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Thirty-nine: Alec's family
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A Thousand Lies Forty: ski resort
Temperance Once we got to the resort, everyone put on their coats, scarves, beanies, or whatever they had. The teachers push us all off the bus and into the freezing snow. We are forced to stay in place as our teachers conduct a head count. I shiver and put my gloved hands on my nose to keep my face partially warm. I look around. Everything is covered in snow. Great. I hate the cold. I stand in front of the resort, taken aback by how big it looks. It looks WARM. Then without warning, the teachers usher us into the building we will be staying in. I look around. It is beautiful. It is fancy. It is so warm. But it isn't just my school. No. There are two other schools already here. My eyes widen in fear that everyone I once knew could be here, watching me. I make my way to Chris and Kenli, who happen to be standing together. Many people push around me to get to various places.I look at my cousins frantically. They look at each other, then back at me in confusion. Chris grabs my hand
A Thousand Lies Forty-one: Threats
Temperance"WE GET BREAKFAST!" Kenli screams into my ear.My tired eyes immediately flick open, the bright light of the room blinding me. I rub my eyes, trying to get used to the light. I don't know what time it is. But right away, I can tell it is early."Stop bouncing around!" I yell at her, irritated. She screamed at me to wake up so early when I could be sleeping right now.*********************************I brush through my tangled morning hair, and I cover the bruises on my neck and face with concealer and foundation Chris bought me. Although the abuse isn't near as bad as it was with my father, I still find myself angry that I have to deal with it."Perfect," I whisper to myself, proud of the fact that I can cover everything so easily. I put on a long sleeve shirt and leggings. Kenli walks into the bathroom with a baggy shirt on and sweatpants.Brush my teeth and put chapstick on. As soon as I put the chapstick back down, Kenli grabs my hand and leads me out the door.As soon
A Thousand Lies Forty-two: under the ice
TemperanceI am deep in the forest. Deep enough not to know my way back. Trees and snow surround me.As I stupidly walk along the edge of the iced-over pond. I hum a song my mother once sang to me whenever I was younger. I don't know the song's name. Or words. I remember the rhythm.Then I stop and turn towards the pond. I took a deep breath and stepped into the ice. I balance myself on the slippery ice below me.I start walking out towards the middle of the pond. Then to my horror, I hear cracks from under my feet. I hold my breath and stand perfectly still.Then the ice cracks more. I try to shuffle away. Then the ice gives out under me. I plunge below the ice into the freezing water. The water feels like knives stabbing me.Under the ice, it is dark. I swim back up to the surface and struggle to catch my breath. I grab onto the ice that is still holding up.I weakly pull half of my body out of the ice water, leaving my legs in for a second. I take a deep breath of the freezing air
A Thousand Lies Forty-three: two hearts break
TemperanceI lay under the mounts of covers on top of me. All I remember is closing my eyes after I fell into the river. But here I am... in a bed.I shoot up as Kenli steps out of the bathroom. "Oh! You're awake! I'm so glad!" She walks over to me and sits on the edge of my bed."Who brought me here?" I ask her. I look down and notice I am in different clothes. My heart speeds up. Someone saw my cuts."Alec and his guys did. And so did Chris and I. Alec carried you here..." She explains, her eyes not leaving me once.Oh shit. This isn't good. Austin is gonna find out. Fuck. Maybe if he just beats me to death he will be satisfied? I only hope that it will be quick."Who changed me??" I ask frantically. "I did." Sadness laces her eyes. She saw. "Who did you tell?" I ask, grabbing her arm roughly. She winces, "No one!"I stare at her, thinning out my lips as she looks at her feet. I let go of her arm, apologizing to her. I watch her open her mouth to speak, but I hold my hand up to sile
A Thousand Lies Forty-four: nothing good lasts
TemperanceI open the door to be filled with shock. Alec stands in front of me with Connor and Zander behind him. I feel my heart drop as I make eye contact with the man I had just broke. "W-what are you d-doing here?" My hands shake with anxiety coursing through my body. I watch Alec carefully, flinching as his arms embrace me. I stay still for a second, assessing the situation that I have been thrown into. His arms wrap around me tighter, my head starting to feel light. Do I tell him that he's making me light headed or do I let him continue?I thin my lips, agreeing with my heart to let him have this moment. "I am so so so sorry for the things I said. I didn't mean them." He whispers into my hair. Tears pull in my eyes at his words, my hands gripping his shirt. God, I missed the smell of him. My mind spins in circles on what I should do. I know I can't see him. I know Austin will never let me be with him. Is it fair to hold him back? Is it fair to hold myself back?FUCK I
A Thousand Lies Forty-five: the choice between staying and leaving
Temperance Kenli dabs a wet cloth against my bloody lip as I reposition myself on the countertop. "How does your eye feel?" She glances at my swollen eye before taking the rag away from my lip and rinsing it out with cold water. I don't answer her question as I adjust my ears to the sound of Austin's footsteps. His steps echo in the living room before the door opens and then slams, signaling that he's left. She stops for a few seconds, listening for the sound of the foot opening back up. Once it's been a few seconds and she's sure he's gone she relaxes. Her chest rises, signaling her sigh of relief.My head spins as my body violently throbs. I stare at the wall behind us, letting Kenli dab my blood away. Through the closed door, I hear ice clanking in the freezer. "Maybe I'm not supposed to be alive," I state, not thinking much about the words I'm spouting for Kenli's ears. I feel her tense up, her eyes darting to my eyes and the back to the cloth. "I have had this thought sever
A Thousand Lies Forty-six: sold to the man in white
Temperance It's been three weeks since Austin told me I would be traded. Today is the day for the auction. Then tomorrow I will be taken to the sick person who buys me. Other than myself, Austin, and Vicki, no one else knows about the auction. Not a word goes out to Chris or Kenli from the threat that they will pay for my mistake. Meaning that my selfish actions for help could get them hurt. I can't have them get beat for my actions, so I remain silent. I don't cut anymore... It's more of that I can't cut. The beatings died down in the last week in hopes that I will have little to no bruising for the day of the auction. Meaning, that Vicki also checks my body for bruising or scratching. Imagine her surprise when she found self-inflicted cuts lingering on my body. She ran to Austin, and they tore the room apart until they found my weapon. My cuts are just scars now. They look gross. Uplifted and discolored skin in a line on my body. Scars aren't supposed to look pretty, though.
A Thousand Lies Forty-seven: Pills
TemperanceI sit in the middle of my room with my clothes tucked away neatly into a backpack. I can at least look like I'm going along with this shit plan.I am supposed to be picked up today by my buyer. My cousins are at school and my caretakers are at work, leaving me along with my wandering thoughts.A loud ringing pierces my ears, causing me to jump in shock. Once my ears adjust to the sound I realize it's the house phone.I thin my lips in question since no one ever calls the house phone.I stay on my mattress for a second, waiting until the ringing comes to the end, bringing back the silence from the almost empty house.With only a few seconds of silence in between, the wretched phone starts to ring again, stirring up my annoyance. I curse under my breath, standing to my feet and leaving the room. The sound gets louder as I approach and stop in front of it.It's an old white phone that sits on a coffee table beside Austin's recliner. I have never seen him use it before.I look
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