Chapter 4
Shadow watches Mark’s house from the secrecy of a tall and leafy tree. The same surge of emotions that caused her to retreat caused her to stop only a few blocks away and return. She decided to do what she knows she should’ve done in the first place, staked out the house. But now she’s doing it for a different reason, to see how Mark would react to today’s events. To her surprise, he didn’t call the cops. Well, at least if he did, they didn’t come out to the house.
Only an hour or so after Shadow re-stashed the bike and herself, a lady arrived at the home and never left.
“Must be Mark’s new wife, but who would marry that horrible man?” she thought. That was the only activity at the house for the rest of the night.
Shadow starts to wonder, “Was that really Mark? It looked like him, but I also thought that picture was me, just how good is my recollection of him? But he said my name so it had to be him. How did he recognize me? After all these years and that old man was crying.” Another thing that Mark reserved for only the women of the house.
“And he didn’t want the little girl to see a violent act? This can’t be Mark.”
Shadow is thoroughly confused and for the first time she wished for a flashback, to help explain what was going on, but none came.
It’s night time, Mark climbs into bed with his wife and turns toward her, “Dear, I think it’s time to talk about the lady who was here today.”
The woman smiles and says, “You mean the pretty lady in the funny costume, as Jeanie put it?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call the cops, for crying out loud?!” says his wife as she sits up.
“Because...because I deserved whatever I had coming.”
“Come again?”
“I told you I was a horrible and miserable wreck before we met. I told you how my ex lost her mind and tried to kill me and how my daughter ran away from home, never to be seen again,” he paused briefly to gain composure, “Well, it was all my fault. I was an abusive jerk with a short fuse about everything.”
His wife looks at this sad, tired old man as he explains, “I’ve blamed myself for every bit of misery in their lives. After Betty disappeared I became angrier and got myself in trouble all the time. Finally, I decided to get help.”
“I know dear, that’s how we met.”
“But you don’t understand, I not only ruined my life, I ruined theirs too.”
“It’s okay,” she grabs his hand softly, “So, how do you know it was her? It’s been years. She must be at least 30.”
“As many times as I seen those eyes cry. I know her disappointed look better than her happy one. Plus...she said she was here to pay me back for all the hurt I caused.”
“That’s even more reason to call the cops,” his wife pleads.
“No. You should’ve seen her in that ninja like outfit. It was straight out of the movies. If she wanted to hurt me, I would be hurt.”
“Well, what about us? What about me and Jeanie? She might come back.”
“I don’t think she would hurt you two. Actually, I’m sure. Cause she could have done anything she wanted. Plus she was a kind child, always trying to help. She wouldn’t hurt anyone, unless probably she felt she had to or someone hurt her first. And even that would be a big if.”
Thinking about the outfit and visible weapons on Betty, Mark starts crying, “What did I do?! I helped turn my girl into a monster!” His wife comforts him, holding him tight.
“It’s okay. We all make our own choices and you chose to change, to become a better man. Jeanie and I know who you really are and you have never hurt us and we will always love you for what you mean to us.” As Mark continues to weep, Shadow, who has been listening outside their bedroom window, climbs up on to the roof.
She wipes the tears from her eyes, jumps down off the roof and mounts her bike. All these emotions are still raw and new, but the rage that first drove her to this reckless mission has only simmered a little.
She looks back at the house one last time, “Well, at least I know where he is if I feel the need to kick his old ass.”
Then as she heads off toward the park, “Time to go to the park and kick some ass.”
Shadow, hiding in the bushes at McLaughlin City National Park, lifts up the seat of her motorcycle and pulls out a dress and casual shoes. She changes outfits in the scrub, complete with fanny pack. It doesn’t take long before a group of four men notice her taking a late-night stroll. Two of the men split off and run to circle her. Shadow notices and keeps her pace.
All the anger is making her pretty impatient tonight, she decides against going out of the public view when she whips up on these guys. Finally, the two men who circled around her approached her from the front, as the other two close in from the back.
“Hey, sexy lady. What about you and me and my friend here have some fun?” says one of the two men in front. Both men are smiling, showing the fact that between the both of them, they didn’t have a complete set of teeth.
“Come get some,” she challenges.
Expecting her to be what they like to call a “typical dame,” the men approach her in a loose non-combat, grabbing like posture. Big mistake. She takes out the four men in less than a minute. Kind of disappoints her, but it did let out a little frustration. As she digs into the men’s pockets, she’s watched by a very still and silent on-looker hidden in the darkness of a massive elm tree.
Shadow only finds $54 between all four men, but then again tonight wasn’t about relieving these thieves of their money, but relieving pent up anger.