Chapter Forty-Three

I scream into the wind.

I plead for an answer. Anything to know that I am at least heard.

Then it answers.

I hear it.

I hear a whisper in my ear.

It is a voice; beckoning me, tempting me, urging me.

The words, the murmurs, the whispers; all linking back to one single word:

Run.

Run into the darkness of the night.

Just run.

Run till your vision blurs and your eyes start to sting.

Run till your breath can't catch up and you're heaving to get enough oxygen to fill your lungs.

Run till your heart beats out your chest, beating, beating, beating.

Run till your legs give out and collapse.

Run till your bones snap and break.

Run till your knees decide to scrape unto the ground.

Run till your soul escapes you so it will continue to run free, even when your body cannot.

Just run, it told me, just run.

Just run from all your hopes, all your dreams, all your aspirations, just keep going and don’t stop.

They’re useless now, you’re useless.

There’s no point in staying anyway.

Run.

So I listened.

~ Grace

~

No.

I must be reading wrong.

No.

It can’t be.

All this time…

Why.

I can’t stay now.

I can’t bear with the thought that…

I just want to scream, yet I want to curl up into a ball forever.

Elliot… I can’t believe it…

This sheet of paper in my hands is proof.

This house… I can’t stay…

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

I must leave now. But I can’t leave now.

I look towards the door. I look back to the hallway, where the doors are closed, the rest of the family most likely fast asleep by now.

I should be asleep too. But my curiosity got the better of me.

I just had to know.

My stupid curiosity.

Door, family, door, family, door, family, doo-

Why am I calling them my family? They’re not really biologically my family … I basically shoved myself into the picture and considered them my own. So selfish… I hate that word; biologically.

My head hurts. Too many thoughts.

I feel used up. I feel betrayed. I feel such sadness.

No… I told myself… no more sadness… no…

I choose the door.

Slipping on a pair of shoes, I run out into the darkness of the night.

Away.