Chapter 4 Leaving home

The sun had set and it was getting darker with every passing minute. It had been raining heavily since the past two hours. At Carroll mansion, two women could be seen walking back and forth in the living room with restlessness.

"Where is she? Why has she not returned yet?" A beautiful lady having an age of around 25 asked while wringing her hands anxiously. She was extremely worried for her sister who had not returned home yet.

"I don't know. While leaving the house in the morning she said that she will return by 5:30 at maximum. But it is already 7:00 pm and there is no trace of her", Emma replies with concern.

"Her phone is showing switched off", Sophia says while clinging her phone to her ears trying to call Genevieve for the 50th time.

"I just hope she is safe", Emma whispers with hope. "Why don't you call the driver?" She suddenly suggests.

Sophia stops walking around and calls the driver. "Where are you and where is Genevieve?" She asks without taking a pause.

"Ma'am, the car broke down so I went to bring a mechanic. But when I returned to the spot, I couldn't find her there. I supposed she might have taken a taxi later. I am still at the garage", he explains.

"You supposed that she took a taxi to return home? How dare you say that? You didn't even bother to call her or ask me if she reached home?" She yells at him. She clenched her fists trying to control her anger. She took a deep breath and asked, "When and where did you leave her?"

He answers, "In the afternoon..."

"What? She has not been with you since afternoon?" She cuts him in between.

"Where did she go and why has she not returned yet? What might have happened?" She mumbles in worry.

"Yes, ma'am. The car broke down at Aqua lake road when I last saw her", he says.

Sophia's eyes widened in terror. "What?" She shouted again. Now she was fuming with anger at the driver's casual attitude.

"Listen carefully. Once the car gets repaired, bring it home, collect your salary and don't show your face ever again. You are fired for being so careless and taking my sister to a place where she should never be going", she declares in anger.

"But..." before the driver could say anything further she disconnected the call.

"What happened? Which place are you talking about?" Emma asks anxiously. "Aqua lake road?" She guesses with an expression of terror on her face.

Sophia nods in restlessness. "He left her there in the afternoon. God knows where she is since then and what she is going through", she mutters in worry.

After a pause, "Where are my car keys? I need to find her", she says anxiously.

Emma quickly grabs the keys and hands it over to Sophia. The latter quickly rushes towards the door but suddenly halts.

"Genevieve?!" She whispers in astonishment. Emma was equally shocked to see her condition.

Genevieve was standing at the door like a lifeless body. Her clothes were soaked in water due to rain and water was dripping from her hair over her already wet face. Her eyes were lowered and she seemed to be tired and lost. Her sandals were covered with mud while her dress and body was covered with dirt. It seemed as if she had walked all the way home.

After a few seconds of standing in that position, Genevieve raised her head upwards and looked at her sister with eyes filled with tears. A tear rolled down her soft rosy cheeks and she fell down on the ground on her knees.

"Genevieve", Sophia screamed and rushed towards her.

"Emma, immediately bring a towel. Else she will catch a cold", she said and kneeled on the floor beside her sister.

She hugged her while Genevieve cried her heart out. She knew that she was at home now and she was safe. But visiting that place again after a complete year freshened her memories and opened her wounds that were already taking long to heal.

Soon Emma arrived with a clean towel in her hands. She wiped her face and dress to make her dry though not completely. Sophia guided her to the sofa where she made her sit comfortably. She sat beside her and rubbed her palms to calm her down.

"I am sorry, dear. I was not there with you. You had to go to that place. I am so sorry that I couldn't do anything", she says with regret.

Genevieve looks towards her with a blank look. Her face appeared as if she had lost her hope and happiness completely.

"Why didn't I die in that accident a year ago?" She asks coldly without any expressions on her face.

Sophia was shocked to hear her say this. "What are you saying?" She asks in astonishment.

"Why am I still alive? Why didn't I die then?" She says when tears start falling down her eyes.

Suddenly she stands up while Sophia and Emma keep staring at her in shock at what she was saying. They had never expected that she was so broken and dejected from inside.

"If I was supposed to live like this, why didn't God take away my life a year ago? I am unable to sleep, unable to step out of the house, unable to sit in a car, unable to drive, unable to cross a road. Suddenly I get scared, I am scared of loud noises, I am scared of everything", she says while sobbing.

"I am nothing of what I was earlier. This is not my life. I am not able to live my life. No matter how hard I try, I am unable to live happily. The more I try to forget that day, the more those memories haunt me", she says and falls down on the floor.

"Daily I live in the guilt that I am responsible for having injured someone who was trying to save me. I am still unable to get over the scene when I saw them covered in blood. I was the one supposed to die, but they got injured along with me. That incident has ruined my life", she breaks down. "I can't live this way...I can't", she sobs.

Today was the end of her tolerance. She couldn't take it anymore. She was saying what had accumulated inside her for the past one year...her sufferings, her grief, her pain.

Sophia goes near her and caresses her. "Then what do you want to do?" She asks calmly.

She looks at her with tears still flowing down her cheeks. "I want a change. I will leave this place", she declares.

"What?" Emma says in astonishment.

"Are you crazy?" Sophia blurts out.

"I am not...but I surely will turn crazy if I continue to live here. No matter how hard I try, I can't move on until I am here. This place reminds me of everything and that road...what if I have to travel there again? I can't tolerate it anymore", she explains.

"You won't have to travel there again. I will make sure that what happened today won't ever repeat", Sophia tries to convince her.

"You can't always protect me, sister. No one can. You can't understand what I have been going through for the past one year. It is so difficult for me to have a peaceful sleep and try to find happiness in my empty life. Today, when I was at that place, I lived that accident again. I went through that pain again. I could feel the fear of whether I would survive the accident or not. Everything repeated itself and I was scared to such an extent...that I couldn't breathe. I want a break Sophia...a break from my griefs and fears", she pleads helplessly.

"So you want to leave home...leave us?" Sophia asks in a disappointed voice.

"At least until I find peace. Maybe a change of place, a change of surroundings and people will let me live peacefully. If I continue to be here, I will keep dying slowly everyday. Please let me go", she says.

"I need to get rid of those memories. I want to move on and live a happy life. Please allow me to go", she says in a low voice and sobs. She puts her head in her sister's lap and continues muttering, "Let me go. I want to live peacefully. I don't want to die...please".

Sophia stroked her hair gently with tears in her eyes. She looked at Emma who was standing beside her with sympathy. Emma nodded as her advice to let Genevieve do what she wanted to. She really needed a break from her everyday sufferings. She deserved to get a happy life. If a change of place and people could let her live peacefully, then she should be allowed to go wherever she wishes to. At least, she will be able to stay happy.

"I won't stop you if you really want to go, dear", Sophia says in a low and sad voice.

Genevieve sits straight and looks at her sister hopefully.

"But you need to promise me that you will take care of yourself and will never forget to contact me whenever you need me. You should promise me that no matter what happens you will be positive towards your life. You won't think about dying as you said a while ago. Don't even dare to", Sophia requests her and forwards her hand to get her promise.

Genevieve was satisfied with her support. She immediately placed her palm in her hands and said, "I promise. I will try to stay strong. You won't need to worry about me".

Sophia nods while controlling her tears. She hugs her tightly and caresses her with affection.