The Mansion Where it all Happened

Trigger warning: depictions of rape

(The Pain of The Past Part II)

Heidi knocked on the tall, steel entry door. She waited patiently, rocking back and forth on the heel of her tan sandal. 

"Are you sure this is the exact place that the 'incident' occurred?" A woman behind her asked. She was short, with blue eyes that blazed almost as bright as the sun.  

Heidi nodded, raising her hand to knock again. Then, the door, revealing an elderly woman. She was shirt, had a gray pixie cut, and stared at Heidi through the thick, rectangular glasses she had on.  

The old woman stated at Heidi, confused. "Hello? Who are you?" The elderly woman asked, her voice dripping with attitude like beehives do with honey. Slowly.  

Heidi's therapist stepped in front of Heidi, as if protecting her. "Hello, sorry to bother you. But this is a place where Heidi here got raped. So I think that if she visits the room where it all happened, she'll be a bit more comfortable telling me what happened during the party." She explained.  

"Yeah, like I'm just going to let some people that I don't even know into my home." The old woman snapped. "Kayla be a dear and kick these people out!"  

"Coming!"

A girl rushed down the stairs, sounding more like Godzilla with every step. She stared at Heidi, her eyes wide. "Oh my gosh, Heidi, is that you?" She asked. When Heidi showed her the pale diamond-shaped birthmark she had in the crook of her arm, Kayla smiled. "It's so nice to see you! Are you still Miss Ambidextrous?" She asked.  

"You know it!" Heidi exclaimed, raising both of her hands in the air.  

The old woman looked astonished. "Kayla, how do you know this girl?" She asked.  

"Mom, she came to my party in college!" Kayla said in a whiny tone. It was true. Kayla had been one of her best friends, and she had tried to help Heidi find the person who'd raped her, but she didn't have much to work with. Every time Heidi tried to describe the boy, she began crying. Yet Kayla still tried, because, as she had told Heidi, 'she wanted to help her.'

●●●●●

Heidi sat on the long white couch, awkwardly clasping her hands together on her lap. She watched as Kayla embraced her boyfriend, and how her therapist was speaking to Kayla's mother. Heidi didn't want to talk to Kayla, because she would feel bad taking her away from her boyfriend.  

Heidi decided to look for the bathroom.

It'll be okay, because there's no party!  She reassured herself.  

●●●●●

A room with grey walls. History books with covers that looked brand-new scattered all over the wood floor. The bed was made, the navy blue covers pulled just below the white pillows. There was a white dresser in front of the bed, and there were seashells, pictures, and candles on it.

"Whoever sleeps here definitely likes our history." Heidi acknowledged the posters on the wall. Christopher Columbus crossed out - with the fake paint blood of the African Americans.  

"Wow! Glad you noticed." A boy exclaimed from behind her, making Heidi cry out in surprise.  

As Heidi turned, she saw the familiar blond hair. A feeling of dread crept up her back, and her chartreuse eyes widened. The smell of pina colada flooded her nose, and she froze.  

"You!" She exclaimed, tears erupting in her eyes. She shrunk into the door, her hands in front of her.

He's going to do it again. I'm going to be raped again. Please, God help me!

"Huh?" The boy asked, his blue eyes questioning. 

Wait, blue eyes?!

Heidi stared at the boy, her eyes wide. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else." She cried, her body relaxing once more.  

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean my brother. Yeah, you're the one he, ya know... r-raped, right?" The boy asked.  

Heidi nodded, staring at the ground. "He did rape me, yeah. Wait, your brother?" Heidi exclaimed, feeling the metal of the cold doorknob behind her, just in case he thought of following in his brother's footsteps.

"Yeah. Also, would you feel better if I reassured you that he died years ago?" The boy told Heidi, smiling sadly.

Heidi bit her lip, staring pitifully at the boy. "What's your name?"

"Jace."

"Well, Jace. I'm so sorry for your loss. May your brother rest in peace." Heidi murmured, loud enough for Jace to hear. She didn't want him to think that she was okay with revenge, even though she was.

I think hell would be better. Heidi thought grimly. But she held her tongue.

"Huh. I would've thought that you would be happy?" Jace questioned.

"He might've raped me, but I'm not a sadist." Heidi told Jace, her arms crossed.

Jace took a deep breath, leaning on the small dresser in front of the bed. "On my brother's behalf, I'm very sorry." He apologized, smiling at Heidi.

"You can't apologize for him. He probably isn't sorry." Heidi said, shaking her head.

Jace smiled calmly at Heidi. "I think he is. Besides, you're right. Who'll ever know? Because he's... dead."

Heidi nodded, slowly letting go of the doorknob and avoiding Jace's eyes. "Yeah."

"I hope you accept my apology, and maybe I'll see you later?" Jace asked, staring sideways at Heidi.

"Maybe."

"Okay!"

"Oh, yeah. By the way, who're you preparing this room for?" Heidi asked, although she felt like it was none of her business.

Jace smoothed a wrinkle in the comforter on the bed and closed his eyes. "My younger brother. He's coming here to stay, because Auntie said he could. You see, at home, he's being neglected by our mother, who's always out and about at work, so yeah."

"Well, thank you! I'll see you later." Heidi exclaimed, waving and closing the door behind her.

●●●●●

Jace fumbled with his jeans, finding his phone in his back pocket. He smiled, dialing a number. The phone let out repetitive beeps, and then a man picked up. He was grunting, and his breaths were short.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Jace asked, his eyes wide.

"Nothing."

"Oh, okay."

"What do you want, Jace?! I'm on the treadmill in the gym, idiot!"

"I think I found the girl. Does she have cocoa colored skin, green eyes, and long black hair?" Jace asked.

"That's her."

"I gave her a fake name, and she believed me. I got her." Jace said in a gruff voice, still smiling. His mouth twitched. "Just like I did six years ago."