“Fine! Call me when you’re ready for me to come get you.” Back at the house, I took a quick shower before heading down to the training room to get dirty again. It’s been a few days since I worked out, which is one of the only ways I know of to help me relax.
An hour later, I decided to take part in another favorite pastime that I’d been neglecting these past few days as well. Meditation takes me out of myself for a while, helps clear my mind, and keeps me grounded. I was very aware, though, of the fact that she hadn’t called as yet though it was still early, just a little before dinner.
I was just coming down from my meditative state when I heard her scream come through the monitor. I’m not sure what it was, maybe the fact that I’d been in a relaxed state or the horror in her voice, whichever it was, I left the room at a run, feet bare, and headed outside where I jumped into the first vehicle I came to in the garage, which happened to be one of Pop's. Thank heaven he likes to leave the keys in the ignition even when not in use.
I heard Pop call out to me but didn’t stop to answer as I peeled out of the driveway. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. There was too much fear in my lungs to speak.
GABRIEL
I pulled into her driveway in less than half the time it should’ve taken and barely remembered to turn off the engine before jumping from the car. My heart was racing faster than it ever had before, and the few steps it took to get to her front door felt like an eternity.
The door didn’t give after the first two shoulder checks, so I used the strength of my thigh to break it down and head for the stairs. Once upstairs, I followed the sound of voices coming from down the hallway, and the words that reached me just before I made it to the doorway stopped my heart and made my knees weak.
“I guess you won’t be going to New York this weekend after all.” That sounded like Victoria, but the truth is I couldn’t seem to make sense of anything at the moment. Though I felt the icy cold calm I’ve experienced in the past when my emotions surpassed anger, it’s never been this razor-sharp.
It felt almost as if I had astral projected and my soul and body were separated. I’m cognizant of what’s going on around me but not quite a part of it. Things seemed to have sped up, and yet they were moving too slow. I wasn’t getting to her fast enough. Instead of screams, Gianna was now making the most pitiful sounds I’ve ever heard come out of a human.
I came out of my fugue state and rushed into the room where I took in the scene at a glance. Victoria and her mother stood in the middle of the room hovering over a whimpering Gianna, who sat on the floor. “Gianna!” The mother looked around in shocked surprise at the sound of my voice.
“What the hell? How did you get in here?” I ignored her and moved to kneel beside Gianna. There was no sign of blood, no obvious injury when I ran my hands over her limbs for a quick check, but she was shaking like a leaf and rubbing her hands hard enough to remove the skin. It’s like she didn’t even hear me come in, and those noises… I had to clench my fists to bring myself back under control just so I could get through the next few seconds.
“Gianna, baby, look at me.” I was so scared the words were barely above a whisper. My hand shook when I touched her hair. I was only going to lift her head so that I could see her face, but her hair felt odd beneath my palm. It was then I noticed the odd-looking white film on her beautiful black tresses.
“What happened to your hair?”
“Gl-glue.”
“Someone put glue in your hair?” My ears started ringing so loud I barely heard the story she told of going to take her shower and reaching for the shampoo only to cover the better part of the top of her head with glue.
“Get dressed, come on.” As if just now remembering her state of undress, she tried covering herself with her arms until she remembered that her hands were covered in drying glue. Glue I can deal with. My mind was already moving ahead to what needed to be done.
“You can’t be in here. I don’t understand how you even got in here.” Once again, I ignored the mother as I helped Gianna up from the floor. She walked over to the bed and grabbed the clothes she’d laid out there. “Get out!” I stopped between the two of them when I gave the order, and it took one look for each to get them moving.