The horror of love

The horror of love 9

Chapter 9
Finding Freedom

I banged frantically on the door.
'MUM! DAD?' The door opened suddenly and they both rushed in to hug me, crying and squeezing the life out of me. I burst into tears of relief as well, about seeing them again after all these months, and how I must have put them through hell, nearly as much as me. They stroked my hair and held me close to them, asking me wildly where I had been and what had happened to me.
'What's happened to you? What are you wearing? Are you alright? Mum!' She called upstairs, 'it's Talia she's come home!'

'Mum, I'm really happy to see you again, and of course Dad and Gran,' I said as my Grandmother appeared through the door and rushed over to me, 'but can we please go inside, I'm freezing and I'll explain everything.'
They sat me at the table gently as if I would break like glass, and sat close just incase, as they thought I might run away again. My mother fetched me a cup of hot chocolate and rubbed my arms to warm me up. We waited for her to sit down, in silence, all astonished at my sudden appearance after all this time.
'So,' my mum said as she sat down, 'where've you been, what happened.'

My fathers eyes started tearing up, and he shook his head, 'You better not have ran away girl. I know it's been tough at home with everything, but you put your Gran and Mother through torture, and me, I've missed you so bloody much, I couldn't bear it if something happened to you.' My dad gave my hand a rough squeeze.

'Yes dear,' my Gran said, 'we called the police and you were in the papers and news, everyone was looking for you, how did you manage to stay hidden for so long?'

'I... I was in a warehouse, by the forest.'

'I told you not to hang around there!' My dad said angrily but his voice was also flooded with such emotion about almost losing his little girl.

'Shhhh.' The ladies said, 'carry on.' My nan urged.

'I've been going to the forest, where I had my school trip at, for quite a while. I had met this guy there before, well he wasn't exactly a guy, like some sort of  monster, but he was kind to me then, I never thought he would have...' I buried my head in my hands.

'And..' my mother started, 'what did this guy do to you, why did he do this.'

'He was angry,' I said, 'we had gotten really close before and I had left him, after what gran told me, because he... he.. is kinda mythical, a monster, who's lived for a really long time, back when great great gran was alive.'

'Is this a joke?' Asked my father.

'No, no it isn't. You have to believe me!'

'What did he look like? Draw him for me.' I was now at the police station, my parents had taken me there, probably thinking I was mentally disturbed and deserved to be sent to an institution. But my gran believed me, when she heard the story and heard the way I described him, she said,
'Yes that's exactly how my mother described him, when she told me the story so long ago. I remember it clearly now. You might not believe your daughter Rachel, but at least give her the justice of checking it with the police.'