Sharp

“Welcome back, love birds.” Tiffany is sitting on the dark antique chair with her arms placed on the arms rest. Her legs crossed and she was holding both of her hands together. Waiting for us. “Let’s talk business, shall we?”

We head over to where she was sitting. On the right of the room and we sat together on the love seat placed closest to her. Tony sat closer to Tiffany, as if he was ready to protect me if anything happened.

“What exactly is going on?” Tony asks.

“Alright, so the details that I know so far are slim but useful. We might have to call our parents to see if they have any new information. Let’s chat first though.” Tiffany takes out her phone and from the looks of it, she pulls up the notes up that was already filled with many words. None eligible from my distance.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

“I wrote down all that mom and dad told me. First, The Huntington parents have decided to have people go after you. They didn’t say who and didn’t say when. In order to be safe, you have to remain on this land, alright?” Staring at Tony with grinched eyes until she gets an answer

“Okay.”

“Alright. Second, they said that they would have the bachelorettes come into town to also help with the search. They agreed, whichever sister finds you first will have you as their husband. Creepy? Yes. Unpredictable? No. Which will make them even more driven on finding you. Realistically, they could stand in front of the gate until they see you honestly. Not sure what they have in store.”

Tiffany looked back at her notes and then eyed at me.

“Becca is going to be the only person they would least expect. She needs to go back to school to see if they go to school. It’s expected that they will be attending the school in this town. Since they found out that you attend the school too. Of course, Tony can’t go. But, Becca needs to go to see what their next move is. Try and befriend them or something. See what they’re all about.”

Tony was livid and I would tell he wanted no part in that. He wanted me as safe as possible, just like himself.

“Absolutely not! She deserves to be just as safe. If not safer. School won’t be a place for her to be anymore with the Huntington sisters there. They’ll sniff their noses where they can to find what little truth about me. From the last time I knew, many students knew I was talking to Rebecca. That I only gave her the time of day instead of everyone else. That makes her more of a target. So no, she won’t be attending back to school. There is no way around it and no way to convince me otherwise.” Tony placed a firm grasp on my thigh. Which felt like he was touching my actual skin since I was wearing leggings. Making me a little hot and heavy for him. The way he stood up for me made me want to do whatever he wanted. Made me want to go where ever he would go.

“Becca?” She looked at me, I began to feel unwillingly hypnotized by her eyes. “Don’t you think school is important? Getting good grades. Finding out more about these ladies that fancy you boyfriend? Try to gear them the wrong way.” Every word she said seemed to implant into my mind as true. As if I couldn’t think of anything else but what she was saying.

Yeah, I want good grades. The only way was going to school. I needed to know what these ladies were up to. Yet, I’m unsure how many there really are. I needed to distract them. They can’t hurt Tony, I’m only one to head them in a direction that wasn’t the right one.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” I agreed.

Tony turned to me then Tiffany.

“What the hell is wrong with you!? You can’t compel her into it either! You’re using her life as bait and I will not stand for that!”

“Her life isn’t as important as yours, Tony. She’s going to be the only one that finds out anything. I work at the school, I’ll make sure she stays safe.”

“You work as a nurse, your on the other side of school from all the classes. How will that help her if she has a class with one of them. Our hearing is only so good, you can’t dash to her classroom to save her if something happens.” He paused. “You’re disgusting, trying to use her. She is important. She’s important to me. I promised to keep her safe and that what I will do. Now! I demand you to compel those words out of her head! She shouldn’t be driven by your false narrative.”

He held up his body strong and looked like he was ready to fly off the sofa to tackle her, if she didn’t uncompel me.

The way I feel, fitting the description of being compelled. I felt like everything she had said is completely true and I needed to act upon it. As if my life goal was to go to school and figure out about them. The sisters. The thought of disappointing Tiffany could have set me into tears.

“How many sisters are there?” I asked in the chaos that would have arose had I not asked such a simple question. Tiffany looked at me in satisfaction then turned to Tony.

“Maybe you should have had her drink vervain tea or something. Would have been a smart idea, honestly. I’m not going to get rid of what I have told her. You can’t make me. I’ll rid her from this house if I have to. No matter how much love you’ll have for her, she’ll never be able to come back on this land. We need her as bait. They won’t suspect a thing. As long as she plays the character right, they will be fooled.” She then answers my question. “There are three sisters. All of which want your man. You better do a good job. Or else your dead.”

The jealousy was stirring in my mind. The thought of them doing after him made me want to clinge on Tony. I also didn’t want to be dead. I needed to do a good job. To protect myself. To protect Tony. I just needed to know how to.

“Also, their names are Alexis, Amelia, and Anastasia. Watch out for them. Also their last name is Huntington, if you haven’t caught on.”

“What am I to do, Tiffany?” I was engaged with what I was needed to do. I needed more information. I needed to know what I was suppose to do. My lungs burned to know.

“Stop compelling her!”

“No.” Tiffany said sweetly, “Becca. You just need to find out information. Figure out why they’re here. Even though you know as to why. You need to befriend them. Have them invite you to you house...”

“You’re absolutely crazy! They’ll compel her for answers! This isn’t a good idea and I don’t know why the hell you’re doing this!”

“Shh. Interrupting won’t make me change my mind.” She makes me focus back into her with a snap of her finger. Her eyes were all I could see in the world and her voice sang through my head. Ready to obey her every word. “You must befriend them. Figure out clues or ways to get them out of town. Snoop around if you need to. If not, just hangout with them until you can give me enough information about them. I’ll even try and figure out a plan to act on.” Tiffany words spelled through my head. I was ready to set in motion. Tomorrow, I knew what I needed to do. I had to go to school. It was important to do as I was asked. It felt like nothing else matter but that.

“I don’t understand this! Why are you doing this?” She pretended as if Tony didn’t say anything. I almost didn’t know he did either.

“You will also be expected to go home. Make amends with you family. You will do as you are asked and pretend you never met Tony, do it for his safety and your own. Be your innocent self. And don’t disobey.”

“I must not disobey.”

Tony was flabbergasted. His attempt to intervene of what Tiffany was doing didn’t help.

“Rebecca, listen to me.” He grabbed me arms and held me close to his face. His smell was intoxicating. “Don’t listen to a word she says. Everything she said isn’t the right way. You need to stay safe.” In the corner of my eyes I could see Tiffany rolling her eyes.

“It won’t work, duffus. You can’t uncompel my work. Especially considering I’m much older than you.”

Tony forcefull grabbed my arms and was dragging me off the couch and towards the kitchen. The hallway felt so narrow as I struggled to keep up to his pace. It was starting to hurt but I couldn’t voice my pain. Since he was going to fast. He opened the cabinet closest to the hallway and pulled out a handful of a dull purple plant that looked similar to baby’s breath but it has thin pinecones sticking out of them.

He then pulled me again toward the kitchen area that we sat while I ate. I forced the plant in the cup I used that had now filled with water from the melted ice. He swirled it around, making the water cloudy and leaving bits of the plant in the infused water.

“Drink it!” He shoved the cup to my face and expected me to drink.

I took a big glup as I was told to. I could tell he didn’t compel me. I wanted to do it since he seemed so urgent for me to do so. The water tasted like bitter water. Similarly to a dry black tea. Making only one gulp the only amount I could endure.

“I’m sorry, Rebecca.” He held me close with great firmness. The feeling in his arms were where I wanted to be. Unfortunately it didn’t dissipate the desire to do what I was told to do by Tiffany. “I can’t have you leave. I will try my best to keep you here. Try and fight the urge to do as she says. I beg.” I could hear him breathing uneven with the words he spoke.

For all of this to end. With me going back to school. Wasn’t where I thought we would be. I was expected to return home and try amend my relationship with my mom. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that. How was I going to convince my mom to care for me when she simply doesn’t.

I needed to befriend the enemies. It didn’t make sense in reality, but it made sense because my mind said so. Because Tiffany said so. The turn of events was unlike any I had expected.

The three sisters. I was jealous of their need to find Tony. Jealous of them wanting him so badly that they travelled states over just to hunt him down. It almost felt like a life mission to do what I was asked upon. Even if it hurt Tony now, because in the end it was to save him. Save our becoming relationship.

He was holding me so tight. I knew, once he let go. I would need to begin walking home. No better chance then now. I would need for a distraction. How would I escape his clingy grasp? Would Tiffany know when to distract him? So I could make a run for it. Deep down. I didn’t want to. But it felt like that was my only option right now. Nothing else was right, except to leave and go to school tomorrow.

“I have to go to the bathroom, Tony. Squeezing me so hard is nearly making me pee my pants.” I falsely admitted.

“Oh, I apologize. Go ahead. I’ll try and convince my sister to remove this cast she has on you.”

“Okay.” I smiled. The trick was to now see how I could escape from the bathroom. Or figure a way out somehow.

This time, he held my hand more gently. Leading me to the hallway bathroom. My hand felt so right in his hand, yet it wanted to escape so fast. To do what I was made to do.

“Come into the front room once you’re done. Hopefully I’ve convinced her once you come out. I can’t have you go into harms way. What she says makes no sense. I need you to stay here.”

“I understand. I’ll take my time to make sure you have enough time with her.”

“Okay.” He smiled and walked off to speak with his sister. If this was the last time I was going to see him. It might break his heart to know that. I knew, it was going to be awhile since I would see him again.

I shut the door, letting myself tear up a little. I didn’t want to leave him. What he said made sense. Yet I couldn’t break from the actions I needed to take.

I looked around the wall for a window. I opened the curtain to the shower and saw that right above the tub on the wall was a window. How was I going to be able to get high enough to get out? Nothing seemed tall enough to let myself up and out. The window was a sliding one as well. Not big enough to get out.

Looking at the seams of the window. To see how to get the window panels out, if at all possible. I shimmied the window to see if it went up or down to get out of the frame of the window. Which was how the window in her room worked.

As I pushed it as far down as I could. The top of the glass panel was able to ease out of the frame. The achievement brought a large smile to my face. The next window panel was just as easy to take out.

When I settled them down, I needed to make sure to make a little noise as possible. Since Tony briefly mentioned about the ability to hear very well. From all the vampire books I have read, they are talented with hearing. I can imagine that spoke true for them. If not, then I was just being more cautious than necessary. Which wasn’t a huge issue.

I looked around and saw a wicker basket next to the toliet. If anything was going to work. That basket would be it. If not, there was nothing left.

I grabbed it and gently placed it in the side of the tub the was closest to the window. I need to get through the window at all costs. The basket wasn’t strong enough for my whole body. But it gave more surface area to stand on next to the edge of the porcelain tub.

The bottom of the window reached the top of my shoulder. The tub and basket was not giving me enough height. Either way, I needed to figure out how to make it work. This was my only chance to escape. If this failed at all costs, I would have to find another way to escape. Which wouldn’t be as easily done.

I stuck my arms through the window and as well as my head. Which worked perfectly. Getting up and out was the part that didn’t come with ease. I had to try and grip my toes, through my Converse shoes, against the shower wall and get my upper half fully through the window. Which would make it much easier to get out. Below the window sat a bush. Though it was going to hurt to land it in. It’s better than landing on the flat grass of hard concrete driveway.

Luckily, the escape was much easier than anticipated. I got my hips through. After that point, my body fell out with ease. Falling into the bush after doing a half mid-air flip. So my back was the part that fell mostly into the bush. Creating a less painful landing.

I swiftly got out of the bush and began walking away from the house. I didn’t want to run, for it would cause more noise. If they were talking enough to keep themselves distracted. Then they wouldn’t notice my feet walking. Especially not Tony.