[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
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The detective's sigh was heavy, his patience stretched thin but still intact, his eyes studying me as though he might find some shred of vulnerability I'd kept hidden. He was wasting his time. I'd been here too many times before, knew too well how to mask myself. For years, I'd perfected the art of smiling through pain, of pretending everything was fine, and now they wanted me to unlearn that, to spill every ugly truth, each scarred memory. But they'd made the rules, not me, and for over a decade I'd learned to live by them.
"It's important you understand, Gerard," the detective pressed on, a slight edge in his voice now, "that every decision made here today is not only about the past but your future. Putting this on record helps us protect you, ensure that—"
"Ensure what?" I interrupted, looking up from my phone to meet his gaze, letting a hint of irritation slip through. "You'll stop the memories from coming back every time I close my eyes? That you'll change the past?"
He didn't respond right away, just blinked, caught off guard by my bluntness. My mother let out another small sob, and I felt her hand shaking where it rested on my arm. For her, this was still fresh. She was newly inducted into the life I'd been forced to lead since childhood, and as much as I wanted to comfort her, to make it easier, I didn't know how to do that without betraying myself.
Instead, I turned to her. "I don't want this following me around for the rest of my life, Mam. I don't want to be dragged through the mud every time someone decides to dredge up the past."
"But Gerard," she whispered, her voice breaking, "he'll do it again. What if—"
I held up a hand, stopping her, and glanced at the detective. "You want a statement? Fine. Here it is. I survived him, all right? I'm seventeen, and I'm still here. But what happened is my burden to carry, not anyone else's. I'm not going to let it keep dictating every second of my life."
The detective's lips pressed into a thin line. "That's understandable, Gerard. But your mother's right. Bringing it to light might prevent this from happening to someone else."
That was their favorite line. Protect others, save someone else from going through it. As though my scars should serve as some kind of deterrent, a warning sign they could wave around to show how noble and effective their justice system could be. The irony was almost laughable, considering it took them a decade to see it.
"Listen," I said, leaning forward, feeling my voice harden. "I'm not here to fix the world. I'm here to live my life. If someone needs to be saved from him, that's on you lot. That's your job. I did my part by making it this far." My gaze locked on the detective's, daring him to push me further.
He sighed, finally looking down at his notes. "I see."
Mam's hand on my arm tightened, desperation creeping into her face as she turned to the detective. "But what can we do, then?"
"Gerard's statement could still be given at any time," he said gently, his eyes flicking between the two of us. "We'll continue to check in as needed and keep you updated on any developments in locating Mark Allen."
