Nearly a month later, Taylor walked out of group with the rest of the Cliffhangers. Sophie caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Can I have a quick word, Tay?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Sure," Taylor responded, unsure of what was to come. They took a couple steps away from the crowd.

"I just want to let you know that I think you're making some pretty good progress. Now, you don't participate in group as much as I'd like, but I can tell you're fitting in with everyone." Taylor nodded and offered a slight smile. "You're doing good, hun, just try to open up a little more, okay?"

She nodded again. Sophie walked back to her chair to collect her papers and Taylor headed outside. The early November breeze hit her with more force than she expected and she pushed her hands inside her hoodie pocket, bearing herself against the cold wind.

She decided to take a walk around the grounds before dinner. As she walked toward the lake, he mind played through Sophie's comments. Taylor had thought she was opening up just fine, much more than she ever thought she would. Her group learned that she sometimes cut herself and they all seemed to be compassionate towards her about it.

Peter had also managed to get her to practice her martial arts with him a couple times each week. He always wound up getting her to talk comfortably with him during those sessions, and she even let it slip that she was on her way back from a sparring class when her sister died. She had clamped her mouth shut when he had pursued the issue, but she thought it was a big step just to say that part.

She decided she really didn't want to walk anymore once she reached the lake. She stepped out onto the dock and took a seat on one of the top steps. Her mind couldn't help but wander to the upcoming holiday. Most of the campus was splitting, heading off to one destination or another of what they called home. Thanksgiving had always been her favorite time of the year and she definitely did not want to spend it alone at Horizon. Unfortunately, she did not seem to any other options at the moment.

Just then a hand tapped her shoulder. She spun around to see Juliette standing behind her. "Hey," she said cheerfully, taking a seat beside Taylor. "What are you doing? It's so cold." Juliette smiled and shivered as they looked out at the lake.

"I don't know. Nothing, really, just thinking." Taylor cleared her throat and pulled her hood up over her head. "Fall's my favorite time of year. I love the way it looks out here."

"Yeah," Juliette agreed. "It's beautiful." After a comfortable moment of silence, she said, "Well, it's almost time for dinner. You want to head over?"

"Nah, I'm not too hungry. I think I'll just stay here." Taylor continued to look out over the placid blue water.

Juliette stood and leaned against the railing. "You're not going to eat at all?" She innocently asked. Taylor looked up at her but did not respond. "They're going to start noticing soon, you know?"

"Notice what?" Taylor asked, suddenly feeling like she should be on the defensive.

"You're skipping meals," Juliette answered, avoiding eye contact. "They tend to watch out for that."

"I'm planning on eating a huge breakfast in the morning, if that makes you feel any better," Taylor tried to smile, hoping her friend would stop worrying.

"Okay," Juliette took the hint and stepped off the dock. "It's not like I've never said that one before."

As Juliette walked off, Taylor looked back out at the lake, staring as the sun disappeared over the horizon. She's survived another day without going too far back into a past she wished she could erase. She never thought to entertain the idea that her past was about to catch up with her before the next week would come to an end.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

The girls' cabin was dim and quiet. The sun had long since set and everyone was going through their own routines before getting into bed. Taylor sat on the floor between her bed and the wall. With her back against the mattress and a low light from her lamp streaming over her shoulder, she silently flipped through a photo album.

Most of the pictures were of her with friends from school, hanging out at football games and between competitions at her last sparring contest. In the past, these pictures would have made her smile; not, however, her mind struggled with wanting to tear them apart or weep over them.

"Think you could turn out your light?" Shelby's voice from the next bed over snapped Taylor out of an uncomfortable daze.

She closed the album and pushed herself up from the floor. For a brief second, as she stood with her fingers on the lamp switch, she wondered when everyone had gotten into their beds. A few seconds ago, they had still been up and about.

She felt like that had been happening more than she would like to admit over the last couple days, although it was not always so unnoticeable. In math class earlier that day, she was up at the board trying to complete an equation when she suddenly found herself staring at her father's lifeless body. Peter had caught her staring off towards the woods thinking about her father and the other paramedics filing into her house, up the stairs, and into the bathroom. Those haunting moments found more and more opportunities to crawl into her head and take control of her mind.

She quickly turned out the light, not wanting to keep the others awake. Then, feeling a sudden chill, Taylor pulled an extra hoodie on as she slid into her bed and disappeared under the blankets, hoping to hide from her recent memories as well.