Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > The Last Night
Julius knew that this was wrong, but he couldn’t help it. Bruises kept appearing all over his partner’s body. After the first one in the cafeteria, he had noticed more; one peeking out from underneath the sweatband on her left wrist; another on her collarbone; even some on her back, hidden by her T-shirt (that he had “accidentally” seen while she was changing). He also observed how Delilah seemed to tense up whenever her father walked by … how her eyes widened slightly, almost in fear …
He didn’t want to believe what his instincts were telling him: that she was being hurt. Plus, he had thought that he had seen a red mark … a scar … on her wrist … but he couldn’t accept that, either.
That was why he was here, sneaking around in Phineas Devonshire’s room. If he got caught, he knew he’d be in big trouble: probably a suspension. It was against the rules to go into any other person’s room without their consent. He sifted through the obvious places for hiding things – like a diary, perhaps. Drawers, under the bed, back of the closet. But he found nothing. Angry and disappointed, he slumped onto the bed. As he did, he heard the floorboard he was standing on creak as his weight shifted. Raising his eyebrows, Julius bent down and examined the board; there was a small hole on one end.
Putting his finger in the hole, he gently pulled the plank up and free. A wave of dust came up after it. After his coughing fit, Julius peered inside the empty space … and found what he was looking for. In a corner, there was old, tattered journal, covered in dust. Grinning with triumph, he grasped the book and raced from the room, after replacing the floorboard.
In his own room, Julius analyzed the diary more carefully. On the back, in elegant gold script, was the name /C.F. van Klief/. With a wave of regret, he realized that it wasn’t Phineas’ journal, but Delilah’s mother’s. Still, he had gone through all the trouble to get it, so he might as well take a peek.
He opened to a random page and read the date: 8 December 1975
It’s amazing! She wrote. Today, I got my first kiss! And with David Morris, nonetheless. Janey is jealous, because she is a year older than me and didn’t get kissed until a month ago – and I am fourteen! As much as I love her, she can be a tedious friend at times. Right now, she is giving me the cold shoulder … but a kiss with David Morris is worth a bit of the silent treatment from Janey.
Julius smirked at the writing, and flipped to a different page.
5 January 1976
Something strange happened today. I went downstairs for breakfast, but Dad met me on the stairs and told me he’d bring waffles to me. As much as I love waffles, I knew something was up, so I snuck back down. In our kitchen, my mum was talking to a weird-looking man in a green bathrobe. He looked pretty young, maybe five years older than me at the most. I wanted to hear what they were saying, because I heard someone say “Cassandra,” but then I saw Dad coming so I had to run.
Again, Julius smiled. He wanted to find the entry where Cassandra Devonshire was told she was good enough to be a spy; it wasn’t far behind this one.
11 January 1976
I can’t believe this! I am sooo excited! The strange man I saw in the bathrobe six days ago is called Al (I don’t think he has a surname) and he is in training to become the head of the Academy. The Academy is a training school for … you’ll never guess it … SPIES!!! And Al has said that the current boss and he have shown interest in me because of my “expertise” in gymnastics. I mean, I won the national title, but I never thought I was that good! Mum and Dad said I can go, and oh man do I want to! In fact, I’m already packing my things, even though I won’t be leaving for another week.
Delilah’s mother had been so excited at the prospect of becoming a spy … didn’t she realize the danger she would be put in? She couldn’t have known that one day she’d have a daughter, and have to leave her behind. Julius sighed, and flipped further in the journal.
18 July 1976
Today it has been exactly six months since my training period began. It’s late at night, but I can’t sleep – so much has happened today! Al told all the new recruits to go to the gym for an assembly, but it turned out that we were actually getting partners! I was towards the end because of my last name, Van Klief, and I was so incredibly nervous! When I got called up, I was shaking so bad. The girls got called up, and then Al would call a boy up. I was so scared, but it turns out I didn’t need to be. My partner is … Phineas Devonshire! I was so happy, because he and I are like best buddies, and I’d been praying I’d get him as a partner. He’s not bad-looking, either, and most teams end up dating, or getting married …
Julius stopped reading there. He found another page, not wanting to hear any more about Delilah’s father.
25 September 1979
I read a story today in my mum’s Bible. I don’t know why, but I guess it’s because I miss her and Dad a lot, and Mum loves her Bible. I was so honoured when she told me I could have it. Anyway, I happened to open up to the story about Samson and Delilah. It’s not a very nice story, because Samson is an idiot and ends up giving his secret away to Delilah and then died. But I love the name Delilah. If I ever have a baby girl, that’s what I’ll name her. Not because she was a bad person, and was working for the people who hated Samson. But because she was so beautiful that, even though when Samson gave her all these false secrets and she told them to the bad guys, he still loved her.
So that’s why she had called her daughter such a peculiar name.
2 August 1980
I can’t believe it! Today, Phineas proposed to me!!! I am 19, and I am to be married to him! This is so electrifying! And it’s true, I love Phineas dearly. He’s sweet, kind, funny, sensitive, and not to mention that he’s very handsome …I need to call Mum and tell her right away.
Julius bristled at Phineas’ name, even if it was only written. He flipped past Delilah’s birthday, but then something caught his eye.
21 November 1991
I don’t
Something happ
This doesn’t make se
She couldn’t write something. Something had happened. He turned to the next entry.
23 November 1991
Two days ago … something terrible happened. I … I don’t understand it. It doesn’t make any sense. Phineas … he … I know he didn’t mean it. I must have done something wrong … he would never have, otherwise. I might as well just spit it out, but I can’t. I don’t want to believe it happened. Maybe if I don’t speak about it, write about it, it won’t have happened.
Curiosity peeked, Julius turned to the next page.
1 December 1991
I haven’t had time to write because Al has been running us ragged with missions, and Delilah is being a pit of a pain at night. But I’m not writing to complain. The pain is eating me inside, and I need to get it out. I need to tell someone, even if it’s just this book, which no one will ever read.
Bad things have been going on with Phineas. It started in November, and I thought nothing of it. We’d just come back from a really hard mission, and I’d been too tired to go get Delilah when she started crying. I asked Phineas to get her, but he told me that he was too tired. I got angry, and started yelling that Delilah wasn’t only my responsibility. I saw the anger in his eyes, but I didn’t stop. I was just so furious with him. And then …
And then he hit me.
I was so naïve that I believed it to be all my fault. I thought it would never happen again. But a week ago, he hit me again. I can’t think of what I did wrong this time. Delilah was crying, and I was going to get her. Phineas and I had been watching TV … and I guess he didn’t want me to leave. I was so stupid, and I told him that he wasn’t the only person in my life. That I couldn’t just forsake Delilah to be with him …
He got up, shouted things in my face, grabbed my wrist and … and …
You know the rest.
Julius stared at the page in shock. Cassandra’s writing had become shaky, and tear stains littered the page. Her husband had been beating her. And why did all the incidents seem to focus around Delilah? Still staring at the page, he noticed the indentation on the other side, just a small sentence. Afraid, he turned the page, hoping to find some shred of hope – something that would disprove his intuition and what he had just read. His eyes took in the six words:
I need to get out of here.
--------------------------------------
Seventeen years after one decision had been made, another was taking place.
Delilah was crouched by the edge of the bathtub, listening to the water run and staring at her scarred, bloody wrist. She had just finished a note, which lay on the floor beside her.
Dear Julius,
This is just to say goodbye. Didn’t want you to see me cry. I’m fine now.
Love, Delilah
He didn’t want to believe what his instincts were telling him: that she was being hurt. Plus, he had thought that he had seen a red mark … a scar … on her wrist … but he couldn’t accept that, either.
That was why he was here, sneaking around in Phineas Devonshire’s room. If he got caught, he knew he’d be in big trouble: probably a suspension. It was against the rules to go into any other person’s room without their consent. He sifted through the obvious places for hiding things – like a diary, perhaps. Drawers, under the bed, back of the closet. But he found nothing. Angry and disappointed, he slumped onto the bed. As he did, he heard the floorboard he was standing on creak as his weight shifted. Raising his eyebrows, Julius bent down and examined the board; there was a small hole on one end.
Putting his finger in the hole, he gently pulled the plank up and free. A wave of dust came up after it. After his coughing fit, Julius peered inside the empty space … and found what he was looking for. In a corner, there was old, tattered journal, covered in dust. Grinning with triumph, he grasped the book and raced from the room, after replacing the floorboard.
In his own room, Julius analyzed the diary more carefully. On the back, in elegant gold script, was the name /C.F. van Klief/. With a wave of regret, he realized that it wasn’t Phineas’ journal, but Delilah’s mother’s. Still, he had gone through all the trouble to get it, so he might as well take a peek.
He opened to a random page and read the date: 8 December 1975
It’s amazing! She wrote. Today, I got my first kiss! And with David Morris, nonetheless. Janey is jealous, because she is a year older than me and didn’t get kissed until a month ago – and I am fourteen! As much as I love her, she can be a tedious friend at times. Right now, she is giving me the cold shoulder … but a kiss with David Morris is worth a bit of the silent treatment from Janey.
Julius smirked at the writing, and flipped to a different page.
5 January 1976
Something strange happened today. I went downstairs for breakfast, but Dad met me on the stairs and told me he’d bring waffles to me. As much as I love waffles, I knew something was up, so I snuck back down. In our kitchen, my mum was talking to a weird-looking man in a green bathrobe. He looked pretty young, maybe five years older than me at the most. I wanted to hear what they were saying, because I heard someone say “Cassandra,” but then I saw Dad coming so I had to run.
Again, Julius smiled. He wanted to find the entry where Cassandra Devonshire was told she was good enough to be a spy; it wasn’t far behind this one.
11 January 1976
I can’t believe this! I am sooo excited! The strange man I saw in the bathrobe six days ago is called Al (I don’t think he has a surname) and he is in training to become the head of the Academy. The Academy is a training school for … you’ll never guess it … SPIES!!! And Al has said that the current boss and he have shown interest in me because of my “expertise” in gymnastics. I mean, I won the national title, but I never thought I was that good! Mum and Dad said I can go, and oh man do I want to! In fact, I’m already packing my things, even though I won’t be leaving for another week.
Delilah’s mother had been so excited at the prospect of becoming a spy … didn’t she realize the danger she would be put in? She couldn’t have known that one day she’d have a daughter, and have to leave her behind. Julius sighed, and flipped further in the journal.
18 July 1976
Today it has been exactly six months since my training period began. It’s late at night, but I can’t sleep – so much has happened today! Al told all the new recruits to go to the gym for an assembly, but it turned out that we were actually getting partners! I was towards the end because of my last name, Van Klief, and I was so incredibly nervous! When I got called up, I was shaking so bad. The girls got called up, and then Al would call a boy up. I was so scared, but it turns out I didn’t need to be. My partner is … Phineas Devonshire! I was so happy, because he and I are like best buddies, and I’d been praying I’d get him as a partner. He’s not bad-looking, either, and most teams end up dating, or getting married …
Julius stopped reading there. He found another page, not wanting to hear any more about Delilah’s father.
25 September 1979
I read a story today in my mum’s Bible. I don’t know why, but I guess it’s because I miss her and Dad a lot, and Mum loves her Bible. I was so honoured when she told me I could have it. Anyway, I happened to open up to the story about Samson and Delilah. It’s not a very nice story, because Samson is an idiot and ends up giving his secret away to Delilah and then died. But I love the name Delilah. If I ever have a baby girl, that’s what I’ll name her. Not because she was a bad person, and was working for the people who hated Samson. But because she was so beautiful that, even though when Samson gave her all these false secrets and she told them to the bad guys, he still loved her.
So that’s why she had called her daughter such a peculiar name.
2 August 1980
I can’t believe it! Today, Phineas proposed to me!!! I am 19, and I am to be married to him! This is so electrifying! And it’s true, I love Phineas dearly. He’s sweet, kind, funny, sensitive, and not to mention that he’s very handsome …I need to call Mum and tell her right away.
Julius bristled at Phineas’ name, even if it was only written. He flipped past Delilah’s birthday, but then something caught his eye.
21 November 1991
I don’t
Something happ
This doesn’t make se
She couldn’t write something. Something had happened. He turned to the next entry.
23 November 1991
Two days ago … something terrible happened. I … I don’t understand it. It doesn’t make any sense. Phineas … he … I know he didn’t mean it. I must have done something wrong … he would never have, otherwise. I might as well just spit it out, but I can’t. I don’t want to believe it happened. Maybe if I don’t speak about it, write about it, it won’t have happened.
Curiosity peeked, Julius turned to the next page.
1 December 1991
I haven’t had time to write because Al has been running us ragged with missions, and Delilah is being a pit of a pain at night. But I’m not writing to complain. The pain is eating me inside, and I need to get it out. I need to tell someone, even if it’s just this book, which no one will ever read.
Bad things have been going on with Phineas. It started in November, and I thought nothing of it. We’d just come back from a really hard mission, and I’d been too tired to go get Delilah when she started crying. I asked Phineas to get her, but he told me that he was too tired. I got angry, and started yelling that Delilah wasn’t only my responsibility. I saw the anger in his eyes, but I didn’t stop. I was just so furious with him. And then …
And then he hit me.
I was so naïve that I believed it to be all my fault. I thought it would never happen again. But a week ago, he hit me again. I can’t think of what I did wrong this time. Delilah was crying, and I was going to get her. Phineas and I had been watching TV … and I guess he didn’t want me to leave. I was so stupid, and I told him that he wasn’t the only person in my life. That I couldn’t just forsake Delilah to be with him …
He got up, shouted things in my face, grabbed my wrist and … and …
You know the rest.
Julius stared at the page in shock. Cassandra’s writing had become shaky, and tear stains littered the page. Her husband had been beating her. And why did all the incidents seem to focus around Delilah? Still staring at the page, he noticed the indentation on the other side, just a small sentence. Afraid, he turned the page, hoping to find some shred of hope – something that would disprove his intuition and what he had just read. His eyes took in the six words:
I need to get out of here.
--------------------------------------
Seventeen years after one decision had been made, another was taking place.
Delilah was crouched by the edge of the bathtub, listening to the water run and staring at her scarred, bloody wrist. She had just finished a note, which lay on the floor beside her.
Dear Julius,
This is just to say goodbye. Didn’t want you to see me cry. I’m fine now.
Love, Delilah
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