Evanna: Run

14: Sleepless night

Eva's P.O.V.

It was evening, and me and Anna were playing board games in the living room, as we waited for my mom to get home. I don't even remember when it was the last time that I touched those games. It was probably when my dad was still living with us.

"Hah I won", I said as I made my last move.

"What the heck you cheated"

"No I didn't, you're just a sore loser", I grinned and earned a deadly glare from her.

"Whatever, this game sucks anyways", she threw the dices onto the table and crossed her arms. I chuckled at her gesture. It was so funny to annoy her.

Suddenly, we heard my mom's car pull into the driveway, and seconds later she entered the house.

"Guys, I'm back", she shouted and then appeared in the entrance of the living room, "Ah there you are. What are you all playing there?"

My mom pointed to the board games, "We were playing Ludo, but uhm that doesn't matter right now", I said and my mom gave me a confused look, "Mom, there's is something we have to tell you"

She folded her hands together and a grin appeared on her face, "Oh my God, you guys are dating, I knew it"

I- What? Where did she get this idea from?

"What? No mom, we are not dating. It's something else and it's really serious", I explained to her.

"Oh okay, then tell me, what's going on?", she took a seat at the table and waited for one of us to speak.

Eventually, Anna was the one who spoke up, "I'm so sorry for everything, Melissa. I shouldn't have lied to you and betrayed your trust. You really don't deserve it. But I was just so scared"

"Wait, what are you talking about, I don't underst-"

Anna interrupted my Mom to explain herself, "I know that you've seen the news about the police chief, who's missing his 'daughter'. He is looking for me. I'm his stepdaughter"

My mom's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe what Anna just told her, "Wait, so you're telling me that you ran away from your dad-, I'm mean stepdad, and your friend shot him?"

"Yes and no, it's true that I ran away from him but the story about the friend is fake. I escaped alone from him. He is just lying about it because he doesn't want to expose himself", Anna closed her eyes trying to gather her thoughts. I noticed that she was having a hard time to get out the words, so I grabbed her hand to comfort her. She gave me a light smile and then continued talking, "My stepfather became a very lonely person since my mom passed away. He was so scared of losing me ,too. So in order to 'protect me' he would lock me up in my room. The worst part was when he was drunk, which he was basically everyday, because then he would.. uhm... he would beat me up. One time he almost beat me to death... all of this went on for a year until now"

It was silent now. My mom had her mouth and eyes wide open. I could tell that she was trying her best to process everything she just heard, which obviously wasn't easy. When I heard Anna's story, I couldn't even contain myself. I was so ready to punch her stepdad so hard that he wouldn't even dare to come near her ever again.

"Anna, I-I'm honestly so shocked right now", my mom said, "and I'm so sorry that you had to go through this, honey. No one deserves something like this. Come here"

My mom engulfed Anna in a tight hug and started to tear up, "Sweetheart, I promise you that we will fight for your justice. He is not getting away with it, I promise"