ceased

fault

I open my eyes taking in just white. I'm beginning to debate whether or not I'm still alive.

everything is coming back in flashes.

first I'm on my way to visit my grandparents with my mom and dad, next thing I know, our tires are popped and some.. thing was after us.

my head is throbbing and I give up on trying to recall the rest. fighting the urge to close my eyes again, the rest of my vision comes in tact. I'm in a car, spread across the back seat. the more I try to sit up, the more I hurt. a figure in the drivers seat looks back at me. I squint trying to recognize the familiar face.

my aunt is driving me somewhere and I feel paralyzed. I call for her.
"where are we?"

she doesn't hear me? I reach my hand up but it won't budge. thick rope is wrapped around my hands tying them together. everything in me is frozen and my memories, my vision, my thoughts, are just hazy.

my aunt looks back at me again. this time she's crying.
"why did you do it?" she sobs.

do what? i try again to recall everything that has happened in the past 24 hours but my mind is spinning.
"do what?" I yell, but all that comes out is a whimper.

"how could you?" she stops the car. "you killed your own parents, Harper"

that can't be right. I would never kill my mother or father. I try to move again and this time is works. pain shoots up my spine as I slowly move to sit up. I look at my aunt with frightened eyes, watching me. I shake my head and let out another whimper while trying to call out "no."

I gaze out the window to see my location.

spring grove mental institution.
the large building says.

I frantically shake my head and start to cry. finally the numbness of my legs through my feet disappears and I kick the door as hard and I can and scream.

I didn't kill my parents.

I didn't kill my parents.

a man opens the door for me and slides me out, helping me to stand on my own. my aunt reluctantly gets out the car. the feeling of walking is brutally agonizing. not rushing my steps not taking big ones, I reach the building.

my aunt gestures for me to sit in a chair out side the main office while she fills out papers.

I have to get out of here while I still can.

I grip the ends of the knot tying my hands together and slowly unravel it. the rope falls from my grasp and I gradually climb to my feet.

I make sure to calmly make my way to the door and push it open.
"hey!" a voice behinds me calls, which triggers everything in me to run.

my heart is beating out of my chest, and I can hear the large thuds of my feet hitting the pavement. i peer into my aunts car before climbing in and turning the key to ignition. the voice who called for me is now rushing towards the car and I ram the gas, speeding as fast as possible down the road.

I squint still trying to recall what happened before all this. something else was surrounding us, they killed my parents, I watched them. not me. how could I be blamed for such a thing? I look down at the bloodstained clothes that I recognize from yesterday.