Tangled

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158

158 Ava: From the Past

"Ava, is that you?"

The familiar rasp has me frozen, my heart lurching into my throat. Slowly, I turn around, coming face-to-face with a ghost from my

past.

Our neighbor. Margot Mitchell.

Her once vibrant auburn hair is streaked with silver, her face a

roadmap of wrinkles and scars. It's her eyes that haunt me. Piercing green eyes that see everything and do nothing.

"Margot," I greet, my voice tight with caution. "What are you doing

here?"

She limps

toward me, her gait uneven from some injury she incurred long before I was born. I remember asking about it once, and my mother slapped the back of my head, admonishing me for my rudeness. "Oh, Ava. I'm

I tense as she reaches out, half-expecting her to grab me, to drag me back to the hellscape I escaped. But she merely places a hand on my arm, her touch feather-light.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry for everything. For not intervening when..." She trails off, her gaze flickering to the ground.

The shame she tries to portray leaves me feeling dirty. Unclean from her mere presence.

Memories flash through my mind, unbidden. Margot's face in the

$2.00

150 As from the Pant

window, watching as I was taunted and beaten, even by her own son. Listening at the front door as my parents berated me, their voices carrying through the window. Her figure rushing inside. when I tried beggi I was thirteen.

He broke my wrist.

hours that day. Hours. Until my parents, tired of my whining, finally dragged me to the

watching.

me, hot and bitter, fueling my words. "Why are you even saying that? What does that

You have to understand, none of us could help you. Please." She grabs at my arm again. "We need you to understand us. To speak

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

apology was

"I am hired

From the

until I saw you." Her eyes fill with tears. "Please, Ava. Think of your pack. So many of us are separated now. Taken from our

of helping you or anyone else. from that

an ugly mask of rage. "You ungrateful

off. Selene stalks into the room, her hackles. raised,

she might actually shift and attack. My heart pounds

walks in, and Margot's demeanor changes instantly. She straightens, smoothing her expression into

when you've settled in." With that, she turns and flees the room, brushing

turns to me, curiosity etched on her

heart. "An old neighbor," I manage, my voice

316

From

but I don't hear her. I'm already

softly, nuzzling against me as I tremble, overwhelmed by the unexpected confrontation with

realization that no one, not even our neighbors, would help

but it doesn't stop the flood of emotions. Fear, anger, betrayal-they swirl inside

breaks through the

slowing down. Meeting her concerned gaze, I give the

in the other room if you need me." She pauses, then adds, "Therapy isn't something to be ashamed of. If you're interested, just talk to me. Everything will be kept be Gratitude wells

to Selene, running my fingers through

From the

of

you had to face that, she says, her voice a gentle caress in my mind. But

bitter laugh escapes me. "Strength? I'm shaking like a

it head-on, even when it terrifies you. And that's exactly what