CHAPTER THREE
Rob couldn’t wait for one more second to see Rachel. He was so happy that he finally found her house in Pennsylvania, or at least he thought he’d found her house. All signs pointed towards this one, and as he stood there, staring at the modest house on the corner of the street, his heart began to race. This could be the beginning of his great love with Rachel, he thought to himself. He couldn’t wait to see her, and after a second of wallowing in his daydreams, he ran quickly up the front walkway and rang the doorbell.
Nobody answered.
He made a fist with his hand and banged loudly on the front door. He waited for a minute, and then heard a voice calling from inside.
“Could ya hold on for a second?”
Rob stood there, excited and nervous all at the same time. He knew this was the moment he’d been waiting for his whole life. He knew that he and Rachel would fall madly in love and be together forever.
He knocked again, knowing that it would anger the voice behind the door but he didn’t care. He had to get inside.
“Did you hear me? I said hold on a second!”
“Let me in!” Rob screamed. “I have to see Rachel!”
Suddenly the door swung open and Rob stood there looking at Rachel’s father who looked back at him angrily.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I need to see your daughter!” Rob answered.
“Well, she’s not here now. I’m sorry,” her father answered.
“What do you mean she’s not here. I don’t believe you. I know she’s here!” Rob said, looking inside the house.
“She’s not here. Please leave now,” her father said coldly.
Rob couldn’t just leave. He quickly ran inside and started yelling for Rachel.
“Rachel! Rachel!”
Nobody answered.
“What are you doing? Get out of my house! I’m going to call the police!” Rachel’s father yelled out.
“I’m not leaving until I find her,” Rob said.
“RACHEL!”
“What is your problem? She is not here. What do you not understand about that?” her father yelled.
“Don’t lie to me. I can smell her here. I know she’s here,” Rob said, realizing that what he just said was a little bit crazy.
“Smell her?” her father said. “This has gone too far, please leave my property now!”
“Where is she. I love her. I need to be with her!” Rob yelled back.
“You are crazy. You don’t deserve to be with my daughter anyway,” her father said.
Rob was so mad that he walked over to Rachel’s father, picked him up off the ground and lifted him high up into the air. His head hit the ceiling with a bang and Rob started shaking him up and down, hitting his head with each motion.
“LET ME DOWN!” Rachel’s father yelled. “You’re insane!”
“Just tell me where she is and nobody gets hurt,” Rob said, in a creepy voice.
“I don’t know!”
“Well then, we can do this all day!” Rob said lifting him up into the air and spinning him now above his head with his super human strength.
“I think she’s gone again,” her father said, finally.
“Gone where?” Rob asked, still torturing the poor guy.
“I don’t know, but I think I know who might know,” he said.
With that, Rob put her father down on the ground and waited to hear what he had to say.
“So?” Rob asked. “Who shall I go to next?”
For a moment, Rob thought he wasn’t going to tell him, then he opened his mouth to speak. “She had visited with her mother not long before she left us again. I think her mother knows where she is or might have an idea to point you in the right direction.”
Rob was thrilled by this information, and part of him was surprised that her dad gave it to him. He was sure he wouldn’t have, but then again, his life was at stake, so he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
“And where might she be?” Rob asked.
“She’s ill, she’s in the hospital,” her father said.
“The hospital?” Rob asked. “Which one?”
“The one in town,” he said.
“Do the accept visitors outside the family?” Rob asked, smartly.
“Well, now that you mention it, I don’t think so. Sorry, looks like you can’t see her.”
“You don’t really think I’m going to give up that quickly do you?” Rob asked.
“Um..?”
“You will call now and say I’m a cousin in from out of state to see her and that they should expect me,” Rob said.
“What?” her father asked. “I can’t do that.”
“You can and you will!” Rob said, walking over to him again as if to hurt him or torture him in some other fashion.
“STAY BACK!” her father pleaded. “I beg you!”
“Listen, I’m going to head over to the hospital now, and if they don’t let me in, I’ll be back here for you. Do you understand me?” Rob asked seething with anger.
“You better not come back here, do you understand ME?” her father asked. “I’ll call the cops on you.”
“Oh yeah, what do you think they’re going to do to me?” Rob said, mocking him.
“I wouldn’t try me,” her father said. “I’m a powerful guy.”
“Listen, I don’t really care who you are to be frank. I just want to see your daughter,” Rob said.
“Well, let me tell you one other thing. This is no way to enter into our family, young man. If you ever think you stand a chance with my daughter you are out of your mind. So, if I were you I’d just quit now.”
“NEVER!” Rob said. “This has nothing to do with you, or your family. I don’t care about your dumb family. You guys mean nothing to me. All I care about is Rachel. Nobody else in this world matters to me. I am different and she is different. It is something you will never understand,” Rob said.
“Just leave, would you!” her father said, pointing to the door. “I’ve heard just about enough out of you.”
“Ok, but remember, I’ll be back if I can’t find her. So you better be pointing me in the right direction.”
“GOODBYE!” was the last thing he heard as he made his way out of the house and towards the hospital for more answers.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mark drove through the streets feeling energized as he knew he’d get his fix soon. It had been a few days since his last smoke, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on more. He’d become addicted, and it was all he could think about. He knew it was illegal, but he didn’t care. Something inside him had shifted and he’d become a guy he hardly knew anymore. He was suddenly doing things that were completely out of the ordinary and hanging with types that he’d never liked before. Although, he was happy about it because it made him feel cool and like a rebel. He’d always wanted to revolt against society, but for some reason or another, felt contained in his skin and he couldn’t break free. Now, things had changed for him, and he suddenly felt free of his inner chains and able to express his real true self.