The Story of Steps

Talks

Faye:

For quite a while I seem to simply drift in and out of unconsciousness. Sometimes people seem to be talking, either silently or with a bit of excitement - almost as if in a discussion. It's not obvious if it's a happy discussion or rather an argument though. But their words are soothing, making me wonder where I am. It all is like I'm trapped in another world, words echoing in my head but without being able to respond, unconsciousness surrounding me. I don't even know how much time passes but simply am in my own world.

When I finally manage to open my eyes properly, I immediately recognise this place. It's our house, well, the house of my parents in fact. My room; the room where I lived before moving together with Travis. But how did I get there? Honestly no idea, all that's able to be recalled is how Travis was slapping me while shouting angrily and how someone entered the house. The police. They walked into our house and arrested him. But when and especially how did I went here? I don't know. Trying to move, I let out a cry when pain rushes through my body - especially through my back and ribs. It seems like they're quite injured and bruised - probably even fractured - but I don't even want to think about it further, knowing that I'm mostly bruised when Travis was in his usual behaviour of being abusive. 

These thoughts are now interrupted when footsteps echo across the room, someone making their way towards me. I hide under my blanket, tensing slightly, with tears rolling down my cheeks. I knew it, he's going to slap me again. The blanket is put away from my face and I let out a little scream, my eyes being closed when someone speaks as I put the blanket back over my face again. "Faye, hey don't cry. It's me: Lisa. You're safe." she whispers as I'm sobbing uncontrollably. "Hey, you need to calm down. It's just me, I'm not going to hurt you." she adds worried. I try to look at her as she sits down by my side, my eyes barely open but full of tears. Lisa seems like not knowing what to do, only whispering soothing words until I calmed down slightly - still sobbing though. "Your parents said we should say hello to you." she says after a while of hesitating. I blink, wanting to show that - though I understood her words - a responce isn't possible as the room is spinning and my eyes just fall close again. "It's fine, you don't need to talk. We all are here and you're safe now. Claire wants to say hello too, is that okay?" Lisa asks soothingly. I briefly open my eyes to see her looking at the door, blinking tiredly. She seems to accept this as an answer as she walks out of the room silently and seems to talk with someone, only a few sentences of the conversation being audible. 

"She cried?" Claire asks, silently but still hearable. 

"Yes. She- she thought that I'm him and that she's going to be hurt." Lisa says, seeming to burst into tears herself upon saying this. 

"Lisa, don't cry. I will talk to her, don't worry. She's just a bit confused because- because of him." Claire replies almost too silent to understand. 

A while of silence appears between them before a phone rings, with Lisa taking the call. It takes a while until it becomes obvious to whom she's talking. "Hey, H. Yes, we're at her house. She wasn't talking but cried a bit. H, listen. Listen. He fractured her ribs, her back is injured and her face is a bit bruised as well. H, please understand. Okay? Speak you later." 

"What's about Lee and H?" Claire asks back as Lisa ended the call. I tense at these words, wondering if they want to hurt me, while listening closely to their conversation nevertheless. 

"H said that he and Lee want to say hello too. But I said that- that I don't know." she sighs back in reply. "I think she's asleep again at the moment."

"I will talk to her now. If Lee and H ask, tell them they can come over as well." Claire says before she opens the door, walking into the room. "Faye?" she asks silently. "Hey there. He can't hurt you now, you're okay." she says soothingly. "Faye, it's all okay. He's arrested. We're all here for you. You're safe and we'll help you." she whispers, looking at away so she could brush away her own tears. Again I try to create a sentence, the words barely audible but Claire seems to understand the question. She sighs, not looking at me as she talks. "Travis tried- well, he- he tried to kill you - but your neighbours called the police and they arrested him now, sending him to prison for attempted murder. He's definitely going to be in prison, the police said. Your parents want you to be here. You were unconscious for quite a while and sustained plenty of injuries, especially on your ribs and back and some of your ribs are even fractured and- and you're quite bruised, so you're not able to walk around at the moment, okay? Just relax." she explains, looking outside of the window to search for something else to say as it seems. But the tears in her eyes, now rolling down her cheeks, are still obvious.

"Don't cry." I whisper, wishing to soothe her too and tell her that she doesn't need to cry. She looks at me thoughtfully, still holding my hands tightly. "Claire, please don't cry."

She smiles saddened. "I'm sorry. It's just- just that I thought- why didn't you told us how he is?"

"Because I love- I loved him." I say quietly, sighing when trying to move around - which doesn't work out at all because of these injuries. 

"I know you did." Claire says silently and with a deep sigh. Yes, she and also the others weren't fond of him. Seeming to share equal thoughts, Claire decides on changing the subject slightly. "Where does it hurt?"

"My back hurts." I reply as a matter of fact. "And my head."

She tries an encouraging smile, putting something cold to my side as well as to the back of my head, watching my eyes close as I almost faint. "Faye?" she asks worried, shaking me slightly. "Are you dizzy?"

My eyes briefly open again, only to fall back closed; seeming to answer her question. Instead of asking anything else, Claire keeps sitting by my side with her usual caring manner showing as usual; assuring that they're all here, that we could talk - she even asks if I want to talk with my parents instead of the band. But the truth is, I don't want to talk now. I know what the others must think, how disappointed everyone must be about me falling for someone like Travis. Are they angry? 

Lost in these thoughts, I barely realize how she's looking at the door awaitingly as someone enters the room again. I assume that it's Lisa, but in fact she's accompanied by Lee and H. When did they came over? They want to hurt me, I simply know it. Lee only greets silently without looking at anyone of us, but H immediately sits down next to Claire, looking at us with a little smile. He seems cheerful as usual, obviously as he's the chatty one of the band, although he doesn't seem like he quite knows how to talk to us now. "Hello." H says, putting his hands onto my arms in an attempt to make me look at him. I look at him confused before trying to turn to the other side. "Hello." he repeats, turning me back. 

I stare at him with confusion, the fact that he just grabbed me making the tears appear. He'll slap me, I know it. He will slap me just like Travis used to do when being angry. Of course he will do that, I can see it in his eyes. "Go away."

"What-" H asks but I interrupt him, pulling away from his grip.

"Go away, I don't want to see you, you should go." I mumble, back to sobbing uncontrollably as I hide under my blanket again, whispering that they should stop talking.

"Faye, I don't want to hurt you. I'm not like Travis." H says saddened.

"H, come on. Let's go." Lee says, almost too silent to understand. Both of them truly seem taken back. Almost saddened by those words, yes, they really looks sad and H doesn't seem like his usual chatty self. And obviously the others are confused as well. Yes, neither Lee or H are like Travis - but the way H was grabbing me, his actions, even if it was just his usual way of behaviour, was enough. Without further words H leaves the room, Lee following him without asking anything; while I look to the window, crying again and ignoring what the others are saying. 

"I will talk to them. Try and talk to her." Lisa announces, walking out of the room as well. 

Claire keeps sitting next to me and it seems like she's searching for words again, hesitating on what to do before she just starts to comfort me with saying soothing words. "Don't cry please, Faye. Neither Lee or H wants to hurt you, okay? It's all okay."

Even if she tries to be comforting, and even if she's saying the truth about Lee and H, I still continue to cry until I'm simply too exhausted for crying. "We're all here for you." Claire assures me, putting me back onto the pillows and in a blanket as I simply drop off back into my sleepy state.