was sad because if a day went by without him hitting me I thought something was wrong. That I had been bad. Does that make sense? Life without being hit just didn’t seem normal. Not that I would go out of my way on those days to ask him to hit me, no. I would enjoy them, but in my mind I would wonder why. I felt like he hadn’t paid me the normal attention that he did, a beating. It is really sick when you think of it that way. But that was my life.” Janice cried.
“How old are you Janice?” John asked.
“I’m 24.” She replied.
“You were with him since you were 17?”
“My parents sold me to him when I turned 17. I was close enough to legal, and they wanted their drugs. He was their drug dealer, and he had always commented on how pretty he thought I was. At that time I had enjoyed the attention. My parents had never paid any attention to me. They were always high, or looking for ways to get money to get high.” She laughed a dry sound came from her throat.
John didn’t know what to say. She had been through so much. First parents who chose drugs over their daughter, then that asshole Howard. This poor girl, his heart ached for her.
“No, don’t.” Clyde warned.
John didn’t pay attention to him. “You should stay with me.” He said.
“How do you know she’s not using drugs too? It makes sense he’s a drug dealer, her parents did them, why not her? You shouldn’t keep her here, all your stuff will be stolen.” Clyde stated.
“Let me ask you have you ever used drugs?” John asked Janice. He watched her reply, trying to see if she was lying.
“No, honestly I tried to take them. I wanted to, that way I could forget the world I was living in. But Howard hid them from me, and the one time I had found them, he beat me so bad I couldn’t move for days. He said that the drugs were for his profit, not for me to stick in my arms or up my nose. He wouldn’t have a druggie around him. Funny isn’t it.” Janice said.
“I don’t believe her.” Clyde said.
“I do. You want me to ask her again so you can really listen?” John offered to Clyde.
“What?” Janice asked.
“Clyde. He doesn’t believe you. He thinks you use drugs.” John stated.
“Well I can’t hear or see Clyde, but I can tell him he’s wrong. I never did use them. Like I said, I tried to get my hands on them that one time, and paid for it. If he doesn’t believe me take a blood sample, a hair sample. Anything.” Janice said.
“Do it.” Clyde shouted in John’s head. “Do the hair sample, it will let you know for sure.”
“Clyde really? I don’t think that’s needed.” John stood his ground.
“Well if you wake up one day and she’s gone and you’ve been robbed don’t worry I’ll let you know I was right.” Clyde stated.
“I have no doubt.” John agreed.
John turned his attention back to Janice. “Do you know Howard’s last name?”
“Why?” Janice panicked.
“I want him to pay for what he did to you.” John said firmly.
“He’s dangerous though, he may kill you. When that happens he will come for me.” She cried out.
“I think you’re missing the point that I am a wizard. He won’t be able to lay a hand on me unless I choose to let him.” John stated. “I can do things you wouldn’t believe, he won’t
Learning to Kill: Stories