Powerful - Part 12
The drive to Midvale was pretty much silent. Kara and Alex would try to talk to you, but still, you only sat silently.
They eventually gave up.
When you arrived, Kara placed you on the couch, carrying you inside and you hung limply in her arms. Although she knew you wouldn’t respond, she still asked if you wanted anything to eat.
Normally at the mention of food, you would immediately perk up with questions of what you would be eating, followed by the horribly ungraceful sight of shoving the meal down your throat. But not this time. You just stared.
You knew who these people were. Or at least, you wanted to know. But everything was fuzzy. Your memories were buried in a treasure chest that you could not unlock, much less find. You felt a sense of familiarity around them, but all other recollection was drowned out by images of that terrible place and that terrible man.
Mr. Noble.
Just the name sent shivers down your spine. Threatened to send tears streaming down your face. And that’s exactly what happened. Tears silently poured from your eyes as you stared into the abyss.
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“Y/N?” Kara asked, though she knew you wouldn’t respond. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
Her face was very close to yours and still didn’t elicit a response. It only served to worry your sister more. She pulled you into a hug and your body rested weightlessly against her. Kara’s fingers ran gently through your hair as she spoke softly in your ear. “It’s okay, Y/N. It’s okay. I got you. You’ll be okay. Its safe. You’re safe, I promise.”
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According to them, you needed a bath. You hardly recognized the word, but when it finally clicked, you were not happy. It had been a common torture in the hands of Mr. Noble. You weren’t looking forward to that again. But your protests were silent, and you soon found yourself back in Kara’s arms as she carried you to the bathroom.
Eliza took over for her, gently scrubbing you clean. “I’m here, sweetie. You’re doing great.” You could hear the brokenness in her voice. She leaned you forward and a gasp escaped her lips, followed by a sob. “Kara!”
“Yeah Eliza?” Kara asked, standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry, but can you finish up? I - I need to take a walk.
“Of course,” Kara says softly. “Take your time.” And before you know it, Kara’s the one running the sponge over you. “You know, Mom loves you. She just needed a minute.”
“She needed a minute?” The voice clearly belongs to Alex. “So she just left? She just got up and left her, in the bath, no less?”
“Alex . . . She just went on a walk. This is hard for her.”
“And it’s not hard for me? Or for you? She’s thinking about herself, not about Y/N. Who were the ones who found her? Who had to see her in that horrible, tiny room, shivering and bleeding and starved? It was us. Not Mom. We were the ones who were there for her. We were the ones who rescued her. We are the ones who have seen her so torn up, so beaten. The ones who had to carry her home when she was limp in our arms.”
“Alex,” Kara says quietly. “Can we please do this later? When she’s asleep? Y/N doesn’t need to hear it.”
Alex heaves a sigh. She obviously wants to say more, but stops herself. “Yeah . . .I’m going to find Mom.”
Before Kara could say another word, Alex was gone.
Hours later, you still hadn’t seen Alex or Eliza. The house had been quiet, besides the noise of the television in front of you and Kara’s occasional whispered words. You felt a shift and Kara’s arm move to rest on your shoulders.
Your eyes widened slightly at the touch, but after a second, Kara’s calming presence overtook you and you found yourself slowly moving to lean against her.
Kara’s heart skipped a beat when you rested your head against her.
Progress.
Without a word, she held you a little closer and placed a gentle kiss to the top of your head.
And that’s how you fell asleep.