Find Me

9 • Purity

There is no mention of my nightmare for the rest of the day. When we arrive at my--Skylar's new home, (I forbid myself from accepting that I'm Skylar Ann), Officer Jenkins and the other cops leave us alone. Before he had left, Jenkins said that he'll be back every few weeks to see how we are doing. It's funny that he would make a trip this far away each few weeks just to check in on us, but I don't question it. I like the extra security even if it can be annoying.

My--Skylar's room is just down the hall from the kitchen. It has a single twin bed and a small closet that probably can only fit the things that I packed, which isn't very much. An old dresser sits in the corner next to the closet, but it's so broken down that I doubt I'll ever be able to use it for anything.

I drop my suitcase on the bed, which creaks when weight is placed on it. That should make sleeping very comfortable, considering I wake at the slightest noise.

I open one of the zippers of the small suitcase and take my new phone out. I guess it was good Jenkins gave us new phones because the screen on my good one broke when I had thrown it at the mirror earlier.

No one knows the number on the phone except for Mom and Officer Jenkins, so it's more for emergencies than anything. I'm pretty sure I won't be making any friends while I'm here anyway. It's probably a good thing too, because anyone who I'm associated with is in danger now, including the cops that have helped my mother and I for the past while.

I place my phone on the nightstand beside my bed and walk out of the room, heading over to mom's bedroom to see what she's doing. Her new identity is Bethany Ann, but I'm glad I can still just call her mom. That way I don't have to be careful about saying her real name: Helena Larkin.

"Mom?" I call out as I pass by the kitchen. Her room is across the whole house, so we're nowhere near each other at night. It worries me, but I try and not let it show. I can't let it show.

When I turn the corner, I see mom sitting on her bed, clutching a picture frame to her chest. I recognize the scalloped edges almost immediately. It's the photo of her, my dad, and I when I was only a year old. I can't even look at that photo anymore without wrinkling my nose in disgust.

"Mom?" I question, stepping further into the room with caution. She looks up from the floor, her eyes shining with tears. She tries to cover them up when she sees me, but I'm not fooled.

"Yes Me--Skylar?"

I purse my lips together. We had both agreed for her to call me by the fake identity I have while my stalker is still out there.

"I was just--" I pause, not positive on what to say. "I just wanted to ask what was for dinner."

Her lip curls into a smile and she drops the picture frame on her mattress again. "Just give me a few minutes to unpack and I'll see what I can find in the cupboards."

I nod, biting my lip until it draws blood. The metallic taste fills my mouth as I try and figure out what to say to comfort her. I mean, she lost her husband, who was a douche bag for leaving her anyway, and now someone is threatening me. Considering what happened to Laura, if he catches me like he thinks he will, I'll probably be six foot deep by the end of the year. I don't think she can take losing me too. After dad left, she has become more of a shell of herself, or so people tell me.