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Chapter 1

NOT EDITED

Darkness. A drip - drip sound, 3,2,1 drip. 1, 2 drip. 3,2,1 drip. The pattern so familiar to my poor heart. After the fourth drip I cover my ears with my hands knowing oh too well what is coming next. I squeeze my eyes shut and pray fervently this is not what I think, what I dread it is. As if on cue, the drumming starts and now I'm more than certain I know what this is. Fear seizes me shaking me to the core. I can literally hear my heart pounding in protest maybe hoping to burst out of my chest and desert me.
I hear the old wooden door creak and I can't believe I'm here all over again. It's d 6th drip now and I know without a doubt, without a single doubt in my pounding heart that no matter what happens, I can't open my eyes.
I feel something cold trickling down my forehead and I cringe in terror then I realize it's just me, it's me sweating like I just did that impossible town marathon mom is always bullying me into. Mom. I sniffle. Might never see the old pain of a sweetheart woman. I laugh like the maniac this has turned me into wondering just how long she'll torture me.
Back in my room, I lay on my bed curled up in the foetus position silently crying for my momma. Wondering as always,wondering why she let me off early this time, wondering why she didn't show herself today, and wondering, I break into a heart shattering dry sob. The tearless cry of a man in fear, a broken man, a man who's just had the 9th visit. A man 3 visits away from death.

* * * * *

She walked to the kitchen island with a smile, satisfied with her work. Picking a glass, she walked to the sink and let the water pour into the glass. She let it fill to the brim and let it run over.
'Like a fountain. " she said. No. She frowned, more like the biblical "cup running over" just not treasure in good measure this time. The left side of her lip lifted slightly in a smile. She liked this one better. Way better.
Turning the tap off, she walked barefooted in her zebra themed PJ back to the couch in the sitting room where she planned to camp throughout her stay in Gold valley. She'd made sure the interior had gotten expensive cozy couches which could also work for a woman who was determined to make the sitting room her bedroom too. The thought of the spacious five bedrooms upstairs briefly crossed her mind and she caught herself choking on the water she'd just sipped. Unbearable pain stormed her heart and she found herself unable to breathe. Grasping the couch so hard that the outline of her nails were imprinted on the expensive leather. A painful memory suddenly hit her like Miley Cyrus' wrecking ball. The world suddenly started spinning. The zebra tilled floor spun until everything became a blur of white and black. 'No!' She screamed grasping the couch with all her might. Grasping whatever link could keep her fixed in the present. But alas!

She smelt it before she saw it. Lavender. A wave of nausea hit her at once. Dread, pain, love, a thousand emotions flooded her dark soul. She knew she would regret it. Knew she was being weak and going back on her resolve, but by Mars, she couldn't keep her eyes closed. Slowly and in great pain. She opened her eyes.
'Lizabeth! Get back here this instant!' Mrs Charlotte Black yelled after the giggling three year old in diapers.
'Popa!!!' The three year old screeched in her impossible glass shattering pitch. The 5'11 white man walked into little Lizzie's room covering his ears.
'Someone called 9-da-da.' Mr Black said wearing his "cop face" making little Lizzie giggle.
'Enough playing around Mr and Ms Black. Now Mr cop, get that "innocent citizen " to go lie in the tub." Mrs Black said hiding a smile. Even now the uninvited eye could see the pure love and adoration in the woman's eyes. Shutting her mind to her surroundings, she only saw the picture perfect family laugh and talk. She saw the three year old Lizzie giggle and she tried to imitate the action. Even without a mirror she knew she must look like something out of a horror movie. She silently berated herself for even considering the thought. Little Lizzie was long gone. Dead. Even as she watched Momma take Little Lizzie into the bathroom, the whole room started the all too familiar spinning as the whole place turned into a blur, Ms Stone felt a warm tear trickle down her cheek. Even without opening her eyes from the cold, lifeless atmosphere, Ms Stone knew without a doubt that she was back in the present.
The broken woman fell to the cold zebra floor gasping for breathe. Cold shards of glass cut into her elbow letting her know she had dropped her glass somewhere along the whole trip to the past. She just continued to lay on the floor. This was where sweet old momma had held her and told her to take deep breathes if she got scared.
'Follow or go Solo' she recited her personal mantra out loud standing to her feet. Momma was sweet old momma and look what happened to her. She walked to the guest bathroom enjoying the rhythmic drip - drip her blood made as it dropped on the floor. She started swinging her hands humming to a song she no longer remembered the lyrics of. That beautiful drip -drip was a sound of music that gave her joy. For the fourth time since she turned 10, Ms Emma Stone Grinned.

**Authors/Note: it's same same. First chapter. Please read, constructive criticism is welcome, vote if you liked it(,click on that little star) and I'd really love to get your thoughts on the story so far.
P.s What do you think of little Lizzie?**