Elementals

Chapter 7 - Scars Don't Heal

   I'm in my house, with Ethan, my foster mom, and my foster dad.  Everyone is happy, we are all one big, happy family.  

   "One sec,"  I say with a grin to Ethan.  Let me go get a deck of cards, and we'll see who's great at Solitaire!"  I run up the stairs, go in the storage room, and grab a deck of cards.

   As I come down, the house seems to get darker.  The hallway left its cheerful mood and became eerie.  It seems as if something is going to jump out of the doors and attack me.  

   But that couldn't happen.  I love my family, they love me, and nothing could hurt us.  Our family is too strong for something to tear it apart.  It has to be.  I felt it, I know we have to stay together forever.

   Once I get down the stairs, I am met with a horrific sight.  My mom, dad, and Ethan are all on their knees and have guns pointed to their heads.  The men look like they have been waiting for me.  Before I can make a sound, a man comes out of the shadows, and puts his arm in a choke hold around me neck.  He puts me to my knees and holds a knife across me neck.  My heart is racing.  What about my family.  They have to be okay, or else I won't be okay.

   The man holding me smirks  and points to the man closest on the right, the man holding my father.  He nods and pulls the trigger, causing my dad to fall over, a pool of blood forming near his head.  I scream, but no one notices.  Then my holder nods to the middle one, my mom's holder.  I try to tell them to stop, but nothing comes out.  He shoots her, my mom collapsing to the floor, empty.  Tears are streaming down my face as I screech for an end.  Last is Ethan.  The man doesn't hesitate, he just kills Ethan, seeming to enjoy the deaths.  I am filled with pain.  I cry, yell, I sob for my family, but it doesn't fix them.  They don't come back.

   The other men disappear into the house, but the man holding me looks into my eyes.  "You're next,"  he says in a terrible, evil voice and comes at me with the glistening knife.  I scream.

    "Kaylee!"  Logan exclaims as I shoot up from my bed, drenched with sweat.  My heart is racing and I am breathing heavily.  I put my hand up to my neck, then collapse into Logan, sobbing.

   "It seemed so real.  I thought I... I thought I lost them..."  I said, crying more with every word.  

   Logan puts rubs my back, holding me, attempting to calm me down.  We sit there for probably ten minutes before the tears stop pouring down.

   "I'm not a wimp.  I have cried way to much these past few days,"  I say in an attempt to lighten up the mood. 

   Logan still looks worried.  "What happened?"  he says so softly, I almost missed what he said.

   "What happened to Peter,"  I say slowly so I don't start bawling again, "happened to me with my family.  It just was so real, I don't know."  I look up to see pity on Logan's face.  "Listen, if anyone needs pity, it's Peter, not me."

   "I have given Peter pity.  That doesn't matter, you are still hurting, and that is what matters right now.  Pity isn't bad, you know.  Sometimes it is what we need to heal."  Logan says with sincerity written across his face.  I hug him.

   "Thank you Logan.  By the way, why did you come in here?  Were your spidey-senses tingling?"  I ask, jokingly, but I really am curious.

   "You were screaming, and I woke up and came to investigate."  Logan explains.

   My mouth drops open.  "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Logan.  I didn't mean to wake you up at-"  I glance at the digital clock next to my bed and my eyes go wide "-twelve fifteen in the morning!  Logan, I am so sorry!"  I exclaim.

   He laughs.  "You have a nightmare and you're apologizing to me?  You sure are crazy, Kaylee."  

   My stomach rumbles.  Way to break the moment, Kaylee.  "I am hungry."  I state.

   "I can tell,"  Logan says, and I blush, embarrassed.  "Well, it just so happens that I am feeling ravenous, too.  Let's go make us some late-night peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."  Logan suggest, and I agree instantly..

   Logan makes us both a PB and J sandwich and we enjoy it as we talk about random things that pop up in our heads.  "Well, I am about to fall asleep standing up, so if you don't need anything else, this knight in shining armor must retire for bed."  Logan says.

   "Go ahead.  Oh, and, thank you so much for everything."  he grins.  "Especially the sandwiches."  He leaves, dancing up the stairs, and I can't help but smile at his terrible dance moves.  I thought I was bad.

   After I clean up the little mess we made, I go to the TV and turn on Adventure Time.  Hey, it's midnight, and I can't go to sleep.  Why not watch this silly show?  I almost doze off when I hear footsteps down the stairs.  I turn my head to see who is the cause of the sound, and I see Peter.  Shirtless.

   "Did I leave the TV on?"  he asks himself, before he notices me sitting on the couch.  "Oh."  He looks caught off guard, but quickly recovers with a grin.  "Well, hello there!"  he says.  But that isn't what I see.  I see the long scars across his chest and his back.  

   "What happened?"  I whisper, barely loud enough to hear.

  He looks uncomfortable.  "Oh, it's just a few scars from the guy that held me in front of my family.  I guess I forgot to mention that."  He finishes.  I don't think he forgot.

   "I am so sorry, Peter.  I wish I could have helped."  I say, with every bit of honesty.

   "I don't need pity," he says, trying to not sound upset.

   I look straight up into Peter's eyes.  "Pity isn't bad, you know.  Sometimes it's what we need to heal."  I say, remembering what Logan said.

   Peter looks away and startles me.  "Scars don't heal, not like that."  Then he goes back up the stairs.

   When he's long gone, I turn off the TV.  "Scars do heal.  They may not disappear, but they can always heal.  But only if you let them."  Then I fall asleep.