" The past can hurt. But the way I can see it, either you can either run from it, or learn from it."- Walt Disney.
 

Chloe's POV:

I sucked a deep breath, trying to calm down my growing nerves. Xavier doesn't move an inch further, staring at the dark broken structure of the house.

Another shriek appears and my heart jolted.

Swallowing the pulp in my throat, I hesitantly take a step further.

I don't believe in ghosts or spirits, but I'm suddenly considering my thoughts and beliefs at this moment.

The house was one story building without a single ounce of live in it. This entire street itself looked like a haunted alley, but the screams started to throw me off this time.

I furrow my eyebrows when I spot something move inside that particular house from the broken, dirty windows.

The wooden door jolts open and a figure runs out, flailing its hands in the air. It was heading towards us and it was too dark to identity anything. The screams made my heart stop beating in a normal rhythm.

Just like in horror movies, where the main characters lose their brain cells and don't move when a demon attacks them, I do the exact same.

Demons do exist.

The figure comes running towards us and it takes a moment for me to register the sense of familiarity. My doubts clear away when the moonlight peeks from the clouds above, giving me a sight.

Out of nowhere, Emma shrieks, running onto the empty streets. Her eyes were shut closed, with tears running down her soft face.

The mad girl runs onto the street, screaming like a witch and halts when she snaps her eyes open.

Xavier lets out a huge sigh of relief spotting out our dumb friend. Her face lights up like sun and she dashes towards me, crushing me into a breathless hug.

"Chloe, you made it!" I chuckle at her, sighing in relief that the group arrived before us. Surprisingly Aiden led them to the same building I had my eyes on for a stay.

"I did ma'am. What's with you running like a maniac?" She breaks away from me, her lips quiver as she points towards the house.

Just then I spot a head peeking out from the shadows behind that door Emma came through. I had to squint my eye in the darkness, that's when I caught Melissa staring at us.

"There's a huge fat rat in that home!" Emma cries once again, shaking my shoulders in an attempt to get my attention.

I roll my eyes and pat her back, "It probably left by now honey." I smile softly at her and Xavier stifles his laugh behind me.

She looks between us in confusion and raises an eyebrow," How?"

"Your screams gave me a heart attack so the poor creature basically died right there."

A smack lands on back of my head and I mouth 'ouch', rubbing that area. Emma huffs loudly, making me grin.

"Let's go inside." Xavier leads the way. I catch Melissa and Aiden standing at the threshold, smiling on our arrival.

Mel opens the door widely and everyone walks inside except for Emma who had to be consulted with Aiden's peaceful words before she gives in.

I heard him telling that he chased the mice away to soothe her.

A part of me felt terrible that it had to witness Emma's scream, Aiden's face and leave its territory.

I step inside the old wooden house. The wooden platform under my feet creaked with every step I took.

My gaze lingers across the small hall with a staircase, leading to the first floor. The hall was filled with large cement or sand sacks all over the place.

There were few chairs scattered around with old broken pieces of furniture. The windows of this place either were broken or too dirty to give a clear outside view.

This place is either used to store construction goods or the construction of this house was stopped after a while.

I spot a sack that looked decent enough to use as a pillow.

"I'm going to rest here." I announce throwing my backpack on the floor, not sparing a glance as to where it landed.

I heard Melissa groan and curse at me right after I threw it.

I bent down towards a large sealed sack, feeling my bones crack under the pressure. Maybe this is how it feels when you grow old.

Getting comfortable, I lie down on my back, closing my eyelids. Beauty sleep is necessary. If I don't get enough sleep it will lead to someone's murder.

"Not so fast kid." I groan hearing Aiden call out to me. I heard faint shuffling of everyone around me.

"Tell us your story, everything." Emma whines beside me.

I growl under my breath, shifting my position only to face Melissa. "You owe us one dumbass."

Are these people aliens? Don't they desire to rest?

I open one eye and find her glaring at me fiercely, Xavier and Aiden sat behind her, leaning against a giant sack. Emma was probably behind me and I felt her shaking my petite in an attempt to wake me up.

I sigh and slowly get up, my eyes were droopy but these creatures were heartless. "Can't you wait until next morning, I'm sleepy." I mumble, at the edge of crying due to lack of sleep.

"Sure, once you blurt out everything." Aiden adds, crossing his arms. He held a serious expression and I look at others to find them staring at me curiously with same intensity.

Frankly, they deserve an explanation to all these. They did everything I asked them to, without any questions. Moreover Aiden must have told them that I regained my memory back.

I sigh and lean back against the stiff texture of cement sack behind me for support.

They won't let me rest until they get their answers.

"Where do I start?" Melissa hums, tapping her chin. She beams at me, "How about you tell where you got those tickets from?"

Out of everything she wanted to know this. I mentally chuckle at her when others groan at her question. This will be fun I suppose.

I push back my loose strands of hair behind my ear, lick my dry lips.

"Remember, once Trinity insisted that I buy something for myself when we were planning for Eric's birthday." Melissa nods her head, her forehead creases as she tries recalling the moment.

Xavier and Aiden realize what I meant before I say the words, judging by the look of their surprised facial expression.

Emma scoots closer beside me, titling her head.

"So, basically I was allowed to use her credit card. I used it to book tickets." I announced. I felt guilty deep inside for using her money without her permission but then again she gave her allowances long back.

A dull ache of sadness tugs my heart recalling that Trinity helped the serial killers. I don't know what led her to do such an act but I hope she wasn't a traitor since I met her.

"And your past..?" I look up at Xavier, whose blue eyes glowed unusually, studying me. Even at this moment, he never fails to send my heart thumping at abnormal speed.

I sigh out loudly, knowing this will require deep explanation to do.

"My real name is Ava Edison." Aiden's eye grows wide hearing my last name as bells ring in his head. Others wait for me to continue.

"I vaguely remember most of my memory, I do recall who my parents are and-" Emma cuts me off, getting hyped up.

"Where are they? Do they live in these streets?" Those emerald orbs glimmered with hope. A sad smile stretches over my features and her face falls seeing me.

"We lived here nearby, but in the woods I won't be able to meet them, that's for sure." My voice came out strained.

Emma frowns at me, like others but Aiden's face pales. He probably connected the missing dots.

"Why not?" Xavier presses holding an intense stare.

I look away, not meeting anyone's eye. "They're dead. They were killed that night.." My voice trails off.

My head felt heavy since yesterday, piece by piece, memories started to rush back to me with bitter past.

That night we were on our way to Versley Town but unfortunately, we never made it to there. My eyes watered and I bite back the tears that threatened to spill out. I glance at them, ready to tell them about that brief flash back.

*Flash Back*

I laughed hysterically when mom smacked dad for teasing her. We both loved the cake she baked today morning but Dad wouldn't give up teasing her, telling it was a rock.

"You won't get any once we reach home." Mom huffs but a small smile breaks on her soft face, knowing what she was put into. Dad pouts at her, turning to look behind at me.

A grin was plastered on my face and I leaned towards their front seats.

"You love your daddy right?" He asks with large puppy eyes making me giggle but I nod nevertheless."Will you share your cake with me?" He grins staring at me, instead of looking ahead at the empty highway.

A smile stretches on my face, "Yes dadd-"

A loud horn rings in my ears and a bright flash light entered the car from my mother's side. My father's face turned pale and my mom shrieked loudly and everything else just went numb.

A loud crash collides on my right side, the glass window shatters into millions of pieces. A sharp sting pierces at the side of my skull and my screams die off when I felt a sick crack resonating from my ribs.

I felt my body lifting up from the impact the car received. I don't know if my vision was spinning or was the inside of the car that seemed to roll endlessly until it stops upside down.

My vision blacks out slowly, pain radiated from every inch of my muscle. The strong metallic smell of red liquid hits my nostrils, dripping from my injury, making me nauseous.

My eyelids closed shut. I could still hear my ears ringing and my head felt extremely heavy. Everything else remained unknown as I entered into a state of unconsciousness but not before hearing a loud gunshot resonate in the thick air.

Air.

I wasn't able to breathe, it felt like being strangled but I couldn't move an inch.

"Your existence was never known or will be found." Those were the last words I heard in my never ending darkness. They were filled with venom and hatred.

I wanted to say that I would share with dad, but the darkness never ended since then.

*End of Flash Back*

Emma sits next to me and wraps her hands over my shaking form, she strokes my hair softly. I felt myself relaxing, relishing her sweet scent. Melissa holds my hands in her own, tightening her grip around them.

"So Dr.Steve is your dad?" Aiden whispers loud enough for everyone to hear. I peel away from Emma but allowed her to hold my frail form.

"Yeah..." I swallow hard. I remember my parents, I was able to recall almost everything. Only one major thing that changed my life disturbs me.

Who caused that accident?

Sure thing Paul Smith, one the major serial killers, was involved but he died that day along with my parents. There was someone with him that night and my guess has no doubts.

It was that same woman from the asylum who threatened to kill me.

Xavier was lost deep in his thoughts and Mel didn't speak a word.

"What did that stalker want from you?" Emma asks softly, touching my shoulder. It gained everyone's attention.

After all this was the reason we escaped, the reason my parents had to die and I had to live in darkness.

I clench my fist joining the puzzles in my head.

"She wants to find my father's cabin. I remember dad taking me into the woods, but I don't recall why exactly. He told me it's a secret place just for the two of us and it would help everyone across the world."

Xavier glances at me in shock as he observes the information. "That means, he worked on the secret project over there.."

He trails off looking at me dumbfounded but Melissa finishes it when realization dawns on her, "To prepare the antidote for Trxyonate."

I nod at them slowly, looking down at my lap not surpised they could guess it.

The news of Dr.Steve's death was spread like a wildfire since everyone saw him as a hero who would safe people from the misery put up by those murderers.

Aiden massages his nose and looks at me with curiosity, "If you're really his daughter, how come no one knows it." Everyone snaps their heads at me.

A normal question I'll be enquired about once I reveal my identity to the outside world.

"That's because my dad never allowed my existence to be revealed for some particular reason, so did my mom. The only thing I got in response was that I'm too special. I never got a chance to ask the reason.."

Truth to be told, I was bewildered when my memories came back. There's no way anyone would know I existed if I never came in front of them.

The reason I never left my home, stayed in the woods, went for long drives during midnights was because dad insisted for me to stay his special secret.

I thought I'll finally get to meet my parents until I recalled their names and that car accident. It took a great stroll over me when I was in that hospital after saving Eric from a disaster, dealing with my past memories.

The only conclusion I made is that, the woman was related to everything that happened.

"The reason we escaped was just not to get out of the claws of serial killers but in fact to find that cabin, the antidote before they destroy it." I add, observing them closely.

Silence falls upon them as they register the new information in their heads.

"We better start moving after the sunrise." Xavier suggests and I nod at him.

True. None of us can wait until we are tracked down either by the police or by a gang of blood thirsty psychopaths.

Emma gets up, stretching her arms widely. A yawn leaves her lips making me yawn in return. Contagious stuff.

Right, sleep awaits me.

"Alright let's get some rest, we got lot to deal ahead." She announces walking over to my backpack that lay on the dusty floor in the corner.

I cock an eyebrow at her when she turns to me with a small awkward smile, holding it closely to her chest.

"Since when did that bag become your soft toy?"

She blinks innocently ignoring me, "Can I use it to sleep?" I nod at her and she smiles gratefully at me, heading upstairs.

"Yo,where ya going?" Mel calls out to Emma, who was half way up the stair case.

She looks down at us with a scowl, "There are freaking rats down here, I'll sleep up here." With that she disappears.

I smile and notice Xavier shaking his head, stifling a laugh, "Who's gonna tell her that rats aren't allergic to upstairs?"

Melissa chuckles and gets up walking towards the door. She tried to flick the switches of light but it didn't work. The air head stood there glaring at the poor outlet.

"Did you guys have any trouble getting here?" I tilt my head at Aiden and he looks up at me, lying down on the floor.

A grin crosses his face, "Not at all, they chased you so we easily got off the hook using other route to escape."

I mouth 'oh' at him, slowly bobbing my head. He frowns when Xavier sits down beside him.

"Wait how did you guys escape the guards?" A sly smirk crosses my face and I meet Xavier's amused gaze.

"Oh well, we just used you're self-defense techniques." He grins at Aiden who sits wide eyed, Melissa turns to us raising her thin eyebrows.

"You actually did?" I hum at him, my smile widening seeing him grin ear to ear.

"Damn never knew his lame training could come in handy." Melissa places her hand over her hips, laughing slightly and all of us join her.

The door behind Melissa bursts open and she flinches at the sudden impact. Just before things could be registered in my head, a loud gunshot rings in my ears.

My heart stops and my stomach drops in panic.

Melissa shrieks loudly, falling on wooden platform with a loud thud. Dark crimson liquid starts oozing from her thigh, painting the entire floor in a second.

"Mel!" Aiden shouts after her, reaching to her but I freeze on my spot in absolute fear.

Four people dressed in black enter the house. All of them pointed their guns at our heads, ready to shoot us in one blow.

In the middle of those three men stood the woman wearing a deadly smirk on her face, pointing her gun at Melissa's poor frame.

"Told you not to do anything stupid." My eyes bulge out in terror hearing her shrill cold voice directed towards me. My face drains out of color.

---

Boom! That was a lot.

Sit tight for what happens next. If you desire, read the second chapter to recap the information I gave there.

Love,

Cadance.