Chapter 25: The Full Truth Of Ember's Past Story

( Ember's POV )

( Still In Dorm )

I take a deep breath and prepare myself.

I tell them the same story I had told them before and ended up crying, again like the crybaby I am.

"After all that and I finally was able to live with my mom, I found out that none of our family members wanted anything to do with us.", I say through tears and do my best to wipe them away.

"I couldn't sleep cause everytime I fell asleep all I saw was everything he put me through. All I saw when I closed my eyes was all the pain I went through all the pain he inflicted on me. I still have the scars from him. They'll probably never disappear but at least I know that I won a battle that I thought that I for sure was going to lose.", I say looking down at my hands that now lay in my lap as I fidget with my fingers.

"One night was the worse.", I say as I lean against the wall and look up towards the ceiling as I remember the fateful night.

"It wasn't even a memory yet it felt so real. My father was back. He had beat my mom to death right in front of my eyes. He told me that he was gonna have his "fun" with me after he beat her to death. He had tied me up somehow. Just before he could do anything I woke up. I was wide awake and I immediately got up and went to check up on my mom.", I to them not looking at any of them tears still falling from my eyes and roll down my cheek.

"I-..... She was fine, yet it felt so real. How can a dream feel so fucking real yet it never happened?", I question more to myself.

"I may have only been 15 but, I thought I was old enough to take care of myself. So, I decided that I was going to take a walk. It was around 2 or 3 in the morning. I knew lived in a bad neighborhood but I figured I'd only take a 5 minute walk and be back.", I say a quiet sob slipped from my mouth.

"That was until I heard sounded like gunshots and a scream. Apparently, my mom was awake and someone was actually in her room. It was dark and I couldn't really see anything. I figured my mom looked like she was sound asleep, well that was at least until I heard the gunshots and the scream. I to the kitchen and grabbed a knife.", I say as more tears start to fall I wipe them away quickly. I don't look at any of them still but I continue

"It's kinda stupid of me to bring a knife to a gun war but, I don't really like guns and I only used one once but I was forced to use it.", I say and take a deep breath.

"I know violence doesn't solve everything. And my temper gets the best of me sometimes but, I knew in that moment that violence might be the only thing to save me and my mom.", I say as I take another deep breath.

"I got to my mom's room and saw what looked like blood. I did one of the worse possible things that I could've quite possible done in that moment. I turned on my mom's bedroom light. The man I saw, he looked familiar and he gave my this evil smile as he pointed the gun at my mom. He must have been to busy paying attention to me cause next thing I knew my mom was outta her bed and had the gun in her hands.", I say to them.

God, this feels like to much. I think to myself taking a few deep breaths.

"He-he hit her. He hit her and I stood frozen in fear. He shot me.", I say lifting my shirt up a little to show not just one scar from a bullet but three scars from three bullets.

"I still don't know how in the world I managed to survive I have no idea. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was a miracle, I don't know. I remember falling to the ground my mom screaming and the man walking over to my mom. I got up and stabbed him. It was self defense but I guess I ended up stabbing him in his spinal cord.", I say now looking at them for a split second to see their expressions.

"The police made it a confidential case cause well, I guess it's because of how gruesome it sounded and I wasn't charged for anything cause it was self defense. I was in the hospital for a few months but I made a full recovery....", I say before trailing off.

"I-I killed some-one and I.... I didn't even h-hesitate.", I say my voice cracking and my hands shaking. I swallow the lump in my throat and continue.

"After that, my mom and I became closer and now we're like best friends.", I tell them and take a deep breath then smile.

"You guys know the reasons why I'm here. Kai I'm pretty sure you heard rumors about what got me sent here. Ya know, the rumors about the "Mental girl".", I say and roll my eyes

"The assault charges were because some dude from one of my old school's was bullying a girl. I guess cause she is or was gay. He kept threatening her day after day. I finally got fed up with it after he said one of the worst things you could ever say. He said he was gonna rape the gay outta her and if that doesn't work he'd beat her to death. I couldn't take it anymore.", I say to them then grab my stuff animal.

"That girl didn't deserve any of the bullshit that guy put her through. God knows what else he put her through. But anyways, I ended up beating the guy unconscious. But while I was beating him, I guess you could say, I guess he had a knife or some sharp object with him and he ended up cutting me with it. starting from my forearm all the way to my hand. It wasn't that deep of a cut but it was deep enough to leave a scar.", I tell them and then roll my eyes as I chuckle, not the good kinda chuckle either.

"It's funny what people will do so they don't get caught. It's funny the lengths they go just to get across a narrow old bridge and hope to God they don't fall.", I say then clear my throat.

"Anyways, the others, the vandalism, breaking and entering, destruction if public property, the hacking into my old school's webs, and arson. Those were for a totally different reason.", I say to them looking at the wall. It felt as if I was looking farther than the wall, like through or past it.

"My old school mentally, verbally, and emotionally abused us. The teachers said that if we told anyone outside of the school that they'd kill every person we loved and cared about. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let my mom die. So, I never told her instead, me and a couple others made a group. Granted, it was only a group of 3 excluding me, so technically it was a group of 4, but it was better than nothing. We together made plots and plans to show that there is still hope to get through the hell. I had hacked into the school webs, and was the one set almost all of the teachers books on fire. I did join in on some of the vandalism but that was it. I guess someone saw us break into the school, well more like they saw me cause I was the last one to go into the building. The person called the cops.", I said still looking into like a distant trance.

"The the others from the group hid. I took the blame for everything. All of the charges. I took the fall and they walked away with freedom. And now, well-ah! I'm here.", I say to them as they all stare at me as if waiting for me to say something else.

"Woah. You must be like a legend at your old school.", Kai said and the rest nod in agreement with him. I shook my head and chuckled.

"Nah, I was the troublesome outcast that nobody liked. They actually hated me. I guess in a way you could say I was the loner of the school, maybe even the loser. I was the one in the back of the class with her hoodie up her headphones on and blast music really loud, so loud that the class would probably hear the music from my headphones.", I say with a smile.

"But ya know what, I liked it that way. I liked being alone because I wouldn't have to drag anyone down into the dark black pits of hell I call my life.", I say and look back at them.

"Anyways, I'm actually kinda glad I'm here, I made some pretty cool friends and we get to plot against the school to give everyone the hope they need to get through this school. I mean yeah it may not always be every single student in the school but still.", I say and they nod. I look at the time and see that it's about 9:00pm.

"Alright guys, time for you to leave so me and Dylan can start getting ready for bed and what not.", I say and they groan and I roll my eyes.

"Go.", I chuckle standing up and they get up and leave. I plop back down on my bed and sigh.

"That must have been hell.", I hear Dylan say and I nod.

"It was.", I said but it was muffled since my face was in the pillow. He chuckles.

"What?", he asks and I sigh rolling on my side.

"It was. Now go get ready for bed.", I say taking my slides off then turning off my lamp pulling the covers over me laying in bed.

For once in my life I actually feel tired. Probably because of all the crying. Oh well I guess. I think to myself as I close my eyes.

"Goodnight Ember.", Dylan says and I smile, a small one but still a smile.

"Goodnight Dylan.", I say and he turns his lamp off and then I fall into the deep dark depths of sleep.