Secret Torture (Student/Teacher) - COMPLETED

Chapter Forty Two: From A Survivor

I slept peacefully - better than I had in months. I was so used to constant restlessness and incessant tossing and turing, that sleeping perfectly free from nightmares seemed quite strange. Strange - in a good way.

When my eyes finally opened, the room I lay in was much brighter. The light morning sun was shining in through the window, so bright it was almost blinding.

I was not alone. There, in the seat where Mr. Wilson had once sat, was my mother. Her hand was clasped around mine. She was looking at me. And she was crying.

"Mom," I said, somewhat breathless, taken back by the sight of her like this. 

She smiled at me through the tears. "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy you're okay."

I smiled at her. "I'm fine," I said. "Well, minus the eye."

She laughed at that, but was soon crying once more. I had seen her like this before -  a long, long time ago. She hadn't been this upset since my dad left. Guilt seared through me. I did this. I was the reason why she was like this.

"Mom," I began, feeling my own tears begin to brew. "I'm so, so sorry."

She shook her head. "No, Ally. No. You don't have to apologize," She sniffed loudly, then wiped her eyes dry with the edge of her sleeve. "But I do. I'm your mother. I should have known… I should have been there for you. And I wasn't. I'm so sorry, Ally. My little baby. You're just a baby," she sobbed, withdrawing her hand from mine, and plunging her face into her palms. 

"Mom, it's okay," I said softly, reaching out for her - but stopping short, due to the sharp pain I felt in my chest.

"It's not," she muttered, wiping at her leaking eyes. "It's not okay. I knew something was up. I just… I didn't think it was this," she whimpered, collapsing into tears once more.

I didn't know what to say. I felt so guilty - only I knew she felt exactly the same way. 

"Did Mr. Wilson call you?" I asked. 

She nodded her head, looking back up at me. "We were so worried. We called Georgia, but she had no idea where you were, and said that she hadn't seen you in weeks - not since school ended. I was so confused, I thought you'd been staying at her house almost every second night - and then she said you'd never once spent a night there - and I knew I should have been furious - but I couldn't. I was just scared. Scared for my little baby. I didn't know where you were, who you were with… I didn't even know who you were anymore. You'd changed so much," she looked away, still crying.

"I was just so relieved to hear you were okay. But when he told us about that… About James… That's when I got angry. I couldn't believe it. He's a grown man, he should know better than to hurt you. Ally, you're just a girl, and he took advantage of that. And… he hurt you," she broke off once more, sobbing. 

"I'm fine," I said, although I, too, was crying. "Really. Mom. I'm fine. It's over, I promise. I swear it's over."