Diamond: The Original

Chapter 1 "Home sweet home"

~Iria~

I heard footsteps getting closer and closer to us, Ethan was grabbing my hand so I would keep running after him but my body started to give up. I felt how our fingers were begging to stop being intertwined little by little. The sweat that our hands gave off made me think our skin had stopped clinging to each other but then Ethan realized this and grabbed my hand tighter.

"E-Ethan... I can't keep running..." I gasped taking advantage of him turning around to me to stop running. I needed to catch my breath.

"Baby, you can't stop now..." He had the evident beg in his eyes.

He was right but I... My body couldn't take it any longer.

We stayed in silence for some seconds to pay attention to the footsteps that were too close to us, this time accompanied with their angry voices. When I looked forward Ethan had held my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him in the eyes.

"Listen carefully, I need you to hide, close your eyes, cover your ears and sing a song."

Whenever Ethan's eyes looked at me that way knew things wouldn't end well. I also knew that I would end up doing as he asked me but I couldn't help feeling a chill running through me.

The fear. That familiar feeling invaded me again, I needed to protest.

"Ethan, what are you going to do?" The fear in my body increased as I heard everything louder and clearer.

"Close your eyes, cover your ears and sing a song." He repeated again mechanically.

I wanted to talk again, to tell him that I was staying and not hiding, that whatever happened would happen to both of us because we were together in this but I couldn't. Ethan already had enough to stand, he stood my tantrums, so I did as he said and curl up in a corner of the room. The table in front of me hid me, I put my knees close to my chest, closed my eyes, covered my ears and buried my head between my knees as I sang the first song that came to my mind, Ethan had taught it to me.

"You ask me what I'm thinking about... I tell you that I'm thinking about. Whatever you're thinking about... T-tell me something that I'll forget..." The song was interrupted in my mind for the sound of a gun that startled, I knew I couldn't open my eyes so I closed them tighter and tried to sing louder as the tears began to wet my cheeks again. "And you might have to t-tell... tell me again..." I continued between sobs. "It's crazy what you'll do for a friend..."

I stopped hearing noises and I felt the urge to look up but I didn't, suddenly someone grabbed my hand and made me run again. I didn't open my eyes, his leather bracelet on his left wrist and that small scar on the palm of that same hand let me know it was Ethan.

I knew he wouldn't have liked me to open my eyes yet.

Go ahead and cry, little girl
Nobody does it like you do
I know how much it matters to you
I know that you got daddy issues
And if you were my little girl
I'd do whatever I could do
I'd run away and hide with you
I love that she's got daddy issues, and I do too

I moved awkwardly in my seat, my mouth was dry and a cold sweat had run down my body leaving me a feeling of physical discomfort.

"Nightmares again, baby?" Ethan placed his hand over one of mine that laid on top of the armrest of the seat. He caressed it making me feel suddenly a little better.

I tried to smile warmly at him so that he wouldn't realize how dizzy I truly felt.

"It's over for good." His voice sounded as a reassuring whisper.