Ashtoreth

I returned to my room and lay down to sleep. I slept for a few hours before I got up and checked my email. Lt. Sams had written back.

The second draft was better. You really captured the terrors of war. You mentioned a classmate editing this, are they in a branch of the armed services, or just a mega war buff? Whatever the case, their comments have really helped you bring to life this story. Keep up the good work.

'Glad you liked it,' I thought.

I opened the student directory and found Lina's number. Then I checked it against the Armed Service records that I had access to. There were several people with the last name Ashcroft. One of them, Brad, I shared barracks with, but Lina was not listed. Was it possible that she was using another name? Or was she related to Brad? Curious, I called her. It went directly to voicemail.

If it's important you know the drill. If not, leave me a message and I'll get back to you. BEEP.

"Hi, Lina. Keith. Listen, I was just wondering if you or someone in your family was in the armed services. Talk to you soon. Bye."

Putting my phone down, I picked up my notebook and started writing again. I had about twenty 120 page notebooks that I had written in and never gone back to reread them. Around 2pm, I walked to the Rosewood Café for their chicken pot pie and a beer. I knew it was early and not the weekend, but I needed to forget myself in something while I waited for Lina's call.

It was after six when I tried to call her again. If it's important you know the drill. If .... I hung up, doubting that she would call back. No sooner had I set my phone down then it rang. It was Lina.

"I was wondering if you'd return my call."

Lina's end was silent.

"Lina?"

"... I'll have to call you back."

"Lina, don't…."

She hung up.

Something wasn't right. I could feel it. I ran over to Trimble Hall. Meg stopped me in the foyer.

"Hey, Keith. Everyone is saying that you've fallen for the Bible Bitch. Is that true?"

"Let me pass, Meg."

"Answer my question, Keith."

"No."

Meg still didn't move out of my way. "Oh, really? Then why have you been frequenting the second floor?"

"I've had homework questions for her."

"Oh, too bad for you. She left not ten minutes ago."

"I don't believe you," I said, finally able to push her aside.

I checked Lina's room. The fleece blanket still hung in the doorway. Vomiting could be heard coming from behind it.

"Lina?" I asked, pushing it aside.

Leaned against her bed, was a young man wearing a dark shirt and ratty jeans. He wore a blank baseball cap that hid his hair, if he had any, and part of his face. The room smelled of beer. In his hand was an unlabeled beer bottle. The smell of vomit mixed with alcohol was all too familiar.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Asshhtorretthh," he slurred. He was wasted.

In slow and somewhat jerky movements he started to raise the bottle to his mouth. I stepped forward and stole it.

"Heey!" Ashtoreth protested.

"You've had enough of that," I said. "Do you know the girl that lives here?"

"Mz. Linnaa? Yep. Left for a... bit."

"Why would she leave a drunk in her room?" Keith asked, more to himself.

"No clue, man. One minute I'm walking down the sidewalk and next I know I'm here with a garbage can in hand and the pretty face of Mz. Linnaa before me."

"Do you know where she went?"

"No."

"Thanks," I said.

I left, not sure what else to do besides get rid of the beer. I tried to call Lina once more, but it went to voicemail again, though this time it actually rang first. What was the point of having a cell phone if she wasn't going to pick it up? I walked down to the sub—the food court in the Wheelock Student Center. Frustrated, I sent Lina a text.

"Call me now!"

She did.

"Where are you? Are you...?"

"Keith, I'm fine. To answer your earlier question, everyone in my family, except myself, is in some branch of the armed forces."

"Where are you?"

"I'll be at the sub in five."

"No. Where...?"

She hung up.

"Damn it, Lina. What are you doing?"

I stood by the entrance of the sub and waited for Lina. I scowled at everyone who walked by until I saw her. Her hair was wet and pulled into a braid. She looked like she didn't feel well, but she smiled despite that. Her book bag was with her as well.

"Did that drunk do something to you?" I asked.

"Ashtoreth? No. Why do you ask?"

"You look like shit."

"This is nothing." She entered the sub and I followed. She picked up a tray and got some tariyaki chicken and a salad. "Why the sudden curiosity about my family?"

"You were not yourself on Friday," I replied, grabbing a chicken salad sandwich and a Bolthouse Vanilla Chai from the fridges.

"Is that why you're suddenly paying so much attention to me?"

"Yes."

"Guess I should act weird more often," she replied, a smile playing on her lips.

"Now that's not funny. Something was bothering you."

"Must have been an off day," she said. "No." She paused. "It was something else."

"What?"

"That's not important," she replied and we sat on opposite benches of one of the booths.

"Fine."

Her cell phone rang. "Sorry, I need to take this.... Hi, Dad, how are you?... That's good. I'm doing well.... Mhmm. Classes are going well and the number of students I teach is increasing.... He doesn't seem interested.... Editing a story.... I may be able to scrape by.... Talk to you soon. I love you...." She took a bite of her salad, and hung up her phone.

"He?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Lina pointed her fork towards me.

"Me?"

She nodded and took another bite.

"I don't seem interested in what?"

"The church." Lina reached into her bag and pulled out a paper and her Bible.

"What kind of Bible is that? It looks thicker than I remember it being."

"That's because it's a quad."

"Quad?"

"The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price."

"Damn,…. Sorry. How many books do you believe in?"

"These four, right now."

"Right now?"

"We believe that there are other books that are yet to be revealed to us, of course, that's not including the words of the living prophet and apostles."

"Huh."

We ate our food in silence for a little while before Lina slid her paper and a pen towards me. "I've rewritten the piece you read on Friday and was wondering if you would be willing to look at it?"

"I... guess."

"If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"No. It's fine. I'll look it over."

The first line pulled me in and kept pulling me in and I had a hard time trying to look at it objectively. It was nothing like the first draft. It was a major improvement. When the story was over all I could say was, "What happens next?"

I looked up as Lina lay down on the bench.

"Lina, are you okay?" I asked, looking at her under the table.

"Shouts and cries were heard, bodies fell with a loud thud and she knew that tonight might very well be her last," Lina repeated the last line, then continued a bit. "Arms wrapped tightly around her, but instead of feeling fear, she knew these arms. They were the arms of her older sister. Turning into them Lisa tried to block out the sounds of the battle her brothers fought above her." Her eyes were closed.

"What?"

"You asked what happened next, did you not?" Lina said, looking at me.

"Yes, but what are you doing down here?"

"Being obedient."

"Obedient? To what?"

"The Holy Ghost."

"Ookaay," I replied and sat up again.

Her food was gone. She must have eaten fast. After another minute Lina sat up and put her Quad back into her bag. Then she picked up her tray and stood to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Trimble. There are still some things I need to do."

"Is Ashtoreth still there?"

"No. He left soon after you left."

"Why did you take him into your room in the first place?"

"Being obedient," she replied.

It wasn't until she was gone that I realized I still had her paper. Guess I could give it to her in class the next day. I finished my sandwich and chai as I puzzled over Lina. It was because of little changes in attitude that I had wanted to take her out to breakfast. Lina was acting differently than she had over the last two years we had gone to school together. Lina Ashcroft. I called Brad.

"Hello?" Brad answered.

"Hey, Brad. Keith."

"Keith. It's been a little bit. How are you?"

"Good. Yourself?"

"Not bad. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you were related to a Lina."

"Lina? If we're thinking about the same person, she's my sister. Why do you ask?"

"She's been acting differently lately. I can't get her to tell me what's going on. Do you know?"

"Acting strange how? You haven't tried anything have you?"

"No. It's just... She's the one that edits my papers in English."

"The one you keep complaining about?"

"Yep."

"That sounds like my sister."

"Anyways, Friday her comments were completely different. Instead of the typical Biblical references and suggestions for wimpy characters, she went to other extreme and made comments for stronger characters and bloodier scenes."

"When she's upset about something, she'll do that. Even in her own writing. It's one of her outlets, like your notebooks are for you."

"Okay...."

"Was there something else, Keith?" Brad asked.

"Not at the moment."

"Okay. Question, Keith?"

"Okay."

"Why the sudden interest in my sister? I mean, until this call you've done nothing but complain about her."

"I don't know. She seems different now…. Maybe I'm just assuming that things are wrong."

"It's possible, but I have yet to see you wrong about your gut instincts.… One more thing, Keith."

"Yeah?"

"Lina should be back to her Bible hugging self by tomorrow. If that's the case, don't bring up this past weekend."

"Why?"

"Trust me. You just want to avoid it."

"Okay. Later, Brad."

"Later."