Best Enemies

Hanna

I wake up in my room. I know it's not my room because I'm not home, I can't be.
 I see the pale lavender dresser, the three panelled mirrors, the string of beads that hang over the doorway to my bathroom and the window that looks out upon a small, flowering garden. Somehow Mum could grow flowers all year round, no matter how little rain we had that year the garden was full of life. This isn't my house, just an imitation from the drugs I guess.

I climb out of bed and crawl towards the door, opening it a crack. It flies open and Marshell bounds into my room in a tangle of lanky legs and floppy ears. He jumps up on me and starts to lick my face. I can't believe what I'm seeing, could I really be home? I hug Marshell close to me and breathe in his doggy smell. 

"You've grown so much boy" I whisper into his fur. 

 Suddenly I feel a mixture of exhaustion and relief flood around me like a beautiful natural disaster. The last week has drained me of everything and forced me to be brave, strong. My eyes swell up with heavy tears and I cry until loud, empty sobs fill the air. 

I hear footsteps on the landing outside my room and I look up hopefully. My Dad bursts into the room closely followed by Mum and I sob some more. We all collapse on the floor in a heap of hugs and tears. We stay like that until we start to laugh. We laugh with tears remaining on our cheeks. I clutch them close and breathe in their homely perfume. Mum's tomato leaf based fragrance and Dad's beachy cologne. I want to stay like this forever, protected, guarded, safe. I look up into my parents' eyes and study every detail of their faces never wanting to forget them. 

Dad lifts me up from the floor and holds me in his arms. He walks down the stairs and gently lays me down across the sofa. Mum brings some hot lemonade from the kitchen and some fresh ANZAC biscuits. They sit down on the armchairs beside me, Dad helping himself to a biscuit. 

"Hanna, we were so worried. What happened?" He says carefully.
"Shush Greg, she's tired she probably just wants to rest" Mum fires back.
"Mum it's fine, I think you should know anyway" I take a breath my mind speeding through what has happened over the last week. 

 I launch into the story starting with the fire, then the hospital, Nutmeg being kidnapped and finally the rescue. They look on mesmerized barely breathing in case the fragile moment would break. A stunned silence follows and I stare forcefully down into my lemonade. My Mum mutters something under her breath and starts pacing around the room while Dad clutches his hands and shuffles his feet.

"I can't believe this happened to you, we never should have sent you to that camp. If we didn't this would have never happened you would be safe-"
"Mum this isn't your fault, you didn't know this was going to happen. In a way I'm glad this happened, I'm stronger now, braver. I could never do the things I did before this happened. I made new friends along the way and learnt some stuff I would have never figured out..." I go quiet thinking of what happens next, the gun shot, the dive, the death. 

 It could have been me instead of Shay in that moment. She saved my life. Mum grabs a blanket from somewhere and drapes it over me. I shuffle my legs to make room for them to sit down next to me and Dad flicks on the TV munching on another ANZAC biscuit. An old black and white movie comes on which I recognise to be the family Christmas favourite "It's a Wonderful Life". Though it's only April and nowhere near the Holidays we watch it until my brain clouds over and I fall asleep to the hum of the soothing music of the ending credits.  

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Woah what she updated again!!! :0

Yep that's right I am so excited to finish this book!! 

I have figured it out and it will probably be another Rubi chapter and another Hanna chapter and then it will be finished...Kinda... 

Anyways,
Tell me what you think of this chapter, I thought I needed to add in a little more about the girls' families :))

Thanks for all the support dudes xx

I love you all xx

MOZ xx