Arsonist's Lullaby

Chapter 23 - Sam

It was weird coming back home. My room looked similar and I was hit with an intense wave of déjà vu, but I still couldn't quite remember much.

I opened my bag looking for something to sleep in when I heard the door creak open.

"Who is it?" I asked standing up. I turned to find my mother standing in the doorway.

"Hi mom." I muttered pushing the hair away from my face.

"I haven't heard you call me that in a very long time." She scoffed softly. I frowned somewhat confused.

"What do you mean?"

She suddenly looked frazzled and shook her head, smiling that plastic smile I could never forget.

"I mean with you being gone for so long and all." She quickly added coming up to me.

"And what have you done to your hair?" She tsked frowning at my messy curls. "It's like a birds best, all over the place and unkept." With all the traveling and running my hands through it from being so nervous today, it was more frizzy and unruly as usual.

"It's not that bad. Jesse likes it." I said defensively. She suddenly got quiet and looked at me with those yellow eyes I had inherited.

"How close exactly are you with this boy?" She asked dusting a non existent fleck off of her dress.

"Why?" I asked crossing my arms. She looked at me and sighed.

"For goodness sake Clementine, I'm just asking a question."

I looked away not wanting to argue with her on my first day back.

"This is the first time I've seen you wear your hair naturally curly in a while." She smiled tucking a stray curl behind my ear.

"You haven't worn it like that since you were a little girl." She gently tilted my chin with her fingers and softly smiled.

"I missed you too mom." I muttered, stepping close to hug her. She didn't hug me back at first and seemed surprised before gently squeezing me.

"You should get some rest. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." She pulled away and walked out the door before I could ask her what kind of plans she was talking about.

I changed into the warmest thing I could find since it was kind of chilly and slipped into my old bed. The sheets were made of dark purple silk and I was surprised to find a small piece of chocolate wrapped up in gold wrapping that matched my comforter.

I suddenly remembered popping the sweets Francesca would leave for me on my pillow, every night ever since I was a little girl, into my mouth before bed. Smiling, I unwrapped the little chocolate square and popped it into my mouth, letting it melt in my mouth as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

I opened my eyes hearing a creak from the other side of my room and sat up, moonlight streaming through my window, making it easy to see in the dark.

"Hello?" I called. It was quiet and I began thinking I had just imagined it when the creaking came back but closer to my bed.

"Jesse?" I asked glancing towards the shadowed part of my room next to my bed. I sat up suddenly feeling panic freeze my body when I realized it wasn't Jesse stepping out of the shadows.

"Be a good girl now and stay quiet." He said, cutting off the scream that had been itching it's way out of my mouth only to be muffled by a pair of rough hands.

It was the man from the alley. I tried to push him off of me as he swung his legs onto the bed and pinned me down.

"Jesse!" I managed to scream before he slapped me with the back of his hand making my neck snap the other way.