Crashing

3) Age 16

Aoi's POV
Time skip 10 years

"Mom? Where are you?" I whisper crouched in our house, picking my way threw the debris that littered the floor of our house. Hiding under the stained tablecloth that hung limply to the ground, I still listening for anything. Hearing a scuffle coming from Mom's room, I freeze, it could be Mom but it could also be them.

Taking a deep breath I crawl out from under the table and towards the scuffles trying to make as little noise as possible, reaching the doorway I lean up against the wall before peaking in.

"Mom!" I whisper in complete relief before throwing myself into her open arms, "thank God you're okay, I don't know what I'd do without you...."

"I'm right here honey, but we need to leave now before they come for us. Go gather a bag of whatever you can't part with, but keep it to a minimum right now all we need are the necessities. Go! Hurry." She said brushing my dirty black hair behind my ear before planting a kiss on my dirt covered forehead. Nodding, I back out of her embrace before heading to my room down the hall being as quiet as possible.

In my room I go straight for my closet, squeezing between the small gap between the door and the wall, once inside I grab the black book bag still hanging from the back of the door. Grabbing a blanket I stuff that in first before dropping to the floor and lifting up a piece of the floorboard and grabbing the money I've stashed there. Grabbing a pair of clothes, I throw them in too before I crawl back out of my closet and over to my dresser. On the floor in front of it lays my scrapbook and random nicknacks, scooping up the book I wedge it in before spotting my fathers' necklace with my mothers' wedding ring on it. Reaching for it I quickly unlatch it before placing it around my neck, glancing around I notice my sketchbook and pencils, scrambling over to them I stuff it into the bag before zipping it up.

Having everything I need I quickly crawl back to my mom's room to find her waiting anxiously at the small secret hatch in her closet, seeing me she relaxed a little. Seeing a shadow cross the floor I scramble into the closet as fast as I could leaving the door as it was.

Shaking I help Mom open the hatch quietly before she gestured for me to get in, throwing my bag down first before hopping down after it. Looking back up I expect to see my mom climbing down after me, but instead see her bag land in front of me and the hatch closing.

Shocked, I stood there memorizing her... Brown hair wisps escape from her bun, which is always up, her golden eyes looked down at me in sorrow and pain, the wrinkles on her face seemed deeper making her look older by ten years, and her dirty clothes and face made her look like she's been to hell and back, in a sense she has been.... They'll find her and she knows it, but she's doing it to buy me time, she's willing to end her life for me if that's not the love of a mother I don't know what is....

Before the hatch could close I whispered, "I love you Mommy...." Knowing that this might be the last time I'll ever see her, the hatch stopped for a split second before she dropped something in before it closed. I swore I heard her whisper something though, it sounded like I love you too Aoi.... But I don't know, before I could reopen the hatch I heard a splintering sound, it came from the living room.

Crying I bent down and grabbed the item Mom threw down, it was her necklace. The necklace has a silver chain with a locket on it, the locket is simple with an engraved silhouette of a mermaid in the center and waves encircling it, on the inside was a picture of me on one side and her and my father on the other, then on the back; Storms will alway come, but you are the ocean that is my heart was engraved in simple but loopy letters. Clutching it in my hand I take off blindly running with both my mom's bag and mine, not a minute later a shrill scream comes from behind me.