~Emily's POV
I choked. "Ava….let go," I managed to say.
I killed a man, now I'm being strangled by my daughter.
I tried to turn….my eyes were wet. It felt like my head was about to burst. Ava's grip was surprisingly so strong. I started to feel dizzy and my vision went blurry, then Ava let go of my neck and I heard her giggling as she ran out of the room.
I was still trying to catch my breath when I broke down into tears. I just couldn't bring myself to understand what my own daughter would strangle me and giggle afterwards.
I just couldn't wrap my brain around why she would do something like that. Or what instigated what she did or why she would even laugh after putting me in so much pain. Ava could have killed me and she only giggled?
I managed to get out of my bed and I turned on the light. I looked at the bed and there were bloodstains all over Ava slept.
What the hell is this?
What's wrong with Ava?
I ran out of the room and I opened Ava's door. My hands were trembling as I turned the door knob but when I got into my daughter's room, she was peacefully sleeping on her bed. She was properly tucked into the duvet with her head rested on her pillow.
It was like nothing happened.
Like she wasn't the same girl who strangled me few minutes ago. I could still feel the feeling of her grip on my skin. I turned to the side and I looked into the mirror. I had marks on my neck.
"Ava!" I screamed. I just couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Ava!" I screamed again. My voice was louder and tears rolled out of my eyes.
She lazily stood up, rubbing her eyes and her gaze landed on me. She glared at me like I was something forbidden. That same old stare that she gaze me back in the kitchen.
"What's the meaning of this, Ava! What has gotten into you!" I screamed.
"What's the meaning of what, mom? I think I should be the one asking you this question! For the first time in seven whole years, I finally get to sleep without being tormented! Like leaving a body alone with me in the house isn't enough! Don't you get it!" She screamed.
I stepped back. Why can't I seem to understand everything here.
"I don't want to see you! I don't even want you to come close to me! Leave me alone!" Ava screamed.
My heart raced. "You came into my room now, Ava! You told me you want to sleep next to me and I allowed it! You didn't even let me sleep for a minute! You started strangling me and you laughed, Ava!" I screamed.
Maybe reminding her of what she did would bring her back to her senses. This is not the kind of moments i want for my daughter and I.
My seventeen years old shouldn't be yelling at me!
Ava looked directly into my eyes and Ava laughed at me.
She laughed so hard that her eyes watered.
"Does any of this look funny to you, Ava? Yku strangled your own mother!" I screamned.
"Mom, I didn't even leave my room," Ava said, after she finally stopped laughing.
"I didn't step out of my room for a second. I came straight in here after I left the kitchen. So what exactly are you saying?" Ava asked me. Her voice was sharp and she was looking directly into my eyes.
Ava only has that look when she's sure of what she's saying.
Ava is messing with me….she is.
"Ava, don't mess with me. I am sure of what I'm saying. Don't make me look like an idiot! Don't even give me that look, Ava because it's not working!" I yelled with tears flowing out of my eyes.
My whole body shivered.
I'm sure of what I'm saying. "I am not stupid, Ava! If this is your way of escaping being scolded for doing what you did back there, then stop it!" I screamed.
"Mom, what's this? What's all of this mom! I am tired of all of this!" Ava yelled at me and I slapped her.
For the first time in a while, and I raised my hand to hit Ava. I just couldn't watch her making me look like I'm crazy.
"I have prints on my neck of you strangling me!" I yelled.
Ava's eyes streamed with tears. I hate seeing my daughter cry but I am not going to go back on this one.
"Look into the mirror," Ava said to me. Her voice was trembling and her hand was holding her face.
I looked into the mirror and it was gone. The mark on my neck was gone. "It's just a few minutes past five, mom. Please leave my room," She spoke.
Ava walked up to me and she dragged me out of her room and she slammed the door.
My heart went weak. I could hear the sound of my own heart beating. I walked into my room and my bed was clean.
No blood stain.
How?
What's going on?
I looked at the clock and it was 5:00am in the morning.
I….I was in the night before…. it's only ….
Wait, was I dreaming?
I am sure. It happened. It all happened.
I'm sure.
I looked into the mirror and I had bags under my eyes. I felt ugly to myself. My face was pale and my lips were chapped.
Ava walked into my room.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Ava. I'm sorry," I cried. I reached out to her but she stepped away from me.
"Mom, I have spent my whole life thinking it was Tharros making you do all of those things and I never really thought of you having a mental disorder," Ava said to me.
Did my daughter just call me a lunatic?
"Ava, what did you just say?" I asked.
Her words resounded in my head like a thousand time.
I spent my whole life making sure that she is fine. I spent my whole life making sure that she is happy. I keep moving from one struggle to the other, just to make sure that she's fine and what do I get in return?
This.
She says I'm a mad woman.
Wow.
Good job, Ava.
"Let's stop deceiving ourselves, mom! Tharros is gone and you're still seeing things. Maybe he never really did anything to you and you're getting worse! You need help," Ava added.
Only if she knew how hard those words hit me. Only if she knew how many times my heart has been broken.
"Ava, stop it!" I screamed and she walked out on me.
Is she right? Am I really running mad?