Erica Spindler - Blood Vines

Sex. Her mother, Alex remembered. Naked. Spread out on an altar, a man on top of her. Riding her.

Rachel came up behind her. “You started to scream. I put my hand over your mouth, like this.”

Rachel covered her mouth and jerked her away from the opening. “Go back to bed,” she hissed. “And if you tell anyone what you saw, I’ll hurt you. I promise I will. I’ll do to you what those men are doing to your mommy!”

Rachel released her and Alex stumbled backward, away from the opening. She sank to the cave floor, and brought her hands to her face, feeling ill. Candles, incense and an altar. All the trappings of a religious ritual. The orgy in progress. She wouldn’t have had any frame of reference for what she was witnessing. No place to put it. How frightened she must have been.

It explained so much about her. Her studies, relationships and periods of promiscuity. She had spent her life trying to make sense of it all.

“Alex,” Rachel said softly, kneeling in front of her. “Let’s finish this.”

Wednesday, March 17

9:05 P.M.

Alex searched Rachel’s expression. In it she saw steely resolve-and regret. “What are you thinking?” Alex asked.

“I’m sorry I said that to you. I was just a kid, I was terrified of what Dad would do to me if he found out. I’m so, so sorry.”

Alex let out a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore.”

“Yes, you can. I want to be free. Don’t you?”

She did. Dear God, she wanted it more than anything. She squeezed her eyes shut, opening the door in her mind: a naked man howling, fully aroused… her mother spread out on the altar, bodies writhing together… springing away… Rachel’s hand over her mouth, the hissed words in her ear…

“Go back to bed. And if you tell anyone what you saw, I’ll hurt you. I promise I will. I’ll do to you what those men are doing to your mommy!”

She opened her eyes, looked at Rachel. “I ran, didn’t I?”

“Yes. But you didn’t go back to bed, did you?”

“No.” Alex swallowed hard, reliving those terrifying minutes. “I started to. Then I hid. Behind some barrels.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I was scared. I wanted to see-To wait for you.”

“You didn’t wait long, did you?”

“No. You had Dylan. You were hurrying.” Alex swallowed hard; she rubbed her damp palms against her jeans. “I waited a minute, then followed. I couldn’t see you anymore. Then I heard Dylan crying again. You screamed.

“I ran then. You were at the front of the cave. There was a group of robed men… they were all around you.”

Alex brought her hands to her mouth. “They took Dylan and… Rachel… they grabbed you and dragged you beyond where I could see.”

She was crying, Alex realized. She wiped at the tears with the heels of her hands. “I peeked around… they had you on the ground, holding you down. You were fighting, but they were too strong, there were too many…

“Your T-shirt, they yanked it up over your face. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t make a sound. But inside… I was screaming.”

Alex couldn’t stop the words, they poured out of her in a rush. “He raped you, Rachel. The others were cheering… laughing…” God, she hated this. It hurt saying the words, but she had to. “He wasn’t the only one. The others… after him-”

“Two others,” Rachel whispered.

“Yes. Then, you didn’t move anymore. I knew that was bad. I wanted to find our parents, but I was afraid. I couldn’t go back in there… I was too scared!” Her voice caught on a sob. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I’m so sorry.”

“How many, Alex? How many were there?”

She struggled to remember. “Five, I think. One ran away. One just helped hold you down. They teased him about it but-”

She looked at Rachel. “Oh my God, the first one, before he raped you, he said-”

“ ‘You want to know so bad,’ ” Rachel murmured, “ ‘I’ll show you.’ ” She caught Alex’s hands. “You said that in your dream, it was Clark’s voice. Was it?”

“I don’t know for sure, Rachel. I’d just had that confrontation with him. Maybe that’s why it was his voice.”

“What about Dylan?” she asked.

“He was there, on the ground, not far from the cave entrance. Crying and crying-”

“And then he stopped. Why, Alex?”

She fought to remember. “I don’t know. Something… Suddenly all but one was gone. They ran away.”

They ran away. Frightened. They were just boys, she realized. Teenagers. Like Clark.

She looked directly at Rachel. “I ran, too. But then stopped, and looked back. His hood had fallen away-”

Alex grabbed Rachel’s hands, squeezing them tightly. “It was Clark. The boy who raped you first was Clark.”

Wednesday, March 17

10:10 P.M.

Moments passed; neither moved. Alex kept ahold of Rachel’s hands.

“Clark,” Rachel said, voice shaking. “That son of a bitch. I always wondered, but-”

“I’m sorry, Rachel.”

“I’m not. I’m thrilled.” Rachel freed her hands and stood. “I’m going to take care of this right now.”

Alex followed her to her feet. “What are you going to do?”

Rachel didn’t hesitate. “I’m going to kill him.”

Alex wanted to laugh. It started to form on her lips, uncomfortable and inappropriate. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’ve got a gun, Alex. I bought it specifically for this. And I’m going to use it.”

Alex’s heart lurched. “Don’t do this, Rachel. It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it.”

“You don’t think so? All my life I’ve lived with what they did to me. I hid it away, shoved it into the deepest, darkest corner of my mind. Because I didn’t know who. I do now. And he’s going to pay.”

She started off; Alex went after her. “Wait! What about Dylan?”

Rachel stopped but didn’t look back.

“After I saw Clark’s face, I ran. Back to my bed,” Alex said. “What happened to our brother?”

“He was gone.” Rachel turned. “When I could move, I dragged myself over to where he had been, but he wasn’t there. There was blood.”

The blood the police and FBI found.

“Why didn’t you get help? Why not go to your dad or-”

“And tell them what? That I was spying on them? Tell them what those boys did to me-I was ashamed! I was scared! I didn’t know what to do! I-”

She tipped her face to the ceiling, fighting tears. “I thought… I hoped, Dylan was back in his bed. Who would hurt him? He was such a sweet baby. So I crept back to the house and cleaned myself up. I didn’t even check his crib because… I couldn’t. I prayed he would be there in the morning. I promised myself he would be.”

But he wasn’t.

“I can’t change that, Alex. And I’ve lived with it for twenty-five years. Helpless to change anything. But I can change this. I’m not helpless anymore.”

She turned and started off. “Wait!” Alex called. “What about justice for Dylan? Let’s go to the police. Let’s-”

“This is justice for Dylan,” Rachel said without looking back. “Who do you think killed him? Who did you see standing there?”

“I can’t let you do this.”

“You can’t stop me.”

She turned. Alex caught her breath. She had a gun; she was pointing it at Alex.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Alex. I have to do this.”

“You’re going to shoot me?”

“Only if I have to.”

“We’re stepsisters. Friends-”

“Clark and I are cousins. That didn’t stop him, did it?”

“You’re better than he is! Dammit, Rachel-”