Picture Perfect: A CaptainSparklez Story {COMPLETE}

Chapter 14: Posts and Promises

"You look so happy," said Adam's message. "Miss u carrie, wherever u are."

"Here's to hopin ya find her dude," said Nick's message.

"She's very pretty," said Felix's message. "Have hope jordan, have hope."

I fought back my tears. I had to be strong about this. I needed to stay calm. I couldn't risk attracting attention.

I scrolled through the girl's list of followers and found she also followed Mark. I clicked his name to find a message that was at least three or four separate posts long. It was the top liked, commented, and retweeted post on his page.

"Carrie you gotta come home!" the caption cried at me. "We all miss you so much, even I miss you! Your sister is grieving she thinks your DEAD and I'm praying to GOD that you're not! Jordan is heartbroken he hasn't been out of his apartment in days!"

"This must've been posted before Jordan's car exploded," I said to myself.

I read on.

"Carrie you've gotta understand it's not just the hospital or the police looking for you now," continued the post, "it's us too! All of us! Your friends, your family! We want to help you we want to protect you but we can't do that unless you come home!"

All of the posts in response to Mark said the exact same thing over and over and over again.

"Carrie Come Home! Carrie Come Home! Carrie Come Home!"

I couldn't hold them in anymore. The tears fell in huge rivers that spilled down my face. The cursor on the computer screen moved in synch with my trembling hand. I never should've left. I never realized how much they all cared about me.

"How could I have been so stupid?" I growled angrily, pounding my fist on the display table.

"Miss, are you alright?" said a soft voice from behind me.

Out of fear and jumpiness, I quickly spun around. Immediately, my heart jumped to my throat. I recognized the person.

It was the female doctor I had seen when I woke up in the hospital.

Her dark hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail. She had her hospital ID badge on a lanyard around her neck bearing the black letters of her name; Robin Scorpio-Drake. Her bright caramel eyes studied me for a little bit and then widened with realization.

"Oh my God, it's you!" she whispered urgently.

"No, please don't blow my cover!" I begged her. "Please don't turn me in to the police or take me back to the hospital! You don't understand!"

"Ms. Diamond, I can't have a patient wandering around California without clarity," she said. "I have to take you back."

"Dr. Drake, please!" I cried, feeling the tears bubble up in my eyes and fall in massive pools along my ignited cheeks. "You don't understand! My family is in danger; my sister, her boyfriend, my---"

I hesitated. Jordan wasn't technically my boyfriend.

I swallowed. "...the man I love. They're in danger! Please, you've gotta let me go!"

Dr. Drake looked stunned. I was sure she thought I was probably an asylum escapee on top of everything else she knew about me.

"Ms. Diamond---"

"Carrie," I said sternly. "My name...is Carrie."

"Carrie," she said calmly, "if your family were in danger, why haven't you told the police or anyone else?"

"Because they won't understand," I said bowing my head. "He's a shadow; impossible to catch. He vanishes into the night, becoming one with the darkness. He's been following me for years. Now he's back, and he's gonna kill my family if I don't stop him.  No one would've believed me."

"Who is this man?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"I...I don't know," I said with a shiver. "That's what scares me. He seems to know me when I know nothing about him. But I intend to find out. I have to stop him before he kills my family."

"Carrie, this sounds insane!" said Dr. Drake, studying me closer with her caramel eyes. "I'm not even sure I---"

"Lemme ask you something...Doctor," I interrupted. "I see that you're married, and that little homemade string and fruit loops bracelet around your wrist tells me you have a child. A daughter, judging from the large amounts of pink, red, and purple loops."

Dr. Drake immediately began toying with the bracelet, twirling her fingers around the little cereal pieces.

"How did you---"

"If something from your past followed you for years and eventually caught up to you and endangered your family, what would you do?" I crossed my arms across my chest. "Would you honestly go to the police or would you pull a hothead stunt like me that only you knew would work?"

"I...I---" She was at a complete loss for words.

"Call the police if you want," I said. "Hell, call the hospital security or whatever. But I will fight back. I am gonna save my family and you can't stop me."

Dr. Drake's face had been entirely drained of color, the blush suddenly gone in her cheeks. She was twisting the fruit loops bracelet more urgently now.

"I---I'm sorry, Carrie," she said with a catch in her voice. "I guess...I guess I've just never really thought about what might happen if...if it was my family at risk."

I sighed. I knew I had been a little harsh. She was just doing her job. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean---"

"No, no don't apologize," she said, wiping away a stray tear from her eye. "You're right."

She reached into her back pocket and unlocked her phone, opening her photo library and showing me a picture of a man kneeling next to a little girl of about seven years old. It took me a second to realize the man was the male doctor I had seen when I was in the hospital.  His short dark hair was up almost like a wave and his bright brown eyes were glowing with happiness along with his smile. The little girl had her long golden brown hair in bouncy curls. Her cheeks were a bright rosy red and her smile could warm even the coldest of hearts.

"Doctor---"

"Robin," she said suddenly. "Call me Robin."

"Robin," I said with a small smile, "your family is beautiful."

"We've been together for eight years now," she said softly. "Emma is a fan of your friend Jordan."

"Really?" I asked. "Your daughter is a fan?"

Robin nodded and slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Now that I think about it, I can't imagine how Emma would react if something were to happen to Jordan."

I nodded. "Neither can I. I would probably be just as heartbroken as she would."

Robin smiled slightly and placed her hand on my shoulder. "You're a brave girl, Carrie. I should've seen that before. Go, go save your family. Your secret is safe with me."

Not knowing what else to do, I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her tight. She seemed taken aback at first but then hugged back.

"Thank you, Robin," I whispered. "I won't just do it for me. I'll do it for your daughter. I promise."

I let her go and looked at her for a moment. Tears glistened in her eyes and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Go, Carrie," she whispered. "Go!"  I nodded quickly and made my way to the door.  And this time, I did look back.

I looked back to wave at her, to wave at the woman that gave me a chance. She waved back, the smile and tears covering her entire face.

I turned away, feeling stronger than I'd ever felt before.

"Thank you, Robin," I whispered and I walked out of that Best Buy with my head held high.

I'm coming for you, you rat bastard, I thought angrily to the evil that I knew was lurking around me. I am coming for you.