Tainted

Rachel was worried sick. She paced up and down the living room with the phone in one hand pressed to her ear whilst contorting the other into whatever shape reflected her inner frustrations. Gemma was on the other end of the phone, she’d phoned Rachel to tell her Hazel was missing. Gemma was in hysterics which didn’t sooth Rachel’s own panic for her missing sister. “I know, well yeah I already know Gemma,” she was trying to be patient; she’d barely been able to get a word in.

“You tried ringing her?” it was an obvious question to ask and Rachel knew that but one people didn’t fail to ask whilst in a tense situation. “Well how can I when I’m on the phone with you?” she stressed in response to Gemma repeating the question she’d asked to her. Gemma hadn’t got off the line to let her even try. Up until Gemma had called Rachel was unaware of any problem but she was feeling increasingly uneasy after all Hazel had been through a lot these last few years more than most could bear.

She was always worried that one day it might eventually take its toll on her so she’d been taking care of her. Perhaps at times obsessing a little too much about her wellbeing but it was all in her best interests, to keep her safe. She also knew Gemma was aware of all what had happened so understood why she was so anxious to know where Hazel was but even if Rachel could do anything she couldn’t because Gemma wouldn’t get off the line.

At that point she heard the front door handle clink down followed by the opening of the door. Hazel stepped into the lobby looking out of sorts and feeling a little tired. Rachel poked her head out from the living room to see her sister standing there just about to close the door behind her. “Hold up she’s just walked in now,” she told Gemma delightedly. She covered the mouth piece with her other hand and whispered to Hazel, “Gemma”.

Hazel suddenly realised that she’d forgotten all about Gemma, she’d never arrived at the pub. After what had just happened to her everything else had just gone out of the window although a stiff drink might have actually been what she’d really needed. “Yeah listen Gem she’ll ring you back later –“Rachel sounded a lot more relieved. She was, the second she saw her sister standing there safe and well. She had gone over the top at times with her caring of Hazel and she knew Hazel resented it at times so for her benefit Rachel tried to sound less concerned than she actually had been.

“I don’t know but I’m sure she’ll tell you herself,” Rachel continued. She just wanted to get rid of Gemma now so she could speak to Hazel. “Yeah. Bye. Bye. Goodbye Gemma.” She put the phone down and tried to make out Gemma had been doing all the worrying. “She asks too many stupid questions. How am I supposed to know where you are? As far as I was concerned you were out with her.” Hazel knew it was all a sweet bluff, any minute now the inquest would begin.

Even though she knew it was born out of love and that no one would protect her more willingly now was not the time to be mollycoddled. She crashed onto the settee and tried to block out her thoughts. “What’s up with you? You look terrible,” Rachel asked noticing how shattered and out of it her sister looked.

“Thanks,” muttered Hazel attempting a smirk but her mouth muscles refused to oblige.

 “No seriously are you alright?” the concern began to creep its way into Rachel’s voice, the bluff never did last for long. “What’s wrong? Gemma said you were supposed to meet her at the pub”. Hazel ran her fingers through her long, black hair stroking her way down till she reached her neck.

 “I completely forgot. I’ll have to call her later.”

“A cup of tea. You need a cup of tea,” insisted Rachel.

“No I don’t feel like one,” replied Hazel more than a little preoccupied. “Hazel what’s wrong?” How did she reply to that question? She didn’t know where to start. She was unsure about what had happened herself. She’d wandered around for over an hour, maybe two trying to take it all in. She couldn’t really remember where she’d walked or taken any notice of faces that had past her by. From the second she escaped through that window it had been about getting away then absorbing the facts and trying to make sense of it.

Thinking about it, the pub was where she should have gone. It was safe, full of people . . . But was it? What if Mr Willis had suddenly turned up searching for her? She didn’t even know why Mr Willis had been tied up by this stranger never mind who he really was. “I don’t really understand,” she stuttered. “One minute it was all normal then the next.” Rachel could see the distress was not allowing her to speak clearly.

 “You’re not making sense. Start at the beginning,” she instructed. Hazel paused and took a deep breath.

“I’ve been attacked.” Rachel’s natural reaction was to gasp. “What? By who? Where?” the questions just spilled out of her mouth like water gushing from a waterfall.

“At the college,” Hazel answered numbly. She felt no emotion what so ever, as confusing as it all was she was just feeling tired.

“Oh my God. They didn’t hurt you did they?” she wrapped her arms round Hazel tightly and squeezed.

 “No, I’m fine. He wasn’t on me for long enough to really hurt me,” Hazel lied feeling slightly sore in places now Rachel was hugging her.

 “He?” Rachel retracted her embrace and straightened her spine like a defensive cat ready to strike. “A man did this to you?” she was incensed. “He didn’t force himself on you did he?”

 “No, no nothing like that he just went wild,” Hazel assured.

“Did you get a good look at him?” Rachel asked zealously. She was genuinely aching inside having to ask these questions. She had major issues with men but this was her sister now that was the victim not her. A sister she’d sworn to protect. “Did you notice what he was wearing?” she continued as she picked up a pen and paper and bit the pen lid off with her teeth.

“It was my art teacher,” answered Hazel only realising by saying it how shocking it was for someone else to hear. Rachel looked at her with surprising anger.

“Your art teacher?” she could barely believe what she had just heard. “Oh no he’s not getting away with that, we’ll get him struck off!” She furiously began to write on the paper but Hazel had no idea what she had written.

“I don’t think he’ll be coming back to –“she tried to ease her sisters concern but was cut off by an incensed Rachel.

“No Hazel no way,” she knew Hazel was trying to play it down. “We report this right now to the police. He thinks because he’s a man in a position of authority he can just –“

“It’s not about him being a man,” interrupted Hazel knowing full well what was coming and she was sick of it. She was just trying to come to terms with the evening herself and the last thing she wanted was her sister twisting it as part of a vendetta she had in her blinked crusade against the male sex. “Why do you always make it about being a man?” She hadn’t been able to channel any of her anger until now but now Hazel realised her sister was pressing all the right buttons.

 “Cos that’s men for you. They abuse their position,” stated Rachel bluntly. “What other reason can you give me for him attacking you other than he’s a pervert?” Hazel didn’t want an argument; for one thing she didn’t know how to answer that question. She wasn’t sure why any of it had happened. Then there was the stranger who she hadn’t mentioned to Rachel telling her not to tell the police or anyone about the event. Imagine Rachel’s reaction to knowing two men were involved?

“He’d just been tied up,” Hazel offered meekly.

 “What?” Rachel really was confused now.

“Tied up, gagged and thrown in a cupboard. I let him out!” Rachel had shuddered as soon as she had heard the word “attacked” she had instinctively felt it was a sex attack but listening to this, it was like nothing she’d ever heard before.

“So why did he attack you?” she asked.

“I was with the guy who tied him up,” Hazel answered.

“What?” Rachel was bewildered. “Why? Did you know him?” she added.

“He rescued me,” at least Hazel thought it had been a rescue. “Broke one of the windows and I escaped through it.” It had all left Hazel disorientated but even she had to admit that when she put it into words it made it sound as though she had starred in an action movie of her own imagining.

“But who was he?” quizzed Rachel. “Why did he tie up your teacher?”

“I don’t know,” replied Hazel bemused. “I don’t get any of it. Mr Willis was in distress, I freed him then he just went for me.” She started to wonder if she sounded mad. Even if Rachel did believe her would anyone else? “He was savage like an animal. I was so scared then the next minute this hand pulled me up and we were running from him.” She started to feel a little shaky replaying the tale. The more detail she described the more she started to remember how she had felt at the time.

 “But how did you know this other guy was responsible for tying up your tutor?”

“Because he told me he did,” Hazel stressed.

“Wait. He told you he’d done it?” Rachel began puffing her cheeks in frustration it was getting rather complex to follow. If this was all true which of the three was the most craziest? “We need to phone the police,” Rachel reached for the phone but Hazel grabbed hold of her arm.

“Don’t!”

 “Don’t? Are you nuts? They need catching.” Rachel suspected all the trauma was getting the better of Hazel and it was affecting her common sense. “They can’t go around doing that sort of thing. You could have been seriously hurt or killed,” Rachel didn’t mince that last statement she wanted to make it clear to Hazel just how serious this had been and how lucky she was to be alive to tell the tale.

 “I was going to but he told me not to,” Hazel said knowing she sounded like some pathetic teenager.

“Who? Your mystery man? Well of course he did he wouldn’t want you getting the police on him would he?” said Rachel it all being seemingly obvious to her what had to be done. “Ask yourself what was he planning to do with your teacher?” she thought that would make her see sense.

 “I know, I’ve been running it all through my mind coming home.” Hazel wasn’t stupid and she didn’t need telling what was rational. “He said if I told anyone I would get them killed.” And that was what worried her. A rational reaction would have been to call the police immediately but she felt there was more to all this, more to it that she didn’t understand and Rachel didn’t intent to understand.

“He’s a man, he lies,” was Rachel’s cut throat, bias answer. “You’re so gullible it’s untrue,” she said harshly. “A man attacks you and you don’t want to report it even though you know him and the guy you don’t know who tied up your attacker you want to protect? These nut cases could come back for you. You have seen their faces.” That frightened her and she thought it would frighten Hazel to.

“So why did he let me go?” Hazel felt compelled to fight her for some reason. “This mystery man, why did he help me escape if he wanted my silence?” She wasn’t afraid; she was defending someone she didn’t know. But that wasn’t the real reason; the thought of people dying if she told anyone was playing on her mind. “Why not kill me? Or kidnap me? Why let me go and trust me not to go to the police?” That was logic Rachel couldn’t argue with.

 “Because, because,” Rachel stammered. “Because he’s nuts,” she finally said. “Because there were two of you to deal with, because he’s –“

 “Don’t say because he’s a man. Not all men are bad,” Hazel interrupted.

“You’re not thinking straight. You’re in shock right now. Leave it to me I’ll make the call,” Rachel spoke calmly but a little too patronising for Hazel’s liking.

 “No police, not yet.”

“What’s there to think about sis?” Rachel could have torn her hair from her scalp at this point.

“It doesn’t make sense, saving me, tying up Mr Willis. Oh my head’s a mess.” She paused a moment wanting to be clear. “He didn’t strike me as the sort to harm or kill anyone.” Rachel in frustration shot up and flung a cushion across the room with childish petulance.

“He tied a man up and shoved him in a cupboard.” How much clearer did she need to put it? “You had no idea what he wanted to do with him.”

“And that’s why I’m confused,” insisted Hazel.

“Thankfully I’m not, “defied Rachel reaching for the phone again.

“Leave it! Leave it till the morning at least,” Hazel pleaded.

“You want your head examining,” Rachel highlighted.

“Please?” Hazel asked desperate for an end to it. “Please Rachel? Please?” Hazel was weary of it all. Rachel looked at her sister and knew it was no good fighting her on this, for now.

“Fine. But you won’t change my mind and when the shock has passed you’ll see I’m right,” said Rachel.

“Thank you.” Hazel sunk into the settee relieved to hear the end of it, for now. “I’ll have that brew now.” She felt she needed one after that. Rachel picked up the cushion she’d flung on the floor and threw it back onto the settee then wandered into the kitchen. Hazel closed her eyes and tried to block it all out.