Zeke leans toward my phone, reading the screen out loud before glancing back at me, deep in thought about what to say. His reaction, along with the fact that no one else was speaking up, made me nervous. Did they let him go again? Please don't let them do it again. How can someone keep getting away with bad behavior repeatedly? It just didn't add up.
"Rocky, calm down. I see the wheels turning in your head as you jump to your own conclusion about what happened," Zeke says. He must have noticed me tense up, and my breathing became irregular. If he didn't answer me soon, a panic attack would surely ensue. I didn't need or want that.
"Then what happened?" I typed it out quickly and thrust my phone back at him. This inability to talk thing is annoying. My hands trembled slightly, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, revealing my growing frustration and anxiety.
"He's in custody right now," Zeke reassured me, though I could sense an upcoming "but". "But he is trying to use the insanity plea." My eyes were probably bugging out of my head at the shock of him wanting to use that plea as his defense. The prosecutor wouldn't believe him, would he? Ted was not insane; he was in his right mind and knew what he was attempting to do. The look in his eyes as he choked me was pure evil, but he wasn't crazy. Just angry and evil. Before I could ask anything else, Zeke's phone started to ring. He looked down at it and then made eye contact with me.
"It's the sheriff's office," he says apologetically, "I need to take this." He steps into the hall, his voice muffled, and filters through the closed door. I watch, hoping he'll return soon. For some reason, his absence in the room made me more nervous. I needed him to be with me, making me feel safe again. Nothing against my uncle, Sharon, or my father, but he was my rock—the person who kept me grounded. Uncle Donovan signals with his hand to get my attention. I automatically turned to him and smiled, hiding my uneasiness.
"Are you sure you're feeling OK, Roxanne?" His voice is filled with concern, and he can't take his eyes off the ugly black and blue marks around my neck caused by Ted's large hands. It makes me feel uncomfortable, like an animal on display in the local zoo. I nodded my head at him, letting him know I'm ok. Sore, of course, but more than anything, the incident had shaken me up, more mentally than physically. Living across from that monster was the most unsettling thing.
"Thank you for showing up when you did," I type out and show him. He smiles up at me and leans over to hug me.
"Anytime, sweet girl. I wish I had gotten there sooner. Then he wouldn't have touched you," he says as he hugs me gently. I'm pretty sure he's afraid that if he hugs me too hard, I will break. It was laughable, really. This giant of a man is being so sweet to his niece. "Honestly, when I saw him choking you, my heart dropped. It felt like losing your mom all over again." So many emotions came over him, making him stop and clear his throat, trying to keep them at bay. He loved me because I was an extension of his sister, whom he lost at an early age. One that he thought was gone forever. It was apparent he carried a lot of guilt over his siblings' disappearances, but he was young. He did the best he could to protect them. I'm sure Mom would have felt the same. Before anyone else could say anything else, the door to my hospital room swung open, and Zeke sauntered back in. He stuffed his cell phone into his hoodie and focused his attention on me.
"That was the sheriff's office calling to see when you would be up to giving a statement," Zeke explained. "Of course, I told them you can't talk right now due to the bruising. They still want to see you. They also asked if you could type out a statement and email it to them about what led up to him choking you." He kept his gaze on me the whole time, trying to gauge my emotions and body language. " Do you think you can do that, Roxy?" He asked gently.
I nodded and typed, "Can someone go to the house and bring me my laptop. It's on my nightstand in our bedroom?" Then, I held out the phone. Zeke read it aloud to everyone. My gaze swept across the room to see who was going to sacrifice themselves for this errand. Of course, Andy was the one to volunteer right away and said they would get the computer and any other supplies we might need for the hospital stay. He also offered to pick up dinner on their way back. My stomach growled at the thought of food, and I hoped my bruised neck wouldn't prevent me from eating. Before they could leave the room, Zeke asked them to bring the documents and photos because we didn't feel comfortable leaving them unattended at the house.
They quickly took the keys from Zeke, and Andy kissed my forehead before leaving. Donovan and Zeke were the only ones remaining with me. Zeke motioned for me to shift over on my bed, then slid in beside me, sitting upright against the bed. I leaned into him, feeling his warmth envelop me. It was comforting to rest in his arms; his presence was soothing.
Uncle Donovan cleared his throat to grab our attention, causing my cheeks to flush. I momentarily forgot he was present. Both men chuckled at my embarrassment, while I covered my face with my hands, because it was probably as red as a tomato. Eventually, they stopped laughing and teasing me to continue their conversation. Their voices gradually lulled me to sleep, exhaustion still weighing heavily on me. Luckily, my nap was peaceful, with no strange dreams or omens. A few hours later, I awoke to find Zeke and Donovan were gone, and I was alone in my hospital bed once more.
Looking for my phone, I typed Zeke a message: "Just wanted you to know I'm awake. Where did you guys go?" Instantly, the three little dots started to pulse on the screen.
Zeke's response was quick: "We went for a walk, our legs were hurting, and we needed to stretch. We'll be back soon, baby. A deputy is supposed to stop by soon. Text me if he gets there before we do."
Tossing my phone onto the bed, I sighed, wishing they would hurry back. The thought of dealing with a deputy right now was too much. Why couldn't they wait until my voice returned to speak with me? Why did it have to be now? My question was answered when a deputy knocked on my door and then entered, accompanied by a crime scene technician. It was a small, petite woman with a camera hanging loosely from her neck. She smiled sweetly at me as she entered my room. The deputy was one I hadn't met before, which was fine. Thankfully, it wasn't the sheriff, who would have been a nightmare.
"Hello, Miss Sleighton," the officer greeted. "I'm Deputy Tinsley, and this is CSI technician Doley." I nodded a hello to them.
Grabbing my phone, I typed a quick "He's here" to Zeke and then brought up a blank message and typed out, "Hello, my vocal cords were bruised in the altercation, and I can't speak right now. Is it ok if we communicate this way?"
"Yes, that's fine. The doctor already informed us of your injuries. We just needed to take pictures of the bruising around your neck today for our investigation. Would that be ok?" He was talking in a soft tone as if I were a wounded animal. It was thoughtful, but really laughable. He must have thought I would be skittish after that ordeal; in a way, I was, but I knew Zeke and Donovan were on their way to the room. It gave me a sense of security. The officer stood close to the door as if guarding it. In his own way, he must have been trying to make me feel secure in their presence.
CSI Doley carefully approached me, explaining each step, including how to position my head for the photos. As she tilted my head to the left, Donovan and Zeke entered the room. The deputy explained the reason for their visit. Zeke shook the deputy's hand and leaned against the wall opposite my bed, watching Doley and me closely; Donovan exited back into the hall after she started asking me to remove my hospital gown for a clearer shot. Meanwhile, Zeke remained firm about not leaving, showing increased protectiveness due to this situation.
I wasn't sure what kind of danger he was worried about—maybe he thought she might hurt me—but Doley was very gentle and friendly in her instructions. Deputy Tinsley asked if I was okay with Zeke being there, and I nodded. Then Tinsley turned toward my door, giving us his back to ensure I had some privacy. I appreciated this; it showed that some decent people still worked in law enforcement in our town. After Deputy Tinsley and Doley left, my uncle and Zeke returned to the room.
"You okay?" Donovan asked. I was starting to dislike that question. It was all anyone ever asked, and I could only nod in response. I couldn't find the right words to explain how I felt; even if I did, they wouldn't come out easily, and typing on my phone took too long. What I really wanted to say was no, I'm not okay. Some psycho is after me, my boyfriend, and my family. How can I be mentally okay in that situation?
I nod my head yes and type out to him, "Uncle Donovan, there's something I need to tell you about." He looks at the screen and raises an eyebrow at me, questioning what it could be.
"Ok, what is it?" he asked. Zeke once again sat in the chair next to my bed while I straightened up and sat with my legs crossed. After getting comfortable, I focused my gaze back on both men, and they were staring at me, waiting for me to type again.
"While unconscious, I saw the night Samuel and Betty vanished," I typed. Hesitantly, I turned my phone back to him, then moved it to Zeke. Donovan appeared confused, but Zeke was intrigued by what I typed.
"How? What do you mean?" he asked rapidly. Zeke reached out and took my hand, as he always does when I'm anxious. His touch consistently gives me strength.
I quickly typed and showed him the message: "When the vision began, I was lying on the ground behind the house. You hurried out the back door with two kids, telling them to run into the woods and hide until a family member came to find them. Betty said she was scared, and you told her and the other child to be brave. After they ran into the trees, you went back into the house to rescue my mom, I think."
Donovan looked shocked by my words, because there was no way I should have known any details about that night. When we talked about it, he was always vague with his answers or explanations. In my mind, he had gotten mom out first, then gone back for the youngest siblings, but I was wrong.
"h-h-h-how did you know what I said to them?" He asked in utter bewilderment.
"I witnessed everything and even tracked them into the woods. Once my laptop arrives, I'll document everything I saw or heard. A key revelation was that Ted was the one who pursued them through the woods, forcing them to run for their lives that night," I explained.
"I don't know what to think or say right now," he said quietly. I barely heard him; he was obviously overwhelmed with the little bit of information I had given him. "I know you mentioned weird things happening at the house and dreams that told you when danger was real, but this seems surreal." Just as I was about start typing again, Sharon and Andy entered, carrying pizza boxes and two liters of soda, but something felt off about them. Sharon seemed to be thinking about something serious. Neither one made eye contact with any of us. What in the world was going on now?