Chapter 13: Relations

I woke up to a painful aching in my muscles, it felt like I was ran over by a truck. I groaned lightly, racking my brain for any memory of what happened. I shot up from my bed once I remembered, I went to my haven after some horrific nightmare about spiders probably, but Andrew was there. I must've gone into a small rage when everything was red, but. . .I remembered feeling pain, it got worse by the second until arms wrapped around me. Thorn. He got me out of my rage. . .how is that possible? He got me to calm down enough for me to see color, but I remember I was hyperventilating, though I don't know for what reason.

That was it. That was all I could remember before my memories abruptly stopped and turned blank. Why do I have a feeling something big happened while I was out? A soft sizzling made its way to my ears, along with it was heavenly smell of bacon. My stomach growled and I started salivating at the thought of finally being able to eat after God knows how long.

I shifted, trying to get up. Emphasis on trying, my movements were stif and slow, I felt really old all of a sudden. I grunted quietly at the attempt at sitting up, I didn't get far before my door opened and in walked Thorn with a plate of food. He stopped when he saw me half laying down and half sitting, one look into his eyes and I knew I was going to be lectured.

"Oh, no you don't, sweet cheeks." He growled, setting the plate on my bedside table before making his way over to me. He placed a hand on the small of my back and the other on my waist, helping me balance as he sits me up. I chuckled lightly when he put a pillow on my back to avoid discomfort, what has gotten into him all of a sudden?

"Thank you, Thorn, for. . .everything, basically" I sighed and gave him a smile, trying my best not to make it sad, but I don't think it worked. He only sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You deserve nothing less, Rose. You're part of the Clan, which means you are a person I hold dear." I realized he cuts the accent whenever he is serious about something. I smiled and faced my lap, trying desperately to hide the tears forming in my eyes. I wasn't crying because I was sad, it was because I was so happy and grateful to have met a friend like him. An idea of some sort popped into my head as well as a memory, I remember telling him a few days back I would tell him what I did in that rage once he earned my trust. He most certainly has.

"I'll tell you." I told him slowly. He just stared at me, dumbfounded and severely confused, he looked like a puppy. That image suddenly popped into my mind, Thorn's body, but his face was replaced with a puppy, I couldn't hold it anymore. I started cracking up laughing, which only made him much more confused, he even tilted his head to the side in curiosity which only made me laugh harder. I managed to control myself enough to say the next sentence,

"I mean about my first rage. You've earned my trust, Thorn, I'll tell you my whole past." I chuckled a bit, it died down quickly as I spoke, "I will warn you though, if you break it, you'll soon see what hell looks like"

He looked into my eyes, not even blinking, before he placed a hand on my shoulder, "I would rather die before I do that." I only nodded and smiled brightly.

He gave me the plate of food and told me to eat, well, not before offering to feed me. Of coarse I declined. it took a bit of work and time but I managed to clean the plate. He took it and walked out, presumably to the kitchen and returned shortly after. He sat down next to me on the bed, it dipped at the sudden weight and caused me to lean into him. I didn't mind.

I sighed deeply before starting, "I guess I'll begin from where I've left off. . .after I had passed out, I had awoken in a hospital bed. That in an of itself would have freaked me out, but the situation was made much worse when I realized I was tied down by leather belts connected to the bed. I was dizzy and disoriented, not to mention my body was extremely sore and heavy. I was confused above all else, I had no idea what I was doing tied up to a hospital bed, I had no recollection of the events that happened.

"I searched my memories, but they only came up blank, the most recent one was all red and blurry, the only noise being painful screams of agony and fear. It only confused me even more. The door opened, and in came an onslaught of doctors and police officers. The doctors came in with many tools and they all held clipboards, while the officers had their guns pointed right at me. The whole scene was surreal for me, the doctors started poking and asking many questions which I tried my best to answer while being as tense as I was with the officers pointing their guns to my head.

"Finally, the doctors finished and left, leaving only two people, a man and a woman. Judging from the man's badge, he seemed to be in charge of the local law enforcement, but I had no idea who the woman was and what she does. The man started walking towards me with a grim determination and anger boiling in his eyes, he reminded me of Andrew. I started to shake and tears started to fall from my face the closer he came, that's when I saw his hand rise and I broke. I flinched, shut my eyes, bowed my head and whimpered, waiting for the pain to start. . .but nothing came.

"I took up the nerve to look at the man, he just stood there, a couple of feet away from me, staring with shock and confusion. I saw him glance at the woman, almost like asking a question. She only moved her head slightly in a sign of realization, then she stood up and walked over to me much like how the man did, she even copied the anger in his eyes, yet I felt no fear. I only saw her as a a mad woman who would just give me a long annoying lecture.

"She saw my lack of reaction and her demeanor changed completely, I honestly thought she was bipolar for a second there. She went to each buckle and started untying me, the man started complaining but promptly shut up once she gave him a piercing glare. I tried so sit up, but that feat proved to be easier said than done, I groaned and started panting slightly, trying to breath through the pain.

"The woman helped me lay back down, got up and said she was going to retrieve a doctor to see what was wrong with me, leaving me alone with the man. He tried to approach me, but stopped once he saw me shy away, slowly he tried again and this time tried to avoid making eye contact with me and showing me his hands while keeping them low. He looked odd like this, but I wasn't complaining, he made his way over until he was right next to the bed, only a mere foot away from me.

"I looked at him curiously while still watching him warily. He sighed and spoke, cautious to keep it low and non threatening, 'you seem to be quite wary of men, was there a guy that has hurt you?' I stared at him for a moment, thinking thoroughly of his question, 'I'm not sure if I should consider it being hurt since I'm sure it was my fault he always hit me. But I didn't like how he and his friends would decide to. . .have fun with my body, I would always wake up sore and unable to walk.'

"His eyes widened in shock after hearing what I said, he was about to ask something when the woman came in with a female doctor. She ordered the man to get out and pushed him through the doorway before he could object, it was amusing watching those two interact. The doctor walked over to me and started moving or poking my limbs asking if they hurt, the answers were all yes. She then went lower and started examining my legs and pulled up the hospital robe. I didn't even realize I was wearing it until she moved it.

"She pulled it up to reveal my lower abdomen and legs, I heard her gasp and she called the woman over. Just like the doctor, she gasped as well while staring at my crotch. It was getting uncomfortable being under their intense stare, finally the doctor started to examine further. I closed my eyes in embarrassment when she pulled aside my underwear and I heard her breath hitch as she murmured a curse. I started getting worried.

"She quickly pulled the robe down over me and stared at me, her eyes were filled with pity, I hated it. In a moment she came over to me and helped me sit up, calling the man back and told him to sit down. She took a deep breath and continued, 'Miss Holt seemed to have experienced traumatic experiences in the past and near present. While examining her, I found severe tears in her vaginal walls, some of which seem very recent, as if they had happened yesterday. I'm afraid they are so badly damaged, there is a high possibility she will be unable to birth children.' My heart dropped once she finished, both the man and woman turned to me in shock.

"The man was deep in thought and he slowly looked right into my eyes, 'What do you remember?' I met his gaze steadily before responding, my sorrow drowning my fear, 'Nothing, my earliest memory is red and blurry, I could only hear screaming in the background, the rest is blank. I thought I just passed out once I saw. . .my parents. . .' I couldn't finish the sentence as my voice began cracking. He nodded before leaving the room in a hurry, taking his phone out of his pocket.

"The rest was a blur to me, the woman kept asking questions and I would always answer emotionlessly. The only thing that snapped me back was when I realized they brought in a small t.v with a cassette box at its side. The man was back and he popped the tape in and let the footage roll. It started with the moment right before my parents were shot, the noise rang out and made me jump and I started to shake when I saw and heard my parents body hit the ground. The man muted it immediately after that.

"I saw myself start twitching violently, then my head snapped up and I propelled myself to the nearest shooter, Andrew long gone. The man didn't even have time to blink when I attached myself to him and started gripping his arms like a vice. I started twisting them past it's limitations and saw the flesh rear off, revealing the muscle which too started to tear as I continued. The man opened his mouth to scream, but since the screen was muted, it came out silent.

"I saw myself start bending his arms in an unnatural way, causing them to break like a twig and the bone to jut out haphazardly. I then pulled on his arms with great strength and violence, they tore out of his shoulder, taking bits and pieces along with it and proceeded on beating the man to death with his own arms. The bone sticking out started stabbing into anywhere it landed, finally one of them found a weak spot in his skull and penetrated it, killing him for good.

"His comrades just stood there, shock and fear coursing through them. Before they even realized it, I had already tackled the closest shooter. I straddled him and shot out my hands to his face before he could react, soon he opened his mouth to let out a silent roar. I watched in astonishment and fear as my past self ripped the guy's eyeballs, leaving him eyeless.

"Bloody 'tears' made their way down his face as his mouth remained open. I watched as I nonchalantly shoved his eyeballs in his mouth, grabbed his jaw, and started forcing him to chew. I pinched his nose to prevent him from breathing through it, leaving him no choice but to swallow if he wants to live. He did and I got off him, he turned his head and started throwing up his mauled eyeballs.

"I walked away and came back holding a white container, Bleach most likely. How I managed to pay a visit to the utility closet and come back within a minute is beyond me. I took long strides to the shaking lump on the floor, his face absolutely covered in sweat, mucus, drool and blood, it was disgusting. I kneeled down beside him, careful to avoid the throw up, and gripped his hair to pull his head back.

"I'm pretty sure he smelled the chemical since he shut his mouth tight and tried to close his eyes. That proved to be quite difficult since it sent in a new wave of pain, he tried again, but wasn't fast enough as I poured in a large amount into his sockets. He opened his mouth to let out a thunderous roar, as he started puking from the immense pain. He started to gag and choke on his own stomach acid and I quickly poured the rest of the burning chemical down his throat.

"He started to spasm violently, blood started leaking out of his sockets at a faster rate while he choked and drowned in bleach and stomach acid. His body went limp and he died, none of the other shooters or staff members moved, only the man's slight twitching was seen. The other gun men's death were of the similar fashion, all of them died slow and horrific deaths. Their screams, even though they were muted, echoed through my mind endlessly. It seemed my past self wasn't satisfied though.

"I turned to the nearest staff member, jumped on them and snapped their necks, killing them instantly. The other four died the same way, all were quick and painless. . .but they didn't deserve death, none of them did.The footage ended with me passing out on the large puddle of blood, surrounded by dead bodies. The man didn't look surprised, just disgusted, while the woman just started at me in shock and fear.

"I tuned them out and started crying, I just couldn't believe that was actually me, I couldn't believe I would do something so inhumane and awful. 'Im sorry. . .I'm so, so sorry. . .I didn't. . .I didn't want this to happen. . .please. . .kill me. . .' I whispered, the man was shocked and the woman even more. They glanced at each other and walked out of the room, leaving me to just cry and mourn the deaths of all the people I have killed, even if they have murdered my parents.

"My mind warped in and out of reality, I barely even registered being in court while they announced my sentence. I was to have one year in Juvy, as well as a twenty year probation. I was shocked that my sentence was so light, but they explained that since I wasn't even conscience while this was happened, as well as the chance my traumatic experiences with Andrew might have also been a cause of the outbreak.

"They even promised to file a restraining order against Andrew once I get out. I agreed to the sentence begrudgingly, I still believed I should've gotten a worse punishment. While I was there, they assigned me a personal tutor to teach me everything I needed to know to pass my final year in highschool. They also assigned me many different therapists, one of which was the woman from the hospital. She was uneasy with me at first, but like all of them, she warmed up to me very quickly and even started considering us friends.

"She didn't like how I had to be chained to the wall during every meeting, even during my lessons I had to be chained. I didn't mind, though, I understood why they did it so I never complained. Soon enough, my tutor and therapists quickly learned my love for learning and children. They were shocked to see how happy and animated I became when it came to it, that's when they wondered if the best way to help me keep a calm and patient mind was to have me in a teaching environment.

"They decided to test their theory by bringing in their children, they weren't worried I was going to hurt them since I have always been calm and gentle to them, so they could only imagine how nice I will be to their children. Once I saw them my face lit up and I smiled warmly at them. They were unsure about me at first since I was chained to the wall, but soon they started up conversation with me and hung around me to do activities.

"After about a week with the kids, they decided to take unchain me when I'm with them. At first I had many guards surrounding me which scared the kids, I had to calm them down before starting with the activities. The day after, there were no guards and I was allowed to spend time with them without any machinery threatening to shoot me. Long story short, I was assigned many different daycares, all of which I helped the kids excel in their studies and behavioral control.

"That's when my tutor started teaching me how to, well, teach. I would practice with the kids in the daycare and soon they were at the level of kindergarten and early first grade. Once my year was up, I still had to visit many therapists, but I was now able to attend college with their permission. They actually served as my references and put in excellent word for me, even saying that having me around would help keep the other college students safe.

"I moved in with my grandparents to attend a certain college which would be the same one that helped me get a teaching position in the school I work for now. My cousin, Christine, was staying with them as well, that's why I am so close to her. No one from my dad's side of the family resented me, they all welcomed me immediately after my release and offered their help. My grandparents were no exception, they loved me like I was their own child and spent every time possible to spend it with me.

"I love them with all my heart. . .but sadly, they died after three years, they were old and died of natural causes. I wasn't there with them and I couldn't even say goodbye, I was still in college when Christine called me to tell me the news. I remember crying for the whole day, I was lucky my family was there to comfort me and they were the ones that helped me move into here. So. . .that's where we are now, I was free from the appointments with my therapists a couple of days before my first day of teaching, that's why I haven't went there in a while.

"But, after what I did, I think I'll have to go back there again. . .ugh." Damn, that took longer than anticipated. I glanced over at Thorn nervously, wondering how he was going to react after what I've revealed. He was just silent, lost in thought. After some time, his face lit up as an idea popped into his head,

"Why don't we pay a visit to yer grandparent's home? We could take a trip down memory lane, who knows, maybe you'll find somethin' over there." He said, turning to me with a smirk. I just gaped at him with wide eyes, he started chuckling at my reaction. I shook my head and started laughing with him.

"Alright, big guy, let's go once I can walk again." I sighed, but a small smile was forming on my lips. He's really a great person.

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Christine's POV:

'This cannot be happening.' I thought, thinking about the events that made this situation.

(5 minutes earlier)

I hummed to myself as I tended to my garden, I knew my neighbor was in their backyard judging from all the cluttering. Es and Thorn brought him to his house which was a bit odd, I wonder how he knows them. Just as I was pondering over the possibilities, a sharp pain shot throughout my head.

"Mierda! (Shit!)" I cussed, holy damn that hurts. I started rubbing my head and tried looking for the culprit, there was a piece of metal lying a few feet away from me, that's got to be the reason for my pain.

"Are you okay, Miss?" I heard a voice call out, a second later I saw my neighbor jumping over the large wooden fence that divided our backyards. His shaggy brown hair rippled with the wind as he gracefully landed near me. He got a bit too close for comfort, his wide green eyes filled with concern and worry.

"What does it look like to you, Paco?" I yelled angrily, he stared at me in confusion.

"Paco?" He asked, I almost laughed at how confused he was, "anyways, can you stand, Miss?"

I sighed, then nodded, standing up and dusting off my pants. He seemed relieved, then he grabbed me wrist gently and brought me inside my house before I could even ask what he was doing.

(Present)

"Where are your medical supplies?" He asked, I narrowed my eyes at him before hesitantly pointing at a cabinet. He came back with the kit and started examining the bump.

"Maldicion, Mijo! Eso duele! (Damn, boy! That hurts!)" I complained, I didn't even mean to start yelling in Spanish, it just comes out sometimes. I saw him touch at my outburst, he grabbed the ice pack at placed it gently on my head. I was still beyond pissed at him and continued cussing at him in Spanish, he just rolled his eyes,

"What's wrong with this crazy woman?" He mumbled under his breath, I still heard him.

"I'm always crazy, boy, get used to it!" He seemed shocked, but just shook his head and dismissed what I said. That didn't sit well with me.

"Oye! Mirame quendo te estoy hablando! (Hey! Look at me while I'm talking to you!)"

"Fine, I'm looking at you, happy now?" He growled slightly, obviously annoyed. We stared at each other for a long time, then realization hit me

"You can understand me?"

"Yes, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" My face flushed with embarrassment, but quickly took on the defensive. We argued for a good amount of time, but stopped since he had to continue setting up whatever the hell it was. I grunted slightly and just shooed him away, but a very small part of me didn't want him to leave. I had to admit, he was the most entertaining person I've ever met. Sharp tongue too, not sure if I'm going to see him again though, I hope so. He really might not be a bad person.