Turbulence

23: Some things never change

Natalie's POV

I entered the cabin where Mom lay. Her eyes were closed; she looked weak, timid and fatigued. It hurt me to see her that way.

And who had done this to her? Luke. And Dan. The devils on earth themselves, who had turned our lives to hell whenever they showed up.

I wanted to tell Mom so many things- I wanted to apologise to her for all the mistakes I'd made, for all the times I hadn't listened to her. She'll be okay, I told myself, and tried to get up.

But I couldn't. I turned once back to see Mom and kissed her forehead. She sighed. Or maybe I just imagined it. I couldn't tell, because her face didn't give away any signs of movement or awareness. No, she couldn't have moved. It was possibly my intervention.

I walked out of the cubicle with heavy steps. As I approached Hunter, I noticed Luke through the corner of my eye. I decided to ignore him. After all, he was the reason this was happening to my mom. He was the reason everything was happening.

"Are you fine?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah."

"You need something? Water, maybe?"

"Yes, please."

He nodded and went to fetch me a bottle of Aqua. I kept my eyes on him as he walked away.

"Hey, are you okay?" Luke asked, resting his hand on my shoulder.

I shooed it away. "Just stay away, Luke."

"But-"

"You're the reason everything's happening. The reason my mother is here. The reason I am here."

"You are here because of me? What did I do?"

"What did you do? Seriously? Ask me what you didn't do."

He kept glaring at me. As if I was going to shut up.

"What didn't you and your father do to us, huh?" I began. "What-"

"He's not my father." His jaws tightened.

"What?" I cried.

"He's not my father."

"Your step father. Happy?" I snapped.

"Your biological father. My nothing." He spat, pushing me towards the wall. For a few moments, I saw intense rage in his eyes, and that scared me. Maybe he would even forget that I'm a girl. Not that I wouldn't like a good fight.

But I was afraid I would lose to him. Because I remember.

"Lu! There you are!" I cried.

"There he is!" Exclaimed superman.

"Since when are you playing alone? Lu too will play with you!" He cried in his cute voice.

"Don't go far, Lukas! And no fighting!" Clara, his mother cried. She wasn't really concerned about him; she just wanted to show her mothering skills off to Dan.

Luke was so busy with us that he didn't even reply.

Clara went away. Back then I had no idea where she and Dan, who'd come to drop me in the park used to vanish. Now, of course, I knew.

Luke was always short-tempered. Even when he was young.

Hunter had thrown a fistful of sand on his face when he was not ready for the shot. He coughed horribly as a result. His eyes turned red. Suddenly his happy mood turned off.