Isolation

Chapter Twenty-Three

LILY'S POV

I furrow my eyes at her. She's joking, right?

"What do you mean, Lacey?" I ask, my defenses going up. She can't truly think that. Jacob must've planted it in her head.

"I mean exactly what I said! I have to go!" She says in a panicked tone. She heaves herself out my window.

I chance it and call after her. She doesn't respond, so I sit down on my bed, letting everything sink in.

Jacob loves me? Jacob and Lacey are siblings? But what about Lacey's mom, Alyssa? Her dad, Bobby? I just don't understand why she would live with them when her family is just around the corner.

None of this makes any sense.

I bring my head up from my hands and see my parents kneeling down in front of my, concerned looks on their faces.

I jerk up, surpised.

"We heard you yell," my dad says.

"Are you okay, honey?" My mom asks, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Lacey's comment about them had me on edge, but seeing how much they care for me makes me not even come close to believing it.

"I'm fine, just a bad dream," I respond.

My dad holds one of his arms out, expecting a hug.

I happily wrap my arms around him, basking in the hug. Hugs always make me feel better.

Suddenly, I feel something on my upper back.

I freeze in my spot.

"What is that?" I whisper, fear now lodged into me. Was Lacey telling the truth? What's going on?

I slide out from the hug and gasp in horror when I see the knife in my dad's hand. It gleams in the light from the moon, making it look even scarier.

I jump up and run out of the door, pushing my mom down in my path.

"Get back here!" My dad screams, but I just push myself further.

My heart is in my stomach and my hands are shaking erradically. My legs shake and stumble as I run, slowing me down.

There's nothing on my mind but the will to survive.

I run to the door, just to find that it has been bolted shut with wood.

How did they do this without me hearing? I just used the door only twenty minutes ago!

I bang on the door, hoping a neighbor will hear me.

My parents come out of the corridor, knife in hand.

"Stop!" I scream at them as they advance on me.

Fearful tears spring in my eyes and flow down my cheeks, making my vision blurry.

I bang harder on the door the closer they get. I scream for help, and they advance on me. They get so close to me that I can't move even if I wanted to. I should've ran instead of trying to get someone to hear my pleas for help.

I stay squished up against the door.

"Why?" I wail at them, hoping that their eyes will soften just a tad. I'm their daughter, why are they trying to hurt me? Why don't they love me?

What have I done?

Their faces remain cold and passive as the knife in my dad's hands near closer to my chest.

I hyperventilate, not wanting to expect that this could be the end for me.

I'll never see Connor or Lacey again. I'll never be able to tell Connor how much I truly love him. I'll never be able to eat my favorite food, drink my favorite drink.