Turned By Him

Chapter 2

Eliza was hesitant of the pale young man outside her car. She eyed him through the glass and started her Cobalt to leave. He was insistent and after scribbling the ten digits on the back of a NuBlood invitation, Tom slid his phone number to Eliza through the slightly opened driver’s side window. “I only want to help,” he said in an empathetic tone. “When you need me, call me.”

Eliza wasn’t sure why Tom cared but wasn’t in the mood to ask him any question. Her head was still pounding and Eliza just wanted to get home to change her clothes, charge her phone and organize her thoughts. The drive home was difficult for Eliza. She did her best to drive down shaded streets and to avoid the morning traffic. The loud clatter of New York City filled her drive as even the radio was more noise than she could handle.

After she pulled into her parking space, Eliza examined her dress. The black fabric was matted to her leg with large thick and viscous clumps. Upon further examination, Eliza began to suspect it was a mixture of blood and feces. He face grew hot with embarrassment before her thoughts gave way to fear. Eliza wasn’t sure if she had been s*xually assaulted and decided she would examine herself before going to the hospital.

When she finally arrived back at her Manhattan apartment, Eliza examined herself in the mirror. Her black hair was tangled and tinted gray with dust and flecks of ice. Though she was never tan, Eliza couldn’t help but feel that she was paler than usual. The red lipstick from the night before was smeared across her right cheek and her eyeliner ran in dark lines down to her chin. The smeared makeup drew a stark contrast to her sickly pale skin. Eliza washed her face. She examined herself and while she was bruised, sore and likely very sick from sleeping all night in the cool air, she didn’t believe she needed a ra*e kit. Still feeling awful, Eliza couldn’t help but feel relieved that she hadn’t been victimized in such a horrific way. Whoever her assailant was, he wasn’t a rap*st. While in the shower, Eliza allowed herself another moment of weakness and collapsed to her knees in tears. She was angry, confused, sick and hurt all at the same time. As the emotions swelled and receded within her, Eliza recalled more details from the night before. She could see the flash of her attackers red hair. Eliza could hear the cries of the woman pleading for help and the dark mass huddled over in the alleyway.

Though the water which poured over her was warm, Eliza felt chills run up her spine. There was something very unusual about the past 24 hours and it brought about a real uneasiness within her. After she got out of the shower, Eliza checked her phone. Heather hadn’t called her since the day before. As Eliza’s thoughts became increasingly lucid, she felt a growing concern for her friend. Eliza called Heather several times but she never answered. Still feeling unwell, Eliza called her work to tell them she wouldn’t be in and went to lie down on her couch. As she flipped through the channels, she caught the final segment of the Daily News at Noon on channel 7. The story covered the increase in drug overdoses across New York City and the Police Department’s attempt to curb the statistics. The report claimed that as many as three hundred deaths had gone unreported over the past few years.

Eliza shook her head as she considered herself lucky to have walked away from last night relatively unscathed. Still she wasn’t feeling well and was concerned about Heather. After several sleepless hours on the couch, Eliza decided she would call George Fruedner, Heather’s dad. He had always been good to her. Eliza had spent many Christmas eves with Heather and her dad. Eliza loved George and trusted him like a father. Despite how angry she knew Heather would be, Eliza called George to let him know what happened the night before.

As the phone rang, Eliza considered how much she wanted to talk to George about what had happened to her last night. He was a doctor after all and Eliza had always gone to him for medical advice.

“Hello Eliza,” the warm and familiar voice said over the phone. “How are you?”

“Fine Mr. Fruedner,” she said in a sweet tone. “How are you?”

The two exchanged pleasantries a moment before Eliza brought the conversation to its point. “I was wondering if you’d heard from Heather since last night.” Heather still lived at home with her father and the two were very close. Though he didn’t require it of her, Heather would often call or text her father to alert him that she was out or would be home late. As long as Eliza could remember, George Fruedner had been the coolest dad in Manhattan. He was a down to earth widower who dedicated his free time to helping the less fortunate in the city get the medical attention they needed. When he was young, he had served in the Peace Corp but he now worked at Saint Jude’s as assistance chief of medicine.

“No,” he said in a mildly concerned tone. “Have you heard from her?” George knew that the girls had secrets of one another’s to keep. Eliza had always appreciated the respectful distance he kept while still prying information from her with fatherly love. Neither of them were young anymore and Eliza didn’t feel too guilty confessing that she and Heather had gone to a rave the previous night.

After Eliza had told George she hadn’t heard from Heather she explained what she remembered of the previous night’s events. Georges tone revealed him to be in full ‘dad mode.’

“I’m going to come over right away Eliza. Just lie down. I’m going to call Heather on my way over to your apartment.” Eliza thanked him. Before they hung up George added, “Please text your friends to see if they’ve heard from Heather today. I know you’re both adults but you’ll both always be little girls to me.”

When Eliza hung up she felt tears well in her eyes. She missed her father dearly but bore George Fruedner all the love she could spare on another father figure. He was kind and loving and always there for her when she needed it. After drying her eyes, Eliza asked around to see if anyone knew where Heather had been all day.

George arrived at her apartment roughly half an hour later, his eyes wide with panic. “She didn’t pick up when I called,” he explained before asking, “Have you heard anything?” Eliza just shook her head. None of their mutual friends had spoken to Heather today. “One thing at a time then,” George said taking a deep breath. “Let’s take a look at you.” He immediately began firing questions at Eliza asking where she had been exactly, what she remembered, what she had to drink and the names of anyone she knew at the rave. Though he wasn’t writing any of it down, Eliza new that George was memorizing every bit of information she gave. After the scenario had been established, he began asking more personal question. He asked if she was feeling any soreness or tightness in her pelvis. He asked if there had been any open wounds she had found on her body.