Innocence Taken

Chapter Two

Dinner with Shane and Ryland had went amazing and Ella continued to thank them for paying for her even after they had said countless times it wasn't a big deal. To Ella, it was a big deal she always felt so guilty when others offered to pay for things when she knew she wouldn't be able to pay them back right away. Money has always been a struggle for her family and she was determined to turn that around for herself.

When she arrived back home after dinner and ice cream, she was greeted by an overactive pup and a note stuck in her door. "Yes, Bug I know you need to go out, give me one minute." She sighed almost annoyed at the little chunky dog, but who could stay mad at a face that looked like his, certainly not Ella. She laid the closed envelope that only had her name, written in black ink, on the front down on the counter, making a mental note to open it when she got back from taking Bug out to do his business. After attaching the harness and leash to the fur ball, they headed out to where most of the people in the building took their pets to use the bathroom, behind the apartments in a dark grassy area that Ella hated with a passion at night. For at least five minutes she waited for Bug to find a spot good enough for him to use. "Come on little guy it shouldn't take that long." Ella said in a hushed tone, looking around everywhere frantically. Anytime she thought she heard or seen something move, Ella nearly fell over from jerking around. It wasn't until she actually seen him, straight across the street standing in the alleyway. Was he staring at her and Bug? It was really hard to tell, the only light being a dim street light that lit up everything behind him making it seem that much scarier. The mysterious man was short, chunkier built and almost seemed familiar, but not a very good familiar. Bug barely had time to finish his business before Ella was carrying him back inside much quicker than their journey out into the cool air.

Back inside, Ella released Bug from the harness and put him down. She made sure she locked the door, even the chain lock which she rarely ever did. "Who the fuck was that?" Ella said to herself, something she found herself doing a lot of. Frantically going to her bedroom where the big window was pointing out toward the creepy yard and alley,  Ella peeked out between the curtains, praying she wouldn't see what she was looking for. As if all odds were against her, there he was only this time she could almost see his face, he was now turned toward the light more. Ella received her answer, he was watching her, and for a split second she thought they made eye contact. Stepping backwards quickly, her calves hit the bed and she quickly sat down unable to comprehend what any of this meant. Then it hit her, the note! Jumping up, Ella ran into the kitchen and grabbed the envelope off the counter. Shaking and on the verge of crying, she ripped open the thin piece of folded up paper and began to read. "June 25th 2008. Do you remember that day, El? I'm sure you do, that was the first day, the first day of the rest of our lives together..." She couldn't read anymore the paper fell from her hands and onto the floor. Tears flooded her face, but Ella couldn't move. She was frozen in her spot. Frozen with fear, confusion, guilt. All feelings Ella knew too well. "This can't be happening. It can not be happening." She stammered and hurried into the bathroom, feeling as if all her dinner was going to come right back up. And it did.

An hour and a half later, Ella was still sitting in the bathroom, face wet and blotchy, eyes swollen and red from crying and vomiting. She didn't know which she had done more of. Bug had joined her, snuggled up in her lap. It was almost comforting to the girl, but nothing would be able to really comfort the fear of the one person she never wanted to see again, coming back into her life without notice. Or was there notice? Had she been given signs? Shooting up so fast causing Bug to dart out of the bathroom, Ella ran into her bedroom. Searching next to the dresser where she had seen the knickknack earlier that day, Ella found nothing. As she stood up from the floor once again, she screamed and jumped back. There sitting on top of the old dusty wood of the dresser was the little porcelain girl, staring right at her. "He's been in my house. Oh my god he's been in my house!" Ella yelled. She couldn't figure out if she was terrified or angry, maybe a little bit of both, but what she did know was this was too much for her to handle sober. Walking into her small kitchen, Ella reaches up into the cabinet searching blindly with her hand. "There it is." She mumbled, feeling the bottom of the square glass bottle. Pulling it out, she sighed deeply. "I can't do this. Not again." She whispered, sitting the bottle on the counter and leaned her hands against the top of the cold surface.

After filling at least three glasses full of Jack one right after the other an all too familiar feeling was starting to take over the small girl. Staggering to the couch, both glass and bottle in hand, Ella flopped down into the cushions. Reaching for her phone, she searched for his name. Quickly clicking on it without thinking, the phone began to ring. "Hello?" A thick, groggy, Irish accent came through the phone. "N-niall." Ella's voice broke and the next few minutes of the phone call was just dead silence other than the girls quiet sobbing. Once the man on the other end of the phone realized Ella's crying had calmed down, he spoke up. "Ella, what's wrong? Y'know it's very early here for me." Silence. That's all he could hear except for a few sniffles. "Ella? El? Are you drunk? Did you fall asleep?" Niall asks with a small chuckle once he hears her soft breathing and light snores. "Alright, I'll text you later. Be careful over there, love." And with that He ended the call just before the girls phone slipped from her hands onto the floor.