not alright. Simone is out with that degenerate woman, Rae again. This lifestyle of hers is disgusting. I can’t seem to get her to see that.”
“You didn’t argue with her again, did you?” Eve groaned.
“Of course I did. Someone has to get her to see what she’s doing is wrong.”
Eve couldn’t believe how transparent T.C. was being. “This lifestyle of hers is not wrong. I thought you said you understood.”
“Well I don’t. You know this is all, your fault.”
“My fault!!??”
“Yes, your fault. If you hadn’t abandoned us, she wouldn’t have felt the need to become a lesbian.”
Eve was annoyed by this. One minute T.C. understood about Simone’s lifestyle and her past, and the next he didn’t. Either way she wasn’t going to pay attention to this. “Look,” she said to him. “I don’t have time for this. I have to get to work.”
“Don’t you walk away from me!” T.C. grabbed Eve by her arms and then slapped her across the face, causing her to lose her balance and then fall on the floor. She looked up at him in shock, not believe what he just did. Then T.C. got on the floor pinning her down and began punching and hitting her, all over her face, arms, and her torso.
“Please T.C., stop it,” she cried. She had tears in her eyes as she squirmed to get away. She never felt so frightened. It was like T.C. was possessed. She tried to pull away and managed to a little bit, but T.C. pulled her down and she landed on her stomach and T.C. began punching her back. With every hit, she cried in distressed.
“Can’t you ever do anything right around here? You’re nothing but a godless whore.”
Eve tried to get away again and this time managed to get out from his grip and stood up. T.C. got up too, and then pushed her against the wall. Then he lunged at her again and pushed her onto the floor where he began kicking her with his feet and hitting with her his cane.
Finally she was able to get away again, and ran upstairs to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She couldn’t believe what T.C. had just done. She knew she couldn’t stay there anymore, and had to leave. So she quickly packed up all of her things. She shoved all of her clothes and things into her suitcases, as fast as she could. Then ten minutes later, when she was all packed, she went downstairs and went out the front door and got in her car and drove away from the Russell house and away from T.C..
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Post by luisismine on Jun 21, 2007 8:53:15 GMT -5
:-/ holy cr@p this is so good.I can't wait to read more.Please please post more soon.You have me on the edge of my seat.
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 26, 2007 18:37:58 GMT -5
Chapter Four (Part One)
Back at the Compound, Julian was still sitting in his window seat and looking out the window. He saw a seagull fly by, soaring in the air, by the ocean. As Julian watched the seagull, he envied it. That seagull was free, and could go where he pleased. No one was holding that seagull captive, or keeping him from the lady bird he loved. Julian, on the other hand, was being held captive, and being kept from the woman he loved. Somehow it didn't seem fair to him.
Then all of a sudden, Julian had a horrible feeling come over him, like someone had just walked over his grave. Only the feeling was about Eve, like she was in some sort of trouble. It was very unsettling to him. Then he noticed the video monitor go on, and he left the window seat and went over to seat on the edge of his bed to watch what was going on. The first thing he saw was Eve sleeping in bed. He sighed as soon as he saw her, feeling relieved to see she was safe. He smiled at her, as he saw her. She looked so beautiful as always. He missed her so much. He longed to touch her and let her know what was really going on, and tell her that he still loved her. Now the only way he could see her these days was through a video feed.
Then he saw her sit upright in bed. It looked like to him, that she had had a bad dream. He wished he was there to comfort her, after her dream. Only now he couldn't. Then he saw her get ready for work, and wash the dishes. She looked so troubled as she was doing the dishes, like something was on her mind. Eve and he had always been connected. They could always tell what was on each other's minds or if something was wrong with the other one, without even having to speak. Even now he still felt connected to her. And he could tell that she was unhappy and miserable without him. 'dang you T.C. Russell,' he thought to himself. 'If you really cared about Eve, you would have let her go. You would have let her be happy with me, and not let her blame herself for your actions. And you wouldn't have done what you did. You want people to feel sorry for you. Well I don't and I never will again.' Julian knew if Eve knew what T.C. had done, she would be furious with him.
Then he saw Eve go into the living where T.C. was sitting on the couch moping.
“T.C., is everything alright,” asked Eve.
“No, everything is not alright. Simone is out with that degenerate woman, Rae again. This lifestyle of hers is disgusting. I can’t seem to get her to see that.”
“You didn’t argue with her again, did you?” Eve groaned.
“Of course I did. Someone has to get her to see what she’s doing is wrong.”
"T.C.'s still giving Simone a hard time for being gay!?" Julian said perplexed. He rolled his eyes. He felt so bad for Simone having to put up with T.C.'s bigotry. Granted Julian had not been the best father in the world to his own children, but he couldn't imagine how any parent could turn their back on their child for being gay.
“This lifestyle of hers is not wrong. I thought you said you understood.”
“Well I don’t. You know this is all, your fault.”
“My fault!!??”
“Yes, your fault. If you hadn’t abandoned us, she wouldn’t have felt the need to become a lesbian.”
"There you go," Julian said to T.C. on the monitor. "He's blaming Eve again. Well don't you leave her alone and let her be happy with me."
“Look, I don’t have time for this. I have to get to work.”
“Don’t you walk away from me!”
Then Julian saw T.C. grabbed Eve and slap her across the face, causing her to fall on the floor, "Oh dear God!" Julian exclaimed standing up. His mouth just hung open, not believing T.C. had just hit her. Then he saw T.C. get on the floor with Eve, pinning her down and began beating her.
"No!!!!!!!!" Julian screamed. He could not believe what he was seeing or that T.C. was beating his lovely Eve. Tears began to fill his eyes as he watched this. "Get off of her!! Get off of her!!" he screamed at T.C.. He never felt more helpless, that he couldn't protect her.
Then a Turkish guard came into his room, wondering what all the commotion was about. "Mr. Crane, why do you scream?" the guard said in a thick Turkish accent.
Julian never took his eyes of the screen. Something inside him wouldn't let him. "Listen Man," Julian pleaded through his sobs. "Call T.C. Russell, distract him, do anything. Get him away from Eve." Julian hoped maybe he could still try to help her beloved Eve.
"No can do. Keep it down." Then the guard left.
"Bastard," Julian said after him. Julian continued to watch as Eve pleaded with T.C. to stop, but he didn't. "God," Julian prayed. "Please help Eve, I don't care what you do to me, but please get T.C. away from her." Then he saw Eve stand up, but T.C. shoved her against the wall. "You bastard," Julian yelled at him. "Leave her alone." Then he saw T.C. lunged at her, pushing her onto the floor where he began kicking her and beating her with his cane. Julian began to cried even harder now. "Eve, my love, I'm here," he said to her. "Just try to get away from him sweetheart. You can do it." Then finally Julian saw that Eve was able to get away from T.C. again, and he saw her ran upstairs to her room and pack up her things and leave the house. Julian breathed a sigh of relief seeing that she was safe. Then the screen went out.
At that moment, Julian sat down on the bed, broke down into tears. He hated seeing the woman he loved more than life itself go through that, and he hated it even more that he wasn't their to protect her. "Eve," he said "Wherever you are, right now, just know that I love you. And that if I could, I would be there with you now. You stay strong and I'm here with you in some form."
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(chapter continues on next post)
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 26, 2007 18:41:37 GMT -5
Chapter Four (Part Two) Back in Harmony, Eve checked into a hotel right away. She had no where else to go and she couldn't go to Grace's B and B, after what she had done to the Bennetts. As soon as Eve checked into her room, at the hotel, she called in sick for work. She was in no condition, physically or mentally to work today. Eve just sat on the end of the bed crying and shaking. She couldn't believe what had just happened or that T.C. had done this to her. Her body ached from the beating. Bruises were beginning from form on her body as well. Both of her eyes, right cheek, and neck were turning black and blue. She also had black and blue marks, and bruises on her back, torso, legs, and arms. However, it didn't begin to compare to the pain she felt inside. She knew T.C. had a temper, but she never thought he was capable of anything like this. "He's a good man," Eve said to herself. "He just has a temper, and he's been through a lot with his stroke, not to mention I did hurt him from lying to him all these years." Then as Eve said those words to herself, she realized that what every single battered woman who came into the ER said to her. Then Eve remembered things that Julian had said about T.C., about the way T.C. had treated her. ~~~~ “You know what, I didn't believe that you were a liar, either, or julian's mistress, but you are -- all that and worse.”
“All right, that's enough, T.C. Yes, eve has made some mistakes -- we all have -- but she's paid for them. She lost everything that mattered to her!”
“Except you, Julian.”
“She never intentionally set out to hurt anyone. Her mistakes are in the past. She's trying to move on and forget about them.”
“With lies?”
“Those lies were meant to protect the people that she loved -- you and the girls. And if you'd have loved eve as much as you pretended to, you'd have been man enough to forgive her and keep your family together. But you didn't. You took the easy way out. You threw eve away, you threw your marriage away, and you betrayed her with her own sister!”
“You turned eve into a tramp, you bozo.”
“Now who's the potential murderer, T.C.? The truth hurts, doesn't it?”
“I'll get you, Julian. You ruined my family!”
“No, you did that to yourself by giving it up. A real man would've fought to keep his family together, but you threw it away like a spoiled little kid!”
“You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!”
“What happened to all that talk about how you loved eve? Whatever happened to "for better or worse?”
“You son of a b*tch! ~ “I knew that you would welsh on your deal.”
“Well, maybe I am, but I just heard a couple of words that I don't like, words that gave me second thoughts. One word is "wife." She is not your wife, T.C., not anymore. You treated her like dirt. You divorced her and you turned your back on her, remember?”
“Eve needs her family. Family is most important to her.”
“Oh, look, now who's using your daughters? I mean, family didn't mean a dang thing to you when you turned your back on her. You divorced her and welcomed her sister into your bed, huh? Eve was devastated, but she swallowed her pride. She asked for another chance. She'd have done anything to save her -- her family and her marriage, but you wouldn't hear of it.”~ “God, I feel so guilty.”
“No, listen, listen, listen, you mustn't.”
“How can I not, Julian? I broke T.C.'s poor heart lying to him all those years about you and me and the baby that we had together.”
“Listen to me, he made a choice. He could've taken you back when you literally begged him to.”
“No. No, he felt too betrayed. But don't forget, though, he did come around. Remember? He did find it in his heart to forgive me. He did take me back, and then it was I who left him again. I'm responsible for all of this, Julian. I've killed one of the finest men who ever walked the earth.”
“Listen, I am not going to let you put this on yourself. T.C. is a grown man who made choices. He didn't have to let things go the way they did.”
“No, he was happy. He was a happy man till he found out the truth about me. I stole the joy out of his life.”
“No, you didn't.”
“I stole his will to live, Julian.”
“I am telling you, you did not. You did not put him behind the wheel of that car, you did not make him drink. If anyone's to blame for this, it's T.C. himself.” “I don’t think it’s fair to place the blame on the victim.”
“But, darling, I don't see T.C. as a victim of anything, unless we're talking about self-pity.”
“I don't believe you could be so callous.”
“What, you can call it callous. The way I see it, T.C. is a grown man with freedom of choice. He is the one who decide to let everything go the way he did, he is the one who decided to drive when he shouldn't have.”
“That's because he was distraught over our divorce.”
“My darling, couples get divorced every day. Your marriage ending is not new news. No breakup is ever easy, but that is just no excuse to give up on life.”
“Yes, but –“
“If nothing else, T.C. had a responsibility to Whitney and Simone. Instead, he let his anger eat away at him until he was consumed by it.”
“Well, I still don't think that you should blame him when I am the one that ended the marriage.”
“Oh, you think you abandoned him? No, I think it was T.C. who let you and your girls down by driving drunk, by caring so little about his own life that his daughters could end up without a father.”~ “The only person he'll let help him is me, and he throws me out half the time.”
“That is T.C.'s choice. He's stubborn and pigheaded like he's always been. You can't do anything about that.”~ “And return to what? A high school gym coach with a nasty temper?”
“You know, T.C. Is a wonderful man, Julian. And he's a loving father, and he was a devoted husband.”
“And that's why he divorced you when he found out about the problems in your past?”
“He forgave me for that, and -- and he even wanted me back. And still, when I had to choose, I chose you. A mistake.”
“Well, if that's the way you feel, fine. What about simone -- how he banished her when he found out she was gay?”
“Well, he's gotten over that now, and they've made up.”
“Oh, how nice for you all. It's just like, forgive and forget, especially when all the sins are kept in the family.” ~ "You see, that's the root of the problem. T.C. is no longer your responsibility. You are not married to him. He divorced you in one of the nastiest divorce cases this town has ever seen. And still he wouldn't let you go."~ “I may be a bit tipsy at the moment, but you, my dear, are stark raving mad. I never wanted to be your master. I wanted to be your partner, your equal in every way. How could you cast that aside and go back to some man who kicked you out of your own home when he found out that his perfect wife wasn't just so perfect when she was growing up? How can you honestly love T.C. more than me? He's angry, he's unforgiving, he's judgmental.”~~~~ 'Oh my God! Was Julian right?' Eve thought. She didn't know what to think or believe anymore. It was strange, but somehow she could feel Julian's presence around her. The good Julian, the man she loved. Somehow it felt like he was trying to comfort her. Eve wasn't sure why she was feeling that, but it felt good. Even after everything that had happened between them; she wished he was there with her right now. She could always draw on his strength and support. Now he was gone and she was alone again. After a while, Eve's body was beginning to ache some more. As a doctor, she knew she should get checked out, in case of internal injuries. However, the woman in her, wanted to lay down and die. However, she felt a voice inside of her telling her to get help. Eve didn't want to go into the hospital. She didn't want anyone to know that T.C. had beaten her, and she knew if the other doctors saw her they would know she was beaten. She decided to call the hotel doctor; it was less hassle that way. She went over to her night stand and called the front desk. At the front desk, a male receptionist answered the phone. "Hello, front desk," he answered. "Hi, is the hotel doctor in?" Eve asked. "The hotel doctor? I'm sorry he's not in right now. Is this an emergency?" A pretty blonde middle aged woman was standing in front of the desk, when she overheard the receptionist. "Ah excuse me, I'm a medical doctor. If someone needs medical attention, I'd be happy to lend my services." "Just a second," The receptionist said to Eve on the phone as he heard this, and then he turn to the woman. "You're a medical doctor?" he asked. "Yes, does someone need help?" "I think so," he replied and then got back on the phone with Eve. "Miss, there is a medical doctor here in the lobby, who said she would be willing to help you." "If it's not too much trouble," Eve asked. "If it's not too much trouble," The receptionist said to the woman. "No it's not." "It's not," the receptionist relayed back to Eve. "Okay, well then that would be fine, if you could have her come back to Room 214 that would be wonderful." "Okay, certainly." Eve got off the phone with the receptionist and dried her eyes and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible. She would just tell this doctor that she fell down the stairs. It was the closest thing she could think of to explain what happened. Then a few minutes later, there was a knock came at her door and Eve opened it and saw the pretty blonde middle aged woman standing there, carrying her purse and her medical bag. "Hi," the woman said to her warmly. "I'm Dr. Marlena Evans." "How do you do?" Eve said. "I'm Dr. Eve Russell. Please come in." Marlena walked into the room and Eve closed the door behind her. "You're a medical doctor too?" Marlena asked. "Yes, I'm a general practitioner. What's your area?" "Psychiatry and I volunteer at a free clinic." Marlena had been in Harmony giving her self-esteem work shop. She had just given a lecture that morning at the hotel and was planning to give some more at Harmony Hospital over the next month. Her husband John was going to join her later. "Well I'm glad you're here, thank you so much for seeing me," said Eve. "Oh of course, no problem," Marlena replied. "What seems to be the trouble?" "I was in an accident this morning." "I can see that," Marlena said noticing her bruises. "How did it happen?" "I accidentally fell down the stairs." "I see." Marlena had been a doctor for a long time, and worked with a lot of battered women, not to mention being one herself once. Eve's bruises did not look like ones that people got from falling down the stairs. "Okay, why don't you sit down and we'll take a look." Eve sat down on the bed, while Marlena pulled up a chair to Eve's bed and got out her medical bag. "I haven't seen you around Harmony before, are you new here?" Eve asked Marlena. "No, I'm from Salem. I'm just in town on business for a few weeks. I'm giving a self esteem work up." "Oh, I heard about that at the hospital. I was hoping to attend this week." "Well that will be great, look forward to seeing you." Marlena sat down her the chair began her exam. "Okay, where were you hurt?" she asked. "All over," Eve answered. "Okay, why don't we have a look." Marlena rolled up Eve's sleeve and saw that her forearm was all black and blue, there were even hand marks wrapped around it, showing that someone had grabbed her really hard. "Eve, this doesn't look like you fell down the stairs. This looked like someone hit you or beat you repeatedly." Eve looked down at her forearm and saw T.C.'s hand mark from when he grabbed her. She hadn't noticed it before. "Well I did fall down the stairs," Eve said trying to keep up with her story. "Eve," Marlena said to her firmly. "Cut it out. You and I are both doctors, and we both know you did not fall down the stairs. The receptionist also told me you just check in here this morning, now people don't usually check into a hotel right after they fall down the stairs. If you're in an abusive relationship, you need to get help, and you need to get out." "No, I'm not in an abusive relationship, it's not like that." Eve felt herself choking back tears. Marlena gently put her hand on Eve's upper arm trying to calm her down. "Look there's nothing to be ashamed of. You didn't do anything wrong. Now what happened? Just let me help you." Eve knew she couldn't fool Marlena. If a patient came to Eve with the same bruises she would have said the same thing. "Okay, I was beaten," Eve sobbed. "By my ex-husband. But he's never done anything like this before. This is the first time." "Okay," Marlena coaxed gently. She rubbed Eve's arm trying to comfort her. "Is he a violent man?" "Not with me." "How long were you married to him?" "Over twenty years, we've been divorced for two years." "All right are you safe from him? Should we call the police?" "No, no. I don't want anyone to know about this." Marlena could see how shaken up and upset Eve was. At least Eve had gotten to a safe place for now. Marlena figured the best thing she could do for Eve right now was tend to her wounds and then try to talk to her. "Okay, first why don't I exam you to see if you're all right." "Okay," Eve said between her sobs. After Marlena examined Eve, she closed her medical bag, sat back in her chair in front of Eve. "Okay, you don't have any broken bones or internal bleeding. But you did get pretty bagged up. The bruises should go away in a few weeks. You're going to be sore for a while, so you might want to take some aspirin." "Okay, thank you." Eve nodded as she dried her tears with a hankie. Marlena took Eve's hand and said to her gently. "Eve, I know you don't know me. However, I'm a psychiatrist, I've worked with a lot of battered women, and I was a battered woman myself once. Not to mention I've had a lot of life experiences. If you need someone to unburden yourself to, you can talk to me. I'm here to listen and I won't judge you." Eve realized she could use someone to talk too. For four months she hadn't had anyone to really listen to her, and she had kept everything that she was feeling inside of her. And there was something about Marlena that made Eve feel like she could trust her and that she would understand. "Okay, I guess I could use somebody to talk too. I just don't know where to begin." "It's okay Honey," Marlena said rubbing her hand “Just take your time." (chapter continues on next post)
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jun 26, 2007 18:42:55 GMT -5
"All right, I might as well begin at the beginning." Eve took a deep breath and began. "Years ago when I was eighteen, I left home to become a singer. I began singing in this night club in Boston, and I met this man, Julian Crane." "Wait a minute. You don't me Julian Crane of the Crane's?" Marlena asked. "Yes I do." "He's not your ex-husband is he?" "No, no. He's my ex-fiancé." "Okay." "Well we met and we fell in love with each other. He was so wonderful to me, he was sweet and tender and loving. It was the love of a lifetime. We both got swept up into the era of the seventies, and he introduced me to this life of drugs, and alcohol. It was very destructive. But our love for each other, that was strong. His father Alistair Crane was a very powerful, ruthless, and horrible man. He was a racist as well, and he didn't want Julian to marry a black woman and have that in his family and empire. Well he forced Julian to leave me, but what he didn't know was that I was pregnant with his child. I was so angry with Julian for leaving me at the time, and I didn't have anywhere else to go. My parents disowned me when I wouldn't give up the baby for adoption. I poured my sorrows in drugs and boozes, and singing. Then eventually I was able to stop the drugs and the , turn my life around, and then I had my baby. It was a boy. He was beautiful. I held him and nursed him, and then they took him to the nursery so I could get some rest, and then I woke up and I was told the baby had died." "Oh Sweetie, I'm so sorry," Marlena said rubbing her hand trying to comfort her. Marlena's heart went out to Eve, she couldn't imagine going through something as horrible as that all alone. She remembered how awful it was when she lost her baby with Don, and when she miscarried Roman's child. "That must have been so hard for you." "It was. I was devastated. I went back to college, studied to be a doctor. Alistair paid my way, in exchange that I never mention that I ever had a relationship with Julian. So I just buried myself in work. A few years later I met T.C., my ex-husband. He was actually one of my first patients. He had been in a car accident a few years before. He was a tennis player and he was all set to play Winbolton, but the car accident damaged his knee and it ruined his career. We fell in love and got married. However I never told me about my past with Julian." "Why not?" Marlena asked. "T.C. thought I was perfect and he wanted perfection in his life, and I didn't want to disappoint him. And I was afraid he would hate me if he knew about Julian." "Why would he be upset about Julian?" "T.C. and Julian were all set to play this tennis match, and for years T.C. thought Julian was the hit and run driver behind the wheel that night. And T.C. has a really bad temper. He's been known to physically attack Julian on more than one occasion, and threatened to kill him. I knew he wouldn't forgive me for loving his worst enemy." Marlena raised her eyebrows. She was beginning to get a clear picture of T.C.. She couldn't imagine anyone having such a temper. "Well," Eve continued. "The years went on, and T.C. and I had two daughters together, Whitney and Simone. We were happy, I guess. But then seven years ago, Julian and I ran into each other again. He had changed a lot over the years. He was more and he'd become mean and nasty, and did whatever bad thing Alistair wanted him to do. We both were on the hospital board, so we ran into each other from time to time, and let me stay were would argue a lot. However, a couple of years later, Julian had this spiritual awakening. He was on the road with this boy named Timmy, who taught him about the true meaning of life. Then I remember when he came back to Harmony, this is going to sound crazy, but one night at this party, there was this green fog." "Green fog?" Marlena asked not quite understanding. "Yeah, if you lived in Harmony long enough you'd understand. Well Julian and I had this vision of what our lives would have been like if we had stayed together all those years ago. And we were very happy and in love. Then after that I remember my daughter Simone accidentally wrecked his car, and he didn't even make her pay for it. And then the next day, he and my daughter Whitney were in this elevator together that crashed, and he literally risked his life to save hers." "Wow." "Yeah, then around that time, my half sister Liz, came to Harmony to seek revenge on me." "Why?" "Well when I left home all those years ago, her father molested her. I didn't know anything about it or that her father was even capable of such a thing. And she blamed me for it." "Why would she blame you, if you didn't know?" "Well because she didn't see it that way. And my sister is a crazy, nasty, evil, vindictive b*tch. I told her how sorry I was and I even offered to help her get her life back, but she wouldn't hear of it. So she wormed up to T.C., pretending to be a stranger and T.C. invited her to stay in our home. And she set out to accomplish her life goal; to destroy me in every way possible. She wanted to steal my husband, my daughters, my job, my friends, everything, so that I was all alone and left with no where to turn." "Oh my God, that's terrible. She seems like a real piece of work." "That's putting it mildly. At that point, I hit a low spot and I didn't know what else to do. I remember one night I was upset about my family being torn apart by Liz, and I ran into Julian and he took me to his cafe and comforted and told me that he would help me get Liz out of my life and he would stand by me this time. We also had a hunch that our son was still alive, shortly before I had had this vision that he was still alive, and I was proven right. It turned out our baby didn't die at all. Alistair had him kidnapped from the hospital." "Oh my God! How horrible! I can't imagine how anyone can be that evil." "Alistair Crane's evil has no bounds." Eve took a deep breathe and then continued her story. "So Julian and I set out to find our son and keep Liz from destroying my family. And Julian began changing into a better person, like the man I knew all those years ago. He was my rock. He still loved me, but was willing to help me hang on to my family just so that I'd be happy. There was this woman, Rebecca, whom Julian had been involved with, and she found out about us, and blackmailed him into marrying her, or she would expose his dirty business dealings with Alistair and our past." "Really?" "Yeah, she's a gold digger and a nymphomaniac." "Well Julian agreed to marry her to keep our secret. I told him not to, but he insisted knowing that I would be able to keep my family. Over time I began seeing that I still loved Julian, and that my love for him had never died. The feelings I had for him were so strong, it was just getting so hard to fight it. For so many years, I had hated Julian, but in reality my hatred just covered up my love for him. I had blamed him for leaving me all those years ago, but once Julian began to change, and I saw more of what a monster Alistair was, I began to see how much of a hold Alistair had over Julian, and realized he did the best he could given the fact that he had a monster of a father." "Did Alistair abuse Julian?" "Oh yeah," Eve said. It was mainly emotional and verbal abuse, but it was bad. Then in the midst of my fighting my feeling for Julian, I had a memory of T.C.'s accident all those years ago that I was that hit and run driver that caused T.C.'s accident. I went to Julian and asked him about it. He told me that it wasn't that he was the hit and run driver and that I was in the passenger seat. He said he was driving drunk. Well then just after that Liz exposed my past in the worst way possible to T.C. and my daughters. And they were furious. They hated me; they called me the worst names anyone could think of. My daughter Whitney even slapped me more than once. And T.C. threw me out of the house. They all went on for months for how I ruined their lives Julian was there for me, and he took me in. However, right after that Alistair told Julian, the name of our son, and he said it was the boy who Whitney was engaged too." "Oh my God!" Marlena said gravely. She couldn't believe how evil Alistair Crane sounded. He even sounded worse than the Dimeras. "A few years before, Chad came to Harmony looking for his birth parents. We did a DNA comparison to everyone in Harmony but there was no match. It turned out Alistair falsified the DNA results. Both Whitney and Chad, were devastated, we all were. And Whitney hated me with a passion. That same day Liz exposed the truth about T.C.'s accident. Apparently, she had gotten her hands on some information about that night, and she found out that it was me behind the wheel of Julian's car. Then it all came back to me and I remembered that it was me in behind the wheel and not Julian. Julian was in the passenger seat. We were both drunk. I had hit T.C., and then Julian changed seats with me and drove off, and took the blame for me all these years. I hadn't remembered it until that moment. T.C. was furious with me. He divorced me and took Liz into his bed. However, Julian and I were able to get back together. It wasn't a rebound, it was a reunitement. We were so happy together. Our love for each other hadn't changed a bit. I remember that Christmas, he took me to rodeo drive and bought me a Christmas present for every Christmas we missed being together." "Really," Marlena said smiling. "Yeah." "That was sweet." "Yeah he was. However, I soon found out that Whitney was pregnant with Chad's baby." "Oh God!" "And she hated me for it. In the midst of all that, Liz was worming up to T.C. and the girls and I hated that. Not so much T.C., but my daughters. It was too much. I threatened to kill her in a fit of anger, however it backfired on me, because Rebecca wanted me out of the picture so she could stay married to Julian. So we were at this wedding for Julian's sister Sheridan, and what we didn't know at the time was that Rebecca had poisoned my drink. Well Liz and I were in the basement arguing and Liz drank from the wrong cup and almost died. However, when she came to, being her vindictive self she lied and told everyone that it was me. So I was arrested and charged with terrible attempted murders of Liz, Alistair and Julian." "Wait a minute, why would they charge you with Alistair and Julian's murder?" "A few weeks before Alistair had been poisoned with the same exact poison to kill Liz. And a few years before Julian was shot and everyone thought he was dead. Of course he wasn't. However, at the time I hated him. I didn't try to kill anyone though." "It's okay. I believe you." "Well there I was dealing with attempted murder charges and having my daughter being pregnant with a baby by her half brother. T.C. hated me and thought I tried to kill Liz, eventually he came around during the trial. But in the midst of that I had Julian, and we were happy together and in love. He did propose to me and I said yes. Whitney wound up going to a convent to stay away from Chad and Miles her son. Well I went through my trial, Julian stood by me through all of it. Luckily I was cleared. Julian and I were together and happy. He struggled to get a divorced from Rebecca and early last summer he finally did. Well of course Julian and I were happy to finally be getting married. We also found out that Chad wasn't our son. It turned out Alistair lied to keep Julian and me apart. And Alistair also died several months ago. Thank God." "Well that must have been a relief for you." "It was. However, my troubles didn't end there. Right after Julian told me he was getting a divorce from Rebecca, T.C. was in a car accident. He was driving drunk. It turned out that he was devastated by our divorce and regretted letting me go. He had also been disappointed that Whitney had chosen to going into singing and not tennis like he wanted her too. And he was also upset because Simone had come out to us telling us she was a lesbian and T.C. is against homosexuality. Pretty much disowned her. So T.C. was feeling bad about alienating us, so he decided to drink and drive. He almost died, but he survived, but then he had a stroke and I blamed myself for making him drive drunk, and I felt guilty. So I began spending my time taking care of T.C.. Julian resented every single minute of it and almost over night he reverts to his old ways, even worse. He said some really nasty things to me and we broke up. Since then I've been saying at T.C.'s taking care of him. And something else happened to me recently too. See I did some thing, some really things to keep my past with Julian a secret, before the truth came out. Julian's ex-wife Ivy was involved with T.C.'s best friend Sam years ago. However Alistair and Ivy's father, the former governor forced Ivy and Julian into an arranged married for business reasons. And of course that was the same time Alistair forced Julian and me to break up. Well she and Julian had a loveless marriage, and when her past with Sam was exposed, Ivy and Julian got divorced. Well Ivy wanted to get back with Sam and Sam was already married to my best friend Grace. So Ivy hired this David man to pretend to be Grace's long lost husband, and Grace had amnesia and couldn't remember the first half of her life, so he had no recollection of him at all. She even had David to use his son to be Grace's son. However, when they did the DNA test, Ivy blackmailed me to change the results or she would expose my past. I was ready to take the fall, but then she drugged Whitney. I still wouldn't budge and then she put a gun to my head, then she threatened to turn my daughters into drug addicts. And she had enough Crane power to do it. I was afraid for my girls, and I was so desperate not to lose everything that I had worked so hard for, and I was so weak and I did it. And I never said a word. And just recently the truth about the whole thing came out. And then today, T.C. was upset because Simone is gay. And he started to blame me for it, and then he started beating me. And that's how I ended up here." "Wow, you've really been put through a ringer lately." Marlena felt so bad for Eve, for all the pain she went through. She could identify with her on so many levels. "You have no idea." "I'm so sorry you've had to go through any of this." "It's okay, it's my own fault," Eve said wiping the tears from her eyes. "If I had only told the truth, none of this would have happened." "Well Eve, I think there was a reason why you didn't," Marlena said pointing out Eve's bruised forearm. "No, no," Eve said pulling back her arm. "T.C.'s a good man. Really he is. He just has a bad temper." "Obviously," Marlena said firmly. Marlena could not believe what a jerk T.C. sounded like. And Eve seemed to take his crap, like she was some sort of door mat. She didn't deserve that, and Marlena was determined to help her see that. "Eve good men don't beat their wives, they don't expect them to be perfect, they don't throw them out when they find out that they're not, they don't have them arrested for crime they didn't commit, they don't abuse them like this, and they don't disown their children being gay." Eve knew Marlena met well, but she knew T.C. longer than she did. Eve was convinced T.C. was a good person and she would let Marlena know that. "T.C. never abused me before," Eve said defensively as she stood up. "Oh no," Marlena challenged. She stood up, folded her arms across her chest, and faced Eve. "Eve what do you call throwing you out of your home and calling you the worst names in the book and letting your daughters do the same thing?" "He was upset. He had every reason to be," Eve said as she held up her hand. "Why because he found out you weren't perfect? Eve nobody is perfect, everyone makes mistakes and the fact that he expected you to be perfect is wrong. It is a completely unrealistic, unfair expectation to put on anyone. And the fact that he would do that says that he has some pretty serious issues." "You don't know him." Eve looked away from Marlena and stared at the floor. "Maybe not, but I know you. And maybe we just met, but I can see what he's put you through." "Look, I hurt him when I lied to him all these years, I ruined his knee and I made him drink and drive." "Yes, you should have told the truth," Marlena agree. "However, he obviously gave you a good reason to lie to him and you were proven right. And you certainly did not make him drink and drive that was his own choice. Eve let me ask you something, has he ever said to you before this that he was sorry and then began blaming and bullying you again." "Well yeah, after Julian proposed to me he said he wanted me back and then I told him I was in love with Julian, and then he found out Simone was gay, and he blamed me for it saying I abandoned them. Which I did." "See right that. That's the cycle of violence. He blows up and then says he's sorry and then it begins again." "He was never angry like that with me before Liz came to town. It was Liz's influence that did it." "Liz isn't here now. She didn't have anything to do with today," Marlena said matter-a-factly. "She may not have helped the situation, but if T.C. really loved you, he wouldn't have let Liz influence him like that. Eve, somehow you were able to live up to T.C.'s expectations before Liz came into your life, because he thought you were perfect. But what did that do to you? What did that do to your self-esteem? It had you so afraid that it made you do Ivy's bidding. It had you so afraid that you couldn't even be yourself. It had you so afraid that you thought you had to be perfect. And you actually believe that you abandoned him?" "Yes, I know I did." "Eve you said that he threw you out and took your sister into his bed." "He was entitled to his anger. He felt too betrayed to take me back. And he did ask me to come back I said no." "So he gets to throw you out, and treat you like dirt. Then you're supposed to go back to him, because he said so!!?? Marlena said trying to prove her point. "Eve, he was angry because he found out you weren't perfect. So what! You made some mistakes when you were younger, we all have. But that doesn't give him the right to treat you this way. You can't keep making excuses for him. You are not to blame for his actions, he is." "How can I not blame myself?" Eve said looking back up at Marlena Marlena could not believe what a doormat, T.C. had turned Eve into. She was even more determined to help Eve see the light now. "What is it Eve? Do you feel so ashamed of your past mistakes that you have to subject yourself to that kind of treatment? So you made some mistakes in your life, big deal we all do. I, for one admire you for how you turned your life around and overcame all that. I think that shows a lot of personal courage and character." "You do?" Eve was touched. The only other person she had ever heard say anything like that to her was Julian. "Yes I do." Marlena walked toward Eve and gently place her hands on Eve's arms. "Eve, you have the right to be less than perfect. And you have to forgive yourself for your mistakes. I mean you said that T.C., Whitney, and Simone said you ruined their lives and that they paid for your mistakes. That to me is ridiculous. They found out that you weren't perfect and they couldn't handle it." "Whitney thought she had made love to her half brother. And if I had told the truth she would have been on guard." "You said you thought the baby died. And that Alistair Crane falsified the DNA results. What happened was beyond your control. Even if you had told them the truth, what would Whitney and Simone have done? A DNA test on every guy they met? Frankly, if my daughters ever talked to me or treated me that the way Whitney and Simone treated you, they would catch hell from me. You have to forgive yourself for being human and stop blaming yourself for things that are beyond your control, and taking crap from people. I mean Eve if you were to go back to T.C., I guarantee you there would be more of this. You might not even me so lucky this time." "I don't know Marlena." "Eve look at yourself in the mirror." Eve turned around and looked at her reflection. She didn't recognize the person that she saw. She was a woman who was battered and beaten inside out. "Look at what he's done to you. You call this love? Look at how he's hurt you. It sounds like to me that you don't even love him; you're in love with this Julian guy. I mean, were you really happy with T.C., all these years? What if the situation were reversed, would you throw him out because he wasn't perfect?" "No." "Would you verbally and emotional abuse him and let your daughters do the same? "No." "Would you beat him? "No." Eve looked at herself closely again in the mirror at herself and at her bruises. She remembered Julian trying to tell her the same thing about T.C., but she wouldn't listen. She couldn't see T.C. that way. The truth she knew everything Marlena was saying was right. If someone had said the same thing to her before this she would have denied it, but now she had bruises on her face. She couldn't deny it anymore. She finally saw T.C. for exactly who he was. She put her hands on her face and began to cry. Marlena went over and gave her a hug trying to comfort her." "Sshh," Marlena coaxed. "It's going to be all right. You're going to be all right." "Why Marlena? Why did he do it??" she sobbed. "I don't know Sweetie, but it's his problem, not yours. At least now you see it and you can break away from that. I've been there too. My former husband used to abuse me. He almost killed me, but I was lucky to be alive and get away from him. Now I try to help other women who have been abused. But I was okay and you'll be too." "Well thank you for helping me see it." "Of course, Sweetheart." Eve and Marlena sat back on the end of the bed and Eve dried her eyes. "Do you want to press charges against T.C.?" Eve shook her head no. "I don't want my daughters to hate their father." "Okay, but if he comes after you, you'll need to get protection. You know that? If you need me to testify I will, but just to be sure in case some defense attorney gives you a hard time, I think it would be wise to get some pictures of your bruises just in case." "Okay," Eve agreed. "I don't have a camera with me though." "That's okay, I have one in my purse." "Okay." Marlena took a roll of pictures of Eve's bruises, and then she gave the roll of film to Eve. "Make sure you get that developed." "I will." "Is there anything more I can do for you? Is there anyone you want me to call?" "No I'll be okay." "All right. I'm going to give you the number to my cell and the number at the B and B, which I’m staying at," Marlena said as she wrote it down on a piece of paper. "You call me if you need anything, day or night, even if it's 3 in the morning, and you need to talk." "Thank you Marlena," said Eve said she took the number from Marlena. "You've been wonderful. More than wonderful." "Hey anytime!" "Listen, I know you're giving your seminar this week, so hopefully I'll run into you again." "I'd like that." "Okay. Oh and you won't say anything to anyone about this." "No, I won't. As long as you've gotten protection and you’re not in any danger, I'm bound by confidentiality. But if he comes after you or hurts you again, you'll go to the authorities?" "I promise." "Okay." Marlena gave Eve a hug. "It's going to be all right you just hang in there." "I will." Marlena left leaving Eve with her thoughts.
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Post by luisismine on Jun 26, 2007 19:36:18 GMT -5
First this is one incredibly well written story.You sucked me in from line one.I can't wait to read more.It's like everyone jumps right off the page and is so real. "Yeah, she's a gold digger and a nymphomaniac. That line made me .That's Rebooba to T.
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Post by luisismine on Jul 3, 2007 19:46:23 GMT -5
do I get more?
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jul 10, 2007 18:18:12 GMT -5
Yes, just give me a couple of days.
Thank you for all your compliments on my story.
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Post by luisismine on Jul 10, 2007 19:10:45 GMT -5
Yes, just give me a couple of days. Thank you for all your compliments on my story. I thought there was more...
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Jul 11, 2007 16:08:30 GMT -5
Yes, just give me a couple of days. Thank you for all your compliments on my story. I thought there was more... There's more. You'll see.
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Post by luisismine on Jul 11, 2007 18:24:04 GMT -5
I thought there was more... There's more. You'll see. I'm looking and I don't see.... jk.I really love this and I will wait for more...
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Aug 7, 2007 19:11:19 GMT -5
Chapter Five
Later that night, Eve had changed into her nightgown, and was standing in front of her bathroom looking at herself in the mirror. When she looked at her reflection, she didn't recognize herself. Her bruises were even more swollen now. Both of her black eyes touched her forehead and the top of her cheeks. Her whole right cheek was bruised and the bottom of her left. Her neck was swollen and bruised also. She even had bruises and cane marks on her neck torso, back, and legs. It was like she was looking at what she had closed her eyes for twenty years, and it wasn't pretty. She saw what T.C.'s abuse had turned her into; a battered woman with little self esteem, and who blame herself for everything even when it wasn't her fault. She felt tears running down her cheeks. For the first time in twenty years, she felt the pain that T.C. had caused her, but she denied was there and it hurt. She wasn't even sure how she was going to face people now, when she went out. They would wonder why she left T.C., and how she got her bruises. She knew she could cover up the bruises, but what about what she would say about leaving T.C.?
Eve left the bathroom, picked up a cold compress she had put in her refrigerator and tucked herself into bed. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and pressed the compress to her eyes to relieve the pain and bring down the swelling. Her whole body ached and felt like one big bruise. Her back was especially sore. It looked as though the beating had caused her to pull some muscles in her back, causing her to limp when she walked. However, whatever physical pain she felt didn't even compare to the emotional pain she felt inside. She was numb from the day’s events. It had been a harrowing day for her. She felt emotionally and physically exhausted from what had happen. Eve knew the bruises that T.C. left on her would eventually heal, but she wasn't so sure about the ones on the inside. The image of, T.C. beating her while she begged him to stop struggled to get away, was burned in her brain. She had been so scared that he was going to really hurt her, or worse. The whole experience haunted her mind. Never in a million years, had she ever imagine T.C., the father of her children and husband for over twenty years would beat her. T.C. had tried to call her on her cell throughout the day, but whenever Eve saw his name come up on the caller id, she dodged the call. She no longer trusted T.C., if anything she now feared him more than ever.
Eve's awakening about T.C. was sinking in slowly. She knew Marlena was right about what she had said about T.C.. A part of her had always knew deep down inside, but she chose not to see it. T.C. had abused her before today's incident. Throughout her whole marriage to him, she tried to do whatever she could to please him and make him happy. She knew he wanted a perfect wife, so she tried to be perfect. She also knew how disappointed, he would be if he found out she wasn't perfect. So she decided not to tell him about her past and played the role of the perfect wife. However, inside it killed her spirit and she died a little inside, when she couldn't be herself. It made her feel alone and unloved. She blamed herself for T.C.'s behavior towards her, because she felt guilty about what she had done to him. However, she never really thought about the pain he had put her through. The fact that he expected her to be perfect and then throwing her away when he found out that she wasn't, cheating on her with Liz, letting Whitney and Simone attack her, trying to have her arrested for a crime she didn't commit, and so on. She blamed it on Liz, thinking she was poisoning his mind against her. While Liz certainly did that, if T.C. really loved her he wouldn't have let Liz or Eve's past come between them. He wouldn't have cared if she had a past or not. The bottom line was T.C. was upset because she wasn't perfect, and never really loved her. She also saw that by letting T.C. get away with his abusive behavior, she had taught Whitney and Simone that that kind of behavior was okay, when it wasn't. No wonder Whitney and Simone treated her the way they did, when the truth about her past came out. They got that kind of thinking from their father.
Eve set the compress down next to her on the bed, and folded her arms across her chest and sighed with a heavy heart. Julian had tried to get her to see the truth about T.C., but she wouldn't listen. For so long, Eve had blamed herself for things whether they were her fault or not, that it became second nature to her. It blinded her from thinking rationally and seeing the truth about her life. But now Eve couldn't close her eyes anymore, because the bruises on her body didn't lie. Not blaming herself for everything was going to take some getting used to, but she knew she had to do it or she'd continue to be hurt.
She wished she had never gone back to T.C. after his stroke. The whole thing felt ridiculous to Eve now. She didn't even love T.C. anymore, and the only reason that she did go back to him was out of guilt and obligation. She saw now that T.C.'s accident was not her fault, it was T.C.'s. Julian was right when he said that T.C. made his own choice to let things go the way he did. He threw her out when the truth about her past came out and then drove drunk, caring so little about his own life that his daughter's would end up without a father. She didn't put him behind the wheel of the car or make him drive drunk, it was all T.C.'s doing.
Now that Eve saw that going back to T.C. was mistake, she also saw how unfair she was to Julian. She was completely insensitive to him and his feelings. He had every right to feel the way he did about her going back to T.C.. It wasn't her place to play nurse maid to T.C., especially when she was engaged to another man. Of course Julian would have been uncomfortable and upset by this. What was she thinking? She had turned her back on the man she loved more than anything in the world, for a man who she didn't love and who abused her. It was a huge mistake on her part. She wished she could turn back the time to four months earlier, and let T.C.'s nurses to their job, and kept her distance emotionally. Maybe Julian wouldn't have regressed.
Still Eve couldn't forget the fact that Julian did regress, or the horrible things he said to her. She could take that kind of crap of a lot of people, but not Julian. He was the one person she loved most in the world. If Julian hadn't regressed, Eve would have gone back to him and begged to forgive her and take her back. However, he did regress and she couldn't forget that. She picked up a frame picture of her and Julian that she set on her nightstand. As she stared the picture of the two of them she saw how happy they once were together. She felt more tears fall down her cheeks. She missed him, terribly. She felt heart broken, living without him. It was like a part of her soul was gone. When they were together, she always felt so safe, loved, and happy. Now when she saw Julian she didn't even recognize him anymore. Eve had never had never stopped loving Julian all those years ago, and she didn't see herself stopping loving him now. Even after all that had happened between them, then and now he still owned her heart.
She had tried to convince herself since her brake up from Julian, that the New Julian was all an act. However, she knew deep down that it just wasn't true. She didn't twist his arm to change, Julian changed all on his own. He had made sacrifices for her, when he had everything to lose and nothing to gain. Three years ago, when Julian started to change, Eve was still married to T.C., and he had absolutely no shot at all of getting Eve back. However, he was willing to help her hold on to another man just to make her happy. If he had been putting on an act to get Eve back then, why didn't he just team up with Liz to break her and T.C. up? Why not expose her past to T.C.? She knew very well that Julian didn't do that. And if he was putting on act why didn't he regress sooner, like before Eve's trial when she was thinking of going back to T.C.. Julian never put on an act. He was wonderful when she first met him all those years ago, and he was wonderful when they were together. It was Alistair who caused Julian to turn into the Old Julian. He would have never done it on his own. So why did he regress now? It had to be more than her taking care of T.C., she wasn't sure what. She didn't even know what was real or true anymore, or what to believe. All she knew she was heart broken over Julian and was all alone now.
She looked at the picture again, and felt more tears flood down her cheeks. "Oh Julian," she sobbed. "Why did you have to regress? What happened to you? What happened to us?" Eve pressed the picture to her chest as she cried.
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Back at the compound, Julian feverishly paced his room. It had been hours since he saw T.C. beat Eve, and there hadn't been anything on the video monitor since after he saw Eve leave the Russell house. Julian was going out of his mind with worry. He didn't know if Eve was okay, or safe from T.C. or the imposter, or badly injured. All he wanted to do was hold her and be there for her. He felt so helpless that he couldn't comfort or protect her. In the past four months he had scene a lot of excruciating things on that monitor. His relationship with Eve being destroyed; and his children's lives being put in jeopardy by Alistair. However, next to watch Spike try to rape Fancy in the mineshaft, nothing on it didn't even begin compare to watching T.C. beat Eve. He stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the room, as he felt tears come to his eyes. Both times he had been completely helpless and unable to protect the women in his life. It broke his heart to think of something that horrible happening to Eve and to Fancy, and the pain they must have experienced.
At that moment, Julian felt his rage turn towards to T.C.. He didn't think he could hate that man anymore than he already did, but he was wrong. It wasn't bad enough T.C. treated Eve like dirt, and had did what he did, but to hurt Eve this way was too much. How dare he hurt her like that! As angry as Julian was at T.C. for what he did, it didn't even begin to compare to the rage he felt towards him for beating Eve. Now he wanted T.C.'s blood. T.C. was not going to get away with this, not by a long shot. Julian was going to make him pay if it was the last thing he did.
"Okay, Russell you asked for it," Julian yelled out load. "I am going to kill you for what you did to Eve. You are going to pay and you are going to pay dearly. You're just going to get a little taste of what you've been giving me all these years. And just when you think it's over, just know it's only begun. As God as my witness, you are going to pay."
Julian sat down on the end of his bed and put his head in his hands. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. He should have been there to protect Eve from T.C., but he couldn't because he was being held hostage. Seeing T.C. beat Eve today, reminded Julian of when he was growing up and he use to see his father beat his mother. He remember one night as a teenager, he had just finished reading Sheridan a bed time story and went downstairs to the Crane living room and saw Alistair beating Katherine.
"Hey, leave her alone," young Julian said as he went to Alistair trying to hold him back from Katherine.
"Stay out of this," Alistair snapped at Julian, as he pushed him away, causing Julian to land on the floor.
"No," said Julian as he got up. He stood in front of Katherine trying to keep Alistair from getting to him. "I'm not going to let you hurt mother."
"Julian, I'm all right," Katherine said gently as she turned to him. "Just go." Obvious Katherine wanted to keep him out of harms way. However, something in Julian wouldn't let him stop trying to protect his mother.
"No Mother, I'm not going to let him hurt you," Julian said firmly. He could see his mother's face was tear stained and she had bruises on her.
"If you don't leave right now Julian, you're going to regret it," Alistair threatened.
"Alistair don't you dare hurt him," Katherine said getting into mother lion mode.
"He's my son, and I'll do what I like with him," Alistair growled.
"He's my son too, and I won't let you hurt him!" Katherine yelled back at him. She then turned to Julian again. "Please darling, just go," she pleaded.
"No, I won't," Julian said firmly.
Alistair then called some of his goons to come in and take Julian upstairs to his room and lock him in there. Katherine tried to stop them, but it was no use. The goons locked Julian in his room, and he couldn't get out to save his mother. Later that night Julian heard Alistair and Katherine yelling at each other in the hall as Alistair shoved Katherine into their bedroom. He now knew that Alistair must have raped her again.
"I should have tried harder to protect her," Julian said out load, as he came back to the present. "I should have found someway to stop those goons from locking me in my room, so I could protect mother." Julian felt tears come to his eyes. Alistair's abuse of Julian still haunted him even to this day. "People say sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. That's a lie," Julian thought as he wept away his tears. "If anything they hurt more." Alistair never laid a hand on him or Sheridan when they were growing up, because they were his heirs. So instead he abused them verbally and emotionally. Since the day Julian was born, Alistair abused him, telling him he was a sorry excuse for a son and other garbage like that. Not to mention he witnessed Alistair abusing Katherine. Not the rape, of course, but the emotional and physical abuse. After Katherine had left with Martin, Alistair's abuse of Julian and Sheridan got dramatically worse. Alistair blamed Sheridan for Katherine's death and sent her to school in Europe, and then tried to turn Julian into a corrupt Crane. Julian remembered Alistair's abuse of him got way worse than it did before. He drove him to drugs and to drink, and to survive Julian started trying to do want ever he could to please Alistair so he wouldn't hurt him. However, slowly over time it made him lose himself. It wasn't until Timmy and Eve came into her life, did he find himself again. And in the end he lost them both.
Even now, the thought of how his own father, could kidnap him, and keep him from the woman he loved was beyond him. "What have I ever done to you Father?" Julian said out load. "Why do you hate me so much? Why can't you just like me be happy?" Being locked up in this compound, he felt the same way he did when he was little boy when Alistair was abusing him. Lost and alone, and unable to protect the people he loved. The only difference between then and now was back then he was unable to protect his mother and his sister. Now he was unable to protect his entire family and Eve. Eve. He missed her so much. Everyday that he spent away from her, made him die a little more. The worst part was Eve didn't even know he still loved her. She thought he had regressed into the Old Julian. Now she was in danger from T.C. and the imposter, and he couldn't even protect her.
Julian knew that even if someone in Harmony realized that Alistair had him kidnapped, Alistair wouldn't let him be found. Alistair would probably kill Julian or fake his death. Alistair did the same thing to his Aunt Rachel, Luis, and Sheridan. Why not him too? It had been four months and no one even knew that he was kidnapped, and probably never would. Julian solemnly looked around the room. Were these walls going to be his life now? Was he going to stay here until he died? Would he ever see his beautiful Eve again? The thought of that was more then he could bear. "Why is this happening to me God?" he said out loud. "Are you trying to punish me for all my past sins? If so fine, but don't hurt Eve or my family. I love Eve so much. I don't think I can live without her." Julian busted into tears and fell back on his bed. He could endure almost anything, but not losing Eve. How was he going to live without her? It broke his heart, thinking of never seeing her again, or feeling her sweet touch. She was his everything, and losing her like this was worse then death. He just stared up at the ceiling as he sobbed.
"Julian," he heard a voice say.
'That's strange,' Julian thought as he continued to look at the ceiling. 'I thought I was alone in here.'
"Julian," he heard the voice say again.
Julian knew that voice, it belonged to-No it couldn't be, could it? Julian slowly sat up and couldn't believe his eyes. It was his little friend Timmy stand across the room from him. "Timmy!!??" he said in disbelief. "Is that really you?"
"Yes, it's Timmy."
"What are you doing here? My God you're dead. Am I dreaming?" Julian said rubbing his eyes.
"No, Julian's not dreaming. Timmy's still dead, it's just his ghost. He came here to see Julian."
"Oh my God!" Julian said with tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe it. It was really his little friend Timmy. Julian got up and went over to Timmy, knelling on the floor to give him a hug. Julian had missed Timmy so much, ever since he died, and now he was really here. After they embraced, Julian held Timmy back and looked at him. "Oh Timmy, my sweet friend. I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much. I think about you all the time."
"Timmy knows. He misses Julian too, but he's never left Julian. He is Julian's guardian angel."
"You are?"
"Yes, that's why Timmy's here to help Julian."
Julian hung his head and sighed. "I guess then you know what's been happening to me," he said solemnly as he got up and sat back down on the end of his bed.
"Yes he does," Timmy replied standing in front of Julian, and taking his hand.
"How did this happen, Timmy?" Julian sobbed. "Why is this happening? Is God trying to punish for all my past sins?"
"No, God's not punishing Julian," Timmy answered kindly. "God loves Julian, and He forgives Julian for all his mistakes."
"He does?"
"Yes, He knows that Julian had an abusive father and did the best he could under the circumstances. He knows you've changed, and he's proud of you."
"Then why is this happening?" Julian sobbed.
"Because God gave people free will. And Alistair chooses evil over good."
"Believe me, I know." Julian wiped away the tears from his eyes.
Timmy put his other arm on Julian's arm. "Timmy knows things how bad things are now, but you can't give up hope Julian."
"How can I not?" Julian said hopelessly. "It's been four months. No one even knows where I am, or that I'm missing. I'm losing Eve, and now T.C. beat her."
"Timmy knows, and Eve's okay and safe now."
"She is?"
"Yes and she still loves Julian. She just doesn't understand that she's been dealing with an imposter."
"I love her too. I can't lose her Timmy. She's my life."
"Julian won't lose Eve," Timmy reassured him. "Help is on the way for him, and you will get out of here."
"I will?"
"Yes, Julian just has to hold on for a while longer, and he'll be with Eve again."
"Really?" Julian asked in disbelief.
"Eve and Julian are meant to be together. It's written in the stars."
Julian felt more tears come to his eyes. For the first time in four months he had some hope. "Oh Timmy, thank you so much."
"You're not alone Julian. Timmy is watching over you and he'll be with you."
"Thank you," Julian said taking his hand. "You've done so much for me. Because of you and Eve, I became a better man."
"Timmy and Eve just showed Julian that he could be a better man. What Julian did with it that was him? Julian always was a good man; it was Alistair's cruelty that caused Julian to become the Old Julian. Believe in yourself Julian, and forgive yourself for your mistakes."
"I'll try." Julian wiped the tears from his eyes. "Will you do one more favor Timmy?"
"Of course."
"Will you watch over Eve and my family, until I can get back? And will you let Eve know that I love her?"
"Timmy will. Will Julian do something for Timmy too?"
"Of course, anything."
"Keep your promise about believing in yourself and forgiving yourself forgiving yourself, and be happy. And when you see Tabitha again, tell her Timmy said to let Julian be a father to Endora."
Julian smiled at Timmy. "I will."
Timmy will be watching over Julian and helping him through this."
"Thank you," Julian said all choked up. "I love you Timmy. I'll never forget you."
"I love you too Julian. Timmy will always be with you."
Julian and Timmy hugged each other again.
"Good bye for now." Timmy said
"Good bye Timmy. Godspeed."
Timmy turned away from Julian and disappearing through the wall.
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srhrobin
Short Story
[M:0]
[ss:Spring Break Skin]
Posts: 191
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Post by srhrobin on Aug 9, 2007 17:56:32 GMT -5
Chapter Six A couple of days later, Eve was back at work at the hospital. She had spent the past two days in her hotel room, trying to regroup from what T.C. had done to her. Her bruises were still there and she still was very sore from the beating. She knew it would take a few weeks before the bruises and the muscle aches would go away. However, until then she would cover up the bruises with make up and clothing. As for the muscle aches, she would write herself a prescription for some pain pills. T.C. had continued to call Eve on her cell phone, but she still dodged his calls. Finally, she called her cell service and asked that her number be changed. Eve was scared to death of T.C. coming after her. If he could beat her, what else was he capable of? She had called T.C.'s nurse and asked her to take care of T.C. while he was still recovering from his stroke. In addition, Eve asked that the nurse that if there was a problem with T.C. not to call her about T.C. under any circumstances. Now she was back at work, trying to act as though everything was okay. Early that afternoon Eve sat in her office, working on her patient's files. She was hoping to get them done before her rounds and Marlena's lecture. Christmas was now a few weeks away, and Eve was not in the Christmas spirit. She had now alone again, and had lost Julian. She wasn't sure now what she was going to do with her life. Over the past couple of days she had gone through the apartment ads in the newspaper, hoping to find an apartment in town. She was also thinking of possibility leaving Harmony all together. There were too many memories of Julian. However, if she move to another town, it would be hard to find work as a doctor, after what she did to the Bennett’s. That was another problem she had to face, of how she would support herself financially if she lost her job and medical license. She could always go back to singing in the clubs. Not or doing drugs of course, but maybe some nightclub needed a singer. She didn't know what to do about the whole mess. All she could do was wait and see what happened. Right now she couldn't seem to get Julian out of her mind. The gut feeling she had experienced for months was getting stronger and stronger by the day. Now she was beginning to sense that Julian was in some sort of danger. She thought back to her dream, she had before, about Alistair having Julian tied up to a steak. She was beginning to think that that dream was some sort of premonition, but she just wasn't sure what it was. She had seen Julian around town, but except for the fact that he was and behaving badly, she couldn't see anything else wrong with him. So why was she feeling like Julian was in danger? Eve knew that she and Julian had always been connected. They could always tell what was on the others mind or if something was wrong with the other one, without even having to say a word. However, ever since his regression she felt there had been a change in the connection. When Eve was alone and by herself she felt the connection, but when she saw him she didn't feel it as much. Eve missed the days of when she and Julian were a couple, recently and in the past. She wished they had been able to make it then and now. Both times Eve's love for Julian never seemed to die or go away. Eve remembered when she and Julian first met, how happy and in love they were. They had both done drugs and alcohol back then, but even under the mess they made they had a wonderful love. Then Alistair forced them to break up, Eve felt so angry and hurt by Julian that she tried to forget him. She even tried to convince herself that she no longer loved him and that she hated him. However, she was only fooling herself. She could never really hate Julian, not then or now. It wasn't until years later, Eve realized just how much Alistair tortured and abused Julian, realized that Julian did the best he could under the circumstances. That was one of the reasons Eve forgave Julian for abandoning her all those years ago, and for his past sins. What she didn't understand, was why did he regress? It had to be more than her going back to T.C. when he had his stroke. If someone had asked her, before all this, if she thought Julian would regress like this she would have told them no. She could see Julian being frustrated, but she couldn't see him turning into Alistair. She wondered if Alistair's abuse that scarred Julian worse than she realized. Maybe it made him more vulnerable than she realized. She knew Julian never had a very high opinion of himself. She did remember Julian saying that her love kept him from becoming Alistair. Maybe Julian didn't think he could make it without her. However, she also remembered before and shortly after the truth about their past came out, Julian said he would be fine if she went back to T.C., and that all he wanted was her happiness. It didn't make any sense to her. She wondered if he was having some sort of break down. Since their recent brake up, Eve had tried to do the same thing that she did when Julian left her years ago. She tried to forget him and fool herself into thinking that she hated him. However, she now realized she was no longer eighteen. She couldn't lie to herself anymore, into thinking that she didn't love Julian. Julian was the only man she really loved, the one she dreamed of, and the one she ached for. However, right now she couldn't figure Julian out or what the gut feeling she had been having was telling her. Her office phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. "Dr. Russell," Eve said when she picked up the phone. "Eve, it's me T.C., I --" Eve quickly hung up the phone. Just hearing T.C.'s voice scared her. She almost wished she could get a restraining order against him, but then Whitney and Simone would know that T.C. had beaten her. Eve would just have to make sure that T.C. didn't call her or know where she was living. She picked up the phone again and called the hospital operator. "Hi, this is Dr. Russell, can I get a blocked call?.... Thank you?" She gave the operator T.C.'s telephone and cell number and the operator said they would block the number for her. Then she dialed hospital security. "Hi, this is Dr. Russell; I need a favor"...."Yes, could you keep T.C. Russell from coming into the hospital?"...."It's a domestic matter"...."Thank you." She hung up the phone again. At least she would be safe from T.C. while she was at work. Eve finished up the last of her files and stood up to get ready for rounds. Then she heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she said. Simone walked in looking frustrated and worried. "Simone," Eve said smiling. "Hi Honey." "There you are," said Simone feeling exasperated. "I've been wondering where you've been for the past couple of days. I tried calling you on your cell phone, but I couldn't get through. And then I calling you at work and you weren't here. Where have you been?" "Oh I'm sorry sweetie. I had to change my cell number because some prankster kept calling me, and I was sick for a couple of days, so I haven't been into work." Eve walked across the room to put away her files in her filing cabinet. Simone noticed Eve limping as she walked. "Mom, why are you limping?" "I threw my back out the other day," Eve covered as she walked back to her desk. She hoped Simone wouldn't ask her anymore questions, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. She didn't like keeping secrets, but she couldn't let her daughters know that their father had beaten her. Simone had a feeling there was more going on here that met the eye. After talking to her father and now her mother, she could tell they were both keeping something from her. "Mom, what's going on? Why did you move out from Daddy?" "Did your father say something to you?" Eve asked. Her voice sounded worried. The last thing Eve wanted was T.C. to let on what had happened. "Just that you moved out without telling him, and that he doesn't know where you are." "Thank you for not making me look like the bad guy T.C.," Eve thought sarcastically to herself. Still Eve was determined not to tell Simone what really happened. So she turned back to her youngster daughter and gave her a small smile. "I had my reasons for leaving," she said. "Did something happen?" "No, it's personal. You just have to trust me." Just then Whitney stormed into Eve's office. "Mom, why did you leave Daddy??!! Whitney demanded as the door closed behind her. "What?" "I just saw him. He said you left him a couple of days ago without even telling him that you were leaving or where you were going?" Eve cringed. Things had not been good between her and Whitney again, ever since the truth about Ivy breaking up Sam and Grace came out. Now that she had moved out from T.C., it looked like it Whitney was even more angry with Eve then before. "It's personal Whitney," Eve replied gently. "I have my reasons." "You mean excuses. How can you leave him after he's had a stroke? Isn't it not bad enough you lied to him, but you now you walk out of him while he's recovering from a stroke! You're unbelievable!" "Stop it Whitney," said Simone. "Well it's true!" Whitney turned back to Eve. "Are you back with Julian?" she asked. "No. Like I said it's personal and complicated. I don't want to get into." "You have an excuse for everything." Whitney rolled her eyes at her mother. Then she folded her arms across her chest and angrily looked her Eve. "You know what you are Mom? You're like some sort of bomb, who destroys everything and everyone that you touch. I mean it's not bad enough you have a sorted past, but because of it, it ruined all of our lives, and we all have to pay for your sins. You broke Daddy's heart lying to him all these years, and ruined his knee. Then you cause him to drive drunk and have a stroke, and now you abandoned him again. Then your latest lie is that you helped Ivy brake up Sam and Grace. You know you're secrets my have destroyed my relationship with Chad again. I think he's cheating on me with another woman that he hooked up with when I was at the convent. If you had just told the truth about your relationship with Julian, Chad and I would have never thought we were half brother and sister, I would have never have joined the convent and he would have never hooked up with some other woman. How many lives are your secrets going to destroy? You're so pathetic!" At that moment, something in Eve snapped. "All right that does it," Eve said angrily. "There is something I have to say to both of you that's long over due. First of all, Whitney you cannot talk to me that way. I am your mother and you will treat me with respect. Second of all, I am sick and tired of being blamed for everything that goes wrong in your lives. And you what else? You are not paying for my mistakes. I am. And furthermore I did not ruin your lives. My mistakes are about me, they are not about you. But you have used them to hold over my head and as an excuse to blame me for everything, except for global warming. And you too Simone. Well it ends right here and now," said Eve as she pounded her finger on her desk. "I am not going to be your scapegoat any longer or feel guilty for things that I had no control over." Eve folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breathe. "You know, the way you two treated me when the truth about my past came out was horrible. You called me every name in the book, insulted me, and practically disowned me. All because I wasn't perfect. And Whitney you were worse. You slapped me more than once, for God sakes. And the things you said to me were beyond hurtful. Then both of you never even apologized to me for it. And I was wrong not to lay into both of you for it, but I'm telling you both right now that it's not okay and I am not going to let either one of you get away with it. You know I hope that one day that your children treat to you the same way treated me, so you will understand exactly what I felt like." Then Eve's tone began to get a lot speedier. "Would you two like to know why I lied about my past? I didn't trust your father, or the two of you. Because I was afraid that if I told the truth you all would hate me. And in the end I was proven right. You all threw me out when you found out I wasn't perfect. You know what? I'm not perfect, and I've made some mistakes in my life! Get over it! Now I am sorry I lied about my past and I'm sorry that you both were hurt, but that does not give you two the right to treat me the way you did. And I refuse to let the two of you act like you're paying for my sins, when you haven't. And as for your father having a driving drunk and having a stroke, I'm not taking the blame for that either. He did it to himself. He's the one who threw me out, and then when he didn't like it, he acted recklessly. That's right, I didn't abandon your father, he threw me out." Then Eve looked right at Whitney. "And as for you and Chad, am I no longer taking the wrap for that anymore either. You want to blame someone blame for that, blame Alistair Crane, not me and Julian." Eve then looked at both of them again. Her voice got lower now. "Did it ever even occur to either one of you that I've been hurt? Or did it ever occur to you that I lost a baby or just how painful that was for me? Or that I've gone through more pain then most people have endured in their entire life time. Do you even care? No you don't care. You've even said so as much. And your actions have definitely proven so. You've even accused me of throwing my baby away. I did not lose that boy on purpose, he was kidnapped from me. Kidnapped. And then I was made to believe he was dead. Do you two know what that feels like? That's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. And Whitney after you and Chad found out that you were not half brother and sister, you didn't even care that that meant I lost my son all over again. Now no one is happier than I am that you and Chad are not related, but at the same time I lost child and I live with that everyday. Did you two ever really love me? Or did you only love me because you thought I was perfect. Even now, I wonder if you two even love and care about me, or if you two just tolerate me. Well I don't want to just be tolerated. And if that's the case then I really don't want anything to do with either one of you." "Wow Mom," Simone said shocked. "Where is this coming from? Why didn't you say anything about this before?" "Because I was before, I'm not anymore. Now if you two will excuse me, I have patients to see." Eve picked up her stethoscope and left the room, leaving Whitney and Simone standing there with there mouth's wide open and feeling dumbfounded. As Eve walked down the hospital corridor, she was still in shock that she actually told Whitney and Simone off. The truth was it felt great. It brought a smile to her face. It was if a weight that she had been carrying for two years had been lifted off of her. Before T.C. beat her she would have taken Whitney's crap, but not anymore. It was a new day for her. After Eve finished with her rounds, she went to attend Marlena's lecture. She found it very inspiring. Marlena talked about loving yourself, and how to gain self esteem and self forgiveness. Eve took it all to heart. She knew it was going to take awhile to get used to not blaming herself for everything anymore, but she knew she would do it. After the lecture, Marlena talked and greeted with some people. Then she finally eyed Eve and went up to her. "Hi," Marlena said to Eve sweetly. "Hi Marlena," replied Eve. "How are you doing?" she asked feeling concerned about Eve. "I'm okay. I feel a little better." "Well you look better." Marlena couldn't see any of the bruises on Eve's face, which she had from the other day. "Did your bruises heal that quickly?" "No, it's concealer. I'm going to be wearing it for the next few weeks." "Well it's working." "I really enjoyed your lecture," Eve said. "Well thank you," Marlena said smiling warmly. "I'm so glad you could come." "Me too. Listen are you busy this afternoon?" "No. Why?" "Well I thinking if you're not busy, maybe we could go out for a late lunch and I could show you around Harmony. My treat." "I'd love to if it's not too much trouble." "No not at all. Besides it's the least I can do after you helped me the other day." "All right then. Let's go."
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