Taken

Chapter 12

            I slam my fist against the door in frustration. Mother tsks.

            "Stop throwing tantrums Arianna, you are not five," she scolds. I hear her footsteps retreat from the door and I pound my fist against the door again.

            "Mother!" I cry out indignantly. "You can't just leave me locked up in here!" I shout, shocked that she actually locked me in my room like a child.

            With a huff I fall on my bed, landing on my back so I can glare up at the ceiling.

            It's gone. The journal's gone, and I will probably never get it back.

            My hand finds the chain around my neck and I pull the locket out from under my shirt. Despite it being against my skin and under my shirt all day, the silver is still cool. The crystal clear gem gleams in the afternoon sunlight that lands in a big patch on my wall.

            At least I still have the locket.

            Since the key was with the journal, Mother most likely took that as well, leaving me with no way to get back to Nina's room. I roll onto my stomach and bury my face into the many pillows that are piled in front of my headboard, trying not to cry.

            All of that hard work, for nothing. I risked my life on that lattice, nearly got caught multiple times, and had dealt with something way above me that I still don't understand, only to have it all mean nothing?

            What are they hiding? I know it's about Nina, but what about Nina are they hiding? What is this other world? And what did Nina do exactly? All I did was take the journal and the key, or at least that is what they know I took. It's like she thinks that I committed a murder!

            I groan, all of these thoughts and questions making my head pound. Squeezing my eyes hut, I grit my teeth in frustration.

            What is with all of these secrets? I feel as if I'm on a bad reality show that only twelve people in the whole country watch. I just don't understand and I hate it when something doesn't make sense to me. It's so frustrating and drives me to wanting to slam my head against a wall or pull my hair out. It's like someone is toying with me and—

            There's a knock on my door.

            I halt my rampaging thoughts and the ridiculously long mental rant long enough to sit up and glare at my door.

            "If you are just going to state more ridiculous reasons as to why you are disappointed in me and want to disown me then I don't want to hear it Mother." I state angrily, not exactly knowing why or how these words just happen to tumble out of my moth, sounding nothing like my usual reserved and obedient self.

            I hear a throat clear on the other side of the door, sounding distinctly male. It's most likely my father so I stand up and take cautious steps towards the door. I stop so my nose is only a few inches away from the wood.