Free Stolen by Bec Botefuhr Page A

she rushes over, pulling me into her grips.
    “Oh sweetheart. Beautiful Em, you look awful.”
    I am suddenly reefed from her arms and into someone else’s , my mothers. I shove her away furiously. How dare she try and hold me.
    “Don’t pull away from me, I have been through hell since you left.”
    “You have been through hell?” I scream, “Take one look at me mother and have a wild guess what I have been through.”
    “Did they hurt you baby?” She says softly. Oh good lord.
    “I just want to go home.” I mutter to Nessie.
    “Of course sweetheart, Blade come and help her to the car.” Nessie orders and I finally see Blade. His eyes meet mine and stay there for a long moment. His gaze is tormented.
    “You’re not coming home with us?” My mother snaps.
    “No. You are no longer my family. I hope one day we can have some sort of relationship again, but I am going to live with them for now.”
    “If that’s what you want.” She snaps. I stare at my father, who hasn’t said a word. He just stands staring at the ground.
    “Nice to see you too daddy…”
    “Sorry, I didn’t know what to say…” He mumbles.
    “Don’t bother. Let’s go.”
    Nessie takes my hand and leads me to the car. Blade finally runs a finger over my cheek.
    “Are you okay?”
    “No.” I whisper and get into the car.
    Blade slips in beside me and puts his hand on mine, but I don’t move, I just stare out the window. No one speaks as we drive back to the shack. When we pull up, I slip out of the car and walk inside. I know they will want answers, but the memories are so painful. I sit on the couch, and when everyone sits, I sigh.
    “I guess you want to know what happened?”
    A bunch of heads nod.
    “It was hell…” I start to say, and as though a dam bursts, my tears flow. “Sorry, I need a minute.”
    I stand and rush outside; Nessie follows close behind me.
    “Oh sweetheart, come here.”
    “It was horrible Nessie. This group of girls picked on me; they kicked me, hit me, cut me, they even stabbed me.” I say, remembering my leg. I look down, and I can see the blood stain on my pants, this gets my tears flowing even harder.
    “Oh baby girl.”
    “I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve this!” I scream a little, gripping her shirt.
    “No of course you didn’t, you shouldn’t have done this. I know what my boys did to you, why did you protect them?”
    “Because they were protecting you.” I wail.
    “What do you mean?”
    “They were after me to get money for you because you are sick, it was out of pure love. If they had been caught they would have been locked away for years, I couldn’t do that to them or to you.”
    “Oh lord!” Now she is crying.
    “I am so sorry, all I wanted to do was the right thing. Being in prison was hell Nessie, I don’t think I will ever be the same again.”
    “You will love, it takes time.”
    I hear the door slam beside us and pull back to see Blade storming down the stairs.
    “Blade!” I yell.
    “Go after him love, he has been through hell since you went to prison. He has barely even spoken to us.”
    I turn and run after Blade; I find him punching senselessly into a bunch of trees.
    “Blade stop!” I yell, and he turns, his hair is framing that beautiful, angry face.
    “This is my fault. I heard what they did to you; that should have been me.”
    “No. I am fine. I will be ok.” I tremble.
    “Have you fucking seen yourself? Don’t you dare tell me you are fine.”
    “Blade stop, please…”
    “You should have let me take this.” He screams at me.
    “Stop it, this isn’t about you. God Dammit Blade, stop it.”
    “Go to hell.”
    I feel like he has slapped me.
    “What?”
    “I didn’t mean …” He whispers, but Jock is by his side pulling him back.
    I turn and flee; I can hear him screaming after me, but I don’t care. How dare he take it out on me. How dare he. I run into the spare room and slam the door loudly.
    “Em.”
    I