Salvaged: A Love Story

  Mrs. Bennett put a bowl of popcorn between us on the couch, and we started the movie.

  Watching a horror movie with Mrs. Bennett in the room was like watching two movies in one, with the other being a comedy. She talked back to the screen as if Will Smith were going to hear her suggestions and follow them, and she constantly added her own dialogue when it was a horrible time to do so. Luckily, the movie became too much for her to watch, and she excused herself from the room, leaving us to watch the drama unfold in peace.

  I became completely engrossed in the amazing character of Legend. He was a noble man who tried to do the right thing, so much so that he lost everyone that he loved and began to lose himself in the process. No matter the circumstances and the uselessness he must have felt, he continued on his mission. Legend was willing to sacrifice his life to fulfill his purpose.

  I could relate to the depths of despair he was feeling when he begged a store mannequin to speak to him. He’d just lost his best friend, and all he wanted was for someone to talk to him. Maybe he longed for someone to tell him that he wasn’t alone and everything would be okay. For me, that one-minute clip was the most powerful scene in the entire movie because it wonderfully showed that everyone, even a hero, needs someone to talk to.

  At that moment I made the decision to agree to counseling with Joshua. I knew that I needed someone to talk to, and I needed to talk to someone whose pain wouldn’t increase as I tried to decrease my own. Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, and Riley couldn’t be the ones I shared my grief with because they each carried enough grief of their own.

  My attention went back to the movie. Legend became tired of being alone and was ready to allow the monsters to devour him—the monsters that only came out at night. He was going to let his enemy be the one to put him out of his misery, and he went looking for them so they would quickly accomplish their goal.

  Amazingly, just before the monsters won, God sent someone, another survivor that Legend could connect with and fight the monsters alongside. Although the movie didn’t credit God for bringing him his new companion, I knew that’s exactly what had happened. Just when Legend couldn’t take one more step alone, God sent someone who reached in, pulled him out of his pit, and joined him in his battle. Now that he was given a companion, the trajectory of the movie, of this character’s life, changed. And because of that change, Legend was able to fulfill his purpose after all.

  I looked over at Riley, who was totally engrossed in the drama, and couldn’t help but realize the parallels of our stories. I was haunted at night by monsters of my own, and just when I couldn’t take another night, another moment alone, God sent me a friend. He sent me someone who would help me fight my monsters. God sent me Riley, and I was certain that the trajectory of my life was changing as well.

  “Great movie, kids.” Mr. Bennett stood, stretched, and let out a large yawn. Riley and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

  “Old folks,” Riley chided while pointing his thumb toward his father.

  “Hey now, no making fun of the senior citizen in the room,” Mr. Bennett teased. “It’s way past my bedtime, and I’ve got to get some sleep. See you guys in the morning, and don’t forget about church tomorrow.”

  “All right. Good night, Dad.”

  “Good night, Pops,” I added.

  Mr. Bennett stopped and turned around to face us. “Pops?”

  “Pops, that’s my new name for you.”

  “Pops,” he repeated as he tried to decide if he liked my new name for him. He smiled and nodded his head. “I like that. I sound young and cool, not old and out of touch. Yeah, that’s a cool name. Okay, good night, kids.”

  Riley and I slowly made our way up the stairs. I knew that we were both afraid of what the night might bring, and once we made it to the top landing, we stopped outside Melody’s room to contemplate the unknown.

  As I took a deep breath and began to walk into the room, Riley put his hand on my shoulder and turned me toward him. “Look, you don’t have to do this alone.” He looked frightened for me. It was sweet.

  “Riley, this isn’t your burden. I’ve got to do this.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What?” I winked at him. “Are you going to sleep on my floor every night for the rest of your life?”

  He gave me a sly grin. “Don’t even go there. You might be afraid of my answer.”

  I chuckled at his sarcasm.

  His face turned somber. “We can give it more time, Charlie. I can stay with you until you don’t need me anymore.”

  “Let me try. I’ll be okay.” I tried to sound confident and reassuring. “If I need you, I’ll come get you.”

  He glanced into Melody’s room and grimaced. “You promise you’ll come get me? I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”

  “I know you don’t.”

  I patted his shoulder before walking backwards into the bedroom. I was trying to be funny, but he didn’t find it the least bit amusing. Giving him one last small smile, I closed the door and continued to walk backwards until I could see the crack under the door. I stood waiting for several minutes until Riley’s shadow finally walked away.

  I slowly turned to face the night alone, and like Legend did in the movie, I tried to prepare myself to face the monsters when they came out of hiding.

  (Riley)

  Wanting to make sure that I woke up to check on Attie a few times during the night, I set my alarm for three hours later, but when the alarm went off at one o’clock, my eyes were still wide open. I’d never fallen asleep.

  After getting out of bed I crept toward her room and saw light escaping from under the door. Slowly, so as not to make any noise, I opened the door and looked in.

  My heart stopped beating.

  I didn’t see her anywhere. She wasn’t on the floor or in the bed. I turned to go check downstairs but caught a glimpse of her red toenails peeking out from beside Melody’s dresser. Walking into the room and setting my eyes on Attie, my heart broke. She’d crouched herself in a corner between the dresser and the wall. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, and her head rested on her arms, which were draped across her knees. Her body trembled, and as I moved slightly closer, she startled.

  “It’s okay, Charlie.” My hands were shaking as I reached out to her.

  “Riley?” She sounded exhausted.

  I moved closer to her. “Yes, I’m here.” Stroking her hair with my hand, my trembling stopped as she laid her head back against the wall, looked at me with heavy eyes, and tried to give me a small smirk. “I guess I’m not as brave as I thought.”

  “Why didn’t you come get me?” I whispered. “Silly girl, I told you to come get me if you needed me.”

  She now gave a small, tired laugh. “Good grief, Riley, you need your sleep.”

  I moved my hand to her cheek. “You thought I was sleeping?”

  “Weren’t you?”

  “Not a chance.”

  She tilted her head so that it rested in the palm of my hand, and her eyes slowly shut.

  I didn’t want to rouse her, but I needed to remove her from the corner. “Charlie?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”

  She opened her eyes. They were full of fear.

  “I’ll be right back. I’ll only be a minute. I’m not leaving you alone, Charlie. I’ll be right back.”

  After she nodded at me, I ran into my room, dug through my closet, yanked out two sleeping bags, and laid them out on the floor before returning to her as fast as I could.

  I knelt down and touched her face. “Come on, come with me.”

  She was wedged so tightly into the corner that I was forced to pull her up by the arms to release her from the grip of her hiding place. Gr
abbing her hand in one hand and her pillow in the other, I led her to my bedroom.

  “Riley, I—”

  Assuming that she was about to try to talk me out of watching over her for the night, I didn’t let her get another word out. “This isn’t a debatable issue. I don’t wanna hear it. I’m not letting you torture yourself anymore.”

  Attie nodded and then without any warning walked up to me and put her forehead on my chest. She was beyond the point of exhaustion.

  “Thank you, Riley. I don’t think I can fight the monsters alone.”

  I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “You aren’t alone. I’m right here. I’ll keep fighting the monsters with you.”

  She sighed as her small frame melted perfectly into my welcoming body. After only a few moments, she relaxed, and her breathing became soft.

  “Charlie?”

  There was no response.

  “Charlie?”

  She didn’t answer; she’d fallen asleep standing up. I drew her in closer to my body and whispered into her ear, “Wake up, and let’s get you in the sleeping bag.”

  “Sleeping bag?” she mumbled. Her face nuzzled into my chest. “No, I’ll sleep right here.”

  I let out a small laugh. “No, you can’t sleep standing up; you need to lie down.”

  Slowly and wobbly she pulled away from me, but rather than get into the sleeping bag, she climbed into my bed.

  “Charlie? That’s my bed. We need to sleep on the floor.”

  It was useless; she was already asleep.

  Making myself comfortable on the floor, I listened to her breathing until I drifted off to sleep.

  I was near, and no more monsters would come for her tonight.

  chapter 9

  (Attie)

  “It’s not like that.”

  “This is inappropriate. You’re seventeen, Riley. Sleeping with Attie next to you every night is asking for trouble.”

  “Dad, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t tell me that I don’t know what I’m talkin’ about.”

  “You’re right; I’m sorry. But I don’t think you understand.”

  “Son—”

  “You don’t see it; you don’t see the terror she lives through at night. I feel compelled to help her. She needs me. Nothing’s gonna happen. Trust me, please.”

  “I don’t know, Riley.”

  “She needs someone to pull her out of the nightmares. It’s torture for her. I’m just trying to help. There are no ulterior motives here. I swear, and she certainly doesn’t have any romantic feelings toward me. Really, you don’t need to worry.”

  “Okay, son, but you watch yourself.”

  It was silent for a few moments.

  “You do know that she’s eventually gonna have to face this alone?”

  “I realize that, Dad, but don’t you think she should have the chance to get some counseling done first, start working through it all?”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “Please trust me. I need to help her walk through this. I know it sounds extreme, but I believe that’s why she’s here. I believe God brought her here this summer—because she needs me.” His voice was tender.

  “You’re taking on a lot here, Riley. She’s got a lot to process, and you still haven’t finished walking through your own grief.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, do you also know that your mom’s gonna kill me if she finds out that I allowed this? She could have a heart attack right on the spot.” Pops was almost joking.

  “I know.”

  “And Eddie, what in God’s name am I gonna say to him? ‘Uh, hello, Eddie, uh, I just thought you might wanna know that while your sixteen-year-old daughter is living with us I’m letting her sleep with my seventeen-year-old son.”

  “Well, when you say it like that—”

  “Not a word of this to your mother, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “If you get caught, I didn’t know a thing.”

  “I understand.”

  “You better be a gentleman.”

  “I will.”

  “I swear, Riley, you lay one finger on that girl and—”

  “Dad, seriously, trust me.”

  I could hear Pops begin walking back down the stairs. “The door stays open at all times. You hear me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  A few moments later Riley was back in his room.

  I looked at him apologetically. “I got you in trouble, didn’t I? I’m so sorry.”

  “Nah, he’s fine now.” He shrugged. “He came upstairs to wake us up for church and there you were in my bed. I think his imagination went a little wild.”

  “Oh yes, I guess that would be quite a shock.”

  He smiled encouragingly at me. “I explained everything to him, and he’s fine now. Really, don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Okay.” I lay in bed and watched him start to roll up the sleeping bags, but I didn’t move. “You know, you can be sweet when you want.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Do me a favor, and don’t tell a soul. I’d never hear the end of it from the guys.”

  I nodded at him. “Deal. I’m sorry I fell asleep in your bed. I don’t know how that happened.”

  “You’re one stubborn girl, Charlie, even when you’re asleep.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  He cocked his head as his eyes squinted slightly.

  “Nobody has told me I’m stubborn in my sleep, just that I’m stubborn,” I clarified. “Trust me. I’ve never slept in a bed with someone before.”

  “Me either.”

  “No?”

  “No. Now get out of my room.” He winked at me. “You don’t live in here for cryin’ out loud.”

  After everyone finished getting ready, we all piled out of the house and headed off for church.

  “I’m gonna take Attie in my car with me.”

  “Riley,” Pops said sternly. “Remember our talk?” Although he thought that he was talking cryptically, I heard an accusation in the tone of his voice.

  “Dad, settle down. It’s no big deal. Some of the kids usually get together for lunch after church. I was hoping that I could take Attie and she could get to know some people.”

  Pops nodded. “All right, I guess.”

  Riley merely snickered at him as he opened the car door for me and I climbed in.

  As he walked around the front of the car on his way to the driver’s side, he looked at me through the windshield and gave a big grin. My eyes followed him until he climbed into the car and buckled up.

  “Are you a good driver?”

  “I’m an excellent driver,” he said in a strange voice.

  “Pardon?”

  “Oh, come on!” He was shocked that I didn’t understand the joke. “Rainman? The movie Rainman?” His eyebrows rose.

  I shook my head.

  “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen Rainman. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise? Gosh, we’ve got to rent that movie. You’ll love it.”

  “I’m not a Tom Cruise fan. I think he’s a little strange.”

  Come to think of it, I wasn’t one to talk.

  “Yeah, I know, but this was pre-Oprah freak-out. You know, Top Gun days.”

  I remained silent.

  “Seriously, you haven’t seen Top Gun either?”

  “No, sorry.” I felt bad about it for some reason.

  “What am I gonna do with you? I mean, all those nights of staying awake and you didn’t bother to watch any classic movies?”

  “Are movies from the
eighties considered classics?”

  “To me they are.”

  “I’ll give it a better effort.” I laughed. “I promise.”

  He looked over and winked at me. “Good.”

  “Eyes on the road, Riley Bennett,” I warned as I pointed out the front window.

  “Oh.” He looked back at the road in front of him and laughed. “Good grief, Charlie, my hands are sweating. Having you in the car is making me a nervous wreck. It’s like I’m carrying precious cargo or something.”

  I laughed at his misery. “You are; I’m pretty darn precious if I may say so myself.”

  He rolled his eyes but smirked. “You have no idea.”

  “You do realize that you so much as hit a curb and I could very well have a breakdown.”

  “Lord, help me!” He laughed. “In that case you better wipe my brow. I’m freakin’ sweatin’ bullets over here. We’ve got to get your driver’s license.”

  “Good luck. I’m the world’s worst driver. Looks like you’ll have to carry the burden a bit longer.”

  “Last night you told me not to carry your burdens.”

  “We’ll have to make an exception in this particular instance.”

  “Works for me; I’ll carry any burden you ask.”

  Leaning over, I kissed him on the cheek. “Such a sweet boy.”

  The car jerked slightly.

  “Riley!”

  He was laughing. “Don’t do that while I’m driving or we really will wreck. Shame on you, getting me all hot and bothered like that.”

  “Yeah right. Just drive.”

  chapter 10

  Church service was fantastic. I hadn’t been to church since before Mom died, so all of my time with the Lord had been alone in my room.

  After the accident, as I drew closer to God, my dad pulled away from him. Growing up my Gramps’s son, Dad was always at church, so he had a strong spiritual foundation and was saved at the age of eight. I knew Dad would eventually come back around. He’d be another sheep found by his shepherd and returned to the fold.

  “Attie!” I heard a voice call my name and turned to see Anne in the back of the sanctuary motioning for me to join her. As I went toward her I noticed two girls standing beside her, and all of their eyes were on me as I made my way to join them. The three girls could not have looked more different.