All That I Know Is Gone {Kellic}

14. You Don't Know Me

I made to step backwards, then remembered I was on a ladder and stayed rooted to the spot. I didn't know what to do. Millions of emotions were rushing through me, shock, releif, anger, happiness, horror, disgust.

She left me.

She left me when I needed her, and knew exactly what she was doing. Now here we are, her sunken eyes staring timidly at me - she needs me. Should I just walk away?

The idea of revenge, a way to repay all the bitterness and betrayal I felt, sounded great, but I quickly realised that I'm better than that. I'm not shallow enough to do such horrible thing.

So, taking a deep breath, I climbed into the room, and made my way over to the frail being that was my mother.

Dead. She was supposed to be dead.

Bitterness was intertwined with so many other feelings I could so longer identify individual emotions, they filled my veins and soaked my skin. I felt heavy, as if I could no longer move, but I continued to approach her.

Soon I was standing right next to her, and could see how brutal all of her blood smeared cuts and bruises really were, and how tiny she was.

Part of me wanted to hug her, and tell her I'm sorry for being such an awful son, ask her what happened, what went so terribly wrong...

But a bigger part of me felt resentment I can't describe, I didn't want to hear it, I didn't care about the sorry mess she'd got herself into.

Slowly, I untied the ropes binding her, and she flopped forwards muttering thankyous and sorrys and practically begging at my feet for forgiveness. I looked at her, feeling pity, but also disgust.

"Don't talk to me." I spat, "I don't want to hear it."

She looked hurt, but I turned away, getting out my phone to call for an ambulance and the police.

"Can you get down the ladder?" I asked, shocking myself with the care in my voice.

"I'm n-not sure." She looked up at me, flinching as if I was going to hit her. I felt hollow.

After a few moments, she murmured "I'll try."

I gave a her a meek smile and reluctantly helped her out of the attic and down to the kitchen. There I gave into my pity for her, and got her a blanket and a glass of water. Once she had stopped thanking me, and had eaten the little food there was in the kitchen, I sat on the front step with her, neither of us speaking, both us of us just trying to take it all in.

***

When I heard the sirens I got up and waited to greet the paramedics. They helped my mum into the ambulance and started to check her over. Once they were sure she was stable, the paramedics asked me a few questions. I stood awkwardly outside the vehicle, not really sure what to do with myself.

After a while my mum pulled off her oxygen mask and spoke, "K-kellin? Will you come with me? Please..." She looked pleadingly at me like a beaten puppy. Reluctantly, I stepped into the ambulance despite the uncomfortable twisting in my gut.

The ambulance didn't take long to arrive at the nearest hospital, and we were told the police would meet us there. Before I knew it, I was sitting in a chair next to a hospital bed and watching as my mother was hooked to various strange machines. Luckily for me, most of the doctors ad nurses spoke english.

After about an hour, some police men and women entered the room, keen to find out what had happened.

At first my mum didn't want to speak, I knew how she felt, it seems like you're admitting defeat, but eventually, she opened up.

She said she'd gotten with a man (and later admitted he was of a similar sort to my dad, but she didn't realise at first). She was on holiday in Italy when she met him -she needed a break from living with my grandma- and they basically 'fell in love' straight away. My mum then decided to stay in Italy with him.

After a while she moved in with him, and it turned out he was loaded, so he had the huge mannor along with the ranch already. For a year or so they were fine, completely happily in love - they even got married.

Then it started.

First arguments, then a slap here and there, gradually getting worse until he starved her half to death, and pretty much left her to die in the attic. I couldn't bare listening to her say it, hearing the pain in her voice, the defeat, it was like watching my childhood replay in my head.

However, my mum didn't realise she had been declared dead, it came as a horrendous shock to her. She was supposed to have gone missing in the woods nearby and they soon found the body of a woman around he age, and her husband identified the body as hers. An investigation into her supposed death was still going on at the time.

The police were very caring and listened to her talk, and let her cry, but once she'd finished talking they asked, "Do you have any idea why he might have left when he did?"

"I'm not sure," my mum replied, "I think he left as soon as he knew Kellin was coming over."

The police exchanged concerned looks before saying, "We will be in touch Mrs Sylvester, it was very brave of you to tell us this, we will do our best to get to the bottom of this."

Then they turned to leave, but before they did, one of the police women turned and said solemly, "Kellin could you come with us please."

Bewildered, I got up, my heart beginning to hammer against my rib cage again. Once we were outside, the policewoman said, "Now, this may come as a shock to you, but we believe that your mother's husband may be trying to track you down...and, we don't know what kind of mental state he is in, so we are expecting the worst."

She carried on speaking, but I didn't hear it. The money. He wanted her money.

And now I've got it, so he is going to get me.