Post by roselight13 on Apr 14, 2016 5:56:08 GMT
(((I will still be tweaking at this until I have ALL the threads up for my OCs. Just a heads up)))
((MAJOR Trigger Warning. Abuse and Violence. You've been warned.))
"Thank you, Peridot, for fixing my phone for me."
Mercy smiled as Peridot tweaked at her broken phone. She had been paying a nice, four-day visit to Stevens beachhouse, away from her home. She had just remembered her phone was broken, so now Peridot was repairing it. Mercy grimaced to herself.
She hated when she forgot stuff like that. She's never really been a phone person, but she knew how important it was to have one. Peridot spoke in her usual way.
"Not at all, but...may I ask how it got broken in the first place?" Mercy winced, then she smiled thinly. "Oh, I just dropped it on the floor and it bounced and broke. Clumsy me."
Her smile faded as she thought back a few days ago, when she had graduated college about a week earlier and Santino wanted to "talk"....
(FLASHBACK)
She rushed downstairs, toward her dads study. "Hi, dad, what do we need to talk abo--" She stops when she sees her father glaring at her coldly, holding a piece of paper in his hand. Her report card. "Sit. Down." She sighs sadly and walked over and sat down in one of the two chairs across from his desk. He sits as well as he spoke coldly.
"Mercy, why do you disappoint me like this? I specifically said that I wanted only straight A's for your last college trimester, but instead, you had an B-, BARELY a B, in Calculus. You may have graduated and gotten your degree. But you'll never be good enough with these grades."
He shoved the report in her face, all A's except for that one B-. "Whats your excuse for this, Mercy? What do you have to say for yourself?"
She stayed quiet, then she spoke softly. "Dad, I'm sorry I disappointed you. Calculus was a hard class for me to understand. I asked for help and I even spoke to my professor, but it was still difficult for me to do and understand the homework and quizzes. But I promise you that I did do my best. If it sounds like an excuse to you, then so be it. It is the truth, excuse or not."
It felt like an eternity before he made a sound. He smirked. "As I expected, another excuse. Its just like you to make excuses, isn't it?"
She stayed silent as tears brimmed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks to the carpet. No matter what she said next, his opinion would not change.
It's never changed.
Her father sighed, got up from his chair and turned his back to her and toward her mothers picture behind his desk. "Why couldn't you be more like Luna, Mercy? She was perfect, in both mind and body...But you...."
He turned toward her and scowled as he spoke bitterly. "You're nothing like her. Your grades, your appearance, your weight...pathetic. You are a disappointment to me and if she was alive today, no thanks to you, she would be as well."
He was silent for a moment as he towered over her, then he spoke, his voice dripping with poisonous finality.
"You have three weeks or less to get out of this house. I will not have you smear our family name any longer. I'll give you money to find an apartment, but that is all I will do to help you. Consider it your graduation present."
She stood up and was about to say something when her phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and was about to check who it was, when he swiped from her hand.
"Who the hell would be calling you?" He looked at the phone and sneered. "My faggot brother, huh? Of course he woul-" He froze, squinting at the picture that was her lock screen.
The picture was of all three of them, Uncle Heath, Aunt Rayon and her on the beach in Beach City, taking a selfie. She had been wearing her new blue swimsuit, that revealed her Gem on her chest.
He turns toward her, his eyes wide with shock and his voice trembling. "You...you have her Gem. All this time...you...you...." He went back to looking at the phone as it rang. Then..."ARGH!"
She squeaked as he yelled out and threw the phone to the floor. It bounced and broke.
He stared down at the phone, then turned away from her speaking in a quiet, strained voice. "Get out. Get out of my sight." Mercy stayed where she was. "...Dad?"
He whipped around sharply and snarled "I SAID GET OUT!!" She grabbed the phone quickly and ran out of the study, slamming the door shut. She runs upstairs to her room bursting into tears. After a few deep breathes, she wasted no time as she quickly packed up her essentials. She just had to get away from here....
(END OF FLASHBACK)
"Mercy? Mercy??" Peridot tapped her face to get her attention. "Mercy, are you even listening? I said I almost have your phone fixed."
She snapped out of it, flushing with embarrassment. She'd done it again. She smiled sheepishly at Peridot. "Sorry about that, Peri. I was just thinking about something."
Peridot huffed as she went back to tinkering. "It's okay. I just have one component left to fix and it should be good as new...Got it!" She held up the fixed phone with a triumphant smirk.
"Human technology. So easy. Now all you have to do is turn it on, aaand ACK!"
Peridot yelped as Mercy's cellphone blew up in her hand with message sounds, voicemails and vibrations.
Mercy grabbed it from her, looked at the screen and paled immensely. "Ohhhh SHIT." Her Uncle Heath has been messaging and calling her for days, there were even messages and voicemails from Aunt Rayon.
Mercy ran out of the house, speaking to Peridot rapidly. "Thanks Peri, gotta go, be right back!"
When she got outside, she called Uncle Heath immediately and waited for him to pick up. She heard a click and winced when Heath started shouting.
"MERCY!! SWEETHEART, ARE YOU OKAY!? WHAT HAPPENED!? WHY HAVEN'T YOU ANSWERED YOUR PHONE!!?? WE'VE BEEN SO WORRIED, ARE YOU OKAY?!
He must have been on speakerphone, because she could hear Aunt Rayon speaking clearly. "Heath, calm down, shes safe now. Mercy, what happened? Where have you been?"
Mercy almost burst into tears.
Uncle Heath and Aunt Rayon have always been there for her when she was younger, until they moved across town to open their music store and get away from her father. They still stayed in touch and called her when they could. All three of them even got together on some weekends. They can help her with her "graduation present."
She tried to compose herself before speaking, but her voice started to crack as she spoke.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you two, but I need your help. Please..." She burst into tears on the phone. Heath and Rayon went nuts.
"MERCY, WHATS GOING ON!? PLEASE TELL US WHAT'S WRONG!!" "Mercy!?"
---------
As Heath and Rayon listened to Mercy, Heath went completely red in the face, while Rayon teared up and covered his mouth with his hand in shock.
After Mercy was done explaining, Heath was silent, then he rumbled gently into the phone while Rayon stayed quiet. "Mercy, its okay. We are coming right over to your house. I'm bringing my truck with me, so it might be a few minutes. Do you have your house key?"
He nodded. "Good, now go home, unlock the front door for us and pack up as fast as you can. We are getting you out of there and you can stay with us for a while. AH ah ahh, don't say anything. We will talk about it later, but for right now, do as I ask, okay?"
His eyes grew misty and talked soothingly. "Shhhh its okay, baby, don't cry. I'm not mad at you and neither is Rayon. Okay? We'll be there soon. We love you, sweetheart. Bye."
Heath hung up and stayed silent for a few seconds. He then slammed his fists down angrily on the kitchen counter. The whole counter shook with his rage, making Rayon jump.
Heath barked, turning to Rayon "That fucking ASSHOLE! If I see his face, I'll punch his Goddamn-"
"HEATH, CALM DOWN, PLEASE!!"
Rayon grabbed him in a tight bear hug. He then spoke quickly to Heath. "We need to go get her. Now. She needs us, love. I know that you are upset, but please. We have to go."
Heath was quiet. Then he looked down at his husband and smiled sadly. "You're right, RayRay. I'm sorry."
Heath hugged him close. "Now lets get goin-." Rayon's phone vibrated loudly. He got it out and looked at it, smiling gently as he read.
"Mercy's asking us to wait a couple minutes. She going to be sending Sol to us."
Heath grimaced, but nodded grudgingly. "Alright, we'll wait, but he better be quick. I want her out of that house as soon as possible."
--------
After Mercy had hung up, she wiped her eyes quickly. She messaged Rayon and then ran back inside. "Peridot, where's Steven? I have to go home, but I promise I'll be back soon."
Peridot was about to speak when the warp pad went off. Steven and the CGs stepped of the pad, chatting away. Mercy ran over to Steven and whispered in his ear.
He gave her a thumbs up and they went outside, Mercy grabbing her purse from the floor as they went. They found Lion and Sol napping near some boulders. Mercy shook Sol gently and whispered to him. His sleepy expression vanished as he listened.
He got up and licked her cheek. "Okay, see you soon." He rushed off, leaving behind a trail of silver mist.
Steven, in the meantime, had Lion all ready to go. She got on and they teleported to the back of her house. Steven had stars in his eyes, looking at the mansion as Lion was yawning.
"Woah...Its so pretty."
Mercy smiled. He's such a little cutie. She spoke to them quickly, scratching under Lion's jaw.
"Thank you, Steven and Lion. Now I'll be here for a bit. So just go back home. My aunt and uncle are coming to pick me up later so maybe we can get some donuts later."
Steven grinned. "No prob, Bob. See you later!"
Mercy waved goodbye as they left. She then snuck in through the backdoor and went upstairs quietly. She got to her room and went to work. Thankfully, she's always kept a clean room, so it was easy for her to get shit around quickly.
Using every Walmart bag, paper bag and any box, she packed up her belongings, her phone and MP3 player charging while she worked.
After about an hour of frantic packing, she was completely finished and everything was ready to go.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up. Heath had messaged her that Sol had just shown up, so they were on their way. Mercy chuckled. Sol loved to run, so he probably took the long way to get to their place. Oh well, they were on their way now, so no big deal.
She quietly took her stuff downstairs and put them in the foyer. She brought down the last box and pulled out her phone. She messaged Aunt Rayon that her stuff was in the foyer and the front door unlocked. Rayon messaged her back, thanking her and apologizing for the delay. Traffic issues, but they were on their way there.
She put her phone in her jacket pocket, unlocked the front door, and was about to sit down to wait, when she heard a loud noise from her fathers study.
Mercy shot to her feet. Isn't Dad usually at the office around this time of day? Did he come home early or something? She ran to the door and opened it up. It was pitch black inside. She walked in carefully, feeling for the light switch. "Dad, are you in here? What happened? Are you oka-?"
Mercy was shoved forcefully forward and the door slammed shut, the darkness consuming her. She squeaked as she fell, but quickly gathered her wits and tried to stand up.
She heard the doorlock click and froze when she heard a voice emerge from the darkness. "Mercy...." The lights turned on and she turned around quickly. Santino was standing over her, staring crazily down and swaying. She could smell the whiskey on his breath. Then she saw the shattered decanter on the ground in front of the fireplace.
Mercy tried to back away, but Santino grabbed her wrist, yanking her upwards. She cried out at his vise-like grip and tried to escape. "Let me go, stop it! Please!"
"SHUT UP!"
Santino punched Mercy hard in the face, throwing her into the bookshelves. She tasted blood from a cut on her lip and she couldn't see from one eye as she tried to get up. Santino grabbed her and pulled her towards his face, shaking her like a ragdoll and roaring.
"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!! YOU MURDERED HER, AND NOW YOU HAVE HER GEM! YOU HAVE MY GEM!! ITS MINE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!"
He threw Mercy onto his desk, and started to choke her. She keep trying to scream, but couldn't.
Santino then ripped the front of her sweater, revealing her blue Gem. He grabbed at it and started pulling at it, his nails digging into her skin. Mercy shrieked in pain, but he slapped her. He had two letter openers on his desk, one was an old, sharp scalpel and the other a fancy dagger. He grabbed the dagger and plunged it into Mercy's shoulder, pinning her to the desk as she shrieked in agony.
"ITS MINE, ITS MINE MINE MINE!!"
He grabbed the scalpel. "MIIINE!!" He sliced it under her Gem deeply, as Mercy wailed. But before he could cut any deeper....
-------
*CRAAASH* The study door was ripped off of its hinges as Heath burst through, snarling in rage. "BASTARD!!" He grabbed Santino and threw him away from Mercy out into the hall, where Sol was waiting for him, his eyes glowing icy blue.
He roared, slashing into Santino's face with his claws. "I'LL KILL YOU, FILTH!!" He charged and rammed him into the wall, knocking Santino unconscious. Heath ran out, grabbing Sol from behind, preventing him from tearing into the man's throat.
"SOL, ENOUGH!! We'll deal with him later!" Sol growled, but heeded his command. Heath picked Santino up, his face bleeding from Sol's scratches and then threw him into a spare bedroom, slamming the door.
While that was going on, Rayon ran into the study. "MERCY!! OH MY GOD!" He ran up to her, and talked soothingly to her. "Hang on, baby, its going to be okay, its going to be okay..."
That was the last thing she heard before her vision faded into darkness.
---------
"My word...she's a little trooper, thats for sure... and there she is."
Mercy woke up in a hospital room, Heath and Rayon by her side as the doctor beamed down at her. "Morning, Starshine, feeling better?" Mercy nodded and smiled as she croaked out a reply.
"Hi, Arin. Alex not here today?"
Arin was one of the many friends Heath and Rayon have made over the years. He was also one of Mercy's babysitters when she was little. Even when she grew too old to babysit, he always called her Starshine.
He chuckled.
"Nah, he's taking a break this weekend. Too many patients at his place to take care of." His younger brother, Alex, was a veterinarian across town, but he also volunteered in Arin's hospital whenever he found the time.
"Anyway..." Arin frowned. "You got pretty banged up. A bruise on the wrist, a black eye and a cut lip. Not to mention two deep stab wounds. What the fuck happened?"
Heath spoke up. "Arin, I'll explain later, but for right now please get to the point. Will she heal properly? Is she going to be okay?"
Arin scratched at his head. "She will, its just... those two wounds are going to be an issue. That dagger was shoved ALL the way through her shoulder and out by brute force, not to mention that it was dull in the bargain. Its going to heal, but it's going to leave a very nasty scar. As for the one near her Gem, its going to leave a mark as well, just not as bad."
He shrugged. "Other than that, after a couple days of rest and observation, she'll be ready to go. Now tell me what the hell happened."
Heath jumped up and clapped an arm around Arin's shoulders, leading him to the door.
"Lets take it out of the room and into the cafeteria. Ray, would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, four sugars and four creams please." They walked out of the room and Rayon turned back to Mercy.
"...He was after your Gem, wasn't he?" Mercy nodded as Rayon hugged her gently. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. We should have been there sooner." He kissed her forehead.
"When you fell unconscious, we called Arin and he sent a private ambulance over, no sirens. While he was tending to your wounds, we got your stuff out of the house and into the truck. So don't worry about a thin-"
Heath rushed in quickly, his face strained. "Rayon, we need to talk." Arin came in and checked up on Mercy. "I'll watch her, go on." Heath grabbed Rayon's hand and they went outside into the hall.
Mercy cried out after them. "Whats wrong? Wait!" She tried to sit up, but Arin pushed her back down as gingerly as he could.
"Easy, Star. Its nothing to worry about it. Now I'm going to give you some stuff to help you sleep. So just relax, okay? You're safe here...just close your eyes and sleep."
She closed her eyes as the medicine took effect. She was fast asleep in less than three minutes. Arin looked down at her as Heath and Rayon came back in. He looked at them and spoke firmly.
"She's asleep, so start talking. What happened to Mercy and what was that phone call about?"
Rayon was confused. "Phone call?" Heath was strained and pale, but he spoke clearly.
"When Arin was tending to Mercy and you were taking care of her stuff, I called in Jeffery at the police station. I told him to come quietly to pick up Santino and take him in for what he did to her."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I had just told Arin about how Mercy got her wounds, when Jeff called me. Part of the house was engulfed in flames." Rayon's eyes widened and he covered his mouth, but he didn't interrupt. Heath continued
"He called the fire department and they were able to put it out...Santino wasn't in the room where we put him. They found some blood spots, but that was it. And his car was missing. Along with some money and...his shotgun and pistol, ammunition included."
"Jesus..." Arin whispered, then he grimaced. "We'll keep a close eye on Mercy and you two will be the ONLY ones allowed to see her until she's released. Right now, you guys need to find a place where Santino can't find you easily."
Heath smiled as Rayon hugged him, addressing Arin. "WE should be safe. Santino has no idea where we live, so our main concern is Mercy. Sol knows a place where we could take her. He told us about how she had been staying with some of her friends in Beach City. She'll be safe there.
Arin nodded. "Alright. I'll tell Alex, Jeff and Garrett where she'll be. But no one else. Just in case." He grinned cheekily at Heath. "That alright with you, Boss?"
Heath glared mockingly at him. "That's "Sir" Boss to you, punk."
Arin saluted him playfully. "Yes sir, Boss sir."
They all started chuckling. Heath then went over to Mercy's bed. He kissed her cheek softly and whispered to her. "I love you, Mercy. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
They tiptoed out of Mercy's room, letting her sleep in peace as they closed the door behind them.
--FIN--
((MAJOR Trigger Warning. Abuse and Violence. You've been warned.))
"Thank you, Peridot, for fixing my phone for me."
Mercy smiled as Peridot tweaked at her broken phone. She had been paying a nice, four-day visit to Stevens beachhouse, away from her home. She had just remembered her phone was broken, so now Peridot was repairing it. Mercy grimaced to herself.
She hated when she forgot stuff like that. She's never really been a phone person, but she knew how important it was to have one. Peridot spoke in her usual way.
"Not at all, but...may I ask how it got broken in the first place?" Mercy winced, then she smiled thinly. "Oh, I just dropped it on the floor and it bounced and broke. Clumsy me."
Her smile faded as she thought back a few days ago, when she had graduated college about a week earlier and Santino wanted to "talk"....
(FLASHBACK)
She rushed downstairs, toward her dads study. "Hi, dad, what do we need to talk abo--" She stops when she sees her father glaring at her coldly, holding a piece of paper in his hand. Her report card. "Sit. Down." She sighs sadly and walked over and sat down in one of the two chairs across from his desk. He sits as well as he spoke coldly.
"Mercy, why do you disappoint me like this? I specifically said that I wanted only straight A's for your last college trimester, but instead, you had an B-, BARELY a B, in Calculus. You may have graduated and gotten your degree. But you'll never be good enough with these grades."
He shoved the report in her face, all A's except for that one B-. "Whats your excuse for this, Mercy? What do you have to say for yourself?"
She stayed quiet, then she spoke softly. "Dad, I'm sorry I disappointed you. Calculus was a hard class for me to understand. I asked for help and I even spoke to my professor, but it was still difficult for me to do and understand the homework and quizzes. But I promise you that I did do my best. If it sounds like an excuse to you, then so be it. It is the truth, excuse or not."
It felt like an eternity before he made a sound. He smirked. "As I expected, another excuse. Its just like you to make excuses, isn't it?"
She stayed silent as tears brimmed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks to the carpet. No matter what she said next, his opinion would not change.
It's never changed.
Her father sighed, got up from his chair and turned his back to her and toward her mothers picture behind his desk. "Why couldn't you be more like Luna, Mercy? She was perfect, in both mind and body...But you...."
He turned toward her and scowled as he spoke bitterly. "You're nothing like her. Your grades, your appearance, your weight...pathetic. You are a disappointment to me and if she was alive today, no thanks to you, she would be as well."
He was silent for a moment as he towered over her, then he spoke, his voice dripping with poisonous finality.
"You have three weeks or less to get out of this house. I will not have you smear our family name any longer. I'll give you money to find an apartment, but that is all I will do to help you. Consider it your graduation present."
She stood up and was about to say something when her phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and was about to check who it was, when he swiped from her hand.
"Who the hell would be calling you?" He looked at the phone and sneered. "My faggot brother, huh? Of course he woul-" He froze, squinting at the picture that was her lock screen.
The picture was of all three of them, Uncle Heath, Aunt Rayon and her on the beach in Beach City, taking a selfie. She had been wearing her new blue swimsuit, that revealed her Gem on her chest.
He turns toward her, his eyes wide with shock and his voice trembling. "You...you have her Gem. All this time...you...you...." He went back to looking at the phone as it rang. Then..."ARGH!"
She squeaked as he yelled out and threw the phone to the floor. It bounced and broke.
He stared down at the phone, then turned away from her speaking in a quiet, strained voice. "Get out. Get out of my sight." Mercy stayed where she was. "...Dad?"
He whipped around sharply and snarled "I SAID GET OUT!!" She grabbed the phone quickly and ran out of the study, slamming the door shut. She runs upstairs to her room bursting into tears. After a few deep breathes, she wasted no time as she quickly packed up her essentials. She just had to get away from here....
(END OF FLASHBACK)
"Mercy? Mercy??" Peridot tapped her face to get her attention. "Mercy, are you even listening? I said I almost have your phone fixed."
She snapped out of it, flushing with embarrassment. She'd done it again. She smiled sheepishly at Peridot. "Sorry about that, Peri. I was just thinking about something."
Peridot huffed as she went back to tinkering. "It's okay. I just have one component left to fix and it should be good as new...Got it!" She held up the fixed phone with a triumphant smirk.
"Human technology. So easy. Now all you have to do is turn it on, aaand ACK!"
Peridot yelped as Mercy's cellphone blew up in her hand with message sounds, voicemails and vibrations.
Mercy grabbed it from her, looked at the screen and paled immensely. "Ohhhh SHIT." Her Uncle Heath has been messaging and calling her for days, there were even messages and voicemails from Aunt Rayon.
Mercy ran out of the house, speaking to Peridot rapidly. "Thanks Peri, gotta go, be right back!"
When she got outside, she called Uncle Heath immediately and waited for him to pick up. She heard a click and winced when Heath started shouting.
"MERCY!! SWEETHEART, ARE YOU OKAY!? WHAT HAPPENED!? WHY HAVEN'T YOU ANSWERED YOUR PHONE!!?? WE'VE BEEN SO WORRIED, ARE YOU OKAY?!
He must have been on speakerphone, because she could hear Aunt Rayon speaking clearly. "Heath, calm down, shes safe now. Mercy, what happened? Where have you been?"
Mercy almost burst into tears.
Uncle Heath and Aunt Rayon have always been there for her when she was younger, until they moved across town to open their music store and get away from her father. They still stayed in touch and called her when they could. All three of them even got together on some weekends. They can help her with her "graduation present."
She tried to compose herself before speaking, but her voice started to crack as she spoke.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you two, but I need your help. Please..." She burst into tears on the phone. Heath and Rayon went nuts.
"MERCY, WHATS GOING ON!? PLEASE TELL US WHAT'S WRONG!!" "Mercy!?"
---------
As Heath and Rayon listened to Mercy, Heath went completely red in the face, while Rayon teared up and covered his mouth with his hand in shock.
After Mercy was done explaining, Heath was silent, then he rumbled gently into the phone while Rayon stayed quiet. "Mercy, its okay. We are coming right over to your house. I'm bringing my truck with me, so it might be a few minutes. Do you have your house key?"
He nodded. "Good, now go home, unlock the front door for us and pack up as fast as you can. We are getting you out of there and you can stay with us for a while. AH ah ahh, don't say anything. We will talk about it later, but for right now, do as I ask, okay?"
His eyes grew misty and talked soothingly. "Shhhh its okay, baby, don't cry. I'm not mad at you and neither is Rayon. Okay? We'll be there soon. We love you, sweetheart. Bye."
Heath hung up and stayed silent for a few seconds. He then slammed his fists down angrily on the kitchen counter. The whole counter shook with his rage, making Rayon jump.
Heath barked, turning to Rayon "That fucking ASSHOLE! If I see his face, I'll punch his Goddamn-"
"HEATH, CALM DOWN, PLEASE!!"
Rayon grabbed him in a tight bear hug. He then spoke quickly to Heath. "We need to go get her. Now. She needs us, love. I know that you are upset, but please. We have to go."
Heath was quiet. Then he looked down at his husband and smiled sadly. "You're right, RayRay. I'm sorry."
Heath hugged him close. "Now lets get goin-." Rayon's phone vibrated loudly. He got it out and looked at it, smiling gently as he read.
"Mercy's asking us to wait a couple minutes. She going to be sending Sol to us."
Heath grimaced, but nodded grudgingly. "Alright, we'll wait, but he better be quick. I want her out of that house as soon as possible."
--------
After Mercy had hung up, she wiped her eyes quickly. She messaged Rayon and then ran back inside. "Peridot, where's Steven? I have to go home, but I promise I'll be back soon."
Peridot was about to speak when the warp pad went off. Steven and the CGs stepped of the pad, chatting away. Mercy ran over to Steven and whispered in his ear.
He gave her a thumbs up and they went outside, Mercy grabbing her purse from the floor as they went. They found Lion and Sol napping near some boulders. Mercy shook Sol gently and whispered to him. His sleepy expression vanished as he listened.
He got up and licked her cheek. "Okay, see you soon." He rushed off, leaving behind a trail of silver mist.
Steven, in the meantime, had Lion all ready to go. She got on and they teleported to the back of her house. Steven had stars in his eyes, looking at the mansion as Lion was yawning.
"Woah...Its so pretty."
Mercy smiled. He's such a little cutie. She spoke to them quickly, scratching under Lion's jaw.
"Thank you, Steven and Lion. Now I'll be here for a bit. So just go back home. My aunt and uncle are coming to pick me up later so maybe we can get some donuts later."
Steven grinned. "No prob, Bob. See you later!"
Mercy waved goodbye as they left. She then snuck in through the backdoor and went upstairs quietly. She got to her room and went to work. Thankfully, she's always kept a clean room, so it was easy for her to get shit around quickly.
Using every Walmart bag, paper bag and any box, she packed up her belongings, her phone and MP3 player charging while she worked.
After about an hour of frantic packing, she was completely finished and everything was ready to go.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up. Heath had messaged her that Sol had just shown up, so they were on their way. Mercy chuckled. Sol loved to run, so he probably took the long way to get to their place. Oh well, they were on their way now, so no big deal.
She quietly took her stuff downstairs and put them in the foyer. She brought down the last box and pulled out her phone. She messaged Aunt Rayon that her stuff was in the foyer and the front door unlocked. Rayon messaged her back, thanking her and apologizing for the delay. Traffic issues, but they were on their way there.
She put her phone in her jacket pocket, unlocked the front door, and was about to sit down to wait, when she heard a loud noise from her fathers study.
Mercy shot to her feet. Isn't Dad usually at the office around this time of day? Did he come home early or something? She ran to the door and opened it up. It was pitch black inside. She walked in carefully, feeling for the light switch. "Dad, are you in here? What happened? Are you oka-?"
Mercy was shoved forcefully forward and the door slammed shut, the darkness consuming her. She squeaked as she fell, but quickly gathered her wits and tried to stand up.
She heard the doorlock click and froze when she heard a voice emerge from the darkness. "Mercy...." The lights turned on and she turned around quickly. Santino was standing over her, staring crazily down and swaying. She could smell the whiskey on his breath. Then she saw the shattered decanter on the ground in front of the fireplace.
Mercy tried to back away, but Santino grabbed her wrist, yanking her upwards. She cried out at his vise-like grip and tried to escape. "Let me go, stop it! Please!"
"SHUT UP!"
Santino punched Mercy hard in the face, throwing her into the bookshelves. She tasted blood from a cut on her lip and she couldn't see from one eye as she tried to get up. Santino grabbed her and pulled her towards his face, shaking her like a ragdoll and roaring.
"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!! YOU MURDERED HER, AND NOW YOU HAVE HER GEM! YOU HAVE MY GEM!! ITS MINE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!"
He threw Mercy onto his desk, and started to choke her. She keep trying to scream, but couldn't.
Santino then ripped the front of her sweater, revealing her blue Gem. He grabbed at it and started pulling at it, his nails digging into her skin. Mercy shrieked in pain, but he slapped her. He had two letter openers on his desk, one was an old, sharp scalpel and the other a fancy dagger. He grabbed the dagger and plunged it into Mercy's shoulder, pinning her to the desk as she shrieked in agony.
"ITS MINE, ITS MINE MINE MINE!!"
He grabbed the scalpel. "MIIINE!!" He sliced it under her Gem deeply, as Mercy wailed. But before he could cut any deeper....
-------
*CRAAASH* The study door was ripped off of its hinges as Heath burst through, snarling in rage. "BASTARD!!" He grabbed Santino and threw him away from Mercy out into the hall, where Sol was waiting for him, his eyes glowing icy blue.
He roared, slashing into Santino's face with his claws. "I'LL KILL YOU, FILTH!!" He charged and rammed him into the wall, knocking Santino unconscious. Heath ran out, grabbing Sol from behind, preventing him from tearing into the man's throat.
"SOL, ENOUGH!! We'll deal with him later!" Sol growled, but heeded his command. Heath picked Santino up, his face bleeding from Sol's scratches and then threw him into a spare bedroom, slamming the door.
While that was going on, Rayon ran into the study. "MERCY!! OH MY GOD!" He ran up to her, and talked soothingly to her. "Hang on, baby, its going to be okay, its going to be okay..."
That was the last thing she heard before her vision faded into darkness.
---------
"My word...she's a little trooper, thats for sure... and there she is."
Mercy woke up in a hospital room, Heath and Rayon by her side as the doctor beamed down at her. "Morning, Starshine, feeling better?" Mercy nodded and smiled as she croaked out a reply.
"Hi, Arin. Alex not here today?"
Arin was one of the many friends Heath and Rayon have made over the years. He was also one of Mercy's babysitters when she was little. Even when she grew too old to babysit, he always called her Starshine.
He chuckled.
"Nah, he's taking a break this weekend. Too many patients at his place to take care of." His younger brother, Alex, was a veterinarian across town, but he also volunteered in Arin's hospital whenever he found the time.
"Anyway..." Arin frowned. "You got pretty banged up. A bruise on the wrist, a black eye and a cut lip. Not to mention two deep stab wounds. What the fuck happened?"
Heath spoke up. "Arin, I'll explain later, but for right now please get to the point. Will she heal properly? Is she going to be okay?"
Arin scratched at his head. "She will, its just... those two wounds are going to be an issue. That dagger was shoved ALL the way through her shoulder and out by brute force, not to mention that it was dull in the bargain. Its going to heal, but it's going to leave a very nasty scar. As for the one near her Gem, its going to leave a mark as well, just not as bad."
He shrugged. "Other than that, after a couple days of rest and observation, she'll be ready to go. Now tell me what the hell happened."
Heath jumped up and clapped an arm around Arin's shoulders, leading him to the door.
"Lets take it out of the room and into the cafeteria. Ray, would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, four sugars and four creams please." They walked out of the room and Rayon turned back to Mercy.
"...He was after your Gem, wasn't he?" Mercy nodded as Rayon hugged her gently. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. We should have been there sooner." He kissed her forehead.
"When you fell unconscious, we called Arin and he sent a private ambulance over, no sirens. While he was tending to your wounds, we got your stuff out of the house and into the truck. So don't worry about a thin-"
Heath rushed in quickly, his face strained. "Rayon, we need to talk." Arin came in and checked up on Mercy. "I'll watch her, go on." Heath grabbed Rayon's hand and they went outside into the hall.
Mercy cried out after them. "Whats wrong? Wait!" She tried to sit up, but Arin pushed her back down as gingerly as he could.
"Easy, Star. Its nothing to worry about it. Now I'm going to give you some stuff to help you sleep. So just relax, okay? You're safe here...just close your eyes and sleep."
She closed her eyes as the medicine took effect. She was fast asleep in less than three minutes. Arin looked down at her as Heath and Rayon came back in. He looked at them and spoke firmly.
"She's asleep, so start talking. What happened to Mercy and what was that phone call about?"
Rayon was confused. "Phone call?" Heath was strained and pale, but he spoke clearly.
"When Arin was tending to Mercy and you were taking care of her stuff, I called in Jeffery at the police station. I told him to come quietly to pick up Santino and take him in for what he did to her."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I had just told Arin about how Mercy got her wounds, when Jeff called me. Part of the house was engulfed in flames." Rayon's eyes widened and he covered his mouth, but he didn't interrupt. Heath continued
"He called the fire department and they were able to put it out...Santino wasn't in the room where we put him. They found some blood spots, but that was it. And his car was missing. Along with some money and...his shotgun and pistol, ammunition included."
"Jesus..." Arin whispered, then he grimaced. "We'll keep a close eye on Mercy and you two will be the ONLY ones allowed to see her until she's released. Right now, you guys need to find a place where Santino can't find you easily."
Heath smiled as Rayon hugged him, addressing Arin. "WE should be safe. Santino has no idea where we live, so our main concern is Mercy. Sol knows a place where we could take her. He told us about how she had been staying with some of her friends in Beach City. She'll be safe there.
Arin nodded. "Alright. I'll tell Alex, Jeff and Garrett where she'll be. But no one else. Just in case." He grinned cheekily at Heath. "That alright with you, Boss?"
Heath glared mockingly at him. "That's "Sir" Boss to you, punk."
Arin saluted him playfully. "Yes sir, Boss sir."
They all started chuckling. Heath then went over to Mercy's bed. He kissed her cheek softly and whispered to her. "I love you, Mercy. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
They tiptoed out of Mercy's room, letting her sleep in peace as they closed the door behind them.
--FIN--
