Sacred Truths

Part 1

Author's notice: I am sorry I deleted this part. I accidentally published it without finishing it so I am deeply sorry. I will try to evade this mistake in the future. Please enjoy the rest of the story.

..Six years later...

August,2019, Colorado Springs

Violet

It's 4:30 a.m. in the morning. The sky was still dark and the roads were quiet. I was tired as hell but I couldn't sleep. And if I could get some sleep, nightmares would haunt me and soon I would be awake in cold sweat, gasping short breaths.

Aunt Ruth would be furious if she found out I went out for a run at this hour.So, I just made myself a sandwich and lay on my bed reading Halo series. It calmed my mind till 7 a.m. when the alarm went off. I looked outside the window. From where I lived, I could see the sun clearly and seeing it together with the clouds and the trees, it was as if I was watching a famous artist's beautiful masterpiece. It was breathtaking.

I took a quick shower and wrapped myself in a towel. It was warm so I decided to wear a simple blue tee and khaki trousers. I tied my silver long hair up in a ponytail. After giving myself a twirl in front of the mirror and satisfied with my look, I went downstairs.

Instantly, I was greeted by the smell of fresh hot coffee and waffles. Aunt Ruth was serving Winnie her waffles when I went in the kitchen. Aunt Ruth was in a white shirt and blue jeans, her short blonde hair amplifying her beauty. Winnie was reading newspapers.In her light green top, short blue jeans with her long brown hair cascading down her shoulder, she looked like a model.

"Good morning ," I greeted.

They both greeted me back and aunt Ruth asked me if I slept well. I lied of course. It was a special day for Winnie and I didn't wish to make it bad by saying gloomy things.

I poured myself coffee from an electric kettle and took a seat at the kitchen table in front of Winnie.

"So, are you excited for your first day at school?" I asked.

"No, rather than excited, I...." Winnie could not say no more. Although the newspapers prevented me from seeing her face, I knew that she was afraid. She was rethinking if she could get through school or not.

" Winnie, sweetie. You can still learn with Violet at home if you don't wish to do this. Home schooling is not so bad," Aunt Ruth said to her, giving me a plate of waffles and I took a bite.

Winnie replied,"I know, Ma'am. But it has been two years since I was homeschooled. But it's the last year of high school. I want to have fun and if I keep at homeschooling, I will not be able to work and communicate, let alone truly live. " A while later, realizing what she had said, she then started to apologize, "Violet, I ..."

I stopped her. " It's fine. I feel the same way as you do too. But with my condition, the doctors told me it was better if I don't take part in anything that would be extremely exhausting and school is pretty exhausting."

It was the truth. Six years ago, after I was saved from that place and landed in a hospital in Chicago,my hometown ,I kept having nightmares and meltdowns.it took me a year to fully regain my senses, that I was not being tortured anymore. But having to go through torture as an eleven year old girl, the nightmares and hallucinations would always haunt me. During that time,my aunt Jill, my mother's sister, won custody of me. While I went through rehabilitation, I started missing school. Both my aunt and mother were hesitant to let me go to school at first but in the end, they let me go to a state middle school near the rehabilitation center for eighth grade.

It was wrong of me to go to school.

I had meltdowns everytime I saw someone. I was hyperventilating all the time and would always be startled when someone spoke to me. Due to my constant breakdowns, my heart started to weaken. My hallucinations were so bad that they forced me to drop out of middle school. Only after six months of further rehabilitation was I able to control my fears and meltdowns.

I then moved to Colorado to live with Aunt Ruth who was not only my therapist but also one of my aunt Jill's best friends. Her presence gave me reassurance that everything was going to be fine. Not even my real family could gave me that feeling. Maybe, it was because we had been distant since I was put into the orphanage. I still didn't have an answer.

Since then, I had feared to go to school or any public places. But I still went to the park in the afternoon sometimes. It was never good to just stay indoors all the time after all.

Winnie was also a victim of attempted murder. Two years ago,she was attacked during her return to home at night on the street.Thank god, brave and good people were able to save her before her attacker could do worse. Police were able to capture the man responsible.She developed PTSD but her foster family did not want a "damaged" daughter. So aunt Ruth, being a kind soul she was, took her to our house and we had been living together ever since.

Winnie still felt guilty so I said to her earnestly, "Oh, stop with the sad face. I am not mad at all. In fact, I am proud that you have thought this through. You have to be brave for your future. Only then you can make your dreams come true. So yes, I am proud. I wish you good luck for today." She was 18, a few months older than me. But who says we can't reassure older people.

Only then, Winnie started to smile and we laughed a little. Aunt Ruth's voice rang out from outside, disturbing our heartfelt moment, " Okay, you two. It's time to go now or we will be late."

Winnie and I then finished our breakfast and cleaned up. We grabbed our things and went outside. Aunt Ruth was already in her jeep car, wearing a seatbelt and ready to take off.

We got in the car and before the day went any further, I recited my mantra which I had been reciting for the past three years.

It's a new day. A new adventure. I can get through this.

Then, we left for Winnie's school.