Chapter 12
This week went by super slow. All the houses are holding a graduation for everyone who is aging out, getting adopted, placed in homes, and whatever else. I feel like today is such a bittersweet moment, knowing it”s my last night here. Walking into class with a huge grin on my face, I head towards my seat.
“Lux, I’m so happy for you. Make sure to keep in touch, okay?” Lilly asks, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing tight.
“Thank you. We will exchange emails before I leave.” I say, returning the hug.
I turn away and sit down in my chair. I glance over at the window stuck in my own head. I hope they”re looking down on me, knowing that I love and miss them so much. I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I almost miss the sound of the chair being pulled out next to me.
Turning my head to the right, I see Atti taking a seat.
“Heard you were leaving this place today?” He smiles at me.
“Yeah. They have an enormous group of us leaving. When do you get to leave here?” I ask.
“Soon. Do you know where you’re headed yet?” He asks with raised brows.
“Yup. Some place in Ravens Rose.” I respond with a smile.
“Nice. Well, maybe I’ll see you around.” He says, standing and walking towards the guys.
Walking back into class after using the bathroom, I see a note on my desk. I look around the room, wondering who left it when I lock eyes with Cade. He narrows his eyes to slits as he stares back at me. I still don’t know what his fucking issue is, but fuck him. Nothing can ruin my day. Opening the letter up, I begin reading it.
You can never escape me.
You will pay one way or another.
You may have slipped through my fingers this time.
But you’ll never be safe from me.
Enjoy your freedom while you can.
I wonder.
Does your blood taste as good as hers?
Only time will tell.
See you soon, Little Poison.
Who keeps leaving me with all these letters? I look around the room yet again. Only this time, everyone is too busy talking to each other. Whoever is doing it is probably trying to scare me. It’s not like anyone knows exactly where I’ll be going.
Looking over at Atti, I can”t help but wonder why he asked me about my location. Maybe he was just being friendly or making small talk. Whatever, I know I’ll be safe when I leave.
After talking to Jo that day, she assured me I was probably just overreacting, especially after the trauma I faced. She left that night after we said our goodbyes, exchanging our contact information. Damn, I miss her.
I suddenly get chills, the hair on my arms rising, as I feel someone is watching me. I take another look around, everyone is still doing their own thing.
“Alright, class is ending in ten minutes. For those of you who are leaving, congratulations. I wish you nothing but success in your futures. It’s been a pleasure teaching you all.” Mr. Jacks says.
Walking through the door, I see a variety of decorations that consist of pinks and purples. The staff decorated while we were attending school. Instead of the usual dinner menu, they ordered pizza. My eyes fill with tears as I think of all the celebrations my parents will miss.
“Congratulations, Ladies.” Ms. Gina says, walking around the room, giving each of us graduating girls a hug.
A chorus of thank you’s sound out around the room.
“Alright, let’s get this celebration started. Some of you have packing to do.”
Walking over to the dining room, picking up a plate, and standing in the food line, I make it to the front, grab my food, and head toward Lilly’s table. Sitting down, I grab a hold of my pizza and take a huge bite. Oh my god, it tastes so good. I love pizza.
We finish up eating, clean up, and have the rest of the night to hang out and pack. I headed upstairs to my room, grabbing my shower stuff so I could take a quick shower. Once I’m showered and dressed, I head back to my room to finish packing my things. While packing, my heart rate begins to rise and my anxiety picks up.
I still can’t believe that in a few hours, I’ll be free from here.
The first thing I plan on doing is getting a hold of Jo. I miss that bitch so much.
”Lux, you have a phone call.” Brina says from the doorway.
”Okay, be down in a minute.”
She nods her head. I get up and walk down the stairs, heading to the office.
”Hello?” I wonder who could possibly be calling me.
Music plays on the other end. I pull the phone away and look down at it. Placing it back to my ear, listening, it”s the chorus to Haunted by Diamante.
What the fuck!
“Who is this?”
“They can’t save you. See you soon, Little Light.”
The line goes dead. Chucking the phone, I slide down the wall. What the fuck is happening? I don’t realize how long I’ve been sitting here until I hear Ms. April.
“Hey, Lux. Is everything okay? You look a little sick.”
Pulling myself up, I look over at her and give her a nod.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just overwhelmed.” I sigh.
“That’s understandable, given this is your last night here and everything you’ve been through. If you need anything, let me know.” She turns and walks back over to the rec room.
Walking up the stairs, so many thoughts running through my head.
What if they hate me? Or things don’t work out and they send me back?
I enter my room and continue to pack my things. I’ve just finished when a flash of light shines through my window. What the fuck is that?
Walking over to the window and looking out, I scan the yard, but I can’t see anything. As I go to turn, I notice someone, but I can’t make out who it is.
It”s too dark, and it looks like whoever it is might be wearing dark colors or black. Almost resembling a shadow figure. Huh. Maybe they don’t see me. Then I see the moment I’m wrong as they shine their light directly at my face. I lift my hand, trying to shield my eyes. The light goes off again, but this time, when I look back out, no one is there. Who is fucking with me? Did they find me? I start to feel the tightness in my chest. I climb into bed, pulling the blankets up to my chin. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. Closing my eyes, I count to ten. Once I feel the tightness subside, I fall asleep.