The Neighbor

Finding Help

You ran to a nearby house. You'd never forget that house, nestled in the woodsy area about twenty minutes away from the place you used to call home. It had semi-faded white siding, a red metal roof, and a massive front porch that circled the entire thing. You hesitated on the porch reaching your shaking hand up to knock. You were going to tell them everything, and Diane was going to go to jail. Your family and friend were going to get justice, and you were going to lose the woman you loved. 

You wanted to just forget. Rewind the past hour and remain blissfully unaware of Dianes actions. It was selfish, but all your life your desires had been brushed under the rug... didn't you deserve to be selfish for once? You teetered between convincing yourself you could still love Diane and picturing Lanas lifeless brown eyes. 

You didn't know Lana that well, it wasn't like you were best friends or you owed her anything... But didn't you though? She did sacrifice herself for you. She came to get you and make sure you were safe when she could've run. She would've gotten away if she had just abandoned you. Part of you hated her for being so selfless and putting you in this position. 

The choice was simple. Right or wrong. Good and evil you could say. But classifying Diane as evil still didn't sit right with you, even though you saw it in her eyes. You wanted more than anything to believe she was good, that she had her reasons. And well... she did have her reasons they just weren't very good ones. 

It was less about Diane and more about you. Admitting Diane was evil and turning her in felt like admitting that the only person that could ever love you was a monster. And if that were the case then what did that make you? 

All of your life you were tossed aside as nothing more than a boring background character. And you understood that because you knew you weren't particularly smart, or outgoing, or funny... you were just you. Someone that wasn't even worthy of her family's love.

 But not to Diane. To Diane you were the moon and the stars... the entire universe. HER entire universe. And you didn't want to give that up. After a lifetime of being trapped in the darkness of other people's shadows Diane had brought you into the light. HER light. She really was like the sun to you. You basked in her warmth and praise, and she held on to you tight, burning anyone who dared to get too close. She demanded your full focus and attention, but could you really blame the sun for demanding your worship when it's your source of life. And she really was. You didn't think you could live without Diane; you didn't want to. But you also didn't know if you could live with her knowing all she had done. 

She'd given you everything, but she'd also taken everything. Butttt wasn't it sort of a fair exchange? You could almost convince yourself it was until you pictured your brother and fathers' lifeless bodies staring at you the same way Lana's did. 

She'd taken three lives' just to give you the life you dreamed of. 'I'm not worth it' your mind echoed. But she thought you were. You knew if she was here, she'd say you were worth that and more. And you loved her for it. You wanted to thank her for thinking you were worthy of such devotion. But the eyes, the cold, dead, glossed over eyes stared at you. The eyes judged you for being able to even think such things about the woman who so brutally ended them. 

Your life wasn't worth much, 'it certainly wasn't worth three others' you thought steadying your hand. Your knuckles brushed the cool metal of the door once, you pulled it back to more forcefully bang against it, but a voice stopped you. Her voice. 

"There you are baby; I've been looking for you." 

You whipped around, your heart jumped both in fright and longing. You were so confused and conflicted. 

"I-" You whispered out, tears welling in your eyes. You wanted to apologize. To beg for forgiveness for betraying her in such a way after she given you everything. Being faced with the smiling woman of your dreams broke you. She looked at you like you were her world, even now. Her smile was soft and dried tear paths littered her rosy cheeks. Clearly, she'd been crying and running. Probably a nervous wreck searching for you. She'd obviously had the foresight to change before she left though. You truly didn't deserve her devotion. 

But the eyes. The eyes stared, and judged, and forced your conscious to the surface of your brain. You had to get help, and justice for the people she'd sacrificed for you. 

You wanted to knock again but you knew you couldn't, not while she was here and so close. You didn't see the knife, but you figured she still had it. You honestly would be surprised if she needed it anyways, she was surprisingly strong and agile. 

'I have no choice but to go with her, for the safety of the people inside the house.' You told yourself.  But in the back of your mind the eyes glared at you. 

"Come on baby let's go home. I love you so much kitten, I'm so sorry you had to see that little mess. It's all cleaned up now so we can go home." Her soft brown eyes looked at you with so much love and adoration, but your feet were frozen to that spot. Your hesitation made something shift in her expression. It turned cold. Her lips tugged down into a frown. 

"I am not going to tell you again. You shouldn't have run off in the first place, you could've gotten hurt. They could've taken you from me! You don't want to be taken from me, do you kitten?" She said stepping closer to you. You focused on her mouth, on the way her lips moved as she spoke. You hyper fixated so much that you didn't snap back to reality until she was just a few inches away from you. She pulled you into her. Your still frozen body almost crumped from the force, but she held you upright. 

"You've been a very bad girl kitten; I can't believe you tried to leave me after all I've done for you!" She sneered into your ear as her nails burrowed into the skin of your arms. You sobbed and sank into her at that. All of the guilt crushing you under its massive weight. You didn't know what to do. Either way you'd disappoint someone, you always did. She bent down a bit and picked you up putting you on her hip like a child. She ran her hands through your hair and shushed you as you sobbed. You heard the metal door creak open, but you didn't look up. 

"Oh my god are you guys, okay? Is she alright?!" A deep male voice asked. You turned your head to the side to face him. He was a burly man, late fifties. 

"I-" you said. You weren't sure what was going to come out of your mouth when you opened it you just knew you had to say something that's why you came here after all. 

"I-" You started again but the tears made you stutter. 

"I-" You began and then you felt a sharp jab in your leg. 

All of your thoughts fused together as your head dropped onto Dianes shoulder once more. The last thing you heard before you lost consciousness was Dianes sweet voice. 

"I am so sorry, my daughter... she isn't well. I'm taking her home now; I am so sorry for bothering you." 

Her voice sounded so genuine and sweet. A perfectly crafted mask to hide her true intentions.