When I looked in the mirror for the first time since Grayson attacked me, I barely recognized the girl staring back. She had the same gray eyes framed by long lashes, the same long hair, and the same button nose. But the reflection wasn’t the girl I knew before that night.
I used to see myself as strong, resilient—especially after losing my entire family. But now, all I see is a broken shell of the person I once was. I'm no longer the girl my mother and father raised, or the girl my grandfather told old war stories to, or the girl who cared for her cancer-stricken little brother until he reunited with our family in heaven. Now, I am the girl who obeyed the man who broke into my home with a gun. The girl who listened silently to his deranged words, who couldn’t move, couldn’t resist his touch. The girl who stayed awake while he slept beside me, a gun pressed to my back.
Even after everything he did to me, I couldn't fight back or hurt him. I was paralyzed—frozen like a statue, unable to move, unable to react. That’s who I’ve become—weak, fragile.
When James found me, shattered and broken in my own home, it felt like he could see right through me—like he knew I was damaged beyond repair. I am not the woman he fell in love with. I am just a fractured version of her.
Even when James risked his life to save me, I couldn’t respond. It was like when I heard the news of my parents' death, or when I got my brother’s diagnosis, or the first time Grayson became violent, and James had to step in. I shut down.
When I look in the mirror now, I see a weak girl, incapable of defending herself. And when James had the chance to kill Grayson, what did I do? I cried—cried for the man who had stalked me for months, the man who made me afraid to sleep at night.
Today is the day that I start a new chapter in my life. Today is the day I am moving from my childhood home, once filled with joy but now only painful memories, to a small lakefront town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I always pictured my family sending me off on my new venture, helping me pack, and waving goodbye as I drove away, but instead, I was alone packing and walking through the house that used to feel used to give the feeling of home. I took down my little brother's crayon scribble drawing off the refrigerator; I couldn't help but feel as if I was leaving behind more than just a place but a part of me that may never return. That colorful piece of art is priceless in my eyes, Just like the rows and rows of baseball caps that used to live on my daddy's dresser but are now in a box with my momma's tattered bible after years of nightly use. I must ensure I have everything; I cannot leave more memories behind than I must. As I walked into the room where my grandfather spent his last moments in this world, shivers came over my body, Memories of hearing stories about World War 2 and how much trouble he got into back in the good old days. The room still smells like him. Then I saw the one thing I almost forgot: Papa’s Checkers board. We would spend hours playing when I was a young child. Even when I would cheat, Papa would always find a way to beat me. On his sickest days, he still wanted to play checkers with me, and those were some of the highlights of the past two years. This house is flowing with memories: my baby brother coming home from the hospital, intense uno games, and my momma and daddy's devotional, which they did every night in the living room. These memories tug at my heart. Everyone I have ever loved has betrayed me or died on me, leaving me alone in this world. The weight I carry in my heart is too much to bear; that's why I need a restart, a blank canvas on which to paint the life I want. And that is what I am doing. I am moving to Sunset Ridge and Ridgeland University; that is my restart. As I packed in the Checkers set, the sound of a Uhaul trailer appeared. It was finally that time, as the people came through the door to take the boxes to the trailer; a mumbling excuse left my lips as I made my way to my car on this rainy summer day. I sat in that car for over an hour, staring at everything that once filled my home, leaving it for the last time. Guilt envelops me, causing me to freeze in my grief, unable to move or speak. The world around me kept moving, but I stayed still. Seeing the trailer moving all of my family’s earthly possessions from the only place I ever called home snapped me out of my trance. I soon followed, ready to start my new life. Driving through the scenic North Carolina mountains is winding but beautiful; trees are starting to change from their somber green colors to the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn. My new home is a charming, old log cabin with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that envelop the back wall of the house, framing the peaceful lake. My Papa always used to say that Water brings harmony to the soul, and harmony brings clarity. And that's what I need right now. That is the reason I picked this place. When arriving at the cabin, I only unpacked the necessities- toiletries, pajamas, and bedding- and put them onto my mattress, lying on the floor before finally letting sleep drift over me. What is my life going to look like here? In only a few weeks, I will start my final year of nursing at Ridgeland University to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse; what will I do with my life? Even though I am unsure, this place is just the beginning.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know” I said hiding a smug smile only showing a cold knowing glare. “Now give me what I am here for, or I my just have to take this bac-“ “No” the hooded man said loudly, showing his fear that this thing that could change his life could be taken away in a instant. “Guards bring the girl in. The two henchmen with a similar mask as the man that sits idly in front of me, disappeared into the shadows of the room. One minute went by, two minutes, going onto five miniuts. The hooded man in front of me nervously twiddling his thumbs over and over, honestly he is stressing me out, but I can’t let him see that. I won’t let him see that.
Eventually a the girl is dragged into the room joking the party of silence, only able to look down at the feet. I stand up to look her over. Her body thin as if she hasn’t ate a meal in days, her skin dirty, as I circle the girl, she became frozen as if she was a statue. Stopping right in front of her, I grab her chin and tilt it up towards me. Her crystal blue eyes look as if she had no more tears to cry. “I’ll take her.” I said looking into this girls eyes. “Well it looks like this concludeds this meeting. I will have my men escort you to your vehicles. Pleasure doing business with you.” The hooded man exclaimed sounding excited that he got what he wanted, at least what he thought he wanted. “Like wise.” I responded taking the girls hands dragging her to the car.
As we enter the car, I told the driver to drive to the safe house, the girl sitting to my left is curled up into a small ball staring out the window. “Analise,” I said in the calmest, voice my rugged voice could muster, ”Analise, you are safe now. I am secret agent Ross, and I am here to take you home.”
At those words the girl came out of her trance, and finally said, “What’s the catch? There is always a catch.” This girl may look innocent but in reality she is wise beyond her years, as I looked at my hands a said, “the catch is, your not going home.”
“Good I don’t belong there anymore. May I ask where we are going?” Analise asked, while playing with her long raven back hair. “We are going to a special training academy, but you already knew that didn’t you.”
“And what if I did?”
Analise went from a scared little damsel, too a feisty young women in a matter of minutes.
“The United States is putting together a new program, a program of exceptional beings like you, and me.”
“You?” She said questionably like there was no way she couldn’t have known.
“Yes me, that’s why you can’t read my mind unless I let you, like earlier you didn’t want to know who I was, or what my intentions where, you only wanted to know what was in the bag.”
“Way to make a girl curious.”
Her eyes turned from treat stained to a fire blasting through her being only able to be seen through those ocean blue windows to the soul.
“Look you will have everything you will ever need in this program and more, if you corroborate.”
“Corporate doing what exactly.” She asked seeming genially curious, the first time I say her with this look.
“Getting information, being trained to go on missions, after a year you could either continue or you can go free and live the rest of your life.
She seems to be thinking, as he pop her knuckles, the sound to me is just as pleasant as nails on a chalkboard. “And if I don’t accept your genius offer?” She said seeming sarcastic but with a ounce of realness to her responses.
Well, the president could always order us to take you back to where we found you.”
At this comment her eyes dilated quickly before responding to normal as if she was getting a vision. “Stop the car.” she said loudly “I said stop.” The car slow as down to a stop quickly sling myself and Analise forward hitting the seat in front of us hardly, then we see a young boy run out into the middle of the street up where we should have been, if it wasn’t for her, For Analise.
“I’ll do it on one condition”
“And that is?”
“If You tell me what is in the bag?”
“Deal, the bag had what looked like the the girl with pearl earrings, painting. I was undercover as a art theith that made custom replacements, hat he doesn’t know is that he got the replacement, 7.99 for the museuim of art.” I told the girl wut a growing smirk growing across my face.
“So I was traded for a old picture?”
“Pretty much, now go ahead and rest up, you start training bright and early tomorrow”
“Yay, can’t wait” she said with the same sarcastic tone as before.
