Fair Feathered Excerpt: 2 - Paulina Ulrich

As I walked back through the woods, it took me a little longer than I expected to reach the lake, but when I did, I walked to the edge and stopped. I stared at the water that barely washed over my toes and it was cold and beckoning. My body trembled with fear, but I had to do this. My feet took a few steps forward until they were ankle deep. I stopped again, catching my breath in my throat at the iciness. Keep going. My thoughts commanded my body to will itself forward. The saddest part of it all was that I knew what the consequences of this would be…and I was willing to accept. I hoped that this time, it wasn’t a dream. I wanted to escape the dread I had been suffering from for weeks now. It would all be over soon.
            Wading deeper, I continued walking into the lake farther and farther until my head went under the surface. Silence. There was only the silence. I savored the momentary peace that I felt had been taken from me. This would be the last thing I heard but not the last thing I saw. Behind my eyelids was a brilliant image, an image of the boy I loved desperately but would never see again. I was selfish but I couldn’t bear the thought of one more day, going through the same painful routine that I had been forced into. If I left him a letter, it would have been burned. I knew it wasn’t long before someone found me. It was time.
            Exhaling all the oxygen from my lungs, I watched the bubbles fly up to the surface that was now far above me. The ache in my lungs was unmistakable but I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain. Conjuring up the best memories I had in my last minutes, I replayed them over and over until I could feel my conscious slipping away. I finally felt free, like a bird that could fly. I wouldn’t be flightless anymore. (©) Paulina Ulrich

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Fair Feathered Excerpt - Paulina Ulrich

I was sleeping loosely in Gregory’s arms and thought I was dreaming until I heard a noise in my room. I stirred but I heard it again. Forcing my heavy eyelids open, I searched for the source of the sound. My phone was vibrating wildly on my nightstand and I reached over to grab it. Who could be calling me? The screen was too brightly lit for me to read who had dialed me so I just answered.

 

            “Hello?” My voice was thick with sleep. I most likely sounded like a zombie.

            “Don’t think that this is over.” Suddenly I was wide awake like someone had splashed a bucket of ice cold water on me. Her voice was too recognizable and could only belong to one person: Amelia. “Wherever you are hiding, I will find you and I will ruin you for what you have done.” I was still too stunned to speak. Even from a phone call she could instill fear in my heart. I knew this wasn’t a dream. Not even in my nightmares was her voice this chilling. “So listen here bitch, I will do whatever it takes to get my father back. It’s your fault he is where he is. I can’t even begin to tell you how much you will suffer for this. If only you knew…”

 

            I swallowed down the lump in my throat and tried to keep my voice from shaking. “Please leave us alone.” My voice was just barely above a whisper. What did she have planned? How could I protect everybody if she threatened them?

 

            She laughed coldly. “Leave you alone? What pathetic world are you living in? You stole the love of my life! You got my father arrested! You forced my mother and I to go on the run! You think that you can just sit back and destroy my life while you get to have Gregory and live your life? You are gravely mistaken.”

 

            With shaking fingers I ended the call and threw my phone on the floor, terrified. My breathing was erratic and my heart thumped along at a quickened pace. I didn’t feel safe anywhere anymore. Jumping out of bed, I flicked a lamp on and went over to the dresser, taking handfuls of my clothes and dumping them onto the floor. I ran to the closet and found my duffel bag to stuff my things into. Tears welled in my eyes as I blindly shoved pieces of cotton clothes into my bag; the faster I packed the quicker I could get away. Why was this my life now? Why did I live in constant fear? I jumped when my phone started vibrating violently again. I ignored it like it didn’t exist but it echoed in my head until I heard it stop. She was probably capable of reaching through the phone and strangling me to death.

 

            I felt arms encircle me and I screamed, not thinking of who it could be. “Livy, calm down.” Gregory’s voice whispered worriedly into my ear and I buried my face in his shirt, crying. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” The two of us sat in a pile of my clothes as he pulled my face back to see my eyes.

 

            I pointed to my phone that sat across the room on the floor. My shaking wouldn’t stop. “Amelia called. She’s threatened to find me no matter what.” I was completely distraught until a thought occurred to me…was she calling to say she has one of my loved ones? Scrambling from Gregory’s arms, I crawled over to my phone and quickly dialed my dad’s number. I didn’t care if it was the middle of the night. Fear was the only thing I could feel.

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