Just Like Magic

Chapter 3 New Information

Randalyn's POV

I turn in the direction of my work, to at least start walking that way. The walking will help warm me up since the rain has now soothed me but I still have to be in it to get where I need to go. So I'm now past the point of soothed and have gone straight into drenched with more than just the rain. My pace quickens, stomping through the puddles, since I don't have a ton of extra time before my shift starts.. even though if I was late I don't think she would hold it against me for now. The rain pours over my body, one drop after the next causing me to shake from the chill in the air that makes this rain feel like ice when it touches my skin. I pull out my leather jacket from my backpack and slip it on to hopefully help out. The rain is still pouring but not making me feel as cold as before, which is good. But the numbing feeling the rain brings helps take the pain away, even if it's just for a moment.

With every step I take, I can feel that my socks are already soaked, they feel like sponges in my shoes. The steps ring out the water right before soaking it back up from the rivers of water flowing down the streets. This shows me that I'm going to be soaked all day if I wasn't already, but maybe when I get to work they would be willing to help me out. Maybe a different outfit to let me borrow or something.. I don't know, I'll see when I get there.

I keep checking the alleys around trying to make sure I'm still not seen, which luckily I haven't been yet. But walking along these lonely back alleys to make sure I'm not harassed by any of the people who now know what I have gone through, is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. But you got to do what you have to just to save yourself from being hurt more. I know how busy the main street can get, even if it's cold out and I won't have any part of that nosey crowd. At least not at the moment, I know I will have to face that music eventually, just not today.

I'm lost in this moment just walking in a daze thinking about how my life was always sh*tty, but I never thought I wouldn't have anything ever again... I feel abandoned... It is not that I wanted any of them there after all this... But it sucks that I have to fight this alone... I don't know if there is anyone I can trust, let alone get help from to be able to move on from this abuse.

Who could help me out with this? It might sound pathetic but there is no one I can think of... There are people offering help... but it's just for a moment and I need someone who will stick by my side.. not just throw some supplies at me and send me on my way... That makes me feel more like a burden than anything else, so that makes me not want to accept any help if it's that big of an inconvenience.

I just need stability, but no one here is that for me... I think I need to leave... besides, they are offering things that could help for a moment, that I might take them up on, but I know they are just offering help because they feel bad for me, not because they want to help me out and make sure I'm going to be ok... there is a difference.

I'm frustrated and hating everything today, but I keep walking until I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pull it out exposing the loud song that I never heard because the storm is way louder than this ringtone is apparently. "Hello?" I ask looking at the number and knowing I don't recognize it.

"Yes, Mrs. Stanfield... This is Detective Rogers from the County Police station... I was the one handling most of your paperwork and case." He says to me, letting me know that I need to pay attention to this. I step over to the closest building to try to take cover from the storm so I can hear him better. "Yes, how may I help you?" I ask him nicely to tell me what was going on.

"Yes, ma'am.. as you know, we found your mother and took her blood for testing to confirm it was her. Plus of course, making sure she has no other offenses in the system we have to be worried about." He explains as I nod to myself. "Yes, I knew that."

There is a longer-than-expected silence on the line. I check to make sure the call is still connected and when I see that it is, I press my ear back to the phone. "So... what did you find out?" I ask trying to get him to hurry this along. He clears his throat as he states. "Ok well, when we did that, we also ran the blood that we grabbed with the tests and rape kit from you. " He says obviously making it sound like he has more to say, but he won't finish his thought. I'm starting to get impatient with this conversation, just aching to know all that he does.

"Ok...?" I say trying to get him to finish his thought. "Well I don't know how to say this... but... You're not related to your mother and father... or who you thought was your mother and father." He declares, ripping that bandaid off. "Wait... what?" I ask him to clarify just in case I heard him wrong.

"You are not related to who you thought was your mother and father.. when we ran your blood through the system... we found out that you were kidnapped from the hospital a day after you were born." my heart sinks into my stomach at that thought. I was never theirs? I was taken from my actual family who might have been a thousand times better to me than they ever were. I'm just in shock at this point.

"Ok.. so what do I have to do to find my family? Have you informed them that you found me?" I ask him, but the large sigh that I hear at the end of the line lets me know this isn't going to be easy.. or worse maybe they don't want me... I'm old enough to be on my own. It's not like I'm asking for them to take me with them or take care of me... I just want to get to know my actual family if I can.

"Well.. we matched you to your parents.. so I called and did a ton of research since they are from a neighboring town, trying to get hold of them.. that's when I found out that last year there was an accident in their house, a gas leak to be specific... and all of them were killed in the explosion. All that was found in the rubble was burnt remains of the family members and jewelry to show that it was them... I'm sorry Randy.. but there is no one else... They don't even have any family to contact for distant relatives... I tried everything to help out but I couldn't find anything else for you." I nod to myself as I feel my eyes filling with tears. My heart hurts at the thought of officially being alone when I was hoping to reconnect with my actual family once hearing about their existence. But that's not in the books for me apparently.

"It's ok... it's not like it was your fault or anything.. so thanks for finding that out for me.. and thanks for telling me," I say sadly to him as I hang up the call and continue walking to my work.. letting the rain try to make me feel better.. it is at least taking all my tears with each drop so you can't even tell that I'm crying which is nice. I'll camouflage my feelings as much as I can in this whole ordeal.

I scoff to myself trying to push my feelings out of my head... I don't know why I'm crying... I didn't even know those people and it's not like they would have wanted any contact with me because I'm so far gone... I'm broken and ruined after all this torment, so there was no way that they would have saved me from this... But it sucks to know that I will never know my real family even if I wanted to... I don't even have a family here to try to reconcile with, so no one in my life... It's just me and my loneliness hand in hand.

I would like to say I'm sad about 'my parents' here, who tormented me for so many years, finally getting their comeuppance, but I'm really not.. they are not getting all they deserve, but at least they're getting something.

I hear a car pulling up behind me and I have the worse feeling that it's because of me. That assumption is quickly confirmed as I hear the splashes of feet running toward me. I don't want to deal with reporters or nosey spectators who think they can help me. Or maybe use me for the attention with the media. "Randy, it's good to see you! I have been looking all over for you!" I turn around sadly to see that it's a girl I work with.. probably the closest I could consider to being a friend. We talked on occasion when my father wasn't directly behind me pushing anyone who wanted to talk with me away.

"Hey, Kendra... what's up?" I ask her just hoping she won't want to poke and pry into the details of my sh*t life that are now going to be the talk of the year or maybe lots of years to come in this uneventful town. "Hey come with me I have some stuff to show you." She says not giving me a chance to object, just grabbing my hand and pulling me behind her to the running car.

She opens the back door for me as a wave of warmth hits my body, making me want to jump in.. but I don't want to be a burden or inconvenience. She insists for me to get in with the waving of her arms and the insistent look on her face. So that is enough for me to climb in since I don't have the energy to object right now.. so I just climb in as she shuts the door behind me and goes straight to the driver's seat. "I'm so glad I found you.." she says to me as I silently nod but not knowing what's happening right now.. she has tons of clothes sprawled all over the back seat and not looking even remotely organized so I don't understand what's happening.

"Ok.. so first thing.. are you ok?" She asks me as I shrug my shoulders and look away not wanting to talk about this... but I think she can quickly figure that out. "I figured you wouldn't want to talk about this so I wanted to help out any way you needed it. I heard on the news that your house is a bloodbath crime scene." She states before seeing the shocked and appalled look on my face. She clears her throat before continuing. "I wasn't trying to offend you with that. I just meant that I knew you wouldn't be able to get things for yourself from the house. So I brought extras of everything I had to make sure you weren't left with nothing."

I shake my head, not wanting to look like a charity case, but before I have a chance to object to this offer she adds in more of a demand than anything else. "Ok get rid of that backpack that has a million holes in it, because that won't do you any good if you're out on your own now... I put a better bag for you right next to you. I know you can't take all of this with you, but I wanted you to have a choice in what you take.. So grab what clothes you want to change into and what you want to have and take as much as you can. I wish I had a place for you to stay, but I don't since I'm getting ready to move. But I do have extra clothes that you can have since I can't take them with me and will probably donate what you don't want. Oh and I don't want money for any of it, so don't offer and I'm not pitying you because you're helping me get rid of the stuff that I couldn't pack.. So please don't argue and just change into something dry and take this stuff with you... I think we are about the same size. It might be a little big with the shoes, but I have boots and everything you would need... take whatever you want. I even have bear mace and a taser if you want to." She declares to me, shocking me completely.

"Thanks... you didn't have to do that," I say feeling the tears pour from my eyes, just knowing this isn't because she feels bad for me this is genuine care and I can greatly appreciate it. This is a hard pill to swallow but I do, as I start looking through the clothes. She has everything in here. I slip off my beat-up old tennis shoes and socks that are stuck to my feet so I have to peel them off. I slide my pants off and even my underwear. She has everything I need.. She is an angel in disguise.

I slip on the underwear and pants that feel so good against my frozen skin. They feel warm and fit perfectly or that's what I assume, that I can tell in this car. I see soft fuzzy socks and slip those on. I feel like I'm walking on a pile of baby ducks. I have never experienced comfort like this.. and to be able to pick what I want to wear is baffling... I have never done this before. "Try those boots too.. the leather ones.. they're really heavy duty... I just got a different color of them at home, so if they fit, then have them. They are durable and warm, so just what you would need right now." She instructs me as I nod and slip the boots on, and they do happen to fit perfectly, as if it was made just for me.

"Everything fits perfectly," I say not wanting the overwhelming emotions to take over, but it's hard to hold them back right now. "Good! I'm so glad I could help. When I saw what happened to you on the news, I was so worried you would be out here alone with nothing to help you.. and I wasn't going to have that. I know we were never close by any means, but you were always nice to me and I respect that... So thank you for taking my help without hating me or objecting. But... Where are you headed now?" She asks as I put on a new bra that fits surprisingly because I don't even know what size I am.

"I have to work to make money so I can find a place to go to," I explain while throwing on a tight long sleeve that covers my bruises and scratches. Then I throw this as-soft-as-a-stuffed animal sweater over my body. It feels so good that I never want to take it off. I start to look through the clothes and fold anything I might need into the bag.

"I wish I had money to give you, but I'm using it all for my move... I'm so sorry." She says sadly as she pulls up our work. "It's ok, I don't think I would've accepted money from you anyway," I say playfully as she stops and smiles back at me. I flip the backpack over my shoulders, adjusting it before I leave. The backpack she gave me is a great material that feels long-lasting and I'm hoping if I have to camp out or move from one place to the next, that it can help me out.

"Did you get all the clothes you wanted?" She asks me as I smile and nod. "Yes.. and thank you for everything and these boots are something else... I appreciate everything... you have helped me out more than anyone else and you didn't even make me feel bad for it like everyone else has.. so thanks for that." I say to her, sliding out of the car as she stops me. "You need to take one, if not both with you.. and I won't take no for an answer... it's dangerous out there." She says holding the mace and taser up. I don't know how to work the taser and I know that has been known to hurt people with their hearts, so I skip that and go to the bear mace.. and just hope I won't have to use it.

"Actually, I change my mind you're taking both.. and these too! These have helped get my ass out of fire multiple times and I hope it can do that for you too." She shoves the bear mace bottle, taser, and 2 small pocket knives into my hands. I shove one knife into my pocket and then quickly put all the rest of them into my backpack before facing the woman who is the only light in this dark day for me.

"Thanks again, Kendra... I hope you have a safe trip with your move." I declare as she smiles at me while waving. "If you're ever in the lower 48 then give me a call... take care of yourself girl.. just know you deserve happiness and you will get it as long as you open your heart.. it will be hard for you, which is implied, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.. just please try for the sake of your heart." She sounds like she is begging this of me and I nod at her but don't say anything out loud to confirm. But I will try... maybe.. who knows.. only time will tell.

I watch her little car drive away, leaving me at our work. I feel a ton better having warm dry clothes on me and with me.. she gave me confidence by making sure I was taken care of while not making me feel small for her charity. She made it seem like I was helping her and she didn't push me to talk about things... I honestly feel slightly better from that interaction, but once she left I can feel the sadness taking over my heart once again... time to figure out what I'm going to do about tonight.