Chapter 3
Jenna switched the shower on and watched as the room filled up with steam. The pitter patter of the water hitting the base severed as the company she desperately needed in that moment.
Noise that is what she wanted, just to hear something other than the man’s screams and groans that was on replay in her mind.
As she opened the shower door and took a step, she saw the cuts on her legs masked by the dried blood.
Sighing she stepped into the heat of the water and scrubbed at her body like it would erase the night from her mind.
“Jenna!” Jenna jumped up with a start. She was tangled in the sheets and crashed to the floor.
Her heart was in a state of panic, she let out a loud and painful scream. Jenna’s bedroom door flung open. She was still fighting with her bedding when her dad crouched down to assist her.
Jenna was stuck in her nightmare.
The man was attacking her, but this time he had a firm hold on her. She lashed out more frantically. She could feel his fingertips dig into her skin.
Both her parents were trying to calm her, using soft voices. After a few minutes she calmed down and her father cradled her in his arms.
Stroking her hair and making shhing noises. Something he hadn’t done since she was a child.
As the realization hit her, she felt silly and childish.
Tears were streaming down her face, and she was letting out soft sobs. In her panic Jenna hadn’t noticed she had been crying. She couldn’t tell her parents what had happened. They would be angry. Plus, she was fairly sure that she had killed the man. She would go to jail. A murder. That is what she was.
Wiping her tears, she gave both her parents and her sister who was standing in the doorway with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open a small smile.
“Just a bad dream,” she shrugged as she climbed off her dad’s lap. So, this is it. What it feels like to be plagued with guilt.
Jenna took small steps to the doorway, where her sister Claire was still looking at her with big brown eyes.
Without a word, Jenna walked past her and into the bathroom.
Once behind the closed door she let her emotions run freely. She let her tears and loneliness surface as her body trembled. There was no one she could tell. No one could ever know her secrete. She had to be strong and hold it together.
After a good cry and shower, she dressed in black leggings and a dark blue t-shirt. Jenna took extra care with her hair. Making sure every strand was perfectly straight. Then she added more makeup than she usually did. Her eyes stood out more and her pale skin had more color. The makeup did wonders to hide the dark circles just beginning to form under her eyes. Yet it did nothing to hide the bruise on her forehead.
It was time to face her family.
Jenna was nervous. She knew there would be questions. But what could she tell them? That I snuck out last night and then murdered a man?
Shaking her head, she pulled her shoulders back and forced a smile onto her face. One deep breath then she entered the kitchen. Claire was sat at the breakfast bar taking bites out of her toast as she chatted on the phone. Her mum was busy making up her father’s lunch for work, while her father read the newspaper.
Jenna felt her nerves settle down. She took a seat at the kitchen table and began to slowly eat her toast. She was almost done when her mum asked the one question she had been dreading.
“What was your dream about honey?”
Jenna could physically feel the color drain from her skin as she recalled her dream.
The man was faceless.
Just a black void where his face should have been. He dug his fingers into her arms and held her captive. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.
“Sweetheart?” Jenna’s mum placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with worried eyes. Jenna swallowed and looked away.
“I can’t remember now,” Jenna was a bad liar. She kept her face hidden hoping no one would notice. She gulped and kept her gaze on the black and white tiles. They were like a checkerboard and her family was the pieces. Just players in the game of life. The question was, would she win the game or be knocked from the board? Only to rot with young offenders. Or worse go to jail. She wasn’t mean, nor rough and ready for the world. Jenna knew if it came down to young offenders or prison, she wouldn’t be able to hack it. The thought only sealed her lips more. Locking her secrete deep inside her.
“What happened to your head?” her mum asked.
“I walked into a streetlight,” Jenna shrugged.
A car horn saved her from any more grilling questions, and she grabbed her bag and last slice of toast, mumbling a goodbye on her way out. She gave Donna a big grin as she sat in her fancy soft top. Her blonde hair slightly danced in the wind. Donna was completely opposite to Jenna. She was outgoing, fun to be around and never shied away from a challenge. She was on the cheerleading squad and was popular. Jenna on the other hand was quiet and reserved. She felt awkward with attention and preferred to blend in with the background. But Donna and she had been friends since kindergarten and Donna always involved Jenna in her social life. No matter how much Jenna protested.
“Hay,” Jenna said as she tossed her bag into the back seat and climbed into the passenger side.
“Hay, So Josh was talking about you last night to the lads,” she winked at Jenna.
“Really?” Jenna beamed.
“Yeah, you made quite the impression,”
Jenna blushed. She wasn’t sure whether she was afraid of this new attention or excited. But something deep within her was stirring.