Once I was fully awake, I mentally prepared myself for what was to come. I steadied my breathing, focused my attention on the door and thought only of my escape. I clutched the call button in my hand which I tucked under the blanket wrapped around my legs. In just a moment I would be face-to-face with the beast herself. I could hear multiple sets of footsteps rushing down the hallway towards my room. I could feel the fear rising inside me, but I couldn't let it get the best of me. I pushed it down and forced myself to be ready. The door flung open and I was faced with a group of faces. I only recognized a few of those many faces. Alice, Chloe, Jayden and surprisingly the paramedic from earlier. Other than those faces I didn't know the doctor who walked in alongside a nurse and police officer. I looked around at everyone and suddenly it was all making sense. Alice bursted into the room first and everyone came chasing behind her. They were trying to keep her out, because of what I said to the paramedic. Alice stepped into the room a bit further which made my body tense up. I pushed myself further back onto the bed and loosened my grip on the call button. The doctor took my reaction into account and blocked Alice from coming in any further. She then signaled the police officer and nurse to enter the room. The police officer came in slowly and kneeled down next to my bed.
"Hey there kid, My name is David. I wanted to ask you...a few questions. I'll ask you a question and you can decide to answer or pass, understand?" I couldn't help but take a peek over at Alice. I Iet out a sigh before nodding in agreement. The officer waved his hand at the doctor, who took that as a signal to remove Alice from the room. Chloe and Jayden stood in the doorway holding onto one another. They each were grabbing hold of the others sleeve. I smiled at them before turning towards the officer. He grabbed a chair and sat down next to me. He sat close only to distract me from the nurse waiting with a notepad. They reported Alice and they want to interrogate me for evidence. If I talk they'll take Alice away from the family. They'll know it was all my fault and they'll get rid of me. I can't say anything. The twins need their mom. What kind of monster takes a mother away from a child!?
"Alex, do you know hoe you got here? Do you remember what happened?" I couldn't help but glance over at Jayden. The officer looked in the same direction. He waved his hand at Jayden to come closer. Before even attempting to move Jayden looked over at me. I reached my hand out towards him, begging him to come to me. I don't know why, but being away from him right now was far from what I needed or wanted. He let go of Chloe's sleeve and made his way to my side. He sat down next to me and held my hand.
"Feel any better?" he seemed to have forgotten about everything that we've been going through. I'm happy. I really want things to go back to how they used to me. I nodded my head and turned back to the officer.
"I don't know what's wrong with me, but I just felt lightheaded and then there was this aching pain all over my body. I don't really remember much." the nurse began to scribble away at her notepad. I did my best to ignore her.
"Do you remember talking to the paramedic in the ambulance? Do you recall what you said to him?" I looked over at Chloe who then looked down the hall. When she turned back around and gave me a thumbs up, our usual signal that Alice wasn't around.
"I asked him not to tell my mom where I was." the nurse continued to scribble down every word I said. The officer nods his head while I try to maintain eye contact. I couldn't help but squeeze Jaydens hand and in response he did it back. This is the third time i've sat in the hospital and been questioned like this. That includes the one that I wish I could forget. After my mom died.
"Your mother refused to let us take any test so i'm sorry to ask, is she your biological mother?" I could feel every one of my muscles tense. Would Aice want me to say "yes"? I mean you can tell just by looking at me that i'm not her's. She has blonde hair and mine is a dark chestnut, her eyes are blue and mine are hazel, we look nothing alike.
"She's not his biological mother, she just wants people to think that he is." everyone looked over at the door where Chloe leaned against the frame. She took a peek down the hall before thinking to continue. "She adopted him after his mom died. You shouldn't ask those type of questions. He wont answer you." she rolled her eyes and turned away to keep watch of the hall. the officer turned back to me gave me a pitied look. That's the same look everyone gave me after my mothers' funeral while they contemplated on what was to be done with me. I remember that Alice had some connection to my family, but I don't know what kind. She didn't go to my mothers' funeral, but she came to the gathering afterwards and spoke to me. She told that she would take care of me. That's all I can remember from that day. I hated that day.
"Again i'm sorry to have had to ask. We thought as much, but we can't find any legal documents stating that she adopted you. This last week we've been looking through her statements on where she went to adopt you, but no one even recognized her name." my eyes flashed over to Chloe who whipped around with an confused look. She gave one final peek out into the hallway before rushing to the officers side.
"What the hell does that mean? She never actually adopted him!? Are you saying.." she sat down on the bed next to me and held onto my free hand, "she kidnapped him?" everyone looked at me. Their faces full of fear and anger. I could feel my nose curl in disgust, my brow furrowed in confusion, and my lips quivered in sadness. If Alice was crazy enough to kidnap me does that mean she could also have...
"I thought she signed adoption papers for me. I wasn't there but I just assumed that she had. One day she just came and took me away. She told her husband and her kids that she adopted me. I just believed she did." I looked up at Chloe who was fighting the urge to cry. I was ready to do the same, when in the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Alice standing in the doorway. Fear washed over my as our conversation set in. The memories of every vision she was in began to rush back. She said she wanted a child so bad, but someone put up a fight and she got what she wanted. I hadn't thought about it until now, but I see it so clearly. "You killed my mother...didn't you?" everyone's' eyes darted to the door where Alice stood. She gave a smile and began to clap.
"You were always my smart little boy. I was hoping you would never find out about what happened, but you're too clever for that. I loved you more than she could have ever! I took care of you while she worked away or went out partying with her friends. She'd come home wasted and she'd forget to feed you. I knew how to make you happy and how to care for you, so I asked her to let me adopt you. Obviously she said "no" so I did what I had to." everyone looked at her in disbelief as she strode closer. The officer slowly rose from his seat and placed a hand on his gun. Alice rolled her eyes and quickly grabbed hold of Chloe. I tried my best to hold onto her hand, but with final pull from Alice I wasn't able to hold on. She pulled a scalpel from her back pocket as she held Chloe in front of her and lightly pressed it against her neck. The officer pulled quickly pulled his gun out and pointed it at the two of them.
"Mom!? What are you doing!? Let her go!" she shook her head and pulled Chloe backwards. She was too far gone to help. What could I even say to get to her? She doesn't care about anything except..."What about the twins!? If you do this you'll only make things worse for them. You've already done so much, how can you continue to do these things when you have a family!?" she stared at me for a moment to make sure I was done and then she began to laugh. It was too late to try anything, she's already gone.
"You poor thing. My sweet boy, I do these things because I have a family. I've never liked this girl. She clung to you and she made you feel bad. That boy over there too. He's not good enough for you! He's not going to love you the way he should! You better than these low lives that you associate with! I do this because I love you." and with those final words she slit Chloe's throat. As Chloe fell to the ground the police officer shot Alice in the shoulder causing her to fall as well. The nurse dropped the note pad and grabbed a towel. Tears blurred my vision as I watched the nurse try her best to stop Chloe from bleeding out. I could hear as she screamed for a doctor. Alice tried her best to crawl her way out into the hall, but the officer grabbed her. Multiple doctors came rushing into the room. They carried Chloe out into the hall and rushed her to ER. I looked over to my where Jayden was sitting, still holding my hand. His expression was blank, as if he was unfazed by what just happened. He hadn't even flinched once this entire time.
"Jayden?"