you're mine

Chapter 64

It's been a month since I came home from the hospital. My room was left as it was when I left with Not a single thing out of place. The half empty glass on my side table left untouched, my window open from where Luca entered, my bed messy and my skin care products opened on my dressing table.

Everything was left as though I was gone only a few minutes, not months.

I would have assumed the cops came and took everything in as evidence, but it seems as though nothing has been touched.

Maybe my parents put everything back how it was, in hopes that I would feel safe and normal again if I came back; It's the type of thing they would do.

In the hospital, the cop, Carter, asked me if I could tell them everyone Luca killed, to make sure they didn't miss anyone. I didn't know a lot of names, but it felt like the list was never ending. Ever since then, all the names I do remember have been stuck in my mind.

I am partially responsible for these deaths. I could have stopped all of this from happening. I could have not let Luca kill people, but I did.

He killed people in front of me. And I was ok with that. How?

The question keeps replaying in my mind as my subconscious tells me I'm an awful person. And maybe I am.

Good people don't excuse murder like I did.

They diagnosed me with Stockholm syndrome in the investigation; which is still on going. The search for Luca continues every day and haunts me.

He is out there somewhere. He knows where I live and he will come for me; I'm sure of that. It's only a matter of time before I wake up in a car he's driving, going full circle and returning back to where this all started.

I wonder how I could be so stupid to let this happen. I never thought I would be the type of girl to get kidnapped. But I was. And not only that, I actually liked spending time with him.

My parents haven't been the same since I got back, which was to be expected. They constantly check in on me, make me leave my door open and make up excuses to see me every five minutes like bringing me food. They even nailed my window shut, scared he will come back. I think they think much worse happened to me than it did, like I was a prostitute for a while or met the mafia and begged for my life to be spared. I did mention that not everything that happened was bad, but they said that's called blocking out trauma, so I let it go.

I think they can tell how much I've changed. I'm not the girl that left them. I'm not the daughter they raised, who loves sports, getting lost in books and helping others. Now, I'm empty. I'm the girl who the town talks about because she had a "tragic" thing happen to her. I'm the girl who will never feel right again.

I haven't returned to any of my activities or hobbies since I got back. I haven't done much of anything. Every day has been spent sitting in my bedroom, trying to make it feel like mine again. But It doesn't . I stare at the walls, reminiscing over the memories I have here, yet none of it helps. This is just the room I was taken from, the room Luca knows how to get to. And quite frankly, that terrifies me.

For the rest of my life, I could be living on edge of not knowing when he will come for me. And something tells me 'for the rest of my life' isn't a very long time.

My fingers pick at the cuff of my sweater as I try and concentrate on the tv, but it's no use. Every creak, bang and clatter gives me a shock which makes me want to burst into tears or run for my life. My parents can see the fear in me and it scares them too.

A cop car constantly sits out front of my house on watch, but it doesn't settle my nerves. I know Luca would kill the cops and anyone else who gets in his way.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." I say to my parents.

"Okay. Do Want me to walk you to your room, sweetheart?" My dad asks me and I shake my head in reply, followed by a broken smile.

"I'm okay." I get up from the sofa and leave, heading towards the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed.

I watch as the water runs, letting it go cold before putting my glass under it. As the glass fills, my eyes fall on the window ahead. When I look, I am faced with a shadow, staring back at me.

Instantly, I drop the glass into the sink and jump back. My parents both rise from their seats, rushing over to me.

"What's wrong Emelia?" My mother questions.

I step back towards the window but no one is standing there anymore.

"Nothing." I sigh. "I'm just seeing things." My eyes fall shut.

"You head up to bed and I'll make you some green tea and bring it up to you. It may help you sleep." My dad offers kindly, rubbing my back.

"Thank you, dad."

I start to walk away as he speaks again. "I'll just clean this up and then I'll make some tea. I'll be up with it soon."

My feet carry me upstairs and to my room. Leaving the door open, I lay down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling, waiting for my tea.

A tapping noise forms over by my window. My eyes fall shut and my breathing gets deeper as I try not to panic.

"It's just the wind." I whisper, though not fully convinced that's the case.

I have to stop worrying when there's cops out there for my safety and my window is nailed shut.

The tapping stops and is instead replaced by a creaking noise which grows louder and louder by the second.

Tears push through my tightly closed eyes as my imagination plays mind games with me, convincing me Luca is at my window.

The window bursts open and I shoot up from the bed, eyes instantly opening and landing on a dark figure covered in black clothing. Despite neither his body nor face showing, I still know who it is.

I go to scream, yell out for help and run for my life but he lifts up a gun, forcing me to keep my mouth shut.

"Scream and I'll shoot you." Luca warns.