Never an Ever After

Came back different

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER:

IF YOUR NOT THE ONE-DANIEL BEDINGFIELD

CHAPTER NINE

ELLORA

31 days. Four weeks. A month.

In that exact number, the unexpected happened.

When we all lose hope and faith runs thin.

By some miracle, it happened.

I still remember the night that happened unexpectedly. For the rest of my life, every detail of that night was sealed to me.

I was already in the middle of sleep, when I heard the same antagonizing wail that I had often heard for the past week, but this time it’s a mixture of pain and joy I heard, even the outside felt loud.

I looked at my clock and it says it's only 3:00 in the morning. Mrs. Hawthorne’s wails continued and I went down hurriedly to check what was happening outside that made all our neighbors come out of their house.

On my way to the Hawthorne’s front house, I noticed the missing poster I made that was still attached to the pole but it was a sign of old age. I swallowed the guilt because I did not continue the search for Ronan. But as a 10-year-old girl, I was also just scared for myself.

I passed people who were also staring at the front door of the Hawthorns, that is when I saw him.

It’s him. He came back.

Like a magic spell cast me, I walk towards them when I see Papa is also with them, on his phone by what I heard he’s trying to reach the local 911.

As I slowly approached where he was, it seemed like I could no longer hear any noise around. Even the cries of Mrs. Hawthorne I can no longer hear. Every movement feels like slow while looking and walking from where he was. In the arms of his mother who is crying frantically.

Red.

It’s all I can see.

He’s still wearing the suit he wears before he went missing minus the coat.

It’s white but it’s full of red.

Even his face.

He’s bleeding.

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands as my breathing quickens with the sight of him.

I know I am being sensitive, but at my age. I am scared when I see someone bleeds a lot like that.

“Ellora..” Papa saw me and he walks towards me as I kept my gazed to him.

He’s looking at me, but the shine in his eyes were gone, his eyes turned ice cold and dark. He’s staring back at me without a flinch.

I can’t even move back or run, all I see is how I felt scared when he’s looking at me like that.

Papa covered my eyes as he carried me back into our house.

I didn’t see him again.

It seems that Ronan has returned but another Ronan has come home.

When we reached the inside of our home, Papa checked up on me.

“Are you okay?”

“He’s back.” I said.

Papa nods “He is, thank god. He’s safe.” He smiled at me reassuringly.

“He’s in pain.” I told him out of the blue, although Ronan looks like he can handle whatever pain he’s feeling tonight, I saw that he’s in pain.

“Not exactly.”

“I want to see him, Papa.” I urged him.

“What did I say about not getting involve?” he scolds.

We heard the ambulance outside. Papa looks back at me.

“They’re taking him.”

I nods “Thank god.” I sat down in the couch and I feel that my legs is already soft.

A bloodied, different Ronan came back after all.