Problems of an Invisible Girl

Chapter 35

As the van kept on driving for what felt like an eternity to Caroline, she couldn't help but wonder if they should have done anything differently to protect their children.
They thought they were doing the right thing, but is leaving your child ever the right thing to do?
Maybe if they stayed together, they would have been better able to protect their precious daughters, to stop any pain from reaching them.

"But our life was so hectic, running away from every shadow and every whisper, that was no way for children to live their lives.
Still, they don't seem happy with the lives they had. There is something in Rina's eyes that told me she had known deep pain and the same is true for Serena, only a different kind of pain.
Oh, my God did we hurt our children so badly by trying to protect them?" Caroline wondered.

As if sensing her doubts Jack put his invisible hand over hers and gently squeezed in a gesture of support and shared suffering.

Soon enough the van pulled to a stop and Caroline couldn't help but shiver.
What happened next would be deciding Rina's fate, all of their fates, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face the challenge.
Failing this particular challenge would mean certain death and although Caroline was not afraid to die, she was terrified at the idea of anyone she loved being hurt.

Finally, the door flew open and the guys gestured for her to climb out of the van which she did very slowly.
As her eyes adjusted to the outside light, she could see that they were in front of an old rickety house on the hill.

The house was huge and it seemed to be made of sturdy material, but it was also in a bad state of disrepair.
Its paint was chipped off by the weight of time it held on its shoulders. The general appearance was one of an abandoned old house that had seen too much.
There was a rustic feeling to it and the suggestion of beauty it once possessed was visible in the shapes and curves of it that were untouched by the passage of time.

The house was situated on an isolated hill and there were no other houses in sight. It seemed to be far away from any cities or villages.
Ominous clouds were gathering above the house, making it feel even more eerie and unapproachable.

Caroline had a bad feeling deep in her bones but knowing that there was nothing she could do about it but move on, she approached the house cautiously, with one guy leading the way and the other one following close behind.
It seemed to her as if they were afraid she might try to run away.
How that even occurred to them was beyond her since she knew one thing for sure and that was that she would never leave her daughter in danger to save her own skin.

As they entered the house Caroline did her best to try to remember the way to the front door because the house was huge and the last thing they needed was to get lost.
The fact that she could feel Jack and Serena's presence gave her the necessary confidence to go on.

Soon enough, she was led to one of the rooms on the first floor that was fully-furnished and was in contrast with the house's disused appearance.
As she was led into the room she realized that Rina wasn't there and that scared her.

"Have they killed her in the meantime?" She thought to herself.
Not knowing who 'they' were she wasn't sure what they would or wouldn't do.
"Where is my daughter?" She asked in an angry voice.

In that moment she was a mama bear fighting for her cub and the guys who brought her there were more than shocked by her behavior.
People were usually terrified by them, not demanding so her behavior came as a big shock to them.

"She is perfectly fine, I can promise you that." An elegant voice that was in contrast with what Caroline expected said.
That was when from the shadows emerged a lone figure that oozed of confidence and superiority.