Fatal Flaws

Part 1

They will be here any minute. I desperately search in all directions, trying to escape, but come up empty. I'm trapped. My only option is to run and pray to God that I make it out alive.

I grab hold of the small silver cross necklace dangling freely from my neck. My fingers are trembling uncontrollably. The metal tears through the skin between my fingers as I squeeze it tightly.

The pressure behind my eyes is building. Combine that with the massive amount of blood that I have lost, I feel like I'm dying. I can barely continue to stand upright. Most of my weight is still supported by the building behind me.

I have to do this. There are no other options.

I'm so exhausted. My eyes are heavy. I can't fight the urge any longer. I close them for a minute and mutter a small prayer under my breath.

It's now or never.

I take a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain in my chest. It takes the majority of my strength to gather myself up. Without a second thought, I dart out from behind the only shelter I had.

My eyes snap open. I'm met with complete darkness. Everything is silent besides the sound of my heart beating. It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Things are beginning to become more precise and more focused.

My old raggedy blue and black comforter lies at my feet. My white wooden nightstand sits beside me. The half drank glass of water from the previous night still sitting on it. The smell of my mother's favorite fabric softener wafts through the air. It brings a sense of security to me.

I'm safe and sound, lying in my bed.

My hands shake as I lift the hem of my t-shirt, revealing my massive scar. It runs horizontally along the bottom of my right ribcage. It's rough, not smooth, like most scars, and jagged around the edges. Some spots of it are darker compared to the soft pinkish color of the rest of it.

My whole shirt is drenched in sweat. It's almost impossible to roll my shirt back down. The material is sticking to my wet, clammy body.

3:54 a.m. in bright red numbers shines from the alarm clock beside me. I've been asleep for hours, but it doesn't feel like it.

Today is the big day. The one I have been looking forward to all summer. I'm finally leaving this dreadful little town and getting a clean break. A new slate to start over away from here, my family, and everything else that has made my life miserable.

Going away to college had never even crossed my mind until now. I was lucky to of even graduated when I did. No one thought I would succeed at it.

But look at me now. Here I am, an official college student. It seems like a dream. Me of all people going back to school. One of the number one places I hated in my childhood that I avoided at all costs. A few years ago, if you had told me this, I would have sworn you were crazy. Thinking about everything is giving me a splitting headache.

I reach over, opening the top nightstand drawer. My fingers search through it in the dark, feeling over random objects. I finally find what I'm looking for. Somehow, the small Tylenol bottle was hidden in the far back corner.

It makes a slight popping noise as I uncap it, pouring its contents out into my hand. I count out a few red and blue gel capsules. Allowing them to roll around between my fingers before tossing them into my mouth. The warm water beside me comes in handy, letting me wash the pills down.

My eyes are beginning to burn and water a bit. I need to get more sleep. Even if it's only a few more hours before, I have to drive three hours in a tiny small cramped car with my mother and sister.

My mom isn't that bad. We're not close at all, but she doesn't go out of her way to make me feel horrible either. I do an excellent job of that myself. She usually avoids me. She doesn't say much to me unless I speak first. It's been like this for a while now, well, ever since that night.

My sister though never shuts up. She always has something to say, especially about me. Her favorite thing to do is complain about me, followed by life in general. Even when we were younger, we were never close. Only now it's a lot worse.

Sometimes, I believe she hates me and doesn't want to admit it. I try my best to avoid her at all costs, but my mother insists on her riding with us today. My only guess is that she doesn't want to be alone with me, afraid she might have to converse with me.

I bet they're going to be happy when I'm gone. Everyone in this small, miserable little town certainly will be. It's no secret that no one around here likes me. They all blame me for that night.

I don't care though. It isn't like I want to be friends with any of the judgemental hypocrites here, either.

My mind starts to wander off as I lay back down. My head now resting up against my pillows, I pull my comforter back up around me, snuggling deep down beneath it.

The darkness once again creeps over me, allowing me to drift back off to sleep. The soft sound of my snores fills the silence.

*If you're reading this, it means you found my book. Firstly, I just want to thank you all so much. If you enjoy it, please vote and don't be shy about leaving a comment. I appreciate all feedback.
If I missed something or there's an error, let me know. I'm also open for suggestions and hints.... once again, thank you all so much, and I really hope you enjoy it..... p.s I love suggestions on reading materials, so if there's a book, you really enjoy telling me the title so I can check it out.