Her Last Step

this cant be happening

“Welcome home baby,” my mom said as we walked into the house and my father set my bags down. “Do you remember where you room is?” I ignored her as I looked around. Everything looked so familiar but at the same time it didn’t. I knew this is where I grew up but it all seemed so foreign. I walked past my mom and up the narrow stair case. I reached the top and looked around. I went to the door at the end of the hall and sighed. I knew exactly where my room was but it all still frightened me.

                I opened the door and it only took a split second for the horror to hit me. Instantly I broke out into screams and tears. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Again. On my bed sat the clothes that I had worn the nine years I was gone. I had left them in the woods somewhere but yet they were here on my bed. The shadow hunters knew exactly where I was and what I did.

                “Whoa raven what’s wrong?” my mom asked as she rushed up beside me. I didn’t even turn as I continued to scream. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to feel the pain anymore. “Talk to me raven.” I shook my head and collapsed to my knees. It was over. They were going to kill me. Guess it was better than the pain I was feeling and had felt for so long.

                “What is going on up here?” my father asked frantically as he ran up the stairs.

                “I don’t know she won’t talk,” my mom shouted. I just sat there balling my eyes out. The screams had subsided to yelps but I was still very much frightened. The shadow hunters were so close and they would soon have my family and friends. They would force them to feel the pain I did and everything would be over. Everything I worked so hard to stop would all happen now.

                “Call Luca,” my father instructed as he kneeled down beside me. “Raven talk to me. What’s going on?” he asked and I slowly lifted my head to look at him. Tears still rolled down my cheeks and my whole body was shaking.

                “They’re coming,” I whispered before I lowered my head.

                “Who’s coming? Come on raven I need more than that,” he growled but I just sat there and stared at the floor as I continued to cry. I could never explain fully what was coming. It was all too horrible and painful. They would never understand that something so horrible could exist in our world. They would think they could beat it but they wouldn’t be able to. They would all be doomed to an eternity of hurt and pain.

                “So what happened?” I asked as I looked over at raven. She was sitting on her parents couch with a blanket wrapped around her and her gaze glued to the fire. Her eyes seemed to be distant but blank at the same time.

                “She went up to her room and then she just started screaming,” Irene told me and I sighed.

                “She said something about ‘they’re coming’,” her father told me and I looked over at him.

                “Who’s coming?” I asked.

                “No idea. That’s all she said before she fell silent and just sat there. We searched her room but there had been nothing to set her off,” he said and I sighed.

                “Maybe it’s like what happened at the dance academy. The memories of these places brought in more pain,” I commented and they shrugged.

                “I think she would be better off at the pack house Luca. Clearly she’s scared to be here,” Irene said and I looked over at her. “I know you sent her here to make her more comfortable but it’s not helping. If anything it made things worse.”

                I took a deep breath and looked back at raven. “I don’t know Irene I still think she will do better with less people around,” I told her.

                “At least she talked when she was there. She’s said two words Luca. I think being around more people was better for her,” Irene said and I sighed.

                “Give it at least the night. I will come back in the morning to check on her. I just think it’s going to take time for her to adjust,” I said and Irene looked up at me.

                “Why are you so reluctant to allow her back into the pack house?” she growled.

                “Because I think she would do better here,” I growled back and she sighed.

                “My daughter isn’t getting any better Luca. I don’t think anything is going to change,” she sighed and I looked over at her.

                “That may be so. We just may have to adjust to accommodate the new raven,” I said before I looked back at raven one last time and left the house.