As we walked, Daisy told me a few things about her day at school. Like how she won the game of freeze tag at recess, how she saw a few of the older kids start a fight that same recess and immediately got a teacher to break it up, how she was doing really well in math until she got pulled out of class. She also said she showed her class what she finished drawing yesterday, and they all said it was really good. So, I asked to see what she drew.
Daisy pulled out of her bag the sketchbook I had got her for her birthday last year. Within the pages and pages of doodles was a finished drawing of what looked like her holding hands with three other people on a sunny hillside. It was a pencil-crayon drawing, but it was done in such loving detail, I recognized immediately who else was in the picture. Me, mom, and dad - I could tell because she drew my eyes green and orange, and it looked really accurate in terms of our heights, facial expressions, and everything. Even down to our mom's stern glare.
"This is really good sis!" I smiled, "How do you draw so well?"
She giggled, "I just draw and colour until it looks right."
I shook my head, taking out my phone, "You mind if I take a picture of this? It's really good."
She jumped up and down a bit, "Are you gonna show all your friends at school tomorrow!"
Inside, I was dying, but I kept up the smile, "Of course sis. And how about I take the picture with the amazing artist holding her amazing drawing?"
She squealed a little and took back her drawing. She held it to her chest, grinning so wide, her ears up and twitching with excitement along with her tail. We were in a park her and I used to play in, so I got the swingset and the trees in the picture as well. I took like, twenty pictures, each one turning out better than the last. My phone camera was awful compared to a real camera, but I swear, the pictures looked almost realistic to me. My sister squealed with joy when I showed them to her, claiming I was the best photographer in the world.
We walked hand in hand, smiling the whole way. I felt so light and carefree, just walking with Daisy happily skipping along beside me. I cherished this moment because I still thought in the back of my mind that this was going to be the last, truly happy moment I have with my sister. And with that thought coming to the front of my mind the closer we got to home, my smile faded, and my mood darkened. I looked down at Daisy, her smiling up at me, and I did my best to smile back.
I never once thought it'd be difficult to smile at my sister...
"Daisy... I-"
Daisy tugged my arm and tried to pull me along at a run, "Come on! Let's get home so you can show mom and dad the pictures you took of me!"
I held her by the arm tightly, "Daisy, just wait a moment."
She stopped and looked at me, "What?"
I felt my ears fall as I tried to think of something to say. I kneeled down to her, opening my mouth, but I still couldn't bring myself to say it. I sighed, looking slightly down from her and biting my bottom lip as I said, "...You remember before, when I said I wanted to tell you something important?"
"Yeah."
I nodded, "Well... I have to tell you now."
"...Can we go see mommy and d-"
"No, Daisy." I closed my eyes, "This is important. I need to say it now, I might not get another chance."
"...Okay, Davie. What is it?"
I felt so terrible for having to tell her this, she'd never truly understand what I was about to say until she was older. I had to say it, to have some sort of... I don't know, closure? So she wouldn't be so devastated? I dunno, she deserves to know. She has to know how much I love her, and how much I'll miss her...
I finally said it, forcing myself not to stutter with how my jaw was quivering, "Daisy, I... I might have to go away for a while. Like away from home."
She gasped, "Why? Where are you going?"
I held her gently by the shoulders, "I... can't say for sure. But... I want you to know-"
"David Luther!"
Oh, fucking hell. I looked past Daisy to see our mother down the sidewalk, standing in front of the house, arms crossed, and looking pissed as all hell. I looked back to Daisy as mom started walking towards us, and gently turned Daisy's head back to look at me.
I said to Daisy without breaking eye contact, "I want you to know that I love you, sis. Always. And try not to miss me when I'm gone... I'll try to visit when I can, okay?"
Daisy didn't get a chance to reply, as mom had already stormed up to us and yelled, "What in god's name is wrong with you David! You-"
I stood and raised my voice, "If you're going to yell at me, let Daisy go home first so she doesn't have to hear this!"
Mom and I glared at each other for a moment, until Daisy quietly said, "M-Mommy? Why are you mad at Davie again?"
"Go home Daisy," Mom controlled her tone, "No excuses."
"But-"
"Now!" Mom snarled.
Daisy's ears fell, and she walked off towards home. Mom continued glaring at me, as I watched to make sure Daisy got home safe. Once she was in our house, I returned to glaring at Mom.
"You were saying?" I said.
I bit my tongue, just standing there and glaring at her as she yelled and yelled at me about how horrible a son I was. She said she got a call from the school, saying I was sent to the principal's office and had an emotional breakdown afterwards. She didn't care that I was panicking, she said I should 'man up', that I shouldn't have fallen to whining into my sister's arms, that my life was fine and I shouldn't have even thought about dying. Yeah, that's right, she didn't care that I was possibly suicidal, she just felt the need to scold me for it. She was extremely pissed off that Daisy had to be pulled out of class, she claimed I was ruining her daughter's hope in school, that I was a bad influence on her.
It went on, and on, and on.
A few neighbours were watching her shout and snarl at me. She had said a lot more things to me, but I didn't hear them. I just gave her the most heated, angry glare I ever gave someone in my life, until I finally snapped. I didn't bother saying anything, I just turned around and started walking away from her.
"Where are you going!?" Mom yelled at me, "Get your sorry ass back here or you are disowned!"
I stopped in my tracks, looking at the shocked face of the german sheppard that was one of our neighbours, who had been watching mom yell at me. He held a watering can and was watering the flowers along the fence, but right now he just looked at me in shock.
I soon said to my neighbour, controlling my tone, "...Sorry you had to hear that. And when you get the chance, tell my mom I'm glad she's disowned me. I fucking hate her, I never loved her, I only loved my sister."
And then, without looking back, tears in my eyes, I started walking. I didn't care where. As long as the direction I was heading was away, I kept going. I ignored the shouts of my mother or father or neighbour or whoever. I wasn't going to turn around. Not anymore. Not ever.
People saw me heading down the street, just walking and crying. I dropped my backpack at one point, my school stuff spilling out into the street. Someone soon ran up to me, and grabbed my shoulder, telling me I dropped my bag and held it up to me. I looked at them, but I couldn't see who they were clearly. I was crying a lot, and plus, I didn't care who they were anyways. When they let go of my shoulder, I think asking if I was alright, I didn't reply. I just turned, wiped my eyes, and kept walking.
I didn't know what else to do. I had nowhere to go. Nothing to my name. No money, no food, no job, no family, no hope... nothing. All I had was myself, my phone, and the clothes I chose to wore this morning. Unless I go back, I wouldn't get much of anything. All my stuff is in my room - any money I had, clothes... it would be something. But I'd never be welcome. Not ever. Not anymore. The only chance I had... was maybe to... try my fucking awful luck at surviving in a forest, the one I'm actually heading in the direction of right now... It's the only thing I got, and the only thing I ever will have. I don't know where else to go.
By this point, I had stopped crying because I was trying to figure out my miserable excuse of a life right now. The only reason I hadn't instantly thought of suicide was because of my sister - I could still see her at her school, if I was careful. I could... try to get her attention... but then... mom or - no, not anymore. Her parents would be bringing her to school probably, I'd only be able to see her at recess or something. I think part of the forest is actually near the school, so... there's a chance. But... this is all if I survive tonight, and the days to come.
My phone had been vibrating in my pocket for a while now, and I finally decided to check it. I had three missed calls from... Daisy's father... and one from her mother. The caller ID came up as Daisy's mother again, and my grip on my phone tightened. After letting it ring for a while, I decided I'd answer it.
My m- Daisy's mom, spoke in a slightly irritated voice, "David-"
Just hearing her voice made me so angry, and I yelled, "FUCK YOU! I'M GOING TO DIE OUT HERE!"
I threw down my phone, and the screen cracked in half. I then screamed at the remains of my phone. I didn't say anything, I just screamed. And once I was out of breath, I continued walking. A few people had seen the outburst - they stared at me as I walked by them. I just clenched my jaw and kept a brisk pace.
I walked for a long time, heading down the side of the highway now. I needed to take the next left and then I'd be at the forest, my new home it looks like.
...What a fucking day.
I happened to glance back to check if anyone was following me down this road, since there wasn't a sidewalk anymore, and I happened to notice a black car driving slowly behind me. The windows were tinted, I couldn't see who was inside, but I ignored it and kept walking.
...Still, it seemed to be following me.
Reaching the right road after about a minute or so, I went left. My ears twitched as I tracked the car by sound behind me, it had turned left as well. I gave a frustrated sigh, closing my eyes for a second as I stopped. Whoever the fuck this was, they're in for a hell of a beating. Even if I can't fight properly, I sure as hell will try to kick the living shit out of them.
I watched as the car stopped across the road beside me. The passenger door as well as the driver's side passenger door open. Out stepped two furs, in... ski masks...
"You're David Luther, correct?" One of them said.
That threw me off. The black, unlabeled car, ski masks, remote location... they're trying to kidnap me, aren't they? So why in the world would they ask my name? To make sure I was the right guy? Talk about an unorganized kidnapping, they don't even know if I'm the right guy, which that's the kind of thing they should really know if they've been planning to kidnap me. Ah whatever, let's play with them a little, as I really don't feel like get kidnapped. It'd be pretty inconvenient, to be honest.
I smiled, and shook my head, "Nope, sorry, you've got the wrong guy. But why the masks? You aren't gonna kidnap him are you?"
The two in masks glanced at each other, snickering, "Kid's got nerve."
I smiled, waving over in the direction I came from, "Well I won't keep you sociopaths any longer. David lives over that way somewhere, in the neighbourhood. You can't miss 'em, the way he looks." I turned to start walking.
"How does he look?" One of them snorted, starting to follow me.
I started walking faster, "He has a distinct appearance, really you can't miss him."
"I'd say you have quite the distinct appearance."
Then I started running.
They started laughing behind me, and I heard the car speeding up behind me, so I took a left into the field. I could hear one of them behind me, and to my despair, I'm pretty sure I heard the clang and smash of the car turning and driving over the ditch, it's wheels spraying dirt behind it.
I wasn't far from the forest, but that car had caught up to me faster than I thought. I thought I heard a click and was surprised to feel a sharp pain on my right side of my back, but then it strangely went numb. It prevented me from running eventually, the numbness spreading until I had trouble moving my right leg and arm, making me trip and faceplant into the dirt.
I reached around and pulled out... some sort of tranquillizer dart from my back. I scrambled to get to my feet, feeling dizzy and my right leg was relaxing, I could barely move it. I was limping away when one of them had grabbed me from behind, holding a cloth to my mouth and nose. I weakly tried to hold my breath, elbowing the guy in the gut once. Yet, as soon as I took even the slightest whiff of that cloth, I knew what I was in for. Chloroform.
Unlike in the movies, it takes a little bit of time to actually render you unconscious, but the way I was right now, I had no way of escaping in that timeframe. Each elbow to the gut was getting weaker, and the other guy had eventually grabbed my arms, so I could only kick with my leg that wasn't numb. After my struggling and kicking quickly weakened, they dragged me towards the car. The smell was getting to be too much, my mind was hazy, but I still kept trying to struggle, no matter how feeble my attempts were now.
The chloroform eventually got to me, and I was falling unconscious as they opened the trunk of the car. There was nothing more I could do. I was conscious enough to know that they shoved me in the trunk, tied me up, and then I passed out.
I guess I really was leaving home, one way or another...
A/N: From this point forth, things are gonna get a lot more interesting... but sadly, I might have to delay the next part for like a week and a half. I have final exams starting this Friday and I kinda want to do well on them. Calculus is hard XD. Thank you for reading up to this point, and see you in a week and a bit!