The Witness

Chapter VI

I try to yank my arm out of Olivia's grasp, but her grip just gets tighter. She walks through the compound, dragging me behind her. I try to memorize our turns, but after many corners, I lose track. Olivia's flats are the only sound in the seemingly empty compound. We pass many doors, but see no one. It's like a ghost town. Finally, Olivia stops in front of a black door - the only thing not white in this entire hallway. She pulls something small out of her pocket - a key card, I think - and swipes it along the door frame. There's a faint beep, and the door pops open. Olivia shoves me inside so hard I fall to the cold ground, and, without my hands to stop me, fall flat on my face. There's an agitated sigh as Olivia steps in and closes the door behind her, all light extinguishing from the room. She bends down to pick me up, and I'm reminded of the day of my kidnapping, when Olivia first saw the mark on my face. All at once, I'm taken back to that night - laying on the floor beneath a canopy of stars, Olivia's face looming above mine. I can't differenciate between the memory and reality. It was all because of that night - if I didn't hear that scream, I wouldn't be here right now. If I wasn't in that place at that time, I'd still be free... well, as free as you can be, living on the streets. I guess this is what happens when you're a witness.
I'm brought back to reality by a slap across my face. "Wake up, girl!" screams Olivia. "This is no time to be sleeping! I asked you a question." I sit up groggily - or, I struggle to, with my hands behind my back. "Why did you fight me in the hallway?" she snarls.
"Because..." I begin hastily. "you're not my mother." It comes out as a whisper, so I say louder, "You're not my mother!"
"That was not the right answer," Olivia says, slowly pulling a dagger out of her pocket - the same dagger, I realize with a jolt, that killed my mother. "I'll give you one more chance. Why did you fight me in the hallway?" Olivia's whispers send shivers down my spine. No. I will not give in to this woman.
"I told you before," I murmur. "You're. Not. My. Mother." I drag the last word out. I don't care what this woman does to me. I will not betray my mother, my real mother, like this.
"So you'll stick with that, will you?" Olivia asks, inching towards me. I feel the cool of a wall against my back. The room is still dark, but Olivia seems to know exactly where she's going. This is it, then. This is the end. I'll die here. She'll kill me just like she killed my mother.

*FLASHBACK*

As the woman in black turns towards my mother in the small, confined closet, I see her eyes go wide. Without worrying about her daughter, the danger of this situation is finally settling in - she's going to die. Right here, in front of her daughter. When the woman's beside my mother, she turns back to me.
"This woman is getting what she deserves!" Deserves? How does my mother, who loved me since birth, deserve this? But I'm too scared to say anything, as the woman's grin turns upwards evily. "You'll understand later. This woman will pay for taking you away from me! Soon, you'll be mine. And nobody will be able to get between us!" My mother starts struggling towards me, but isn't getting anywhere with her hands chained to the wall. The woman cackles. Then, I remember - I'm only handcuffed; not chained to the wall. I push myself to a standing position and run towards my mom. I'm almost to her, but feel a strong hand grip my shoulder and pull me down. My head slams into the ground, and I cry out in agony. The woman leans over me, dagger in hand. "I told you to behave," she says, lowering the dagger towards my arm. I take a deep breath, preparing for what I know is going to happen. I don't even try to move away. My mother's grunts are the confirmation I needed. But no matter how much I consoled myself, nothing could prepare me for the pain. Metal pierced my skin. Crimson liquid poured down my arm and onto the marble floor beside me. There's a ringing in my ears that won't stop - and then I realize, the ringing is me, screaming from the pain. Olivia sits back as I writhe on the floor, satisfied with her work. My mother yearns to get to my side, to be free from her restraints, but the chains hold fast. Without a second thought, Olivia turns toward my mother and slashes the dagger across her arm, in the same spot as mine. A sharp gasp escapes her lips as she crumples to the ground in pain. Then, Olivia slashes her opposite arm. I look away. I've stopped screaming. Tears pool from my eyes as time slows down. My mother is gone. If not yet, then she's going to be, soon. Something wet is creeping against my leg. I look, and almost faint, when I see the cherry blood wetting my skin. I close my eyes. I try to stop listening. I don't want to see. I don't want to hear. I don't want to know.

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

"You said my mother took me away from you!" I yell before Olivia's dagger can pierce my skin.
"What?" Olivia questions, her dagger freezing in mid-air.
"When you had my mother in that closet," I explain. "You told me my mother, my real one, took me away from you, but earlier today you told me you dropped me off at her doorstep."
"Did I?" Olivia questions as I nod. "Hmm. How interesting." The last thing I see is Olivia's hand pushing my head, hard, into the wall behind me. Everything goes dark.
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Sorry I couldn't update last Friday. I'll post two chapters next Friday to make up for it. Hope you all are enjoying my story!