Chapter 10: Disturbia

Lizzie looked at the razor in her hand. Should she cut herself? Why would she cut herself? She had no problems in her life that were worth cutting up her arm. Besides, she was safe home again. Bob never raped her. She was fine. Just fine.

"I can't do it. I don't want to do it," Lizzie told herself.

She placed the razor back where she found it and went back up to Ruthie's room.

"Bye. It was really great seeing you again," Lucy said.

"You too," Robbie replied.

Just then, Lucy got a great idea, "hey, what are you doing on Thanksgiving?"

"Nothing. I'll probably just sit up in my apartment alone, why?" Robbie replied.

"Well, I just wondering, do you want to come to my family's house for Thanksgiving dinner?" Lucy asked.

"Sure. That would be great," Robbie replied gratefully. He didn't have to spend Thanksgiving alone.

"Ok," Lucy said, "call later on. Here. I'll give you my number," Lucy took out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down her number.

Robbie took the paper from her, "well, talk to you later."

"You too. Bye," Lucy said.

She then exited the pizza place and headed for her favorite clothing store. After all, her next class wasn't for another hour. Why not get some new clothes, maybe a nice new outfit for Thanksgiving in two more days, while she waited?

Chandler gave Roxanne another shocked look, "you have a little sister?"

"Yes," Roxanne answered her shocked fiancé's question.

"But…how…when…what…where…who?" Chandler stammered, trying not to be totally shocked.

"Well…it's kind of a long story," Roxanne said.

Chandler snapped out of his shocked state, "I'm here to listen."

"Good. Very, very good. Tell him our little story, Roxie. He'll love it, just love it."

"Well, I have, or had, a little sister who was five years younger than me. Her name was Hannah Elaine Richardson. We used to do just about everything together. Until one day. I was ten and she was five. We were both playing outside. I convinced my mother I could handle her. Well, I had to use the bathroom after about six minutes outside. I told her I'd only be gone for about four minutes, I also told her not to go anywhere. So I went inside and used the bathroom. When I came back outside, she was gone. I knew something bad happened to her because her favorite Barbie doll was lying on the ground. She took it everywhere, she always had it. So I ran inside and got my mom. We called the police, which was my dad. He organized a search party, but she was nowhere to be found…" Roxanne stopped to wipe tear formations from her eyes.

She continued, "everyone thinks she was kidnapped. So I guess when Lizzie was kidnapped, I saw the pain Kevin was in. I saw the worry. I saw the fear. I saw myself in Kevin. Feeling guilty because I could've prevented it if I hadn't had to use the bathroom. I felt the fear that I felt when I saw her Barbie doll lying on the ground. The worry that I felt when no one could find her. And then, all of the memories of my little sister came back to haunt me. I can her voice, her exact voice, talking to me in my head. I could picture her in my mind. I can feel the guilt returning to me as regret. Regret for not being there. I'm such a bad sister, I let it happen," she was crying now.

Chandler hugged her, "You're not a bad sister. It wasn't your fault. It just happened. You didn't do anything."

"Roxanne, don't cry because of me. It wasn't your fault. Listen to him. You couldn't of saved me. Please don't blame yourself. Please. If it makes you feel any better, I'll leave you alone. Goodbye Roxie, it was nice to see you again."

And with that said, the voice went away.

"Goodbye," Roxanne said silently through her tears, which were now tears of joy.

"Damn, why me?" Terry Richardson muttered to himself as he slammed down the phone.

Roxanne, his daughter, had called him and left a message again. It was to invite him to her, and her soon-to-be husband's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She had been calling him for days now. Call after call. Message after message. He had received them all. It was driving him crazy.

It wasn't that he didn't like his daughter. It was just he didn't like the choices she was making. Getting engaged to a minister. Moving in with him before marriage were both bad choices. Roxanne should be marrying a police officer, raising her kids to be police officers, carrying on the family tradition. But no. It had to be a minister. Didn't it?

"Oh well. If Roxanne wants to screw up her life, she can," Terry mumbled to himself.

After all, he couldn't change her choices. It was too late. She was already engaged to him. She already lived with him. She already convinced herself to love him. Like he said, too late.

He sat down in his favorite chair. He needed to relax before he finally called Roxanne back.

"I don't want to go. I really don't," Edie Hampton muttered to her son, Sid.

"It's too late. We already gave Chandler our word," Sid replied.

"Great," Edie said sarcastically.

"Mom, we have to. Chandler wants us to be there," Sid said.

"Why oh why must you care about that damned brother of yours so much?" Edie asked her son, annoyed.

Edie just didn't need to see Chandler right now. She was as mad as hell at him, after all. He had been named head executor in his father's, her husband's, will of his estate and money. And he wouldn't give her and Sid their share of the money. Greedy little preacher boy is what she currently thought of her son. And Sid, who was Chandler's twin brother, had just gotten out of rehab yet again and he seemed happy to be seeing his brother again.

"It's the twin bond," Sid said simply and left the room.

"Twins. Oh why did they have to be twins?" Edie complained as she packed her suitcase.

"Bye. I'll see you later," Chandler said, quickly kissing Roxanne goodbye.

"Ok, you too," Roxanne replied.

He was about to leave when Roxanne spoke, "Chandler?"

Chandler turned and faced her, "yeah."

"Thanks for listening to me this morning," Roxanne said gratefully.

"You know I'll always listen to you," Chandler said and then left for work.

Roxanne headed towards her bedroom. All of a sudden, she felt like sleeping. Good thing Chandler had called the station. She now could sleep all day, which was what she planned to do.

"Are you sure you can't make it?" Annie asked her son over the phone.

"I'm sorry Mom. I'm really tied up at school right now," Matt Camden replied.

"Ok. I just wish you and Sarah could be here on Thanksgiving," Annie said and then sighed.

Mary and Carlos already called. They couldn't make it. And she hadn't heard from Simon yet. What was happening to her once large family? She felt as if it shrunk smaller and smaller everyday.

"Me too Mom. I'm really sorry," Matt said. He felt bad that he couldn't be there. He missed his family a lot.

"Oh well. I'll be fine as long as you call on Thanksgiving," Annie said.

Matt laughed, "no problem, Mom."

"Great." Annie said happily. At least he'd still call. That was better than not hearing from him at all.

"Oh, sorry Mom, I've got to go," Matt said.

"Ok, bye. Love you," Annie said.

"Love you too," Matt said and hung up the phone.

Annie sighed. Sure he was calling, but Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without Matt…or Mary.

Eric Camden glanced at his watch. Chandler was running late, an hour late to be exact. Where could he be?

Just then, Chandler rushed into the office, "sorry I'm late."

"That's ok, Chandler," Eric said.

Chandler sat down in a chair. Then all of a sudden the phone rang.

Eric picked it up, "hello?"

"Is this Reverend Camden?" a voice on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yes." Eric replied.

"I need your help…" The voice said.

Peter looked around the classroom. No sign of Ruthie or Lizzie yet. He was kind of glad. That way, we wouldn't have to see Lizzie. That was a good thing to him.

He looked down at his notebook. He had started scribbling on it, being that his history teacher was rambling on about nothing. His notebook had little hearts with the name "Lizzie" on them scribbled all over it. Boy, did he need help and fast. This whole Lizzie crush thing was driving him crazy.

Lizzie was in the bathroom face to face with the razor again. She was holding it up to her arm. She had escaped Ruthie's room for another trip to the bathroom. She was having a conflict in her head of whether to cut or not.

Just try it, a voice in her head urged her.

So she did. She slid the blade across her arm. Blood began to poor out of a small cut.

What had she done?

Annie sat at the kitchen table. She was still upset that neither Matt nor Mary could make it for Thanksgiving.

But what about Simon? Why hadn't she, or anyone else in the family, heard from him about coming home for Thanksgiving yet?

The backdoor opened. The last person Annie ever expected to see entered the house, luggage in all.

"Hi Mom," the person said.

"Simon?" Annie said, surprised.

It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you and consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
It's too close for comfort

Songs Used: "Disturbia" by Rihanna is not mine.