Things will turn west soon.
Or was it east?
Don't forget to vote before it does.

Ida's POV

It has been a week and three days since the movie, and my anger has become like water under the bridge.

Everything between me and Engine has become a lot calmer after she cried her eyes out in front of me and cleared all the misunderstandings.

Apparently, Ethan told Engine that the movie was 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' and she was not aware of the fact that it was horror. Ethan also came and apologized to me ...maybe Engine told him about my ...problem.

I feel awful for lashing out on Engine.
It was not anyone's fault here, but mine.

She never knew anything about my dad and never forced me to tell her anything about it either. But she is the only person who helped me with everything.

My birthday was on its way this weekend, and we'll be having a few guests over along with my dad's company since he had returned from his trip ...and that's a good thing ...

Or not

"Hey, Angelin!" I approach her while she is seated on her desk and staring at her literature book without blinking.

"All prepared for the test?"

She looks at me as, in a way, I have committed a crime.

"Prepared? I. Don't. Even. know. Where. To. Begin."

And then comes her usual blabber

"Mr. Wilson is going to murder me anyways, so here is your chance" she stands up and gives the book to me "murder me and dump me into my favorite Uniwalker suitcase so at least I'll have something for my afterlife and especially after what I have done to you, you have-"

"-that's enough Engine. We have been over this a thousand times Already. I am fine. No attacks at all," I lied.

My sleep paralysis attacks were very common, but I never got used to them. They were getting worst as days passed by.

One of my worst attacks was four years back ...it happened only once, but it was horrible. I could not breathe.

The day of the attack-

"I want you all to frame the questions as well as the answers from this paragraph," the teacher instructed us during our revision session.

Today was my confidence day—a day when I had a lot of confidence for no reason.

I raised my hands to put up the first question

"yes, Ida."

"Comparing raindrops with new coins."

"Is that a question?"

Shit. I spoke too soon and did not frame it into a question.

"Sorry. What is -"

"Sir, could I have a moment with you" ahead was popping into the class from the doorway.

"Yes," the teacher went outside to have a conversation with the person who disrupted the class.

After a brief moment

"Yes, Ida, continue." Mr. Wilson came walking in with a long, decisive step.

"What is the comparison shown in the poem between raindrops and New coins."

"Oh, yes! So now it has turned into a poem," He laughed.

The whole class giggled, and I put my head down, smiling like a loon.
I was laughing at myself.

It was confidence day ...or maybe overconfidence.

The class continued as usual, and I was not a titbit sad about the fact that I embarrassed myself in front of many people.

I went home with a funny moment in my head to share with my Mom.

It's childish to share such tiny details of your life with your Mom, but it's fun too.

"Mum, I am home," I announced my arrival to the house.

I carelessly removed my shoes using the tip of the other one and did the same for the other with my toes.

I could hear faint noises from the living room, and so I peeped inside from the small opening only to find that my mother was lying on the ground, she was injured.

I knew that it was my dad who had hit my mother, so I smashed the door open and ran to her. I hugged her so tight and begged, "dad, please don't hurt her!"

He was big, and he had strength, he pulled the backpack off my shoulder and threw it on one side, then picked me to my feet by my collar

"ahh! Dad let me go. "I struggled, but it was useless.

He was dragging me to the kitchen where there was some shattered glass lying on the floor, and the washbasin tap was still running water at full speed.

"Ahh!!!"

My feet were placed right on top of the glass. It hurt so. So. So much.

I took support on the counter, and in my struggle to relieve the pain, an empty mug slipped off the table and..... shattered.

Silence.

My sight went to meet my dad's. He hated it when anything broke.

I did not know what to do. I was so terrified. My heart was out of control.
I was out of control.

I looked at my hands; they are shivering. Everything is a disaster. I hate everything.

"Ah!" A monstrous hand grabbed my hair and pulled me towards itself.

"I. have. told. you. so. many. times. not. to. break. anything."

I was horrified. Nothing. Nothing like this had ever happened

Ding dong

I jumped at the noise and my hair was pulled with even more force. It felt like my nails were being pulled out. Torture.

My dad. Can I call him that? No, he was a monster which, I could do nothing about.

He straightened himself and went to answer the door.

I could not cry. I cannot let myself weaken.

"Oh my god, Ida!" I looked up to see Engine's frightened face.

"How can you be so clumsy!" she rushed to help me and examine the wounds on my feet.

"Wait, I'll call a doctor."

×××

In no time, the doctor was here, and she treated my wounds. I wonder what that monster had told Engine.

I hadn't seen my mother yet. I wonder what happened to her and where she was?

But my head was too full to think of anything, so I shut my eyes.

'Hmm,' my throat felt dry. I was thirsty.

I opened my eyes. The room was dark, but the moonlight made it a little easier.

It must be late. I must have fallen asleep.

I pushed my upper body to sit and slightly moved my legs.

"Oww!" I grumbled

It hurt so, so much.

My emotions were a mess.

It was dark in the room. I felt anxiety, stress, fear. My heart was racing, and my throat was scratching.

I was a complete ruckus.

I need water

"Ughh!" I stood up, bearing the pain.

I walked down the corridor. It was dark since we never keep any lights on.

After my eyes adjusted to the dark, I touched the things around me to feel where I was going.

It was excruciating. It felt like needles were pierced into me.

Not only physically, but my soul too was in intense pain. The wound is hardly seen, but they go deep.

Deep...

Deep down, I knew what had happened was wrong.
But deep down, I also knew I could not hurt my mother. I cannot tell anyone about this.

I switched on the lights in the kitchen, took the empty glass kept on the table, and poured water halfway till full.

The water felt better; it did not hurt anyone who touched it. It was calm and calmed others too.

One of the main reasons why I love the beach.

There was no sign of the shattered glass, but something caught my attention.

Someone was standing in the dark passage outside the kitchen door.

I raise my eyebrows, thinking its maybe Mom or the monster.

But then I get no response.

Who is this? Why not replying?

I move closer, but the dark shadow moves away, I keep holding on to the glass just in case he tries to attack.

I keep moving into the dark corridor but cannot see the person's face.
Just blackness.

"Who are you?" I question demanding an answer.

But no one answers.

I make my grip tight and firm onto the glass, ready to throw it.

The only thing I could hear is my movements on the floor, but now I hear some noises.
Someone was screaming. Not loud enough but enough for me to hear.

The shadow came closer to me, and the screaming intensified with every step.

The front door was on my right, and a beam of moonlight fell on the shadow through the window.

Mom

"Mommm!!!!" I screamed.

My eyes wide at the sight of my Mom.
She was covered...

"Blood-d"

There were daggers all over her body. Blood kept dripping. Clothes were ripped and red.

The glass slipped from my hand and broke.

I covered my ears; the screams were agonizing along with the sound of the dripping blood. I could hear nothing but it.

Her eyes red and sharp. Her sight fixed on me.
She looked nothing but dead.

"No! Momm"

"Mommm!"

She came closer, but I refused and went backward.

Her every step made the screams louder and louder.

"Nooooo!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I can't breathe.
I can't breathe.

She had caught my throat. She was choking me.
"Ida"
"Ida"
"Ida"
"Sweetheart, calm down" A soothing voice in the middle of the darkness.

I covered my eyes to stop looking and spoke with whatever strength I had left "the light, switch on the light, please."

The dark was finally gone. My Mom was right in front of me. Safe.

My heart fell, and tears built up. I was gasping for air.

I hugged her tight. She could never leave me and go. Her embrace was warm, and I melted in it.

_______________

"Ida?"
"Ida?" A hand was gesturing up and down in front of my face.

I cleared my throat, "sorry, I lost you there for a minute. Where were we?"

"I was asking that, since it's your birthday on Friday, all of us could celebrate it together," she paused, "unless your dad is already keeping a party or something?"

"Mhmm," I nodded, "but I ca- Mr. Wilson has come. Best of luck," I showed her a thumbs up and headed to my seat.

×××

After class ended, we were heading to our lockers. Angelin looked all pale and frail, so I did not bother asking her how her test was; it was rather evident.

"Engine, do you have any more classes?" I asked while deciding which books to take and keep.

"Yeah, class ends at 2:40. Another torturing lesson," she sighed.

"Okay, then I'll be in the library. We will go for lunch together."

I first went around the wooden racks to look for some books that I needed for completing a project, and when that was done, I took a seat.

"Shh," I hissed. I hate paper. It has six sides, and only two are useful; the rest four are only for bloodshed.

"Paper cut?"

I looked in the direction from where the voice came.

"Ohhh! Yeah! I am so so so sorry I didn't realize you were here." I apologized to Aiden, who probably must have been sitting there for a long time.

"Apology excepted." He smiled.

"What have you been up to? It felt like you were going to jump into the book."
He placed his hand on the table, and his palm cupped his face as his eyes lingered on the book I was studying.

"Yea, I am trying to complete a project but can't find that one page for so long." I exaggerated the 'so' to make it sound like 'soooo.'

"Want some help?"

"No, it's alright."

He raised his eyebrows, "I insist."

I passed him the book with both hands; I don't know if I should even call it a book because it was as heavy as a brick plus the extra weight added by the ball pen I placed on top of it.

He grabbed it with one hand with literally no effort.

I looked at my hands and decided that I need to go to a gym or something.

Comparing my arm with his is like comparing Hulk with Ant-man.

Okay, maybe Hulk is a bit too much, and I don't want to degrade myself.

I told him the content I was looking for.

While he dug the book, I noticed that he had brown eyes and black hair.

They are pretty

Within no time, he gave me the page I needed.

So he's Hulk plus smart

"Yeah, I am." He winked.

I told that out loud...shit!

I grabbed the book and just kept doing some work to avoid his eyes because they are staring at me.

Now he thinks I was thinking about him.
I was
But not.

I lifted my eyes at the person who suddenly grabbed a chair from another table and joined it with ours.

Ethan

Great. This made things even better.

"Hey," he smiled at both of us.

"Hi," I replied to his hey.

"Whatcha doing ?"

"Project work," I replied in a hurry.

"Oh okay "

I looked up at him only to realize that he was not asking me but Aiden.

Both their gazes and smiles on me.

I am such a creep.

Oh so you finally realized it

"Sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be. But right now, I gotta go. I have somewhere I have to be" Aiden gets up and walks off.

Awkward

"So... are you going to go home afterward or..." he asked, leaning on the table.
White plain t-shirt along with black jeans. His clothes traced his shape. My gaze lifted to his face. His brown hair slightly gelled, and his lips were... tender.

"See something you like?"

Wait... wait for what ...I lift my eyes to his.
Right...the question...what was the question?

"What did you ask?"

"See something you like?" His lips were in a playful smirk.

Yes of course

"No."

"With whom will you be eating lunch?"

"Angelin," I answered blankly, still mesmerized by him.

"You like me so much that you can't keep your gaze off me?"

Yes

He was typing something on his phone, so he probably didn't notice me blushing when he carelessly told something like that.

When he got a message, he smiled like the whole world was a better place.

Must be from Angelin

The thought of it hurt. I fell into a pit I created myself.
My heart burned like it was in hell.
Nothing could cure it but...but ...maybe time.

The vibration of my phone caught my attention ...it was Angelin.

"Hey, did you forget the location? It's the library," I reminded her.

"Yes, I did, but No, actually, I have something up right now, so I can't come for lunch. Sorry to bail on you, but I promise I'll tell you about it later. Mwah," she sent a kiss and disconnected the call.

Okay, that was very... surprising.

"Change of plans I'm going home" I got up, kept everything back in order into my backpack and, headed towards the librarian to issue the books.

"Hey, wait!" Ethan called out. It was so quiet in the library that his voice was heard in every corner of the room.

People were staring at us, mainly because he was a catch for everyone.

The librarian shooed him, and he hushed himself.

I giggled at his obedience. It was cute.

When the librarian finally,

Make that a finally because she was like a sloth. Just like the one shown in 'Zootopia' except that there was no one to tell her any joke like 'what do you call a three humped camel' or something like that.

Question for the day- why are all librarians so slow?

Sorry I got off track ...so where was I?

We took our leave from the library

"Let's have lunch together since Angelin can't"

"You overheard my conversation?" I frowned.

"It was very silent out there to avoid that."

"What about Engine?"

"I'm sure she won't mind, and I owe you one as an apology too."

I carefully considered the option and agreed.

______________________