Julianna: Chapter III
I flung an arm over my eyes to block out the light, and squirmed deeper under my covers. It couldn't be morning yet, I thought. I was tired enough that I must have only been asleep for a few hours, and yet.... The light had disappeared, so I opened my eyes a little. The moon? An eerie feeling crept over me, as if something was not right, but my thoughts were too jumbled… everything was so blurry. My head was pounding, and I thought I heard someone - a man, with a rough voice - yelling, off in the distance, as if in a dream. Suddenly the headache became so painful I was consumed by it, and I closed my eyes and succumbed.
When I awoke again, it was twilight. I raised my head up to look around, feeling disoriented and confused. The sudden, stabbing pain in my forehead brought back to me in full force the events of - was it the night before? - and I leaned over the bed and wretched, though nothing came up. I hadn't eaten for a while, obviously. Acid stung my throat, and tears stung my eyes as I realized the full reality of what had happened. Rolling out of bed - though my head and stomach objected strongly - I stood shakily, and realized I had on a nightgown… clean, no less. Strange. Maybe he thought someone would find me, and wonder… but where was Stanley? I dropped to my knees, shaking uncontrollably. What if he came back? I had no defense, and obviously I was no match for him. Plus, in my sorry state, it would be no difficult thing to… I couldn't think of that. I had to get dressed and… and leave. I crawled over to my wardrobe and pulled out a simple, cotton dress. Using the wall as my support, I stood up, pulled off my nightgown slowly, and morbid curiosity took over. I walked carefully over to the mirror and examined myself. I was hardly recognizable! I had a large bruise on my right cheekbone and a cut where the skin had split. My hair was so tousled and knotted it would take hours to comb out. Then I looked down, and nearly fainted. "Oh my…" I whispered. Bruises, everywhere. My whole right side was swollen, and for the first time I noticed a painful throbbing to accompany it. He must have broken a rib or two... Well, I couldn't dwell on it now. I pulled the dress on, taking care to tie it loosely. Then I pulled out a brush and began brushing the tangles out of my hair. I pulled it up in a tidy bun so I wouldn't have to deal with it for a while, and then brushed some powder over the bruise on my face. I still looked terrible, but it would have to do. Slipping on some sturdy shoes, I opened my door and crept out quietly. Tip-toeing down the stairs, I looked for any sign of Stanley, but could find none. Everything was in the place where I had last seen it. That meant he would come back, so I had to hurry. I grabbed my shawl off of the coat rack in the entry hall and opened the door as quietly as possible. "Daamed squeaky door!" I muttered under my breath. Closing it quickly, I took off at a run, finally finding strength in my legs. I had no idea where I was headed; I just had to get out of there. Mary lived a good 15 miles away... but I could make it there by dark, if I kept up a good pace.
Plodding along noisily, I was thoroughly exhausted. The heat of the afternoon hadn't made things any easier, and now I was not only covered with bruises, but also with dust and sweat. It was finally cooling off a little, and I had slowed my pace quite a bit since when I had started off. I was far enough away by now, hopefully… but I did need to make it there before dark. If someone saw me… of course, they would wonder what a young girl of 18 was doing walking alone, and some may even recognize me and tell Stanley. Or maybe Stanley himself would see me. I picked up my pace again and hoped I wasn't too far from Mary's. Coming over the long hill, I could finally see her house. Filled with hope, I began running again, and everything began turning upside down. In confusion, I stopped, and tried to find something to focus on, but everything was too blurry. I looked up and caught a glimpse of the horizon, and thought, What a beautiful sunset! Then the colors exploded and broke away and I found myself falling… falling… into the infinite darkness that I suddenly remembered so well.
I seemed to have been making a habit of waking up in pain, but ironically, I smiled at the thought of how many times I had awakened in 24 hours. I was in a bed, but it was unfamiliar. Not soft and comfortable like mine, and it didn't feel like home. I may not ever sleep in that bed again, I told myself. Well, it didn't matter now. Everything was going to be different from now on. I brushed a strand of hair out of my face, and heard, seemingly from a distance, a female voice cry out, "She's awake!" I opened my eyes to see if I could find the owner of the voice, and immediately closed them again. The light was too bright. I felt a cool, wet rag on my forehead and heard someone murmur "It's okay, sweetie, you're okay. Mother, close the curtains, the light is bothering her!" Suddenly I realized who was speaking and opened my eyes. "Mary!" I exclaimed. "Shh, Julianna. Don't get excited, you've been hurt. Numerous times, it looks like." She dabbed at my forehead gently and I moaned. Every muscle in my body hurt, but the worst had to be my head… or my ribs… or… Suddenly, I felt sick again. I swallowed it down and tried to smile at Mary, but it didn't work. I had been wondering, in the back of my mind, if Stanley had done what he had wanted to, but now I didn't wonder anymore. I knew. I closed my eyes and forced myself not to cry. "Jewels, I don't know what happened, but I won't bother you right now. Just get some rest, alright?" I just sighed and whispered, "Thank you..." Within a few minutes, I heard her and her mother leave the room, and I sat up. I still felt very dizzy and unstable, but I was tired of lying in bed and feeling like a victim. I stood up, then thought better of it and dropped to my hands and knees. I was still dressed, thank goodness, so I crawled over to the tub of water that was standing nearby, and immersed my face in it. For a moment the thought passed through my mind to just stay that way until, again, I became unconscious and then… I raised my head up and coughed, mentally berating myself for my thoughts. I crawled back over to the bed and used the sheets to dry my face, then stood up. I took a few tentative steps, then decided my legs were steady enough and went to find Mary. Arriving downstairs, I found Mary and her Mother in their kitchen, talking in hushed tones. I cleared my throat and they both spun around. "Julianna! I thought you were sleeping! Mary, get her some food. She must be starving!" Mrs. Moore exclaimed. "No… I think I've had my share of 'rest' in the past few days… or however long it's been. Tell me, what is the date today?" Mary looked at me like I'd just grown another head. "Why, it's the 10th!" "The tenth of July?" I asked. It couldn't possibly have been a week! I thought, nearly panicking at the thought. Mary nodded silently, then walked over to me, took me by the arm and led me to a chair to sit down, handing me a piece of buttered bread in the process. I winced in pain as I settled on the chair, and Mary threw her mother a worried glance. "Jewels… what happened?" Mary was kneeling next to my chair and looking up at me beseechingly. "I… I fell down the stairs, and was knocked unconscious. I guess I was unconscious for a few days, it's been longer than I thought..." Mary raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "Then what would account for us finding you unconscious on the side of the road near our house?" Inquired her mother. "Um… I wanted to visit with Mary… and Stanley had the horse." "You decided to WALK 15 MILES *just* to visit me?!" Asked Mary incredulously. "What are you, crazy?" I sighed, "I'm beginning to wonder." "Julianna, tell us what really happened." Mrs. Moore said. I frowned. They had seen through my story. No wonder… It wasn't very carefully thought up, and not very believable. I sighed, and began formulating another story in my head. I couldn't tell them what had happened that night, it was too shameful. "Alright," I said, "I will tell you the truth. Stanley came home and found me reading - you know how he hates it when I do 'scholarly' things like that." Mary and her mother both nodded in understanding. "Well, he was very angry, and… drunk. I suppose I was his easiest target." Mary turned a paler shade of white than I had previously thought possible, and for a moment I worried she would faint. "That's… that's deplorable! I can't even fathom it! We must report him, mother! He did this to our dear Julianna, and he will pay!" Mrs. Moore nodded. "Yes, we will summon an officer as soon as possible." "Julianna certainly can't go back there, it's too dangerous!" Helpless, I just sat back and listened.
"Jewel?" Mary poked her head around the slightly open door and smiled at me. "Jewel!" Startled, I caught my breath and forced a smile. "Sorry, Mary. What is it?" "There's a man here who wants to see you. I think it's the man from the ball!" I ran a hand through my hair and searched my memory… The ball. A man from the ball? "Oh my Lord." I muttered. "What, Julianna? Is something wrong?" I shook my head, "No, nothing's wrong. Please tell him I'll be down in a minute." She nodded and left quickly. I walked over to the mirror to check my appearance. Not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle in my dress. So ironic, considering the turmoil going on inside. Everything looked fine, except that annoying bruise on my cheek. Well, it was fading, and maybe he wouldn't notice. Not that I needed to impress him, or anyone. I was planning on never marrying - no one would want me. I sighed and walked into the parlor, and cleared my throat to get their attention. "Ah, here she is, sir. I'll leave you two alone," said Mary, and she hurried on her way. An awkward silence ensued, so I asked him, "would you like some tea?" He nodded, "That would be lovely, but that is not why I came." I raised an eyebrow. Well, at least he got straight to the point and didn't bother with frivolities. "Well then, Sir, what would be the reason for your… unexpected visit?" As I walked to get the tea, I felt a hand take hold of my wrist and I halted. "Julianna…" I shivered at his touch, remembering the last time someone had grabbed me… He was gentler, but… I pulled away, and instead of retrieving the tea, turned around to face him. "Yes?" I folded my arms and anticipated his answer. "Julianna, I know we've only met twice before, but… I do care for you, and I am concerned. Your eyes speak volumes, and they do not seem to hold a happy history." I sighed and lowered my gaze. "Nathaniel, I…" - I surprised even myself at the use of his first name, and told myself I wouldn't do it again - "I appreciate your concern, but I am doing quite well. As for my history… well, it is just that. History. The past, not present." He seemed taken aback at my coldness, but when I looked at him, his eyes held understanding. "Well, I won't disturb you any longer, Julianna, I can see that you are not ready to let me help you. I will return on a later date." He stood up and sighed. "I will show myself out. Please, take care of yourself." Too late! I thought, but I forced a smile and nodded. "You too, Na-… sir." He leaned over and kissed my cheek gently, as if to prove his point. "Good day, Julianna."
More Chapters
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Email: arionj@hotmail.com
