Chapter Eight

"I'm not bluffing, start talking!" I demanded.

He pushed you aside and got up on his feet, it was like the pepper spray did nothing to him at all which couldn't be possible.

"Sorry for scaring you," he apologized as he dusted the dust off his clothes.

I freaked out, looking at my spray can, it felt lighter which means I actually used it on him but why he isn't reacting to the effects had me wondering.

I didn't know when my legs began to move but I was certain my brain didn't give the order, I ran away without sparing even a backward glance at him.

When I looked back I saw him standing at that same spot, why isn't he chasing after me? I asked myself as I continued running.

~~

I panted standing in front of my house, the race I took affected me more than I thought.

Maybe it had something to do with me not running for more than five years.

I struggled to my door and rang the doorbell. I prayed that my mom shouldn't be at home even though I knew there was a higher possibility of her being at home.

"I'm coming!" She yelled, I can never fail to recognize her voice.

Seconds later she opened the door and I spotted the smile on her face but it disappeared the moment she saw me.

"Good afternoon," I greeted.

"Yeah, good afternoon. Why didn't you come back when Liam did?"

I looked up at her, the exhaustion I felt from the run made my head dizzy.

"Nothing"

I dragged myself inside the house, what I wanted more than anything was to lie face flat on my bed without being disturbed but from the look of things that aren't happening.

"What do you mean by nothing? Where did you run off to and leave my son all to himself?" she kept pushing, I ignored her and continued walking in the direction of the stairs.

"You don't walk away when I talk to you!" She yelled, grabbing me by my ankle, that was when I lost it.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You always wanted me to part with your precious son and just when I did you were complaining. What is your real problem, woman?" I yelled back at her, I couldn't even recognize my voice.

"This is the last day I'll call you mom Ana, you don't deserve that title. I came back late and you didn't care about my health, about my safety! I am sick and tired of you and soon I'm leaving this house soon, even if it means my not completing high school, even if it means me sleeping in the street because from the way I see it, I will choose a prison rather than leave with you." I said and walked upstairs. I caught the image of Liam close to the kitchen, watching and hearing all that we said.

For the rest of the day, I didn't go out, I stayed in my room writing in my journal. When I was hungry I snuck through the window of my bedroom and went to buy snacks. Soon it was night time and dawn followed by after.

~~

I couldn't get any sleep last night, the image of my stalker tainted my memory. I tried to tell myself that I will stay far away from the alley but my subconscious told me that it won't be so.

Dressed for school, I tried to be positive about the day. I applied a little mascara, eyeshadow, and lip gloss.

I went downstairs and saw mom cooking breakfast, it smelled like bacon, and gosh it smelt so good but I wasn't foolish to go back on my word because of food.

"Good morning Liam,"

"Good morning Ana."

Her name on my lips tasted great, not the bitter taste of the word mom. She might be my mother but God forbid her from being my mother. She is anything but that.

I took a clean glass and fetched water from the sink and drank. I always do this when I wake up.

"Ana, whatever it is that you spoke to that teacher about just know that I haven't forgotten it, when dad comes back, I'll make sure I tell him everything," I told her.

She did something that surprised me. She laughed to my face, very cruel laughter.

"Do you still believe your daddy will come back to you? I'm so sorry girl, after all these years you still believe," she said and laughed.

"C'mon Liam, tell her what we found out yesterday."

Liam sighed and chewed on his lips. He always does this when he is trying to dodge a question.

"We passed by the club dad used to visit when he was here last night when you were in your room, a friend of dad told us he died that very night he was out, I didn't want you to know this but I guess you have to know. Dad is never coming back, it's the painful truth we all have to accept."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, "this can't be true! You're lying!"

"I'm not staying here any second, both of you are lying to me, my father isn't dead!" I yelled, I walked out on them, took my bag, and left the house, I hate this family.

~~

I couldn't go to school, my mind wasn't in school today. Why did they have to tell me this, it was easier to just think dad went out and would be back someday but to know he is dead and never coming back is unbearable.

I wandered about, I had no destination. I felt my pocket. "Great, I brought my phone alone and thanks to google I wouldn't have to worry about getting lost"

Before I knew it my legs took me down the alley, I had a knife in my bag just in case the stalker tried to pull a nasty at me although I wish it wouldn't come to that.

The environment was serene, which makes it a great spot to kill someone and get away with it.

I continued the aimless walk, checking time as I walked by then I spotted something.

Flies gathered in a corner, it spiked my Interest so I went to get a closer look at it. What I saw baffled me, it was a carcass.

What could a carcass possibly be doing here? I asked myself, the energy in the room shifted and before I could do a thing someone was in front of me, he had his hand in my throat.

"I meet again Aubrey–"

** ** **

"Mom,"

"Yes?" she replied, walking around.

"Mom listen, stay put and listen this is really important."

"Okay, I'm listening. What is it?"

"You need to stop treating Aubrey as crap, she has done nothing to you other than love you but now I doubt if she does that anymore."

"Son–" she began.

"No, shut up mom. You listen, Aubrey is part of this family, she's your daughter, mom."

"I wish–"

"You say what now?" Liam asked confused about what he just heard.

"Nothing, go on,"

"Glad to do so. Ever since dad left, you take it on her, it isn't the fault he left us. It's his choice mom and he chose to leave us, I won't forgive him even in the grave."

"If you don't like her that's fine but don't take it out on her, I don't even get why a mother should hate her own child!"

"Liam you know nothing, this family isn't what it seems, it's more complicated than that. There are things I would want you to know but I can't tell you because I am sworn to secrecy."

"I'm protecting you–"

The sound of broken glass was heard. "What was that?"

"I don't know, let me check."

"Okay, I'll wrap this up so I can take you to school," Ana said and went back to cooking grateful for the interruption.

"Mom!"

"Yes baby, I think someone tried to break in, I should call the cops,"

"Wait, let me have a look first," she said and went to examine the broken glass and it did fit the description.

"Yeah, call the cops. Here is the safest part of the City, I wonder why someone will break in on our first week here."

"Maybe it was the stalker that attacked Aubrey last night," she joked.

"Seriously? How do you know that?"

"I snuck into her room and read her diary, I do that a lot. Whatever,"

"Mom!"

"What?"

"You shouldn't do that, it's called a diary for a reason, not a novel! And besides, it's an invasion of privacy."

"There is no such thing as privacy when you live under my roof and besides I was curious, she was acting weird when she came back and I knew if I asked her she wouldn't tell so I had to know what happened the only way I knew."

"We'll talk about that later, for now, I'll call the cops and wait for them outside,"

"Alright."

Liam called the cops, they asked some questions and agreed to come so he went outside.

Mom was still inside fixing breakfast when two men dropped from the ceiling. They were dressed in thick leather, thick leather jackets, pants, and boots. Their looks alone were frightening.

Mom stepped back as she saw them, she screamed but the room was soundproof.

"Nice to meet you Ana," one of them with a scarred face.

"How do you know me?" she asked, frightened.

"Oh, we are friends from your husband, we swing by to say hi." the other one with the goatee said, his smile held mischief.

"That's a lie, my husband would never be friends with hooligans like you," she spat.

"Oh the human is feisty, I like her already." the one with the goatee said.

"Well you can have her later we need to accomplish what we came here for."

"Hey, I am not an object, I am not yours to want or have. Please just leave my house before I call the cops." she threatened.

"You should watch your tongue else you might die earlier than you might expect." the scarred one warned.

"We both want this to end quickly so co-operate and we will be gone in no time, where is the girl?"

"Which girl?"

"Your supposed daughter, Aubrey. I want to know where she is?"

"Oh, how is that my business, what business do you have with her? Are you the stalker from yesterday?"

"Quit asking questions human, where is the girl?"

"I don't know and I am not telling even if I know," she said, the scarred one brought out a pocket knife, she took cautious glances at her son right outside.

"I hate when people try to act dumb, it pisses me off. I will act nicely one last time, where is the girl?"

"I don't know," she said moving backward.

"You can't escape Ana, so quit trying. Just tell you what you know."

"I'm tired of playing nice," he said and rushed up to her, grab her by her neck, and flung her across the room.

She screamed in agony, the one with the goatee just made himself comfortable on the couch while his partner took care of the job.

The scarred one pick up her body without stress and pinned her to the wall, he pressed her neck and she screamed until she had no voice.

"Now will you talk?" he asked, she nodded her head in agreement.

"Where is she?"

"At school, it's not far from here. I could take you there if you want."

"We are coming from the school and she is not there." the scarred one said, they exchanged puzzled looks.

"That means you do not know where she is too, this is a total waste of time."

"I told you, didn't I? I don't know where she is. Now can you let me be?"

"Not quite, she may have learned about us and is hiding. She just needs something to bring her out of her hiding place and I know just the thing-" he said with a smirk.