In The Blink Of An Eye

Time For Change

I was staring at the sky because I knew my parents, Evan and Silas, were all looking down at me. They were most likely very disappointed in me right now. I wanted more than anything to be up there with them. I wanted all this to end. Now I'm stuck here in this deep pitch black hole I have no way to come out from.

There was nothing more I wanted right now than to go and get my daughter. I wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry I was for what she had to see. However, I couldn't. I knew that I would be putting her life in danger by being anywhere around her.

I had no identification card, no cell phone, and no money. I had no idea what to do. Just when I thought it was all over, James looked at me and said,

"You don't have a single thing to worry about. I'm going to figure all this out."

"I don't have anything. How am I supposed to live? How am I supposed to be someone else when I have no money, no cell phone, nothing... I can't even check on my own daughter. My parents are gone, my husband is dead, my daughter and friends are going to hate me, and I have no way of even beginning to make any of this right."

"You have one thing and only one thing to worry about right now. Get some sleep and take a nice hot shower. I will be back tomorrow. I am going to go check on your daughter right now."

He walks me to the front door of a house. A middle-aged woman answered the door and immediately told us to come in. James explained everything to her, and she said that I could stay there for as long as I needed to. He hugged me, told me not to worry about a thing, and that he would be back first thing tomorrow.

After he was gone, I was left all alone with a woman I didn't even know. I trusted her, and I knew I would be safe, but my life felt over.

I took a hot shower and scrubbed everything off of me. I felt like I could still smell and feel all that blood. But most importantly, I think I was trying to get rid of all the shame and disappointment of myself. However, that was something no amount of water and soap could ever get off.

I couldn't help but wonder what Lilli was doing right now. I couldn't help but think of my poor brother and sister, who probably by now found out about everything that had happened. What about my friends who would receive the news that I was gone and I couldn't stop thinking about Jake.

As crazy as it sounded, the only person I wanted to talk to right now was Jake. It felt like he would be the only one who could understand me. After all, he's been in a hideout ever since I met him. If anybody would know how it felt to not be able to be yourself, it would be him.

I went from running around from the mask to having to wear one myself.

Except, my masks wouldn't be the ones that covered my face. Instead, it would be one that hid who I really was.

I had to change everything about myself. My name, my birthday, my hair, my eyes, the way I talked, the way I walked, the way I used to dress... I had to become someone else that I had no idea how.

"Honey, I made a bed for you to sleep in. I know how exhausted and tired you must be. If you need anything, please don't be afraid to ask me."

"Thank you so much."

"My name is Elizabeth. Everyone calls me Beth for short. I live with my husband, but he is currently at work. His name is Adam, and he works as a police officer. So, you have nothing to worry about. You will be safe here."

"My real name is Madisyn Connolly Lewis. I have one daughter. Her name is Lilliana and she is four years old. I used to be married to a wonderful man named Evan, but he got killed in a car accident. Now, my parents... they're gone and I have nobody left."