I'm so sad!!! This is like the last chapter!!! I appreciate the feedback everyone has given me! Thank you for the incredible help!!! The songs are... Take Me To Church by Hozier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw and Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcVv9R1ZR84. Thank you to everyone, especially Faithios and BattyCrash for the feedback and helping me find things to edit!!! I may add more, but for now... THIS IS THE END!!! I'm disappointed that I didn't write more, but I was so excited to finish this that I just flipped and finished it all really quickly...
"Are you sure it's here?" Chris asked her. Hex nodded.
"I'm positive. This... place... I considered it a home for such a long time and now... well, let's just say it isn't my home," she said. She opened the door and walked toward the house where Chris had found her and Dinah had died. So many things had happened so long ago and so recently. Hex's legs trembled as she walked up the stairs. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. She stepped across the threshold and every memory came rushing back. She remembered laughter and she remembered being happy with Paul... but that was in the past. She had to focus on the present or someone would die. Hex went to her old room and opened the door. She stood in the middle of the room silently, her head cocked to one side. She heard breathing coming from her closet. She walked over to the door and knocked.
"Come out, we don't want to hurt you," she said gently. She opened the closet door and a girl, around the age of 17, peeked out.
"Please, help," she said. Hex offered the girl her hand and she reached up, grasping it. Hex pulled her to her feet and let her arm circle around the trembling girl's waist. She led her out of the house and helped her into the car.
"My name is Hex. We're going to take you home to your family," Hex told the girl. The girl nodded.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"I don't need any thanks. I did this to help, and now I have. I'm not a hero, I'm just a girl that has issues," Hex told her as Chris pulled away from the house that held so many memories.
**********
They returned the girl to her family. Hex remembered returning to her home, the tears and joy and happiness, before everything changed. She sat in the car and Chris and Sterling talked with the family. Sterling trudged back to the car and climbed in.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
They sat in silence for a while, then he spoke again.
"I feel like we should talk about so much, but I have no clue where to start," he told her. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"How about we start with the fact we saved someone today. That seems like a nice topic. Or we could talk about that make out session I told you we'd have later," Hex muttered. She felt his shoulders move with laughter and she raised her head. "This isn't a laughing matter, I'm being completely serious, you see-" Sterling cut her words off with a kiss.
"Happy now?" he breathed. She nodded, unable to speak. "Good."
She grinned and went in for another kiss, this time longer. She heard the door open and they shot backward.
"Hmm... so you two are together now? I thought so," Chris said, sliding into the seat. "Oh, by the way, use protection." Hex stared at him, a horrified expression on her face. "That was a joke."
"That was horrible!" she cried. "You are the worst!" Sterling laughed and pulled her over so her head could rest on his chest. She allowed herself to be pulled back and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Home?" Chris asked.
"Yeah... let's go home," she replied.
**********
Hex climbed out of the car and Bo shot out of the building and tackled her in a bear hug.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice muffled in her shoulder. She rested her arms around him. He felt so familiar and warm and safe. She started to cry.
"I'm okay, I swear, I don't know why I'm crying," she choked out. He rubbed his hands up her arms.
"Your mother was murdered, you saved someone's life, returned to your former home, and went through serious emotional trauma. You are not okay," he said. She shook her head.
"You read me so well," she said, laughing and crying at the same time. He smiled.
"I think someone wants to talk to you," Bo said, angling his chin toward the car. She turned around. Sterling was leaning against the car with his hands in his pockets. Hex wiped her eyes and smiled, walking over to where he stood. He glanced down at his shoes, suddenly shy.
"Want to eat something? Inside, I mean," she asked, suddenly awkward as well.
"Can I cook?" he asked, and she laughed, relaxing.
"I doubt I have anything that will really display culinary finesse," she replied. "But if you find anything that can be cooked, why not?" He grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist. She placed her arm over his shoulders and they walked toward Hex's home, for it wasn't just her house anymore. Bo walked toward the couple.
"I'm going to leave you two to whatever you're going to do," he said.
"Oh no, wait, okay, bye," Hex said in the least genuine tone she'd ever used. She waved and dragged Sterling inside. As soon as Chris and Bo left, she spun around.
"Food?" she said.
"Food," he agreed, grinning. She leaned over and kissed him quickly.
"I need to take a shower since I smell like hospital, but I'll be right down," she said.
**********
That night, Hex lay in bed, unable to sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw her mother's body, covered in blood and twisted into a grotesque display of gore. She got up and grabbed her phone, dialing her sister's number.
"Hello?" her sister answered.
"Hey, Haley," Hex said. "How are you?"
"Hex! Hey... I'm guessing you heard about..." Haley responded.
"I- Yeah. I was the person that found her," Hex mumbled. She pressed her lips together, blinking tears away. Their mother might have been self-obsessed, but she was still family.
"Oh god, Hex, are you alright?" her sister asked.
"I'll be okay. I'm not right now, but I will be," she told Haley. "Are you going to the funeral?"
"Yeah. I'll probably bring my husband. If you need a ride I can pick you up," she said.
"I'm bringing Sterling. We're kind of dating... and I'll probably drive there," Hex told her. "Thanks for the offer though. I should get some sleep. Bye."
"Bye, Hex. If you need anything, call me," Haley told her. Hex hung up and lay back down. Knowing her sister was there for her helped hold the memories at bay. She dropped off to sleep at about 2 in the morning.
**********
A week later, Hex stood in a black dress, in front of her mirror. Sterling opened the door. He wore a simple black dress shirt and tie with dress pants.
"Are you about ready?" he asked gently. She nodded and straightened her shoulders. After composing herself she headed downstairs. Sterling was waiting for her at the bottom. She accepted his hand and they walked out together to her car. She slid into the driver's side and he sat in the passenger seat. It was a ten minute drive to the place they were having the funeral. Hex pulled in and quickly got out, sliding on a pair of Gucci sunglasses. She lowered her head and walked to the front, where Haley was waiting for her. The sisters hugged and Haley led the way into the building. They both sat down and Sterling slid in next to Hex. He offered her his hand and she took it, while at the same time taking off her sunglasses.
The ceremony was typical. People cried and talked about what a wonderful person her mother was. Afterward they ate and shared memories and there was a slide show of pictures of her mother when she was a child, her on her wedding day, her holding each of her daughters, vacation photos, and family pictures. Hex knew some of those pictures were forced smiles, or the photos showed happiness based off lies, but she saw the genuine happiness in some and it made her warmer. She found herself aching to see her mother's genuine smile one last time, but that would be impossible. The only thing she saw now was the smile carved into her mother's lips, but she covered that memory up with the pictures in her mind of the genuine happy moments when her mother would truly smile and laugh and it eased the pain and heartache. The other thing that eased the pain was having Sterling there, a constant presence, prepared to comfort her when she needed it. And she did.
So much pain and I'm crying now. I hope you enjoyed Fall into Silence!!! Comment if you want me to make this into a series or just write a sequel... Thanks again for all the feedback!!! Kind of sad to end this story, but hopefully it's a satisfying end for everyone! I appreciate feedback, and bookmarking, liking, and commenting is always welcome!
For Halle, Ariana, and Emily, who've read this piece and stood beside me as I struggled with writer's block and my fangirling. You girls are fabulous friends. And to my great-grandma, who would be proud to know that I'm striving to acheive my goal. And finally, to my mom, dad, step-mom, step-sister, step-brother, and little half-sister, for the support, love, care, and for putting up with my weirdness, as well as to everyone that read this. Thanks to you all!
Hugs to all of my lovelies!!!!
-EnnaStark
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