HOUSE OF FIRE

Chapter 9

Run... my darling, Run!
I stumbled to a stop at the sight of my parents, both of them on their knees, their arms wrapped around each other.

Their eyes are wide with horror while staring at the cloaked figure looming over them with a sword in hand. None of them noticed my presence as of yet, so I slowly inch forward in fear. My mother suddenly looks my way, urging me to obey with her eyes, her soft voice mentally screaming at me to run!

Sitting upright with a gasp, I looked around as panic gripped my chest, my breathing coming out in laboured breathes. My wide, frantic, and disoriented eyes searched for the flames, for my parents, or for the third presence within the room. Except there's nothing but plaster walls and shelves filled with books. Only, when a soft, feminine voice floated past my panic thoughts did I slowly pull back to the present.

Just like Amelia taught me, I closed my eyes and took in deep breathes. Both in and out, in and out. And when I felt somewhat sane again, I slump back in relief.

A warm hand rests upon mine and I flinch away with a startle, looking up to find Amelia's forest-green eyes stare at me with concern and a piercing intensity. "are you okay?" her soft question floated into my ears, and it took a couple of seconds for them to register before I nodded.

"y-y-yeah, I think so."

The huge lump stuck in my throat prevented me from saying anything else. Since I hardly recall much of my memories of the night of my parent's deaths, Amelia had suggested we try out hypnosis to pull them out of my subconscious. Unfortunately, I didn't think they'd be so intense or leave me feeling so vulnerable and afraid. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I look up in a daze when a glass of water is held to my face. Smiling softly, Amelia stands over me holding out the glass and motions for me to take it. I didn't even realise she'd left the room.

Whispering my thanks, I grip onto the glass tightly and stare into the colourless liquid for a full 10secs before draining it down. Settling the empty cup on her table, I let out a shaky sigh. With a nod, she smiles slightly and settles back down on her seat. Dropping my head into my hands, I leaned forward to rest my elbow on my knees and sobbed silently.

After what felt like hours but am sure was just mere minutes, I wiped my tears and sat up. I didn't even realize I had my hands clenched in tight fists until I felt the pain of my nails digging into the skin of my palm."do, you want to talk about it?"

"yes," I whisper, before shaking my head. "no."

I frown, my brows pulling together because I'm a little confused. "hmm, actually, I don't know." I finally conclude with my head down, knees bouncing, and hands slowly rising to wrap around my body.

"if you want we could postpone the rest of today's session to another day-"

"no!" I yelled out, panicked, as my teary eyes raised to see the really concerned look on her face. "I mean I don't think trying to glaze over this would be a good idea. I think I need to talk about this." sniffing, I wipe at the tears trailing down my face though they just continue to flow. Picking up a box of tissue on the nightstand next to her, she holds it out and I grasp it with shaky hands. I have no idea what happened that night, but if the bad feeling I'm having regarding my repressed memories is true then I have done a lot of wrong to my family. "I have no idea what that memory was about but I think something bad happened to my parents Amelia. And I witnessed it." I sob, my chest constricting in pain.

Clenching my hands, my hands rise to my lips as painful sobs slip out. Shaking on her couch, I grip the skin of my chest and beat it a couple of times as the feeling of being suffocated becomes stronger with each whimper that leaves my lips. Watching me while trying her hardest to control her emotions, Amelia lets me cry my pain out and I appreciated it. I don't think I would have been able to pull myself back together if she tried to comfort me. "because I was so traumatized," I scoff. "I might have unknowingly let a possible murder get away with their crime, so please Amelia I need your help accessing my memories. I need to know what the hell happened that night."