I walked slowly down the steps. As I backed out of the small garden, I looked up through the broken window. His face didn't show. Maybe I didn't want it to, it would be too painful to see him that one last time. I avoided my eyes from Jim's body. I felt no remorse but I didn't think my stomach could contain all the blood I knew would be on the body. What would happen next? Would the neighbourhood continue to believe my lies? I was so afraid. Afraid for Edward, afraid of Jim. He was gone now.

In a way, so was Edward. I knew that he would never be able to come back down. How I would miss him. I found myself at the entrance to the mansion, the cul de sac facing me. I was surprised to see it all deserted so quickly. The women of this small town were all so nosy. Why couldn't they just mind their own business. My hatred for them made my eyes fill with tears once more. How dare they all scare Edward back to his lonely world.

I had to find Mom, tell her the truth of what I had witnessed.

I ran as fast as I could back home, ignoring the smell of blood on my shoulder. Questions suddenly filled my mind-what would they do with Jim's body? If they went up there to retrieve it, would they accidentally find Edward? The thought almost made me stop running and turn around. Should I tell Mom the truth? Yes. She found him, all alone, she deserved to know. Maybe not Dad or Kevin though. Edward had given Kevin quite a scare.

I arrived at the front door, took a deep breath and opened it. The first thing I knew was that there were a pair of arms wrapped around me, holding me tight.

"Kim" It was Dad. "Where have you been? We've been so worried"

I looked up at Dad's relieved face and recited what I had called to most of the town.

"He's dead, Dad, Edward. And Jim. They killed each other. The roof cave in"

I saw Mom in the corner of the room, her hand over mouth, covering her shock.

"Dead?" she whispered. "Oh no"

She leaned on the table of uneaten food for the party. I looked at her, willing her to see my sign, that everything was ok. Kevin, who had been sitting on the couch the whole time, was pale and shaking, said quietly, "Good riddance" I stared at him, wanting to slap him as hard as I could. He could probably see that I was about to hurt him, so he stuttered, " N-no, I meant your boyfriend Jim, I know Kim, I know he only tried to save me" His eyes filled with tears, "He's g-gone?'

I hesitated then nodded. "So you don't blame him?" I asked. He shook his head and wiped his eyes. Mom walked over to Dad and cried on his shoulder.

"I shouldn't have brought him here, he would have been better off safe and lonely rather than here and…" she stopped and hiccupped. I looked at my family suddenly an overwhelming amount of love I felt for them changed my mind completely. I trusted them with this secret.

"Mom, please don't cry. You cant tell anyone this, but well, he isn't dead, but you cant tell anyone. I thought maybe I shouldn't but you all deserve to know, especially now I see you forgive him. Mom, you found him and cared for him, Kevin, you introduced him to new people, and Dad, you taught him from right and wrong, well, tried to, but he's alive and up in the mansion. He wont come back down. You should all know, but please, to keep him alive, don't tell"

I said this all very fast, I wondered whether I had emphasized the 'don't tell' enough. Mom pulled away from Dad's shoulder, her eyes wide. She took my hand and pulled me close.

"Oh dear, thank you for explaining that to us, you have saved us a lot of grief. We wont tell anyone, will we?" She looked over to Dad and Kevin. They both shook their heads quickly. "We will miss him ever so much, but he is safe now and it will all go back to normal down here"

I nodded too, trying to put on a brave face until I reached my room. I headed that way quickly, desperate to get the blood of my shoulder. I showered quickly and wrapped myself up in my favourite bathrobe. I looked out the window, and gazed into the night. I made a quiet deal with myself that very moment. Even though I had decided to tell my family about Edward still being alive, no one not even my best friend Jane would know about the kiss Edward and I shared. That special moment was to be treasured by he and I forever. They wouldn't understand why I did. It wasn't even planned. It was a goodbye. A completely different goodbye I thought of giving him when he first came. But ever since he had started helping people and I started to understand him fully, my love for him had grown.

He had shown me Jim's true colours, and for that, Edward deserved so much more. He had saved my life. Tears filled my already weary eyes.

"I love you Edward, and thank you." I whispered. I climbed into bed and let out a shuddery breath. This would be a story for my grandchildren. Edward Scissorhands; innocence is what he knew and the beauty is what I saw.

*

Later on that night, a young man with scissors for hands crept into the small town where a young girl who was dreaming about him slept. He found the right house, and opened the window. He was so silent that not even the dogs next door pricked up their ears. He climbed into the bedroom of the young girl and gazed at her sleeping soundly. "I love you too Kim" he whispered. Holding his scissor hands high away from harm, he kissed her very delicately on the cheek, so gently, it could have been a mere leaf falling down and kissing her cheek on an autumn day.

He looked at her one last time and then creped away back to his mansion high on the hill.