4 CH-4: Why mom, I can't come here alone ?
Third person's POV
She doesn't feel well because of what happened. Now standing at the bus stop she couldn't wait to get to her destination.
The blood has stopped, but the wound is still the same. She knows she'll have to patch it up eventually. The sun has completely sunk behind the horizon and the color of the sky is slowly turning beautiful colors before her eyes. Bright rosy pinks slowly become deep purple before pitch black. The road where the bus stop is located is quiet and mainly empty with only a couple cars going by every now and again. The low lighting makes it a decent spot for her to simply look up and watch the stars twinkling silently in the sky. She feels slight envious of the stars, they don't have to worry and be sad all the time. They simply have to shine their brightest and look amazing in the night sky.
She lets out a quiet sigh and looks over seeing the bus pull up next to her stop. Once she pays the driver, she simply sits and waits in one of the back seats. Noticing that there aren't many on the bus tonight, simply one or two people who like her need a ride somewhere. After they reach her destination she kindly thanks the driver before climbing off.
The bus has brought Avery away from the hustle and bustle of the large city. Now, she is instead in a small, suburban town where many common labourers live. The houses are small and a lot of them aren't in great shape, but to her this place is more home than anywhere else. She smiles simply taking it all in for a moment, everything from the sounds of mothers calling their children inside for dinner or bedtime, to the scents of freshly mowed grass and cooling pies in window sills. Yes, this place was definitely home.
Avery turns and walks down the familiar road, after about 5 minutes she stops in front of a small weather beaten house. Someone could tell the home's age simply by looking at it. Some of the paint was beginning to peel off, and a few of the roof shingles were gone as well. The lawn was unkempt as well causing some of the tall grass to slowly creep up the walls.
She steps towards the house and opens the small metal gate which creaks in protest. Now being able to see more of the courtyard she spots a small water pump to the side and an old bicycle sitting against one of the house walls. There are also five small potted plants lined up on either side of the porch which merely makes the girl nostalgically smile at the sight of them.
Avery approaches the old wooden door and carefully knocks on it. She can hear the sound resonating inside.
"Yes, yes! I am coming," a female voice calls from inside. The door opens only to reveal the person who called out. "Oh my. Dear, what are you doing here so late?" A woman in her mid forties asks Avery with concern laced in her voice. Avery only smiles at the sight of her, the woman's appearance still reminding her much of her own. "And what happened to your head? How did you get this wound?" She gasps seeing the cut and immediately scans it closer, worried now etched into her face. "Are you alone, dear? Where is he? Why he didn't come with you?" She glances all around Avery looking for someone.
Avery only giggles at tad at the woman's behavior, missing her caring nature far too much. "Mom, relax. I'm fine, he's busy at work right now. So stop your constant train of questions,". She soothes placing her hands on her mother's shoulders.
"Alright, well, Avi, dear, come inside and let me treat your wound, then we'll talk about how you got it," her mother pushes Avery inside and sits her at a chair by their kitchen table. She goes into their bathroom before walking out with a first aid kit. Carefully she cleans the cut, applies disinfectant ointment, and places a bandage on her head. Once shes done she sits next to her daughter, the worry still very much on her features. "Dear, did anything happen that caused you to come here alone so late at night? Did….did he do something to you?." Her mother hesitates a tad when asking, as if afraid to know the answer.
Avery just forms a sarcastic smile on her lips and raises her eyebrow, "What? No, Mom. Can't a daughter simply come visit her own mother alone?"
Avery's mother reaches over and gently places her hands on her daughter's cheeks, she carefully kisses her hurt forehead softly, "Of course you can, my dear, how could you ask such a thing? Does anyone need to ask to come visit their own family? " she rubs her daughter's cheek with her thumb. Happy to see her daughter in front of her own eyes again since its been such a long time. "My dear girl, it's just that you came alone at such a late time tonight, your face looking sheet white, and you have a wound on your forehead. That will make any mother suspicious that something is happening. I'm simply worried for your wellbeing and happiness. If I offended you at all please forgive me."
"No mom, please don't ask me for forgiveness", she pleads, placing her own palm on her mother's face. "There's no need for you to apologize for anything". she assures. " Also, please know that there is no need to worry about me. He's-just busy with his work therefore he didn't come, like I said." Avery feels horrible lying to her mother, but it needs to be done, because she's scared the truth would destroy her mother inside and out.
Avery's mother isn't that dumb though, shes actually very intuitive and can tell when something is the matter with her own daughter. After all it is a mother's job to aid their children in their time of need. So she makes Avery look up at her into her eyes, "look me in my eyes, my beloved daughter and tell me that nothing has happened again. Did something happen between the two of you?" She asks again this time being stubborn to get the truth.
Seeing the pure sincerity in her mother's eyes is almost too much for Avery. What can she say to soothe her mothers need to know without completely giving everything away? She craves and needs the support of someone who could understand her and help her. She simply cannot say anything though. Tears begin flowing from Avery's eyes again, all the pain and anguish she has been keeping buried in her heart till now finally pouring out of her.
She wants to tell her mother the truth, wants to reduce the burden on her heart, wants to rise above this whirlwind of horrible emotions and anxieties. 'No, Avery! You can't do that', she screams in her mind, scolding herself for even thinking of laying such a big burden on her poor mother. 'Whatever happens you have to face it with courage, you can't allow yourself to become so weak', she reminds herself over and over again. Continuing to carry the large, heavy burden over her existence.
******
Editor:- DemonAngel
