Eighteen

"Crystal wake up" Crystal heard in her sleep as she turned. She didn't want to wake up, she wanted to sleep longer.

"Crystal wake up now...something has happened to Madam Garcia" She heard again as her ears snapped opened. She quickly sat up as her eyes met Lisa's

"What?"

"I don't know but i saw her lying on the ground when i had gone to the kitchen. Checking the time, it was just 4am. Crystal quickly got up and dashed out of the room, making her way to the kitchen.

Madam Garcia lay on the floor, not moving.

"Mother" Crystal said in fear, shaking her but she was immobile. She checked her heart beat and luckily she was still breathing. She asked Lisa to go call the boys so they could help take her to her room.

Lisa left quickly and as soon as she had left, Madam Garcia moved, weakly taking her hand in hers.

"Cry...Crystal I'm sorry i couldn't protect you. I am sorry" She said as tears fell from her eyes.

"I....i don't have much time left. You should never give up on yourself my child, your parents are proud of you where they are right now. I don't have much strength anymore and i wish i could tell you the truth....i....i wish i could tell you your truth but now i....i can't.

"You are a special gift and no matter what never give up. You are a fighter and you...you will fight won't you. This place will be demolished today and someone is coming to take you and for that i am sorry. I made your fear come true but i had no other choice. I cant let them kill you"

"You might suffer in their hands but remember i will be up there to watch and take care of you. Do not ever give up. Under my bed there is something there for you and do not worry about the others, someone else will come for them. Take care of yourself"

"I don't understand anything mother"

"It hurts that i could not tell you the truth but your life is more special to me. Be strong"

"Mother you are saying nonsense....you will be fine. I can't lose you too" She said as tears fell from her eyes. Losing her was one of her worst nightmares and it was coming true. She can't lose her. She was like the mother that she never had.

"You were fine yesterday mother, what happened to you now?"

"I...i can't tell you but one day you would come to know. I am sorry Crystal" Madam Garcia said as she closed her eyes, pain evident on her face. She never opened her eyes as the merciless death took her soul away from her body.

"No....no.....no.....no....no. You have to come back please" Crystal cried as she held her, tears freely flowing.

"If you leave i will follow you. You can't leave me here alone" But her cries and pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. She was gone...the only woman who she had as a mother was.... Gone.

Lisa was back with Jason and Kelvin but when they saw the way Crystal was crying they understood what had happened. Kelvin walked away, trying so bad to stop himself from crying.

Lisa turned her head, her heart aching so much that she couldn't even stand while Justin walked to Madam Garcia, put his head on her lap and cried on her lap.

It was just too much.....how will they survive this world without her? She was like a mother they never had.

Crystal cried as if her soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes, that was the enormity of her sobbing. In this heartache the sun won't shine, birdsong passes as if the melody can't glide through the air as it once did before. Her heart bled but still she couldn't stop it from bleeding.

She cried till she had no tears to cry out anymore.

*

Justin sighed as he sat in his chair. She hadn't come yet and it was getting late. The bus would soon leave but she still wasn't here. He seemed so strong on the outside but on the inside, he felt like he was slowly breaking. He had to control himself.

At least she won't be hurt physically.

"Justin the teacher asked me to give you this paper" Martha said as he turned. He wasn't seeing Martha, all he could see was his Crystal. He quickly grabbed her and pushed her to a corner. His lips landed on hers as his mind went hazy. He couldn't control himself, a monster was controlling him.

He didn't care what would happen.....he wanted her so badly.

*

A tear trickled down her face when she saw what was before her. Her heart seemed to shatter into pieces....it hurts. She thought he said he loves her...she thought there was a way for them but seeing what she was seeing, there was no way.

Crystal had left the house despite having lost her Madam Garcia. She had to still go for the competition despite her depressed state. At least he would see him there...she knew he had a way of comforting her....he would make everything better.

But now, seeing how hungrily he devoured Martha's mouth, it hurts. Justin pulled away from Martha and his eyes widened for whatever reason. Her heart hurt when their eyes had met and she stepped back slowly and then ran.

She didn't think of anything...even the competition. She just....ran.

She heard Henry call her but she didn't even turn her head. She needed to leave and go far. She should have stayed home and mourned her mother well instead of coming to see how disgusting this man she loved more than anything was.

She took a taxi but her tears didn't stop. Her head was in utter turmoil. She didn't even take a minute to get out of the car when she met a familiar face....and all too familiar face.

"Mother?"

She could feel the fear in her chest, waiting to take over. Perhaps it only wants to protect her but the all too familiar face made the fear even more intense. She could not believe her foster mother was here, and then she shuddered when she remembered her name after quite a long time; Madam Laurina.

It sits there like an angry ball propelling her towards an anxiety she just didn't need at the moment. Her head seemed heavy but her eyes never left the eyes of the woman who had stolen her early childhood from her.

The woman who had made her suffer and cry.

The woman who didn't even bat and eye whenever she had influenced pain on her.

The woman who sent her to the streets and didn't even mind if she died or was even raped.

This woman...

Her eyes moved from her to the bulldozer which she guessed was here to demolish the house. Her heart began to beat faster.

More faster was it when her foster mother approached her with a wicked smirk. She held her ear and Crystal wondered as it hurt much.

"You ran away Crystal but this time, there will be no where to run" Madam Laurina said, pulling her ear harder and roughly left it, slapping her as soon as she had freedom Crystal's ear. She held Crystal's hair roughly as she dragged her and pushed her into a car and shutting the door.

Her eyes filled with unshed tears when she felt the car in motion. She was going back to where she had started.

She was going back to hell.