Austin Carlile Is My Father? (#Wattys2015)

Mirrors Start To Whisper, Shadows Start To Sing

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Sienna

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"I miss you so much, baby." said Lucy, her thin arms reaching out for Sienna. Sienna felt her heart leap to her throat. 

"Mom-" Sienna broke off, raking her fingers through her brown wavy hair. Her throat closed a little and she let a sob tear from her lungs. "Mom-I need you to be here-" 

"No, Sienna, you don't. Listen to me." Lucy's hand outstretched and stroked Sienna's cheek. Sienna swore she could have felt warmth. "You're fine without me. I know you miss me, but we'll see each other again. I promise." As Lucy's hand closed on Sienna's, it started to fade, Sienna's heart beating erratically. 

"No! Mom! No! Please don't go!" 

"You'll find me when the time's right." Lucy's voice was muffled. Sienna sobbed harder, her arms reaching for her mother, but suddenly flames licked up the sides of her vision, smoke filling her lungs. 

She coughed wildly, screaming for her mother, over and over, but hands clasped on her throat, pulling her away. Sienna twisted her head around to see who her attacker was. 

"Austin?" 

His light brown eyes gleamed with hatred, his mouth twisted in a bitter scowl. His tattooed arms rippled when he flexed, squeezing her throat tighter and she screamed-begging for it to end. 

"Austin! Please! Stop! Don't! Please!" 

When his expression didn't change, she clawed at his hands uselessly. "Dad! Daddy! Please! Stop! You're hurting me!" 

His hands only clenched tighter, her mind swirling into an endless pool of black. 

Sienna's eyes shot open, her body in a cold sweat. 

It took her a moment to realize where she was. First floor. Back lounge. On the 'U' shaped couch, Noah cuddling her. A movie playing. 

She shuddered and tried to forget the dream, but she could still taste the smoke. Her neck still hurt from the imaginary Austin strangling her, and she felt exhausted, her mind jumbled. 

The digital clock read 4:45 in the morning, way too early for anyone else to be awake. Sienna sniffled and gently pulled herself from Noah's arms, finding Lee's sticky-note pad and scribbled a quick note to Noah telling him that she went to her bunk to sleep. She stuck it on the TV. 

She blindly stumbled out of the back lounge, her ears ringing. She heard the labored breathing from the boys from BMTH as she silently crept through the hall. She opened and closed the bunk door and walked into the kitchen with shaky legs. 

Her tears bubbled over her lids and she let them fall down her cheeks as she found her way to the stairs and climbed up the short flight to reach the second floor. 

She carefully counted each bunk to decipher which bunk was hers and she used the two bunks underneath hers as steps to get into her bunk. 

While silently climbing, Sienna saw through her blurred vision that Alex and Austin were sleeping together in the same tiny bunk. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her to his chest, and she had hers wrapped around his waist, her face resting against his left pec. They were sleeping soundly and Sienna didn't want to wake them, so she carefully placed her feet and timidly laid down in her bunk. 

Finally in the comfort of her bunk, she let her emotion-wall crumble, bringing the pillow up to her face to muffle her sobs. She wanted to cry. She needed to cry.