Followed by the Silhouette

Chapter# 6

"Okay, all of you, go up and play. Try leaving me alone for some time", Mrs.Wilder shouted through all the clattering cups and dishes.

"Yaay, let's play blind fold. I've got black silk", Lydia said enthusiastically.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea. Let's try something else", Elijah muttered.

"Oh! Come on, coward! We won't hurt ya. Besides, you're thirteen. Guess, you should grow up by now", Jessica flipped her hair.

"It's not that", she mumbled as she tugged a rebellious, black strand behind her ear.

"I think you should go first", Lydia said, "Trust me, Elijah. I think it's time for you to snap out of it".

"No, Lydia I won't stand it", she replied endorcely.

"Well, at least we can give it a try". 

Elijah wanted to take Lydia somewhere and wanted to tell just tell her that how hard it is for her to put up with such games. Games that require things she can't give. Games she can't play because of something.

But she didn't tell all this to her. All the judging eyes gaped at her, enticing her to agree. She couldn't help but to nod in agreement.

Then it all happened. The "it" she dreaded will happen. Like she knew it would.

She felt the resilient cloth as Lydia tied it. The world grew dark for her.

"One, two, three, four...", she was spun.

She held her hands out in the air. Erratically, she teetered around, fumbling the walls. Her heart was pounding so hard and loud that she thought anyone near can hear it. Something was going to happen, she was convinced of it.

She was afraid of the dark and Lydia knew. She couldn't help but to imagine herself in the crypt of her house. The dark, horrible crypt where terrible things happened to her and since then had latched to her. She wasn't like this before that. Not any of this.

As she continued walking she heard someone coming up. Catch her and end this, she thought. She made her way to the staircase and collapsed in an invisible wall. Of course, she didn't know it was there. She wasn't that much used to Lydia's house.

"I think widdle blind needs some help", Lucy snorted, "It'll be unruly of us not to".

They were shocked at how she reacted. 

"What is the meaning of this commotion up here?", Mrs. Jeff thundered in.

"She's panic-stricken", Lydia said pointing at her.

Her limbs were shivering, tears were shedding down and she was heart-rendingly screaming at the top of her lungs. Never had anyone seen her like this before.

"Aren't you sorry for what you did, Jessica?", Lydia said.

"I didn't do anything. I have no idea what's wrong with her".

"Shut up you both!", Mrs. Wilder shouted.

She then huddled Elijah in her arms, drawing her fingers in her hair tenderly.

"What happened, sweety?"

"Dark and stabbing", she said in a shaken voice,"That's...wha... I'm...afrai...ov", her voice muffled as she sunk deeper in Mrs. Wilder.

"Have you been beaten before?", she was astounded at the revealation.

"She doesn't do back stories. It makes her really violent", Lydia aided.

The Laboratory reports showed traces of Elijah's blood throughout the house as well as scraping marks on the wood of her bed. Marks like someone had tried to get away or something. On being asked why she did it, Merissa replied crazily, "You ain't know her, she's a bitch and not a child as ya see her. You'll regret taking me away, instead of her".

The officer handcuffed her angrily,"How insensitive of an Aunt!".