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Chapter 34

Valeriana's pov

After school Friday I went home instead of to my dads' house. When I walked into the house Aurelio was waiting for me. He had a weird look on his face.

"Everything ok?" I asked. Aurelio crossed his arms over his chest.

"The house you were living in. Since our mother is dead it was left to me. I figured I should ask you what you want to do with it?" Aurelio asked. I look at him quickly.

"Why ask me?" I asked.

"Well it was where you grew up. If you want to sell it we'll sell it. Demolish it and sell the property that can be arranged. I'm asking you because it holds your memories whether they are bad or good so you get to decide since the house was a part of your life," Aurelio says. He says. A frown makes its way onto my face.

"I actually need to grab a few things I hid in the house then I want it demolished and then you sell the land," I say. Aurelio nods his head.

"Alright when do you want to grab your stuff so I know when to have it knocked down?" Aurelio asked. I stare at him before biting the inside of my lip.

"Uh, I can do it today. Are you free to take me? I don't want to go alone," I mutter before looking away from him.

"I can take you," Aurelio says. I nod my head.

"Can we go?" Valerico and Valentino asked. Aurelio was looking at me, causing me to finally look at him.

"We just want to see where you lived without us, you don't have to bring us," Valentino says. I shrug my shoulders.

"Trust me you don't want to see the house. I don't care if you come or not. It's up to you guys," I mutter.

~~~

My brother and I step out of the car. My eyes stare up at the house. From the outside you would never know what happened inside. Once you step inside you could tell it was a torture house. I take a deep breath before walking up to the house. I push the door open. I went to step in before I stopped. My eyes look towards my brothers. Valerico and Valentino looked at me with a raised eyebrow. Aurelio had a blank face.

"I can't prepare you for what you will see in here. It's bad, dried blood all over. Mother hated it and would beat me if I cleaned the blood up. I stopped after a while. Just, uh, for my sake don't react," I say before spinning around and pushing the door open. I keep my head down as I rush into the house and up the stairs. Once I was in my room I turned my flashlight on. The sun lit the room but not enough to see in the closet. I lift a loose floorboard and open my bag. I grab my sentimental items. There was a baby blanket, my childhood stuffed animal, pictures of my friends and, there was also some cash I hid. After everything was in my bag I zipped it up and stood up. I could hear my brothers roaming the house. My heart starts beating faster. Maybe I shouldn't have let them come inside. This was a mistake.

Memories flash through my head as I walk out of my room. I stood at the top of the stairs. My hands started to shake and my body felt sore. I can still remember the feeling of being pulled down these steps. The steps digging into my malnourished body as I tumbled down the steps. My eyes land on the dried blood spots. The sun is shining brightly on the stairs. The window just had to be right there. My lip trembled as I looked away from the steps and towards the kitchen. Memories of what happened flooded my mind. My eyes shift to the living room. My back began to sting.

The feeling of being whipped was permanently ingrained in my brain. A door slammed shut causing me to jump and hold my breath. Relax. What am I scared about? Mother is dead.

"Valeriana, let's go," Aurelio says. He was trying to soften his voice but it was strained. My eyes snap open. My brothers stood at the bottom of the stairs. My eyes go to the door then towards the steps. I had to walk down these stairs to get out. Why couldn't I walk down the stairs? It was a simple task yet it felt impossible to move down the stairs. What is wrong with me? I got this. One. Two. Three. Nope, I can't do this! I spun around and ran back to my room. The door slammed shut behind me.

My breathing was ragged as I paced my room. Everything is fine. My brothers don't think any different from me. Just because they've seen the blood soak ground or the blood splattered wall, doesn't mean anything. The Weapons! They were in mother's room. The door that was slammed shut! They saw what was used on me. Mother never cleaned my blood off those. She has a whole wall full of torture devices. The chest at the end of mother's bed. The chains attached to the bed! Oh god. They saw where I was raped. This isn't good. Why did I allow this to happen? I thought it would be fine. I didn't think that far ahead!

Why! Why! Deep breathes in and out. In and out. I got this. None of that changes anything. They still love me... Oh god do they even love me? Damn this isn't working! 4-7-8 that's what Zario taught me. Breath in for 4 hold for 7 out for 8.

After the breathing exercise I finally had my breathing back under control. My hands clenched into a fist beside me. I can do this. Just run down the stairs, then I'll be out. I open my door before rushing towards the stairs. Just as I made it towards the stairs I stopped. My hand clutched the railing to keep myself from falling.

"Ah!" I scream. My brothers step back in shock. "I can't do it," I whisper before blinking the tears away. "Come get me and take me out, please," I say to Aurelio. He nods before walking up the stairs. Just as he was about to touch me I pulled back. "No, wait, don't touch me... just do it... No, wait," I say. Aurelio just stood in front of me waiting for me to make up my mind. He didn't even try to reach out towards me. I take a deep breath and quickly wrap my arms around his neck. Aurelio lifted me up before rushing out of the house. My face was buried in his neck. As soon as we stepped out of the house my body relaxed completely.

Aurelio set me in the back seat. The guys got into the car. Valerico sat in the back next to me. The other two sat in the front. Once everyone was in the car Aurelio drove away. The car ride was silent beside the faint music playing in the background.

"So what did you get?" Valerico finally asked. I look at him before opening my bag and pulling the contents out and setting them between us. The pictures I handed to him so they didn't go all over the place. Valereico looks through the pictures. He stops on one. "You have a picture of dad," he says. My eyebrows furrowed as I looked over. There was a picture of a man that all my brothers resembled. "Did you not know who this was? You look confused," Valerico says.

"I've never seen that photo in my life. As you can see all the photos are of my friends and I. I don't know where that came from," I say before looking out the window.

"You look happy in these," Valerico says. It was true. In the pictures I was truly happy and not pretending.

"Anytime I was away from home I was happy," I state. The rest of the car ride was silent.