I had a really bad day at school today. My dumb English teacher was purposefully make it sound like I was contradicting myself and I wasn't at all. Made me so mad. And then we have a seating chart in science now.

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I felt pain all over. My body ached. I saw him watching me and I could read his thoughts. I felt him and then it went black.

I sat up screaming. I was sweating. Leland woke next to me when he heard my cry. He grabbed me and felt me shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I knew he was worried.

"It was just a dream. I'm fine." It was half true. It was just a dream, but I wasn't fine. I was scared to death that my nightmares would come back.

"You want to talk about it?" Yes and no. I wanted to talk to him, just not about the dream and what it was about. But I felt as though I SHOULD tell him. So, I decided to relive the torture one last time.

I nodded and stood. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Leland followed me. "It's a long story. It really started when I was a kid. I wanted to be in the army, fight in a war. When 9-11 came, I was in New York with my four best friends. We were in the Trade Center when it was hit. I was able to get away with only a few burns and scrapes, my friends died.

"Several weeks later I was called to Iraq. About a month after I arrived I was captured. For days, weeks, months maybe, I don't know. I couldn't keep track of the time. Each day was the same; the men raped and tortured me. They told me that I was too pretty to hurt my face.

"Then a long time later, there was an attack on the camp. I had broken bones all over and was dying. I was knocked out from behind. I was shipped back to the US. I spent eight weeks in a coma; I had too many broken bones. They said I would never walk again. And I refused to believe that. One day, I was back home finally and the phone started ringing. I knew it was my mom, but I couldn't get to the phone. That's when I decided I could walk and I did.

"I could walk again, but I just wasn't the same. I've had nightmares like tonight ever since and I just can't trust anyone, especially not myself."

Leland was silent, as if he was trying to register all I had said. Or as if he hadn't heard me, or forgot some of it. The silence was unbearable for me. "And so I hide away and keep to myself most of the time."

"Is that why you were so afraid of us that day?"

I nodded. "Yes. I can't handle situations like that. I want to forget but it's so hard with people constantly reminding me."

"I'm sorry I asked you so much. I didn't think it was something so big."

I smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. It feels good to tell someone again, but now I have to forget, I need to."

"Okay." He kissed me. "Thank you. I know it hurts and I'm really sorry." And for some reason, I felt like saying jokingly, but something stopped me. I felt him stroking my hair lovingly.

"Thanks for listening," I said smiling. "It means a lot to me." It really did. I felt like kissing him all over, but just having him there was enough.

He kissed me. "Thanks." He smiled and led me back into my room.

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The next morning I woke up with Leland's arms around me. I felt safe there, loved and cared for. I was really happy. Leland was sound asleep, I smiled at him. I loved this man. He looked peaceful. I knew I would wake him up if I moved but Daddy would be calling soon and I needed to get an early start cleaning everything up. I looked at Leland one last time and slowly got up, trying not to wake him.

I dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. When I finished, I turned to see Leland watching me. "Good morning," he said smiling. His smile is to die for; I've never seen anything like it.

I smiled at him. "Hey. Sorry if I woke you."

"Don't be, it was fine. I should be up anyway. How are you?" I hoped he wasn't worried about me, I was fine.

"Good. I slept very well for the first time in years. I feel great. How are you?"

"I'm happy. I think I might help you around here if it's alright with you."

I smiled. "Fine, I could use some help with the heavier stuff."

He smiled again. I turned to the mirror and pulled my hair back into a messy bun. When I finished Leland had his arms around me. He was kissing my neck. I could FEEL his love for me and that amazed me and scared me. I didn't want to fall in love and then be hurt as I was when I was a teenager. Maybe Leland was different, but then I hardly knew him. I was worried about this relationship. I wasn't sure if I was ready for it, or if he was ready. He hardly knew me so maybe he's trying to and I'm hiding too much. Maybe this is all my fault. Maybe I should tell him to back away. I couldn't though. I loved him, he loved me, and that felt good. I couldn't push him away. I NEEDED this, but I wasn't ready for what he was ready for. He wanted something I wasn't sure I could give him.

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Leland spent that day with me. Dad came by with a few more boxes and freaked out. After I spent about an hour trying to explain it all, he finally left.

Leland stood almost laughing about it. I didn't see what was funny, but I decided it was best to ignore it.

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Several weeks later, I was at home making dinner for Leland. He was to arrive any minute. There was a knock at my door. I smiled and went to answer it. I opened the door to see a masked man holding a gun. He was too tall and big to be Leland. My heart was pounding. The man walked in my house, tied me up and tore the place up, and then dragged me out. He threw me into the back of a car and drove away.

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The man held me captive for several days; he had his "fun" with me too. I was finally able to escape. I ran for my life to the only place I could think of: Leland's. There was police cars in his drive way. He opened the door when he heard me pounding. He grabbed me and pulled me inside. He sat me on the couch. The police swarmed around me and called an ambulance.

Leland was right by my side. "What happened, honey?" he asked holding my hand.

I was shaking and crying. "I—I was making dinner for us. I heard a knock at the door; I thought it was you so I opened it. This man in a mask with a gun, he pushed me into the house, threw stuff around like he was trying to find something, then took me to his car and drove away." I began sobbing. Leland hugged me to his chest and stroked my hair.

"It's okay. Nothing's going to happen to you," he said soothingly. A few police tried to speak to me, but Leland made them leave me alone. "Just leave her alone!" he yelled. "She told you what happened."

I was shaking all over. "Shhhh, honey, its okay now," Leland kept saying as I sobbed into his chest.

The ambulance arrived, Leland kept pushing them away. "She's not ready for this." And I wasn't, I was scared. I was sobbing in pain, sobbing because I realized just how much Leland really cared about me. He REALLY cared.

"Mr. Chapman, she needs medical care," the cop said firmly. She took hold of my arm and pulled me to my feet. She half dragged me to the bus. Leland was right beside me. He walked with me, rode with me too. He didn't leave my side unless he was forced, and even then he was still as close as he could be.

The doctors ran a rape kit and patched me up. Reporters swarmed around me. The same way hey had when I returned from Iraq. Leland was getting pissed and wouldn't let ANYONE see me. Hardly even the detectives. I told them my story twice and finally he had had enough and wouldn't let them see me anymore.

Leland seemed so scared for me. He insisted that he move in with me or I move in with him. Daddy saw how protective Leland was and finally really backed off. So, Leland moved in with me. He wouldn't leave me alone for more than a few seconds.

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One night I was in bed, Leland changed quickly and laid down next to me. "How you been?" he asked me as he pressed my head to his chest.

"Pretty good. I've been thinking about… you know, everything. My sky really did fall on 9-11."

"Yeah, I know honey. Everything was lost then, especially for you."

I smiled sadly. "I fought for everything, everyone and I paid for my decision. Now, it seems, my sky is finally rising again." First Eric getting married, if he's happy so am I. Then Leland, he was my everything. And I was freed from my past, to some extent.

Leland kissed me. "Yeah. My sky is rising too." I looked at him and I knew he had the same kind of pain in him. "My mom." I felt like crying for him.

"That's one person I couldn't stand losing. I really used to think I hated my mom until I got back from Iraq."

"Yeah. Our skies are rising together. And WE are growing closer." He grinned at me and turned out the lights.

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I really can't type today, I think it's because my hands are cold. I do realize that Leland's mom is still alive, but I didn't know that when I wrote this and I wanted to keep it like that. This was SUPPOSED to be two chapters but I just felt like posting them together. My next story will be up in a while.