It Comes In Three's

Chapter 30

Lottie’s POV

Do you wanna listen to it on your own or 1 can listen to it for you and tell you what she says? Whatever you are comfortable with.” Anna whispers again, as I nod slowly to acknowledge what she was saying.

‘I… can do it.” I tell her, as she nods and clicks away on her phone to find the message.

“I’ll be back down in five. I tell her, taking the phone, as I stand from the chair and exit the kitchen – feeling Alex‘ hot gaze on me as I leave.

What could my Mother possibly want from me now…

I trudge back up the steps, my heart hammering and my feet feeling heavy, as I approach my bedroom door.

I enter and lock it behind me for privacy, before slumping down with my back against it staring at the phone in my hand with the play button facing me. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

I wait a couple of moments, before sighing and pressing the button-

“Hi Charlotte, this is officer Owens and I am trying to reach you on this number regarding your whereabouts? Please don’t panic love, you aren’t in any trouble! We just need to have clarification of where you are and who you are staying with because the school have raised some concerns about your attendance and your Mom can’t seem to give us an address… if you could give us a call back that would be great our number is…”

My thoughts cloud, as the female officer recites the number for me to call her back on, as my skin grows hotter and my breathing gets quicker.

“F**k!” I grit out frustratedly, as I hug my knees and burry my face between them, feeling my eyes grow heavy.

I don’t know if I would have preferred to receive a snappy phone call from my Mom over getting a call from the damn cops!

What if they tell me I need to move back home? I can’t possibly tell them where I am! But what if they send a search party out across the country just to find me? Maybe this has something to do with those three horrors… I wouldn’t put it past them if they have been reporting me missing and shit just to find out where I am!

My palms grow sweaty as I push the hair back from my face and hit the back of my head against the door in annoyance.

What the f**k do I do now?

The tears start building, as I feel weak and defenceless yet again. I’m sick of living in this horror story!

I sniffle loudly, before releasing a sob.

What will I do about this? I can’t just avoid the police! What if they know about what I did? What if they are tricking me just so they can find me and lock me up?

“Open the door Lottie!” I hear a heavy knock, as I jump slightly – having not heard the individual approaching the room to begin with.

Alex…

“Open or I’ll break in you know the drill by now…” He attempts to joke, but I know he means the statement nonetheless.

He will in fact attempt to break in here… I know he will…

I wipe my face furiously, completely fed up with the crying since that’s all I seem to resort to when life gets hard.

“Don’t make me count doll… His voice comes again, as I sigh and click back the small bedroom door lock.

He wastes no time after hearing the noise, before pushing his way into my space again. He steps in, takes one look at me, me into his arms.

before pulling

1 instinctively tense up, shocked that he moved so quickly this time, before his large hand finds my back and begins to rub circles of comfort.

“What happened? Is it still about yesterday? I said I was sorry, don’t make me say it again!” He questions gruffly, probably wandering why Anna and I were whispering downstairs before I left…

“No…” I choke out, as he seems to squeeze me tighter in his arms.

He’s so confusing!

“Then what is it? Why did you leave with Anna’s phone and now I come up and find you like this?” He pulls back, keeping a hold of my shoulders as he studies my red puffy face in concern.

“N–Nothing.” I cry out, my head falling forward as 1 break down more at the thought of the police taking me home again.

They can’t… I can’t go back there… they will kill me…

I fall to my knees, as Alex attempts to catch me and keep me up

however we both end up on the floor in a heap.

“Tell me whats happened so I can help you?” He encourages as he shakes my shoulder, causing me to bury my face in my hands in shame of him seeing me have yet another meltdown.

“I c–can’t… you’ll hate me… you all will!” I cry out, before I hear the bedroom door open again, causing me to curl up more.

I’m just causing them total grief… they don’t deserve to deal with somebody as broken as me!

“Lottie what happened? It’s ok just let me help you!” Anna’s voice fills the room, as she closes the door and seems to join myself and Alex on the floor.

“Y–You can’t! They are coming to get me!” I state in a panic, hoping that Anna would understand at least some of what I meant.

“I won’t let her take you back Lottie!” Anna confirms, wrapping her arms around me as I shake.

“Not her! The police! They left the… the voicemail!” I sob, as Anna hushes me and rocks me back and forth.

“The phone? Give me it!” Alex‘ commanding tone comes next, as I flinch slightly from how annoyed he seemed.

I’ve pissed him off now too!

“Lottie where is it?!” He continues, as I whimper and lift the phone out from under my leg.

He wastes no time before taking it from my hand as he stands and exits the room in a hurry causing me to break down more – if at all possible.

“We only want to help you Lottie please don’t panic… they won’t take you back I won’t let them! I’ll ask my Dad to help us out too! Alex will know how to handle the cops best.” Anna’s soothing words fill my ears as I just remain weak – crying on the floor in her arms.

“I can’t go back there… it’s not just her that I ran away from Anna…” I suddenly lift my head, looking into her eyes as she stares back at

me with sorrow,

“You can tell me anything… I won’t judge you!” Anna encourages, as I shiffle slightly, finally deciding that it was time to trust her fully…

“There’s some people back home… that want me dead… they have tortured me my whole life Anna… until one day when they tried to assault me – I just snapped! I actually… stabbed one of them…” I find myself rushing the words out like vomit, as Anna nods along with me to show that she was listening.

To my surprise, Anna didn’t seem disgusted by my crime, which only enticed me to continue on with the story-

“I was so terrified and worried that I had killed him! I had to run away! hopped on the first bus that took me here and that’s the night that I met you! I promise I’m not a bad person… I know that’s hard to believe when I actually f**king stabbed someone Anna… but they’ve abused and bullied me my whole life! My Mom hever cared either she hates me too! I had to get out of there!” The tears trickle down my face, as Anna opens and closes her mouth for words – looking saddened

“They’ve left scars all over my body… places that nobody would ever find them at school! That’s why I didn’t want to wear those short gym sets and that’s why I’m so damn insecure all of the time! Those three boys have haunted me my whole life and now they are no doubt using the police to try and bring me back home! I can’t go back there Anna… I CAN’T LEAVE!” I cry, the panic unleashing from within me as I grab Anna’s hands and yell.

A weight felt as though it had been lifted from my shoulders for the first time telling someone what I have experienced, however the problem was forever growing… they would stop at nothing for payback!

“YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE I WONT LET THAT HAPPEN! I WANT THEIR F**KING NAMES LOTTIE!” I almost pale realising that Alex had been standing at the door the whole time – listening to every word that had spilled from my lips as he makes his infuriated` presence known to us…

No…

What have I done…