Shadows

Family and Truth

We both froze as we stood in front of the door. Each taking a few minutes to breathe and compose ourselves before knocking. We had to wait at least five or so minutes before Hannah opened the door with a scream… nice start. Moments later both my parents ran to the door and gasped, my mother rose a hand to her mouth and my father lost all colour in his face.

“Victoria? Is that really you?” my mother’s hand was shaking as she began to cry, overwhelmed with an emotion I didn’t even know she felt toward me.

“No I’m a ghost, of course it’s me” I said dryly

“I told you she would come running back once she was done with this silly escapade” my father boomed. Did he really think this was all a trick or something?

“Excuse me?” Dante squeezed my hand again, I did the same

“Well you go missing for two months, not a word from you and then you just waltz  back here and expect this bloody grand welcome, where have you been Victoria!”

“Can we take this inside sir, we have much to discuss” Dante intruded, taking my father by full surprise “May we?” he asked, gesturing his hand towards the house. My father, looking rather confused stepped aside, along with my mother to allow us in.

  The house seemed so strange to me now, so unfamiliar and so very unwelcoming. It used to feel like a haven to me before all of this, so safe from those who threatened to hurt me. Now it just felt like a friend’s house, somewhere where you to visit and nothing more. Dante never once let go of my hand, I don’t know if it was for himself because maybe he thought he was going to attack them or if it was reassurance for me that I was not alone in this, either way it felt nice. We sat down on the sofa whilst my parents sat down in the chairs that were now opposite, that seemed to be the only thing that HAD changed in this house.

“First things first, where have you been?” my father asked, I stared at Dante and he nodded at me to go on

“Deadwater”

“Deadwater!?” he repeated, as usual my mother said nothing “What on earth made you go there?”

“It doesn’t matter, all you need to know is that I have come back for some answers” my parents exchanged looks, both as confused as the other “I want to know why you have treated me so differently to Hannah all these years?”

“We haven’t” My mother muttered

“Don’t give me that crap, you know fully well you have” Dante reached an arm around my waist and drew me closer to him, knowing fully well that I needed to calm down I buried my head in his chest

“As you can see Mr and Mrs Cruz, this isn’t exactly easy for your daughter so could you please just give her a reasonable answer and then we shall be on our way” He sounded so formal in the way he spoke, I didn’t know how he could control himself, especially when I couldn’t control my own anger.

“Look I don’t know who you think you are but..”

“Enough! Just answer the damn question!” I shouted over the top of him before things could escalate

“Fine, just shut the door, I don’t want Hannah hearing” my mother whispered

   I got up and shut the door before slumping down and folding myself into Dante’s arms, maybe now things would be a hell of a lot clearer.

“We were going to tell you in London, but things got tricky” tricky my arse, they were being so unreasonable

“Tell me what” I moaned