She's So Gone

~chapter 4~

Past

Erin went to go live with her mom A couple weeks ago, apparently her mother really did get clean this time. Jaymee has had seemed slight off, like she's sad about Erin leaving. She would never admit it though. Her and I were in the kitchen helping one of the volunteers make lunch while the news played in the background. That's when we heard it, "mother Kelly Johnson was arrested today for the murder of her daughter Erin Wrightfield who was only ten years old. Officials say-" that's all we heard before Jaymee threw the iron skillet through the kitchen tv. 

Jayme then runs off, out of the kitchen, and up stairs, the volunteer following and I just stand there, not sure what to do. Continuing to peel potatoes seems wrong, but some part of me tells me that if I act as if nothing happened, then I can pretend that everything is okay. So I turn back to the sink and begin peeling the potatoes once again. Not realizing that there were silent tears falling down my face until Ms. Jacobs pulls me close to her, her hand gently on the back of my head and tells me it's okay.

I pull away and look at her, "did, did you know?"
She nods slowly and I let her hug me once again as I cry slightly louder.

"I'm so sorry, I thought it would be best if none of you girls had to know."  It feels nice to be comforted, and it feels wrong to enjoy the comfort she was providing me, when I just learned that a ten year old girl, who  had just weeks ago crawled in my bed because a nightmare, was now dead, murdered by the person that was supposed to protect her. Except I knew all too well that mother's don't protect their children because sometimes they are the monsters.

Present

After wandering around a bit, I'm certain that I've lost my friends. But now I'm lost myself, I giggle at that thought, I lost myself, how could someone lose themselves when they're always with themselves.  I had honestly forgotten why I was hiding from my friends and now I just wanted to go home, except I don't have a home. I have a place that's temporary, that at any moment, some people named the conners could decide they want me and then I would lose the only place I had ever felt safe.  As I walk a couple more blocks I realize I recognize one of the apartment buildings in the next block over. Making my way to the building and I'm the elevator I press the three button and wait  for the doors to open.

I stumble out into the hall and look at the numbers on the doors trying to remember which one was the one I was looking for. Deciding I didn't remember I call out, "Marco?" Thinking for some reason the personal I was looking for would hear me and know it was me.

"Marco?!" I call a bit louder.

Some angry bald guy opens his door, and shouts out of it, "hey shut up!"

"Your not Marco and that's not how you play" I tell him before giggling.

He slams his door and I frown, that didn't work, so then I started walk down the hall, knocking on every door as I walk by. A few people open their doors and tell me to stop and to go home or they're gonna call the police, but then I hear someone say my name, they sounded surprised. "Dani?"

I turn around to see couch Langdon's head sticking out her doorway. "Marco, I found you!" I shout happily as I rush over.

"Her face grows stern as she ushers me inside, "Daniela, are you drunk?"

"I can explain," I tell her as we stop in her kitchen.

She raises her eyebrows, "go ahead."

That's when I throw up again, all over her floor. "I'm sorry," I say sheepishly looking up at her.

She sighs, turns to her sink, and grabs a wash warg wetting it before reaching out to wipe my mouth off. She then lead me to the kitchen table and had me sit, before handing me a glass of water. "Honey what's going on, who's here?" I hear a woman call out before she enters the room.