Delia Read online

  The blades were on the front of the great beast, but the rear was unprotected. Francis sat atop the machine, intent on his murderous plan, so he never saw Delia dashing frantically for the back of the lawn tractor. Its engine was designed to provide torque to the cutting mechanism, not to provide speed to the drive wheels, so Delia was able to quickly overtake it.

  It was however, still moving. Delia didn’t have a plan for what she needed to do when she reached the mower, only that she had to stop it. Delia was five feet behind the mower now, but it was only a few yards from Alice’s head. It’s now or never.

  Delia leapt from the ground, summoning every ounce, every grain of strength she possessed and flew through the air toward the mower. She thought for one terrifying moment that she had jumped too soon, because it looked as if she would miss the back of the tractor altogether. The wind carried her to it, though, and she landed painfully on her knees right behind Francis.

  The jerking of the mower nearly threw her off backwards, and her arms windmilled to keep her steady. To her utter dismay, the grip she had on her only weapon loosened and the knife tumbled from her hand. It hit the side of the tractor next to her then bounced off over Francis and onto the ground. Now what do I do? She was weaponless against a trained killer.

  Alice had only seconds left to live. Delia had to act now.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  He should have been watching his surroundings better. One of the vital rules in all combat situations is to always check around the corners. Francis felt comfortable here though. This was not combat, this was a resolution to a problem.

  Today he was fixing a wrong that had gone unaddressed for seven years. Still, he should have been paying more attention, for if he had, things may have ended differently. He was too intent on his target. The face of his rage was only a few short yards away from him now. He had not seen any sign of Delia coming out through the tree line from the direction of her childhood home. He did not want her to miss the show, but his vengeance could wait no longer.

  Adjusting a long handle on his left, Francis lowered the cutting blades to just a few inches off the ground. It’s going to be messy, he thought, then, I need to replace this mower anyway. He never heard Delia coming over the clatter of the engine, but he felt the thump behind him and the mower’s weight shift when she landed on the back of it, and then a glint of metal flipped through his vision and clattered over the mower in front of him.

  Huh?

  Startled, Francis quickly turned to look over his left shoulder. Delia was there, staring him dead in the eyes as she lunged toward him. For a moment he thought she was leaning over to kiss him, and Francis began to smile. It did not last long. Suddenly he felt a tug at his belt. He looked down to see Delia wrestling his KA-BAR from its sheath. What the-

  Francis did not have time to finish the thought. With two hands she raised the stolen knife over her head. Francis tried to dodge to the right but Delia was fast and brought the blade down with surprising speed. The great blade sunk straight down into the top of his left shoulder. Francis screamed out as fierce pain lanced through him and he slumped forward a little, releasing the pressure on the accelerator. Dammit!

  His arm was quickly going numb. Dammit woman! The mower lurched to a stop, throwing Delia forward on top of Francis. As she fell into his lap, Francis’s strong hands immediately clamped down on her shoulders and anger blossomed up within him.

  The mower was still now, but the engine was rattling noisily. Though his task was not done yet, it felt good having Delia this close to him again. His eyes softened as he gazed at her. He would forgive her for attacking him. He had to. She was his true love. It isn’t her fault. Until the other woman was dead, Delia would still feel like she had to obey her. Francis knew that Delia was not free yet.

  Still, Delia was looking at him with such longing in her eyes. Francis let his hands soften against her. He rubbed them over the sleeves of her white nightshirt, feeling the warm skin beneath. Her shirt had a low oval neckline and he could just see the curve of her breasts beneath. His left arm had gone numb and a strange tingling was enveloping that side of his body. Despite the injury, he felt himself aroused as he let his mangled right hand play across the front of Delia’s shirt. She pressed her chest forward a little and suddenly Francis could feel a nipple beneath his fingers. His mind clouded over. My Delia has come back to me. At last.

  She would probably even help him dispose of the other woman, now that she realized this was where she belonged. Delia leaned in close to him and pressed her pink lips against his. It felt like he was going to explode, then Delia’s tongue found his lips and she forced it into his mouth. The sensation was too much for him and Francis let his head fall back in ecstasy. Then his shoulder exploded in pain.

  He felt as if a giant were tearing his arm straight from his body, but when he opened his eyes he only saw Delia. She had wrenched the wicked KA-BAR from his shoulder. Confusion was flooding through his mind. Delia sat astride him with the bloody KA-BAR held tightly in both hands. She was trembling, probably with fear. Delia swung the knife at his face, but Francis’s right hand came up and smashed into her jaw, knocking her to the floor of the mower at his feet and sending the KA-BAR tumbling to the ground.

  “It’s okay, baby,” he gasped weakly, “we are together again now. You are back where you belong.”

  Delia’s upper body was hanging off the side of the mower and she was scrambling to pull herself away from him. Francis tried to grab her by the legs but she wriggled the rest of the way off the mower.

  “Delia, stop this. You are free now, free to be mine! We can finish this together.” Francis flopped off the mower after her, crawling, dizzy and bleeding profusely.

  *****

  Delia scrambled through the grass. Her chest was heaving with frightened exertion. She had had the element of surprise and somehow she was still losing this battle. She was crawling on her hands and knees away from the mower when her hand fell onto something cold and sharp. She cried out in pain and lifted the hand. It was the fillet knife she had dropped when she leapt onto the mower. Her heart raced as she gripped the knife in her bleeding hand.

  Delia, with renewed determination, prepared to stand and fight, but just then she heard Alice scream.

  “Delia, look out!”

  Then Francis pounced.

  *****

  He landed on top of Delia, striking her hard across the face with his mushed up hand. He cried out as he hit her, because it hurt and because he didn’t want to have to hit her. She should mind me without being punished. Delia’s head lolled to the side for a moment then snapped back toward him, her eyes alight with a ferocious anger. She’s always been feisty. Francis tried to pin her down but she rolled out from under him. He fell to his side and then pulled himself to his feet.

  He took two shambling steps toward Delia and tried to grab her by the back of the hair, but then Delia spun around and Francis saw something shiny in her hand. The steel flashed in the sun as Delia swung, and the fillet knife cut across Francis’s cheek, biting into the skin and peeling it off over his jawbone. He howled in pain – half of his face flapping uselessly.

  Francis was trying to speak again now, though his voice was muddy and distant. His teeth were visible through the bloody opening in the side of his face. “A promise, a promise is forever Delia.” He was feeling loopy as the blood poured from his shoulder and his face, but he still tried to stagger forward.

  Delia was shaking her head at him. She still did not understand.

  Francis’s head rolled around on his shoulders, blood streaming off his jaw. He tried to focus on Delia, but his eyes were blurry and all he could see was the knife that she held in both hands in front of her. His blood was dripping from the end of it. The knife gleamed in the sun, and for just a moment, Francis saw a glint of his own reflection in the blade before she jerked forward.

  Delia thrust the knife at Francis, rocking her whole body into the blow. The fine steel plunge
d into his neck as if it were made of a soft jelly. He tried to make some sounds that might have been words, but then Delia wrenched the knife out and Francis’s life poured from the front of his neck and down over his bare twisted body, soaking Delia with his thick sticky blood. His last thoughts were of Delia. She was supposed to be mine.

  *****

  Alice was terrified for herself and for Delia. The mower blades had stopped a few feet from her face, but they were still spinning and she could feel the dirt and grass flying out from under it. She couldn’t see what was happening, but feared for Delia’s life. She was suffocating and would never get to see Delia again.

  Then the mower stopped. That can only mean one thing…right?

  Moments later she saw Delia’s long body fall from the mower and Francis following her. The whole gruesome scene played out before her eyes, and she vomited when she saw the red gush of blood spew from Francis’s neck.

  Delia stood still for a moment as Francis fell before her, then rushed over to Alice.

  “Dee, oh baby, I’m so sorry. I went out to smoke and he found me.” Alice’s voice was weak and she struggled to remain conscious. Delia was shushing Alice even as she quickly started digging away the dirt with her hands.

  “It’s not your fault, Ali, it’s mine. I made him the way he is. It was all my fault.”

  Alice could tell that Delia was crying.

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you, Ali.”

  “You did, Dee. You saved me, baby. Use the shovel.”

  “What?”

  “The shovel is over there,” she motioned with her eyes. “Hurry, I can barely breathe. You need to use the shovel.” Her voice came out as a barely audible wheeze.

  “Of course.”

  Delia disappeared from view for a moment, and then Alice heard the shovel scraping along the ground as it was picked up. Her consciousness started to fade again. “Dee.”

  “I’m right here, honey,” she said from just behind Alice, “hang in there.” The sound of the shovel scooping out the earth around her seemed incredibly loud to her sensitive ears. Alice was a little worried Delia might hit her with it, but she was so relieved that those thoughts quickly flew from her mind. After six big shovelfuls, Delia had created enough space behind Alice that she could lean back a little and ease some of the crushing force bearing down on her chest.

  “Oh baby, thank God you came. How did you stop him?”

  Delia came around in front of her and knelt down next to her. She placed her hands on Alice’s cheeks and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ll tell you after I get you out, okay?”

  Alice nodded and Delia continued digging around her. Alice finally noticed the dark red blood covering the front of Delia’s shirt. My God! As Alice’s chest was finally freed, she greedily gulped huge breaths of air that both burned and soothed her lungs as she drew them in. It was an extraordinary relief.

  “I was going to die, Dee!” The gravity of her own words hit Alice hard when they came out of her mouth and she felt lightheadedness sweep over her. “I think I’m going to vomit. Please don’t watch.”

  “Don’t get girly on me now; I’ve seen you do all sorts of nasty things,” Delia said cheerfully, to try to help Alice relax. “You’re probably seriously dehydrated, and you’re nauseous because you haven’t had a drink of liquor in two days. We need to get you a cocktail.”

  “Oh my God, you are right! Delia, I love you. That’s the best damn idea I’ve ever heard!”

  “When we get back home we can sit out on the porch in the sun drinking cocktails all day, baby.”

  “Can we stop by Farihah’s Market and pick up some of the hummus she makes?”

  Delia chuckled, Farihah’s was a Middle Eastern deli, and their favorite pit stop close to home. The owner was a sweet woman, and one of the few people who knew they were a lesbian couple.

  “Of course we can, there’s nowhere else to get hummus, is there? And what would a long day of drinking be without hummus?”

  Alice had not thought she would live through the day, and now she was smiling at Delia as she dug down toward Alice’s hands. The moist soil had softened and loosened the ropes that bound them, so when Delia cleared the dirt away Alice was able to yank her arms free from the damp ground. The first thing she did was to reach up and clasp Delia’s hands in her own.

  “I’m so sorry for any time I’ve ever upset you. You are everything to me. I owe you my life.”

  “Stop it! You know you are my everything as well,” Delia paused and gave her a grin, “but I do love you. Now let me get you out of here.”

  *****

  Delia dug the shovel into the dirt once more and Alice was able to pull her legs free from the ground. She immediately fell against Delia, who held her tightly, and then looked down as she felt Alice stiffen. Her jaw was hanging open and her eyes were growing wide.

  “Alice, what is it?”

  Alice did not answer; she was staring behind Delia and off to the side. Delia spun around, then dropped to her knees. She felt her own mouth drop open in awe.

  A shadowy figure was standing in front of them. It was barely there, just a smoky, thin material – but absolutely real. The women watched as it approached with slow fluid movements. It then knelt down next to Delia and Alice.

  Delia reached out to it. “Thank you so much,” she whispered. She knew that somehow the shadow had helped her find the strength and speed to save Alice. There was no response from the shadow, but it extended an arm to touch her hand. When they touched, Delia felt a tingle in her arm. Then the shadowy form began to dissolve before her eyes, its murky fabric blowing away in the breeze. It did not disappear, however, but the apparition took form.

  Kneeling in front of Delia and Alice, with her arm outstretched, was Delia’s mother. She was smiling a small sad smile.

  “Mother,” Delia gasped, her face frozen in shock.

  Her mother’s hand was soft in her own. She nodded to Delia, and then Delia heard the whispers in her head, only they were clear words now.

  “Oh my God Dee, I hear it, too.” Alice was holding tight to Delia and they both listened as the quiet whisper spoke to them.

  “He will be back. Go far away from here. Do not return. He will hunt for you always.”

  “Francis? How can he come back? Like you did?”

  Her mother nodded.

  “Has it been you in my head all this time? Have you been trying to keep me safe?”

  “It’s all a mother wants to do.” She still wore the sad smile. “I have to go now dear.”

  “But I want to stay with you, Mother.” Delia’s voice cried out with longing because there was so much she wanted to share with her mother.

  Her ghostly mother shook her head. “I will always be here for you,” the whisper said, as her mother pointed toward Delia’s chest. “Goodbye child. I love you.”

  Delia and her mother had never been very close in her early life. Her mother cleaned the house and cooked the meals and set Delia to her chores, so there wasn’t always much time for ‘I love yous.’ Suddenly Delia wanted nothing more than for her mother to stay with her, but as she watched, her mother faded into nothing and it was only the two of them once more.

  *****

  Delia wanted to take Alice straight to the hospital in Grand Rapids and then leave Michigan as soon as possible. Alice however, was nearly back to her old self and had other plans. Once she had been freed from her earthen tomb, they staggered into Francis’s house to forage for food and water. Alice was exhausted and dehydrated. Delia forced her to drink two large glasses of lukewarm water right away.

  Two minutes later, Alice had found the liquor cabinet. After four fingers of whiskey in a dirty glass, she looked like the calm, composed, yet filthy Alice that Delia loved.

  “We are going to the funeral, Dee.”

  “What? You need to go to the hospital.”

  “Absolutely not. I came here to meet Deb and Lilly and you came to say goodbye to your uncle. W
e are going and that’s final.”

  Delia opened her mouth to argue but Alice cut her off.

  “I was just buried alive and nearly killed by your crazy ex. It’s gonna be my way today!”

  Delia had to smile. This was her Alice all right. “Fine, but you look terrible. We had better go change, and I’m gonna bathe you.”

  “Perfect,” Alice purred.

  “What should we do with him?”

  *****

  Delia and Alice arrived at the funeral with all the style two women who had narrowly escaped murder could manage. They buried Francis in the grave he himself had dug for Alice. They didn’t call the police, and had a feeling – a hope - that he would not be missed.

  Delia cried at Don’s funeral, but not out of sadness for Don’s passing. She was sad that he was gone, but her tears were of joy, that she was still able to stand next to her lover, to hold her hand and to live for another day.

  The priest said kind words, and the crowd lined up to drop flowers into Uncle Don’s grave. Lilly was there, too, and she was gorgeous. She stood next to her mother, her head bowed. As the crowd of mourners dispersed, Lilly rushed up to Delia and threw hers arms around her.

  “My sister!” she cried into Delia’s neck. Even now that she was grown, Lilly was still much smaller than Delia. She radiated goodness, and as she pulled away, her infectious smile caused Delia’s eyes to light up. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too, little one.”

  There was a pause before Lilly motioned toward Alice with her eyes.

  “Lilly, meet Alice. She’s my – partner in life.”

  Lilly didn’t miss a beat. She threw her arms around Alice. “I am so happy to meet you!” There was nothing but sincerity in her words.