River Dreams

Let There Be Chaos

CHAPTER SEVEN

Let There Be Chaos

I heard my parents come into the house. I stared at the alarm clock on my bedside table, it was already nine o'clock. I wondered where they had been, maybe a night out in town with champagne and pastries, or maybe a quiet dinner in the city. I was unbearably nervous that they would know I hadn't been to my session.

I almost expected them to barge in my room, their faces red with anger as they screamed their accusations.

If my expectations were true my mother would say something like:

"You can't just leave like that! Do you know how much money I'm spending on your sessions?!" My mother would yell whilst waving her hands in the air. I cringed at the thought, desperately hoping that I was wrong, that they would come up here and be completely oblivious.

I stared intently towards the door, holding my breath as I decided that I would take the blame and explain that everything was my fault.

River had said that he made sure everything was in place, my parents would never discover what I had done today. Yet, how could I be sure? My mother practically made a sport out of my appointments, she was a star athlete in keeping my schedule in check; I couldn't imagine her not knowing.

I heard their voices as they walked up the stairs, soft giggles filling the hallway in unison. It must have been nice to have a break from their usual grim expressions.

A soft knock came from my door, my parents voices coming from the other side as my father whispered something inaudible.

"Come in," I said, sitting up cross-legged on my bed.

My mother walked towards my bed, her hair up in a formal bun and her eyes framed by dark eyeliner.

"Hey honey," she said, "we just wanted to check on you."

"We're pretty exhausted," my father said, "we're going to bed."

My mother blew a kiss my way and for a moment I was sure that she was drunk. They both walked out the door and a laughed as they bumped into one another.

I sighed in relief and flopped onto my back, my eyebrows furrowing together in confusion as I twirled a strand of hair around my finger.

They had no idea.

As I lay on my bed, alone, I started to think of the past. My gaze unconsciously wandered around the room in search of something to do. I smiled when I realized how small the room actually is, like a cave hidden in the mountains of a fairytale.

The lavender wall paper had been covered in old pictures found in the attic, Polaroid's stuffed in an old shoebox with the words 'Ivy's pictures' scrawled out on the front.

Pictures of trees and flowers overflowed the box, not a human face in sight, just simple objects found around the house. A doll house, a jewelry box, and a few snapshots of the mountains that reigned the east side of the land.

I had kept them a secret from my parents, as I did many things, they didn't know where I found them or how safe they made me feel.

They were so careful when it came to me, so desperately nervous about my movements and actions, as if I was constantly walking on a tightrope, looking down towards a fatal fall.

I could have fallen a long time ago but I haven't, I don't plan to, ever.

My breath became shallow as the weight of my body took over. I pulled River's jacket out from under my pillow, nuzzling into the covers and letting myself be carried off by the fuzzy memories of the day, my eyes closing on their own. The dreams didn't matter as much anymore, I almost wished they would come, the information was becoming addictive.