{First published November 2015

Edited 6-14-2015

{Avery}

I follow the voices through the house. By passing a small setting room on the right and a closed door on the left. I continue down the hallway. It opens up to a large dinning room. There's a huge long wood table with enough seats for forty people. My eyes bug out a little. Who needs a table that big. The walls are a soft tan color, matching the light wood floor. A floor to ceiling window takes up the right side of the wall. Behind the monstrous table is a white door. It's one of those doors that you push and it swings in or out depending on which direction your going.

I go around the table. The voices are coming from the other side of the white door. I slowly push it in. Stepping through into a kitchen. My eyes roam around. It's a type of kitchen you would expect a celebrity to have. Stainless steel appliances. A large breakfast bar. Grey granite counter tops. Dark wood cabinets.

My eyes land on sliding glass doors where Jeff and a lady is standing. I assume this is Shelly. Her oval face and chestnut brown hair matches Lilly. The two are arguing over something. Heads close together, heated looks passing between the two. Shelly spots me, snapping her mouth close turning in my direction, causing Jeff to do the same. Its quite while they stare. Green ribbons are coming in and out while Shelly runs her eyes over me. She's afraid. Of what I don't know. But the ribbons never lie.

"How are you dear?" Her voice is warm and friendly, not revealing the fear she feels.

"Fine." My voice is cold, lifeless causing her to flinch. Her eyes widened turning to Jeff. He shakes his head.

"Ok hun." The warmth is still there as she heads towards the double door fridge. Jeff inclines his head to another white door opposite of the one I came through.

He looks over his shoulder as we go through the door,"You'll have the third floor to yourself. It's one big room."

I nod.

He leads me into a huge living room. It looks so much different from the front part of the house. It looks inviting and lived in.

"This is our main area. The front part is for guests." Jeff says as we go through the room and into a hall way. He points at doors as we go by. There is a bathroom, a den with a library, another Tv room and a play room for Lilly.

He stops at the first landing on the stairs, "This floor has mine and Shelly's room, Lilly's and a few guest rooms." He says looking down the hallway. He shakes himself out of whatever thoughts captured him and looks at me.

He's sad.

"Your room is at the top of the stairs. Shelly went shopping and got you some stuff. You should be good for awhile until your ready to go yourself. I'll let you get settled in. Let me know if you need anything."

I head up the rest of the stairs. Leaving Jeff on the landing looking after me. There's no door when I reach the top. It just opens up into a little sitting room. A purple chair sets off to the side. There's hooks on the wall opposite of the chair. I'm guessing it's for jackets and other things. I take two steps up into the room.

Grey carpet, white walls, a huge four post bed done up in light purple and lime green, a desk with my lavender laptop setting on it, two closed doors on the left side of the room and a tv area with a black leather sectional couch on the right. I take all of it in in seconds. The room is not the problem nor is the things in it. Its the pictures plastered on the walls. That cause my own steel walls to splinter.

Pictures of happier times. Me cheering at football games. Me with friends swimming, at the park, and just being plain goofy. The more I look at the many pictures. The more my walls shutter and wobble. My breathing coming faster.

Me and Evan together. At homecoming, his house, my house, us kissing, selfies together. Pictures of dad. Pictures every where. I loved pictures. Taking them. Hanging them up. As I breathe slowly and fix my walls I see a stranger in every picture. This girl is not me. These memories are from another life. A life I don't have anymore. I don't want any of it.

I turn on my heel going back down the stairs. Instead of turning the corner leading into the kitchen I stop and lean up against the wall. I hear voices. You always learn the best things listing in.

"She's powerful."

"Yeah I know." Jeff's deep voice sighs out.

"We felt her as soon as you pasted the gates." That sounds like the Sandy haired guy but I'm not sure.

"What happened to her?" Another guy asks.

"Max should of let her stay her and maybe this wouldn't of happened." Jeff snarls, sounding like a dog again.

First he growled like a dog then snarls like one. I shake my head. And here I though I was the weird one.

"Now hun. You don't know if that would of made a difference." Shelly's warm voice pushes through.

"Maybe, but she'll need bonds being that powerful." Jeff sighs out.

He's crazier than I am. Bounds. Me powerful. What the hell.

"You said bonds. Like more than one. That's unheard of." A gruff voice rings out.

"Is that why we're here?" Tingles his voice is deep and husky.

Hearing his voice causes, well tingles to roll over my skin. What is with these people?

" Yeah. Earlier than I would of liked." Jeff bites out.

I've heard enough. These people have more problems than I do. I shake my legs out a little and walk through the door. Every one freezes up. It's as if they're caught doing something they shouldn't.

Jeff's sitting at the bar with Shelly behind him. Her hands on his board shoulders. The four guys from earlier are spaced out in the kitchen. They all share the same impish look on their faces.

"Avery did you need something?"

I reluctantly move my eyes away from the four guys and lock onto Jeff.

"Gone. I want it all gone." I state in a muted voice.

They all share questioning looks except for thunder clouds. His eyes stay on me and narrow slightly. I don't like him.

"What do you want gone?" Shelly questions.

My eyes snap to hers. She shuffles back little. She's afraid of me.

"The pictures in the room. The lab top. I want it all gone." My vacant voice fills the air.

"Alright." Jeff's voice is so soft I barely hear him.

They all stay quiet and I go back to looking at the four guys again. I don't know how long we stare at each other with my eyes bouncing between them, when hazel eyes clears his throat and says , "I'm Nick." He points to his brother, maybe, with the bright jade eyes. The one who causes the tingles. "That's my older brother Kayden. He doesn't say much. So don't take it personally."

Huh. And here I thought they were twins. My eyes roam him. I could care less if he talks. His voice makes the tingles worse.

"Aden." Thunder cloud eyes says.

The Sandy hair one steps forward taking my attention.

"Cameron." His voice is velvety sweet, "Do you remember me Avery?"

Yellow and pink blink in and out.

"No."

He's either sad or lonely. That's the thing with the ribbons. One color could mean several different things and since I can't feel or won't I'm not exactly positive what the other person is actually feeling either.

Cameron and Jeff are in some kind of stare down. Their eyes talking for them. Jeff gives a nod Causing Cameron to set his sights back on me.

"We used to play together when you and your .........Umm. When you came to visit during the summers."

"I don't remember you."

Sad. Disappointed. Even though his sweet smile stays on his face.

Everyone just stares at me. No more idly chit chat. Shelly won't meet my cold eyes but everyone else does for a couple of seconds anyways.

"I'm going to the lake."

The last time I was here I was five years old. I might not be able to remember this house or these people, but the lake I do remember. It's a huge muddy body of water with a deck stretching out to the center. It was always my favorite place here. Hopefully it can bring me some much need out side time. I don't want to be locked up anymore. I wanna be free.

My hand latches onto the door handle of the sliding glass doors when Jeff's voice rings out, "The boys will go with you."

I look over my shoulder. My eyes narrowing on Jeff. I give a small nod. I don't really care who goes with me but he's pushing these guys on me and I don't like it. Is this something to do with the bonds?