Uprising

Chapter 17

When I finally stopped being sick and gained my composure, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to deal with the news. For the last nearly ten years, I'd thought she was dead. I thought I was left alone with just Cordelia and Dominic as my only family.

I slowly pulled myself up from the bathroom floor, flushed the toilet, grabbed the flannel on the side of the sink, ran it under the cold water and washed my face. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror as my head seemed to spin again. This time it wasn't in a threatening way; it was more in a way that I had lots of questions to ask and I wanted answers to. The biggest question on my mind was: Where was she and was she with my father?

"Isabelle?" The small voice of Cordelia came from outside the bathroom door. She knew that it had all been too much for me and I hadn't been able to cope with hearing the secret, which made me wonder if that was why she'd kept the secret from me for so long. Had it been, she'd known I wouldn't be able to cope with the truth and had thought the truth would crush me?

"Use one of the spare toothbrushes in there; I'll get rid of it when you've gone or you can take it up to your room to use it if you decide to stay here with me tonight." Her comment pulled me away from my constant questions that seemed to buzz in my head.

"Where is she?" I asked, hearing my voice tremble even to my own ears. I knew I needed to take care of myself still, but I would once I got the answer I wanted.

"We'll talk about it when you get out of the bathroom."

"Where is she?" I asked again, this time a little more firm with my words, as I threw the flannel into the sink and gripped the edge of the sink, looking down into the bowl of it. I didn't want to see her right now. Part of me was too angry. I knew if I saw her and tried to talk about it, it wouldn't end up how she wanted. I knew it would end up in an argument, and I knew I'd say things I hadn't meant and I knew it would just add to everything else I was beginning to feel.

"I don't know Isabelle. I wish I could tell you I knew, but I don't. The last time I saw her was just before the fire happened. She came to me, asking for my advice on something. I gave her the advice and she left, but it wasn't before she said to me, if anything happens to her, I had to take you away, let you grow up away from Mirror's Edge and never tell you what happened."

I looked down at my hand on the sink and noticed how my knuckles were turning white from anger and frustration.

"Is she with..." I began

"With your dad?" I heard Cordelia laugh. "Hell no, I can tell you that, kiddo. She will be as far away from him as possible. Why do you think she asked me to take you?"

"Who is my dad?" I knew I was really asking for too much and I knew I had to ask her: if she'd known my mum was alive all these years, had that meant that she'd known who my dad was? The idea of her knowing that too made my head spin a little more again. I flipped the lid of the toilet down and sat down on the lid with my head lowered down a little as I closed my eyes and waited on Cordelia, but she never answered. Instead, I heard the creak of the bathroom door. I lifted my head a little and looked out into the hallway, where Cordelia seemed to be standing looking at me.

"I do, but you don't need to know that. That will bring you nothing but hurt, pain, and danger. I promise you that much, Isabelle."

"Who is it?" I asked, looking at her, feeling my anger rise up as if it were a cobra ready to strike out at her at any moment.

"Isabelle, I love you like my own daughter and I will not destroy you over that bastard." I noticed the way Cordelia's anger was beginning to raise it's head as well.

I felt my hands begin to tremble at her comment about him and I had to look away from her before I did something I knew I'd live to regret all my life.

"Isabelle, you've come all this way without him..."

"SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PLAY GODDESS AND DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG FOR ME?" I yelled as I looked up at her. I could feel a haze beginning to raise up over my vision as my anger seemed to get the better of me in that moment. "I DON'T KNOW WHY I SHOULD EVER TRUST YOU AGAIN. YOU'VE DONE NOTHING BUT LIE TO ME ALL MY LIFE! FIRST ABOUT MY MOTHER AND THEN ABOUT MY FATHER!" I stood up from the lid of the toilet and I felt my body seem to just react on its own as it seemed to move towards Cordelia.

"Do not shout at me like that." Cordelia's tone seemed to be calm, as if she were in control of the situation, despite the fact that we both knew she was far from in control of what was going on now.

"WHY BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH?" I screamed at her as I got to the doorway. I knew I had to calm down now; otherwise, my anger really would make me do something I'd regret big time.

"Isabelle..." Cordelia began when she stopped and we both heard the front door open. Cordelia tore her gaze away from me for a moment. "Dominic." She said it quietly. "I think it would be best if you left right now..."

"Don't bother." I snapped as her words seemed to break through the red haze that had filled my vision. I walked out of the bathroom, nudged past her aggressively and headed up the stairs with the intention of getting my phone and keys out of my other clothes.

I slammed the door to my room as a hint that I didn't want either of them to speak to me. I knew as quick as the haze had left, I knew it would soon come back and would drown me the next time and I knew I'd not be able to control myself or even my words. I picked up my clothes from where I'd put them and took my phone and keys out of the pocket and then went to the desk to get Jake's number. I had no plans on calling him at all, but part of me felt at peace having his number just in case. I shoved his number into my pocket of my jeans and then left my room and headed back down the stairs where Dominic and Cordelia seemed to be in a whisper conversation and both stopped when I'd come down.

"Don't stop your conversation on account of me." I told them both as I walked to the door.

"Isabelle, I don't think it's wise of you to go home. Not until we talk."

"Talking will get us nowhere. It will get me angry all over again, probably make me do something I will regret all my life and it will also make me realise just how much of a liar you are. When I'm ready to talk, I'll call." I muttered darkly and then opened the front door and slammed it behind me before I headed to my car.

I got in my car, got belted up, shoved my keys into the engine, started the car, and drove away without looking back. I had a feeling both Dominic and Cordelia would have been on the porch watching me leave, but I honestly hadn't cared. I needed space and I needed space to think and digest everything that had been said to me. It had been a lot and I needed to think about with a clear head rather than a head filled with anger.

As I pulled out of the small dirt path road towards the main road, instead of turning left to go back home, I went the opposite way. I had no clue why I'd done it, but for now I knew that while I had to focus on something like driving, I had no time to think about everything else. I'd do that when I was alone and in a better mood to mull it all over and figure out just what I was going to do.