Chapter 18: Earth

Wednesday,

   May 15, 2008

            My birthday, my sixteenth birthday! Oh my goodness! I practically jumped out of bed. I went to my closet, and picked out my favorite outfit. I put on my black V-neck, black high wasted skirt with the purple flowers, and my new wedges. Then, it was time for my hair. I did not want to do anything special, so I put it up in a ponytail, with the traditional red ribbon of course.

            When I went to go check on my mom, she was not there. So, I went downstairs. I heard her talking on the phone, so I stopped at the top of the stairs to listen. “Okay,” she said. “Yes, come by after she leaves. No, I cannot promise you that things will be the same. I gotta go, I think she’s awake. I’ll see you later. Bye now.”

            I walked down the stairs to say good morning to my mom. “Oh my god, don’t you look beautiful! Happy birthday my baby girl,” she said.

            I laughed. “Thank you mommy,” I said. “Um, who was that on the phone?”

            “I’ll tell you later sweetie. However, right now you have to eat your birthday breakfast, and then go to school.”

            “Birthday breakfast,” I was confused; there had never been such thing as a birthday breakfast in our house before.

            “Yes! I made you waffles,” she smiled at me.

            “Oh! Thank you.”

            Waffles were my all-time favorite breakfast food. “So is it okay if I spend the night at Roxy’s house tonight?”

            “Of course! Whatever you want, it’s your birthday.”

            I looked at the clock. “Gotta go,” I said. “I’ll come back after school to get my stuff. Bye!”

            When I walked into school everyone was staring at me like I was new again. I walking down the hall with my head held high. I was actually happy that it was my birthday.

            Peter came up to me, and kissed me. “Well don’t you look good today? Could it be a special occasion, a birthday perhaps?”

            “Oh, Pete, you know it’s my birthday!”

            “Pete? Did you just call me Pete,” Peter asked, worried.

            I started to worry as well; I had not realized that I called him Pete, and not Peter. I really did not want him to suspect anything. “Of course not,” I panicked. “I said Peter. Babe, do you need to get your ears checked?”

            He sighed in relief, and I laughed nervously. “No, I don’t, but you have to go to class,” He kissed me. “Happy birthday, Leah.”

            “Thank you,” I smiled, and then walked to first period.

            I was the last student to walk inside the classroom, and as soon as I entered everyone started singing happy birthday. During that period, I wrote about what I was going to do that night to celebrate.

            I was on my way to my next class when Pete pulled me aside, and into an empty hallway. “I just wanted to tell you that you look beautiful today,” Pete said, sounding drunk.

            “Pete, are you drunk?”

            “Maybe just a little,” he said, and leaned closer to me.

            “Well, maybe you should go home and rest,” I said, trying to push him away.

            “No, I wanna do something first.”

            Next thing I knew his lips were on mine. I had had enough with him. I tried to push him off of me, but he was so much bigger than I. So, I pressed me knee into his gut as hard as I could, and slapped him. Then, I of course ran to the bathroom, crying.

            I stayed in the bathroom stall for at least an hour. I did not want to leave knowing that Pete would be there, waiting for me. As soon as the bell rang, I walked to my next class.

            I saw Peter outside of the classroom dangling his keys from his fingers. I tried wiping the tears from my eyes, before he could see that I was crying. But I did not wipe them away fast enough. “What’s wrong,” he asked.

            “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. What’s up with your keys?”

            “No, tell me.”

            “I’m fine,” I lied, and smiled at him.

            “Okay, well you and I are going to a fair,” Peter said, smiling. “Let’s go.”

            We snuck out to our cars, and decided that I would follow him. When I got to my car I texted Roxy saying:

            “Goin to fair w/ Peter b back l8er”

            It took us a while to get to the fair, it was somewhere in Phoenix. When we got there, we first went on the bumper cars, and then Peter won me a stuffed animal while playing some baseball throwing game.

            The last thing we did was go on the Ferris wheel. I had always wanted to be kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel. He and I got on the Ferris wheel, but he looked a little upset. “Peter, is something wrong,” I asked as the ride started.

            “No, babe. I’m fine,” he said.

            When I realized that we were at the top I got really happy. I faced Peter. “Peter,” I said.

            He turned over to me. “Kiss me,” I said.

            So, he did. We kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel, we kissed for the rest of the ride, and we kissed until the people made us get off. When we got off the Ferris wheel we decided it was time to go home. We held hands, and walked to my car in silence.

            “Peter, what time is it?”

            “Hold on, let me check.”

            Peter pulled out his phone, and his went blank. He let go of my hand, and just stood there. “Uh, Leah?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Is there something you want to tell me?”

            “No,” I said, confused.

            Peter showed me his phone, I was in absolute shock. “Well, I think there is,” he said.

            Someone had sent him a picture of Pete kissing me. Today. “Peter, I can explain.”

            “Well, let’s hear it,” he said.

            “He was drunk, and pulled me out of nowhere, and started kissing me. He was so strong I couldn’t get away. So, I finally pressed my knee into his gut as hard as I could, and then I slapped him. I ran away crying. That’s why you saw me crying earlier.”

            “Oh, and it’s just a coincidence that it’s the same guy June said you were cheating on me with?”

            Tears were starting to stream down my face. “Peter, I’m sorry.”

            “Yeah? Well, I don’t need your apologies, and I obviously don’t need you. We are done, Leah. Good bye,” Peter said, and then walked away.

            I got in my car, and drove home crying. When I got home I sat in the car for a few minutes. It was around seven in the evening. I knew someone was in the house, and I knew exactly who it was.

            I got out of the car, and slammed the door. I went inside to find my mom and Tyler making out on the couch. “What the hell is going on,” I shouted.

            They stood up when they saw me. “What is she doing here,” Tyler said with so much disgust in his voice.

            “I live here, dumbass,” I said.

            “Young lady, don’t talk to him like that,” my mom snapped at me.

            “Don’t talk to him like that?! Have you not heard how he talks to me?”

            “Tyler was right,” she said.

            “Excuse me,” I asked.

            “You’re not a good daughter! You are just a bitch in life, and he hates you,” she said. “And you know what? I hate you too! You’ve been an awful daughter, and I want you out of my house!”

            “You’ll be sorry, mom! Or should I just call you Isabella now? One day I’ll be gone, and you will have no one here for you. You will just be a bitter old lady, and die alone,” I said and walked out the door.

            I got in the car, called Roxy to let her know I was leaving, and I was on my own. The drive to her house wasn’t too long, but it felt like forever because of how mad I was. When I got there, there was a guard at the gate who asked me for my name.

            All I had to do was tell her my name, and she let me in. Once I passed the gate, there were a ton of golf courses. There was also a beautiful pond, which had a lot of flowers surrounding it.

            I had to turn left after the gate, drive up the street, turn right, and I was there. I got out of my car, and walked down the path. There were sprinkler on, and I got a little wet. Once I got to the end of the pathway, there was a little gate. I opened it, and walked up to the front door.

            On the porch were a bench, and a beautiful little garden. I knocked on the door, and Roxy came to open it. “Hey Leah, what took you so long?”

            I was whipping the tears from my face, so she would not make fun of me for crying. “I got in a fight with Peter, and with my mom.”

            “Oh, is everything okay?”

            “No, but it will be,” I said.

            “I’m sorry, Leah. Here, come in,” She moved aside, so I could walk into the house.

            I walked into the house, and instantly a chill ran down my back. Something did not feel right. However, I could not figure out what it was. “Would you like me to show you around,” Roxy asked.

            “Sure,” I said shakily.

            “Okay, behind right there is the den,” she said.

            She pointed to a huge open room. It had a fireplace, couch, three chairs, and a huge table surrounded with fancy dinner chairs. We walked down a short hallway. It looked sort of empty, and we turned right at the end. “This, this is the living room and kitchen.”

            The living room had a regular sized black couch, a black coffee table, and a huge Sony TV. “Come this way,” she said.

            We turned around, and I stopped in front of a closed door, and Roxy went back down the hall. “What’s in here,” I asked while opening the door.

            Before I knew it Roxy was in front of me slamming the door. “That is my mother’s room,” she said. “It’s uh, it’s off limits.”

            “Where is she,” I asked.

            “Out of town,” she said quickly. “Now come this way up the stairs.”

            We walked back down the empty hallway, and up a short flight of stairs. Once we got up the steps there was a very heavy scent of bleach, and perfume. Odd mixture, isn’t it? Hmm, I wonder what it is.

            I stopped at the top scent, because I could not handle the scent. “Roxy,” I said.

            “Yeah?”

            I covered my nose and mouth with my hands, “What’s that smell?”

            “What smell?”

            “It smells like a mix between bleach and perfume. Why?”

            “I don’t smell anything. Come on. Lemme show you the rest of the house.”

            We walked down another hallway. We stopped at the first door on the right, and walked in. “This is the office, and loft. This is where we’ll be sleeping tonight. The couch folds out to a bed.”

            The loft was kind of big. It had a desk cluttered with papers, tan walls, shelves full of creepy dolls, and a small couch that looked very uncomfortable. I walked over to the edge of the loft. “That is a long way down,” I said, scared.

            It did look like quite a drop. We walked out of the loft. Right across from it was bathroom, I think. “This the bathroom?”

            “Yeah, but I think Pete is in there. He’s probably throwing up all the beer, and vodka he drank this morning. This is his bedroom,” She said while opening the door.

            I walked in, and the room was huge. Right in the middle of the room was a big bed with a black and white comforter. There was a white desk, also cluttered with papers, two nightstands with lamps, and a balcony.

            “Can I go out on the balcony?”

            “Go ahead,” she said smiling.

            I went and opened the sliding glass door, and went out onto the balcony. The weather was beautiful. It was around 8:30pm, maybe 9:00, and it was still warm, with a perfect breeze. Pete and Roxy had a perfect view from here! I can see a golf course, a pool, a pond, and trees.

            I decided to stand out on the balcony, and just think for a few minutes. I had not realized how beautiful Tucson could be. I heard the door open behind me. I turned around to see who it was, it was Pete. I sighed. “What,” I said.

            “It’s almost 9:30pm. Roxy wants to know if you’re ever going to come inside.”

            “I’ll go in right now,” I said moving past him back in the room. “Where is she?”

            “Downstairs, in the den.”

            I walked downstairs and left Pete before he could say anything. I found Roxy on the couch in the den. “Hey,” I said as I sat down in a chair.

            “Here,” she handed me a mug. “Drink this. It’s hot chocolate.”

            I took a sip, and it tasted funny. “Mmm, tastes good,” I lied.

            “Thank you,” I said in between sips.

            “No problem. So how’s your birthday been?”

            “Not so good,” I said and started yawning.

            I was getting tired all of a sudden. “Why not,” Roxy asked.

            I yawned more. “I got in too many fights today.”

            “Are you tired?”

            I nodded. A smirk came across Roxy’s face. “Go to sleep, then.”

            “Okay,” I said.

            I turned over onto my side, and just fell right to sleep. Did she poison me? Wait, no. She could not have, because I am still awake, and I can see what is happening. But now it looks like I’m looking in from the outside, and not looking out from my eyes.

            Pete came downstairs, and he picked me up into his arms. What is he doing? He walked upstairs while holding me, and laid me onto his bed.

            No matter how loud I tried to scream, not a single sound came out of my throat. I could not move. My eyes finally opened, and then Pete moved on top of me. He grabbed my arms so hard his hands felt like stone. I could feel the bruises starting to make their appearance.

            Pete’s lips touched mine. He and his body repulsed me, it still does now. I could only lie there, and wait to gain feeling in my body again. I only had to wait a few minutes, and then I was able to at least move my fingers. Pete felt me wiggling them. “So you want to get touchy, eh?”

            Right after he said that Roxy came running into the room. “Pete,” she said. “They’re here!”

            “Already?!”

            “It’s almost ten! Take her downstairs, and to the dressing room, now!”

            “She’s starting to gain back feeling in her hands. I’m gonna throw her off the loft.”

            “You idiot, that’ll just kill her,” said Roxy.

            “Then catch or whatever, I don’t give a fuck. Catch her if you want, it’ll scare her and make her go numb either way.”

            She sighed. “Whatever.”

            Pete carried me into the loft, and dropped me over the edge. Right as I fell my entire body went numb. I fell into somebody’s arms, and it was Roxy. She carried me to her mother’s room. Well, now I’m guessing that it was not her mother’s room. However, before we went into the room, she put a blindfold on me.

            When Roxy removed the blind fold, I was in a bright colored dressing room. There was a closet full of clothes, a long counter, two sinks, makeup, and lights. There were a ton of lights.

Roxy sat down in front of me, and started doing my makeup. “Hmm, I’ve got a lot to do on the face, but I’ll leave the ribbon in your hair,” she said. “Poor Leah. I bet you didn’t see this coming. You are such an oblivious little girl. Well, guess what’s going on tonight, Leah. You are going to die,” Roxy said sweetly.

            Roxy had put a ton of makeup on me. “There,” she said. “Done, now stand up,” she said sternly.

            I thought that I could not move, but I did as she said. Roxy linked her arm with mine. “Walk,” she said.

            We walked out a door, and into a room. The room was empty. Well, not completely empty. The room was scary. There must have been about two dozen white candles in a circle, surrounding the room. Every single one of the candles was lit. “Lay down in the middle, “She said, and pointed to the circle.

            I obeyed her order, and lied down. Then she left the room, and two other people came in. However, I could not see their faces. One of them stood right in front of me. “So, Leah. I have been waiting for this moment for quite some time,” said a man.

            I knew exactly who that voice belong to. The voice belonged to the man who made my life a living hell. The voice belonged to the man who would treat to me like shit each and every day. The voice belonged to the man who would talk to me like I was worthless. The voice belonged to the man who thought he owned my mother. The voice belonged to the man who had my mother wrapped around his finger. The voice belonged to the man who convinced my mom that I was a horrible person, and kicked me out of the house that very night.

            The man’s blond hair came into the flickering light of the candles. The man was Tyler Hart. “You see, Leah, I had to wait till you were sixteen to do this. My friends and I need the soul of a sixteen year old to survive. I met your mother, and when I met you, I realized that you would be our next victim,” said Tyler.

            Tyler kneeled down on both knees. He was on my right side. He pulled down my shirt, and found my heart. “X marks the spot,” he said while cutting an X into chest with a knife.

            “However, you will be surprised to know that I will not be the one risking your life tonight. She is,” said Tyler.

            A girl walked into the light. She looked familiar. She put the dagger into my heart inch by inch. I could feel the sharp metal piercing my skin. My vision was going black, and everything was starting to get dark. Then, I heard her say, “I am so sorry my California Sister.”

            Molly May…