Struck Through the Heart (Book One)

Chapter 9

"Hazel what were you thinking about yesterday at the ceremony?" Barry asked as he played with a brown locket of hair. "I was thinking about a traumatic experience in my past." "Want to talk about it?" Barry asked. "It's uh...it was a death of a family member. I'm the last member of my family. My uncle Ronnie died in the particle accelerator explosion, my parents died in a car crash, and Scott..." "What? Who's Scott?" Barry asked. "Scott was my brother, he died. He was mugged, beaten, and shot in the stomach three times." "How long ago was that?" "A year and half ago." I said as I nearly told him I was the reason that Scott died. I was too big of a coward to try and save Scott from the muggers. "When I was 11, my mother was murdered. Before she was murdered I saw yellow lightning surrounding her. Inside the lightning, I saw something...I saw what looked like a man inside the lightning. He killed my mother. Everyone thinks that my dad killed her but, I know what I saw that night. Now my dad sits in Iron Heights an innocent man. While the murderer roams free." Barry said. "I'm so sorry." I said. "So, yesterday when you couldn't move you were-" "-reliving my past about Scott."

We sat there for a minute. "You know Iris tells me that you were saved by the Red Streak yesterday." "Yeah for the second time in a row. I guess I should just stay inside the house." I said in a nervous chuckle. "You'll be fine." Barry said with soft laughter.

The rest of the day, Barry and I were closer. I was walking to work early, when Dr. Harrison Wells rolled up to me in his wheelchair. "Hazel." "Dr. Wells. What...What are you doing here?" "I came here to see if you were doing alright. I can only assume these past few months have been unforgettable and quite traumatic for you." he said. "Yeah, this is not how I imagined living in Central City would be like. It's quite different than Starling City." I said. "Yes they are very different. Actually, speaking of Starling City and Central City...why DID you move down to Central City?" Wells asked.

I was caught off guard by the question. "I...well. I was alone in Starling City. My family died there. It was a dangerous place. Now it seems, this place is becoming more dangerous than some guy who runs around killing people he deems unworthy to live with a bow and arrow." I said. "I don't think so." Wells said as shook his head. "Excuse me?" "I said. 'I don't think so.' You didn't just moved to Central City on a whim because you were lonely. No no. I think you moved here to get away from something or better yet a someone. Someone like Scott Raymond, maybe?" "How do you know that name?" "I know a great many things about you, Hazel Raymond. I also know a great many secrets. You are running from your past because you thought Starling City reminded you too much of what you lost. Of what you lost because you were a coward. What you lost because you were too afraid to do anything to help your brother as he died on the corner of a street. As you ran away from him. So yes, I believe Starling City is a dangerous place...what I also believe is that you brought more danger into Central City. For too long you ran from your past. Well, now your past has finally caught up to you and now you can't do anything about it. Am I right, Ms. Raymond?" Wells asked.

I just stood there with my mouth open. My heart was racing faster than I knew was possible. I heard a new voice come from behind me. "Hey Hazel, Dr. Wells what are you doing here?" it was Barry. "Oh Hazel and I were just talking about her uncle Ronnie who died in the particle accelerator explosion...weren't we, Ms. Raymond?" Harrison said. Barry looked at me and burrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Hazel? Are you okay?" Barry asked. "Uh...yeah. Yeah I'm fine. You know, actually Barry, I'm not feeling too good. Can you tell the captain that I'll be staying home today?" I asked. "Uh yeah sure. Sure thing." Barry said with a nod. "Thanks." I walked away towards home and glanced behind to see Wells smiling evilly at me behind Barry's back.

Barry's face was still filled with concern. I arrived home and open the door fast. I ran up the stairs. I started hyperventilating. I threw my purse at the the bed and ran my hands through my hair. How did he know about Scott? The only person I told about Scott was Barry. Barry doesn't seem like the type of person to reveal another person's secret though.