I lay in bed, unmoving, allowing my mind to wander as my body no longer could. I could hear the usual bickering, between Ben and Verdona, from down the hall and desperately tried to ignore it.

"I'm worried for the child." Verdona sighed yet again. "All it's being exposed to is negative energy."

"She's just moping cause she cant use her powers at the moment." Ben huffed, disinterested in the conversation that had been had so many times before.

"Ben. You know that that's out of her control. It's a defense mechanism in place to preserve the life of the child." She was stern, as if ready to pounce if Ben's response wasn't the correct one.

"Yeah Yeah. 'Her power draws on life energy so in order for her not to drain the energy of the child her powers are temporarily suspended'. If I hear that one more time I swear I'm going to rip off my own ears." He was gruff, slamming cupboards in an attempt to keep calm as per usual. "If it was up to me she wouldn't be having that bastard's baby in the first place."

A tense silence fell over them as Ben's words hung in the air. Only a few seconds later I heard him curse under his breath, no doubt hit by Verdona as she had a tendency to do when provoked.

I exhaled deeply, blocking out their infuriating words as best I could. It had been weeks since I had been brought home – or rather what Ben knew as home but was little more than a prison to me. After being monitored twenty-four-seven by Ben and Verdona I found it almost impossible to think of it as anything else.

Over the weeks I'd tried to escape relentlessly, only to be met with failure each time, and eventually decided to give up. The closest I'd managed to come was making it outside, where I'd found Ben's house resided high above the city below. I searched until I was forcibly dragged away but still couldn't find the door back to where Kevin was. The only option left was to jump off the edge of the property and plummet to the city below, however without my power I would undoubtedly die – a fate that was beginning to seem pleasant in comparison to Ben and Verdona's constant bickering.

I sat up, the bed squeaking under me as I did so. A large part of me missed Kevin and wanted nothing more than to fall into his warm, rough embrace once more. Yet as soon as I thought about his mischievous grin or his strong arms wrapping around me, his cold, cruel words pricked at the back of my mind, as if a chisel etching doubt into a stone wall. So many questions still lingered, and the fact that all hope of answers died with the hope of returning to his side only increased the burden of bearing his child. Why had he pushed me away? Had he seen the signs of my pregnancy and purposely abandoned me? Or was he genuinely concerned? I knew perfectly well that without the answers I would never be able to decide how to move forward. Whether to hate him or to hold onto that small ray of hope cutting through the fear of abandonment.

I leaned against the window, scowling at the bars now obstructing my once clear view of the city. Of all the childish and controlling things Ben had ever done, he was sure working towards a personal best. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon and I smiled as the sky glowed with shades of red and orange. The city below was shrouded in shadows, the suns light leaving the once bright streets in favor of the subtle glow of the moon. I absentmindedly scanned the streets below, taking note of the mundane lives people were living and rolling my eyes in annoyance, amazed that their ignorance was just as apparent as when I was here 30 years ago. As I did so, something caught my eye, only to disappear just as quickly. A shadow, there and gone before I could even blink. My heart skipped a beat at its familiarity and my breath caught in my chest as I frantically searched the area for where it had vanished to. I caught sight of it a couple seconds later only to have it vanish yet again before my very eyes. I ran across the room, cursing under my breath to find the bedroom door locked as usual. Never in my life had I been so frantic and ecstatic at the same time. I jiggled the doorknob furiously, then stopped, a warm breeze tickling the back of my neck and brushing strands of my hair around my face. I turned back to the window slowly, my heart thundering so loud in anticipation for who I may find that it felt like my chest would explode from the pressure.

The iron that had once barred me from the outside world had vanished, leaving behind a sense of freedom that almost made me collapse in tears of relief. On the windowsill of the newly opened window sat something that immediately made my knees begin to give out as familiar shivers spread across my body. A single Calla Lily adorned the otherwise naked windowsill, gently laid on its side and topped with a dirty looking envelope. I tiptoed towards the dark flower, almost afraid that it would vanish as I approached, leaving me nothing but the warm breeze as proof of his presence, however fleeting. Hesitantly I picked up the flower, smiling at its mystery. I glanced down at the envelope, snickering under my breath at its almost decrepit state – as if someone had dropped it several times and forcibly scrunched it into their pocket. I peeled it open, pulling out the small card that was inside with shaking hands. As I read what was messily scrawled across the card I sighed in relief, falling back onto the bed, all my doubt vanishing in an instant.

I'm still here.

So simple and vague that it was almost ridiculous. Regardless I had the answers I'd been desperately wanting to find, and all it had taken was three words. I gripped the card tightly, inhaling deeply and smiling for the first time in what seemed like ages. From the hall I could hear Ben and Verdona calling my name as Ben fumbled with the key to the locked door. Quickly and quietly I placed the flower and card under the bed, out of sight just in time for them to burst into the room.