Returning to Innocence [EDITING]

Chapter Thirty Eight

Another chapter! Boom!

Enjoy and VOTE VOTE VOTE!

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My mood dropped immediately, the cheery atmosphere from Alex's room gone. My dad greeted me in the car, and we drove home in silence. My mother greeted us- me stiffly- and then my parents went into the living room. I went straight up to my room and put my earphones in, pumping rock music into my ears at full blast.

My eyes drifted to the window. It was dark, and there were lights coming from some houses windows. One had their curtains open, and I could see a little girl in there, being tickled by her father. Her mother was stood at the curtain smirking as the little girl screamed with laughter. I sighed, remembering when my life was normal. Before that New Years Eve, before I disappeared; when I was still the innocent girl I should have been. I was supposed to be getting told off for drinking underage, and coming home late, not for refusing to tell my mother what I told a policeman about my disappearance. My life was like one in a book.

The curtains were closed and I sank down in my bed, my head against my pillow but my eyes wide open. I awoke with tears running down my face, but I didn't remember my dream. At least I got some sleep; for once. It was 6:00am and I stood up and stretched, wincing as my stomach pulled. I wouldn't tell Alex but it was still really sore, to the point where it hurt to walk. Gulping down the pain medication beside my bed, I waited for it to kick in before I took a shower.

The warm water ran over my scarred skin, and I closed my eyes, thinking about the future. I had no idea what would happen for me, I just knew it would never be normal. There was only one thing I was certain about: Alex. I knew Alex would be in my future because of our love.

Although, it might seem like I was just a teenager who knew nothing, I found it so hard to trust anyone that I knew it was real. A smile crept across my face as I thought this, and it stayed there when I walked slowly downstairs, still in a dream-like daze.

"Why are you so happy?" my mother snapped, and my expression dropped.

"Why are you not?" I said back, wanting to cry all over again. Why was she acting like this?

"Oh I don't know. Maybe it's because my daughter's been kidnapped twice, and then trusts a stupid little 16 year old more than me." I gawped at her as she said this. Her voice was so full of venom, but her face was tired and worn.

"Mum I trust you, I just didn't want to tell you." I whispered.

"And why not? You told Alex I bet." she retorted. I frowned.

"Alex was there with me. I told him nothing, he watched it happen. He watched as I cried for the dead; he watched as I was beaten; he held me when I was stabbed. I didn't want to tell anyone except the police, and them only so Colin can be caught. It's nothing to do with trust. It's to do with me not breaking down, not living in a shell forever." Tears rolled down my face, as my mothers expression changed to one of shock as what I said sunk in.

"I'm sorry." she finally whispered. "I'm just so stressed at the minute. That's the second time, and this time you were dying. I don't know what's got into me."

"Shouldn't I be the stressed one?" I joked quietly, and she gave me a weak smile.

"Probably. Do you want to go see Alex later?" she murmured the last part. I nodded, and she smiled. "I'll come. I need to apologise."

"You think?" I scoffed. She looked guiltily at me. "Sorry, I just love him so much. The way you were treating him was killing me." She shook her head.