Isolation

The big metal sign that we drove under says Olavar Academy and I sigh. It was one of the most run down trade centers there was. It was known as being where the drug addicts and thieves went to be reformed. The car went past the security and all the way to the back of campus where the buildings were really run down and weren’t used anymore.

Standing by one of the buildings was the headmaster. The only way I could tell was by his really nice suit and tie. The car slowed to a stop by him and we got out of the car. Ryker and Ezra got their suitcases from the trunk of the car and then the car sped off out of sight.

The headmaster and Ryker went off to the side and had a whispered conversation before the headmaster went back towards the main campus. Ryker came over with an irritated look on his face. He held up our keys while trying to put a smile on his face.

“We have this building to ourselves; it has three rooms. Each room has a front entry door but no doors between the rooms. Rae you will take the middle one and we will take one on either side. None of the rooms have been set up so I will go shopping while you and Ezra hang out in your room until I get back. Got it?” he asks.

Me and Ezra both nod. I take the key and unlock my door and go inside. I sigh and look around, still unsure about moving here. Ezra followed me inside and I looked at him, an idea forming in my head.

“Hey did you want to go find food? I haven’t eaten anything since before I went to court and I’m starving,” I say as I give him my best puppy dog eyes.

“Nuh uh. There is no way I’m gonna risk losing my chance at being a bodyguard just cause you need food,” Ezra says.

“Please. I promise I will just stay here and clean,” I beg.

“Fine but give me the keys so I can make sure the door stays locked. You have to promise you won’t open the door for anyone,” he says looking me straight in the eye.

“I cross my heart,” I say.

He looks at me a second and then goes out the door making sure it locks behind him. I sit on the floor and pull out my diary. I haven’t made an entry since the trial started 2 years ago. I put the date at the top along with the day of the week. I start to write about everything that has happened since the trial started. I kept my diary a secret, worried it would be taken from me.

I soon get tired and pull my hood over my head and lay down putting my diary next to me. I wake up a bit later to voices. I keep my eyes closed and my breathing slows so I can listen.

“Why did you leave her alone?” Ryker asks angrily.

“Because she was hungry. And that’s not even why I called you,” Ezra answers.

“Well then explain why you called me back here,” Ryker says, still pissed.

“Because she has a diary, do you know what could happen if it falls into the wrong hands? She could get hurt or worse die,” Ezra says.

“Where is it?” Ryker asks, calming down.

“Right here,” Ezra says.

I hear the shuffle of papers as Ryker flips through my diary. I decide at that moment to sit up and stretch. I hear the quick shuffle of them trying to hide it. I flip my hood back and look at them sleepily.

“Sorry for sleeping so much. I haven’t slept much since the trial started and now that it’s over it’s like I can actually rest,” I say as I look around.

“It’s all good,” Ezra says as he hands me a sandwich.

“Have you seen my journal?” I ask them as I take the sandwich.

“Nope,” Ryker says a bit too quickly.

I stand up and go towards him. I am almost a foot shorter than him so I am not that intimidating. But I try my hardest to stare him down as I look up at him. He soon sheepishly pulls it from behind his back and gives it to me.

“It’s not polite to read someone’s diary without permission. Besides I don’t want you to have nightmares,” I say as I sit down and take a bite of my sandwich.

“Sorry,” they both say at the same time.

I roll my eyes as I finish my sandwich. I stand up and go into the bathroom. I open the medicine cabinet and pull out the thirteen different bottles of pills I have. Thirteen what an unlucky number. I move my PTSD meds to the side so they are separated from the others. I notice Ryker watching me out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s up?” I ask as I put my bandaids and stitching kit in the cabinet.

“What did you mean by nightmares?” he asks curiously.

‘The stuff I’ve been through is worse than you can imagine,” I say quietly as I move towards the shower.

“Can’t have been too bad right?” he asks.

I turn towards him, anger flashing in my eyes turning them red for a split second. I breathe heavily trying to control my anger.

“Not that bad? Did you not go to the trial day after day trying to keep me safe?” I ask still seething with anger.

“I did,” he says.

‘Do you not recall this?” I ask taking off my shirt and showing him the scars covering my front and back.

“I don’t think I was there that day,” he says looking down.

“Really? So you don’t think you were there for the week when they described the tortures my father and his gang inflicted on me so I would keep their secret. You weren’t there as I was taken out of the courtroom because I had a panic attack so bad I couldn’t breathe and the trial got put on hold for four days cause I was in the hospital trying to recover. If you weren’t there when I needed you most during the trial then why are you here now?” I ask angrily.

“If it’s the week I’m thinking of, I had a family emergency but I was there every night at the hospital while you were sleeping and I was there before and after all that,” he says quietly.

“Just get out,” I say, not even trying to calm down as I put my shirt back on.

I turn my back to him but I can hear as he leaves. I also hear him tell Ezra to come with him. I turn around and go into my bedroom and look around. I take deep breaths as I look at the bed frame that was left in here. I grab some of the cleaning supplies Ryker picked up and start cleaning. Cleaning is the only thing that can calm me when my rage demon tries to break free. I start humming a lullaby my mom used to sing to me.

Soon I am calmed down enough I decide to go find out where the boys are. I open my door and quickly close it when I realize the voices I had heard outside my door weren’t Jabes and Ryker. I breathe heavily not knowing who is out there. I go into the bathroom and lock the door hiding in the bathtub. I grab the only thing of comfort to me and that’s my knife.

I hear the outside door unlock and brace myself. I press the knife against my wrist ready to end it if they come for me. I hear someone trying to open the bathroom door. I start to panic as I hear the doorknob, I realize the lock doesn't actually work. I press the knife into my skin seeing the blood start to flow as the door swings open.

Ryker comes running towards me with absolute terror on his face as he realizes what I’m trying to do. He yanks the knife out of my hand and quickly presses his hand to the wound. He yells for Ezra to bring him a towel. I try to take my arm out of his hand, not being able to think rationally because of my panic. Ryker tries to keep ahold of my arm but with all the blood it’s too slippery and he can't keep ahold. Ezra comes in with the towel and looks at me.

Ezra pushes his brother out of the way and climbs in the bathtub with me. Ezra holds me down and wraps the towel around my arm. My mind is starting to go fuzzy as my ears start to sound like rushing water. I fade out into unconsciousness, I wake up in a hospital bed with my head throbbing.

“Hello?” I croak my throat extremely dry.

“Here,” Ryker says as he stands up from the chair beside my bed and gives me a cup of water.

“Thank you,” I say after I take a drink.

“What happened to make you do that?” Ryker asks with terror on his face.

“Sorry I promised myself that if anyone ever came for me I would kill myself before I would ever allow myself to be taken,” I say in embarrassment.

“We almost lost you. What made you think someone was coming for you?” Ryker asks.

“I cleaned the place and decided to find you guys and apologize. I heard voices outside and thought it was you guys. I opened the door and it wasn’t you guys and I panicked,” I answer, my eyes filling with tears.

“Those were the delivery guys delivering the mattresses and dressers,” Ryker says, reaching to give me a hug.

I let him hug me as I curl up in his arms. I can feel my arm throbbing and wonder if I am gonna be allowed back to our isolated spot anytime soon.

“You’re gonna be discharged today,” Ryker says almost like he can read my thoughts.

“Ryker is a licensed doctor so he can take charge of you,” Ezra says as he stands up from a chair across the room.

I start crying totally terrified. Ryker rocks me quietly singing a song to me. The doctor comes in with papers for Ryker to sign. He moves me so I’m being held with one arm. He signs the papers and then starts unhooking the machines from me. A nurse comes in to help him. Ezra gathers my stuff. The good thing about having these bodyguards is they don’t want you in public places for long so they will do everything to get you out of anywhere public.