Unveiled

"Sweetie, baby, Valery? Mommy and daddy are here, sweetie, you're going to be okay, don't worry," I heard my mother whisper. Even in a state of total dead weight, I just had to roll my eyes at her speaking to me as if I was a baby. Thanks mum, you just demeaned me unknowingly.

"Mum I'm fine," I said, but she looked at me and gulped. It wasn't a good look.

"Honey, don't try to speak..." my dad said and I gave him a frustrated look.

"Why not?" I hissed, then suddenly I heard it, a weird sound that sounded like "wheeey neeert". That...wasn't me was it?

A doctor came in and looked at both my parents than at me.

"Her back is fine, just make sure she doesn't do any straining exercise. She's suffered a partial ear infection, that has subsided, but right now her brain, due to the crash, has been—"

I stopped listening in utter perplex. What crash? Was I in some other car accident?

Then I remembered, Zero...he.... no, it wasn't the real Zero, he was possessed, again.

"She may find it hard to talk during the next few hours, but with rest, she'll be...normal, again. No need to worry," he spoke and left us in a hurry.

But I had heard the reluctance in his speech as he said 'normal' as if it wasn't normal that I was half blind. Even doctors could be rude sometimes.

"Where's Zero?" I mumbled, my eyes abruptly widening at the mention of a certain name I’d failed to mention to my parents. Mom gave me an awkward stare.

"Will, what did she say?" Mom said, turning to my dad. My dad shrugged absentmindedly, his forehead creased, thinking the same thing. I realized again that my words came out as a nonsensical slur, of course they don't know what I said. I should stop attempting to speak.

I shook my head and held mom's outstretched hand, squeezing it and smiling as it to say, "I'm fine."

My parents didn't cry, although I suspect they did before I woke up as mom's eyes were brimmed with red, and dad kept sniffing.

"Valery, sweetie, the police need to take down your report later We already gave in ours... Honey, I've been scared for you safety ever since I found your mirror shattered..." she trailed off, but I realized it was actually me drifting off into sleep.

When I next awoke my mum was holding my hand still and she leant down to kiss my forehead.

"Your dad has something to say," she whispered and dad came to grab my hand.

"Mum, dad, wait; I told you. I was frustrated and threw my hair brush, not aiming for the mirror, but I hit it broke!" My words came out gurgled and croaky but my words weren't gibberish.

"At 2 in the morning?" My mum questioned and I shrugged 'yeah sure'.

"We know it's hard for you at your age to do the things you do without us there because we work, but given the circumstance...my boss as well as your mother's has seen fit to cut our hours short in the night so we can take care of you properly," my dad breathed and my eyes slightly widened, thinking of Zero. If they were home early nights said boy couldn't be hanging around.

"Yes, and well, one of us will also be home at noon to cook you lunch so when you get back home you don't have to always order takeaway," mum smiled. Okay, make that said boy couldn't be around!

I shook my head furiously, "no it's okay!" I gasped clearly and they looked at me in surprise.

Mum looked as if she didn’t know whether the smile at the fact my proper speech was back, or be taken aback that I just blatantly rejected them.

"Honey, it's not. You were home alone and someone came in and...violently assaulted you," my dad, at his own words, gripped the bed bar, his knuckled turning white and he clenched his teeth. "It will never happen again. I can't believe we were so stupid, thinking you'd be fine after school to be at home alone, at sixteen! Your mother and I have been careless, but no longer will we stand by, we're so sorry Valery."

My parents' presence was both calming and annoying.

I was about to tell them otherwise when two police stepped into the room.

"Valery Collins, we have some questions for you."



"At the time, did you hear anything suspicious from outside as the person was at that moment, trying to break in?" The officer asked.

"No! It was...my fault. I left the door unlocked, my bad," I grinned sheepishly; although no one found this a light matter and my parents bit back their tongues in concern. "What I mean to say, is that I should've been more careful."

Try as I might, no one bought my innocent and idiotic façade.

"Did you or did you not see your attacker, who reportedly wielded a metal bat in which they used to assault you?"

What?! This is—for lack of a better word—poppycock!

"No! That was my metal bat! I...I went to get it from my room and I came back downstairs because—"

"So you did hear or maybe see something suspicious?" The officer interrupted, now looking me dead in my not blind right eye, in narrowed confusion.

"Uh...no, that would be, see when I watch...the cricket, I like to get my bat out and pretend I'm a cricketer," I made up, deceivingly. Someone kill me now to get over with this humiliation.

"You used to love cricket when you were younger," my dad smiled, as if reminiscing about a time, in my own mind, which I could not recall. Seriously, I used to like cricket?

"So after you watched some cricket, the attacker came inside the house and...shoved you against the wall?"

"Huh?" I inquired.

"The wall in the TV room is dented Ms. Collins," the officer who wasn't integrating me stated.

"Oh..." I breathed. "I don’t bloody know!"

My parents, this time, were taken aback at my ferocious snap.

"All I know is that, I left the door unlocked because I'm stupid, I went to watch cricket with my metal bat and then, as you're saying, I guess I was thrown at the wall and I lost consciousness," I seethed in irritation. The officer who looked calmer than the interrogating one leaned in close.

"Miss Collins...we said that you were shoved up against the wall, not thrown at the wall."

My eyes widened at my mistake and I shook my head innocently.

"Shoved, thrown, pushed—isn't it all the same?" I muttered humouredly, to no ones amusement.

"Miss Collins, is there anyone you're in conflict with at present?" The suspicious officer began asking the questions.

"Why would—"

"Maybe an angry ex boyfriend?" He stated and my parents immediately shook their head beginning to say exactly what I beat them to.

"I don't have one! I don't even have a boyfriend! This is ridiculous I've told you all I know, now please, let me rest, you're all giving me a migraine," I hissed in frustration yet again. My parents frowned and the officers bit back a smirk. They were used to whiny teenagers like me all the time, I guess.

"Thanks for your time," they said to me and looked at my parents, parting the room with a single nod. After they left, my parents kissed me on the forehead and left with a small, but concerned smile.

"No, thanks for your time," I mumbled under my breath. Thoughts of what Zero was doing right now clouded my mind; had he even realized what his possessed self had done?