A/N:

Ok, so I have been really pissed at everyone lately, because they killed off Elle. At least, they did right and the little hope I had left (Claire saving Elle with her blood and then they live happily ever after xD) is probably never going to happen.0-o But, I am going to survive and I hope you guys as well so you can still read this. =] Please enjoy and Review =D

Chapter 5: Shining Stars

"I'm not coming with you!" The little blonde girl shouted as hard as she could while kicking her feet in the air and swinging her arms every way possible. The older man dragged her along, his hand wrapped around her tiny upper arm not even bothering looking down at the girl. As if he didn't even care.

"I don't think I gave you a choice, did I?" The man said with a no-nonsense look on his face as he proceeded walking through the white blank hall. Nothing more than big doors on both sides of the hallway. No one else was there. The hall was completely empty except for the little girl and the man.

The girl still continued struggling, trying to escape the grasp of the man. She clearly failed, considering the fact the man was nearly 30 years older than she was.

Still, as stubborn as she was, she tried and tried. Giving up wasn't an option. She knew what was going to happen if she went along with this. She knew what was going to happen if she gave the man what he wanted. No way that was going to happen. Not if she could help it.

"If you don't start cooperating really soon there will be serious consequences young lady" the man now threatened.

That she didn't foresee, although she could have expected something like that would happen. It wouldn't be the first time they punished her for being stubborn. It wouldn't be the first time she got some kind of punishment. Even when she didn't do anything in particular. It wouldn't matter anyway. If she didn't do what they wanted she would feel the consequences, but if she did she would suffer as well.

Badly.

Even though her heart was telling her to keep struggling and keep whining, her mind was telling her otherwise. Slowly her heart gave in and she walked beside the man to their final destination. She still wasn't pleased with the whole situation though and she let the man know. Now and then she let out an angry groan or she would give him and evil glare. He didn't even notice, though. The man was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Finally after what seemed hours they arrived at the end of the hall where they stood in front of a big grey door. The little girl let out an squeal. She was clearly afraid of going in there and she tried her best to hide behind the man.

"You're going in. You know you want to be a good girl. So do this and after this I promise you'll never have to go in there again." The man said, suddenly changing his voice in a high almost painfully sweet voice.

The girl didn't move. She heard that before.[i] How many times has he said that already. I know he won't hesitate bringing me here. He never mind before. [/i] She thought to herself, still not moving an inch of her body. Her body clenched together immediately when the man grabbed her and lifted her in the air.

"I try to be the good dad here so why won't you try and be the good daughter you're supposed to be and do this for daddy, okay?" He said now a little less sweet than previous.

The big grey door then opened. A small crack was enough for a equally small head to pop around the corner to see if it is really them who are standing there. The girl was still afraid, but what her dad said did make a slight impact. She definitely wanted to be the good daughter. Maybe if she was a good daughter, at least she thought so, she would be treated differently. With more respect. Or even love for that matter.

The man set her down and whispered something in the other man's ear. His head disappeared again and now the door fully opened.

Without a warning her dad shoved her inside the room and quickly closed the door behind her. Maybe afraid she would run out again later. He didn't go in with her. She knew he didn't want to see what's going on in there. Even he knows it isn't going to be pleasant. Only he had a choice. He could walk away from it and decide not to watch. She on the other hand had no choice at all.

The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She had to be mentally ready. She knew she wouldn't survive it if she wasn't ready for it. If she didn't know what she could except. It almost killed her the first time. She just wasn't ready. Now she made sure she was.

"Elle." A whisper from the corner, so soft you could barely hear it. Elle opened her eyes and looked to the corner. There he was. The man she hated the most in the entire planet. Not that she knew many people, but she wasn't that old so how could she. The man rose and walked to her slowly.

Elle suppressed the urge to run away and did the complete opposite. She walked towards the man. She thought they would be done sooner if she just did what he want. Then everyone would be happy.

Except for her.

"Elle." The man whispered again. She was used to his whisper even though it creeped her out completely. He always whispered. As if he was afraid someone would hear his words. As if someone would found out what kind of things they would do here.

His arms enclosed around her and she received a big hug. She didn't want to be hugged, especially not by him, but she knew she wasn't in the position to make any demands or say something about it. She just had to do her part.

"You know where you have to go." The man looked at her as he whispered those words close to her face. They were almost touching noses and Elle wanted to step back. She knew that wasn't the smartest thing to do. Not that it would do much, because the other man was still holding both of her upper arms, which made it impossible for her to move.

"Now!" He suddenly beamed.

As if she was dead meat she followed his order and she walked to the table set up in the middle of the room. Slowly she took place on top of it.

"It wouldn't hurt you to move any faster." He whispered yet again. Elle just stared to the blank wall on the opposite of her.

She learned not to show emotions. That was just what they wanted. If they saw she was scared they would exaggerate it, just to scare her more. If they saw her smiling they would exaggerate it just to wipe that smile of her face. If they saw she was angry, they just tried to make her more mad. And so on. They just never stop. Especially not when you show emotions. That explains her face. No sign of any life. No sign of a soul hidden behind that plain surface.

With one nod of the man she knew she needed to lie down. Her arms were laying next to her lifeless body and she fitted perfectly on the table. It was almost like the table was made for her. Instead of being honored it wasn't a pleasant thought at all. That meant they wanted to put her on this table since she was born.

Elle shivered thinking about that. That couldn't be. Her father would never have such intentions. Right?

Two straps were wrapped around her tiny wrists and her little feet. She was only dressed in a white tank top and some underwear. She didn't need anything else they thought. She was freezing, but they didn't even care.

She was tied up to the table. Now there really was no where to go. Now she couldn't run away when she would feel the pain slowly taking over her body. Her body would make his own movements. It would hurt so much, but she knew there wasn't an escape. Sometimes they would make her do stuff. They told her to do stuff. She hated it. It would only hurt and they'd never tell her what they were proving if she did so. They never told her why they are doing what they were doing. Hopefully they didn't make her do stuff today. She was already on the edge of crying, but she pushed back the pain. She pushed back the tears. She pushed herself back. She stored herself in a little corner of her mind she was used to by now and she would sit there till the whole thing was over. Then she would come out of that corner and be herself again.

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No idea had Claire of the horrible things going on in any of the rooms in that building. She just stood there. Helpless. She didn't know what to do. It was the first time she came along with her dad. Her dad always left during the day, but never was she allowed to go. She understood. She knew perfectly well her dad had to work to make money. Without money she wouldn't be able to do the things she does now. She knew that.

She wasn't dumb. That she knew as well.

At age eleven she ought to know certain things. Especially something like that. She wasn't dumb she knew that.

The building just scared her. That was it, Claire assumed when she first saw it. It just send shivers down her spine. As if everything got cold suddenly. She couldn't explain the weird feeling. She wasn't sure if she wanted to found out why she felt that way.

She wasn't dumb, but scared she definitely was.

Her dad just left her standing there telling her he had things to do. After giving her a quick kiss and the directions to some kind of playground he disappeared in the building.

The playground wasn't near the building and didn't require her going inside. She as grateful of that.

With no intentions of standing any longer in front of the gray and white building she ran towards the side of it. Walking on a path beside the building. It lead to the playground her dad mentioned earlier.

It wasn't something spectacular . Actually it was really small and it looked like every single thing standing there could break down any second.

The only thing looking somewhat reliable were the swings.

That's why she took place on one of them. Slowly picking up speed she went higher and higher. The loud noises coming from the swing didn't stop her from swinging as high as she could. She was kind of testing the boundaries. Like she would do with everything. She was always trying to push It further and even further. Just to see with how much she could get away. It was a tendency she had.

Normally it didn't even hurt her. She had her father to blame for that. He always let her do what she wanted. You could call her spoiled. She would say she just has awesome parents. Besides that, she learned she doesn't get hurt easily. When she falls it doesn't as much as it should, for instant. Or when she cuts herself, the wound it gone within a day or two, when normally people need a week a least for the wound to disappear. She didn't mind though. It just meant she could do more than the rest of her friends.

A different noise than the swing made her open her eyes and look up.

A girl around the same age she was, was approaching the swings. The other girl didn't really looked up, so she didn't see Claire sitting on the other swing at first. Claire stopped swinging.

Claire just looked at the girl. First with disgust, because the girl was only dressed in some underwear and a white tank top. When she saw the girl crying, though, it turned in curiosity and pity. She wanted to know what was going on with her.

Elle just sat down on one of the swings. Not even noticing Claire.

"Do you like dolls?" Claire asked not really knowing why she asked that particular question.

Elle didn't look up at first, but after a few minutes she acknowledged Claire's presence by nodding. Claire smiled sweetly and Elle just stared blankly back.

"Why don't you come with me and then we can play with dolls at my place."

Claire already got up and walked towards the exit of the playground. Elle followed slowly. She was still crying and Claire could see. Claire put her arms around Elle once Elle was standing beside her. "It's gonna be ok." She whispered.

Elle noticed the way she whispered. It wasn't at all like the man in the room. This one was kind and friendly. She now looked up and smiled at Claire. One of the first time she smiled that week.

Even though they both knew Elle was older somehow Claire was acting like the older one. They were content with it. Elle didn't need to be the older one, because she knew she needed someone to take care of her. At least at that time she did. Later on she realized the doesn't want anyone to take care of her. She is capable of handling her own business. She was desperate to prove that to everyone. Not at that time though. She was content just having Claire's arm wrapped around her shoulder as she poured her heart out to a girl she barely knew.

For once she was happy with where she was.

With Claire playing with the dolls.

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It's dark outside. Stars shining bright at the sky. They both know it wasn't long ago when they would sit on the porch and just look at the sky. Elle would tell her all about the stars and she would listen. She was the pair of ears Elle missed in her life.

One week ago they actually said in Elle's car. Just being together. Looking at the stars.

Elle brought a book and she brought her music. She listened to the typical pop songs she enjoyed so much and Elle would read her book. Now and then she would kiss Elle gently on the lips. Elle would smile, tell her she would only read this page before she would give her her full attention. Never did that happened. They both knew Elle would never put her book away. Once Elle started Elle didn't stop either. She knew that. She respected that. Elle loved that about her.

That was before.

Elle thought nothing had to change, but of course they did.

Everything changed once Elle made that decision. Elle knows she can't take back the actions, but even if Elle could she doesn't know if she would.

Elle caused a problem between Herself and her. Elle knows that. Elle still thinks she did the right thing.

She doesn't. She thinks Elle did the worst thing possible. She thinks Elle just thought about herself when she made that decision. She thinks Elle just on purpose hurt her. She thinks there is nothing Elle can do to make it all better. To make her dad come back again. To make sure her own dad comes back again. To make sure the Haitian guy comes back again.

That's why she took matters in her own hand and shot her girlfriend. Claire shot Elle. Now she regrets it. Just like Elle regrets killing all those people, but Elle did it for the both of them, Claire for herself.

Claire regrets holding that gun in her hand and shooting Elle. Elle regrets not telling Claire about killing all those people. Claire would take it all back again, because she was selfish. Elle doesn't want to reverse everything, because still she thinks it was worth it. Not for herself. She isn't the selfish kind anymore. Not thanks to Claire. But it was worth it, because if Claire had known the whole story she would agree with Elle.

Elle was sure of that.

Still Elle didn't tell Claire everything. Just so Claire wouldn't get hurt.

In order to have what you want you have to lose some first.

One line she couldn't get out of her mind. Elle looks up at the sky with that one sentence running through her mind.

She's not letting go of her life. She's not letting go of her life.

Elle looks up at the sky. Stars shining bright at the sky. Not one little cloud blocking her view of the stars.

A little smile appears on her face as she thinks about Claire and their night under the stars just a week ago.

Somehow Elle can't stop smiling. It's not like dying is something to smile about. She just can't help it. She always smiles when she thinks about Claire. Besides that. She doesn't mind dying knowing she made sure Claire is save. Her eyes fall shut.

When she opens them again a worried Claire is hanging over her feeling her pulse.

Softly Claire whispers to herself. "Please don't die. Please don't die. I need you. Please don't die."

Elle smiles again. She knows she is going to be ok. Now she just has to deal with the other problem.

Her eyes fall shut again.

She just doesn't know it is going to be a whole week before she is going to open them again. She just doesn't know what she is going to wake up to when she opens her eyes again. She just doesn't know there is going to be a bunch to fix and to save, again, when she opens her eyes again.

For now her eyes are just shut. A smile still on her face as she is carried in the ambulance. Claire still holding on to her whispering her apologies over and over again.

For now she has to accept everything that's going to happen in the week without Elle saving the day.

It's dark outside. Stars shining brightly at the sky.