“Excuse me! Sir? Do you have a reservation?” Trudy shuffled the papers on her desk nervously. There was something off about the tall man in the dark suit standing before her. The motel doors closed slowly behind him, letting in a blast of cold air and rain that made Trudy shiver behind her receptionist’s desk.
“No.” He said marching by, slapping a business card on her desk. “Charge any fees to the company.” He grabbed the upper arm of the woman standing next to him. Her face was contorted with fear and pain, but Trudy could tell she was absolutely stunning. By the length of her skirt- the amount of fabric it clearly took, she assumed she was relatively upper-class. Trudy’s on dress was a bit shorter and thinner due to the fabric rationing brought on by the recent World War II. The man took her down the hall and Trudy looked on after her. The woman turned back and caught Trudy’s eye, just for a second. She looked familiar, something about her face reminded Trudy of her own daughter, Rosalyn.
“We have no vacancies!” Trudy lied, looking down the hallway. They were only a few doors down, and Trudy knew they could hear her, but the tall dark haired figure ignored her.
After a moment’s hesitation, Trudy stood up and followed the couple down the hall. She walked as quietly as she could, and the man never turned back. When the two stopped in front of an empty one-bed room, Trudy pressed herself against a potted fern. She wasn’t as young as she used to be, and she hoped her newfound tummy didn’t stick out from behind the tree.
“Melinda, please.” The man coaxed. His hand played with the charms dangling from Melinda’s bracelet. She pulled her hand back, looking repulsed. The name Melinda triggered something in the back of Trudy’s mind, but she couldn’t tell what. Perhaps an old school mate? She thought. But no, the woman was at least 10 years younger. Trudy shook away the thought, and watched with renewed interest as the woman spoke.
“No Mack. You are not Andy. You will never be him. Please, just leave me alone.” She began to walk away, but he grabbed the back of her small flapper dress’s skirt. The material pulled her back into place. She turned around, her eyes widening.
“Melinda.” Mack said slowly and calmly, as if explaining to a small child. “You and I are MEANT to be together. There is a reason Andrew died! I promise you, with all of my heart, I will never ever desert you like he did. I will never let you go. I will do my best to make you happy. For ever, it is my pledge.”
“You promise that? If that’s true, let me GO! I do not want to be with you! Please let me go.” She pulled with all her might and suddenly, Mack’s face grew cold, stone-like. He pulled her close. His voice grew lower and his words became sharp. Trudy couldn’t hear his exact words, but he knew there was a threat along the lines. He motioned to a bulge under his coat. Trudy couldn’t tell what I it was, but it seemed to change Melinda’s whole attiude. Trudy could tell the man was dangerous, but had no idea what was under his thin button-up coat. She had a feeling she didn’t want to know either.
Melinda gulped, and then nodded. Mack smiled as if he had just won some game and pushed the door open. Melinda walked in and Mack did the same. Then Trudy, whose fear was paralyzing, saw something terrifying. Melinda turned, just once. Her eyes found Trudy’s immediately, as if she had known the woman was watching all along. With cherry red lips, she mouthed the word.
Help.
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