Pretty Little Fighter Girl

Chapter 19 - NOTEBOOK

      I closed the journal after about an hour of writing. I'm tired of the threats being sent and decided I needed to be ready, in order to keep my family and friends safe. My kidnapper is aware of the fact that I care about people, Jason and Lucas in particular.

My plan to keep everyone out has failed.

    I needed to know that after everything falls apart, they are safe. I didn't need someone to play hero and try to find me, the chances of my return would be slim.

   I wrote "to my family and friends" on the cover of the notebook. The notebook explained my story- the one everyone had wanted to know- from the day I was taken.  I explained the evidence and the details of that horrible week. I then wrote about the threats that recently started in the last few weeks.

  People would finally know my story, after it was safe for them to know. If they knew now, before my kidnapper makes his move- they would be in danger.

  I thought about the scalpel, imagining the pain that would be inflicted upon them if they interfered.

I then thought about the pain that I would most likely face... I remembered his fists and the knife that scarred my waist.

I lifted the corner of my shirt, revealing seven scars. My kidnapper felt that he needed to mark the days that I was with him upon my skin, in the form of cuts. Something about him was off, and it was obvious that some mental help would do him some good.

I shivered and pushed the painful memories from my mind, I had already relived them as I wrote in the journal.

I tucked the notebook into the bottom of a shoebox, piling the roses, scalpel, and previous notes on top. I then tucked the box into the back corner of the closet.

I pulled out a final sheet of paper, one that I would carry with me. If I noticed my kidnapper near, I would tuck it away somewhere where Jason, Lucas, or a family member would surely find it. With the box of evidence hidden in the back of the closet, someone would need to know where to look if it came to the time.

I started writing on the page, careful not to smear the black ink from the pen on the paper. My hands burned from writing so much in the last hour.

"To whom it may concern ,
If you are reading this, I'm probably not around anymore. My reasoning is final and I want to make a couple things clear.
Firstly, please do not look for me if you happen to receive this letter. Your safety and the safety of those I care about are at risk. I needed to go in order to secure your protection.
Secondly, I have hidden a box in the corner of the closet in my room. The box will hold all the information that you need to know in order to make sense of this.
Lastly, I wanted to apologize for all of the pain and sadness I have left behind over the course of the year. It is because I care about all of you, that I must accept my fate and leave. I'm thankful to have many great people in my life and the fight inside of me will not die as long as those I care for are safe. Thank you for everything. I'm sorry it had to be like this.
Love,
Celeste."

   My eyes began to water as I forced myself to hold back tears. My emotions were a mix or fear and sadness. It was true though...if I wanted to protect them, I needed to do everything I could. Making this decision would not be easy if the time came, it was something I had to accept.

   I shook away those thoughts, tucking the note under a paper on my desk. I could hear the faint sound of the television on downstairs and the sounds of dishes moving. Most likely, my father had the tv on while my mother had begun preparing lunch.