Chapter 19


    I felt hands wrap around the tops of my arms, and a strangled scream left my throat.


    Fear was a powerful thing. I had never experienced it in it’s fullest. Fear cripples the mind and clouds


    the senses. Fear brings out our most animalistic tendencies, forcing everything that makes us human


    from our minds in an attempt to escape, to survive.


    I didn’t look into the eyes of the person that grabbed me, nor did I want to. A strangled scream tore


    through my throat as my hands lifted to defend myself. The strength I once had was waning, but I used


    what was left to its fullest. I kicked, punched, and wed the person touching me.


    I only bothered to look up when the person’s hands left my body and my bottom hit the sidewalk.


    Kade and Alec looked absolutely f*****g horrified. Like I was a caged animal who had escaped and was


    now on a murderous rampage.


    I watched the emotion’s shift in their eyes when they took in the state of my face. I had no idea how


    bad the damage was, but judging from their clear emotions, I was in pretty bad shape.


    I peered at them from my one eye, the other was too swollen and sore to bother moving.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    H****r, fury, disbelief, agony.


    Each emotion yed across their face like a movie. For a moment, just a small moment I felt safe. For


    just a second I contemted throwing myself into their arms, sobbing my heart out about what


    happened tonight. I was so close, but Grace’s words ran through my head.


    The fear that had left me at the sight of the twins had roared back to life. The fear was a smoldering


    ember buried within me, looking for anything to rekindle the me.


    Kade was the first to move, leaning forward to help me from the ground.


    “G- Get away from me!” My voice was hoarse, stammering and sounded nothing like my usual self.


    I scrambled backwards, stumbling to my feet in what I’m sure looked like a horrendous and slightly


    drunken effort.


    “Aurora-” Alec opened his mouth, his eyes practically glowing in pain as he struggled to find the words


    to say.


    “Leave- Leave me alone.” I hissed, “P-Please just leave me alone.”


    I gathered all the remaining strength I had left in my body and propelled myself the only way I could. I


    darted through the grass inbetween houses, barreling into the woods. Alec and Kade wouldn’t follow


    me this way, and I was sure I could still find my way home.


    I didn’t look back as I ran, nor did I listen for anyone following me. All I paid attention to was my uneven


    gait and the searing agony spreading through my booted ankle.


    That other side of me, the one that sent strength flooding through my muscles, urged me to return to


    the twins.


    ‘Go back to them. They can help us.’


    The voice didn’t sound like my own, but it was impossible to have someone else in your head. The


    voice was just my inner thoughts or conscience. There was no other usible option.


    ‘No. No one can help us. We got hurt because of them.’ I argued with myself, proving my insanity was


    reaching it’s peak.


    ‘We’re safe with them. Can’t you feel it?’ The voice in my head was growing quieter, more muffled.


    ‘No! No! I am not doing this! I am not arguing with myself!’ I screamed in my own head.


    My thoughts grew silent, incredibly silent. I could no longer feel the irritating itch in my mind, nor the


    strange voice lingering in my head. The brick wall in my mind was solid, standing tall.


    The sound of my uneven steps echoed through out the forest. Branches whipped against my skin, but


    my long sleeve shirt shielded me from the pain. My pants were still unbuttoned, but I didn’t dare stop to


    fix them.


    I slowed my sprinting pace to a jog when I emerged from the woods and found myself on the main


    road.


    Relief thundered in my chest and I resumed my fast pace. I stuck to the forest line, using the brush and


    shrubbery to conceal me. I didn’t know who would be driving down this road, and I didn’t need to be


    spotted.


    I was hyper aware of everything my body was feeling. My lungs burned from theck of oxygen, while


    my muscles pumped and contracted to propel me forward. My ankle radiated a sharp pain, while my


    eye throbbed and my lip ached. My rib cage was a thundering mass of pain as I ran, mming into the


    porcin tub had done me no favors.


    I felt like my entire body was practically falling apart, and yet I had never felt so strong. I took Carson


    down with more strength than I had ever thought possible.


    My house was just in sight and for the first time in my life, I was f*****g ecstatic to be back with Melissa


    and Frank. I didn’t care what they thought of my face or the boot on my foot. They could think whatever


    they wanted, none of it mattered. It wouldn’t make Melissa magically care, nor would it fix our


    demolished rtionship.


    I thundered up the steps to the front porch and barreled through the front door. My heavy steps


    sounded like a freight train, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t force myself to give a c**p about Frank or


    Melissa. Frank had never hurt me as bad as Grace did.


    I mmed the front door behind me and practically copsed against it. Thest sliver of my strength


    was responsible for keeping me on my feet. My chest heaved and I sucked in deep breaths selfishly.


    Only when my lungs stopped burning did I realize Melissa and Frank were still in the living room. Frank


    was snoring loudly in his recliner, a half finished bottle of beer still resting in his hand.


    Melissa stood frozen in the kitchen, her eyes locked on my face.


    She had a look of h****r simr to Alec and Kade’s. Any other time my heart would clench at the


    thought of her looking at me with so much concern. After the night I had, I was beyond caring. If I just


    had more money in my bank ount, I would leave tonight.


    Melissa’s mouth was parted in shock, her eyes lingering on my swollen face. I stood p*******d as her


    eyes flickered from my face down to my unbuttoned jeans and down to the chunky boot on my foot.


    I didn’t wait for her to say anything. Instead of longing for my Mom, the look of concern in her eyes


    pissed me the h**l off.


    I darted from my spot against the front door andunched myself up the stairs. I didn’t stop running


    until I found myself safely in the bathroom, the door locked behind me.


    I looked into the bathroom mirror and stared into the familiar stranger’s face.


    She looked just like me. Chocte colored hair down to her waist, only there were twigs and leaves


    poking out at odd angles. Her face was simr too, but was swollen horribly. Her once heart shaped


    face was now a lumpy oval. The deep chocte colored eye she once had was swollen shut, her blue


    eye looked much too pale with a milky film hanging over it. Her full lips were much too full now, swollen


    and crusted with blood. She was me, and yet I didn’t know her.


    I turned the sink on and cleaned the blood from my face, my gaze never left the milky blue eye in my


    reflection.


    Once I was finished I stumbled back into my room. The strength I once had was nowpletely gone,


    and I felt scared and so very tired.


    I copsed onto my bed, a strangled squeal leaving my lips at the sound of a loud ringtone.


    The phone Tori had gotten me had somehow stayed in my back pocket. The screen was scratched


    from my fall, but it was still intact.


    A photo of Tori shed on the screen, apanying the ring ringtone.


    I hesitated, but ultimately answered the phone.


    “Oh my g*d, Aurora.” Tori practically screamed on the other end, and I cringed away from the phone.


    “What the f**k? I got you a phone and you can’t even answer the d**n thing! I didn’t know what to think,


    I didn’t know what to do!”


    “I’m sorry.” My voice was hoarse, “The phone died.”


    How could I tell her the truth and protect myself? I couldn’t. in and simple. This wasn’t about getting


    back at Grace, this was about surviving so I could leave. F**k graduating highschool. The second I had


    enough money I would be gone. Grace, Melissa, Frank, Alec, Kade, Autumn and everyone else long


    forgotten. My heart squeezed at the thought of leaving Tori, Alec and Kade behind but I couldn’t dwell


    on the things I couldn’t have.


    “The phone died?” Tori sounded calmer, but I could tell she didn’t believe me. Not one bit.


    “Yes.” My hands shook, “I just got home.”


    “Did you see Alec and Kade?” Tori responded, “I couldn’t figure out where the party was so I asked


    them. They said they’d show up and make sure you were alright.”


    My heart lurched. My lips couldn’t physically form the words to exin what happened to me. A sob


    wracked my chest and I gave up trying. She’d find out tomorrow at work just by looking at me. There


    was no way I could bail on work now, not when I was so close to leaving.


    “I saw them.” I kept my answers clipped and short, fighting the tears that finally made their way to my


    eyes.


    “O-Okay.” Tori sounded unsure, nervous.


    “I’m gonna head to bed now.” I murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”


    “See you, Aurora.” Tori replied just as I hung up.


    The tears finally came, and I fell back onto the bed in a broken mess.


    I cried until I fell into a blissful and dreamless sleep.