Chasing | Ongoing

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑

The scars you can't see are the ones that are hardest to heal.

Trigger warning: Death, Bystanders, Alcohol, Bad Parents, Nudity, and more!

— Five Years Earlier —

This was the worst day of my life.  It felt as if the world around me was collapsing. 

My mother was home, instead of the business trip she was supposed to be on today. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks as she yelled at my father—who was naked as the day he was born in front of her—a woman cowering in a blanket behind him, Teresa or something like that.

I was hidden behind the wall of the second floor as the two screamed at each other. I stared at Daniel, my mother's newer secretary standing behind her. He looked horrified by my father's actions and was looking anywhere except at him. That's when we made eye contact, and I turned away to hide in my room.

After closing the door quietly, I looked around my empty room: white walls, white bedding, wooden furniture, and a family photo over my bed.

How much had been staged?

I listened to the storm raging outside, the rain that slammed against my window, and the distant sound of thunder and lightning in the distance. I sat on my bed, my knees tucked underneath my chin as tears raced down my face, burning my skin as I stared down at my bed. The distant sound of screams in the house.

They were going to get divorced, but what was going to happen to me? Was I going to lose both of my parents at seventeen? Well, I couldn't really lose them, I never really had them to begin with either way.

With both of their connections, the trial would probably last at least a month as they tried to make sure that the other's reputation would be ruined by separating.

I glanced out the window focusing on the noise from out there and pushing my dark brown hair out of the way. It's okay, none of their marriage had been real anyways.

I quickly packed a bag and opened my window, rain hitting my skin as I exposed myself to the elements. I pulled up the hood on my hoodie, before climbing over the sill and slipping on the brick outside, almost falling to the ground immediately. 

Thankfully, I was able to grab the sturdy vines just on the other side of my room, but I slid down the stem, burning my hands with the friction and I dropped to the ground, my hip throbbing from the impact. I tugged on my hood, making sure it would stay on, before leaving towards the main road, no one would even notice I was gone.

I hurried towards the closest bar my phone would navigate me to. I pressed the fake ID into my palm, as I approached the bar after a few minutes of walking. I took one more deep breath before pushing the door open and sitting down at the open bar.

After a couple of minutes, the bartender approached and I slowly faced him, "Can I get something strong?" I asked, and he asked for my ID and I handed him the forgery. My heart beat violently against my chest before handing it back and getting me a drink. 

I silently thanked my aunt as I was handed my drink. After a few rounds, everything started to blur and I overheard the conversation next to me.

"Did you hear about the billionaire couple? They've been cheating on each other for their entire marriage," some dude said near me.

"I wouldn't believe rumors like that until you have confirmation. I'm pretty sure they have a kid or something," his friend said.

I glanced at my phone and sure enough some article had already been posted about my parents. My phone started to vibrate as friends and family started to message me—probably asking for confirmation. I turned off the device before paying my tab and tipping the bartender and leaving, going back out into the rain.

That's when I heard someone scream. My foggy mind started to scream for the girl as I heard someone start to cry. My ears rang from the noise as I stumbled into an alleyway before spotted a girl fighting against a man holding up a gun. Her clothes had been torn and her hair was plastered against his face.

"Hey! Stop that!" I slurred towards the man, and his grip on the girl loosened allowing her to pull free.

"Run!" she screamed before the man lifted up his arm, and the girl's eyes went blank as she fell towards the ground. 

I moved to catch her, until another pair of gunshots sobered me as I screamed, my vision going white as blood soaked into my sweatshirt. I turned to look at the man in front of me, staring into his green eyes that matched my own. He hesitated for a moment before approaching me, the gun pointed toward my head.

I fought against every instinct in my body and stared into his eyes, tears falling down my face. "Please, spare me," I sobbed and the man turned away, as I continued to beg for my life.

The man's hand shook before he aimed the gun at his own throat, and he turned to look me in the eyes as he pulled the trigger, and his eyes relaxed as well as he collapsed on top of the girl's body I held.

I couldn't move. I was being crushed by these corpses. I turned out to look into the street and sobbed, my breathing becoming uneven as my vision blurred.

"Someone, help me! Please!" I cried, my vision fading every second. That's when I spotted a pair of blue eyes. I clung to the sight, as I tried to scream.

"Help me," I begged him, my voice barely more than a whisper as he stared at me, "please, save me." But the man turned away, pulling up his own hood as he left. I sobbed, begging for him not to leave, but the street empty taunted me until my vision faded to black.

* * * * * * *

When I woke up, I was in more pain than I had ever felt in my entire life, and I looked around the empty hospital room, before finding a tv opposite me. I weakly grabbed the remote and turned on the news, my parents' faces in court meeting me.

"The Carter couple is divorcing after a scandal between—" I turned off the report reaching for the call button, my vision fading again. A nurse ran in, his eyes going wide as he stared at my abdomen. He ran to me and smashed one of the buttons above my bed while yelling for help.

I looked down and saw blood soaking the gown I was wearing. I looked at the man above me weakly, as my vision turned black again.

* * * * * * *

I woke up three more times after that before I was officially stable. That's when I was able to explain what happened, the hospital staff called the police department after my story. Soon after some officers asked what had happened. I told them the general gist of everything—excluding the underage drinking—and the officers left.

I noticed the nurses calling people after the cops had left. "Mr. Carter, your daughter Eleanor is in the hospital." there was a pause, "No, we understand you and your wife are getting divorced right now," a short pause and then, "Please come as soon as you can, with your wife—ex-wife Mr. Carter. Thank you, goodbye." The nurse then told me that my parents would be coming soon to visit me, and relief overtook my system.

While I waited, the image of those blue eyes, turning away burned itself into my memory. He had left me to die. I waited, and waited, and waited. 

But, My parents never came. 

(1299 words)

... So, I relapsed with sick stuff. Basically, my vitals all dropped drastically this week, idk why but now I'm scared to stand up, so yay?

Anyways, trauma! Hope you liked the chapter!

Stay Safe! <3