Chapter 2: A brave girl and a deep hole

Still today I don't know how did it happen, but it happened. Nothing could have prepared me for the strange events that changed my life forever… I believe no one could have ever been prepared for something like that.

As you may guess, the days and weeks right after the worst night of my life were as near as horrible as those dark hours carved with blood and pain in my body and soul. But as I've told you, I wasn't gonna break down. No, I wouldn't give up so easily. They wasted their most awful tortures in those first weeks, and they made me cry like I had never cried before… but I didn't surrender. That was a mistake they would regret for a long time… They had wasted their chance; now it was mine.

Anyway, my situation wasn't getting any better; my new partners had temporarily left the physical torture to one side, but that didn't mean they were going to stop harassing me. They never missed a chance to taunt me, wherever I was or whatever I was doing. They picked on me for any reason they found, real or not: my intelligence, my shyness, my Irish origins... that hurt me very much. Some of them even accused me of trying to "steal" them their boyfriends... but I didn't even know the boys...! After that, they began to calling me dyke and things like that; it didn't affect me as much as they wanted to, as I had talked enough with Lisa to understand homosexuality wasn't something "bad" or "shameful". However, I wasn't a lesbian... but do you think those girls really cared about that?

The night of Halloween was going to change it all. Nothing would ever be the same again.

October hadn't been as cold as I expected... or maybe the cold showers had something to do with that. In one of the few and rare moments of relative peace I could enjoy, I was walking around the garden, between the trees which had given me my new name amongst the students: "Weeping Willow". That was cruel and sadly true; it was very easy to make me cry, and I made it almost every day. But I tried my best not to think about it. It had been raining for the last hours, and the afternoon sky was still covered with gray clouds, a sight somewhat depressing, but I was surprised to find it soothing and beautiful. The fresh wind gently caressed my soft skin and my long hair floated gracefully in the air.

While I enjoyed the refreshing smell of the wet grass, I closed my eyes and let my mind soar over the gloomy world that tried to crush my poor little soul; I traveled to a place very far from there, where I was happy and nothing could harm me. No more worries, no more pain... Glory, Paradise, Heaven... call it however you want; I wanted to stay there forever and never return to my depressing life.

But reality had another plans for me. Still with my eyes closed, a noise got me out of my wonderful daydream; a group of girls was coming near. I had to escape. Quickly, I hid behind a willow, near the river that crossed through the school's grounds, but soon I heard something that made my blood to freeze in my veins. Those girls were talking about a former student who had died on Halloween fifty years ago; she had been drowned in the river by her classmates... the same river now I was staring at with horror.

The girls stopped several meters away from my position. As I couldn't risk myself to make a movement, I stayed there and listened to the scary tale.

- And you say they never found the body? Cool...

"Cool" wasn't precisely the word I had in mind, but I had to remain silent.

- Hey, I got an idea... Yeah, that's a cool story... But I think it's time to create a new one. Are you with me?

- Are you nuts, Kate? We can't kill a girl! It's a crime!

- What are you saying, Phoebe? Are you gonna tell the nuns, huh? Do you wanna be the victim? Five against one, nerdy... You don't have a chance.

I didn't see Phoebe, but I know she was as scared at me in that moment... Her voice was only a faint whisper as she talked:

- Okay, I'll stay with you... But I don't want to be a murderer...

- You'll be the storyteller, then... And try to make a good story; if the nuns ever get to suspect what really happened, you'll lie forever in the bottom of this river.

- No... No...

- But don't worry, you won't be alone... Taylor will make you company for eternity.

I screamed and started running like a deer, praying I'd be fast enough to get out of danger. I had to get to the main building at any cost; if they caught me, Allison Taylor soon would be nothing but a tragic reminder of the "human" cruelty.

- GET HER!

"Like Hell you will, you damn monster"

I dashed between the trees, but I was getting very tired; my long and thin legs had carried me very far, but they were aching too much and soon I wouldn't be able to move them. Almost by a miracle, I jumped over a fallen tree and for a second I thought I was gonna make it, but my hope sank as a dead body tied to a heavy stone when I saw the old and rusty iron fence a few meters in front of me. End of the way. Literally.

I heard Death coming for me, and there was nothing I could do; I couldn't climb up the fence and I couldn't climb down to the river. I was in a blind alley. An ancient oak was gonna be the only and silent witness of my early demise. Who knew if it wasn't the first murder the old tree had seen during its long long life...

When the gang arrived, they found me sitting by the oak, humming an old song. I don't know why did they stop, but I wanted to think I awoke the kindness which was sleeping deep in their hearts.

- Oh, God... What in Hell were we going to do...? Sorry...

- WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

- Kate, we can't do it! We can't kill her!

- Yeah, just look at her! Are you mad?

- Why have we been so mean to her? She didn't deserve it!

I couldn't believe it; now, five of the six girls wanted to spare my life. My blue eyes shed tears of joy, and that just helped me more.

- Oh, my... Look at her eyes...

Phoebe knelt down and began to cry.

- I'm sorry, Allie... I'm sorry... Please forgive me...

- GET OUTTA MY WAY, YOU WIMPS! I'LL KILL HER WITH MY OWN HANDS!

- But why? What has she done...?

- GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL!

My blood began to boil; I completely forgot about my fear and yelled as loud as I was able to:

- Hey, let them go! I'm the one you want, so come for me!

The girls stared at me, amazed that I had pronounced those words. I not longer looked like an easy prey; maybe my body was thin and weak, but my will had grown stronger during those last minutes. I wasn't gonna flee anymore.

- What are you saying, Irish bitch?

- Let them go and face me if you got what it takes. And stop insulting my origins! Do you know how many Americans descend from Irish people? You should study your history, instead of bullying and torturing people who is weaker than you!

I couldn't believe what I was doing, but I couldn't control it; it was going out from the deepest part of me. It was something that had to be done.

Kate grumbled and mumbled something; I'm not sure what it was, but I don't think I wanted to understand it.

- Okay, this is over; we're going back to the school. Kate, are you going with us?

- No... -Kate said in a somber tone-. You can go... And better not tell anyone about this...

- Fine. But if Allison and you aren't back before dusk, you'll be in trouble...

Kate grumbled again and the other girls left. Before disappearing from sight, Phoebe turned back and looked at me one last time; she was still scared, and her eyes went from me to Kate a couple of times. Then she quickly got away. But I got it. That wasn't over for me.

- What are you waiting for? In less than an hour it will be dark...

I tried to remain calm, but my instinct -and Phoebe's sign- told me I was in serious danger. If Kate wanted to stay alone with me, it could be due to two things: she wanted to apologize, or... Great. She didn't want any witness, and something told me "sorry" wasn't the word she had in her sick mind. I began to deeply regret I hadn't left with the other girls... Why...? Well, that didn't matter anymore...

But then, why did she stay there, silent and without making any move?

"Time..."

No! She wanted the other girls to be far enough so they couldn't hear me screaming! How could I have been so stupid?

- Okay. Time to go.

- Huh?

- But only one of us will see the school again...

I stepped back as Kate got a small knife out of her pocket.

- But why? WHY? For Heaven's sake, what I've done to you?

- It's nothing personal, I swear... But you won't live to find out the truth.

Surprisingly, I found those words to be sincere, but that wasn't going to save me.

- Sorry, but you must die.

I managed to dodge the first attack, but she tried to stab me again. I desperately looked for a way out, but I hadn't enough room to run away towards the fallen tree; if I reached it, I might be able to escape. I was way faster than Kate, and maybe I could catch Phoebe and the other girls if I was lucky.

Unfortunately, my aggressor seemed to be aware of my intentions and didn't give me any chance. Within seconds, she had cornered me against the oak.

- Game over, bitch.

- I'm only eleven! What's the point in calling me such a nasty thing?

How I was able to talk like that in such a moment is something I still don't understand.

- DIE!

The blade snapped off a small piece of bark, and I saw my chance. Bad move. Kate dropped the weapon and charged at me, knocking me down; the impact nearly broke my legs. Growling like an enraged beast, she tried to choke me, but somehow I managed to fight back, scratching her face with my nails and making her bleed; that got her even more furious, but it gave me enough time to crawl back and...

Next thing I remember is that I was desperately trying to get out of a deep hole. The oak guarded a secret between its big, centenary roots, and I didn't notice it until it was too late. I tried to cling to life, but my efforts were futile; my fingers slipped over the moist ground and I fell into the blackness.

- NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!

Sorry for the lateness. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I expect your reviews ;) Seeya!