Fragile Strength

Chapter Two

She was wrong...

Claire's mind was screaming in denial at the acts that lead up to her now walking home. Things like that didn't happen. That kind of evil just didn't happen! At least... not to her...

Her entire body ached, her clothes were wrinkled, her hair tangled and she had a slight limp do to the soreness between her thighs.

She wasn't stupid ofcourse, she watched the news, she read. She knew women and girls got raped... but for it to happen to her??

Claire shuddered as memories assaulted her, like a slide show on repeat.

The hurt passed, replaced with numbness and fear. She should call the police. But, all she wanted was to scrub the evidence from her body and never look at anyone again. She could barely walk without swaying and it was dark. She was alone.

What would she tell Steph? Would anyone believe the most sought after guy in school was a rapist?

She shook her head. No, she would push through this on her own. She would face everyone and go on as if it hadn't happened.

Claire turned the street corner and walked up some stone stairs into her house. As she walked inside, horror rented itself in her mind. Everything was a wreck. Red blood streaked the floor, leading into the living room, she followed it.

As she stepped into the living room she shook head to toe and had a feeling she knew what she would find. She got her conviction.

Claire fell to her knees at the sight of her parents lifeless bodies torn and mangled on the marble floor. Their eyes glazed over in death, hands coldly clasped. Together til the very end.

She screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed. Loud. She dint even notice everything glass and crystal shattering. The Windows blowing outward into a million pieces. When when stopped, she curled up between them and cried the last of her tears away.

Then she just lay there. Looking up at the white, blood splattered ceiling. This had been her fault. The monster from her dreams came for her.... and took them instead.

Then she became living death at that point. She breathed, but she was empty. She didn't know how long she lay there cold and still. But, light came creeping through the shattered windows.The sound of a car door slamming outside caused her brain to spark. The. Ops had finally come to clean up the deceased family of three. They would find all corpses of course, because surely she couldn't have survived that night... Right? Three more doors slamming made her flinch. No, she couldn't have flinched. She had to be dead! She was going to be with her parents!

"My God, we're too late!" A soft feminine voice whispered in horror. Claire didn't understand how she could hear, she was supposed to be dead. She wished it with every fiber of her being. And even if she was alive it would have been too soft to hear.

"No, there is no silver blood. She's alive, find her." A deep male voice commanded. Several foot steps moved about, going in different directions. One towards her. She wanted to scream no, to leave her dead. But she couldn't even move her lips to speak.

"Oh no! You poor thing! I found her!" A woman yelled.

Then she was leaning over Claire. She was pretty with long mahogany hair and golden eyes. She checked Claire's vitals as the others entered the room. Claire didn't look at them, she stayed staring unblinking at the ceiling.

"Something is wrong with her." A younger male voice said warily.

"She is starstruck. Most star children never witness such horror, they are innocent to their core and so when they do come into these horrid and filthy conditions they go into a state of shock and trauma." The deep voice explained. He turned to leave and then strong arms slid underneath her as if to carry her.

They reminded her of Eric. Her mind started screaming again but, Claire could not speak or move.Tears would not fall, it was like being in a coma and she could do nothing about it.

"Put her down!" The deep voice suddenly shouted and she was back on the floor.

"Why?"

"She is afraid of you." The voice growled.

They seemed to share some sort of silent communication because they did not talk again. Claire felt a slight shiver in her mind and an eerie feeling made her shut it out, she felt confusion and surprise from some force.... Odd. The woman bent to pick her up.

"Markus! She's getting cold!"

"We have to get to Aricinae, hurry!"

Claire's mind panicked as her fingers twitched toward her parents while they carried he away to a black Mercedes with tinted windows. She couldn't leave them!

The world went dark.