You've Got Mail...

Chapter Thirteen - Relatives

“Yes?” said a voice. I swiveled round and Violet was standing there looking at the ground.

“You scared me Violet! Don’t ever do that again! If I call for your name, answer it!” I said.

I looked at her. Her eyes were quickly filling with tears.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“No, I’m sorry,” I said back, giving her a hug. I’ve only met these girls for about half an hour, and yet they seemed like close family to me. I couldn’t bear to lose any of them.

Kara and Kate stopped with us and they started huffing and puffing.

“We’d better get a move on,” I said. “He’s got a van, which means he could find us easily,”

The girls moved quicker, determined not to get caught. The environment was full of trees and woods. There were no houses or roads in sight. The woods looked familiar, but I didn’t want to count on my memory to try and remember. 

Keep walking. I ordered myself. Act like you know where you’re going. I didn’t want to scare them. We kept on walking until I literally had no idea where we were. I looked around trying to familiarize myself with the place, but I decided to break it to them.

“Guys,” I said. “Where are we?”

Nobody answered me until Bella’s small voice said,

“I think this is the woods that I always go to.” She said.

“By yourself?” I asked.

“No, with my mum and dad. If this is the woods, then there is a lake near by,” She added.

“Right, it’s up to you Bella,” I said. “Lead the way.”

I slowed down to walk with Kara.

I looked at her. I still wondered why she winced, so I decided to ask her.

“Kara,” I said as the girls were ahead of us. “Did you know those people that live in the house,” I asked. As soon as I said this, I had regretted it.

What if those people were her family? Did I have to remind her? I thought.

“Yes.” She answered. “They are my cousins,” she said. “The young boy is called Samuel and the girl is called Shareen. Sam is only six, but Shareen is thirteen,” she said.

I nodded, stupidly.

At least comfort her. I said to myself. At least tell her that he will leave the house and never look back again. At least tell her that they will be okay and that he won’t hurt them. But of course I couldn’t do that because I didn’t even know myself…