Running

Chapter Seventeen: Files

Will's POV:

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I just dropped Iris off at her house. It was nice, two-story and had an earthy feel to it.

Now, I'm going back to the pack house to look up some records.

Once I'm there, I scrounge through Iris Locke's files.

It reads:

Iris Locke

Age: 17

Father: Joseph McAllen

Mother: Victoria Locke

Born: December 31, 1996

Something itches in the back of my mind, but I ignore it. I turn to her supposed Aunt Gillian's file.

Petunia Locke, mother of Terra Gillian, sister of Victoria Locke, husband of Rodney Gillian. Series of anger management classes throughout life, to no avail. Was adopted by Teresa and Robert Locke at age 12. Met Victoria Locke at that time. Was in serious car accident at age 25, with Victoria Locke also in car. Victoria Locke died in the accident. Joseph McAllen, Victoria's husband, disappeared, leaving Iris Locke in Petunia Locke's custody. Iris Locke now lives with Petunia Gillian, Rodney Gillian, and Terra Gillian.

There were a few odd things in the file. Like, why was Petunia adopted? Why did she take anger management classes? I decide to look into why she was adopted.

I go on Google, search Petunia Locke adoption, and wait for the results.

A news report comes up. It says:

12-year-old Petunia Locke was found tied up in an abandoned warehouse on June 24, 1984. There were bloodstains coating the floor, some recent, some a few years old. Doctors have determined from her wounds that she was most likely in the warehouse for five years or so. No one knows what was done in the ghastly place, so it remains a mystery.

Oh, God. I sit back and fight the urge to throw up. Iris's aunt had been kidnapped and tortured in an abandoned warehouse. I feel a rush of sympathy towards the woman. Forgetting what I actually came here to do, I shut off the computer and head back into my room.

Poor Petunia Gillian.

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Iris's POV:

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She's been beating me relentlessly for an hour now. My whole body aches.

"Don't you dare say bad things to my daughter, useless piece of trash," she spits before leaving my room.

I moan in agony for a few moments before Terra enters my small bedroom and says, "Get up. Hurry."

"I... can't," I whisper through gritted teeth. Even wiggling one of my fingers ignites pain inside of me.

"Fine," she replies hurriedly. "Let me help me you up. But I have to patch you up."

"Why?" the pain slurs my voice.

"Because," she's says seriously, looking me in the eye. "I have to help you."

I allow her to painfully help me up and lead me to the bathroom. She assesses my wounds. I have two black eyes, various cuts and bruises, and a deep gash on my thigh.

"I'm," she winces. "I'm going to have to pour some alcohol on that, okay?"

I'm not thinking straight. "Whatever."

"Here," Terra gives me a big wad of toilet paper. "Scream into this."

I stuff it in my mouth. "Scream---?"

She pours it onto the wound, and I shriek and screech in agony. My screams are muffled.

Once it's over, she patches it up with a large band-aid and says, "Go to bed."

"O--okay."

She leaves the room, and it's too late to tell her I can't move. Oh, well. Guess I'm sleeping on the ground.

Woozy and bloody, I fall asleep right in the bathroom floor.

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Those of you who were reading, I think you may have seen something!

In Iris's files, it said DOCTOR MCALLEN IS HER FATHER!

Twist!

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