Whisper of the Woods

•16•

Blake

January 4, 2011

I'm so cold, there's no heat in here. I might get hypothermia just from being in my room. There's snow covering the trees and leaves, I wish I had my polaroid to take a picture of it. I love photography, that's what I want to major in when I grow up.

I still cant believe that I've been here for almost a year. They all stopped looking for me by now, probably trying to except my death. I'm going to be thirteen soon. An official teen, I'm not that excited though. Because it will be just another day in this dump.

-Anna P.

I've been tucked in a corner in my closet, reading Anna's journal, for hours now. It was really comforting to know that somebody once went through the same things I'm going through.

I found that I can relate very well. Page after page, her personality became more visible. She's a sweet little girl, with a bubbly personality. Reminded me of my own friends. God I miss them so much.

I flipped to the next page.

January 13, 2011

I really wanna go outside, it's snowing. I would literally give anything to feel the snow on my dry skin right now. My brother and I used to go outside almost everyday and have snowball fights when we were snowed in. When we would come inside, our fingers were literally frozen. Mom would make us hot cocoa to warm us up. I try not to think of them too much, or I'll start to cry again.

- Anna P.

I was touched by her memory. I noticed she does that frequently. Writes about her family and her best memories with them. I longed for sweet memories like that with my family. Whenever I think of mine, shouting, screaming and bickering comes to mind.

I rewrapped the string around her journal and placed it back on the shelf before I exited my closet. I took out the folded photo from between the lock and the door clicked open.

A smile pulled on my lips at the satisfying sound. Out of curiosity, I endeavored to see if Jace forgot to lock one of the rooms.

None of the knobs budged.

However I did notice the screw shape on one of them. I darted back to my room and grabbed the screwdriver. The blade matched the screw. When I began to twist, it started to loosen up. I could finally see what Jace is trying to conceal from me.

Blake, stop it. Jace is going to find out. Stop it, stop it now. You know what will happen. My mind scolded. I tried to drown out the constant battle in my mind and continued to loosen the door knob.

But I came to a complete halt and realized what I was doing. Sighing, I twisted the screwdriver in the opposite direction, tightening it.

I knew Jace would somehow find out and probably knock me out cold. He's done so before. I put the screwdriver back in its place in my closet and headed to the matchbox sized kitchen.

I was still left wondering about what Jace takes as his medication. I haven't seen him take the pills at dinner, which explains the reoccurring impulsiveness.

I opened the skinny shaped cabinet next to the stove, the stove having remnants of burnt food stuck to it. My face scrunched in disgust before I turned my attention to the cabinet.

There was only one transparent orange bottle. My eyebrows furrowed as I read the black and white print of the label.

Jace P. Rivers
Dr. Lee
Intermittent Explosive Disorder - mild case
Take TWO pills after evening meal

It didn't come as a surprise that he had an anger disorder. I would assume that he developed it after Sara died. If only she was able to see what he's been doing in her memory. I placed the bottle back on its shelf and wandered down the hall to Anna's old room.

Jace hasn't been locking it lately, because he thinks that I'm still locked away in my room. I sat on the bed and stared out the nearby window, letting the sunbeams kiss my face.

My head snapped in the direction of the door when I heard coughing and hacking coming from outside. He's back earlier than usual.

"Oh crap," I lifted myself off of the bed, and tip toed quickly yet quietly. I certainly didn't want Jace to catch me in my tracks. I'm careful that the floorboards don't squeak too much as I move light footed across the floor.

I move even faster when I hear a clicking sound indicating the door being unlocked. I make sure to close the door all the way this time, within the photo.

Why is he back so early? It's not even past noon.

"I told you already Vick! I have nothing to do with Robert's daughter being gone! What do I look like trying to abduct a teenage girl? I've got better things to do in my life," I heard things shuffle around outside my room.

"I don't care because I'm done talking to you!" The ear piercing sound of glass shattering echoed. My door unlocked and swung open to an irritable looking Jace.

He points his finger at me, "Get that conversation out of your mind and come clean this mess. Now."

I nodded obediently and followed him to the living room to see large shards of a beer bottle bestrewn on the floor. Little puddles of the beer surrounded the broken pieces.

"Is there a broom somewhere?" I asked after examining the mess.

"You have hands," Is all he says before sauntering off to a room, smashing the key into the keyhole.

"What are you deaf! I said to clean up the mess, I'm tired of saying things twice!" He hollered at my lack of movement. I immediately squatted down and swept up the pieces of glass with my hand.

"When you're done, you're going straight back to your room until I get back. So I suggest you speed it up," He finally disappeared into the room.

The same room I tried to break into. It must be his.

I shook the thought out of mind and gathered more tiny remnants of the beer bottle into a pile. But I lost my balance and my body rocked forward and my hand rammed into the pile of glass that I've just constructed.

I hissed with a grimace at the sharp pain shooting in my palm. A shard of glass pierced through my skin. It cut pretty deep.

I hurried to get a paper towel to stop the bleeding. The blood went through each thin towelette I used and the pain magnified the more I applied pressure.

Knowing that Jace will leave soon, I tried to ignore the pain and use my one unscathed hand to finish cleaning up his mess. I quickly wiped up the left over spilled beer and shove the tiny beads of glass elsewhere. Jace comes out of his room with nothing in hand.

Why did he even come back here?

"D-do you have anything to clean my hand? I-I cut myself," I'm still not comfortable with speaking to him, I rarely do anyway.

He cracked open a bottle of beer and shamelessly poured it directly on my cut. I hissed at the stinging sensation. He took out a band-aid from a cabinet in the kitchen and threw it in my direction.

"There. Now it won't be infected. Back to your room," He jerked his head toward my room. I bent down and picked up the cheap band-aid. How thoughtful of him, I sarcastically thought to myself.

He took me by the arm, leading me back to my room. As if I cant just walk there myself.

Why did he even come back if he didn't get anything?

_______________________

A/N > Eh, that was a little boring. But next chapter, should be way better.

I want you to see the difference between this chapter and the next chapter, you'll see why ;)

Oh and she didn't try to escape bc she has a phobia of the woods and of Jace catching her, just to be clear ;) I think it's mentioned in chapter 6 somewhere.

Votes/Comments, are much appreciated xx.

-kya h. ∞