Zoé's Story

Angels, Demons, and Love

Age 14 - Age 17

Xavier said he would let me stay at his apartment until I got a hold of my Papa. Several months later I finally did, and he said he would come and get me. That was a couple weeks ago and I didn't know what to do. I met Xavier's mother, she was absolutely gorgeous. She looked like a loving mother. The one thing I didn't know about, when I was living with them, was that I had also been living with my Papa. It had been so long since I saw him that I didn't even know that he was my Papa... and Xavier's. It turns out that Xavier is my step brother and his mother was my step mother. My Papa picked a good woman again. I felt a little heartbroken even when they told me this, because Xavier turned out to be my brother. I can't fall in love with him, even if I really want to. Maybe he did like me, his face showed the same feeling I had just felt a couple weeks ago. I don't know what to do anymore, it's all confusing.

Age 17 - Age 19

I started cutting, the pain felt so good. I got into drinking too. I know I shouldn't drink, but it washes away the loneliness. I do these things when my Papa and Liah, my step-mother (it's too hard to call her mom), aren't around. I dropped out of school, but Xavier, Liah, and Papa teach me. Liah and Papa are at work and Xavier is at school. I felt like I didn't belong, like I was here for no reason. I was drinking and drinking, then Xavier got home. He found me in the bathroom, drunk and covered in blood. I overdosed, passing out, Xavier being the last thing I see.

A few hours later

I wake up in the hospital with tubes coming out of my nose. I was in a nightgown. Instead of freaking out about being in the hospital, I freak out about who changed my clothes. Xavier was sitting next to me with his head hanging. My Papa was trying to comfort Liah in the doorway. Xavier looks up and sees me awake. He was crying, tons of tears streamed down his face. His eyes were red and puffy. This is the first time I've ever seen him cry, he was always so strong. "W-Why did you overdose... and cut. You could have talked to me. I would have listened."

"I... I just... I felt...so lost... I couldn't... I'm sorry..." I murmur. That's when a nurse rushes in and tells Xavier and our parents to leave. "Wh-Why? What's wrong? Tell us! Please tell us!" Xavier shouts. I cringe at how loud he was being, 'Huh, that's strange. Why does noise bother me now? It's weird.' Alice, my best friend for now, tells him to be quiet, "Look at Zoé. You're being too loud." Xavier whips around and looks at me. "I-I'm sorry..." he whispers. More nurses rush in and get all of them to leave. At that exact moment I saw my real mother run through the lobby door, our eyes met and that was it. 'I fainted again. Damnit. I need to wake up, I have to stay alive. I have to. I have to.'

A few weeks later

I finally wake up and it's dark. 'Maybe I didn't wake up. Maybe I'm dead. Oh god. No please no.' I got off of the bed and walked down the hall. "I-I can move! I am dead!"

"Oh no, sweetie you aren't dead. This is all, but a dream." said a random nurse.

"What do you mean? This is a dream?" I ask.

"This is a dream where you can wander while your body rests. A place where you get to decide which way you go. If you die or live." said the nurse.

"Wh-What do you mean? I get to choose?! I don't want that choice, I don't want to choose whether I live or not. I-I'm not good with deciding!" I screamed.

"But you need to. You can't move on if you don't," she said calmly.

"What if I don't want to move on!?" I screamed. "What if I want to die!? There's nothing here for me anymore!"

"You have your parents, your stepmom, and that boy. He really loves you. Don't hurt him," she told me.

"He's my stepbrother! We can't love each other more than that. I love him too, but we can't," I whimper.

"But you aren't related by blood. You can love each other, you both already do," she sighs, "But you're waking up, we can't talk anymore."

I start to slowly dissolve into a billion ashes, "See you soon," she whispers. I'm in the hospital bed again. I try to sit up, I try to gasp for air, 'I can't breathe! Someone help! Please! Please!' An alarm goes off, it's way too loud. That's when I realized Xavier was sitting next to me, he had hit the large red button that read IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. Several doctors ran in and pulled Xavier out of the room. There was a bright light and then total darkness. 'Great, I'm back here again. Except it's.........different. Darker. Quieter. Lonelier. Where's the nurse?'

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I ask.

"Yes," something in the darkness said. 'It doesn't sound human. It sounds demonic.'

"I am here. I am a friend. I can save you, I can take you to a better place. You just have to let go," the thing says.

I start to drift and I feel like I'm being pulled. A bright light shines behind me and shows a short, bearded man. I try to turn, but can't, 'My body's frozen.'

"Don't touch her! She is going back with me! Back to her family!" It was the nurse's voice, but it sounded different. Almost angelic. I feel arms wrap around me, and I'm out of the dark room. I'm in the hospital bed.

"You're awake!" Xavier exclaims.

"Wh-what happened?" I ask, still confused.

"You had a seizure. You passed out and they couldn't wake you. You almost died. I almost lost you," He says.

"We almost lost you," says Alice as she walks in with my Papa, Liah, and my real mother.

"Y-yeah. That's what I meant.........." he said, startled. "Zoé, just, please never do this again. Please.

"Alright, I promise." I said quietly.