Dark Facade

chapter...10

Don't blame people for disappointing you. Blame yourself for expecting too much from them~unknown

Something screamed in me not to go, but I had no choice but to find out what the person wanted. I peered out the window and saw the police car parked outside. If I left, they would follow me, and I would be brought back home, so I had to keep them occupied. I put on the most preppiest smile I could force and gave them cookies and coffee.

"I just wanted to give you guys a little something sweet for looking after me." 

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart, make sure to lock your doors, but we'll keep watch throughout the night."

I waved goodbye and turned down the lights in the living room and put on the TV to make it seem like I was still downstairs. I will only step out for fifteen minutes max, cause there is someone trying to kill me.

The bonfire was just five minutes away, and I wouldn't be gone long. I crept out back and started speed walking through the forest. It wasn't long until I saw the fire and some people from school, I watched from far to see if anyone looked like they were waiting for someone. I spotted a girl who used to hang with Theo in some club he wouldn't talk about.

"Hey, Viola?" I whisper yelled she turned her head and spotted me the walked up to me.

"You got my text." 

"Yeah, but I wasn't really sure who it was."

"Sorry about that, but there are some people who don't want me to speak to you, but that's besides the point I have something to share with you."

She pulled us further away from the group but still close enough where we could hear people.

"Okay, I have to speak fast, so listen closely." she looked around paranoia buzzing from her eyes.

"There was a group of us who started a group learning about the spooky history of our town, unfortunately for it become more dark than spooky. There was this project  we found called the Storks project. It was an illegal adoption agency of babies from psych patients from the old asylum that was shut down"

"Apparently doctors were having inappropriate relations with patients, the entire story is sad really but the main reason I'm telling you this is because-" a branch broke in the distance and a scream rang through the woods.

"Agh Micheal, you are such a dick would you stop trying to scar us it's dark out here," a girl, probably one of the cheerleaders, cursed out.

Viola stopped and looked petrified.

"This was a mistake," 

"Wait, Viola, please tell me what this is about."

She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear.

"In the library, there are recordings for every meeting. Listen to them, now run someone is watching us,"

I nodded and then started walking fast towards home, Viola slipped back to the others. I heard footsteps gaining up on me. They sounded heavier, so it wasn't Theo, this person wanted to be heard.

I started sprinting, and the steps got louder. A brick was thrown at my feet, causing me to trip, I fell into the ground, and the hooded man was on top of me. His hand covered my mouth to stop me from screaming. Strangely, he did nothing. He just stared at me through a mesh in his hoodie. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he took a gun out and pressed it against my temple, making me stop.

He opened my jacket, exposing my bare neck and cleavage that heaved up and down from fear. He took the gun and traced the number seventeen, then made a tick tick sound. He continued pointing he gun at me as he stood up, I still didn't move. I waited a bit, and it looked like he was gone. Without wasting time, I sprinted back home, and luckily, no one was there.

I checked, and the cops were still outside, I checked the doors again and put on the alarm. The hot water steamed up the bathroom quickly. Hopefully, the heat wasn't enough to wash of the terror that I felt tonight. 

He could have killed me, but he didn't. Those tapes would explain everything, hopefully. I tried to sleep, but the events of tonight played over and over again with so many different scenarios, non good, of what could have gone down replaying like a sick glitch in my mind.  I ended up taking painkillers to fall asleep. It may not have been physical pain, but the anxiety and the uneasiness I felt stifled my heartbeat. I couldn't take it. 

Before my alarm could ring, the sound of someone trying to open my door made me jerk out of bed. I grabbed my archery trophy, ready to attack whoever it was. I calmed down when I saw my mother's dark locks.

"Sweetie, it's time for school... Oh, you're up perfect, breakfasts downstairs. " her tone was exasperatingly cheery.

"What time did you guys come back last night?" I asked my voice horse.

She looked at me with a confused expression.

"We were here the whole night is something wrong." she touched my hand, but I jerked it away.

"Nothing, it's fine, I need to shower,"

I locked my bathroom door and looked at myself in the mirror. I had dark circles around my eyes, my hair was duller than usual, and my usual bright rosy brown skin was paler. I stood in the shower, letting the water run down my body. First day back at school, fun.

I finished showering and decided to wear something that felt like me,  the old me or someone who people were comfortable with. I decided to go for a black and white checkered  skirt and blazer with gold jewellery. 

Theo always teased my preppy ivy league style. He used to say I secretly had a thing for dark academia kind of ware, and I should just own up to it. He was right.  I smiled sombrely, I miss those times, but things were different now. I grabbed my school bag and went downstairs for breakfast. I paused when I saw my father on the kitchen island. He usually doesn't have breakfast with us.

His face was always set with a serious expression, and his tone was businesslike, without any emotion. He was always like that even when I was a kid. He was more of a living wallet come to think of it. It came to a point where I stopped asking for money cause it felt like he was being forced to raise me. 

My mother was the main parent in my life even though at times she would do and say things that made me not want to be too close to her. Mainly because I realised she was trying to turn me into a minnie version of her and not in a sweet way, in a controlling and psychologically damaging way.

"Morning," I said flatly.

"Morning Jane."He didn't bother look at me. He continued reading the newspaper and my mother some papers but stood up to hug me.

"Oh sweetheart, don't stay out for too long," she cupped my face.

"So happy to have you back, my darling angel." She kissed me on the forehead.

"Yeah, ah, thanks, Mum."

I grabbed an energy bar and left the house quickly. Sebastian pulled up in my driveway, and I hopped into his car. We drove all the way  to school with Seb talking about football. I was partially listening, but last night's incident  floated in my mind. He parked in his usual spot. As I was about to get out, he locked the doors.

"Jane, you have been silent the whole way you didn't even bother to pretend like you were listening like you usually do. What's wrong?"

"I'm just nervous about going back to  school, that's it." he looked like he wasn't convinced. I kissed him on the cheek and squeezed his hand.

"Trust me, I'm fine. Come on, we'll be late,"

"Are you gonna tell me why you went to the bon fire yesterday?"

I stopped and looked at him confused.

"Mike said he saw you there talking to someone who used to hang out with Theo. Are you looking for him?'

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"Okay, firstly, it's none of your business what Viola and I were talking about, and no Sebastian, I am not looking for the person who locked me up in a cage like a dog. Open these doors now." I was heated, and he knew not to speak back to me when he made me like this. He unlocked the doors, and I got out without saying a word.

Lovely way to start an already off day.