Stella POV

As the bell rang, my raging headache was completely unbearable. It was worse than the headache I battled a yesterday. This one only gained strength with the medication I downed. I bit back tears as I tried to stuff my books into my backpack to leave. Maybe it was time to tell dad about these headaches. I couldn't stand them any longer.

I dropped a book on the ground, and the sound pierced through my mind. As I reached to pick up the book, I felt a tear escape from my eye. I had to get out of here early. The noises, the lights, everything made my head ache more.

"Hey, are you ok?" Alice asked as she helped me with the rest of my books. "Is it your head again?"

I nodded as I walked out of the room with her beside me.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

I nodded as tears continued to well in my eyes. "I would like that," I choked out.

"Ok. Let's get you home," she said as she latched arms with me to take out to her car.

With every step I took, black spots grew in my vision until black was all I saw. I felt my legs claps and the last thing I heard was Alice scream.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of the gate that led to Churchwell. As I stood in the snow with my school clothes, panic filled me. I wasn't sure how I got here or why I was here.

My heart pounded in my chest as I saw a shadow figure through the tree line. I backed up against the gate as I watched the shadow move closer.

"Show yourself!" I shouted towards the shadow.

They stopped, and in the shadows, they stared at me for a moment. Their dark eyes reflected the light from the sun, glittering.

For a moment, the shadow creature stared at me in silence. As seconds ticked by, I realized the figure wouldn't attack me. It was just watching, but for what reason?

"Who are you?" I asked with less fear in my voice.

Slowly, they moved out of the tree line and into the light. Gray stuffed his hands into his pockets, wearing nothing but a sweater and a pair of jeans.

My heart beat faster with every step he took towards me. It had been months since I last saw him, but that didn't matter in this moment. I just wanted him here, with me. Finally, he was here, and I had so many questions.

"Gray?!" I asked, hoping that he would respond.

He smiled at me, but as he continued to walk towards me, his smile slid off his face. Slowly, he shifted into the shadow monster from my nightmares. His arms lengthened until they dragged on the ground. His gray eyes turned into darkness. Smoke form around him, turning the white snow into blackness.

I shook my head as I took a step back into the gate. Air wouldn't come to me. I had to get away. Churchwell didn't show up when I opened the gate. In fear, I turned back to the monster and held up my hands. "Stop," I begged.

Silently, it continued to move closer, taking slow, carefully planned steps. It reached it's long hand out to touch me.

My breath hitched as its spidery finger stroked my cheek. Tears welled in my eyes as I tried to pull away.

This was the closest the monster had come to me. It had never touched me before.

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find the words anymore. Silently, I looked up at the monster, waiting for what it would do next.

"You're mine," it sneered.

I gasped as I opened my eyes. In panic, I looked around the room that was small and white. It was not my bedroom that I was used to. But there was a sense of safety in here that I felt. For now, I was awake, and the monster would not haunt me.

"Stella, it's ok. You're ok," dad said.

Dad's voice caused me to snap my head in the direction I heard it. Almost instantly, he got up from the chair by the small window and moved to my side.

I choked back a gasp as I tried to figure out where I was. Tears welled in my eyes as I worried when the shadow monster would come again. It now haunted me every time I closed my eyes.

"You are ok. Shhhhh," he comforted me. "You passed out at school."

"I did?" I asked, as I let the words sink in. I let out a shaky breath as dad stroked my hand. With every stroke, it reminded me that I was safe, at least for now.

"The school called an ambulance, and they took you here."

I frowned as I looked at the small hospital room. My hands traced the blanket and dad continued to talk.

"You just got out of the last test they did. Everything looks fine, but they just wanted to be safe."

I nodded as Bec came into the room with two cups of coffee. "Hey, how are you?" she asked softly.

"I'm ok," I said as pulled the blanket up to my chin. My hand grazed the hospital gown I wore. The rough hospital fabric itched against my skin, and I wanted it off.

She smiled, then looked at dad as if silently sending him a message.

The silent glances between the two made me wonder what they wanted to say. If I was fine, then they wouldn't be so silent. If I was fine, then I wanted to leave.

"If everything is fine, why are you looking at dad like that?" I asked.

Her smile fell from her face, then looked at the door, wanting to leave.

Dad sighed. "The doctors noticed something during the exams. They showed me a scar on your shoulder..." he said, his voice dropping.

Instantly, I glared at the wall. This was just one reason I didn't want to seek help. The concern on dad's face made me realize he thought this was a big deal. I wracked my mind with a good excuse I could provide him to stop the questions I was sure he was thinking.

"Where did you get that?"

"It's a birthmark," I lied quickly.

"I was there for your birth, Stella. That was not there. I would have remembered a black line across your shoulder."

"It came when I was younger."

He frowned, not liking the answer. "I brought it up to your mother. She had no recollection of such a mark. She is concerned."

"It's nothing. I promise you it is nothing."

"I saw the scar myself. Skin should not be that color, Stella."

His comment made me feel violated. That was my body and the doctors when ahead and showed a part of me I wanted no one to see. Besides my father and Bec, how many other people saw it? Was I some kind of science case now? That scar was supposed to be hidden. That scar was something they would never understand.

"We are just concerned, Stella," Bec pipped in.

I shot her a look. "There is nothing to be concerned about."

"They want to examen it closer."

I would not be a science experiment. This conversation had gone on long enough. I shook my head as I got out of the bed. "Nope. Not going to happen."

"Stella..." dad sighed.

"Look, if they found nothing wrong, then I want to leave."

Dad frowned at Bec. "Can you just at least think about it?"

Nope, never. "Sure. I'll think about it if I can leave."

Dad nodded as he stood up from his seat. "Ok, let's get you out of here. I'll sign the papers and be back soon."

"I'll be waiting," I said as I watched Bec and dad walk out of the room without another word.

In the privacy of the room, tears of panic came to my eyes. I wanted no one to see that scar. But now everyone closest to me knew about it. I was violated, and it was all because I passed out.

Dad wouldn't let this go. I saw the concern in his eyes. He thought this was a big deal. But it wasn't. What I lived through in Churchwell was a big deal. This was just the scar that remained. He would never understand Churchwell though, so he would never understand my scar. I had to do all I could to remind him it was nothing and nothing to be worried about.

As I tried to calm myself, I let out a deep breath. I thought I was handling this, but suddenly things had fallen out of my control. I was still a minor. If dad really wanted to, he could force me to do the examinations. He could force me to stay here if he wanted to put his foot down.

Now, more than ever, I wished Gray was around. At least he would be there to listen to my concerns. He would understand more than anyone else what I was facing.

To distract me from my spiral of thoughts, I picked up my phone and noticed a dozen of texts from friends at school. All were concerned about me. No doubt Alice probably informed everyone at school what had happened.

The thought of me being the talk of the school once again caused me to frown. I thought I was just starting to blend in. I wasn't the new girl any more. But now, I was the girl that passed out.

"Alright, Stella, is it?" a doctor came in with dad and Bec on his heels.

I nodded as I put my phone down. "Yeah."

"How are you feeling? I was told that you have never passed out before."

"I'm fine."

"Good. Well, I was telling your parents that all your tests came back normal."

"That's good."

"Not necessarily."

I frowned at him. He was giving me mixed signals. I thought normal results were good results.

"Yes, your tests came back normal. But passing out is not a very normal thing to do. I have told your parents that if it happens again, to bring you right back here. There might be some underlying conditions that might need more testing."

I nodded. If I passed out again, I would have to make sure it was in a more private place. The last thing I wanted was to come back here. "Ok."

"Well, if you are feeling well enough to leave, then you are free to go."

I stood up from the bed as Bec handed me a neatly folded stack of clothes. They differed from the clothes I wore to school. It made me wonder how long I had been sleeping. New clothes meant Bec went home before coming here.

"Thanks."

"And hopefully, I won't see you again. Sometimes these things are just one-off situations."

I would be sure it was a one-off situation.

"Thanks doctor," dad said as he walked out of the room.

"Any time," he said kindly, then left.

Dad turned to me and clapped his hands with a smile. "Ok. I signed the paperwork. All we need is for you to change and we can get out of here."

"Can't wait," I said as I shuffled to the bathroom, bracing myself for more worried glances and concerned looks.

By the time we made it to the car, I had said very few words. With fear and anger coursing through my veins, I didn't really want to say anything, worried it would come out wrong. Instead, I sat in the back seat and stared at the window, playing with the wrist band around my wrist.

"Do you want anything for dinner, Stella?" Bec finally asked as we drove down the road.

"I'm not really hungry," I said as I looked out the window. I held back a yawn.

"That's fine. They told us you might just want to sleep when you get back."

"They aren't wrong. I think I just want to go to bed when we get back," I said as I continued to look out the window, wanting to end the conversation.

"That's fine."