Stranger Inside

AJ squinted a little as Armstrong finished his tattoo. It was Case’s name with his birth and death years under it. AJ figured it was the least he could do. Case did save his life.

Armstrong had already tattooed “Reneé” to AJ’s other arm and it was wrapped up nicely with a white bandage, so that Carrie would fail to notice Reneé’s name etched in AJ’s skin forever.

As Armstrong added the finishing touches, a CO escorted the warden to AJ’s cell. They opened the glass door and stepped inside. Armstrong had managed to hide the homemade tattoo equipment in time and AJ had covered his arm with a towel.

“McLean… you have a visitor.” The warden said in a very discerning tone. AJ got up and followed the two men to visitor’s quarters. As they made their way there, the warden explained to AJ exactly what had to be done.

“I was told that you were informed of what’s to take place today. Correct?” AJ nodded. “Good, good. You know, we’ve had this done before. And it always seems to work smoothly. All you have to do is place a tiny microphone in the phone in the booth. Then they place an earpiece in your ear and the police will tell you what to and what not to say to this girl. It all gets recorded on tape, and hopefully it will expose her lies in the appeal trial. So just stay cool and make yourself seem convincing. Got it?” AJ nodded again. And by this time they were at the visitor’s quarters.

AJ sat down and a detective, dressed as an inmate, fitted an almost invisible earpiece in AJ’s ear. Then he tested the mic in the phone AJ would be using. It worked fine. Another detective, a woman dressed as a visitor, sat nearby, watching. Carrie entered the room.

Her hair was done in curls, some tied up, and some cascading down on either side of her face. Her make-up was perfectly applied, and she smiled gracefully as she sat down in front of AJ. He was nervous. And he was also furious. How could she just sit there grinning, knowing he was locked up because of her lies?

Even though he wished he could strangle the truth out of her, he grinned back. A friendly grin at that. Carrie bought every bit of it. She picked up the phone and AJ did the same.

“I hoped it would be you.” AJ said into the black phone in his hand, held against his right ear. In his left ear he heard a faint voice tell him that he was doing fine.

“Really? I was afraid you’d never want to see me again. That was until Kaitlyn told me she saw you. Then of course I had to come see you.” AJ remembered the name but didn’t know anything about Kaitlyn coming to see him. The voice in his left ear told AJ what to say.

“Yeah, she told me how horrible things were for you. And I’m sorry. I wish I could go back in time and make things right for us.” AJ said, repeating what the detective whispered word for word. Then he finished on his own.

“I really did want our baby. I was just nervous at first. And I didn’t want Reneé angry with me. But things are over between Reneé and me now. She could never love me the way you do. She could never go through so much to be with me. I realize that now, Carrie. And I apologize for denying you that day.” Carrie sighed and looked as though she was about to cry. AJ was more than proud of himself, but he did not show it. He looked sincerely in her eyes.

“No AJ, I’m sorry. I got you in this place and now I don’t know how to get you out. Thirty years… that’s so far away. I’ll be too old for us to start another family. Oh God, I’ve screwed everything up.” Carrie whined, definitely crying now. AJ put his hand to the glass between them.

“No. There’s an appeal coming up. I’m sure we can work something out. There has to be a way. I want to be with you so badly.” AJ lied.

“Well… I could say that someone put me up to it. I could say that someone who had a grudge against you masterminded this whole thing. Nick maybe? Kevin? I could say that they made me frame you to get back at you and threatened to hurt me if I didn’t do it!” She said. And when she realized how loud her voice was, she humbled herself and waited for AJ’s response.

AJ just sat there for a moment dumbfounded by how big of a lie this girl could come up with in such a short period of time.

“You can’t do that. I can’t let you. Those guys are my brothers. They’re the only brothers I’ve got. I could never involve them in this. Not after they’ve supported me so loyally. But hey… you could tell them the truth.” AJ said. And the detective in his ear whispered that he said just the right thing.

“The truth? Come on, honey! How am I gonna look saying that you never raped me at all? And after that Oscar winning performance I put on for the court! How am I gonna look telling them that I just sucked you off once, got myself knocked up, and got a little temperamental when you hesitated to take care of me and the baby? I’ll look like a freakin’ lunatic… that’s what I’ll look like. Is that what you want? Do you want me to tell them the truth and get myself locked up?” She said. AJ wanted to smile so badly, but he held back and continued his little Oscar winning performance for Carrie. But secretly, in his ear, he was told, “its on tape… keep going.” And that was more than enough motivation.

“You’re right. I can’t let you do that. I don’t know, I just thought for a split second that the truth would set us both free. Guess not, huh? Well, there is no way for both of us to be together. Not for another 30 years.” AJ said, laying the guilt on her thick. She began to cry again and look at him with sad eyes. The look of a disappointed young girl… which was all she really was. Well… a twisted and disappointed young girl.

“I am truly sorry that I turned my back on you that day. Especially when you needed my love and care the most. I was stupid, and I guess I deserve this. So I will serve my time. And every day that I am locked within these walls, I will dream of the day I will be with you. And that goal will help me survive.” A CO officer was cued to end their conversation and escort AJ to another room. Carrie just banged on the window as they led her love away.

“AJ! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I never meant for this to happen! I love you!” She screamed. Another CO, on her side of the wall, calmed her down and escorted her out of the visiting room.

AJ was taken to another small gray room with a table and 6 chairs around it. He sat down in one, and seconds later the two detectives entered the room. Both looked happy and satisfied.

“We got the whole conversation on tape. From the greetings to her screams after they took you away. It’s her voice. And…” He took a tape and popped it into a VCR, which was under a TV on a cart. When he turned on the TV, AJ saw that it was the surveillance tape of the visiting room where they has just been. He saw himself talking to Carrie, as clear as day. And he even saw her stand and start banging on the glass. AJ knew that this would help prove the validity of the audiotape. Matching actions to sound. It was great!

“So… when’s the appeal?” AJ asked with anticipation. It was then that the smile on the male detective’s face faded.

“Not for another 2 months, Mr. McLean. We’re sorry. But sometimes, it takes just that long, even longer in some cases. Just 2 months was lucky.” AJ stood up smacking his palms against the surface of the table hard; expressing his anger in the only way he was allowed.

“What the fuck!?!? Two whole months! No fucking way! They gotta give me parole or something, right? Right?” The detective lowered his head and shook it no.

“The best advice we can give you is to stay safe. Stay out of trouble. You’re innocent, so keep that status. Don’t go mucking around into shit around here and making the judge and the jury think you are some kind of badass. That won’t sit well with them. You’ve already been in 2 skirmishes, make those the last. Humble yourself. Stay below the radar, and we guarantee that good behavior will help your case. The warden is watching, make him believe you are the good man you say you are.” The man said, then he turned with his partner and left the room with the videotape in hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Carrie did not drive straight home after she visited AJ. She had too many bubbling emotions within her to just go home. She had a mission to accomplish.

Reneé. She caused all of this. If it had not been for Reneé, AJ would have never denied her and their unborn child. Then she wouldn’t have lied and pressed charges. AJ wouldn’t be in prison. He would be with her, with their baby. It was all Reneé’s fault.

She made her way to AJ’s house, to the best of her memory. And sure enough, she made it there.

By then, it was raining. Carrie couldn’t help but draw strength and courage from the dreary weather and the violent thunder cracks and lightening strikes. Again, she parked away from the main gate of the community, and snuck in easily. She couldn’t be detected because of the heavy rain and the distracted guard.

She crept in the direction of AJ’s home in the rain for what seemed like forever. And finally, the mansion came into view. This time, AJ was not there driving in, so the gate was not opening, and she could not sneak through. Instead, she had to squeeze through.

She put one leg and one arm through the bars of the gate. Then her head. Her torso, however, would be quite a task. Carrie was, of course, top heavy and squeezing through would be quite a feat. Even so, she had a mission. And in her mind, NOTHING could stop her from completing it. She took a deep breath in and pushed through. She pushed and pushed until she had no more breath left to hold. As she exhaled, her chest expanded again, and she felt the sharp pain of her ribs jammed against the hard metal bars. She almost felt as though moving another inch would surely cost her a few bones from her rib cage, but she had to do it. She inhaled again and pushed, with all of her strength, and out she came! Inside the gate. A purple bruise forming on her chest caught her attention, but not for long. She had a mission.

She crept around the back and peeked inside the back door. No one was to be seen. But she heard music. From upstairs. She tilted her head up and saw a balcony. And upon further observation, she realized the balcony had a door. It was open. And the white curtains were flapping in the strong breeze. Reneé had the door open to get some air into the house, and the way the balcony was sized, no rain got inside. So it seemed safe. Or so she thought.

Carrie grabbed a lawn chair and stood on it, getting a good reach for the bottom of the balcony. Then she pulled herself up, with all the strength that she had left. Once she was on the balcony, she looked inside the bedroom and found it empty. Reneé was in the bathtub at the time. And the stereo was playing relaxing music. Carrie walked passed the open bathroom door and out of the bedroom.

Reneé turned suddenly, sensing a presence. She looked around with wide eyes, but saw or heard nothing.

“JD??? Where are you sweetie?” She called out for the puppy. But there was no answer. She could have sworn she felt a presence that had to have been JD... but why didn't he respond? Why didn't he come? She figured that maybe he couldn’t hear her over the music. And it was time for her to get out of the tub anyway, so she’d look for him then. She stood up and bent over to let the water out. Then she wrapped her robe over her body, tying it tightly.

Because her body was wet, the breeze was just a little too much. She went to close the door by failed to notice Carrie’s shoes on the balcony. You see, Carrie had taken her shoes off and walked in the house barefoot. That way there would be no muddy footprints on the carpet. After closing the door, Reneé still failed to notice the wet spots in the carpet. Possibly because her feet were wet too.

She turned the music down a few notches and slipped her feet into her house slippers. Then she went out of the bedroom and looked over the banister of the stairs.

“JD???” She called out again. No answer. Carrie had pushed the dog into the basement and shut the door. JD heard Reneé perfectly, but she could not hear him pawing at the basement door. At least not from the banister upstairs.

Carrie went into the kitchen and pulled a large knife from a set of knives and gripped it tightly in her hand. Her entire body trembled with nervousness. But this had to be done.

Reneé, still curious as to JD’s whereabouts, descended the stairs and kept searching for the pup, calling his name and listening for him.

A loud crack of thunder sounded and it made both women jump. And almost immediately after, the lights were out. Reneé hated the dark, it was a childhood fear of hers that never quite went away. And she couldn’t take being in that large house alone in the dark…

She picked up the phone and quickly dialed Jennifer, a neighbor. Jennifer picked up the phone and Reneé was greatly comforted by her friend’s voice.

“Jen, hey. Are you lights out? Mine are too. I hope they come on soon. You know how I get. I know its raining like all hell outside, but could you please come over. I’m terrified, honestly. Oh, you will? God, Jennifer, thank you! I just…” Suddenly the phone went dead. Reneé said hello a few times before clicking the phone off and then on again. It was surely dead.

Another bolt of lightening lit up the room and Reneé saw Carrie’s reflection in the mirror before her. She was standing in the kitchen, looking dead at Reneé, holding a knife in one had and a cut phone cord in the other. And when Reneé saw those hate-filled eyes, her heart almost stopped. She did not scream. She just waited until the room darkened again and slipped out of the room, settling in a corner where she knew she couldn’t be easily seen.

Her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw Carrie walking into the living room, knife in hand. Carrie looked from one side of the room to another. And still she did not see Reneé.

Reneé sat quietly in that corner, breathing almost silently, and watching her stalker with incredible caution. She reached up and held the cross around her neck that AJ had given her, and she prayed, silently. She prayed that God would save her and bring her out of this situation alive and well.

“Where are you? You can’t hide forever.” Carrie sang in an evil melodic fashion. It was then that Reneé realized that she had to get away from Carrie before the next bolt of lightening. Otherwise, the light would reveal her hiding place. She backed into the dining room slowly. All the while listening to Carrie call her name. Carrie was still in the living room searching, going toward the stairs. She still had time to hide.

There was a hidden door in the dining room that led to AJ’s studio in the attack. Reneé opened the door and sat there on the steps, still listening to Carrie call her name. She waited until Carrie revealed her location again… near the front door. She then felt it was safe to go up the stairs and to the studio.

There was another phone there. She picked it up and dialed Jennifer’s number. Jennifer answered again, by the grace of God she hadn’t left the house yet.

“Jen… don’t come over. There’s someone in my house. The girl who put AJ in prison. She’s got a knife and she’s looking for me. Call the police and make sure they get here fast. I can’t afford to stay on the phone any longer. Just call them and make sure they get here! I’m in the studio up in the attack, tell them that.” With that, Reneé hung up the phone and sat still. She heard Carrie in their bedroom below the studio. She had to be quiet otherwise Carrie would hear her walking. She silently prayed again.


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