The Last Time (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 4

When I woke up, I was lying in my bed with the sun shining brightly through the window. My head was pounding, and I couldn't really remember what happened last night. I turned and let my legs dangle over the side of the bed before standing up and looking in the mirror.

My face was red and swollen, complimented by the thick, black streaks of makeup running down my cheeks. I looked ridiculous, but I knew what it meant. It meant I had another panic attack.

After washing my face, I headed down to the kitchen to fill my growling stomach. While in the hall, I saw the edge of one of the dining room chairs peeking out from the kitchen, telling me that somebody was in there. The whispers that I heard next confirmed it.

I continued making my way down the hall, and everything instantaneously got quiet. As I turned the corner, I was met with a bunch of grim faces.

I walked to the cabinet and grabbed a cereal bowl. I picked up the cereal that had been left on the counter while glancing at Granny, Uncle Jake, and Daphne who sat quietly at the table. They looked worried. Daphne even shifted in her seat.

After pouring the milk in my bowl, I moved to the table and sat in my favorite chair. It allowed me to look outside at the old barn standing just outside of Granny's property. There was nothing particularly special about the barn. It just reminded me of simpler times...when things didn't seem as difficult as they do now.

Uncle Jake stood up with his plate and took it to the living room. Right on his heels, Daphne left. I looked at Granny to see if she would leave too, but she remained seated. She stayed, but something told me that she would have rather been anywhere else but in that chair. She wouldn't even look at me.

I finished my food in silence, not wanting to cause anymore problems in the household, and went back to my room. A little while later, the sound of the front door opening caught my attention. A few moments later, Puck walked into my room with a small bag in his hand.

"What's that?" I asked with a smile as he sat on my bed.

My smile soon faded as I realized his face resembled that of Granny and Daphne. They all had the same grim expression plastered on their faces.

"I bought you something," he said.

He started to pull things out of the bag. First, a small note book, then a sketch book, ordinary pencils, and colored pencils.

"What is all of this for?" I asked in confusion.

"That day when we were sitting on the park bench, you were drawing a picture.  You seemed like you were at peace, and you need an outlet for your emotions. It's not good to keep all of that bottled up," he let out a small sigh, "There are some things that you probably won't want to tell anyone, or can't tell anyone, and this could help. If you're not feeling up to drawing, you can use the notebook to write. The Old Lady already promised not to invade it."

I smiled at him, but he didn't return it. I muttered a quick thank you before turning my head back to the television. We sat there for about ten minutes before I finally broke the silence.

"What did I do?"

He gave me a confused look, "What do you mean?"

I sighed, "When I went in the kitchen this morning, nobody would talk to me. They all seemed nervous, like I had done or said something. Now you bring me stuff to "express my feelings."

He started to fidget and I continued, "You guys are acting like I did something. I want to know what."

Puck opened his mouth and started to explain what happened at the graduation party.

"When we got to the house, you fainted. A few hours later, when we were all asleep, you got out of bed and attacked Granny with a knife. Her screaming woke everyone up, and thankfully Jake got downstairs in time."

My hand flew to my mouth, "I did what?"

He continued, "It was as if you were under a spell.  After we pulled you away, you fainted again. You don't remember any of it?"

I shook my head and explained that I didn't even remember the graduation party. The last thing I remembered before I woke up was the actual graduation. I remembered voices and then darkness. Nothing else.

I ran my hands through my hair and let out a big breath of air. Still wearing my pajamas, I stuck a leg out of my window and rested my foot on the tree that grew right outside of the window.

"Cover for me," I said to Puck.

He nodded and I made my way down the overgrown tree. As I stepped onto the ground, I let out another big sigh. I wanted to cry, but crying wasn't going to help anyone at the moment. I just couldn't believe I attacked my own grandmother.

I made my way down other street and tried to sort through what Puck had told me. It sounded as if I was under a trance.

I continued to wander around the street until it finally hit me.