Broken (A Damian Wayne LS) - On Hold

Chapter Eight

We sit in silence as Stephanie drives and I look out the window. As we get farther and farther away from the main part of the city and into the more rural area of Gotham things start to come back to me. Childhood memories; nights spent out under the stars, days spent out in the gardens and times spent running through the fields of wildflowers. I had a lot of fun and freedom out here, but I can not have any of that now. I point out the roads and turns that Stephanie need to take to get out to my house where I used to live. About thirty minutes later we arrive at the end of the long gravel driveway that leads to the burnt house. Stephanie looks at me as if to ask if this is the right way, I nod in response to the unspoken question. Slowly and carefully she drives the car up the gravel path, as we approach my breath catches in my throat. I hate this place, but I had to come back. I needed to get something, some things actually. I can not remember why they are so important, but they are. Stephanie pulls the car to a stop just before the police tape. Odd that that is still here. But oh well. I unbuckle then open the car door and step out. So many memories come flooding back to me, some that I don't think I am quite willing to share yet.I shut the car door and it clicks letting me know that it shut. I start to walk up to the police tape, but I stop short when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see Stephanie looking at me with worry and sorrow in her eyes. I try to smile at her, then I pull away and duck under the police tape. Slowly and carefully I make my way around the burnt debris and try to remember where I last left my items. Oh now I remember. I left them near the garden, I always kept a fireproof trunk back there with different things in it. My mother and father never knew that I had it, at least I don't think they knew.

        I walk around the burnt down house and I can see the garden greenhouse/shed in the distance. I walk a little faster and the next thing I know is that I am running toward it. I have to get to it, it has things that are mine. Memories that are contained in them from what seems like forever ago. I need to get to it. As I come upon the shed I come to a stop and look around for the trunk. If I remember right it should be to the right of where I am standing. So I look in that direction. Ah I think that maybe it..It is. I walk over to it and start to pull vines and plants that have grown on top of it off. I love this old trunk; it was my grandmothers before it was mine. I pull open the lid after I fiddle with the lock, and inside sets the things that I knew would be there. . Instruments from my past sit inside, I can  not remember who I got these from. Maybe it was the man in my dream that gave these to me. Along with the instruments sets something that I do not recognize. These items I do not recognize, yet they seem familiar. This is weird, I wish that I could remember stuff. I hear Stephanie walk up behind me and I look up at her. She half smiles at me and crouches down next to me. I look back into the trunk to see some art supplies in it. Stephanie picks up a painting and examines it.

"Did you do this?" she asks pointing to the painting.

I nod my head.

"You are an amazing artist Arabella." she says.

I nod again, still not able to really talk to people. I stand up and Stephanie puts the painting back into the trunk, I close and lock it. Me and Stephanie lift the trunk and carry it back to the car. We put it in the back seat of the car, then we climb into the front seats. As Stephanie pulls away from the burnt down house I watch it all fade away.

"Um...thank you..." I manage to mumble.

Stephanie turns and smiles at me, "You are welcome Arabella."

"Um...I prefer Bella..." I tell her.

"Sure, Bella." With that see turns the radio up and ride back to Wayne Manor in silence.