I Took Rose Hathaway's Place

The Past Unlocked (Part 1)

I opened the picture album to the first page, which was a picture of me as a baby. I had a frou-frou dress on, and a bow in my hair. All dark blue. 

The next page was of me, and my best friend, Rosemary (purposely not Rosemarie) Hale.

"Who is that?" Dimitri wondered.

"That is me and my best friend, Rosemary Hale." I laughed, recalling a memory from kindergarten. "When we were both in kindergarten, our teacher paired us up to practice writing our names. Forcing five year old kids to write Rosemary Leanne Hale and Alice Marie Hathaway is practically torture, so... I threw my textbook at the teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I didn't know what it meant, but she was pissed." 

Dimitri laughed, and I smiled. "I like your laugh. Singular, not plural." I quoted Rose. 

He looked at the picture next to it, and so did I. It was a picture from my 7th birthday. Bad memories flooded in to me. 

"Alice, open the damn door!" he screamed. I shook, and pushed myself further into the corner. The door continued to rattle as he banged on the door. My mother had told me to hide in my room, and not open the door. 

The door opened, and in came a man. He was tan skinned, with brown eyes, brown hair. I looked into his eyes, and saw hatred. Why? I don't know. But today is my birthday, and this man is ruining it!

He stepped closer, and grabbed me by the arm. 

Yanking me out of the corner and off the ground, I yelped.

"Shut up you little bitch." He growled. 

"It hurts!" I whined.

He glared, and began pulling me out of my room.

I screamed, and he put his hand over my mouth. 

"One more sound out of you..." He didn't need to finish. 

I looked for some way to get away. Then, I saw his arm. It was close.

Quickly, I bit his arm, as hard as I could. 

The man dropped me, and I ran. Being the fastest girl in the whole elementary school was a big help.

He trailed behind me. I ran to the living room, and glanced around. A body caught my eye. My mother. 

She was on the ground, with blood pooled around her head.

Not stopping, I ran out the front door, the man still trailing behind me, and I ran straight into a police officer.

Looking up at his tall frame, I scooted to the side, and continued running. The man ran right into the officer, who grabbed him, and threw him to the ground. 

I stopped at the edge of my driveway, and remembered my mother. I ran back inside, and knelt by her. Not minding the blood, I lifted her head, and looked for the wound. 

Moving her hair out of the way, I found a small slice, probably from falling. I checked her pulse, it was slowed, but still beating.

A concussion. 

Remembering my small amount of training from my mother, I took off my coat and held it to her head, applying pressure.

Just then, the door opened again, and an EMT came in.

"A head wound. Concussion, when she fell. Her pulse is slow, but still beating." My small 7 year old voice told the man.

Two other men came in with a stretcher, and the first man replaced my hand where it was applying the pressure.

"Dear, if you hadn't done this, your mother would have passed. How old are you?" The man asked. He had a slight southern drawl.

"Seven years old today. It's my birthday." 

"Well happy birthday." The man said.

I smiled in spite of all the horror that had happened. "Thanks."

The man walked outside, following the stretcher, and so did I. 

"Where is your father?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't -" i stopped short. Remembering what the man looked like, I realized he looked quite like me. "He was just arrested."