Flames and Starlight

29🌘

Peter

I sat on the living room couch in Laura's grandmother's house as her family was scattered in every other direction. Laura's brother, father, and mother were out searching for Laura while her sister was standing near her grandmother as she called the police, reporting Laura as a runaway.

I didn't blame Laura one bit for running out of there when she had the chance. I probably would have too. I had no idea her family was like this. 

Mrs. Cremer, Laura's grandmother, had instructed me to sit on the couch and stay there until they found Laura. I did as she instructed though I was trying to think of a way to get out of here. This was definitely not the place where I could get help from and I couldn't reveal to her family about what happened to me, no matter how much I tried to fabricate it; it was bad enough Laura knew, her family couldn't find out either. 

I thought about bolting, of finding another place to seek help, but they'd probably report me as a missing person as well, leading the police to search for me.

I forced myself not to think about my parents or Lydia and Corny or Eason. I couldn't handle that right now. I couldn't think about how everything was ripped away from me, that my parents had a horrible death, that I would never see them again, that they were gone, and it had been from Caius's hands.

I closed my eyes as tears threatened to spill. I forced myself to think of anything else. I couldn't break down, couldn't let what happened sink in just yet. I couldn't do it here, not in front of these people. I clung to the false hope that Eason was wrong, that my parents were alive and out there, fighting to find their way back to me. I had to focus on that hope, to try to picture this as a happy ending.

I thought about what I just witnessed with Laura and her family. I knew she had to be mortified that I was here to see it. I felt anger rise inside of me on her behalf from the way her father and sister wouldn't let her get a word in, wouldn't allow her to explain herself, yelled and screamed at her like that. I didn't have to be a part of this family or know what was going on to know the way they handled this whole situation was horrible and that she deserved better. I hoped she was safe and would return soon. She was so upset when she fled from the house that I knew she wasn't thinking clearly and might've ended up somewhere dangerous and I was also scared because of Caius; he was still out there, and he might spot her and kill her on sight.

I stiffened at the thought and glanced over at Mrs. Cremer and Laura's sister warily; I needed to tell them about Caius. I had to. I had no idea how I was going to do that and not tell them the events that were leading up to them, but I had to, for their and Laura's safety. I had no idea how it didn't cross my mind sooner, I guess with everything that had been happening all around me I didn't have time to think and the Harper family was running everywhere. Other than Mrs. Cremer's command to sit there and wait for her to talk to me, I was like a ghost; no one noticed me or barely spared a glance at me.

Laura's sister stood near her grandmother nervously as she continued speaking on the phone.

"Okay, thank you," Mrs. Cremer said then hung up. She sighed and slumped down on one of the recliner chairs; the dim light above cast the shadows of the lines on her face, making her appear ten times older than what she looked like an hour ago. "The police said they'll look for her. Caroline, Ryan, and Derek should be back soon. They know not to be out too long."

Laura's sister's brows lowered into a scowl. "What was she thinking, taking off like that? It's her fault we're -"

Mrs. Cremer leaped up so fast from her chair that I jumped as she was only inches away from her granddaughter's face, her finger almost touching her nose.