*03/03/2020 - 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏*
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Everybody at Black Hill knows about the lake by the old house. They know never to let an open wound bleed out in the murky waters. Never to take their e...
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AFTER THE INCIDENT - Winter '19
Mum held fast onto my hand as we exited the school. The sky was overcast with clouds, shadowing the ground beneath in a dark grey. It would rain soon. I wanted the sky to open up and swallow me whole. My whole body felt numb, my mind trained on the lake. On the greedy way it lapped me up, sucking me down until I came back up, and my world had changed.
Nobody wanted to tell me how long I'd been gone for. Not even Mum told me what happened during the days - weeks? - I'd been gone.
Accusations and hatred spilled from rose-lined lips. Parents lined the pathway at the front door of the school, their faces scrunched up like paper balls. They were bulls, ready to charge. Mothers held their designer handbags up like pitchforks. I wondered what they would say if I tore into the expensive fabric with my nails.
Principle Keane walked in front of us towards our car, a tall, skinny beanpole. How would he protect me from the hordes? Zayn stayed inside. I knew it was the sensible thing to do, but it didn't stop me from. Mum pulled me faster, and as the first drops of rain began to fall, we spilled into the car. Fathers rapped on the windows. One bald man with olive skin and eyes as dark as night yelled words that I couldn't understand. I cringed back in the car seat, forcing my eyes away.
He looked so much like Yana, I couldn't breathe.
Mum drove as fast as she could back home. I stared as Black Hill raced past, then crawled to a halt when we parked in our driveway. I opened the car door and stepped out into the torrent of rain, the water droplets stinging my face and knees. Mum ushered me inside, where Oliver sat at the base of the stairs, his hazel eyes bright in the dark hallway. He got off school half an hour before I did. I usually found him in his room, sketching something out or reading one of the many books Mum and I bought him.
Oliver rushed to me and wrapped his tiny arms around my waist. I smiled, tears prickling in my eyes.
"Hey there, kid," I murmured into his hair. He hugged me tighter. "Did they tell you what happened?"
He shook his head. "The big kids at school were shouting mean things, but I didn't listen to them, Anna! They're all liars and bullies anyway."
Oh, Oliver.
"Come, mijo. Let's do something fun." Mum offered her hand to him. Oliver usually grabbed on at the promise of something fun to do, but this time he stuck by my side, shaking his head. "Oliver, this doesn't concern you. Leave Anna alone and let's go make dinner."
Oliver turned away from her and looked up at me. "You didn't kill them people, Anna. You're the goodest person I know."
With one last hug, he scurried off to the kitchen with Mum, his dark hair wild and flopping about his head. Without his warmth, the cold and anxiety seeped back into my limbs. The cut on my hip stung worse than normal. I pressed against it, scowling.
