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2024-10-29 19:42:56Sirens blared loudly in my ear. Red, white and blue lights flashed in my eyes, lighting up Smallwood Street. My body ached all over, but my joy overshadowed some of the pain. It felt wrong to feel relieved, to have any positive feelings what so ever, when those that I loved, those who were all I had, were being carried out on gurneys, hidden away by loose, black body bags. All of the terror created by this night was gone, yet the feeling still remained for the upcoming months. Tonight I was free. A fireman held me close to him. He held me tight, as if he were protecting me. One hand lay on my back, while the other rested on my head. I felt as if he were trying to make me bury my face in his chest, cry for what I've lost, what I've been through, and hide me from the man that would be walked out of that door. Yes, he was trying to protect me, but from what? I had already survived. I had already seen that monstrous face. I may have needed protection before, but now it was different. I was different. I forced my head around just in time to see this tall man walk out of the house with officer's on either side of him. I had disconnected myself from the fireman to get a better look. His wife beater had been torn from the bottom of his left side and up a few inches or so. His top was originally white, but the events from tonight showed on the fabric. Blood. He was drenched. I wasn't sure if it was his, mine or theirs. His large nose trickled a thick red fluid, and bruises began to form all over his face. I found myself taking a step back. I was sure he could feel my eyes on him; he could feel my presence through all the others that stood on the street. Concerned citizens. The medical team. The fire department. The Ohio State police. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw his head turn and his eyes lock right on to my face. He had caught me looking at him from afar. His blue eyes met my brown and for a moment the fear that he had learned to cause crept up on me.
"I will be seeing you!" He shouted at me with confidence, catching everyone's attention. His grin was large, bright and creepy. If it wasn't clear to the onlookers before, it was clear now. I was the victim and he was the accused. What he was saying to me was a lie. At least that was what I told myself, and what the fireman said to me. For tonight, for all the other nights, he was being arrested, and he was going to jail for a long time. I took a deep breath. I was now aware of how dark the night sky was, how clouded the moon looked, how there seemed to be not one single star nor a breeze. Everything was still. What did that mean? It had to mean something. After all, there weren't nights like these in Ohio. Was God trying to tell me something? Did it signify the end of the horror, or was this just the beginning?
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SECRETS CHAPTER 2
THE TWINS This table was made to sit four, that's what Mya thought to herself. That meant the twins, their mother and their father. Tonight, it was just Mya and her twin sister Amy. They hadn't had all four of the chairs filled in a few years and this made Mya really upset. Their mother left long ago, with promises that she would return, and their father...well lately he was never home. Who knows what hes out there doing? Who was Mya Kidding? Her and her sister both knew what was happening. Their father had met someone. He could make up all the lies and excuses he wanted to, but they already knew the truth. Mya looked across the table and it was like seeing her own reflection. Amy had been playing around in her food for the last twenty minutes, probably just as upset as she was; only she was trying to hide it. Amy's reddish brown hair was up in a messy bun and she wore her housecoat. She had suffered from a summer cold last week and was just now returning back to normal. Her nose was
SECRETS CHAPTER 3
THE MEIR FAMILY Brooke opened up her bedroom window, letting air into the room but pushing a boy out. Sandino held onto the small ledges of the single family home as tight as he could as he made his way over to the ladder, which sat in a dark corner. Its one thing to sneak in when the sun is up, its another to sneak out in darkness. The wrong footing could send Mr. Lovett falling, hopefully landing on the soft grass of the yard, instead of the concrete patio. He moved at such a fast pace, it made Brooke nervous, but he reached the ground safely. Brooke found herself able to breathe again, not realizing she has been holding her breath in suspense. She pushed the window down to a close, just as her bedroom door swung open. Her younger brother stood in the doorway with a disapproving look upon his face. "Don't you knock?" she spoke, annoyed, plopping herself on to her queen sized bed. Micheal stared. "Sneaking boys out of your room again?" He assumed with a chuckle. It was no secret to
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KAHLAN The next day started early, six am to be exact. Today I started school. Tina told me to get a good nights sleep, but I was quite restless; too many bad dreams. Though he went away, the dreams didn't. Along with today being the first day of school, I also had an appointment with a lame therapist. Doctor Damon Meir. It was an agreement between the Judge and I. It was the only way he'd sign my emancipation papers. The only thing worse that could happen to me that night was being placed in foster care. To be placed with people I didn't know, maybe participate in some sort of group therapy and talk about my feelings and the past. No, I didn't want that. As far as I was concerned, I wanted to act like nothing had ever happened. I wanted to just start life over and move on. That's when the idea of emancipation popped up. It surprised Ernistina that I was approved, even with the conditions and rules that I had to follow; though they were all very simple. Stay low, stay out of trouble,
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THE BOYS "I hate this place," Brandon muttered to his friends, gripping the two straps of his backpack, which hung from his shoulders. Chad gave his friend a little pat, as if he were encouraging Brandon. Chad didn't really mind school. He could see his friends, and all of his teachers loved him. It was going to be sad when he left this place. In high school he was famous. Everyone knew him. Who knows how it would be out there in the real world. Brandon didn't like it because he had a tutor for almost every class he was taking. Hence, why he needed scholarships to get into college. For Jason, school was school. He came in and did the work that was asked of him. That was really all it took to survive high school. They made their way to the side doors that led to the cafeteria, in hopes to get some breakfast before the bell rang. They were on their way through the steel gray doors when Brandon unexpectedly threw his muscly arms out in front of the guys, causing them to stop. "What is i
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KAHLAN AND CHAD Some job Ashley did, I thought to myself as I stood outside of the door of my first period class. I think I was expecting her to be at my side through out the day, but instead she dropped me off at my first class, followed by general directions to all my others. Here we go. The new girl was my title now. I didn't like it, but it was better than some of the alternatives. I walked into the class, keeping my head down. The female teacher who sat at her desk rose to her feet, smiling. Her red hair was tied to the back, where loose curls hung. Her hands went automatically to her side, and I could tell she hadn't been a teacher for more than a few years. She wore loose tan jeans and a navy blue button up shirt. After all, not many teachers got the excited look in their eyes when getting a new student. I could tell she had been expecting me. She explained that the students were doing an independent reading for the remainder of class, and since I had yet to check out a history
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SECRETS CHAPTER 8
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SECRETS CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINE
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