Authors Note: This chapter took me less time than before but it still really good quality. I hope you enjoy it.
Claudia walked to her locker. Her beautiful blond hair covered her eye. She didn't want anyone to see it. She wore a gray sweater to cover her arms. Claudia was depressed because she couldn't see but she supposed she would be ok. She just needed to hide it from everyone. Alessa always knew, but she figured Vincent wouldn't notice. She didn't want him to notice. "Claudia!" Alessa walked over smiling.
Claudia watched Alessa's face fall. "Again? Last night?" She asked.
Claudia nodded. "Why didn't you come see me?" Alessa asked.
"I couldn't, I didn't even eat last night. I wasn't allowed to do more than lay in my room. After all I went through, I couldn't move." Claudia explained.
Alessa hugged her friend. "After school come to my house, I'll take the pain away." Claudia nodded.
"I just have to keep this over my eye…" Claudia said.
"What did he do?" Alessa asked wanting to move her hair.
"He punched my eye." Claudia looked sad.
"Well, after school it will be all better again." Alessa promised.
Claudia picked up her stuff and headed for her class. Claudia had a very productive morning, since no one really liked her, she didn't need to worry about people trying to see her face. She we relaxed during first period, but she became extremely worried as she entered math. She kept her hair in place over her eye. She watched Vincent walk in from her uncovered eye. He smiled at her. "Cold today?" He smiled.
"Just a little chilly." She smiled back.
He tilted his head at her hair covered eye. "Why is your hair coving your eye?" He asked.
"No reason." She smiled.
He smiled but didn't look like he believed it. He went to sit at his desk. Claudia knew this would be a bad class hour.
She left class as soon as the bell had wrung. She didn't feel too good at all. Her body was sore and she wanted to go home and rest. Her afternoon classes were easier but she knew she shouldn't go home and rest. She walked to her locker after the crowd cleared. Claudia put away her books and began heading to find Alessa. They were going to have lunch together. She walked down the hall keeping her eye concealed. She knew people would notice if it was uncovered because of the wild contrast between the wound and her palled skin. She spotted Alessa down the hall and jogged towards her. "Alessa!" She said as she got closer.
Alessa looked up and then smiled when she realized it was Claudia. "Want to go buy lunch now?" She asked Claudia.
"Yes. I'm starving." Claudia said.
Claudia had been too afraid to eat that morning. She got dressed and just headed for school. She never realized how hungry she was until she bought her lunch. She ate fast and felt so good when she was done. "Didn't you eat today?" Alessa asked.
"No. I was too scared of father." Claudia admitted.
"You need to learn to stand up for yourself." She scolded Claudia.
"You tell me this all the time. I can't stand up to him. He'll throw me out on my own." Claudia explained to her.
"Well you can't live your life alone. I would just call the police when he hurts you. They would at least help you." Alessa explained.
"Maybe…" Claudia agreed.
The bell ran after an hour of talking. Claudia walked up to her locker. She hummed. She was feeling a little better now that time had passed and she ate. She walked past many people in the halls. One of them was Vincent. Vincent had followed her. "Claudia! Wait." He said catching up.
"Hello." She smiled at him.
"What's wrong with you today? Please tell me." Vincent pleaded.
"Nothing… I don't want to talk about it." She said to him.
He stepped in front of her to face her. "Claudia?" He asked looking closer at her covered eye.
He went to reach for her hair. She backed up slightly. "Please, Vincent…" She sounded upset.
He made one more attempt and she didn't stop him. She wanted his curios face switch to that of complete horror. He looked upset when he looked at her eye. "What happened to you!" He asked worried.
"Please don't tell anyone." She pleaded.
Vincent shook his head. "I won't'…" He said to her.
"But…. Was it your father?" He asked.
Claudia couldn't answer, for tears began slipping down her face. She darted down the hall and left the school. Vincent stood there wondering how hard his new friend's life really was.
Claudia ran. She ran down the path leading out of her school. She felt the tears run down her cheeks. She just wanted to go through school without him knowing. She never wanted him to know about her father. She didn't know where she was going; but she knew she had to get there fast. She ran so far and so fast she wasn't sure where she was now. She looked around. The fog had rolled in. "Odd." She commented.
She looked around. She realized she was standing in front of Lake Toluca. She looked around. She could barely see anything. She sat down on the ground where she was. She was alone. No one would come out here in the fog. So many myths and legends pertaining to it made people uncomfortable. Claudia wasn't afraid. She loved the fog. It gave her invisible walls. She wished she was stronger and braver. She wanted to have the power to stand up to her dad. She wanted to have the power to make him stop hurting her. She stood up after a few minutes. She walked over to the railing. She looked down into the water. She knew about the many sailors lost at sea here. She knew it was a sacred place. She looked behind her. She could barely make it out, but she knew there was a statue of Jennifer Carroll here. She looked down at the water. "I wish I could protect myself from him…" She whispered to the water.
Suddenly, Claudia felt the fog completely surround her. She couldn't even see her chest; she didn't believe what was happening. She felt lightheaded. She could hear many voices, before she could say a word she collapsed into the water. She fell deeper and deeper. The last memory before she felt everything go black was a hand pulling her upwards.
Claudia woke up in a bed. She looked around. It was in her own bed she was laying in, but she didn't know how she got there. Her eye didn't feel pain anymore and her body felt ok after all. She was confused. She didn't know what had happened to her. She looked at her arm. And IV was stuck in her arm. She shook her head confused. She pulled it out of her arm and, she crept out of bed. She decided she would walk downstairs and see if her father needed anything. She walked past the mirror. Her eye was healed. She had no idea why. She stared at her own reflection. Something was different; she couldn't put her finger on it either. She shrugged and continued downstairs. She could sense his presence. Leonard was sitting at the table. It was as thought she could see him clearly without seeing him at all. "Father?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen.
He turned his head to see her. "Claudia, you're awake?" He asked staring at his daughter like she was a ghost.
"What happened to me?" She asked.
"Don't act stupid. You should know already." Leonard said to her.
"I'm not acting stupid, I don't remember anything." She said.
"You were pulled from the lake." Leonard said with a hint of annoyance.
"What?" She asked.
"Dahlia discovered you as she was passing through. She pulled you out of the water. Don't you remember anything?" He asked.
Claudia looked down. All she remembered was running. She stopped at Rosewater Park but everything else was blurry. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked.
"A four months. The doctors said from the shock of the water and how hard you hit the lake, you'd be out for a lot longer." Leonard explained.
"Four months!" Claudia yelled.
Leonard looked taken aback from this small outburst. He dismissed it. If four months had passed then it explained why she looked so different in the mirror. "Yes, you're going to have to take correspondence for the rest of the year in order to pass your classes this year. Those are all the doctor's orders." Leonard said.
Claudia looked at him. "Has anyone stopped here to see me?" Claudia asked.
Leonard looked annoyed by the constant questioning but decided she might as well know. "A few people. Alessa came by everyday this week, she was here an hour ago. That boy came by a lot in the beginning but he hasn't showed up for a two months." Leonard said to her.
"What's the boy's name?" She wondered feeling her heart beat fast.
"Um… Vincent?" He asked.
"Thanks." She said walking to the fridge.
She was so hungry. She opened up the fridge. There was a plate with some leftover chicken on it. She pulled it out and started to eat the pieces cold. Leonard ignored her. She Ate until nothing was left on the plate. She was thirsty. She grabbed a glass and poured an overflowing cup of apple juice and drank it down like she had never drunk before. She felt better now. She walked past her father and walked to her room. She lay down on the bed. So Vincent used to come by, but he doesn't now? Claudia was confused. It was hard to offend someone in your sleep so she presumed he was just too busy to come by. She decided she was feeling ok. She got out of her bed and walked to her drawer. She pulled off her grey nightgown and put on a long white dress, she'd been dying to wear it for a long time. She brushed her already nice hair, and headed down the stairs. "Where are you going?" Leonard asked.
"I'm visiting Alessa." She said.
"Be back before dark." He said to her.
Claudia walked fast down to Alessa's. She realized soon that she had to slow down. She was still very week from months of not moving. Her muscles were weak. She walked slowly towards Alessa's house. She walked up to the door after a long walk and knocked. "Claudia!" Alessa said excitedly.
"I'm so glad you're awake!" She said smiling.
"I've been asleep too long. You already look different to me." She smiled.
"Are you still finishing the rest of the semester through correspondence?" Alessa asked.
"Yes, in order to pass. I'll be back at school next year though." Claudia smiled.
"So, how's Vincent?" Claudia asked.
Alessa's face fell. "What is it?" Claudia asked concerned.
"Well, this is a bad time to get into this. I have to clean something for mother. I'll talk with you tomorrow." Before Claudia could say a word, Alessa shut the door.
Claudia was concerned she decided to visit him. He would be happy she was awake. She walked towards his house. She had a big smile on her face thinking about how happy he would be to see her. He would hug her and say he was happy to see her. She rounded the corner and came close to his house. She stopped for a minute. His door was opening. She smiled. He was walking out. Claudia ran over. "Vincent!" She yelled.
Vincent turned. She looked like an angel in her white dress. "Claudia?" He asked breathless from shock.
Claudia looked at his face. His acne was gone but the silvery braces still remained. Claudia went to approach him but stopped when she heard a voice say, "Sweetie, who are you talking to?"
Claudia turned. She felt as if her eyes had betrayed her. Lucy walked out of his house after him and stood beside him. "Claudia." Lucy smiled.
Claudia felt it. The punch feeling in her gut. She watched as she held Vincent's hand with powerful envy. Vincent looked really sad all of a sudden. Perhaps Claudia's feelings had reflected on her face. "Claudia, wait-" Vincent started.
Claudia turned in the other direction and prepared to stumble on home. Vincent didn't follow her. She was glad for that, because her tears traveled down her face. This was why Alessa didn't want to talk about him. Claudia waked in the house crying. She didn't care if her father saw her like this. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a drink from her fridge. She sat down at the table with it and sobbed loudly. "Will you shut up?" He yelled.
"S-sorry…" She cried covering her mouth.
She ran to her room, falling a few times and closed her door. She laid herself on her bed and couldn't sleep. The memory of Vincent and Lucy together, it was worse than any memory. She only wished she could feel something other than heartbreak. She would have loved for her father to hit her now; it would be the most wonderful time. How could she be so stupid? She wasn't pretty enough for him. She was worthless and unlovable. She laid there on her bed thinking of it as she sobbed most of her night away.