I paced across the room, everything coming together in my mind. Eric stood still, his mouth slightly agape in resonating shock.   I tried my best to remember the days and weeks preceding my mother's passing. In my mind everything had been normal-I was ten, my mother wasn't working, my father was still mayor. Every Sunday morning my mother and I went to Corrie's bakery for breakfast. She died in the summer when I didn't have school. Before she got sick I would run up and down the streets of Madison with my childhood friends, feeling invincible. I would walk into the forest at my mother's heels, picking flowers for her.   That was only the shiny exterior, I realized. What I saw was a façade. Behind it all was my father's infidelity. Had my mother known the whole time? If she hadn't, did she ever know at all?   "Who would have poisoned your

Nova.Where was Nova?That was the only thing that kept me awake while I lay soaking wet on the ground in a forgotten cemetery, unable to move my body. I prayed that Nova was safe. - not stuck out here, like I was. I’m so stupid.I don’t even know how long I’ve been out here in the storm; It felt like morning should come any minute now, it felt like I was out here for hours and hours. -but it could’ve been just seconds and minutes.I tried to get up, but my body ached so bad. -I knew I’d die out here if I didn’t get up right now.I still chose to get up even though my brain and body was telling me not to. The pins and needles feeling rushe

-Three months later-“Do you know this man?” The police officer placed multiple pictures of the same man in various places in Madison. I looked at the pictures, shrugging and shaking my head no.“No, I don’t” I said looking back up at the cop.“Have you seen him around Madison lately?” The middle aged man pressed on.“No, I lived in Madison my whole life, I have not seen or met this man.” I looked at the pictures one more time before sliding them back over to the cop sitting across from me. “ He’s definitely not a local.”Based on the thin line tight lip facial expression, with his eyebrow raised, it didn’t seem like I

~ three months later ~ James. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but during the past three months since I’ve been held captive, I’ve found comfort in his words. He didn’t really try so hard to make me his, either.-It was like I saw the James that was underneath all the cockyness, and his rich entitlement.  I would often ask about Nova and Eric...and if I was ever going to get out of here or not. He would only reply with how Nova was doing and would completely ignore my questions about Eric and myself leaving this Greenwood castle or not. James told me that Nova has become depressed since I’ve disappeared, and that he&rsq