《Rewound and Rewritten》 Announcement I decided I''d start writing longer chapters from here on out. Hence I began merging the previous chapters together, but I found that there were many parts I didn''t like or would rather go without... so I decided to make a few changes. Nothing so major that it would change the entire story, but I think these changes were necessary. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The majority of my edits were focused on the first two chapters (1 to 4 if you go by the old ordering) the others are practically the same... I think it''s better this way and I''d like to get your opinions as well, so feel free to leave me a comment anytime!! Chapter One "Aaah!!" I spluttered, coughing up quite a bit of water, ''Wait... water?!'' I rapidly cast my eyes around and saw that I was in a bathroom or more specifically, in the froth-filled bathtub of a bathroom. ''I survived... How??'' at this point, I realized that I wasn''t in just any random bathroom ''And how did I get here???'' everything from cracked tiles to the old wooden door was familiar, a little too familiar. ''Just what in hell?!'' I unconsciously rubbed my eyes in utter confusion (which didn''t exactly help, owing to the fact that my palms were quite soapy) But it did tell me that I was indeed, in the process of taking a bath, and also brought to light another factor I''d failed to notice earlier. ''Did my hands get smaller??'' I squinted, as I brought them up above my head ''Yup... Definitely smaller than before'' I reasoned. Whydon''t I just look in a mirror to make sure?? You may ask. Well, there wasn''t one, or rather wouldn''t be one here in this particular bathroom. I checked just in case and sure enough, no mirrors ''Okay... Then how about this??'' I brought my hands to my face and tentatively rubbed my chin and cheeks, no stubble nor any traces of my usual beard. My face was smooth, rather it hadn''t gotten to the phase where one starts growing facial hair ''No... Way'' I seriously began doubting if this was just another of my vivid dreams (I''d had a few) The other alternative was a little too good to be true''It can''t be that I...'' the sudden rattling of the door caused me to jump and quite a bit of water, splashed out the tub. "Oi John!! Hurry up!!" I heard someone complain, "Breakfast''s almost ready!! It''s your first day, so best you left earlier than usual!!" one could easily tell at this point, that the speaker was a female. "Johnathan?!" She called again when I hadn''t replied, hammering the door with greater intensity. "I... I''m almost done!!" I replied, though keeping my voice steady was quite the challenge ''How long has it been??...'' it was all I could do to keep from crying at this point. The voice belonged to my elder sister, she sounded so young and so... carefree. ''... I''ve really returned?!'' I was still in disbelief but the clear change in our voices, both in my sister''s and my own, squarely pointed to the fact ''Only one way to find out for sure...'' I reasoned while calming, or rather repressing, my surging emotions. I stepped out of the bath and grabbed a towel, thoroughly drying myself before pulling on my boxers ''Well, here goes nothing... '' and taking in a deep breath, I hesitantly stepped out of the bathroom. What greeted me was a somewhat cluttered room with a bookcase, an old looking wardrobe by the side and a single bed by the wall. Light entered through, via means of a window atop the bed. On the wall directly opposite me was a door which, if my memory served true, would open up to a flight of stairs that eventually ended at the dining room, a floor below. All in all the room looked quite messy, the walls had a lot of old posters of anime and movies, ''Well... old by my standards anyway'' I surmised as my eyes came to rest upon a set of clothes, hanging on a hook behind the said door. White shirt, black pants, grey blazer and a tie to go along with it. A school Uniform, and furthermore it seemed to be brand new ''Everything''s just like I remember... Anyway, I''d better hurry up'' I reasoned, upon recalling what my sister had said about breakfast. I donned the Uniform with practiced ease, and steeled myself as I grabbed the doorknob "Breakfast!! here I come!!" And muttering the savage war cry, I turned the knob and briskly stepped out of my room... I was on the ground before I knew what hit me. "Sorry!! Forgot something" I heard my sister apologize, the door to her room was almost bursting open in her haste "Mom''s already laid the table!! I''ll catch up, so start breakfast without me!!" She called and slammed the door shut behind her. I gingerly got back to my feet and dusted myself off, checking for any major injuries as I did so ''Man... This sure takes me back, she was such a clumsy one'' I couldn''t help but grin as I made my way down the stairs, knowing better than to interfere at this point, plus my thoughts were more than a little preoccupied at the moment ''I have to make sure'' and I my pace quickened. ''If she''s back to being like that... then!?'' my heartbeat quickened at the thought, while my anxiousness increased tenfold with each passing step, all further attempts at calming myself were in vain ''Please, let it not be a dream!!'' I silently pleaded, upon reaching the foot of the stairs and cast my eyes towards the table in front of me ''They''re really here...'' and all I could do was stare blankly at the pair.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. They were both exceedingly familiar, but equally unfamiliar at the same time, for I hadn''t seen them in over ten years, I noted the slightly amused expression on my Mother as she placed a plate of toast on the table, no doubt in reaction to my somewhat loose fitting Uniform (I was assured that I would later grow into it) while my Father simply gave me a nod, and resumed reading his newspaper, coffee in hand. ''I''m back!!'' I inwardly yelled, the sheer happiness threatening to overwhelm me, as I barely restrained myself from yelling out loud ''I''ve really come back!!'' I wanted to give them both a hug, but I knew how odd and out of place that would be (I wasn''t one for being so expressive) so I gave my father a thump on the back and settled for eating an extra large portion of my Mother''s cooking. Okay, maybe I should back things up a little before being labeled a sappy stooge¡­ --- I woke up one night during my Junior Year, to find a policeman waiting outside the house door, who told me that myDad''s car had veered off a curb, resulting in my parent''s untimely demise. ''Brake failure'' was the reason we''d been given, but I knew for a fact that it was a lie, the entire thing had been staged. My Dad worked on that car himself, and I knew how particular he was about its maintenance, especially so when my Mom traveled with him. But seeing as I couldn''t provide any conclusive evidence, the case as brought to a close. They classified it as an ''unfortunate'' accident, any further protests on our part fell on deaf ears. The years that followed were the darkest times of our lives. My sister who was just out of High school, had to forego all her dreams and aspirations in favor of work, single-handedly shouldering the burden of earning our livelihood. I cycled through several part-time jobs to lighten her burden as much as I could, seeing as she''d forbidden from leaving school. It wasn''t until muchlater that I, with the help from one of my father''s old acquaintance, was able to secure an entry into the army. It had always been my father''s wish and additionally, would also give my hardworking sister a chance to pursue her own aspirations. Things had finally taken a turn for the better, my first tour ended in success and my sister managed to secure a full scholarship at a deemed University. It wasn''t that long before a suitable suitor turned up and very soon, wedding bells chimed loud and clear. Even I had the good fortune of meeting a ''special someone'' and the days that followed were some of the best in my life, but unfortunately, these good times didn''t last. My sister''s body had always been a little weak, given how she''d overworked herself and come childbirth, her body could endure no more and I was suddenly left all alone. Her husband''s family immediately cut all ties with me, stating that the child was better off growing up without the knowledge of my existence. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact, but my suffering hadn''t ended just yet. I''d been nearing my mid-thirties at the time and had just returned from my last tour... Only to find that the wine I''d been drinking was poisoned and that I couldn''t even talk, much less move, anymore. The poison seemed to also have a numbing effect and given the copious amount I''d taken in, my body was akin to a rag doll. All I could do was watch on powerlessly, as the bastard responsible forced himself on my girlfriend while I lay dying on the floor. "You see this bitch here??" He goaded as he held her body over me "She was the one who suggested we use the poison!! I was all for beating you to a pulp!!" He laughed "It''s much easier this way!! He''s made a lot of enemies, no one would suspect you in the slightest!!" He said in a mock imitation of her voice while she shuddered in his grasp "But you know what?? Icould tell that she was lying" he continued on with his actions, even though she was clearly exhausted. "I tried everything!! Power, jewelry, money, anything she desired... but she wasn''t swayed" His voice went on, as the poison killed me slowly "She ignored me, even threatened to kill herself if I tried approaching her again!!" His voice got angrier with each passing word "Know how I earned her cooperation?? I told her that I''d have you framed, and killed as a traitor!!" He yelled "I chased her with all my heart, I''ve yearned for her for so long!! Yet she only agreed because of you!!" but then he let out a mirthless grin "It doesn''t matter anyway, it all played out well in the end..." He shoved while she buckled in his hands, "She agreed to this, to be mine, in return that I let her poison you..." He seemed oblivious to my reaction, hardly able to contain the triumph in his eyes "Her love for you, despite our differences I have to commend you on winning her heart, not that it matters now!!" And he thrust into her all the more, earning an agonized moan that shattered my very being. ''She''d been suffering all this time, she even agreed to commit murder, just to ease my pain!! Why didn''t I notice!! Why!?'' I could feel the wetness leaking out of my eyes ''Why am I so useless?! I couldn''t get justice for my parents, I couldn''t take care of mysister and now...'' "You''ve been a thorn in my side for far too long, Johnathan Stone!! I think it''s high time you were reunited with the rest of your family!!" His smile was positively fiendish now, "Oh¡­ I almost forgot!!" He paused in his actions, only to bend down and plucked the box that lay hidden in my pocket. Grabbing what was inside, he casually tossed the box away "Well ain''t she a beauty!! Good taste!! I thank you for saving me the trouble!!" he commented and I watched as he forced the ring onto her finger, almost breaking it in the process, "I¡¯ll have the ceremony scheduled first thing tomorrow!!" ''No!!....'' I yelled with all my might, I''d had enough ''Why me?? What wrong had I done?? What wrong had my family done?! Why?! Was this all fate''s doing??'' and something within me shattered ''Well then screwfate!!'' I glared at the scumbag with venom filled eyes ''You won''t get away!! I won''t let you¡­ Even if my spirit has to tear through reality¡¯s very fabric!! I swear I will¡­'' but everything turned black, my consciousness was rapidly fading. I felt a weight dropped on top of me, and I knew that it was her, "I..m... S..o..r...y" and those were the last words I heard... --- Chapter Two "John?? John!?" Startled at the sudden voice, I involuntarily brought my fists up in a fighting stance, only to note the butter knife held in one of them and the puzzled expression my mother was currently giving me. "Are you..." my she started, only to be interrupted by my father''s hearty laugh "Well done!! That''s a perfect stance you got there!!" he commended, as his expression grew serious "But you''ll need more than that if you want to get a gir..." "Honey??" my Mom intervened almost immediately. "I... I mean when you fight those..." "Dear??" Mom called while giving him a sweet smile (The kind that sends shivers down your spine) poor Dad, he was just making things worse. "I... I" he coughed "Don''t get mixed up in any funny business!! Your studies come first, you hear?!" and he gave me a grave (Help me out here!!) look and after taking another sip of coffee, he all but hid his face behind the morning newspaper. ''That''s right, I''ve come back'' I took advantage of the moment to remind myself of the fact ''And I''m not dreaming...'' there were somethings you couldn''t just dream up and the intensity behind the glare my Mom was currently giving my Dad, was one of them. My father''s last tour ended a short while back and he''d just begun working at a local law firm, courtesy of his contacts. His office was only a short distance away from our place and though she tried not to show it, my mother was quite pleased with the new development. My sister walked in just then (I was pretty sure I saw a whirlwind trailing in her wake) "What''d I miss??" she asked as she took the chair next to me and began filling her plate. "Well, Dad..." I started in a low voice, giving her a quick rundown of the events so far. "Finish your breakfast..." My Mother sighed at my sister''s knowing grin while sending her husband an exasperated glare. I told my Dad, switching to a different language altogether, making no effort to contain the mirth in my voice. My Dad had picked up quite a few languages during his service, and seeing as I had a knack for learning them, started teaching me a few weeks ago. It had almost become accustomary for us to speak a few sentences during every meal, and seeing that it wasn''t a new development anymore, neither my mother nor my sister paid us any head. his gave me a mock threat, as his head finally emerged from behind the newspaper he didn''t fail to comment. I pretended to grumble and I watched as his expression changed instantly. He unknowingly put more force into his voice, earning us a questioning glance from his wife. "Wallace??" "Nothing to worry about Amanda... His pronunciation still isn''t up to par, so I was giving him another example" My Dad smoothly came up with a cover story, while I sent him a grateful glance. he reasoned as I scooped a spoonful of cereal. I explained. Dad gave me one of those glances, that could potentially see right through a person I quickly assured him My father stayed silent for a while he finally gave in And I cheerfully began demolishing the rest of my meal. he asked in confirmation I replied, my voice firm "Your school starts at eight, so that gives you a little over an hour" my Mom suddenly reminded me, giving us both a look that clearly said ''Stop talking and finish eating!!'' and we promptly obeyed.The rest of breakfast passed by in silence but it was this very silence, which was both warm and comforting, that I''d dearly missed and yearned for.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. It also gave me an opportunity to gather and clear my thoughts ''I''ll have to slowly figure things out from here, but one thing''s for sure'' I glanced at the people around me.My loving mother, my awkward yet caring father, my clumsy but doting elder sister and the image of yet another person surfaced in my mind ''This time, I''ll be the one to protect all of you!!'' I promised, my eyes narrowing suddenly ''And I absolutely will notlet history repeat itself!!'' "I''ll finish that if you don''t want it..." my sister''s voice broke my train of thought and I hastily glanced at my, now empty plate"Hey!! I was just gonna eat that!!" I glared at her. "No, you weren''t!! You even had this creeped out look on your face!!" she retorted. "Did not!!" "Did too!! It was almost like..." "Give it back!!" I intervened and made a grab at her, ultimately forcing her to move out of reach. ''I should pay more attention to how I act around people...'' I made a mental note on the side. "No fighting at the table!!" My Mother warned us in a stern (barely trying to contain her laughter) voice, while my father went back to his paper. "Nyssa, didn''t you have to leave earlier today??" Mom asked, and my sister''s eyes widened in shock. "Yikes!! That''s right!! Thanks, Mom!!" and she quickly devoured the waffle she''d swiped from my plate, much to my despair "See you guys later, good luck John!!" she grabbed her bag and was out of the door in a flash, I couldn''t even get in a word of complaint!! ''So much for enjoying the silence...'' I grumbled as I gulped down the rest of my juice, I was getting short on time myself. "You sure you''ve got everything??" My Mother asked as I grabbed my bag in turn. "Yeah, Mom I do..." "It¡¯s quite a long way so it won''t hurt to double check" She advised, "And are you sure you don''t want us to drop..." "Mom!! It''s fine!! And I need to get used to the route anyway, so the sooner the better!!" I gave her a hasty hug before dashing out of the house "Later Dad!!" I called back and immediately took off at a run, I had a lot more ground to cover as compared to my sister, and her school wasn''t exactly close either. I ran full tilt, ablunder on my part, as I soon found out''Well¡­ damn'' I''d barely even reached the end of the street before I was forced to stop. ''Okay¡­ First order of business'' I let out another gasp, ''Get yourself in shape!!''I''d forgotten to factor in the limitations of my current self. It took me a good few moments to catch my breath''Well, I shouldn''t be surprised...'' I smiled bitterly as I continued on, though this time I settled for a normal jog.I''d been on the scrawnier side all through high school, add to it that I was tight-lipped and shunned people in general. Well, let''s just say that calling me unpopular, would have been an understatement. The school I was attending, had quite the reputation, its student''s given first preference in many a renowned University.Hence, the number of students and their diversity therein were quite phenomenal, though the majority of them were from society''s upper echelons. Sons and Daughters of Powerful Politicians, Diplomats, Businessmen and in general, those students whose parents could afford to send them here (Not to mention their trusty lackeys) And then there were scholarship students like me, now when you have such a large number of students gathered together at the same place, scruples and disagreements were bound to occur.Furthermore, these weren''t just limited to just the above-mentioned groups (or maybe factions?) For internal conflicts, within the so-called factions, were quite common as well. The smallest trigger could set it off, a spark of envy or a sliver of jealousy and ''boom'' you''ve got yourself a wildfire, thiswas when one''s family background came into play. And if you find yourself on the losing side, it''s best you give up or back off at the very least, any further actions on your part might end up adversely affecting your family instead. Messed up right?? Myfather hadn''t exactly been kidding about me needing to toughen up, but given that my background was relatively decent, as long as I didn''t personally go looking for trouble, I''d be let off easy. Some of my peers had it worse, and I mean way worse, bullying and the occasional beatings were quite commonplace. ¡°How can the school board allow such a thing?!!¡± One might ask.Well, rules were established and they were quite strict, but they only extended as far as the school gates. The school couldn''t control what happens out of grounds, and neither could they be held accountable for it, which was understandable. ''I can''t take things lightly, I have to get stronger... And fast!!'' And clenching my teeth, I burst forth with new vigor. Luckily for me, the climate had taken a turn for the cold, but I took a quick look at myself in the window of a nearby Restaurant, just to make sure I wasn''t too much of a mess. A somewhat scruffy boy looked back at me, his disheveled hair a shade of dark brown, while his eyes were a curious mixture of greyish blue. Everything aside his unusual eyes, to sum up in one word, was remarkably ''average'' a fact which didn''t bother me in the slightest ''It could even turn out to be quite useful...'' I glanced at the sign beside my reflection, before I resuming my jog towards my ''new'' but old High school. ''This sure brings back memories¡­'' I passed by the gates easily, blending with the crowd of similarly dressed students with a few teachers added to the mix here and there ''I remember how nervous I was, when I first passed through here'' I grinned, spotting several students sporting similar expressions, as they were forced to follow the general direction of the crowd. ''I''d better get to class...'' and with some difficulty, I managed to extract myself from the sea of people, many of whichwere no doubt heading towards the school notice board. I already knew where my First-year classroom was, so I took different corridor altogether. Naturally, I was one among the first students there and taking advantage of the fact, I quickly chose a seat of my preference ''Near the window towards the back of the class... Perfect!!'' I was close enough to listen in but far enough to ignore everyone if need be. I dumped my bag on my bench and flopped down on the chair ''Okay then...'' I made use of the remaining time to draft up a rough plan of action ''I can''t afford to draw attention'' I surmised ''Not until I''ve sufficient power to back myself up at least...'' I raked a hand through my hair, as I mulled over the situation ''I''ll need contacts and connections, and for that, I primarily need...'' And it ultimately boiled down to one entity ''Money'' one couldn''t do much else in this world without it. I decided that investing in stocks and as such, was the best way to start off, and it could also double up as a front later on ''But maybe an occasional...'' "Good morning class..." My train of thought was brought to a stop yet again ''Ms. Keen...''And I had my first step all figured out, I was literally staring at her in the face. Chapter Three I briefly noted that unbeknownst to me, the class had filled up, but the majority of my attention was focused on the person who had just entered in. She had honey brown hair that reached a little over her shoulders, a slender build and eyes a deep shade of hazel. Paired with her formal suit and her black-rimmed glasses, she painted the perfect picture, of an intellectual beauty. "My name is Sandra Keen" she gave us a sunny smile, "I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three years..." And she went on to give a short explanation on the school curriculum thereafter, most of which I chose to ignore. ''It''ll be in another two months that she...'' I began searching through my memories, trying to recall all I could, about the particular incident. Sandra Keen had been a favorite, which wasn''t surprising given her personality and demeanor, and the entire school had taken the news quite hard. Though personally, I never had any interactions with her outside of class but from what I''d heard, she''d been a truly kind and generous person ''Not to mention Ms. Keen is also the...'' "The Student by the window near the back..." A soft voice echoed, "Could you introduce yourself to the class??" and she gave me a smile, attributing my absent-minded state to one of nervousness. ''Okay¡­ was she always this beautiful?!'' I sent her a tentative smile in turn, as I rose to my feet, ending my introduction with just my name and where I was from. Unlike last time, I refrained from revealing anything else about me or my family, I didn''t care about what my fellow classmates thought of me, so why waste the effort?? I easily read the surprise in her eyes though she tried to cover it up with another smile ''I may look fifteen on the outside, but I''m a thirty-year-old man at heart'' Ms. Keen was barely in her early twenties so, in terms of seniority, I was way ahead of her ''Don''t worry... I''ll help change your fate'' I quickly formulated a more specific course of action, factoring in the additional information. ''And I''ll also have to orchestrate an earlier meeting with...'' I rapidly went over the scenarios in my head, deciding on going for the one that would pose the least amount of suspicion, though it gave me barely any time to prepare myself. I watched as Ms. Keen went over our lesson plan, ''Saving her is just the first step'' I reminded myself as I drafted out a particularly demanding, borderline crazy, schedule which I wasdetermined to follow through. Changing fate was no trivial matter and there was no greater tribute to a cause than one''s blood, sweat, and tears. I wouldn''t be paying the last one though, I''d shed enough tears in my last lifetime and didn''t plan on shedding anymore for at least a good while. The rest of my day passed by uneventfully and I was soon exiting the school gates...Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The scream was all the confirmation I needed ''Never again...'' I dashed up the flight of stairs, my arms open wide upon reaching the landing. I had just enough time to register the panic in her eyes before the force of her fall sent me stumbling. I managed to keep my footing and, after stabilizing myself, immediately glanced towards the corridor above us ''Well that figures¡­'' I smiled bitterly for, aside from a few scattered books and a bunch of papers, the place was completely deserted. ''I timed it right...'' letting out a relieved sigh, I turned towards the beauty in my arms and abruptly froze. I''d gazed into those very eyes countless times, and despite being prepared for it, I was still left entranced. ''Alisha..'' my arms involuntarily tightened around her narrow waist, as a flood of memories, overwhelmed my mind. Her head leaned against one of my shoulders, and given that I wasn''t as tall as I used to be, we''d ended up in a state where our lips were mere inches from one another. I could feel her every breath and the fact that she was hyperventilating, well... To put in simply, I was stuck somewhere between seventh heaven and hell''s fiery pit. ''Sweet mother of...'' My blood raced in frenzy, the hazy gleam to her eyes, the heaving of her well-endowed chest ''Keep it together, keep it together!! You can''t give in!!'' My reason wavered with each passing moment, but I held it all back, ''She might be the same person but this wasn''t my Alisha...'' I firmly reminded myself ''I''ve come this far, I''ll have to wait just a little bit more!!'' and I tore my gaze away from her utterly tantalizing form. I took in a few deep breaths, to calm myself "Are you... Okay??" I asked after a few minutes, though my voice was a little too hoarse for my liking. "Um... Ye... Yes" Came her soft voice, she''d also calmed herself to the point that she wasn''t hyperventilating, which made it a little easier for me at least. "Thank you for... Saving me" She started again, her palm landing on my arms, which were still wrapped securely around her "Could you...??" her voice at this point, aside from the obvious embarrassment, also held traces of wariness. ''She''ll probably go into full-on battle mode in a few minutes...'' I noted, for I could feel her body tensing "Ahh... Yeah" I immediately loosened my hold. "Aak!!" But hardly had she straightened up, that she stumbled, letting out a yelp of pain as she did so. I reached out to grab her again, but in my haste, one of my palms ended up landing on something soft and pert, I instinctively squeezed. "Eep!!" ''Uh oh...'' My eyes widened, and I immediately readjusted my grip, "I can..." *Slap* --- Alisha Barnes, the only daughter of Multi-millionaire Henry Barnes and his artist wife, Susan. She was easily one amongst the most popular girls in school, a Senior who neither had the ego nor the air of superiority that one would come to expect, from someone of her status and upbringing. She treated everyone equally, irrespective of their status or backgrounds, a factor that eventually paved way for her getting accepted into the Student Council. Appearance wise she had long, reddish-brown hair that reached up to her waist, a petite frame that was in no way short and light green eyes, that could easily bend one''s will to her own. Naturally, the number of admirers she had weren''t small, unfortunately for them, Alisha could be quite the ''Ice Queen'' when she wanted to be. I''d accidentally met her during the latter half of my freshman year, and we''d hit upon quite the unlikely friendship. But it wasn''t till much later, during the time of my first tour when we had a chance meeting, that ultimately resulted in us becoming a couple. --- But this time around, I couldn''t wait that long, or maybe the correct statement would be that I didn''t want to wait that long as:- One: It would be a huge waste of time, that we could have otherwise spent together. Two: I didn''t plan on following the same path, so the said encounter might never occur in the first place!! And that my friends, is what leads us to the point where I get the living daylights knocked out of me... Way to make a first impression, huh?? Chapter Four "And... I think that''s it" I handed her the last of the papers, that had previously scattered across the corridor. "Um..." She stacked them atop the bundle next to where she sat on the stairs adamantly refusing to meet my gaze, her face a deep shade of red. ''Looks like I went a little overboard...'' I grinned sheepishly, as I crouched beside her "There''s not much swelling..." I noted as I examined her right leg "But I''m taking you to the Infirmary regardless..." I added on, as I grabbed her discarded shoes. "But I..." "You mind carrying these for me??" I cut in as I gestured towards the bundle, "We don''t have much time" I started again, seeing as she wasn''t complying "The Nurse might leave at this rate, and there''s also these books that need to be returned, not to mention the test papers... I guess you were tasked with helping your Teacher grade them??" I asked, but went on without giving her a chance to reply "So they might still be waiting for..." "Okay!!!" She finally relented, as she grabbed the bundle, "But if you even try to so much as..." I knew her threat was more of a bluff than anything else, Alisha appeared very stubborn and headstrong on the outside, but inwardly she was a very kind and gentle person. She could be easily convinced if one pushed the right buttons, and me being a little too forceful was one of them. So I neither paid heed to her death glare nor to her obvious embarrassment, as I took her in my arms and unceremoniously held her in a princess carry. "Oh, and by the way" I continued on as I straightened up "I have no clue where the Infirmary''s at..." I flatly admitted as I began making my way down the stairs. "What?!..." "You''re gonna have to direct me..." I gave her a grin, as I came to a stop, we''d reached the second-floor corridor "I''m a First Year, and it''s only been three weeks since school started, so you can''t exactly blame me..." I explained "Anyway, left or right?? Or do we go down another flight??" "Well, that would expl..." Her eyes widened as they darted towards my tie, First Years wore red ties, Second Years had blue and Third Years, black "You''re really a First..." "Let''s go with right..." I decided and promptly began walking in the direction, knowing full well it wasn''t the correct route. "Stop!! You''re headed the wrong way!!" She immediately intoned. "So left?" "No!! Go down another flight!! And then..." "I''m not very good with directions, so tell me the rest as we go on..." I told her as I resumed walking. "Alright..." She agreed with a sigh, her face was still quite red and our eyes never met for more than a few seconds, but I could tell that she''d lowered her guard against me. This came as a welcome bonus, considering I''d already achieved what I''d been aiming for. I was completely convinced now, that my actions could indeed, change the future and this incident marked my first step. The scar on her forehead, that I''d grown so familiar with, would never come into existence now... Luckily, the Nurse was in when we got there, and she made short work of the situation "Some rest and a cold compress, you''ll be able to walk just fine in the morning dear, I''ll prescribe a mild painkiller just in case..." The middle-aged lady told Alisha while scribbling upon a form, which she then handed to her. "Would either of you like some tea??" She asked, "I just brewed a fresh pot" "I''ll take a pass, but you go ahead and have some..." I told Alisha before she could decline "I''ll deliver these for you in the meantime" I picked up the bundle as I assured her. "Well isn''t he the considerate one, you better hold on tight!!" The Nurse advised as she walked to the adjoining room, as Alisha''s face turned beet red. An awkward silence reigned for a few moments before "Thank you..." She finally managed to utter softly. "You''re welcome..." I grinned "Well I''ll be off, who do I give this to?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "To Mr. Daniel, he''s our English teacher and his desk is right across from Ms. Keen, who''s your English teacher right??" "Yeah, and she''s my homeroom teacher as well!! So I''ll have no problems..." I assured as I began walking toward the door. "Oh¡­ I nearly forgot to mention" I stopped just short of the door "It''s only my personal opinion, but I think black would suit you much better than red..." "I don''t follow" she intoned "Except for the tie, all our uniforms are only a mixture of grey and..." I smiled wickedly as her puzzled expression, changed to one of outrage and embarrassment. "Per..." "See you later!!" I called back as I made my escape, just as the Nurse walked back in "Oh my, your face is all red!! Are you alright?..." I was out of earshot by then, which was quite unfortunate, but I was quite satisfied with our first encounter. Alisha Barnes was confused, utterly and thoroughly confused, her thoughts lay in a jumble and her emotions were a complex mess, they all centered around a particular person, a boy. Her thoughts never left him even after she got back home, she quickly excused herself, on the pretext that she was still feeling weak and had since confined herself to her room. "It''s all your fault!!" She grumbled, as she lay awake on her bed, it was nearing midnight, yet sleep still eluded her. And thus, she unconsciously began recalling their almost ''fateful'' encounter (MC going *cha-ching*) The day had been fairly regular, right up to the point where she''d finished grading the test sheets "I was walking out of my class and... fell??" She frowned, everything happened so fast and so abruptly, that her lack of memory couldn''t exactly be blamed. And by the time she was acutely aware of herself, she was already in his arms, staring into those eyes of his. "It seems so... surreal now" how he seemingly appeared out of nowhere, just in time to save her "A Knight in shining armor..." She mused, before quickly dismissing the thought. Alisha wasn''t one for fairy tales and fables, the entire concept of a ''Damsel in Distress'' in her opinion, was too much of a clich¨¦. "But I can''t deny that there''s something about him..." His touch, his gaze and even the way he held her, it all seemed so natural "So... familiar, almost as if he knew me" she immediately realized how improbable these words were. Alisha knew that she had never even laid eyes on him, let alone met him before today.In fact, all she knew currently was that he was a First Year, for he hadn''t even given her his name!! "Though he did say that Ms. Keen was his homeroom teacher" she surmised, "So finding him wouldn''t be that diff..." Her eyes widened "And why exactly am I even trying to look for him?! I shouldn''t be looking for him!!" she scolded herself "Especially not after... not after he... he" and shamefaced, she buried her head in a nearby pillow. "He''s a pervert!! A scoundrel!!" She firmly told herself, "And the reason I want to find him is because I... I" she was already aware that she was lying to herself, a quick look at the mirror would only confirm the fact, for her face was a bright shade of red "Jeez... What is wrong with me??" By all rights, she should have been repulsed by him, it wouldn''t have been a stretch if she ended up hating him for what he''d done, though she knew full well that the incident by the stairs, was indeed an accident. She''d put up quite the struggle at the time "I even elbowed him in the ribs..." she chuckled, upon recalling his expression "Serves you right!!" she reprimanded her pillow severely. But nonetheless, he stubbornly held on and refused to let go, which in her disoriented state only served to fuel her panic. --- "Let go, or I''ll call for help!!" She threatened, but he paid no heed. "Let me explain!! I didn''t me..." he started, but she''d had enough. "Let go!! Hel..." Just as she was about to begin yelling in earnest, she unexpectedly found her chin in a gentle caress and taking advantage of her shock, he all but forced her to meet his gaze "Listen to me for a moment would you!!" And she found that she was unable to look away, the sheer intensity of his gaze prevented her from doing so, she was practically trapped. "Where does it hurt?" He asked, his voice low and even. "My... Right ankle" she answered before she could stop herself. "How bad is it?? Can you walk??" "No, I think I''ve twisted it" It was almost like she was in a trance, she couldn''t help but answer him. "I think it''s best if you don''t strain it anymore..." came his voice, and the next thing she knew, she was already on the stairs. "Oh... okay..." a small part of her consciousness had continuously been screaming at her, to get away. He wasn''t trustworthy, his intentions were unknown. All in all, he could just be as bad as the others, she''d been fooled so many times that after changing schools, she also ended up creating a mask that served to protect her. ''Now is the perfect opportunity...'' His attention was completely focused on her injured ankle, a well-placed kick was all it would take to send him tumbling down down the stairs. But the genuine worry she saw in his eyes deterred her, she had reached a point where she could at least distinguish as much. His expression was almost identical, to those she sometimes saw on her parents, and some of the maids. "Why??" She wondered, it was a question that had bothered her since. --- "Milady??" The voice accompanied by a sudden knock on her door caused her to jump "Huh?!" "Milady??" And the door was knocked with a little bit more force. "I must have drifted off at some point..." She surmised as the light of the morning sun trickled through the blinds on her window. "Please enter Sharon..." She said, upon hearing another knock, and in walked a maid complete with a tray bearing a steaming pot of coffee, and a jug of milk. She informed her that the Doctor would be in shortly and that the school had been notified of her absence. ''I don''t know his name or his background...'' Alisha accepted the cup handed to her, ''But I know that he bears me no ill will...'' She was sure of the fact, but why or how she knew, was something she had yet to figure out, ''Which I fully intend to do...'' I suddenly felt a cold shiver run down my spine and stiffened, almost dropping my toast in the process. "Something wrong John??" my mother asked. "No... Nothing" and I hastily gobbled down the rest of my food. Chapter Five "Johnathan! Table Two needs a refill!!" A coworker told me as he entered the kitchen, carrying a tray laden with empty plates. "Coffee or Tea!?" I asked, grabbing a tray of my own. "Coffee, and check on Table Five while you''re at it!" "Got it..." I replied as I carefully placed a pot of coffee on the tray, along with a bowl of sugar cubes and a jug of milk. "Steady there..." The Owner, Charlie Simmons told me as I rushed by, I gave him a nod before walking towards the dining area. "Ten more minutes till the next shift!!" I heard him announce, and inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. I was used to hard work and pushing myself to my absolute limit but there was something about crowds, the general din around them, that put me off. I hadn''t exactly been a very sociable person previously, and I wasn''t planning on making any drastic changes in that aspect of myself, aside from trying to increase my tolerance limit by a bit. Seeing as I wasn''t planning on following the same path, I needed to improve my people skills, which was one of the reasons I''d decided on working part-time here. What did I mean by hereyou ask?? Well... Remember the restaurant I passed by during my mad dash?? Yeah, same place. Why this one in particular?? Let''s just say that this place would earn quite the... reputation later on, and I wanted to make sure I''d be there at the time. So here I was, serving a group of office workers a fresh pot of coffee and offering them a few pleasantries before making a swift retreat. "You''re doing well..." Charlie commented as I walked back towards the kitchens. "Thanks" I answered as I replaced the coffee pot and milk in turn "I''ll be taking my leave then..." I declared, seeing as it was already Seven in the evening. "Alright, see you tomorrow," he said before turning back to the stove, a new order had just come in. I grinned, Charlie in addition to being the Owner was also Head Chef, the guy was a complete workaholic. It was easy to see that cooking was his passion, but aside from that, nothing much else was known about him. Even those of us who''d been working here longest, knew not of his personal life, assuming the hulking middle-aged man even had one. Many had already come to a conclusion that he didn''t, for the very rarely ventured outside ''Ever present and always in his chef Uniform,'' those would be the words I''d use if I were to describe our Charlie. The Restaurant''s general Uniform consisted of a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants, atop which either an apron or a vest was worn depending on whether you were part of the Kitchen or Serving crew. "You heading home??" Someone asked me, just I was done changing. "Yeah... School day tomorrow" I answered, "Plus I got the months'' review coming up next week..." "Aw, that''s a shame... We were thinking of hitting this place where they got good pizza for cheap" "Perhaps another time..." I gave him an apologetic grin, as I walked out of the room. It was only my second week here (I''d waited for a week after school started before applying for the job) I worked the evening shift, which started at four and ended around seven. The timings fit right in with my schedule, seeing as school ended at three and dinner at home usually began at eight. Night had already set in, but I wasn''t heading home just yet, I was planning on making a stop at the store and getting myself a phone. With my current earnings added to the pocket money I''d managed to save up so far, I had just enough to afford a relatively decent model. Mobile phones at this time though not scarce, weren''t exactly commonplace, so shops that sold them were numbered. ''I wonder if she''s still mad at me??'' I mused, walking out of the store with my new phone in hand ''Maybe I''ll go look for her after my review'' A week had already passed since the incident, but contrary to my expectations Alisha hadn''t come looking for me ''Did I end up making her hate me??'' The weird thing was, a small part of me was actually hoping that it turned out that way ''She''d be safe, I could watch over her from a distance and...'' I smiled bitterly ''Yeah right'' the very thought of her with someone else ''Talk about being hypocritical...'' I sighed. I was passing by a supermarket just then ''Hmm... Might as well'' I stopped by the vending machine and bought myself a can of cold coffee. The glass doors of the supermarket slid open and two people, whom I assumed to be mother and daughter, walked out. The vending machine was fairly close to the entrance that I overheard most of their conversation. "Momma!! Momma!! I''m hungry!!" the girl, who looked to be around seven complained, her hand firmly holding on to the latter''s. "We''ll have dinner right after we get home" the mother replied, I couldn''t see her face clearly since her left hand was so laden with grocery bags.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Awww..." the girl''s mood immediately disheartened. "Just a few minutes..." the mother told her kindly "Once we get home, Momma will make Amy whatever she wants!!" "Really!!" her voice immediately brightened "Promise!?" "Really... So will Amy wait patiently until then??" "Yes!!" Hit by a sudden bout of hunger in turn, I tuned out the rest of their conversation and unceremoniously chugged down the rest of my coffee ''I hope Mom''s made stew!!'' and my stomach rumbled in anticipation. "Let''s go, Momma!!" hardly had I turned homewards, that I saw the little girl pull on her mother''s arm, in an attempt to hasten her. "Wait, Amy...!" caught by surprise the mother stumbled, she managed to steady herself luckily, but in the process, dislodged a carton of eggs from the bag. I reacted reflexively, by the time I came to my senses, I was already standing next to them with the carton in hand "Here you go¨C" I started only with my mind to suddenly go blank. ''No way...'' I was finally able to get a good look at the mother, and almost gaped at her in surprise. The person in front of me was dressed in a loose off shoulder pink sweater, under which she wore a white spaghetti top, finished with a cream colored long skirt. She had instinctively begun backing away from me, no doubt taken aback at the sudden turn of events, but the moment my gaze met hers she froze in place. Her hair was tied up in an unruly ponytail and she wasn''t wearing her usual glasses, she''d even managed to change her way of speech but one good look at those hazel eyes, and I was convinced beyond a shadow of doubt "Good evening Ms. Keen..." My homeroom teacher stiffened but remained silent, and taking my natural talent for worsening awkward situations into account, I wisely chose to do the same. The silence pertained for a while until a small head peeked from behind Ms. Keen''s skirt "Momma..." Amy''s gaze curiously flicked between the two of us, I noted that her hair was the same shade as Ms. Keen''s but other than that, the two shared no other similarities. "Momma!! I want pasta for dinner..." the little girl promptly declared, before her gaze refocused on me "I haven''t seen you before... Who are you?? Do you know my Momm¡ª" "Amy!!" Ms. Keen suddenly gave her a stern glance "You''re being rude!!" "But Momma looks scared..." Amy gave her wronged expression "I thought he was a bad person since Momma didn''t thank him for helping us" "Ah..." Ms. Keen''s expression suddenly turned embarrassed "I..." ''Oi oi... What happened to that calm and mature attitude of yours?!'' I wondered. "It''s alright Ms. Keen..." I decided to cut in, sparing her of any further embarrassment "I understand, you don''t have to worry" I stated, hoping that she would get the underlying meaning behind my words. "Johnathan...Thank you" she finally said with a smile, truth be told I was quite surprised that she remembered my name (Our class had over sixty people) "You''re very welcome" I replied as I gave her a grin, though inwardly I chided her ''You''re way to trusting Ms. Keen!!'' "I was wrong, you''re not a bad person... you''re really nice!!" Amy suddenly chirped in, giving me a smile. "And you''re one smart, little girl!!" I gave her a grin. "I''m not little!!" she protested. "Oh??" I pretended to be surprised "But to me, you look no older than five!!" "I''m seven!!" "Oh, so you''re four??" "Seven!!" she immediately left her mother''s side and made her way towards mine, protesting all the way "I''m seven... I''m seven... I''m seven... I''m seven!!" "Okay, okay" I hastily relented, ruffling her hair lightly. "Amy..." Ms. Keen called "It''s getting late, didn''t you want Momma to make you dinner??" "That right!! Let''s go!!" she suddenly reached for my free hand "Mister you come too!! Momma''s pasta is the best!!" "Ah, about that see..." I began "I have a few things to do back home since tomorrow¨C" "You don''t want to??" Amy hit me with the all-powerful ''puppy dog'' stare. ''Critical Hit!! Fortifications crumbling!! Red alert, red alert!!" alarms blared in my mind, I gave Ms. Keen a desperate glance "The reviews are coming up so¨C" "Oh, I see... " Those hazel eyes of hers suddenly seemed to lose some of their luster, the disappointment clearly evident in her voice. ''... Gimme a break!!'' I inwardly complained. "Amy..." she started "Perhaps another¨C" "Alright..." I could only sigh in defeat "As long as it''s not a bother" "No bother at all" Ms. Keen immediately assured, giving me a bright smile which was almost identical to Amy''s. "I''ll have to give my folks a heads up fist..." I stated, wordlessly reaching for the grocery bags in her arm, having already placed the egg carton within one of them "My phone''s new so the number hadn''t been activated yet" I explained, "So is it alright if we stop¨C" "You can use mine..." Ms. Keen handed me a flip phone, similar in design to my own, only white instead of black. I gratefully accepted and made a quick call to my father, automatically switching to another language. I informed. I admitted with a sigh It wasn''t a lie since Ms. Keen didgo to the same school. and I hung up. "Thanks..." I said as I returned her phone, utilizing the moment to fully admire her form, now that my vision wasn''t inhibited. "We... well... It''s getting late so, we''d better start off!!" she abruptly turned around and walked towards the parking lot, leading a bewildered Amy by the hand. I could''ve sworn I saw her face redden, but since the parking wasn''t well lit, I had no proof to back me up. I muttered, once I''d caught up, only for her to give me an indignant ''Hmph'' She then proceeded to ignore me completely ''Talk about being childish...'' I inwardly chuckled.
"Thank you..." Sandra''s voice suddenly broke the silence in the car. "What are you thanking me for??" I asked, "Shouldn''t it be the other way around??" She''d insisted on driving me back home after dinner, which by the way was delicious (Gotta agree with Amy there) I tried protesting, but this was one argument I just couldn''t win. "I meant about Amy..." she gave me a smile, the little girl was fast asleep by the time we''d left. "You never asked about her father" she ran a hand through her beautiful hair, tucking it behind her ear "You were careful not even approach the subject, you didn''t even ask me whyI didn''t want anyone to know..." "It wasn''t my place" I replied simply, which earned me a laugh on her part, though it contained very little mirth. "You really don''t act your age..." Sandra stated we''d already gone from being a ''student'' and ''teacher'' to something more along the line of ''friends'' "I''ll take that as a compliment..." I replied with a sheepish grin "It''s the next right... The second last house on the left" I informed, it was well past nine at this point and the roads here were practically empty, except for the occasional patrol car. Given that, our houses weren''t exactly far apart, to begin with, and the current circumstances, the journey barely lasted fifteen minutes. Sandra parked a little way away from my house, a tactful move on her part, and the car''s engine was soon turned off. I showed no signs of leaving, I could tell from her expression that she wanted to say something, but she seemed to be facing an internal conflict. Since leaving wasn''t an option, I could only be patient and wait until she came to a decision. "John..." she finally began, her voice barely over a whisper "Well, the... the thing is" she took in a deep breath "What I want to say is... it''s about Amy" each word seemed to cause her physical pain "... She... She isn''t my actual daughter" Chapter Six "Fuck..." I almost felt like hitting my head against the bedpost "How could I¨C" it was already past midnight but I hadn''t even caught a wink of sleep, my mind was a too messed up for that. I''d gotten back home at around ten and it was nearing eleven by the time my mother was done lecturing me, she was under the assumption that I was with a coworker (Thank you, Dad) After she let me go, I simply trudged my way up the stairs and dove headfirst onto my bed, not bothering to even change out of my clothes. Unfortunately for me, though my body was completely exhausted my mind was in overdrive ''I shouldn''t... I could have¨C!!'' I let out another sigh as the scene repeated itself in my head. ''The hell am I supposed to do now!?'' I blankly stared at the ceiling, dearly wishing I could fall asleep. ''Alisha...'' I clenched my fists with enough force to draw blood, yet the pain brought me no respite. So I drowned myself in a sea of self-loathing ''After everything she''s done for me and all she''s had to endure!!'' I sank deeper until I reached a point when the waters completely engulfed me. I smiled, I''d been here many times and knew that resistance was futile, so I simply let the currents take me as they pleased... sure enough, I was back in the car.
"And tha... that''s why I-" Sandra''s voice broke at this point and the tears that she''d fought to contain were suddenly left free, turning away she hid her face in her hands. I didn''t try to comfort her rather, I didn''t know how to react, she''d willingly told me everything about herself, about Amy. With this info, blackmailing her would be beyond simple, I could get her to do whatever I wanted and she would have to agree, a simple phone call was all it would take. ''If it had been anyone else...'' I grit my teeth ''Why did she...'' I glared at her, granted she knew me to an extent, but nowhere near enough that it deemed me trustworthy!! ''After so long and sacrificing so much, doesn''t she realize how bad things would get!?'' "Why..." I asked, fighting to keep the fury out of my voice "Why tell me all this?? Why place so much trust in me??" She flinched at my harsh tone but otherwise remained silent. That set me off properly "How could you be so stupid!?" I pulled her hands away from her face, forcing her to meet my gaze "What the fu¨C" the following words were stuck at my throat as she, with surprising strength, broke free of my hold and wrapped her arms around me. "I... I just couldn''t t¨C!!" she began sobbing in earnest "I c... can''t!!... I''m sorry!! I''m sorry!!" she held on tighter, almost as if she was holding on to a lifeline. ''This...'' it didn''t take me long to understand. She had kept everything locked up for far too long, building up so many walls around her that she was virtually trapped within them, almost yearning for someone to break her free. I''d seen her with Amy, knew of their relation, and also knew that she was someone who''s existence Sandra wanted to keep hidden, her so-called walls were blown to smithereens. Luckily, I was a familiar face and in addition was someone unrelated to her past, the thought gave her some semblance of comfort and hope. So, knowing that she could no longer lie to me, she''d chosen to tell me the entire story instead. Forced into solitude, raising Amy on her own while having to hide her very existence, she was already nearing her limit and our unexpected meeting, ultimately tipped the scales.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. (I later learned that whole incident was quite the fluke, seeing as Sandra seldomly brought Amy out shopping with her, and never at the same place twice) "Please... " her eyes were tinged red with all her tears, as they looked into my own. She was desperately hanging to what potentially was her last sliver of hope, against the pain and fear that threatened to engulf her "I''ll do¨C" "I give you my word" I intervened "I won''t speak of this to another soul and I will help you in any way I can, with what little power I have..." I knew that my words alone wouldn''t be enough, so I tried to reassure her "If you don''t believe me, I''ll even settle for signing a contra¨C" I wanted to prove that I was indeed being genuine, only to find that my lips were quite literally, sealed. My mind blanked out ''She''s kissing me... she actually¨C'' by the time I came to terms with the fact, Sandra had already begun pulling away. Her expression was a mixture of panic, shame, and guilt no doubt she realized that in her impulsiveness, she had committed an act that was practically classified as a felony. "I''m..." she began, but the kiss seemed to have triggered something within me, and my body moved on its own volition. One of my hands snaked around her waist and pulled her towards me, while the other, after unbuckling the hindering seatbelt, gently cupped her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock, but my lips came crashing down on the very next instant, giving her no time to react ''No!! This is wrong!! Stop!?'' the rational part of me yelled ''You already have Alisha!! Remem¨C!!'' it did no good, I was basically watching a movie screen, I could see and additionally feel, but that was all... I had no control over any of it. Sandra wrapped her arms around my neck, hardly putting up any resistance as I drew her sideways, to my lap. Her fragrance overwhelmed my senses ''Vanilla...'' was the closest comparison I could make... regardless, it left me drunk and practically cravingfor more, drowning the voice of rationality within me. Trailing a hand down her neck, I took my time to marvel at her smooth, unblemished skin as my fingers gently traced her collarbone. She let out a ragged breath but pulled me back in for another kiss, her actions prompting me to become even more rampant. I sucked on her lower lip, savoring the taste, my hand reached her bare shoulder and she unconsciously shuddered as I moved downwards. My other hand was still tightly wound her waist, pressing her body into my own, she was so soft... so fragile "Ahh!! Mmmph¨C" she stiffened, when my fingers brushed against her breasts, gripping my hair to the point where it was painful. I thrust my tongue into her, proceeding to explore every inch of her mouth, and muffling her moans. Her peaks were just the right size, not too big nor too small, simply perfect for fondling... so fondle them I did!! I relished in her softness, squeezing and pinching as I pleased, it wasn''t until my body screamed for oxygen, that my lips reluctantly parted from hers. A string of saliva dribbled down the corner of her mouth, which I quickly cleaned up with a kiss. She rested her head against my shoulder, her hand cupping my face, we were both breathing heavily "... Thank you" she managed in between breaths. "Uh..." it took a while for reality to set in, while it was true that my mind was that of an experienced thirty-year-old, my current body was barely above fifteen... though by no means did it excuse my actions, what I did was wrong, and I knew that there would be consequences. "I''ll... see you tomorrow" Sandra had already left my lap, and I''d just stepped out of her car. "..." I couldn''t reply, the guilt was already eating at me, so much so that I failed to register her words. She gave me an utterly heartwarming smile, before rolling up the car''s windows and starting the engine. I watched as the car turned round the corner, the sound of its engine was soon lost, to the night''s silence. "How... could... you..." I suddenly heard a whisper, I turned around in time to see a chalk-white hand plunge a knife, deep into my chest.
Alisha awoke with a start ''The same one...'' she was caked in sweat, despite the air conditioner in her room running full throttle. She quickly moved to the adjoining bathroom "I still can''t remember everything..." she muttered, walking back to her bed with her how clean face, it wasn''t the first time something like this had happened, the nightmares weren''t always the same but ended in the same fashion, tragedy, and death. She couldn''t understand why these nightmares kept recurring, all she knew was that they''d started roughly a month ago "Ever since then..." Since she''d slipped and fallen down the stairs, nearly injuring herself, since she''d methim ''Johnathan Stone''she knew almost everything about him now, his name where he stayed and even where he worked part-time. Alisha had wanted to approach him on several occasions, but ultimately couldn''t do so, for reasons that even she couldn''t fathom. She''d even caught sight of him leaving the infirmary one time ''He looked so haggard... like he hadn''t been getting enough sleep'' "Though I''m not one to comment..." She muttered, smiling to herself bitterly. Chapter Seven I gasped, my hand instinctively going for my throat... no blood, not that I expected any ''Damn...'' I checked the time on my watch, half past four in the morning "On a Sunday to boot..." I sighed bitterly, today wasn''t as bad as most, but that didn''t mean I was left completely unaffected. I''d been through this so many times that I developed some degree of resistance as much as one could from dying, repeatedly at that. This time it was a quick one to the throat, last time it was two stabs to the chest, and the time before that... well, let''s just say that me not waking up yelling and screaming, was quite the achievement. Things had gotten so bad, that I could no longer tell the difference between dream and reality. So if you asked me to go into detail, of the events that happened that night, then all I''d be able to tell you is... I don''t know or, I wasn''t sure anymore. Now, what the hell was I blabbering on about?? Well ever since... then, her heartbroken voice had been plaguing my mind, day in and day out. And then there were the dreams, which usually ended with me getting killed, by her ''You betrayed me... You betrayed me... You betrayed me!!'' her voice echoed, scenes of us (Sandra and me) in the car flashed through my mind. Sandra''s impulsive kiss, me losing control... --- "How dare you!!" I suddenly caught sight of someone standing by the car, looking at us with tear ridden eyes "I gave up everything for you!!" "Alish-" I called out, but a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my neck, causing my words to choke at the throat, I glanced back at Sandra in utter shock, her grip tightened. "I trusted you!!" her strength somehow overwhelmed my own "I''ve told you everything... everything!!" she''d cut off my air supply entirely, I gasped and struggled, but my body was already losing strength. --- "Wh-" the stinging pain from my head hitting the bedpost, brought me to my senses. I looked around and found that I was back in my room ''Must''ve dozed off...'' I checked the time and found that it had hardly been fifteen minutes since last I''d woken up. "Don''t wanna go throughthat again today..." I reluctantly got to my feet and walked towards the bathroom, hoping that a hot shower would help clear my thoughts (not likely)
I flopped on grass exhausted, while my grinning father sat next to me, we were currently in the backyard "You''ve gotten stronger..." he commented as the slight breeze, ruffled his disheveled black hair, a trait I inherited from him, though my hair was brown like my mother''s. "That''s what you said the last time..." I grumbled, staring up at the early morning sky. I''d been going through my morning routine, exercising and going through my stances, when my father challenged me to a spar. We''d done so several times these past few weeks, though not very often, seeing as it displeased my mother. "You haven''t been yourself lately..." I stiffened at his comment but pretended as if I hadn''t heard "Fine, fine... I won''t pry, you''re already at an age where you can figure things out for yourself and I''m proud of you, especially after seeing you juggle both your job, while keepingyour grades up" he sighed, getting back to his feet.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "You''ve grown, but that doesn''t mean you can''t turn to me, or your mother..." he raked a hand through his hair, another habit that I''d picked up from him "Damn, I''m no good with this mushy stuff" he grinned sheepishly "Anyway I was thinking of giving the car a tune-up, wouldn''t mind some help, if you''ve got the tim¨C" "Sure, no problem!!" I agreed immediately, he nodded and the two of us made our way back to the house to freshen up. We set to work shortly after breakfast and spend most of the day in the garage, only taking a short break for lunch. I called and told Charlie that I wouldn''t be able to come in today, apologizing and assuring that I''d make up for it "Bout time you took a break..." his comment surprised me "Get some rest" he gruffly stated before cutting the call. ''And here I thought I was hiding it quite well...'' I grinned bitterly, making my way back to the garage, my mother and sister were out grocery shopping. We were having a celebratory dinner of sorts, my father had just landed himself a promotion while both my sister and me, had performed quite well in our reviews, with Nyssa even scoring the highest in her form. "Everything okay at work??" my father asked, I nodded "Charlie''s cool with it..." "Alright, let''s get to it then... pass me that spanner would you??" we had long since finished tuning up the car, and were now working on the old bike my Dad had used during his younger days (not that he was old now) Both of us worked in silence, quite forgetting the time "About time you got it running again..." came my mother''s voice, it wasn''t until then that I noticed her car parked down the drive, my sister just getting out of the driver''s seat. "It was sad, seeing it left unused in a corner..." Mom continued, giving my Dad a glance I couldn''t quite understand. My father gave her one of his signature sloppy grins "I thought it might be a nice birthday gift for John..." his comment seemed to surprise her, not to mention me. I knew that the bike meant a lot to him, even though he no longer used it anymore "Dad... I''m happy and all but¨C" "You need it more than me son..." he cut in "Besides, I''ve already had my share of adventures with it, it''s your turn now" he gave my mother a knowing glance, which for some reason, caused her to blush. "Well... I''ll better start making our dinner" she commented and I watched with widened eyes, as she grabbed a few grocery bags from the car, and quickly made her way into the house. This prompted a laugh from my father, while my sister and I shared a collective grin. "You''ve been busy..." Nyssa commented, walking up next to me and surveying our handy work, the bike had been dismantled and we''d scraped off most of the rust as well, it was largely dust free since Dad regularly cleaned it (another testament to how important it was to him) The few parts that needed replacing had already been ordered and would be arriving the day after "All she needs now, is a new coat of paint..." Dad grinned as he asked me "I''m guessing you want it black??" "Wait Da¨C" "Of course he does!!" Nyssa confirmed, I sent her a glare, she stuck her tongue out at me "Anyway, I''d better help out..." she grabbed the rest of the grocery bags, from the car and walked in after our Mom, her long black hair billowing in her wake. "I think that''s her way of saying she likes the watch you got her..." my Dad deduced. "I sorta regret it now" I grumbled. "Now now... Don''t be like that" my father cracked a smile. We were a family that didn''t like too much fuss, I''d gotten my sister a new watch with my first week''s salary, which she''d accepted with a simple ''thank you'' and then we went right back to our old routine, no excessive displays of emotions, no extra words spoken. "Well... I think it''s best if we stop for the day" my Dad continued "We''ll reassemble her tomorrow, once all the parts arrive" "Cool..." I agreed "Plus, I''ve worked up quite the appetite!!" Dad laughed "You and me both" After properly arranging the parts we left the garage, closing it behind us, and went to clean ourselves before dinner. It was odd how a seemingly typical Sunday, spent with my family had helped me so much. I felt better than I ever had in the past week, and my mood was quite cheerful, happy even. I knew I had to figure things out in the future, and eventually have to face the consequences of my actions as well. But for now, I wanted to enjoy a long shower, followed by what would definitely be a scrumptious dinner ''And hopefully, finish the day by catching up on some sleep!!'' Life was never simple, reborn or not, all I could do now was figure things out and live with the choices thereon (granted, I already knew the better ones to make) But that didn''t mean I was all knowing, I was very limited, and was well aware of the fact...