Into the light.
I stared at the shattered remains of the bottle on my bedroom floor, wondering how my life had descended into chaos. Again. Memories I thought I'd long buried came flooding back, like a bad joke I couldn't escape.
I was eight years old when it happened. One minute I was walking home from school, the next... well, let's just say I became intimately acquainted with the concept of fear. I remembered the smell of mold and decay, the feeling of my hands and feet being numb. And him. The guy who seemed to take pleasure in my terror.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen.
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're quite the beauty, even at such a young age." I wanted to gag. His fingers brushed against my jawline, sending shivers down my spine. Not the good kind.
"We plan on getting rid of Kimberly and her offspring," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "But you, little one... you might just be the exception." Yeah, because being an exception was exactly what I wanted. Not.
The memories faded, replaced by the stark reality of my present. I stood up, my eyes scanning the room for any signs of... I don't know, sanity? My gaze landed on the bottle of Hennessy on my nightstand. I had tried to drown my sorrows, to forget the pain and the fear. But the memories lingered, refusing to be silenced.
I picked up my phone, staring at the text message that had changed everything. "Jace is back." Just two words, but they might as well have been a declaration of war. My heart sank, my mind reeling with the implications.
I thought I'd left the past behind, but it seemed I was wrong. Dead wrong. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. I wouldn't let Jace win. I wouldn't let him drag me back into the darkness.
But as I turned to face the mirror, a glimmer of uncertainty flickered in my eyes. What if I wasn't strong enough? What if the past proved too much to overcome? I looked like crap, by the way. My hair was a mess, my eyes were sunken... I looked like I'd been through a war.
I took another deep breath, trying to shake off the doubts. I would face Jace, and I would emerge victorious. Or, at the very least, I wouldn't end up in a straitjacket.
I grabbed my hair, tugging at it in frustration. Why did this have to happen now? I was sixteen, for crying out loud! I was supposed to be worrying about prom, not psychopaths from my past.
The door creaked open, and my dad poked his head in. "Hey kiddo, you okay? I heard a crash." I forced a smile, trying to reassure him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... clumsy." He raised an eyebrow but didn't push the issue. "Okay, well, if you need anything, just shout."
I nodded, watching as he closed the door behind him. I felt a pang of guilt for not telling him the truth. But how could I? He had no idea about my past, about Jace. And I wanted to keep it that way.
I took another deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. I would face Jace, and I would emerge victorious. I just had to believe it.
But as I turned away from the mirror, the shadows in my room seemed to grow longer, the darkness closing in around me like a shroud.
And I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking into a nightmare from which I might never awaken.
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I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, my mind wandering back to the past. Because, you know, torture and captivity are just the kind of memories you want to revisit on a daily basis. Not.
But seriously, I thought I'd left all that drama behind. I mean, I'd survived, right? I'd even managed to snag a boyfriend who didn't think I was completely crazy (although, let's be real, Adam had no idea about my past... and I planned to keep it that way).
Just as I was starting to feel like I might actually lose my mind, my phone buzzed. I jumped, my heart racing, and promptly face-planted onto my bed. Okay, maybe I wasn't as calm as I thought.
I picked up my phone, and my heart sank even further. It was Adam. "Hey, what's up? You've been MIA all day." Yeah, no kidding. I'd been busy having a meltdown.
I stared at the screen, unsure of how to respond. I mean, I couldn't exactly tell him that I was having a crisis because some psycho from my past was back in town. That would go over well.
But as I stood there, my fingers hovering over the keyboard, I realized that I couldn't do it alone. I needed someone to talk to, someone to trust. And Adam was the only person who came close.
I took a deep breath and began to type. "Hey, I need to talk to you about something. Can we meet up?" I hesitated for a moment before hitting send. What was I getting myself into?
The response came quickly. "What's wrong? You're scaring me." I rolled my eyes. If only he knew.
"Let's just talk in person, okay?" I typed, trying to sound casual despite the fact that my heart was racing.
There was a pause before he responded. "Okay, I'll be right there." I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. It was time to face my fears, time to confront the past. And I wasn't going to do it alone.
I took another deep breath, feeling a sense of determination wash over me. I would face Jace, and I would emerge victorious. No matter what it took.
The doorbell rang, shrill in the silence. I smiled, a sense of relief washing over me. Adam was here. I'll be fine.