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Jona Garlitos
Chapter I: The Offer
I stared down at the letter in my hand in disbelief. I had never received a termination letter before and the whole idea of me being fired from a job was foreign to me - and devastating. How was I supposed to pay my bills? Thankfully the severance package that came with the horrible letter was enough to cover me for a month but what after? I stared at my little girl, unsure of what was to become of our future. She smiled back at me unaware of the turn our lives were about to take. I needed to find a job. Fast.
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I stepped out onto my balcony and lit a cigarette. I inhaled the smoke slowly, letting the intoxicating fumes relax me. I needed something quick, before my severance money dried up and I lost everything. Not really for me, but I didn't want my daughter to experience the childhood of homelessness I had grown up in. I reached for my cell phone and set out calling everyone on my contacts list. I needed a job, I don't care what it is. A waitress, washing dishes, detailing cars, it didn't matter. but no one knew of any openings. I tried facebook, making a post of my immediate need for employment but no such luck either. I tried a head hunter friend of mine, but he told me I wasn't qualified for any of the positions he knew of at the moment, but he would keep an eye out. I set down my phone and cried.
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I walked back inside and smiled at my daughter, Angela. "Lasagna for tonight, babe?" I asked her watching as her face broke out into a beautiful smile. Lasagna was her favorite. I thought at the very least I could make one of us happy today. She hopped up and ran towards me, "Lasagna is my favorite in the world, mommy!" She exclaimed as I closed my eyes and breathed in the light apple scent of her shampoo. "I know, nugget, that's why I'm making it. Let's eat dinner and watch a movie together before bed, yea?" I tried to stifle a sob as I hugged her. She was so happy and all I could do was cling to her and look around at our place, silently praying for an answer to my problem.
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We had just moved into our apartment not more than 6 months ago. It was tiny, and not in the greatest neighborhood, but it was just mine and hers. I didn't have to walk around on eggshells anymore waiting for the next blow to my head. Or drunken angry tirades from a sadistic human who's only lot in life seemed to be to terrify my daughter and I.
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I prepped the lasagna and popped it in the oven. I could hear Angela in her room making silly voices as she played with her stuffed animals. I walked past her room to the bathroom, smiling as I watched her animatedly having a conversation with her favorite stuffed duck. She was everything to me, and had been through so much. I'd be damned if I let her go through anymore hardship because of my lack of.
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I walked in the bathroom and stared blankly at my reflection. 'Christ, Danni, get yourself together' I thought to myself as I threw some cool water on my face. I continued to stare, not even seeing myself anymore as past memories came flooding through my mind. I could never stare at my own reflection before. Jacob would always catch me and have something ugly to say. If I even tried to defend myself, a beating would follow swiftly after.
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"What the fuck are you staring at? Trying to find the former beauty somewhere in there." He'd chuckled to himself as he stood in the doorway. "Danni, you're so fucking vain! Just brush your damn teeth and get your fat hideous form out of the bathroom. Everytime I see you now I wonder what the hell I was even thinking having a kid with you. She'll probably be a fat ass like her mother."
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He was drunk again. The smell of cheap booze wafted into my nose every time he opened his mouth. but 10 years with him, I came to know when I should say something and when I should keep my mouth shut. Which meant me keeping my mouth shut all the time."
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"Hello??? Are you planning to move your rotund self out of the bathroom. I can't even slide past you to take a leak." He knocked on the side of my head like I was a door. I wanted to will myself to move, to just get out of his way before his fist made me. But I was just so angry!
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Why? Why did he keep doing this to me. He was my best friend when we first started dating. He was everything I had wanted in a boyfriend and as a future husband. He was perfect. Too perfect... and that should have been my biggest warning sign.
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"What the hell do you keep thinking about? I have to meet the guys down at the ball court and you're fucking delaying me. Christ in hell, why do you always make me so mad?" It was too late. I hesitated for too long. I felt his fingers wrapping around my hair in slow motion. I didn't even have time to say that I'd move. I didn't even have time to even do it. his hand clamped tightly around my long brown hair as his fist connected with my solar plexus. I tried to at least brace myself but that was always a hard spot for me to get hit in. I tried to shut the bathroom door before Angela came running in. He took that motion to think that I was trying to run away and yanked me back on to the cold tile floors. Everything he said came out in a distorted haze as I tried to numb myself against his attack. I didn't want to scream because Angela would have came running to me. but I couldn't help it. I never could help it. His attacks always felt like he was trying to kill me.
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"Mommy!!" I heard her little cry from the doorway as I looked up through tears. She was standing there in her nightgown, clutching her duck, screaming for me to run with her. I tried to tell her to run to her room as he landed a clean blow to my jaw. He stopped for a second to growl at her to go away as I tried desperately to close the door with my foot.
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After he was done, and I laid on the floor a bloody crying mess. He stood over me to piss in the toilet. Then washed his hands and left. As nonchalant as if we were just having a conversation about plans for the day. Angela ran to me crying, and tore a piece of toilet paper from the roll. She started dabbing at my cuts, sniffling, but trying to say words to make me feel better. My 8 year old was trying to make ME feel better after watching her dad pummel my face in. I couldn't take it anymore.
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That day, I finally called the police and had them help Angela and I escape her father. He was arrested and we were helped into a shelter for domestic violence victims. That was 8 months ago. I had worked my tail off trying to get our lives rebuilt. She and I had undergone extensive therapy to try to get over the abuse that I suffered and she as well, having to witness it all. The day I was handed the keys to our own little place was the happiest day of my life. I could not let everything I worked for, everything I had built for my baby and I, slip away like that!
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I walked back into the kitchen and heard my daughter turn on the t.v. "What should we watch tonight mommy? Something funny? Or something romantic?" She asked as she pretended to swoon on the couch. I chuckled as I set the table. "Let's watch something super funny. I feel like a good laugh." I told her as she clicked through the channels. "Okay, let's watch 'Heavyweights'." She said as she set the remote down. I nodded as I motioned for her to come and eat.
We chatted like usual about our day. She told me about the upcoming field trip she had to the museum downtown and I told her about the funny looking pug dog that tried to follow me home from work. After dinner we settled on the couch to cuddle and laugh at our movie choice.
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As usual, it didn't take her long to nod off to sleep. I kissed the top of her little forehead and picked her up to take her to bed. Living with my ex, Angela was always a light sleeper. Every little sound would make her shoot out of bed to come find me, but ever since we moved into our new place, this girl slept so deeply. Because she felt safe. She knew it was just her and I. And that was always her safe place was just the two of us.
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I kissed her one last time and turned off the light. 'Sleep well my sweet. Your mom is gonna make sure you're always safe.' I closed her door and headed out to the balcony with my laptop. Lighting a cigarette, I powered my donated computer on and thought about what jobs I had the most qualifications for as I waited.
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I went on to Craigslist and searched for hours. It seemed like you needed a degree for everything nowadays. It was already midnight before I knew it. After putting my resume on dozens of job sites, and scouring everyplace on the internet that I could think of for job postings I was ready to give in for the night.
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Suddenly a notification popped up on my emails. Who would send me an email this late? Must be spam. I was just going to go ahead and close my laptop but something told me to open the email.
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Miss Danielle Curtis,
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How are you? I hope this email finds you well. I found your resume on Indeed.com and noticed that you have substantial experience as a cleaning professional. My name is Norman Blackwood and I am the owner of a large establishment on the outskirts of Tolerville, CA. My building is massive and requires substantial cleaning and maintenance and I wanted to know if you would be interested in being the caretaker of the building. I understand that the repairs, cleaning, and upkeep would be significant and am willing to pay whoever I hire as caretaker a very substantial monthly stipend as well as an advance on acceptance of the position. Your swift reply is most appreciated as I am eager for my building to be up and running within the next year.
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Cordially,
Norman S. Blackwood, MD
(709) 483-9378
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This doctor wants me as his caretaker? I did have a lot of professional cleaning experience but I've never been a caretaker before. Tolerville was only a 10 minute drive for me. I could take Angela to school and still be able to work! This was perfect. Too perfect. What's the catch?
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The next morning, after dropping Angela off to school, I headed home to fix myself a cup of coffee and call this mysterious doctor. "Good morning Miss Curtis! I'm so happy you replied so fast to my email." I was greeted with a deep yet cheery voice on the other end. "Hello Mr. Blackwood. You're email offer sounded very intriguing and I called to know more about the position." I told him as I took a sip of my hot coffee.
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"Absolutely! The Ashlan was bequeathed to me from a former mentor of mine. He had no familial ties at death and I was like a son to him. It is a historical building and magnificent in it's hayday. I wanted to restore it to it's former glory but not as it was." He chuckled.
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Why did 'The Ashlan' sound so familiar?
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"Anyways, the stipend would be $4,000 per month with an additional $10,000 bonus on acceptance of the position. How does that sound to you?" He asked. I could hear papers rifling on the line, as if he were looking through something while chatting with me.
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"That sounds amazing! I absolutely accept" I was shocked. The stipend was double what I made at my old job, and with the bonus I could afford to take Angela on a much anticipated vacation we had been talking about. She and I had never been to Disneyland and it was on our mommy/daughter bucket list. "What are the hours?" I asked through a huge smile. I was already mentally planning out our trip and what we both would wear.
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"From dawn to dusk. You can set whatever 8 hour shift you want in that time period. You can even break up the shift if you'd like. But you cannot stay after it gets dark." His voice became serious in tone rather quickly which peaked my curiosity. "Forgive me for asking, but is there a particular reason why I wouldn't be able to stay after dark? Or is that just normal hours to keep? I only ask because your tone changed rather quickly so I was just curious..." I immediately felt stupid for asking. Obviously, every business' hours were different.
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His tone changed back to the lighthearted one when we initially started chatting and he chuckled at my question, "You are very perceptive, Miss Curtis. Do you not know what The Ashlan is, or rather, was?"
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It did sound so familiar. I just couldn't place my finger on where I heard the name.
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"I would think no one would want to stay at an abandoned psychiatric hospital past dark, wouldn't you?" He mused as my breath caught in my throat.
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It finally clicked. The Ashlan was a massive, decrepit old asylum that housed the criminally insane... And I had just agreed to be it's caretaker.