23.

In all her life, Amelia had only seen Naomi cry once. It was during the funeral of one old lady who attended the cults. But as soon as they left the cemetery, Naomi's tears dried and her pained expression turned to one of apathy. It was all an act.

So to have the woman in her arms, crying her eyes out was not something Amelia knew how to deal with.

"You are here." Naomi released Amelia. Holding the girl's face in her hands. "I thought you were dead." She sobbed looking in her eyes and then looked at the sky. "It's a miracle. Oh my God, thank you."

Amelia didn't even try to say something. She had no idea what would be appropriate to a moment like that.

"Come on. Let's get you inside. It's cold here." Naomi dragged her through the door. Before entering though, Amelia looked to where she came from, worried. Ethan should be already looking for her. She could not take long there.

Entering that house caused a flood of memories to come to Amelia's mind. Only a few were good. She shivered as her eyes went through the door of the small closet used to discipline her. The memories were interrupted by a very emotional Naomi.

"I was so devastated when-" Her distressed confession was interrupted by a trembling voice calling Amelia's name in an astonished tone.

Amelia glanced at the stairs noticing her siblings in the middle of it, staring at her as if they were witnessing a ghost. Albert had tears running down his shocked face and Juliette was frozen. Amelia didn't know what to say.

"Amelia?" Albert repeated, trying to believe in his eyes.

"Hey, guys." It was barely louder than a whisper. Not wasting any more time, the young man rushed in her direction, engulfing his sister in the biggest hug they have ever shared, startling the girl who was not expecting that reaction, taking into account that they were not so close before.

Juliette, however, had always been more rational than her brother and seemed to have a hard time believing that Amelia was there. She descended the last steps of the stairs slowly as if she was afraid that, if she was any faster, her legs would collapse.

Amelia, with an arm holding the crying boy, held out her free hand to the girl, encouraging her into the embrace, which she accepted willingly.

Juliette's eyes were glassy, but not a single tear has fallen. Amelia was not surprised. Between the three of them, her sister was the least emotional, the strongest one, without a doubt. Even if she was five years younger than Amelia, and just one year older than Albert, she always wanted to prove her maturity.

Amelia held them tightly against her body, kissing their cheeks and hair, whatever she could reach. She had forbidden herself to think about any of them during her time away, claiming it was the best for her mind. But at that moment, seeing how it had affected them, she felt like the worst person in the world.

"We missed you so much. I couldn't believe that you were dead. I am so happy you are back." Albert said all at once. His voice breaking, and the sobs making it hard to understand, but it melted Amelia's heart nonetheless.

Glancing at Naomi, Amelia saw the woman looking at the phone in her hands, typing something furiously. But the teenagers in her arms demanded her attention.

"I am here now. It's okay. I am sorry." She tried to calm them, repeating the last sentence over and over.

When the boy had stopped crying, Naomi asked them to wait in their room for a bit, because she needed to talk with Amelia alone. They didn't seem fazed with the request, but they left, giving their sister one last glance before climbing the stairs.

"Come here, child. Tell me what happened." Naomi pointed to the chair in the kitchen, beside the one she was sitting. Amelia obeyed.

"Tell me. Where were you? Why didn't you come back?" She urged the girl who was feeling uncomfortable, not being used to get so much attention from the woman in front of her.

"That day, when I went to grandma's house, I cut the way through the forest to arrive faster." Amelia didn't look at Naomi's face, knowing she would not be happy with her disobedience. The forest was forbidden and she knew it.

"There was a man there, he started to run after me. He had a knife!" Amelia emphasized, looking at Naomi with big eyes, trying to make the older understand how terrifying the experience was. "He was a hunter. One of those who work in the municipal fair."

"Do you know why he did it?" Naomi was staring deep in her eyes.

"No," Amelia lied. "It was so fast. In the end, I could defend myself, but my head was seriously hurt so I passed out." She continued, changing the subject not wanting to be a catch in her lie. She's never being good at lying. Naomi's expression didn't change.

"There are some people who live near there. They heard me screaming and came to help me. I stayed there a few days to recover." She paused. "When I came back I saw that everyone thought I was dead. It scared me. I didn't know what to do. So I stayed with them." She glanced at the woman who looked like a statue, no features, no emotion in her eyes, nothing. The sight before her making Amelia shiver. But she didn't let it stop her from going on.

"I was missing for only a week. Why did you guys think I was dead?" This was something that bothered her when she found out about the crypt with her name. There was not a body, neither a proof that she was dead.

"Oh, my child." Suddenly, the cold woman had a sad look on her face, surprising the girl with the quick change of moods. "We mourned your loss. This house isn't the same without you." It didn't go unnoticed to Amelia that the woman changed the subject. But the verbal expression of affection coming from someone like Naomi was enough to startle the girl so much that she didn't bring the subject up again.

"But it is okay now. You are back home and everything will be back to normal." She smiled, and Amelia thought the years of never smiling made the muscles of her face atrophy, making the smile look disturbing. Amelia's eyes widened when she registered what she was implying.

"No!" Naomi's smile faded when the girls yelled, and Amelia's breath was caught in her throat. Since she was a teenager she never yelled at her mother. Knowing the consequences were not worth it. She quickly explained, scolding herself mentally for acting like a little girl. Naomi should not have this much power on her.

"I mean... things changed. I am happy where I am. They are really good for me. And you know I never liked to be a part of the cult. But I can come to visit you, Juliette, and Albert sometimes." Mentioning the pack made her remember that they should be really worried about her. She needed to go back. But Naomi interrupted her thoughts.

"You never liked to be a part of it?" Naomi's tone was dangerously quiet. "You have always been ungrateful. I have done nothing but be a good mother for you. And that's how you reciprocate?" The neighbors would wake up if Naomi kept yelling like that. But it was the last thing in Amelia's head. Something in the so well known speech turned a key in Amelia's mind. One that has never been turned before.

"Why do you hate me so much? What I have done to you?" The voice Amelia heard was not hers. It belonged to a madwoman, someone desperate. But she didn't care. She couldn't take it anymore.

All the years of humiliation. All the times she questioned if Naomi was right, and she was just a bad person who didn't deserve love. The never lived childhood. Everything was falling apart now. As if the weight she had borne all her life was suddenly too much to bear.

Even with tears blurring her vision, she could see enough to watch the facade break down in Naomi's face. The crimson red spreading in her neck, and ears. The jaw clenching. No longer existed the concerned mother, delighted to have her child back.

The act was over.

But this time, Amelia was not the scared girl she once was. She was not even close to the weak human she was before. She would not let Naomi take over her.

This time Amelia would stay until Naomi gave her what she wanted. It didn't matter if Ethan was turning the city upside down looking for her, or if her siblings would listen to the fight that was to come. The only thing that mattered was the much-needed answers she would get.

This time, when she leaves the house, she will let behind her demons. She won't accept having trouble to sleep because of a face haunting her in nightmares. Her new life will not be contaminated by her dark past.

This will end tonight.