The Town of Winchester

Grace and I head out the front door and back into the empty street and start to make our way back to my place. We walk in silence until we reach the front step, as I take a step forward, I feel Grace grab my arm.

“I’m sorry, Kay.” Grace says to me.

“Sorry for what?” I ask.

“For getting emotional back there. I don’t know what came over me. I remember my parents being so loving, strict but loving, and I don’t know what would ever make them write something like that to me.” Her eyes sink and look to the ground.

“Hey.” I say as I reach over to her chin and lift it, so we make eye contact. “Don’t ever apologize to me to for feeling your feelings. Okay?” Our eyes remain locked for what seems like an eternity.

She pulls me in, wraps her arms around me, and squeezes.

“Thanks, Kay.” She says as she pulls away and walks past me and pushes into the front door.

I trail behind her, my mind racing. I shift my focus and start looking more extensively than I did the last time. I make my way down the cream painted hallway with oak floors until I reach my bedroom door. I turn the knob and swing the door open to be greeted with the sun partially sunk behind the mountain. Instead of being delicate and snooping through everything, I start tearing everything apart to find something, anything, to help give us answers. I throw all the clothes out of my dresser drawers, nothing. I take all the books out of the bookshelf, one by one, and nothing. I’ve emptied everything, looked through every drawer and underneath everywhere that there is space and nothing. Maybe there really isn’t anything here… what if we never figure this out? Are we just going to be stuck here, alone? The feeling of defeat and frustration consume me like a surfer getting caught in a wave. I pick up the lamp on my desk and throw it at the wall near my bed. The bulb shatters, the lamp falls and hits the vintage suitcase pile that I used as a nightstand, and the top case falls to the floor and opens slightly. I walk over and grab the suitcase and place it on my bed so I can examine it further. I take a seat and open the suitcase slowly, as if I’m trying to build suspense, knowing that there most likely isn’t anything in it. All that is inside is a photo strip of four pictures and at the top is says “we go together like peanut butter and jelly.” I look at the pictures more closely and can’t believe my eyes. There’s no way. The first picture is smiling, the second and third are laughing, and the last picture… I slam the case shut and feel my heart pounding in my chest. A hot flash comes over me and I feel sweat trying to form and I lay down on the bed trying not to pass out.

“Kay? Are you in –. Kay! What’s wrong!” Grace says as she rushes over to me and takes a seat on the bed next to me.

“Yeah. I’m okay. Just in shock right now.” I say as my mind is in a million other places and I can’t get any of the words out that I want to say. Before I have a chance to even try, Grace pulls out a laptop.

“That can wait until after we see what is on this camera! I found this laptop in a closet downstairs. Let me see the camera.” Grace says eagerly.

I hand the camera over and Grace takes out the SD card and inserts it into the computer. We both stare at the computer waiting for the icon to pop up so we can watch the video. After a few seconds, it appears. Grace hovers the mouse over and clicks. The movie player opens, and she hits play.

“Those are my parents, but who is that man?” Grace says as she squints and leans closer to the screen.

The man is wearing a black suit and tie and has slick brown hair. He looks extremely professional and even has a briefcase you see people carry in movies when they are carrying something secret inside. The video quality isn’t the best, but the audio is decent and we can hear the dialogue between her parents and the man.

“You’re sure this will work?” Grace’s dad asks the man.

“Yes. I am sure. There is no better system on the market right now. If you want to test this, it has to be now.” The man replies. His voice is deep and stern.

“How long will it last?” asks Grace’s dad.

“As long as you need it to. However long you want to monitor her behavior and see if it’s actually true. There are no physical risks associate with the experiment, just emotional.” The man replies.

“Maybe we should not do this. What if this is just a phase and she grows out of it? You know that she will come to terms with God and he will put her on the right path again.” Grace’s mom says to her father.

“No! We are doing this. I will not have my reputation ruined because of some ‘phase’ that Grace is going through! I knew that girl she was hanging around was nothing but trouble and I want Grace to realize that she is no good and just a bad influence! How much do I owe you?” Grace’s dad says as he raises his voice to her mother and then turns to the man and asks.

“250,000.” The man says as he swings his briefcase up and onto the table. He snaps the left side and then the right, and the briefcase opens.

“I will have the rest to you tomorrow, and then we do this?” Grace’s dad says as he hands over a huge sum of money.

I look at Grace out of the corner of my eye and see her eyes are glued to the screen and are wide as saucers.

“Good. This system will show you that your daughter does not have homosexual feelings for another girl. I understand your reputation is critical and I will help you maintain it.”

The video cuts to black and Grace and I are both frozen. I know that thoughts are racing through her mind, as they are mine. She slams the screen down, throws the laptop across the room, and lets out a cry. Her head falls into her hands and sobs ring out. Something comes over me and I am compelled to put my arm around Grace and pull her close into me and console her. She leans into me and accepts my embrace, and it’s at this moment where it comes back to me. Everything hits me and I lose my breath. The summer nights, the beach, her room, my room, laying on a blanket under the stars, looking into her eyes and getting lost in her kiss. All of it hits me and overtakes my soul like a vintage autumn soul coming alive in the fall. I pull back from her and our eyes meet in a deep gaze. An unspoken wave of passion comes across me and I feel an intensity like never before. I slowly move my hand behind her neck and feel her soft hair fall against my hand. I slowly tighten my grip and pull her in, she’s not resisting me, and it’s like we’ve done this a hundred times before but this time the passion is burning hotter. We lean in slowly for our lips to meet and the sharp pain in my head comes back, and it’s crippling. The pain makes me cringe and my neck twitch, but I don’t care. No pain or feeling could stop me from wanting Grace, so I ignore it and pull her in faster to meet my lips. Our lips finally meet and it’s like all is right in the world, time stops, the quiet that already exists grows louder and the pain ceases. I pull back quickly and everything comes full circle.

“Gaby.”