Disclaimers: These characters and their story belong strictly to me. Please refrain from plagiarising. This story is of the hurt/comfort genre. September 26, 2000
Dedication: I'd like to thank my friend Bookie for Beta reading for me and the readers for they are why I am here.
THE FAN
By Lena
Anna lay upon the cold, moist ground, staring up into the night sky as her life's blood slowly oozed into the sodden soil. There was no pain at first, just a powerful slam and a loud crack, like a cherry bomb on New Year's Eve. She remembered when it snowed in New Orleans back in the mid 60's and her brothers made a snowman, then filled it with cherry bombs. At the stroke of midnight they blew it up. The noise was deafening and frightened her, but her grandmother held her tight and she felt safe.....protected.....loved. 'Grandmere, protect me.' The dark haired beauty prayed as the shadowy figure paced back and forth, just within her line of vision. Pain began to pulse through her chest and left arm, each breath causing waves of agony. She tried not to move and make the pain worse.
"YOU BITCH!! Look what you made me do!! I told you that whore would ruin you. But, NO! You had to think with your clit! I would have given you anything you wanted......"
'Frances, where's Frances? Please, don't hurt my dog. Frances, run, run far away.' The distraught woman looked around her as well as she could for her little long haired chihuahua, a gift from her student's literary club members. She loved that little dog like a child and her heart filled with fear that this maniac would shoot her too. Her attention returned to the ranting woman. 'That voice. I know that voice. Oh my God, she's one of my students.'
"Why....?" Anna whispered, the pain in her chest burned with the effort.
"You really don't know, do you? JESUS H. CHRIST! And, I thought you were something special. You're just another clueless, white trash cunt. Just like that woman you sleep with."
"I never hurt you." Her victim sighed.
"YOU NEVER HURT ME!!!!!" Her tormentor bellowed. "That's incredible! How could you be so cruel!?!" The heavyset woman leaned against a live oak. "After all the letters, all the support and encouragement I freely gave you. I listened to your worries and your dreams. I made it happen for you. I'm the one who organized the letter writing campaign to get you an associate professorship at Loyola. Did you think that you got that on your talent!?! Not in this town, sweetie. It's who you know, what strings you can pull and how hard. I'm the one with the social connections. I'm the one who found out all the dirty little secrets of "the powers that be". I got you in the door. It was ME, ME, ME! And what do I get in return, huh? A big fat nothing! That's what I get. First you tell me you've met some intern who wants to work for the "poor and underprivileged", your "Angel of Mercy". That's what you called her. How trite! I told you she'd never be accepted in the right circles. But, did you listen? No. You got snippy with me. Told me I would understand when I fell "in love". You stopped responding to my letters. Then you had the gall to block me! You selfish whore. After all I've done for you, you cut me out of your life!"
'Oh, Holy Mother of God!' Anna's heart raced as she became fully aware of the situation. "Biggest Fan.....That was you.....all along..... You're in my class and the literary club. You're Martha?"
"That's right. You're a little slow on the uptake. I've been there for you for over a year. Everything I've done I've done for you. We bared our souls to each other. We've shared so many good times. At all the luncheons, the club debates, I felt the bond between us." Martha began to cry.
"You were always seated at my table. I remember you. But we never went together. You never even spoke to me." Anna watched the woman turn away from her, wiping her face. She carefully reached under her shirt to the cell phone on her hip, slipped it off and hit the speed dial number for Georgia, being sure to push the volume button down so Martha couldn't hear the phone, but Georgia could hear them.
"Hello..... Hello?" Georgia Richard answered her phone but got no response. She looked at the caller ID and recognized her girlfriend's cell phone number. "Hello, Annie? Is that you.....?" She listened intently.
"Why did you shoot me, Martha? I never meant to hurt you. You must believe that. I appreciate all you've done for me. I do. Following me to City Park and to the Camellia Gardens. That was taking a risk. Someone may have seen you, then what?"
"No one saw me, dear lady, and no one is going to see me. I've been watching you walk your dog, which I suggested we students give you, for over a week, just waiting for the right opportunity to get my revenge on you. You're a selfish, self centered, ungrateful bitch. I will not be made a fool of!"
Anna could see Martha's fury was escalating. She had to calm her down. "Martha, please.....I need your help. Please..... I'm hurt bad. I'll bleed to death if you don't help me. You cared for me once. Please....., don't let me die."
Georgia felt her heart pounding in her chest, soul-wrenching pain ripped through her as she grasped the scenario playing out over the cell phone. Quickly, she picked up her house phone and called the police and explained the situation, then she grabbed her .38 revolver, loaded it, picked up her medical bag and dashed out of the door. Her apartment was in a duplex, mere blocks from City Park. She stuck the gun in the waist of her jeans, deciding to ride her bicycle, in order not to alert her lover's tormentor.
"I just wanted you to love me. I gave you everything and got nothing. You gave yourself to a fucking nobody! What could she give you? What? TELL ME, DAMMIT!!!" Martha screamed.
Anna felt her world spinning out of control and closed her eyes to keep the stars from dancing, making her stomach rebel. She was shivering, feeling the cold, damp earth below her sucking the warmth from her body. She heard Martha screaming at her, but it seemed far away now. Sleep pulled at her and her body yearned for it.
"WAKE UP! I said WAKE UP!!!" Martha kicked the helpless woman's leg, pulling her back from the cloak of darkness.
"TELL ME WHAT THAT WHORE CAN GIVE YOU THAT I CAN'T! EVERYTHING YOU HAVE IS THANKS TO ME. I GAVE YOU YOUR JOB, INTRODUCED YOU TO NEW ORLEANS SOCIETY. I MADE IT CHIC TO READ THE WORKS OF ANNA GAUDET. I MADE CERTAIN YOUR BOOKS WERE DISPLAYED IN EVERY BOOKSTORE IN THIS CITY." Martha yelled as she waved the gun at the object of her wrath.
Anna's eyes fluttered open. She saw the gun and heard the ranting. No longer able to speak, barely able to grasp a tenuous hold on awareness, the fallen woman sent a message from her soul to that of her lover. 'I'm so sorry, my love. I hate to leave you. Please, believe me. I love you, Georgia.'
Georgia set the bike down on the opposite side of the small bayou that separated her from the Camellia Garden. She ran, stealthily, across the bridge, hunkered down in the shadow of the concrete railing. In the distance she could hear the angry sound of a woman yelling. She followed the voice, scampering from bush to bush, careful not to make a sound. She set her medical bag down, freeing her hand to retrieve the .38 revolver from her jeans. Through the leaves of the thick camellias she could just make out the figure of a woman standing in the moonlight. She lay upon her belly and crawled forward, ever cognizant that any sound she made would blare in the still night.
Georgia felt her insides twist as her lover's still body came into view. She stood up, gun cocked at the ready. "DON'T MOVE!" She yelled at the figure hovering over her friend.
Martha felt an intense rush of fear and panic when she heard the command come from the bushes. She pointed her gun into the darkness and fired.
The strike was fast and unexpected. Martha felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Her fear and surprise threw her off balance as she shook her leg, desperately trying to dislodge the sharp teeth of the very angry little dog. The distraction was all Georgia needed. She raced with all she had and dove upon the much larger woman, striking her temple with the butt of her gun. Martha was confused and fought to protect herself from her attackers. She tried to reach the gun that she'd dropped in the scuffle. Georgia rolled away and shot a bullet into the ground in hopes it would stop the larger woman.
"STOP! Don't make me shoot you!" She watched Martha reach the gun, saw her hesitate, then look at her.
"Are you Georgia?" Martha asked, breathlessly. Georgia nodded. "DIE!!!" The gun whipped around as the smaller woman dove off toward the bushes and rolled. Two shots rang out. Then, all was silence except for the growling of the little dog still attached to Martha's bloodied ankle. Sirens could be heard entering the park; lights flashed in the distance.
"Frances, come." The petite blonde commanded as she hurried to her lover's side. "Oh, baby."
Georgia retrieved her medical bag and hurriedly cleaned the entry and exit wounds, then applied a pressure dressing to halt the bleeding. Anna's pulse was weak, but, with the help of replacement fluids, she'd be OK. The little woman felt relief wash over her as the ambulance pulled up.
"Annie? Annie, baby, can you hear me? It's all over. She can't hurt you anymore." Georgia entreated as she rubbed her limp hand.
Anna's bleary eyes opened and tried to focus on the face she thought she'd never see again. "Georgie?" The word came out more like a croak from her dry throat.
"Yeah. I'm here, baby. You're safe. The paramedics are here."
"Georgie, it was Martha. She's my "Biggest Fan". She's crazy....."
"I know, Annie. Hush now. She can't hurt you anymore..... I love you, baby."
"I love you, too." Anna sighed through her tears. "Do me a favor?"
"Anything."
"Would you throw my laptop out the window?" Georgia laughed out loud.
"Sweetheart, I've got to go talk to the police. I'm gonna let the EMT's take over." Georgia said, then leaned down and kissed her lover's forehead.
***
It was a long arduous night with the police for Georgia. She had to go to Anna's house and print out the correspondence from "Biggest Fan". Clicking on "You've Got Mail", she checked the message which her lover had not yet opened. She gasped when she read the email sent that very evening. The address the letter originated from was the library at Loyola. It read, "You are an ungrateful bitch! Make no mistake, you will pay! You will suffer! I was your biggest fan; now, I am your worst nightmare!"
After telling the story to the police's satisfaction and handing over the email evidence, Georgia was allowed to leave and drove directly to the ER at Charity Hospital.
Finding Anna had already left surgery and was soon to be transferred to a room, she went there to wait. She sat in the one available chair in the semi-private room, longing to hold her lover again. The minutes ticked by until the door swung open and a stretcher, pushed by two nurses, baring her partner entered. She stepped out of the way until the transfer was complete and the IV fluids and blood transfusion were properly hung.
Pulling the chair up to the bedside, Georgia Richard took her lover's hand in her own and watched the pale woman sleep.
Several hours had passed when Georgia felt the familiar touch of her lover's hand in her short blonde hair. The events of the night came rushing back as she opened her eyes and lifted her head from the hip she'd been sleeping upon. She gazed into the blue eyes she loved and smiled. "I love you, Anna."
"I know. I love you, too. Thanks for saving my life."
"You are very welcome."
"What happened to Martha?"
Georgia looked away and sighed. She felt warm fingers gently grasp her chin and turn her face. "What's wrong, Georgie? Talk to me." Anna entreated.
The petite blonde swallowed hard, removed her lover's hand and held it in her own. "She's dead, Anna."
"Dead? How....I don't...."
"I shot her..... I didn't mean to kill her." Georgia broke down and let the tears she'd been holding back all night free of their restraints.
Anna opened her good arm and beckoned her soul mate to crawl upon the bed so she could hold her. Both women lay in each other's arms offering comfort and accepting it.
"I think we will both need therapy to get passed this. You willing to do that with me?" Anna asked, gently.
Georgia nodded and sniffled. "Did you really want me to throw your laptop out the window?"
Anna thought a moment before answering. "No. Not really. There are so many fans who've supported me and my work these passed few years. They shouldn't be made to suffer because of one very evil nutcase. And, I shouldn't be made to suffer the loss of their love and support. But, believe me, I'll be very careful in the future."
"God, I hope so. That was enough excitement to last me a lifetime."
"Georgie, she said some things, awful things, that I need to look into when I get out of here."
"OK. I'll help you in any way I can. You just name it."
"Thanks. I can always count on you." Anna squeezed her lover tighter to her as Georgia snuggled into her neck. "If you were a man, I'd ask you to marry me." The tall beauty whispered as she kissed the golden head.
Georgia started to giggle.
"I say something amusing, Ms. Richard?"
"If I was a man, you wouldn't give me a second look." Was the retort.
"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right."
The End.
Let me know what you think.