Hi! Chapter 5 is officially uploaded and hopefully any confusion will be cleared up, and Jessica may meet some new characters! Look out for some hidden meanings, shout-outs and just have fun reading. *Disclaimer: I don't own Revenge or any other mention of other media
I kicked the car into reverse and swerved away from the driveway; slamming my foot on the accelerator, not bothering to check the rear-view mirrors' for once. As I drove away from the soon to be burning pile of ash I once called my home, my memory traced back to the last time I had come face to face with the initiative. As if on cue the memory began to play in my head like the beginning credits of a film.
Flashback
My 13th Birthday, finally I was a teenager! July 31st was here, at last! No more annoying, over-bearingly protective parents who always picked me up outside my classroom instead of waiting in the car in the parking lot like the rest of the parents. It was silly really, I knew how much they cared about me, but throughout my whole life I knew there was something different about my parents. No other parents made them carry pepper spray, a personal panic alarm and given their child combat and self-defence lessons' since the age of 6, instead of brownies (girl guides) and dancing lessons (not that I had any balance or skill required for dancing).
Finally after years of moving around, from place to place, we had stayed in the same town longer than 6 months, even though it rained constantly in Portland and had about a million twilight fans, I'd gone to after school clubs, been on class trips and made friends and I'm determined not to lose it all -again.
Slowly descending the stairs and into the ancient living room, I was greeted by a smiling mom, "Happy Birthday Jesse!" she exclaimed and handed me a bright multi-coloured envelope, which by the handwriting I recognized instantly: dad's. Opening the cards revealed vouchers for an online store and a wad of dollar bills. I sighed "He's not here is he?", "Well, he will be, soon, I promise" mom rubbed my shoulders and seeing the disappointed stare quickly changed the subject, "Come on, there's pancakes for breakfast". Trailing into the sunny yellow dining room I realised just how much it hurt my dad wasn't here, he misses everything and the one day he should be here he isn't, but the worst part is he knows he should be here, the money explains the guilt and being missing. Although he has never been away this long before, the most he has been gone for was 2 and half weeks, it's been what, 3 almost 4 weeks? Before I considered this last thought, I was alerted to the familiar flamboyant singing of mom to the blasted out radio in the kitchen, she always sang, she said it reminded her of happier times and of the things she loved. This was her favourite, I knew all the words, INXS, "Never Tear Us Apart", and she landed the plate in front of me as the song finished on the final flourish.
Sensing my reluctance to commence my pancakes, mom said "I have a surprise for you," she paused to gage my reaction before saying "how about a little party for you and a few friends?" I gasped, "You really mean that!". As sad as that sound I have never had a party, we had never had the time or the friends to invite for that matter. "Yep, everyone is set to come at 3pm, now eat your food!" she chided good naturally.
I dug in enthusiastically, but a small nagging voice in the back of my head, told me something was wrong, something doesn't quite add up. I couldn't place my finger on it, growing up in a family like ours I grew up naturally suspicious. Was it the fact that my mother studiously avoided my eyes as she looked out the window or pretended to read the paper. Or was it the fact that Dad had been gone for longer than usual?
I surveyed mom out of the corner of my eye, her hand was shaking, "Mom, have you took your medication?". A thought seem to strike her like a lightning bolt "oh, I almost.. " she started to say before I immediately got up and strode to the kitchen to open the medicine cabinet above the fruit bowl. The initial tub of mom's medication had ran out, but luckily dad had planted an extra one at the back of the cupboard just in case. He always took care of her, I knew something was up, she never forgot to take her pills unless she was worried. I handed her, her daily dose of pills which she gratefully accepted and chugged down with orange juice.
" Mom, is there.." she cut me off" you all done? Why don't you go put the new outfit on in your cupboard, whilst I finish up here" and without another word she scooped up the dishes and went into the kitchen and turned up the radio. It was obvious, she didn't want talk because something bad was going to happen I could almost taste it in the tangible atmosphere.
3pm had finally arrived and our small cottage house was transformed into "Grand Party Station", a saying mom had come up with (I know, *cringe), nevertheless the party went down a storm with friends; I almost couldn't believe we had nearly made it without there being the slightest hiccup. Soon after everyone started to return home, when I noticed the back door open, I tread to the door to close it when in the kitchen was a familiar white haired man! I almost exclaimed "DAD!" when I realised he was in the midst of a heated discussion with mom, who was slowly getting more and more agitated with panic. I cautiously stepped towards the small opening of the kitchen window and peeked through, he was hurt, badly.
"I'm sorry, but we have to leave now! Their coming, I tried to hold them off as long as I could, I almost got away when the initiative caught up with us, but" he grimaced in pain.
"Gordon" she thrusted an ice pack on his blackened eye before continuing "What happened to Colin, Bradley? You were a team, I thought that" she glanced at his face " NO, noo" she began to panic, hysteria was slowly forming in her speech.
"Shhh, it's okay," he tried to soothe my mentally imbalanced mother, if anyone can he could, " Kara please, we have to leave , to the safe house just for a while, It'll be alright, I " he broke off " Hey, Jessie" he said in a falsely cheerie voice.
Mom hastily wiped the tears away from her, but before I could string a coherent sentence together, dad's face when deathly pale " We have to leave NOW, 5 minutes, take the important items, emergency cases and meet me at the car, GO! ".
Without a word I ran upstairs and kicked the door shut with a deafening bang. Hot angry tears spilled down my cheeks, "good" I thought let's get all the emotion out of this mess I hated crying but sometimes it was the only thing that stopped you form screaming. I grabbed a hidden rucksack from behind the mirror and started shoving the red emergency case which contained a passport, money, health card and so on. I gazed around my room throwing into my bag odd pieces of light clothing, my glasses, teddy bear, my photos of my friends, all the books I could shove in my bag and my birthday presents. Changing out of my frock and leggings into a pair of teal skinny jeans, a t –shirt that said "Count Dorkula" (I thought it was hilarious at the time I bought it) and a black hoodie. Tying up my long blonde curls I slinging the bag over my shoulder I jumped down stairs and flew out the front door.
We were all assembled, as we all piled into the silvery moon coloured Toyota corolla 97' and drove away. We were all silent until dad uttered the words "Jesse I'm sor .."
"Just don't Dad" my voice sounded drained, lacking emotion, I didn't want to speak as if was afraid I would start to cry" I know why you did it, why we leave but no more lies okay. I want to know who the initiative is and why they always… I need answers, I " I choked off, I am not crying, I'm not, but once again the now familiar salty seas of tears cascaded down my face.
"Jess" his voice was exceedingly gentle as he accelerated further onto the freeway "I can't tell you everything, but I will try, one day you will know everything" he looked up to the rear view mirror, I looked and glanced out the window, " go to sleep we have a long trip".
Present situation
Slowly and irrefutably the tears shimmied downwards , as I tried to focus onto the freeway ahead, but once again all the shock, adrenaline, panic and fear had left me, I was mentally and physically incapable of emotion- I was once again drained and devoid of any real feeling. A flashing sign up ahead told me that the freeway stop a few miles up ahead now had free Wi-Fi with the new Starbucks library café. My fingers slided over the memory stick bulging from my jean pocket; if I want answers then I'd better find them.
Please Review, I hope you enjoyed it, maybe Jessica will be taking a trip to the Hamptons? Who Knows?
