Chapter 19
I felt hands grip my upper arms, and a strangled scream escaped my throat. Fear is a powerful force. I had never experienced it in its full intensity before. It cripples the mind, clouds the senses, and strips away our humanity, leaving only the raw instinct to survive.
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I didn’t look into the eyes of the person who grabbed me, I didn’t want to. My scream tore through the air as I lashed out, using the last remnants of my strength to kick, punch, and claw at them. When their hands finally released me and I fell to the sidewalk, I looked up.
Kieran and Ethan stared down at me, horrified, as if I were a wild animal on a rampage. Their expressions shifted as they took in the damage to my face. I could see horror, fury, disbelief, and agony play across their features. For a fleeting moment, I felt a sense of safety and considered throwing myself into their arms, sobbing out my ordeal.
But Jessy’s words echoed in my mind, rekindling my fear. It smoldered inside me, ready to burst into flames. Kieran was the first to move, reaching out to help me.
“G–Get away from me!” I stammered, my voice hoarse and shaky. sounding nothing like my usual self. I scrambled backward, struggling to my feet in a clumsy, desperate effort.
“Sophia
Ethan’s voice was pained, but I cut him off.
“Leave me alone.” I hissed. “P–Please, just leave me alone.”
With the last of my strength, I propelled myself forward, darting through the grass between houses and into the woods. I knew Ethan and Kieran wouldn’t follow me this way. I didn’t look back or listen for anyone. following me. I focused on my uneven gait and the scaring pain in my
ankle.
That other side of me, the one that had given me strength, urged me to return to the twins.
Go back to them. They can help us.”
The voice didn’t sound like mine, but it couldn’t be anyone else. It had to be my inner thoughts, my conscience.
‘No. No one can help us. We got hurt because of them.‘ I argued with myself, feeling my sanity slip away.
‘We’re safe with them. Can’t you feel it? The voice grew quieter, more muffled.
No! No! I am not doing this! I am not arguing with myself!‘ I screamed in my head.
My thoughts fell silent, the irritating itch in my mind and the strange voice vanishing. The brick wall in my mind stood tall and solid.
My uneven steps echoed through the forest. Branches whipped against my
skin, but my long sleeves shielded me from the pain. My pants were still unbuttoned, but I didn’t stop to fix them. I slowed to a jog as I emerged from the woods onto the main road.
Relief thundered through my chest. I resumed my fast pace, sticking to the forest line for cover. I didn’t need to be spotted by anyone driving down the road.
I was hyper–aware of my body’s sensations. My lungs burned, my muscles ached, and my ankle throbbed. My eye and lip were swollen, and my ribs protested with every movement. Yet, despite the pain, I felt strong. I had taken down Calvin with a strength I didn’t know I possessed.
My house came into view, and for the first time, I was ecstatic to be back with Lauren and Darren. I didn’t care what they thought of my face or my booted foot. Their opinions didn’t matter. They wouldn’t make Lauren care or fix our shattered relationship.
I thundered up the porch steps and barreled through the front door. My heavy steps sounded like a freight train, but I didn’t care. Darren had never hurt me as badly as Jessy had.
I slammed the front door shut and leaned against it, the last of my strength keeping me upright. My chest heaved as I s*ck*d in deep breaths. Only when my lungs stopped burning did I realize Lauren and Darren were in the living room. Darren snored loudly in his recliner, a half–finished beer in his hand.
Lauren stood frozen in the kitchen, her eyes locked on my face. Her expression mirrored the horror I had seen in Ethan and Kieran. Any other time, her concern would have made my heart clench. But after tonight, I
was beyond caring. If I had more money, I would leave tonight.
Lauren’s mouth was open in shock as she took in my swollen face, my unbuttoned jeans, and my booted foot. I didn’t wait for her to speak. Instead of longing for her comfort, her concern p*ss*d me off.
I darted from the front door and raced up the stairs. I didn’t stop until I was safely in the bathroom with the door locked behind me. I stared into the mirror at a familiar stranger.
The girl in the mirror had my chocolate–colored hair, but it was tangled with twigs and leaves. Her face was swollen and unrecognizable. Her deep brown eye was swollen shut, and her blue eye looked milky and pale. Her full lips were crusted with blood. She was me, and yet she wasn‘
- t.
I turned on the sink and cleaned the blood from my face, never taking my eyes off the milky blue one in the mirror. When I was done, I stumbled. back to my room. The strength that had carried me this far was gone, leaving me scared and exhausted.
I collapsed onto my bed, letting out a strangled squeal as a loud ringtone pierced the silence. Kat’s phone, still in my back pocket, had survived my ordeal. Her photo flashed on the screen.
I hesitated but answered the call.
“Oh my god, Sophia!” Kat screamed. I cringed away from the phone. “What the f*ck? I got you a phone and you can’t even answer it! I didn’t know what to think or do!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice hoarse. “The phone died.”
How could I tell her the truth and still protect myself? I couldn’t. This wasn’t about getting back at Jessy; it was about surviving long enough to leave. Forget graduating high school. The second I had enough money, I would be gone, leaving Jessy, Lauren, Darren, Ethan, Kieran, Lilian, and. everyone else behind. My heart clenched at the thought of leaving Kat, Ethan, and Kieran, but I couldn’t dwell on what I couldn’t have.
“The phone died?” Kat sounded calmer, but I could tell she didn’t believe. me. Not one bit.
“Yes,” I said, my hands shaking. “I just got home.”
“Did you see Ethan and Kieran ?” Kat asked. “I couldn’t figure out where the party was, so I asked them. They said they’d show up to make sure you were alright.”
My heart lurched. I couldn’t form the words to explain what had happened. 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 said, keeping my answers clipped and short, fighting the tears that finally made their way to my eyes.
“O–Okay,” Kat sounded unsure, nervous.
“I’m gonna head to bed now,” I murmured. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter19
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“See you, Sophia,” Kat replied just as I hung up.
The tears finally came, and I fell back onto the bed, a broken mess. I cried until I fell into a blissful and dreamless sleep.
