"Don't cry, I'm sorry to have deceived you so much, but that's how life is." – Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita.

1812

Fear is a strong emotion to have. Fear can make you do things you never dreamed of. It can make you become something you once hated and can make you run from everything you once held dear.

Valarie was running out of options. Her stalker was still causing havoc in her life and she was no closer to finding the culprit. She suspected things, of course she did. With a history as dark as hers, it was hard not to suspect everyone, but she could never be certain. She was running scared and she'd been running scared for years now. Never able to sit still and enjoy herself for fear of what would happen next. She was becoming desperate and, in her desperateness, she had done something she never thought she would have done. She had returned home.

What madness had driven her here? Was it fear that had brought her back? She needed help and she needed advice. Life could not continue the way it had been. She needed something to give in her life and needed to find what she was looking for.

It was so painful to see that the place hadn't changed. It was still idyllic as it was when she'd left. The only difference was that she could now see the shadows that lurked between the buildings. It had been but two years since she was last here, but it felt like a decade had passed.

She hadn't expected any sort of welcome. In fact, she hoped she'd changed enough so that people wouldn't recognise her. What had started as one double take on the street became several as more people crowded the streets, their sneers started appearing as did their unpleasant jeers.

They were just words and however bad words were, she couldn't be hurt by them. She hadn't thought it would be this bad, hadn't thought that she'd be recognised at all. There had been a small part of her mind that had hoped people would have taken her side and thank her for clearing the town of a criminal, but she'd forgotten that here, she was only a troublesome little girl and a liar that shouldn't be trusted. It was foolish of her to have thought things could change.

She didn't notice the first rock that was thrown her way, but she felt the second and third. She never though the people of her town could be so cruel and violent. Why did she think things would be any different?

She picked up her skirts and started running. It didn't matter that it was inappropriate for her to do so or that she was making a bigger spectacle of herself. She ran as if her life depended on it, straight to her childhood home and round the back towards the garden.

Clutching her chest, she gulped down the air and waited silently for the mob of people to pass her. In that moment while she ran, she'd felt like a child again, vulnerable and alone and not like the woman she now was.

The garden was peaceful and other than a couple of new plants, looked the same as it did when she'd first left. This garden had once been her safe-haven. How easy would it have been if she could still hide from her enemies here?

"What are you doing here?"

She turned towards her sister's voice. She looked the same, but she was different somehow. There was no malice or anger in her voice. Valarie had expected there would be.

"Is that all you can say to me after all this time?"

Her sister's gaze softened momentarily before the mask was put back in place. It seemed that Valarie wasn't the only one to hide how she really felt.

"Why would you come back to here of all places?"

"Because I'm scared."

"You shouldn't have come back."

Valarie opened her mouth to speak but her sister silenced her.

"I mean it Val. There is a sickness here and it's spreading. Jason's out, you know. There wasn't enough evidence, but I think it was more to do with money exchanging hands. I believe you about Jason, but you must leave. None of us are safe with you here."

"What do you mean?"

"We're being watched. He's always watching. Even Mother and Father are afraid. Our name doesn't mean much now and there aren't many hands reaching out to help us. Our fear keeps us alive though."

"Whose watching you? Jason?"

"Not Jason. I don't know who it is, but their presence is always near."

"It's just watching right? You aren't being physically hurt?"

"It was but then the threats started. I feel trapped Val. My marriage proposal fell through in the wake of you leaving and I have no one to turn to. Mother and father aren't here as they spend all their time looking at new properties to buy but I don't think we'll be allowed to leave."

Her sister began crying. They were silent sobs.

"I'm sorry."

To reconnect with her sister, Valarie swept her into a hug and comforted her while she wept.

"I thought you were dead. It's good to see you alive. I never thought I'd see you again. What happened to our carefree childhood days?"

Valarie kept silent as her childhood days had been vastly different from her sister's. Valarie waited until her sister had recovered and returned to normal before she ended the hug.

"I'm glad I got to see you again, but you really should go."

Valarie nodded, knowing not to argue with her sister.

"Don't come back, not ever."

Valarie winced at her sister's tone of voice but nodded in confirmation. She hated that she had come here, hated what was happening to her family and hated that this reality was her life now.

"Get out as quick as you can. Make sure no one sees you."

As Valarie left her childhood home for the last time, she couldn't help by feel as though she was being watched. Chills racked her body and she looked all around her in fear. The streets were empty and there wasn't even a flickering candle or curtain in the breeze. She was alone and yet she knew she wasn't.

Heeding her sisters words, she quickened her pace and made to leave. The mob that had chased her before had thankfully disappeared. Busy as she was looking for the unknown watcher, she almost smacked into a couple walking towards her.

She looked up in concern and wished she hadn't. Skirting around the couple she picked up her pace until she was full out running. She still heard all that was being yelled at her. Words of abuse and unpleasantness were being hurled in her direction, but Valarie refused to turn back and give the couple a piece of her mind.

She was supposed to be getting out of town quickly and not drawing attention to herself. She supposed that turning back to argue with Jason's parents counted as the wrong sort of attention...