Where it all began ("Bend or Break" Book 1)

Chapter 11

"Andrea, are you in there?" I called out through the door.

No response.

"Drea. Drea?" I called out again "I didn't mean to upset you earlier. You're right, I don't understand. Is it about your parents?. If you explain it to me though, I'll understand" "Forgive me" I asked

No response

"Andrea!" I shrieked "Andrea!". I remembered what she had said to me:

I can't now, I can't with this, I can't with life

Oh God, had she began to self-harm again, or worse had she...attempted suicide?

"Andrea, Andrea! Are you ok!" I screamed, hammering on the door.

"Andrea, please no" I breathed

"I'm right here" I heard Andrea say behind me

I spun around and threw my arms around her.

"You're bleeding" she gasped alarmed

"I'm fine, just a small cut"

"I thought -" I breathed

"I had hurt myself? No. Besides, I said I wouldn't do that to you again. I meant it"

"I just thought... because I couldn't open the door and..."

"And you assumed the worst" she sighed. "Wait? the door's locked?!"

I went pale. It hadn't occurred to me till now. "He's in there" I whispered.

Andrea began to hammer on the door and yelled: "We know you're in there!". Then we heard the door unlock.

Andrea looked at me in fear.

I nodded as if to say "Go on".

The door creaked open and Andrea tiptoed in. I followed behind.

"Its blood" Lab gasped

I looked at Andrea's large rectangular mirror and the red letters that were scribbled across it. The letters read: Dear Alisa, meet me at the children's Flame Creek Park tonight at 1 am.

"You can't," Andrea said, "It might be a trap".

"I have to" I murmured

"Then we're going together"

"No" I opposed "It's not safe" "And I can't let you risk it for me"

"It's either together or you don't go " "I won't let you go alone".

"Andrea, I can't -"

"Then you don't go"

"Andrea"

"You don't go. End of discussion" she said briskly and walked out of the bathroom.

I looked again at the message on the mirror written in blood. Ko's blood. I had to meet the writer tonight. For all I knew, if I didn't, he would make me pay and sacrifice someone I loved. I couldn't take that chance. Even if it meant I had to lie to Andrea.

I walked back into the bedroom where Lab sat cross-legged on the white bed sheets.

"I won't go," I said

"And you're not lying to me, because if you are -"

"No" I interrupted "I'm not lying"I muttered a bit too hastily

"I'll leave now" I declared "Bye" I smiled and left the room.

I couldn't handle the guilt I felt as I looked in Andrea's eyes, not one more second. "I said I wouldn't do that to you again. I meant it. I wouldn't break your trust" She had said to me. She had kept a promise to me and I couldn't do the same to her.

Chris stood, arms crossed, in front of the broken phone on the floor, as I entered the room. Chris's eyes drifted to the blood that gushed out of the cut on my right wrist and rushed to me.

"Are you ok?" he asked and took my wrist and grabbed a piece of gauze from the cabinet and wrapped it tightly around the wound.

"Chris, I'm fine, the glass of the phone cut me, that's all"

"The hell happened?" he asked angered

I sighed "I threw the phone and it shattered"

"No, not the phone, you didn't tell me about the threats"

"Threats?" I asked

"The blood that leads to the bathroom" he explained

Sure enough, I looked at the floor and saw a trail of blood that led to the wooden, steel delineated door. I opened the door and saw on the mirror, letters scribbled in blood across it, as I had seen in Andrea's. The blood had not been Ko's but mine. The letters read "Meet me or I kill". The killer had written it.

"Care to explain?"

"I have to meet the writer at the Flame Creek children's park or someone will die tonight" I explained

"You can't" he opposed

"Didn't you read? If I don't, he'll kill" "I can't let that happened"

"And I can't let anything happen to you"

"He won't harm me. Trust me" I assured

"I'm supposed to trust that a serial killer won't harm my sister?!"

"He won't let anything bad happen to me.. He needs me and I'll take advantage of that".

"Please believe me" "Trust that I'll be safe"

I could see the anger and fear in Chris's eyes soften as he looked at me.

"Please" I bagged

He hesitated.

"I have to" I pleaded

He gave in "Alright" he sighed.

"Thank you" I smiled and kissed Chris on the cheek.

"And take a blade"

"I will" I nodded.

That night, I sneaked into the kitchen and took a knife. I left the hospital at 12:00. Alone. I couldn't take Andrea. She had faced pain I couldn't even imagine. Why add to that pain, more unnecessary pain?

I wore a short-sleeved plain blue shirt, a light white sweatshirt and jeans, and New Balance sneakers. I took out the car keys that Chris had loaned me and unlocked the car. I hopped in and pulled out of the hospital lot. I felt vulnerable and frightened in Andrea's absence.