4 Past Hurts

Soon, the two started to catch up on school work at their own ends. Lara seemed lazy but really wasn't so bad. She started studying in advance. Who knew how long she and Shawn would be out there. Lara kept ignoring the fact that she and Shawn had just had the most dreamiest kiss ever and there was no denial. Though, it was beautiful, she decided to focus on her school as it was important to her at the moment.

Suddenly, Lara heard her mom yelling her name. Lara ran downstairs as fast as she could.

Mom: Lara Grace Johnson. Get your ass down here now!!!!!!!!!

Lara: Mom, what the hell is wrong with you ?

Mom: When did you come home ? I didn't even notice when you walked in.

Lara: Oh mom. It seems like you've been so ignorant these days. I don't even recognize you the least bit anymore. Ever since you got divorced with bullshit guy, you started drinking. Oh and now, you have found yourself a mother—king drunkard asshole boyfriend to match your shitty reputation.

Mom: Where is all this hate coming from ?

Lara: It's coming from you mom. It's coming from you!!!!! I don't even recognize you anymore. You don't even recognize yourself anymore. You just can't keep up with yourself. If you were to die then everyone in this whole damn would be happy to blame you.

By now, both Lara and her mom had completely lost it. Her mom took a long sip of her liquor and knocked over a few glass vases which came crushing right at Lara's feet.

Lara: Mom! What are you doing ??!!!

Lara yelled at the top of her lungs hoping that her mom would end this madness.

Lara: Mom !! Stop this shit right the hell now !!!

Her mom all of a sudden stopped. She grabbed a framed picture of her and Lara and threw it straight at at Lara. It scared Lara at the top. Thank god that Lara ducked down and avoided the picture. Lara burst out in tears and seeing this her mom grabbed as many liquor bottles as she could carry and began to walk out the door.

All of a sudden Lara stood up in curiosity as she found her mother carrying a bottle of 'Absinthe'. Lara hated the fact that her mother had been on an almost illegal liquor. The moment her mom ran out, Lara slammed the door shut and locked it. She moved far from the door. There were a few violent banging from the other side and then complete silence.

Lara lied down on the couch and began to cry. She somehow calmed herself down. Though, she was surprised how easily she calmed down. She still remembers the day when she was sitting in the chair beside her mom and across from the doctor. The moment when the doctor diagnosed her with severe depression and anxiety. Though, she was worried, her mom was completely calm. As if she didn't even care a bit. Maybe now she should think of herself as an orphan. One who has no one but herself. Thinking this Lara drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Hours and hours seemed to passed though Lara didn't wake up. She shouldn't be blamed. After such drama Lara definitely deserved some sleep.

Soon it was ten. So now it can be said that Lara is quite a heavy sleeper.

There was a knock on the door. This knock woke her up.

Lara(thinking): Oh shit !!!! It's ten. What should I do ? It's probably mom. Should I open the door or keep her locked out ?

Lara thought, but since she was going out with Shawn she decided to open up. Before opening she made a quick yelp.

Lara: Mom !!!! Is that you ???!!!

Shawn: It's me. Shawn Trevor. I thought I'd come pick you up. May I come in if its okay with you ?

Lara: Yes, Of course.

Lara opened up the door in a hustle. There stood Shawn with a bag in one hand and a bouquet of roses in the other. By his foot was a small cooler. Shawn walked in and looked around.

Lara: A bouquet ?

Shawn: I thought you're parents may be here, so I brought it for them, but no one seems home so, this is for you my lady.

Lara: Why, thank you.

The two exchanged a smile as Lara accepted the bouquet. Shawn began to look around the place and started to wear a confused look upon his lovely, charming face. He looked at the broken vase and the broken photo frame. The untidy living area and open drawers towards the kitchen in which were stored a few liquor bottles and five shot glasses to be exact.

Shawn: Did something happen? I mean if its serious then you can totally share it with me.

Lara: I'm good. Family matters. Anyways my bags are upstairs.

Shawn: Bags? Exactly, how many?

Lara: Only two bags. Oh ! And I packed extra tooth brushes and toothpaste and toilet paper just in case we need it.

Shawn: Okay.

The two laughed it off on that note. Lara quickly ran upstairs and grabbed her bags and came down. She was dressed in shorts and a short black crop top. She had her hair up in a messy bun and all jewellery had been removed from her body.

Lara: Let's go.

Shawn: Sure.

The two walked outside. Lara locked the door leaving the key under the flower pot, as always. She looked at the house one last time as if she was going to war.

Shawn: Are you okay Lara? You seem really off.

Lara: I'm perfectly fine.

The two began their walk off to Tokshaba Jungle.

Shawn: If you don't mind, may I ask you something ?

Lara: Sure.

Shawn: In your house, I found photos of only you and your mom. What about, like your dad?

Lara: I never really had like a dad. My mom had me when she was 16. I mean I'm like her mistake I guess. Her boyfriend dumped and as a punishment her family refused of an abortion.

Shawn: Wow. Guess you're mom doesn't get along with family then.

Lara: She and her family have broken all their relations between each other. After that she started working at a club and served drinks for three years. She bought this little apartment. She never really took much care, though she was better than she is now. My neighbors used to take care of me. Not because they were payed to or instructed to because they cared about a little girl who was all alone. So then mom got fired for drinking on the job and causing chaos. Now, at this liquor shop, she met this guy named Jordan, who at first seemed nice but was a drug dealer. He and mom got arrested multiple times but mom was always let go. I was taken care of by the neighbors. This chaos went on till I was 14. My mom had already married Jordan. She divorced him two years ago cause he was fed up her not wanting to join his business anymore. After that, she started drinking like crazy and became psycho. This was my grandpa's house. After his death mom bought. And now, she's found herself a drunkard boyfriend who is like the stupidest, most dumbest, bullshit man in this world.

Shawn: Oh. Well I'm so sorry you gotta live like this. The past hurts, I admit it.

Lara: What about you?

Shawn: My family was normal. My mom divorced six times and each time she would win the custody battle for me and my younger sister Brooklyn. But the seventh time, Tim, who is my current dad won and mom won Brooklyn. Haven't seen my mom or sister in five years. My dad had been divorced four times. New ladies come and go. Right no he's married to a girl named Angie who is my current mom. It's going better than expected. Hopefully it lasts.

Lara: My goodness. That's a lot of custody battles.

Shawn: 11 to be exact.

Lara: Yeah. May God bless you abundantly.

Saying these words Lara went ahead and hugged Shawn tightly and a tear ran down both their cheeks.

The two wiped their tears and finally saw that they were standing at the entrance of the Tokshaba Jungle entrance. The roads were silent. There wasn't a single car by. It looked like one of those roads in a horror movie where you would find a white lady with a decaying face walking towards you and trying to slay you with her black eyes.

Lara: Uh..... Shawn, when you said you knew the way to "The Jungle of Skulls", are you sure this is the right route to reach it.

Shawn: Yes, I'm sure. This is like the main entrance to the jungle. There are about 7 gates, at the moment this one is open which ultimately means this is the only one open at the moment. From my research, I got to know that once all the participants have entered, they close this one and open a random gate but we don't know which one and that gate eventually seems to be the only way out.

Lara: Ok...

So its confirmed that this ain't gonna be the regular 'camp out and win situation'.

Shawn: Don't worry Lara, we totally got this. Shall we go in or wanna just stare at the gate ?

Lara: Sure, lets walk in. Oh and if shit starts happening then we will immediately look for the open gate and get the hell out of this skull jungle.

Shawn: Yes, of course. You will be coming out alive. Think positive.

The two exchanged a smile and slowly walked in the gate. The jungle obviously looked thousands of years old. The trees were huge and it had that scary haunted feel to it.

Lara(thinking): I am literally rethinking. I mean the invitation didn't make this jungle feel so bad. Oh god, please don't kill me or Shawn or anyone.

Shawn: Whatcha thinking?

I don't understand, why the hell are you always thinking things instead of sharing them out loud. It worries me that you mind rethink and walk away from this.

Lara: It's just, the invitation didn't make it seem so bad. I mean now I believe that newspaper piece talking about how people died here. I bet some died of shock.

Shawn: Oh come on. We've came prepared. We are totally prove those newspapers wrong. We'll show them that it's possible for more than one person to survive whatever this "Hunger Games" shit is.

Lara: Yup..

The two walked in with a positive mindset. The two were ready. But they had no idea what they had gotten themselves into.