Chapter 13

Chapter 13// A memory...

The morning went very fast with lots of training and practice. Both Rocky and grandpa were quite impressed at how well Aiden was learning and quick she was as well.

Rocky was becoming very proud of her. Even Colt and Tum Tum couldn't believe her fast skills.

The morning was warm and bright on a June day.

After their practice Grandpa has asked everyone to sit on the back porch because he had a neat surprise for his grandsons.

"Now everyone, I have a surprise for you. It's further in the woods, so please follow me carefully." Grandpa explained. He had his walking stick.

Rocky went looking for some for his brothers, Aiden and himself since he didn't know how long they would be walking.

They walked further into the woods and it took them twenty minutes to get to their destination.

When they arrived, Rocky noticed there was long, thin red ropes wrapped around the trees and it would stretch far across the spaces in between to the next tree, looking like a maze. Rocky and the others grew curious.

Grandpa walked them to the front of it and for some reason Rocky found himself get excited and nervous at the same time.

"What's all this, grandpa?" Rocky suddenly asked, standing next to Aiden. He couldn't read her expression at all.

The wind seemed to pick up as Grandpa began to explain everything.

"Over the fall, and spring months a group to my friends help me made this really big obstacle maze."

"Through the maze I set booby traps that you can trigger and there are hidden ninja dummies that you must fight."

The boys' eyes widen in shock and impressiveness.

"Wow grandpa!"

"I'm gonna have you all on a time limit to get to the middle of the maze." Grandpa continued explaining, taking out his time watch.

"What do we get if we make it to the Center?" Tum Tum blurted out in question.

"I'll keep that a surprise." Grandpa said, chuckling a little. This made everyone tingling with curiosity.

"Everyone at the entrance, please." Grandpa ordered.

Automatically Rocky grabbed Aidens hand and pulls her with him to the starting line.

Grandpa was there waiting for them with his silver stop watch. He giggles at Rocky's sudden actions and cleared his throat.

Colt and Tum Tum followed with wicked smirks on their faces. They were totally going to tease their older brother later.

"Oh yes and I want you to all go different ways and no helping each other." Grandpa added in. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"On the count of three."

"One, two, three." Grandpa clicked the timer button on his stop watch and everyone sprinted into the maze, each of them going off in their own direction.

Rocky felt a little worried letting Aiden go off in another direction by herself in the woods. He remembered the last few times they been outside when the strange man tried to hurt her, and when she just stood at the end of the hill, staring blankly up at the trees above them for a long period of time.

Rocky went left and he went in all different ways through the maze, using the best of his skills to get through it. He could hear Colt, and Tum Tum talking on the other side of the maze.

He didn't hear a peep out of Aiden.

Meanwhile Aiden could feel her nerves getting the best of her. She was worried about triggering one of the dummy ninjas.

Instead of watching her step she looks up and all around at the stretched out tree branches and couldn't see anything suspicious.

She could feel her body tingling with anticipation and she continued walking. She didn't notice her foot hit a string on the ground!

She heard a snap and then something fell in front of her!

A second later, one of the dummies fell from the branch above. Aiden jumped back and screamed at the sight of the fake ninja.

It was much taller than Aiden and it was dressed in a black suit with red glowing eyes.

The dummy stared back at her and all of a sudden it started swaying towards her.

Aiden stood frozen solid and was so scared she couldn't move.

Then a flashback appeared in her mind.

Her mind brought her back to a room that seemed to be quite familiar to her and yet she couldn't entirely remember.

The room had dark floor boards and she could see open windows allowing bright sunlight to illuminate the darkness.

She finds herself in a living room where a tall man with short dark hair is sleeping in the couch, a tall beer bottle in his hands and his shirt is covered in dirt stains and rips.

She is unable to smell the room. The walls are a cream colour with dark frames. She could hear some whispering on the other side of the couch. Her eyes focus on the dirt specs dancing along the sunlight in the room.

She walks around the room and sees three young girls are hiding on the stairs behind the wall.

Aiden is shocked to find her own self amongst the girls! She's huddled at the top, and they all seem to be looking at the sleeping man on the couch.

"I....is he a-asleep!?" The one in the middle asked.

The TV had been left on and the light from the program he was watching is flashing on the walls behind them.

Aiden could feel herself clench in fear. All the girls were dirty and they looked tired and hungry. Aiden felt sorrow for them and wondered who the other two girls are?

"I don't know, he's not moving...I..can't tell." Aiden could hear herself reply.

She continued to watch. The girl underneath her had long brunette short hair that was in braids and she has very large, pretty green eyes.

The smallest girl on the bottom had raven black hair and brown eyes.

"Should we make a run for it?" The youngest asked again. The girls looked from the man to the door, which seemed to be so close but for them, so far.

"Let's go guys, quietly. I'll go first." Aiden watched as she saw herself step in front of the two younger girls.

She tip toes into the room where the sleeping man is and turned to tell them to be quiet and then she continued to make her way towards the door.

Aiden saw herself giving the younger two a big hug. "If he wakes up for whatever reason and I get into trouble, just run upstairs and lock yourself in the room, ok?"

The two nodded at their older sisters instructions although they wouldn't want to leave her to get punished by their step father.

Aiden took a long, quiet breathe and continued across the floor as quietly as she could. She tried to imagine her being a small, cute mouth skittering around the house, because sometimes that is how she felt like in this house hold.

Then a few minutes later, she had tripped over an object that was left on the floor! Somebody's shoe was in the way! She hasn't noticed it and the next thing she knew, she tumbled all over the place.

She tried her best not too make too much noise, but failed.

Aiden had fallen to the floor and her foot hurt but she didn't sprain it at all.

Aiden could hear her sisters shriek in right on the other side of the room and her heart leaped into her throat.

She closed her eyes and open them when she heard her step father stirring in the living room.

She felt her whole world crash when she could hear his familiar, heavy footsteps coming towards her. A few minutes later she could smell his strong scent of alcohol and his heavy, angry breathing.

She felt him grab her by the collar and lift her off her feet.

All she can remember after that is her step father screaming and punching her over and over after throwing her back onto the floor again.

End of flashback ~~~~~

Aiden blinked and she realized she was back at grandpas cabin again.

She didn't know who the man was but she regoznied him as the man who had been stalking her and Rocky. The same man that broke into grandpas cabin and tried to kidnap her!

Aiden could hear Rocky calling for her and she felt herself burst into tears.

"Rocky, please help me!" She cried out in a sad, panicked voice.

Rocky heard her immediately and his adrenaline struck through.

He tried his best to get through his grandpas maze and he didn't care if he was going to make it to the Center before his brothers.

All he wanted was to figure out what was happening with Aiden and why she was so upset at this moment.

He ran and ran as fast as he could. When he finally got to her, Aiden was on the ground on her knees, and he noticed she was crying softly.

Rocky felt his heart break at the site of Aiden crying. He heard Colt and Tum Tum come up behind him, asking what happened. Rocky had no words to explain right then.

He plopped on the ground next to Aiden and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly in his warm, safe embrace.

Rocky tried his hardest not to cry as well, he just gently pulled her to his strong chest and kissed the top of her hair.

She was shaking in his arms and panting a little, her tears were falling on his arms.

Grandpa came running up to the boys and he started questioning them.

"What happened, is everything ok?"

Rocky tried pulling himself together, he took a deep breathe and placed a hand on the top of Aidens head to soothe her.

"I....I don't kn-know grandpa. I heard Aiden screaming for me a few minutes ago and when I found her, she was like th-this. I don't know what caused her to act like this, she won't respond to me. I have to take her back to the cabin."

Grandpa nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes we can get her back to the cabin and I'll get her a cup of tea." Rocky smiled thankfully at his grandpa and Colt came over to help him pick up Aiden.

"Come on, Aiden. Our training is over for the day. I'll take you back to the cabin to rest." Rocky whispered to her.

Aiden's eyes are fixed on the ground and she nodded.

Rocky and his brothers helped bring her back to grandpas house. It wasn't too far away.

~~~~

Authors note: hello readers! So it's been a while! I truly apologize! Ever since covid I have gotten bad anxiety and also I been playing a lot of Animal Crossing, I admit I forgot about this story a little bit! I miss posting I'll try snd post a double update today!!!

How was this chapter?! Looks like our story is slowly unfolding! Will Aiden find out the truth to her memory??!

What will happen next?!

p.s thank you all for the love!! I will reply the next update!!! Thanks friends!!!! Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo