Chapter 5: Returning Home

                                       Chapter 5:  Returning Home

After awhile Araidne would have cried herself to sleep beneath the large tree's boughs, curled up in between it's protruding roots.  Luckily for her she wouldn't have any of the dreams that haunted her, without even having Dairon able to send his emotions through the link they shared.  Having seen one's family murdered could leave a person quite traumatized.  After a few hours of dreamless sleep she would finally awaken with a yawn, stretching her slender body out.  At first she would just lay up against the main trunk of the tree, her legs stretched out, and think about the things that had happened recently and so quickly.  Her stringy blonde hair draped over her face, before she would let out a deep breath and blew her hair out of her face.  As she thought about how much she would enjoy a shower she let out a sigh, before climbing to her feet. Araidne knew that soon enough they would notice that she wasn't in her cell and would come looking for her, so her best bet would be to get going.
"Dairon...?" She would whisper softly, sending a gentle prod through that connection that she was just learning to use.  But there would be no response and she had the sense that he was still sleeping.  A gentle smile touched her lips, figuring that he needed the sleep after all that he had been through and she wasn't about to disturb him.  At least not until she was there to rescue him from.  As she started forward, making her way as quickly as she could towards the nearest city she would have to laugh as she considered that.  An impossible sounding story that would surely sound like fantasy to everyone else, with a female rescuer.  Araidne only wished that i was a story and not true life that she was living.  
The quiet would be almost mind numbing with how she had become almost accustomed to having Dairon there all the time.  But now that he was sleeping and silent she didn't have anyone to talk to.  Though she had to suppose that it was nice to have some peace and quiet as she made it through the brightening forest.  Although some people would be frightened to walk alone through such a place she had much more on her mind, including the fact that she had to make quick time.  Luckily and perhaps unluckily the nearest city was her own.  It would be fairly easy for her to sneak into the house she shared with her aunt in order to get some money and be able to research where Dairon might be.  The biggest problem would be getting somewhere that she would be safe come the time that Dairon's captor decided to torture him again.  Sighing again she would wonder how she had gotten involved.
Every now and then Araidne would be startled by crackling that she heard nearby, or something that she was sure was a large animal.  However she wouldn't see a single thing that could be dangerous to her, perhaps the largest thing being a rabbit that darted across a clearing.  Eventually after a very uneventful trip besides some torn clothing from catching on branches and bushes, she would reach the edge of the forest that touched out onto the city.  Standing at the tree's edge she would gaze outwards, knowing that even though things didn't seem changed here, it would never be home for her again.
After she scouted out what she could see for what was happening, she decided that she should be able to make it into town without being spotted.  Also she knew a pretty good route she could take that the police wouldn't take often and get her to her house quickly.  From the side of town that she had come out on she lived a bit far, but she did know the bus route that could take her by her house.  Pursing her lips as she didn't want to be recognized, she had to think over what she would do to hide her identity.  In a flash of inspiration she would decide to rip the arms off of her shirt and with a bit of creative tying she fashioned herself a headband that she used to drape some of her hair over her face in a bit of stylish fashion while not looking too noticeable.  As for her jeans she would roll the pant legs upwards, and rolled down her socks to cover part of her shoes.  It wasn't ideal but it would probably help to hide her from being too closely related to herself.  
Making her way into town, Araidne would keep her head down as she slumped her shoulders and kept her hands in her pockets, walking in a non caring fasion.  She knew it was about time that everyone should be in school, so unless someone she knew was skipping she'd be safe from her peers.  Now she just needed to make sure to stay away from anywhere an adult might recognize her. Luckily they hadn't taken her wallet yet because they couldn't knock her out with the drugs that they tried when she had been hysterical, and she had her bus pass in it.  Going to where she knew a bus stop was she would sit on the bus bench and waited for the next bus to go by.  Araidne was incredibly nervous because everyone that passed by made her worried that they would know her and know what had happened.  Eventually though she would breathe out a sigh of relief when the bus pulled up and she boarded with no problems.  Taking a seat in the back of the bus she would curl up a little and waited for the bus to get to her house.  
Thankfully Dairon was still sound asleep even by that time.  Araidne figured he needed the sleep considering the pain that he had been through.  While she stared out the window and at the passing houses she would think on the situation.  She normally wouldn't have been a believer about such a thing as a psychic whip, or whatever it was that Jisane was using but she couldn't help but believe now.  Unless of course she was really insane and was tricking herself, as much as she didn't believe that to be a possibility.  
Even though she was trying to think on the situation she found herself in, she couldn't help but begin to think about her life and how it was all going to change. She had caught sight of the school as they passed by it and she would sigh heavily.  What did her friends think of her?  Did they all honestly think she was insane?  Would she ever be able to go back to school?  Shaking her head she would push the thoughts out of her mind as she pulled the cord for her stop and waited for the bus to come to a stop.  Taking a deep breath she would step off the bus as it stopped and slumped even more as she began walking towards her house.  
Her neighborhood, a place that she had to be super careful in.  If Araidne had a good idea of the time, she knew her aunt would be getting ready for work right about now and so she had to be quick so she could see when she left to know for sure she was working as normal.  Almost breaking into a run she would move towards her house, glad for the fact it was a school day and most people were already at work.
After a few minutes of running she would finally come to her house as she ducked behind the fence when she saw her aunt's car still in the garage.  Creeping along the fence she would make her way to where she knew a hole in the white picket fence was, where the bushes covered it up.  Slipping into the hole she would push her way past the bushes, peeking out to make sure her aunt wasn't near any of the windows.  After waiting a few minutes she was able to determine her aunt was in the kitchen, going about her usual routine.  A slight smirk would touch Araidne's lips as she shook her head lightly.  The woman was so sure about her victory that she was acting as if everything was normal even though it was far from it. That would be part of her downfall.  
Slipping out of the bushes Araidne would crawl along the grass, her eyes on the window as she moved as quickly as she could.  As she made it to the house itself she would press herself against it while she kept kneeling down.  She had to be really quiet because the window would be open and she didn't want to be heard.  Carefully inching her way along she moved painfully slow but it was necessary.  
Just as she was just past the window she would hear the phone as it began to ring...