Suspended - Part XIV

“Suspended” is a fictional story about a New York family — husband, wife and college-aged son — who’ve become disconnected from one another and lost their sense of purpose until a beautiful young woman who claims she’s a hands-on-healer enters their lives and shakes everything up.

THIS IS PART 14 of a FIFTEEN-PART STORY

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

In the apartment Marcia considered collecting Fee's things, her lilac wrap and candles and toiletries and nightgown, and throwing them one by one down the incinerator. Instead she grabbed the journal and locked herself up with it in her bedroom. At first it was hard to focus. Fee's handwriting was small. Marcia pulled off her long skirt and lay down on the bed, trying to make sense of what was written on the pages. A lot of blah blah blah. Minute observations about Fee and her emotions. Who she liked, who she didn't. And then the sentence about Rich: We were about to kiss when his son, whom I like very much, yelled at him to pick up the phone. He has the nicest hands.

About to kiss! Outside she heard voices. They were home. She slid the book under her pillow. "Marcia?" Rich called out. He tried the door, knocked, then began to pound. "Come on, let me in!"

No way.

“Marcia!”

The pounding grew fiercer. She let it continue. When she thought she couldn’t stand it any longer, she climbed off the bed. “What do you want?” she said through the door.

“To talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Marcia, please! You’re acting crazy.”

“I’m acting crazy?”

“We need to talk. Face to face.”

She opened the door a crack. She was in Kmart underpants and her blousy peasant top. She only meant to open the door a chink, but he pushed her aside and the violence of his touch made her hands fist up with fury. She started to punch him. He kneed her in the stomach, locked the door. She pulled at his hair. “You son-of-a-bitch! You wanted to kiss her!” His glasses went flying. She tried to claw his face, but he threw her on the bed and she screamed, “I hate you! I hate you!” as he landed on top of her. For an instant they lay without moving. Then he put his face over hers and she could feel he was crying as he kissed her hard on the mouth.

Cover Image: Blake Cheek

Next: Read Suspended Part 15 >>