"pull it together" TNN SIOBHAN SERPANT ANGST

chapter seven

autumn knight never would have thought she would be doing what she was now.

she was on her way to her father's house, but not to see him. it was siobhan that called her to come over.

autumn didnt like siobhan much, she had always thought the woman was horrible and money hungry, anyone who was in a relationship with her father was in autumn's eyes.

but here she was, running reds light to get to siobhan's aid.

it was around tea time when autumn pulled into the knight residence. just being in the vicinity of the place gave her chills and flashbacks that she had never wanted to witness.

she parked her car hastily infront of the house and ran to the door.

the house was large, big enough to sleep 20 people. the grounds were huge too, with a lake situated behind the main building. the walls were black and grey, with tinges of green to match the family crest. however roger's car wasn't in the driveway, which made autumn sigh in relief as she noticed.

autumn began to bang on the door,

no answer.

she tried the handle. no luck.

"shit!" she said aloud to herself, cursing her father for locking the door behind him.

she needed to get in there now. siobhan only had a matter of time...

autumn thought for a moment on how to tackle this, her breath going heavy and her body was shaking. she had no other choice on what to do.

CRASH

the front door had been busted open by autumn's foot. she doubled over in agony at the pain in her foot, but she knew she had to carry on.

"siobhan! where are you?" autumn yelled into the entrance hall, gazing up the grand staircase to try and catch a glimpse of her.

a quiet voice emitted from the kitchen. it was very small, but autumn heard it.

autumn limped into the kitchen where she saw her stepmother lying on the floor, covered in blood and tears. it was a horrible sight.

autumn almost threw up when she saw her, but knew she had to regain herself to help the woman.

"don't worry it's okay, il help you." autumn assured, trying to give siobhan the hope that she lacked herself.

siobhan gave her a look that said, 'please hurry' and closed her eyes.

all that autumn was thinking was about the bandages. by the look of siobhan's body it looked like she had been attacked by a knife, which she quickly noticed on the countertop.

her mind was whizzing.

'where does father keep his bandages???'

'she's about to die autumn think'

'he's gonna come home and find me here'

finally it hit her.

the bandages were in the cupboard under the microwave. she remembered they were there from her childhood, and the times she had to patch up reece's brusies from not finishing his food.

she shook off the memory and reached for the cupboard door. and rightly so, the bandages were there.
she grabbed a few and lunged over to siobahn, who was looking unusually pale.

"siobhan i need you to turn to the side for me please." autumn begged.

siobhan slowly opened her eyes, squinting through the blood, and turned to the side slightly, giving autumn better access to her wounds.

autumn grimaced when she saw them. they were deep, and bloody. her skin was peeling up, revealing part of her bone and muscle tissue.

she took the bandage and wrapped it around the wounds, trying to block out siobhan's screams in pain.

it looked slightly better, but still not enough to heal her completely. as much as she knew siobhan would not appreciate an ambulance, there wasn't much more autumn could do, although she did have a degree in criminology, that wasn't enough to help siobhan fully heal.

she reached for her phone and dialled 999, wiping the blood from her home button.

now all she could do was wait for the ambulance, so she took siobhan's hand and squeezed it, pouring as much love into her as she could.

"are you okay?" autumn asked breathlessly.

it was quite a stupid question, obviously she wasn't okay, she had just been attacked by her boyfriend. she was covered in her own blood and tears, and she was close to death.

obviously she wasn't okay.

but it was the thought that counts.

"i deserved it autumn."

autumn froze, and turned to look down at the woman lying on the ground next to her.

"what?" she asked in shock.

siobhan looked up at her, with sad eyes.
she didnt say anything, though she didn't need to.

when the ambulance arrived, they asked siobhan what had happened to her.

she took a while to answer, mulling over her options.

she could tell the truth,

"yes officer my boyfriend stabbed me in the hip, who has been abusing me for several months now and i no longer feel safe around him"

or she could lie.

the latter seemed much easier to deal with.
even if she did tell the police about roger, he would still get her back.

somehow, she would pay the price for snitching, no matter if he was in jail for attempted murder or not.

he would find a way, like he did with his past lovers.

autumn waited for her in the waiting room, twirling her keys and biting her fingernails.

siobhan appeared in the doorway, still looking limp and pale, but the blood was gone, which was an improvement.

"so, how did it go?" autumn asked curiously.

siobhan sighed and looked down.

"i lied, but they saw right through it. they want to investigate roger and his business before i am allowed back to him. i need somewhere to stay."

"you're welcome to stay with winter and i, il let him know your staying for the foreseeable." autumn replied, turning to smile at the blond woman.

siobhan nodded and gave her thanks.

during the car ride, all she could think about was roger. how mad he would be when he found out he was caught, how badly he would get her back when he is eventually released.

but a part of her feels free. she no longer has to live with him, she no longer is under constant supervision. she can be her own person, without being criticised.

no more bruises
no more bleeding

until roger is released

no more pain
no more suffering

he's gonna get you

no more stress
no more anxiety

roger is always watching.