1. shimmer (a taylor swift au)

-chapter twenty six-

Ellie was lying on her bed. It had been three days, maybe four... she didn't know exactly but it felt like forever. She didn't have a clock, and she didn't know what time she'd arrived or what time it even got dark anymore. She had barely eaten a single thing, and she was too scared to fill up her drink bottle, so she hadn't had any water either. She'd been too terrified of making her parents angry. Of course, there were already new bruises on her body. She made sure that when her parents were asleep, she took pictures and videos. Of the bruise on her wrist, or the burns on her back from where her Mother had forced her to have a shower way too hot. She hadn't let her out of the glass box of nightmares until Ellie was quiet, until she wasn't making a sound. Until Ellie's back had been red and almost blistered.

It had been days since she'd last seen Taylor. It felt like a life time. Rolling onto her side and whimpering from the pain, Ellie let herself cry. It was four in the morning, and she was home alone. Her parents were out - she didn't know where. She'd taken the opportunity to take photos of everything. Every little thing that she figured would lead her to freedom. Her hands were sore, her back was stinging, and she really wanted Taylor.

She wanted to hear her making breakfast in the kitchen, wanted to have her cuddles. She wanted Taylor's arms to be around her, she wanted her to kiss her forehead, to hear her singing while cooking dinner. She'd missed the second night of the Kansas City concert and Ellie was upset to think of the fact that it was all going on without her. Fans were still screaming, still making friendship bracelets. The world, Taylor's world, kept spinning... but she was left behind. What songs had Taylor sung? Had she sung Long Live again - in the dress that Ellie had picked out for her? What about Gracie? Had she sung I miss you, I'm sorry again? Did Gracie think about her at all? Had Taylor eaten pizza after the show?

Ellie winced when she heard the front door slam, and her parents enter the house once more. Her heart started racing, her eyes wide open. She hadn't let herself sleep - she'd been too scared to let her eyes close even for a moment.
"Fuck you, Mike. I saw the way you fuck'n danced with your hands on her ass." Her mother screamed. "I bet you fucking slipped your hand all the way up her thigh you sleezy piece of shit."
"Fuck you too," Her dad yelled. Ellie curled up into a ball, even though it made her back sting. The physical pain was a distraction, and she couldn't help but feel relieved. "Fucking whore."
"You take that back!" Her mother screamed.

Ellie wondered how the neighbours never complained. Wondered why no one asked where she was, or why she was at home on her own. It was like she was invisible, it was like the only people who genuinely cared about her existence were Taylor's people. No one in this life cared about her at all.
"Nope. You're so fucking dramatic." Her father stormed past Ellie's door, and Ellie only let herself breathe when she heard the bedroom door slam, the sound of her father's belt hitting the ground and the sound of her mother squealing. But not from pain, Ellie knew the difference.

Sometime after that, Ellie crawled into the closet and lay with Taylor's note clutched tightly in her hand. It was the only thing that made her feel at least a tiny little bit safe.
She fell asleep, humming Taylor's lullaby to herself.

Taylor's laughing across the table from me. James, Inez, me and Taylor are having a tea party.
"What are you drinking, Ellie?" Taylor asked her as she raised the plastic cup to her lips. I smile, trying to decide what I want.
"Hmmmm..." I grin. "I think I'm having raspberry lemonade." I had it from a vending machine at the concert a couple of weeks ago. It was delicious, and it was pink. Pink drinks taste so much better and Gracie shared hers with me because I loved mine so much that I gulped it down in like four mouthfuls.
"Oooohhh," Taylor exclaimed. "That's a good choice! What about you, James?"
"I'm drinking coffee like a grown up," James took a big sip of her pretend drink, and I throw my head laughing because we both know how bad coffee tastes.
"And you, Nez?"
"I'm having chocolate milk," Inez answered. "It's my favourite."