In-Between by MJ James

Author:MJ James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Autism, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, LGBTQIA, Asexual, Aromantic, Own Voice
Publisher: MJ James
Published: 2022-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was a few hours before they stopped. It was a simple stop to put gas in the car and accommodate an eight-year-old’s bladder. Alicia was still covered in the gory remains of the attack. Sadar had wrapped her in a blanket without wiping off her skin. Now she felt like an extra in a horror movie.

Sadar made Kenny wait in the car, currently a gray hatchback, until he had filled up the gas. Then he pulled the car around, so it was closer to the convenience store. He left Kenny in the car while he ran in. It seemed like only moments before he returned with two full bags and the code to the bathrooms. Even then, he dropped off the bags and had Kenny wait until he opened the restroom and made sure it was safe. By the time Sadar allowed the eight-year-old to get out of the car he nearly ran into the stall. Sadar positioned himself outside the door.

Alicia moved slowly, easing her body out of the car, the blanket still wrapped tightly around her. There was only one other car at the station, and he was focused on filling up the tank, so she didn’t worry too much about her shuffling gait attracting attention. Once she made it inside, she leaned back on the door trying to get the room to stop spinning. Finally, she locked the door and made it a few feet to the sink.

The mirror was a tiny square attached to the wall in a picture frame. It only allowed her to see her face. It was blotted with rust color splotches. She pulled out some of the thin paper towels from the silver holder and got them wet. Then she attempted to scrub. Her skin burned where she touched it, but some of the blood wiped off easily. Other parts looked like it had dyed her skin.

She pulled out more paper towels, dousing them with hand soap, and gripping onto the sink for support, continued to clean. By the time she had a mountain of wet reddish paper towels covering the back of the sink, she had only managed to wipe down her face and neck. Her skin was still too pale with a pink pigment in splotches across it.

Next she ran her arms under the sink, scrubbing them with soap and water. The water shut off after less than ten seconds and she was constantly having to pound the button to continue. Her head was swimming, and her legs were ready to collapse, but she looked a little less frightening. She gathered up the paper towels and buried them in the trash can. She did her best to clean up traces of the blood before she finally left the bathroom, the blanket still stuck to most of her body.

Sadar sat in the driver’s seat watching her make her way out. When he saw her slow steps, he got out of the car and wrapped an arm around her, helping her back to the side of the car.

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