"Drive!"
"Are you alright miss?"
"Drive the freaking car France! I do the talking here!" She snapped and the limo began to move. Gulping down some alcohol, her mind traveled to Carter.
He was her fiancé.
Different thoughts trickling down her brain, her palm became wet. Being famous was exhausting.
"France...” Whispering slowly.
Miss.”
"You’re all liars.”
The strong Raven was in a state of chaos. The irony, her therapist had predicted her breakdown, at that moment. She couldn't bear to conceal her feelings. Mentally thanking her stars Simeon wasn’t around to experience her melt down, she continued sipping her drink.
"I'm sorry about what happened miss," he uttered smoothly—trying to use the right words.
She felt embarrassed; even France knew about Carter's infidelity.
"You know too... " The alcohol was starting to take control of her mind—one thing Raven refused to do was cry-no men deserved her tears.
France didn't dare to reply—their relationship was solely professional.
"I never loved Carter—we only got engaged for the public. Fans loved us together. Why not make it official?" Taking a brief pause, she continued.
"I detest the fact I get to be the pity party.”
Why she was explaining to France? She couldn’t produce an answer.
What she wanted was to vent out her feelings.
"You are special, smart—every man's dream. He’s an idiot for cheating". His words were soothing.
Growing up, all the comments she got were solely about her beauty, she longed for compliments other than her beauty. Before getting to speak-she found herself in dreamland.
France felt sorry for his boss. Though distant and cold- he knew she had a good heart.
It was a a long ride—breathing in relief after spotting her mansion from a close distance. He drove by the security and pulled over to her garage. He couldn't recall how many houses she had moved to that year, he particularly liked her new home—it wasn't far from his apartment.
The white and wood weave around the greenery framed pool gave the mansion a feel of high end resort. The full-wall glass windows offered a look to the sea and indoor-outdoor flow.
Still fast asleep.
He decided not to wake her—slowly opening the door, he carried her gently .
He placed her hair backwards to get a better view of her face—maintaining balance, he remembered he needed her keys. Getting the keys wasn't a problem, she wasn’t exactly discrete in his presence.
She was lighter than he thought—perks of being a model.
After what seemed like eternity, he unlocked the front door. Her dog, Chanel barked at the sight of them. The entrance was impressive—featuring a staircase she lined with colorful butterfly artwork, including some of her modeling photos. A low wooden bench stayed next to the stairs, which was styled with a selection of books, framed photos and a lamp.
The White wooden ceiling throughout the house created a classic, yet modern feel. The muted color palette, large cushions and warm wooden tones, helped to create a comfy, intimate space.
France smiled thinking of how many people would kill to be in his shoes at the moment.
He glared at her perfectly structured face—she was overly beautiful.
Her room came into view—with a Hollywood-style lit up mirror, a Marilyn Monroe portrait hanging on the wall. It had a cozy nook and of course, a fire place.
Opening her eyes slowly, she found her chauffeur placing her on a bed.
Confusion.
Why was he touching her?
Her eyes darting around—she realized she was in her room.
France was smiling and their eyes met for a moment, he had the most beautiful eyes.
She didn't understand how she hadn't noticed—It was hazel and glittery.
Struggling to suppress her yawn-she blinked, confirming she wasn't in a dream.
How had she not noticed how immensely attractive he was?
It was a mystery to her.
Of course he was her chauffeur!
How could she have given him a glance?
There was something refined about him but, she couldn't seem to place her finger on it.
He had class.
Staring at his lips—still not understanding what was going on. The alcohol was taking control—at least that was her excuse.
She brought her head close to his and in a brief flash of glance, their lips collided fiercely.
One moment she was involved in a scandal and next thing, she was making out with her chauffeur.
The burning sensation was new—no man ever made her feel this way.
The warm feeling of her breath, although destabilizing, was inviting. Dropping both arms around Raven’s frame, he met her lips halfway. He knew he was playing with fire but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
Heat rose from her stomach to her chest—her heart skipped at the smell of him—hypnotic beyond reason. She patted her lips and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, curling her toes, unfurling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all thought.
She pulled him closer and in a flash, the magical moment ended—France pulled away.
"I have a girlfriend," without turning, he stormed out.
Defeated
Her chauffeur had rejected her.
The sudden sound of her phone snapped her out of her misery. It was a familiar number—the anger and rage within her was ready to attack her caller.
"What do you want?!" She yelled, voice harsh and tight with emotions.
"How dare you call me?" It came out weak.
"I'm still your mother Raven..."
"You lost the privilege of being referred to as my mother a long time ago; After murdering dad...” Her eyelids became heavy, her lips trembled and her eyes burned—refusing to cry, it was taboo to her.
"I'm sorry."
"I do not know how you get to call me at night. You’re probably sleeping with one of the cops to get this privilege. Never call me again. I warn you!" She yelled, slamming her phone afterwards.
Her father.
She loved him dearly. Perhaps, her life would have been better if he was around.
Raven was dying inside, she couldn't recall the last time she conversed with her sisters.
Her life was a mess.
Taking a long ride was always a remedy for Raven. She chose to drive her sport car because it was fast. She ignored Chanel who was wailing around her. Storming out of the house, she reached for her keys.
Getting into her car, she ignored the fact she wasn't in the right state of mind.
Being a celebrity was supposed to be an escape.
The plan was to start afresh—a new life. Away from her problems.
If only he was alive...
"I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING...”
Raven could bet her life she heard a voice.
Was she going nuts? The night was getting weirder. Getting involved in a scandal wasn’t enough-here she was, hearing a strange voice. Parking along the road—she paused to confirm her sanity.
"YOU AREN'T CRAZY RAVEN...”
She was starting to get frightened—mostly because she couldn't tell if it was a male or female speaking.
"DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU...”
"What do you want?"
"WHAT IF I TAKE YOU BACK TO THE PAST? I COULD TAKE YOU TO WHEN YOU WERE HAPPY. WHEN YOUR FATHER WAS ALIVE..”
Raven was convinced she was going nuts.
Was it for real?
What was she thinking? Of course it wasn’t real!
Believing she was hallucinating—she decided to play along.
If she wasn't actually nuts and the voice was real, then she could travel to the past—save her father and boom they’ll be together in the present. She had nothing to loose.
"I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING RAVEN. WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR PAST DOESN'T AFFECT YOUR REALITY. WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR PAST BECOMES YOUR ALTERNATE LIFE".
Raven became dismayed, but the thought of seeing her father shoved it away. She was willing to take the risk.
Still unsure of what was going on—she decided to succumb.
"What will happen to me, here in reality?"
"YOU'LL BE IN A COMA. YOU'LL BE SPENDING 60 DAYS IN THE PAST".
Taking a break from her lifestyle seemed appealing—she wouldn't have to face the press or Carter the next day—most especially, she was gonna spend 60 days with her father. One last question kept lingering through her head.
"Why are you helping me?"
"YOU'LL SOON FIND OUT..." the reply came out as a whisper.
It wasn't satisfying.
Before getting the chance to demand for a proper answer, unconsciousness devoured her.
****
Don’t forget to comment darlings. Pretty please *inserts crying emoji* .
FEBRUARY She woke up scared—heart pounding in its cage. Her breath came in struggled gasps and every muscle ached in her taut body. It was evident she had a hangover. Mouth drier than the desert—Raven could feel a wave of nausea threatening to drown her. Her blurry vision became clearer as she rubbed her burning eyes."It was definitely a dream,"she whispered.Glimpsing around, she realized she wasn't in her room. Widening her eyes in disbelief, she blinked slowly.It was her room.Still confused, she blinked once more.It was her old room. Jumping from her bed in total shock, she tried recalling the previous night's events.Wracking her brain, she got up from her king sized bed and began pacing round the room to clear her disoriented mind.Was she crazy? Was she still hallucinating?"FOCUS RAVEN."Mind still in disarray. The mysterious voice somewhat relieved her.Reaching for her phone—it was always next to her bedside clock. She stopped and withdrew her hand. The photograph of he
You scared the hell out of me Tess!" Raven exclaimed—striding over to her bed."Something isn't right with you. There's something different about you—I just can't seem to place my finger on it." Tessa looked closely at her little sister. She wasn't the same sweet girl, wasn't bashful—her posture was different, she moved and swayed her body like a proper model. Just the previous day, she was timid and gentle but the woman in front of her was someone else. Nervousness plastered around Raven's oval head. A good response seemed to escape from her lips, she was star struck debating on the perfect reply. A mental note reminded her it was all a dream—she had control over what was going on."NOT A DREAM. FOCUS".The mysterious voice sang through her head."What do you mean Tess?" She asked trying not to display any emotion.Pausing briefly, Tessa replied. "Never mind." Eager to ease the tension Raven spat. "What exactly do you want Tess? Get to the chase"."Your interview's today." Her repl
The sound of the alarm awakened her from her slumber. Raven shot up from the bed. Sweat trickling down her face. It was another nightmare. Her heart pounded in its cage, she was sure the muscle would stop working at any moment. The creased sheet bore evidence to another restless night and the beauty could swear she felt someone watching her throughout the night. The same feeling reality fed to her. There was that thought. The one regarding her stalker. There was that word. It scared her more than she would admit. But there was no way her stalker was present in her current dimension. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to clear her blurry vision. She wished the unsettling feeling could be cleared along with it. "Get me some coffee April," she muttered gently. Her brain updated her —sighing in dismal, she gave a mental note to increase her personal assistant’s pay after everything ends, she was extremely useful."Rose!" She shrieked still laying lazily on her bed. Rose was one of the maids i
*Raven's pov*Pain is inevitable. What is worse than pain? Feeling it twice—that feeling when a train crushes you on its rail, I felt worse. My body became stiff, my stomach felt heavy —still in total shock. I failed my only mission and what I wanted was to die at that moment. I should be the dead one. I failed my father. Tears trickled down my cheeks and my hands began to shake, I didn't know what to feel worse about. The fact my mother was innocent, or the painful fact I had to experience the pain of losing my father twice. I managed to move my head, my eyes travelled to my mother's. I couldn't bring myself to move. My body flinched on hearing Rose and Louisiana’s voice, they ran to father's lifeless body in tears.The ambulance arrived to the mansion, still in total shock I stood lost in my thoughts.Why was life so cruel to me?Did I offend my creator?I needed answers, but I wasn't getting any,'the voice' was totally mute. The vision of an officer brought me back to reality, I w
PRESENTRAVEN STEEL: authorities are still searching for the renowned model who has reportedly been missing for 10 days.LOS ANGELES — The search to find the renowned model, Raven Anna Steel in California ended Friday without any results. The Authorities believe Raven, the 23 year old, was abducted. Her car was found along a bridge and Investigations are still on going—kidnappers are yet to request for a ransom. Some fans speculate that the model's possible abductor is her reported stalker, since a ransom is yet to be requested for.Ignoring the number of times he had read the article, he slammed his fist on the table, his head banged in response. Groaning in pain, his eyes went shut. It was happening again. Struggling to keep them open, he found his way to his bed...*****PASTWhat do you mean we have to move out!" Raven sneered.The police retained Raven and Veronica for questioning, since they were the main witnesses in the murder. After writing her statement and answering all of t
Two Fred free-days down, a day to his funeral.Raven sighed and tossed the magazine she hadn’t really been reading onto the coffee table. It was a painful reality, really, how out of sorts she was without Fred across the hall.The house wasn’t as big as the mansion-even at that, it felt empty.She was reliving the pain she felt when he died initially, it felt worse this time. The cameras weren’t around to distract her. Louisiana hadn’t said a word to her after the incident. She was always locked up in her room, It troubled Raven. She was crestfallen.Tessa on the other hand was all over the place, her grief was different and Raven feared it was slowly eating her up. Veronica rarely went out, she did a good job handling the press and preparing the burial ceremony. Deciding to start the investigation on her father’s death, only two people came to mind. There was Mr. Handel, the pervert. What were they on about before she badged into Fred’s mini office? Disrupting their argument—right be
"Our father in heaven, we thank you that, through Jesus Christ, you have given us the gift of eternal life, keep us firm in the faith, that nothing can separate us from your love. When we lose someone who is dear to us..."Her mind—drifting from the priest's prayer. Every memory played like a song in her head, repeating itself for what seemed like forever. She had lost a big part of herself. She wanted it so bad, as though her very life depended on it, but it was all gone, vanished into thin air. She couldn't say it got better but it did get easier. At first, she thought grief was something bad that takes you ten feet under but, soon she learned that it was just the price everyone had to pay for loving someone.The sorrowful casket that consumed her was illuminated by the light that trailed behind her. Each thread resembled the perfection of her father. The man that had taught her everything. The man she failed to protect.The previous night, Raven and her family gathered for supper,
"I invoke my privilege against self incrimination. I refuse to speak till I get an attorney!" It was a small, soundproofed room with a desk and three chairs. Two for the detectives and one for Raven. There was nothing on the walls, which created a sense of exposure, unfamiliarity and isolation. It heightened the ' get me out of this place' feeling throughout the interrogation.The uncomfortable chair added to the moment of tension. Out of reach of any controls like, light switches or thermostats furthered her discomfort—setting up a feeling of dependence. The one-way mirror increased her anxiety. She knew other detectives were watching the process.Detective Shay grinned, resting his hands on the table and nodded. "Oh, I know. All we need is a confession. Where exactly were you when your father was murdered?"Raven maintained a straight face, she refused to exhibit any form of weakness."I choose to exercise my Fifth Amendment Right." She remarked calmly.Detective Shay arched his e
__Raven’s pov__I almost fell from shock. My head swam and my ears buzzed as those words rhyme back and forth inside my head. I couldn't believe my ears, he loves me, Zayn loves me.Was I so stupid realize it? I stood still, trying to process what had happened.
_Raven’s pov_Once again, I was back to reality.I still haven’t told anyone about my trance, it was strange. Simply something I can’t seem to place my finger on.
''Raven!” An annoying voice awakened me from my slumber.Yawning, I opened my eyes slowly. Flinching after realizing my head was on Zayn's shoulder, we were holding hands and my body was covered with a blanket.I was extremely embarrassed, I quickly released my hand from Zayn's. Checking his shirt to verify I didn't droll on him.
*Raven’s pov*The strange feeling happened again, a flash of the other dimension.It was getting more frequent. Shoving the thought out of my head, I stared blankly at Zayn.
............. Zayn's pov...............It wasn’t difficult getting Mr.Snape to help arrange sitting next to Raven.But it worked perfectly.
*Raven’s pov*''I love you Raven. I lied to you, I've always loved you,” Zayn moved close to me.''Why did you lie to me then?” Tears trickled down m
Pain is inevitable..................Raven’s pov................Pain
_Zayn's pov_She loves me was all I could say to my self.Raven Steel loves me, but I messed up, I lied to her. I was mad at myself but there was nothing I could do.
I couldn't believe Zayn Anderson was standing right in front of me.Why was he here? Obviously to see me, but I couldn't believe he cared.I was totally numb, my throbbing heart seemed to be the only thing I could hear at that moment.''Yeah, Zayn saw the way you reacted in the Cafeteria yesterday, so he asked me what was going