He stood there waiting for her next move, it never came, she stood still looking at the object he led in his hand, his cold eyes scanned her thinking she was going to run, but she didn't instead she twisted her head to the side looking at her mother. Her mum mouthed the words 'it's okay,' and 'keep strong' to her. She mouthed' I love you 'which was returned by her mum. The silence was deadly until he spoke, his words flat, with no emotion "I told you Colette, I told you bad things happen when you tell people what I did." The object pointed at her, the object? The gun. She didn't argue she didn't protest she wasn't even going to explain she looked at him blankly the man who had raped and abused him for years. "Leave her alone, she's just a kid" her mum's voice, Carla! Colette's head shot round throwing warning glares at her. "Shut up" the man's voice, dom. Dom's voice, deadly flat. The gun was now pointing towards Carla she argued but Colette couldn't hear the words, almost although she was deaf he began to argue back but again she didn't hear his voice. The only thing she heard….a gunshot… no! Colette wrestled him, attacking him she managed to grab the gun off him and she shot him, cold heartedly shot him. His body fell to the floor with a shivering bang. She dropped the gun running to her mum, it was too late, and she was gone
"NOOOO! MUM NO! DON'T NOOO!" Colette woke in a pool of sweat and tears Carla by her side trying to calm her down "it's okay love I'm here, talk to me" Carla said over the past few nights even since bringing Maddison home Carla's been woken in the night with Colette having the same reoccurring dream. It was like a routine she woke hearing the shouts and screams, sat and waited for her to wake and sat and listened and calmed her down after every nightmare. Between Colette and Maddison Carla was shattered, "we need to get you to see a counsellor babe this isn't good we are both shattered and it's not doing us any favours. It's hard to talk about I know but it helps." Carla had told Colette she had bad dreams after frank and explained it was okay they discussed the counselling for a while before getting up. The day wasn't too stressful as Maddison would only be awake for a short while before nodding back off. Ken had decided it was best that Simon goes to live with him following a visiting order coming through the post for Simon to see peter in prison. Carla had agreed because she only wanted what was best for the poor kid.
Later on in the day Michelle and Steve came round Michelle and Carla sat in the living room talking and Colette was doing the washing up. Steve decided to go and see how she was. Colette explained the nightmares to Steve. "it's like it's never ending like I'm on a different planet with no idea who I am or how I got to be this person, I hate it Steve, he's turned me into a monster" she said her eyes filling. Steve pulled her into a hug "it will get better Colette you have got to give it time and I always knew you were on a different planet….planet crazy" he said causing Colette to laugh "see there we go! So your mum said you might go see a counsellor?" he said "yeah I think it'll help I mean just chatting to you has made me feel loads better!" she said going to put some of the pots away "of course I'm the good monster who puts everything right" he joked back. Colette just laughed "good to see you with a smile on your face" Carla said as she entered the kitchen.
A while later Steve and Michelle left and Carla and Colette were taking Maddison round the red rek for a short walk. They discussed a few things like the convocation between Steve an Colette then something hit Carla "let me look at your arms" she said Colette looked confused "why?" she quizzed "trust me col?" Colette nodded and showed Carla her arms. She looked to the floor when Carla took hold of one in her hand Carla's eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. Her scars from her arrival disappeared but in their place, a few not many but a few new ones. "I'm sorry mum" Colette mumbled Carla held her daughters chin up "you have nothing to be sorry for! You didn't ask for 'him' to do what he did and you don't ever apologise for this" she said indicating to Colette's arm. Carla pulled at one of her own sleeves showed Colette her wrist, on Carla's wrist a few very faint scratch like marks "I did what you've done. When frank... you know. Its okay to feel pain but talk to me or if you want to scream scream don't stay silent! Even if you just want a good cry. It's okay to cry even your mum does sometimes"
The beginning was the reoccurring nightmare, I'm loving writing Steve and Colette's relationship and I thought it would be a good line to give Carla and Colette the mother-daughter relationship a common ground