Taken From Reality

Chapter 20

Epilogue: Ryan’s POV

            Malachi was arrested and ending up being tried with 25 life sentences. Bria and Sarah were returned to their families, all with open arms. At first they were confused, and not really all there but after a few weeks they went back to their normal ways, appreciating what they had back. Lauren remained in the hospital for a few days after being rescued; only to end up in a psych ward because she couldn’t get over the trauma she had endured. She later then committed suicide and this devastated me in every extent possible; she didn’t deserve the things she went through.

            Anika spent a few days in the hospital as well, but once she had gotten over her trauma and had finally accepted that she was safe; she returned home with her mother.

            I was left in the dust. But that didn’t matter to me; I had saved her and could have never expected her to want to be with me after all that happened.

            The police department placed me in a foster home, not pressing any charges on me because of what I also had to endure and sense I had been kidnapped myself. The other girls chose not to testify against me as well, so that helped.

            They found the other girls buried in our backyard and one day the police asked me why we hadn’t been noticed to be new to the town. I told them that this house belonged to Malachi’s mother, and once she died we had moved in here seven months ago. Malachi thought of it as our final destination because it was the perfect house for his lifestyle.

            After things had blown over, and life finally seemed to be settling back down for everyone, I got a call from the police station asking me to come in. My mind was playing games with me because of the way everything was going, it all seemed so foreign. For ten years I encountered the same situations every single day, and now I was with new people, aloud to go outside of houses whenever I wanted and was not subjected to things I had not wished to be.

            I walked into the station, as Officer Craigen came out of his office, leading me down the hall to the questioning room. “Oh great” I thought to myself “more questioning.” I walked in and a lady sat at the iron table inside waiting for us. She turned her head slowly at me as I walked through the door and immediately stood up. She looked at me for a good minute or so, looking my body up and down. I stood there uncomfortably not understanding what was happening when suddenly her eyes filled with tears. She ran up to me, hugging me to the point where I couldn’t move. I stood there, with her arms wrapped around me, more confused than I had ever been. I started to question her when she pulled away and looked straight into my eyes, crying once more.

            She then said in such a quite sweet voice, “Tyler, it’s me... your mom.” She said shaking and hugging me once more. I was confused for a moment and then my jaw dropped.

            “Mom…” I said beginning to cry

            “Mom!” It was unreal to me; I hadn’t seen my mom in seven years.

            “Ohh Tyler.” She said, crying once more, “I’m so, so sorry.”

As she said this, I couldn’t help but bring her in for another hug, this was reality, this was my future, and I was so happy to be back with my actual family. For once, my life was the way I had dreamed it to be, I could be normal once more.