Mirror Image

Chapter Two

I wake up to the sound of a drill. I try to open my eyes but they seemed to be glued shut.

"I wonder how she will react when she hears the news" my sharp ears catch someone saying outside the door.

I try again to open my eyes and I finally manage to open my left eye. 

In all those typical books I had read, I had expected something like a hospital. Instead I am lying on the floor, my body resting on a large but thin blanket. That’s not the worst of it though. Instead of four walls and a roof around me there are only lots of black. 

The person who is talking is wearing scruffy clothes and his face is cloaked by a hood casting a shadow over his face so that I am unable to identify his features.

 I feel panic start to rise again. The typical "reaction to news" conversation was scaring me. Obviously something happened to my step-dad.

I am just about to get up when I feel a small breeze. I look down and see that I am not wearing a shirt, and am only lying on the floor with just a bra and jeans.

I stand up and quickly grab the blanket from the floor, wrapping it around me.

I am just about to run when a hard hand clamps onto my arm. I spin around and face the man whose hand is holding my arm.

"What is it?" I tell the man. The man stares hard at me and I glare at him. His eyes are a queer colour. They are a mix of dark brown and a slight grey. He has a thick beard that looks gruff and his face is shaped in an oval. The most awful part though is his scar. The scar goes from his eyebrow to his mid- left cheek. I can’t help but feel pity for whatever it was that hurt him. Whoever hurt him must be dead now.

"You mustn’t leave" he says. He tightens his hand around my arm and drags me back onto the floor. 

"And why not?" I say, my voice hardening. Who was this man, telling me what to do?

"Sit" the man says, pulling me onto the floor. He sits down in front of me, too close for my taste.

I nod my head but make a vow that if he makes any moves I will run. 

"Your step-father. He... you are going to be staying in a foster home," the man says quietly.

"So he’s dead?" I ask my throat was beginning to hurt.

"No" the man says, his voice growing soft, "he’s alive but after the incident he does not want you living with him. He said you are causing him danger".

I hold my breath for a few seconds. I can feel tears starting to fall down my cheeks but I don’t care. Who is this man anyway? How does he know what my step-father said? Did my stepfather not have the guts to tell me himself?

I stare at the ground and swallow a few times until my tears have disappeared. Then I stare at the man, "you're lying" I say. I know he isn’t lying but I have to make sure.

"I am not," the man says quietly, "but just because your step-dad said that doesn’t mean it is true".

I stare at the man and suddenly I feel intense anger towards him. I stare at him hard. "So what am I doing here? This doesn’t look like a foster home! Just drop me off at the foster home already. Why are you looking at me with pity? I’ve been through worse".

He looks at me calmly as if he’s seen people like me before. Like I’m going mental or something.

But I’m not. Why does he keep looking at me like that?

"I am not dropping you to a foster home because I do not believe that this is just" he says, looking at me carefully.

I look at him, confused. "But h-how did you come across me? How do you know me? When did my step-father tell you that?" I say, the questions spilling out of my mouth. 

He looks down for a second, then looks down, "Here’s the confusing part, “he shakes his head, "I am his brother".

"So?" I say. What’s so confusing about that? Was this man crazy?

"You don’t understand. I’m his brother" he reiterates.

"Ya, I get that. What’s your point?" I say, shaking my head,

"Don’t you remember?” he says cautiously.

Realization dawns on me as I look back at my father’s history. 

My step-father was just like me. His parents died in a car crash along with his little brother. So how is his brother here?

"You’re lying" I say to him. His brother is dead. My parents are dead. His parents are dead. Why is this man lying?

"Why would I lie?" he asks although his eyes are troubled I can see he expected my denial. This just makes me even more doubtful.

"Prove it" I say. He stares at me then walks into the forest.

I think he wants me to follow but I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s safe to follow a stranger into the woods. He could easily kill me without anyone noticing or knowing. 

What have you got to lose?

Nothing. I have nothing to live for anymore. Might as well take the risk.

I wrap the blanket around me and run into the forest, leaving the other strange man staring after me.

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