What Could This Be

River Kenzie, thinks of herself as an average person, in most ways.  However, since she had been saved as a child from drowning.  She has a secrete she can’t tell anyone.  Since that day, she has had a voice in her head.  It even told her, her name, Realm.  She can hear her in her head too.  So, River doesn’t need to speak out loud for her to understand her.  Realm says that River isn’t crazy and that one day they’ll meet each other properly.  At first, she was too little to realise that this voice wasn’t just something she made up herself.  Once she realised that it wasn’t a voice she imagined, she had already become use and even relied on Realm’s six sense as she had saved her a few times from danger or trouble.

That Realm can seem a little over protective of River sometimes.  Like really, she threatens to rip peoples throats out or snap their necks!  She can even growl or snarl sounding just like an animal ready to attack.  River can also feel her anger or stress.  Realm knows that River doesn’t really believe she is real.  But she can’t explain why she has this voice in her head either.  She did go to see a student councillor.  Why she was in university.  But after asking about why people would hear voices and the councillor asking her if the voice told her to hurt other people or herself?  Realm had called them a quack and told her, that she really wasn’t crazy.  That when she went home after graduation everything would be made clear to her by her parents.

Hearing this River had felt assured and never gone sort out help regarding the voice in her head.  Instead, she started to study hard to get the best of her experience at university.  Wanting to help her father run his packing company one day.  That was before everything changed though.

River sits in a bar trying to pass sometime, as she really doesn’t want to go home.  Everything has changed now.  Her mother died suddenly in a hiking accident, when she was in the last year of high school.  Her mother had loved the outdoors and it came as a great shock to River, that her mother died in this way.  As she knew how to watch out for the dangers, one can come across while in mountains.

Her father had taken it very hard.  Withdrawing into himself.  She had left for university very worried about him.  Then at the end of her first year, she had successfully found an intern job with the help of one of her teachers.  But had received the news via an email, that her father had remarried after finding a woman he’d had an affair with had, had a child. 

River had been shocked and a little hurt that her father could forget her mother so quickly and to announce it only via an email of his new marriage and family.  Left her feeling very upset and out of sorts with her father.  So, she chose not to go home for the reminder of her studies.  Getting jobs through the campus breaks, near her university.

Realm telling her, that something must be wrong and she should go home and check.  But she was mush to upset for that.  She admired her mother so much.  She saw her as someone she could aspire to be like.  Strong both physically and mentally, loving to her friends and family.  Helping her father run the company and attend all of River’s school activities.

She had worked hard, and come out as the top student of her year.  Her father had sent her another email congratulating her and telling her that, there was a job in his company if she wanted it.  She’d replied saying thanks but no thanks.  As she had already managed to secure a job, within a company in her field of Data Analytics and Data Science.  Her job would be looking at buying trends within the markets related to her company’s requirements.  She wanted to gain some work experience before starting in her father’s company.

The only downside, is that she had to go and live back at home.  Now six months after coming back, she does anything to delay her return home.  Kitty the woman now married to her father.  Really doesn’t like her.  River can sense, Kitty sees, her as a threat to her existence.  Her father hardly ever comes home, always at the office and sleeps in the apartment in the same building as his office.  Causing River to believe not everything is rosy in their relationship.  So, Kitty see’s her as another obstacle to her.

River sighs, she has been looking at the recent reports from her father’s company.  He isn’t looking for new contracts and is relying too heavily on his loyal clients.  Her uncle is also showing signs that he wants to take over.  She rubs her head, letting her dark, thick hair fall to cover most of her face.  She sweeps it back with her hand and looks towards the door.  The sun has long gone and it’s getting dark now.

She finishes off her drink and stands, salutes Ken the bar manager, before walking to the exit.  The nights are not as cold as they were, meaning Spring is finally here.  She walks to the bus stop and sits on the bench.  The roads are much quieter at this time.  She sees, the bus heading towards her and stands, she can only hope that, Kitty and Lolita are already in their rooms.

Seeing that the lights are off downstairs, when she arrives home, she sighs in relief.  Looks at the front door and decides to head around the back.  She lets herself in through the back door and then takes the back stairs, two at a time until she gets to the first floor and then quickly goes into her room and locks the door.

She puts her bag down, jumps in the shower, before getting into her PJ’s.  She checks her emails before climbing into bed and falling asleep.  Dreaming of being in the woods with a large animal, she can’t see properly.  But the feeling for this beast, is love and familiarity.  She always wakes, aching as though her heart is over flowing with love, but with a great sense of lost.

She has been having this dream on and off ever since her mother died.  She believes it’s her subconsciousness creating her mother in away, that offers her protection and strength to hang in there, that things will get better.

Realm has been rather quiet since they came back home.  Only really making herself felt, when River is being bullied or she senses danger.

She wakes her before anyone else in the house is up.  Quickly washes, dresses and grabs a banana on her way out of the house.  Not wanting to hang around in case they do wake-up.  It’s Friday and she dreads the weekends.  Her two best friends are also having troubles.  She doesn’t want to add to them, so is giving them, the space they need to sort out their own stuff.

Her phone alerts her of a message and she looks at the screen and opens up the message.  ‘Your DNA parental report has been posted.  You should receiver it in 2 to 4 business days, thank you for using Links Labs.’  River fist pumps the air, as she walks to the bus stop.  Finally, some good news.

As soon as she saw Kitty’s daughter, she knew she was not her father’s biological daughter.  There was some resemblance.  But not enough for her to be his daughter.  People have always commented on how strongly she, herself resembles her father, as he has strong dominant genes.

She had sent the hair samples of both her father and Lolita to a lab and the self-addressed envelope she had addressed to the apartment her father is using.  She did this as she didn’t trust Kitty to not snoop and lately, he hasn’t even been coming home for the weekends.

River has already bought some hidden cameras that she placed around her home.  She learnt quickly that her step mother had only ill intensions towards her.  Once her father wasn’t around, she would try and bully and even threaten River, with throwing out her mother’s things that are kept in the attic.

Knowing this, she had already removed her mother’s jewellery from her father’s safe and changed the safe password.  She’d taken the jewellery to her own bank and put it in a safe deposit box there.  The cameras she had installed, she downloaded and sent them to a file she’d hidden on her father’s laptop.  Under a file called “Do You Really Want To, Know?  In the hopes her father would find it and realise what was going on in his absence.  But she doubted that he even cared now!

Once at work she focuses on that and tries hard not to think of the weekend.  It’s a long day and she feels tired at the end of it.  A few of her work colleagues go for a drink and ask her to go too.  She agrees as anything is better than going home.

They end up at a bar not far from their work.  Once the drinks and some bar snacks are ordered.  They all start talking about their plans for the weekend.  River listens and laughs with the others, but doesn’t really actively take part in their discussion.  Once they’ve been out for a few hours, some of them start leaving to go home.

River looks at the time, if she leaves now, it would still be safe to walk home.  She bids everyone left goodbye and starts the 5 miles plus, walk back.  She puts in her ear buds and listens to her foreign language tape.  She is learning Chinese with online courses.  Having found she was rather good at learning languages at school.  She wants to grow her resume and learn more languages.  Realm is also good a hearing the different nuances in the words and corrects River when she says it wrong.

As she is leaving the inner city, she passes an alley and hears sounds, like a fight.  “We were told to teach you a lesson” she hears a man say.  “Yummy, what a scent?” Realm says and River feels like she is slobbering and licking her chops as she says this.  She walks into the alley trying to keep quiet and see’s three men fighting with another man dressed in a designer suit.  She calls the police on her blue tooth, and then seeing two of the men attacking the suit wearing guy, while the other picks up a piece of wood.  She herself picks up a discarded piece of wood.  She cries out a warning to the man being attacked as the one with the wood lifts it to strike his back.  She runs towards him and hits him over the head with as much force as she can. 

She watches him drop like a piece of lead and then looks up a little shocked at what she has just done.  “Police, a man is being attacked by three thugs.  One of which, I might have just hit unconscious” she says as someone answers her call.

She listens to him introducing himself as officer Mallon and wanting to know her name, as well as watching the two men turn towards her.  She holds the wood as you would a bat.  She has always been good at ball games.  The suited guy now on the floor, kicks his leg out catching one of them in the back of the leg making him fall down.

The other one tries to grab at the wood River is holding.  She strikes his hand hard with it, making him grunt in pain and follows it with a jab to his stomach.  “River Kenzie, I’m in the alley behind Capital paints on 14^th Street.  The guy who is knocked out, I won’t bother with a description, but the other two.  One has a scar above his right eye and he’ll have a bruise on his right arm, where I’ve just hit him.  He’s wearing blue jeans and a plain black Tee.  He has a tattoo peeking from under his left sleeve.  All three of them were fighting with a suited man” River reports all the while keeping her eyes on the two men.

“No, I don’t know the man they are attacking.  The other guy is rather plain looking, no obvious scars or tats.  His left eye looks a little lower than his right.  He is wearing” River says “look out” Realm cries.  River swings the bat hitting the plain guy in his shoulder.  “He’ll have a bruise on his right shoulder, now” River reports “what do you mean, I shouldn’t be hitting them? I’m defending myself right now” River retorts after the man on the other end tells her she shouldn’t engage with them.

She swings the wood again, only the man manages to dodge it.  “I hear the sirens are they coming here?” River asks the police officer she is talking too.  It makes the two guys stop and listen.  Then go to grab their conscious friend.  River steps forward and swings the wood again stopping them.  They glare at her but, decide to run as the sirens sound much closer now.

“The other two are running towards the other end of the alley.  I think that end, is on Alder Street” she reports.  The man they were fighting stands and sways and goes to fall.  But River catches him.  She feels such a strong aura from him.  It makes her shiver and tingle all over.  He narrows his eyes at her but says nothing as he tries to catch his breath and access his injury’s.  “Mate! Mate!” Realm is screaming in her head.  “Please stop Realm, this is not the time for you to start acting crazy” River thinks.  Then she nearly laughs as she feels like Realm, has just rolled on her back as though she was wanting belly rubs. 

River gives her head a little shake, when she sees the police arrive and the paramedics take the suited man from her and puts him on a stretcher, while the unconscious thug, also gets taken away on a stretcher.  “Are you hurt?” River is asked “I don’t think so” she answers.

“She has a cut on the hand she held the wood with” the suited man says.  She lifts up her hand and it really does have a cut on the palm as well as some large splinters dug in, deep too.  “If you can take us to the Royal hospital my doctor should be there?” the man says sounding stronger now.

“Do you mind riding in the ambulance together?” paramedic asks “I could take?” a police officer starts to offer smiling at River.  “No, need I’d like to have the chance to thank her” suited man says quickly.  “Yeah, you, don’t try and get between us and our mate” Realm growls.  “This is not really the time for your crazy stuff! Realm please?” River warns her in her head.  They get taken to the ambulance.  Suited man gets accessed.  He stops them from opening his shirt saying “I’m fine, my doctor will take care of everything for me.”

It doesn’t take them long to get to the hospital and a doctor is waiting for them outside.  When the doors open, he greets suited man.  “McKenzie, Mr. Knotts, sorry to hear about your troubles, please if you’ll come with me, I’ll check you over?” he says

“This is the good Samaritan that saved me.  I’d like her to come with us also, her hand has been injured” Mr. Knotts says.  The paramedics follow, as they need their stretcher back.  But once Mr. Knotts is on a hospital bed, they leave.  “Let’s look at your hand? I’m Dr Tilly” the doctor says.

“Shouldn’t you be treating the guy who got kicked and hit, first?” River exclaims “what should I call you?” doctor asks ignoring her question.  “River, River Kenzie” River answers “really? It is fate” doctor says turning and smiling at Mr. Knotts, “huh?” River says not understanding.

“Yeah, look after our mate first, we can help you undress him” Realm says and River feels her excitement and attraction towards Mr. Knotts.  “Please, Realm you’re making me want to hump his leg!” River cries in her head. 

Doctor turns back towards her and smiles “hand” he says and she lifts her hand, to show him.  “It really isn’t that bad, but the splinters look as though they are in deep.  It may be a little painful to remove” River says.  “Um, they have gone in deep.  Well, we’ll get your hand cleaned and then I’ll come back to remove the splinters for you” he says standing and turning to Mr, Knotts.

“Now, I think we should get you a head scan.  Just to check you don’t have any bleeding on the brain” doctor tells Mr. Knotts.  They look at each other for a few seconds and then Mr. Knotts nods agreeing.   “No, don’t take him away.  You’d better look after our mate? Or I’ll have your throat ripped out quicker than you can blink!” Realm snarls.  River rubs her head “I’ll shut you out! I’ll walk away now if you don’t stop!” River warns Realm having had enough.  She feels her sulk but sinks back into her mind more.  He is taken out in a wheelchair.  One of the nurses telling River, she will be back to wash her hand in a minute.

River sits on the bed and checks her phone.  It’s now past midnight, “well at least they should be out or in bed” she comforts herself.  The nurse comes back in with a trolley and prepares the things she will need to clean her hand.

She looks at River a little oddly though, making River check her face, in case she has dirt on it or something.  The nurse seems to snap herself out of it though and starts to clean her hand.  It stings as the fluid washes over her cut and splinters, making River bite her lip.

Mr. Knotts is brought back in “thankfully your head looks fine and your other injury’s will heal over the next few days.  Make sure to rub ligament into the bruises to help disperse them?” doctor is saying as they enter.  “We didn’t get to see our mate naked!” Realm sulks, River ignores her.

“Already for you doctor” the nurse says getting up from the chair she was sitting on.  Mr. Knotts is left beside her bed still in the wheelchair.  “Should I call you Mr. Knotts? You only look to be in your late 20’s or very early 30’s though” River ponders.

He smiles and she feels her centre tighten.  She coughs to cover her embarrassing reaction to his smile.  But again, she feels Realm, roll over wanting belly rubs.  “McKenzie, you can call me McKenzie” he replies.  Her eyes widen on hearing this and she looks at him again “I have never met anyone with a similar name as my own before.  Nice to meet you McKenzie,” gasp! River glares at the doctor who has just removed the first splinter. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realise it was in so deeply” he apologises.  “Be more careful then!” McKenzie snaps at him.  River and Dr Tilly look at him, but with two very different expressions.  Doctor Tilly’s is thoughtful, whereas River’s shows surprise at his tone.

“I think this other one might be even deeper” he says looking at the biggest one still in her hand.  McKenzie takes River’s other hand “squeeze my fingers, if it hurts” he offers.  Again, River feels his strong presence, causing her to breakout in goosebumps again.  “Yes, that’s it.  You can touch and grab whatever you want” Realm all but simpers.  River tries to block her out and squeezes his hand, when the splinter is pulled on and snags in her hand.

She hears a growl, as she glares at the doctor and sees sweat pop out on his forehead.  “Are you feeling alright? You look a little?” River pauses tries to figure out what seems to be wrong with him.  “I’m fine I think the spicey food, I ate earlier is giving me a problem” Dr Tilly answers.

“Brace yourself, this is going to hurt” doctor tells her.  “What do you do, River?” McKenzie asks her, to distract her.  “I study sales data and write recommendations on what I find” she tells him.  McKenzie strokes his thumb over her knuckles.  When he sees the doc taking a hold of the splinter again with the tweezer.  It works as he, see’s colour rush into River’s cheeks, distracting her.

The splinter is out and the doctor wipes the blood away.  “Just two more left” he says “two?” River questions and snatches her hand away to look at it closely.  She looks at the doctor then McKenzie and pouts as there really is two left in her hand.  She holds out her hand again and grips McKenzie hand with her other.

She tries not to cry out, but it’s difficult when the splinter doesn’t come out smoothly.  She bites her lip and winces as he tugs it free.  “Do you like the job you have now?” McKenzie asks her.  “It’s a very moderate sized company, so it isn’t hard.  I like to get my teeth into things and be tested.  This is just a job that allows me to gain work experience.  I hope to take over my father’s company one day and drag it into this century even if, I have to fight everyone to do it” she tells him.  Then cries out as the little splinter seems to cut her hand more as it gets pulled out.

“Sorry, sorry” the doctor says to her and also McKenzie, who looks as though he could murder him.  “I’ll have to either cut the bit out that broke off or dress it and hope it works its way out” doctor tells her.

“Cut it out. I once had a splinter fragment, go bad in my foot.  I ended up with five stitches and on antibiotics for two weeks as well as having to go to the hospital every day for them to clean and dress it” River says shuddering at the memory.

Doctor numbs the part of her hand he needs too.  Then looks up at her to see if she is ready.  She turns her head towards McKenzie and he offers his hand again.  She manages to smile her thanks before gripping it and staring at him as she feels the pressure of the cut being made.  It doesn’t take long though and soon her hand is bandaged.  “You’d think you’d been really hurt.  You know it will heal in no time” Realm gripes as McKenzie is no longer holding River’s hand.

“Thank you” River thanks the doctor and then McKenzie.  “I feel a little silly though, you were the one beaten, but you are the one comforting me” River says.

“River here is my card, thank you for your help tonight.  If I can ever repay the favour, then please give me a call” McKenzie tells her.  Handing her his business card with a total of three phone numbers on it.  “The top one is my private number” he tells her. 

“Well, I hope I never get beaten up, but thank you” she jokes taking the card from him.  He laughs and she finds herself just staring at him.  He stops, looking into her eyes and she feels a connection form or something, she can’t explain.  She also sees an image of a lake and some fuzzy images of people.  But the image disappears to quickly for her to understand what it is.

She looks away at her phone and sees its now 1am “I need to get home.  Hope you don’t feel to, sore tomorrow” she says to McKenzie, hopping from the bed, she is sitting on.  “I’ll drive you home, my driver is waiting out front” McKenzie offers.  “That is kind of you, thank you, it’s not far, but at this time of a Friday, there could be some people, that it would be best not to meet, hanging about” River thanks him.

McKenzie stands from the wheelchair and she realises how tall he is.  He makes her five foot 10 inches look petite.  “Thanks Doc, see you soon” McKenzie says putting his hand at the small of River’s back and leading her out the room.  “Do, you feel well enough to walk?” River asks concerned, trying to ignore the power he seems to radiate.  “I’m good, really” he assures her.  “Pity your driver wasn’t with you earlier?” River says as they walk towards the exit.  “Yes, I’d sent him on another errand” McKenzie agrees with her.

“Which company does your father own?” he asks “Wraps and Ribbons.  It needs to be dragged into this century.  Which I hope to do in the near future” River answers.  She feels his eyes on her, as he opens the back door of his car and allows her to slip in.  It is one of those high end sedans, but as he is wearing a designer suit she shouldn’t be that surprised.

He slips in next to her, “where too, River?” he asks her.  She gives the driver her address and sits back cradling her injured hand as it begins to ache.  McKenzie looks at her, trying not to stare.  So, this is the cute little girl he met 21 years ago when her father came to ask for his permission to start a business here? Small world.  He thinks to himself.  “Don’t you dare ignore the fact that she is our mate!” Astro tells him.  “That little girl we saved, sure grew up to be a beauty” he adds “She is just a pup, and seems to have no idea who or what she is” McKenzie replies.

He tries not to stare though as they make their way to her home.  He feels her ever growing nerves as they get closer and wonder what is the cause.  “Your parents won’t mind you coming home this late?” he asks, River seems to snap herself of her inner thoughts and look at him, “what? Oh no, he doesn’t care now” she answers as they draw up in front of a half brick and metal railing wall with a driveway gate, that is open showing the two-story house behind it.

“Thank you very much for the lift.  Please make sure you follow the doctors’ orders and look after your injuries” River says as she puts her hand on the door handle to open it.  “I will, please call if you need anything” McKenzie says touching her shoulder as she goes to get out the car.

“You should have asked for her number too” Astro grouches.  “You know very well we can find it out easily enough” McKenzie tells him a little annoyed.