Valerie

Chapter one

Sometimes when I look at her picture, I can imagine her being by my side. Her smile comes to my mind. How affectionate she was, how full of life and happiness. Even though I can't imagine her being older, that little girl is always on my mind. The pain has lessened over time, but it never truly went away. I tried to forget, but I could never act like nothing had happened. But I managed to do what my mother couldn't. She couldn't get out from under this event and ended up imprisoned in her own dark world. And I was condemned to live with it.

Today marked the 5th year of her disappearance. I had accepted it, even if I didn't want to. I realized I had to continue with my life. As the train came to a stop, my thoughts snapped back. How long had I been lost in thought? It merged with my arrival at the station and collecting my belongings. I began walking towards the exit of the crowded train. All I wanted right now was to get away from this stuffy place. Apologizing to the elderly lady sitting by the door for bumping her with my suitcase, I just managed to slip out of the train at the last moment. The scent of freshly fallen rain mixing with wet soil hit my nose. I took a deep breath and gazed at the dimly lit Wembley station. I had come here with my family years ago, and everything was just as I remembered it.

The sounds of the departing train and the faint hum of the lights felt like a melody as I began to feel the fatigue in my body. I had been traveling all day. Despite sitting for hours, I was exhausted, and my head ached. Right now, all I wanted to do was to get to my apartment, take a shower, and get into bed. With that thought in mind, I hurriedly walked toward my apartment, which was a bit outside the city. I was still about half an hour away from central London, but it was still a vibrant neighborhood. People were wandering the streets, chatting, and some were sitting in pubs, enjoying themselves. That's what I wanted, to escape the depressive atmosphere at home, to be alone. I noticed posters hanging everywhere. I realized I was very close to Wembley Stadium, and there were going to be concerts by famous singers in the future. I took my almost out-of-battery phone from my pocket and took a photo of one of the posters. Maybe if I found the time and some friends, I would go. But it still seemed like a distant dream. I knew that the English weren't known for being very friendly, but what I had experienced on the train had reinforced that notion.

I had finally arrived home. The building was a bit old, but I was ecstatic to find such a nice place at such a good price. I placed my suitcase in a corner of my bedroom and took a shower, as I was going to clean up tomorrow. After such a long journey, lying in my bed was an indescribable feeling. But for some reason, there was still a lingering sadness in me, an unshakable sorrow of unknown origin. The only way to escape it was to sleep. So, I slept.

When I woke up the next morning, everything was different. I didn't know that I had slept with the blinds open, and sunlight was flooding every corner of the room. I could see the dust particles floating in the air, dancing freely in the sunlight. A phone call suddenly snapped me out of my daze. When I saw who was calling, a smile appeared on my face.

"Good morning," I answered.

"Good morning to you too," came the response.

"So, how's your new place?" It felt peaceful, unlike anything I was used to.

"It's good. I got in very late last night, and I've just woken up. Haven't had a chance to do anything yet," I replied.

"Just wanted to check in. You're pretty far away now. We won't see each other often, so call me more frequently. We'll miss you," though the words sounded fake. I felt it when we were together, but it was even more obvious over the phone.

"I'll call," I said.

"Alright, I'm sure you're busy right now, we'll talk some other time. Bye!"

"Yeah, we'll catch up later."

And the call ended. That was it. From the outside, it seemed like we had a great relationship, but nothing was as it appeared. The past experiences supported this. Maybe I was too cold, trying to protect myself from their toxic worlds. And that's exactly what I had run from. My family. More love from the relatives who acted like they loved us the most, the place where the most harm came from.

Maybe now everything would be better. A life without lies. A calm life without action and danger.

Valerie didn't know that she was getting closer to the life she feared. She was heading towards a darkness even greater than before. Maybe she was created for this life, born for this life, and she would die for it...