He was there. Right there, in the corner of my room taunting me. Laughing, thinking he had got away with it. He thought he had won. No, he was wrong. I'll have the last laugh. I got up and walked in front of him, somehow I had managed to grab a knife whilst walking towards him. I was right in his face, I could see him sweating, his pop belly and thick moustache. I positioned the knife in the air and shut my eyes as I pierced it through him. I opened my eyes and he was still stood there, laughing at me. The knife had suddenly disappeared, there was no stab wound. It was just me in front of him, standing there with no weapon.

I woke up to find Ayesha in my face looking completely confused.
"Are you okay?" She asked
I looked around my surroundings and realised I was in my classroom and it was lunch time. I let out a deep sigh.
"I think you was having a nightmare, Em." Ayesha said.
I started breathing deeply and nodded. It was just a nightmare. I left the classroom, went downstairs and into the toilets to try and compose myself. I washed my face and looked into the mirror. I jumped when I thought I saw his reflection through the mirror but when I turned around, no one was there. No matter how hard I tried, he was always there or there would always be a constant reminder of him. Making me remember what he did. It was because of him that I slept with a knife under my pillow every night. It was because of him why I was so messed up. Behind every person, there's a story. To you, the person may seem normal but no one can ever unfold the secrets that lie in their mind. He taught me that.
I sniffed and went into the classroom again and met with Ayesha. I was back to normal, I was having a good time. Forgetting my nightmare.
Lunch was over and I was walking to my next lesson when I bumped into Sapphire, my sister. She looked upset. Immediately, I was supicious.
"What's wrong?" I asked her
"Justin broke up with me."
I rolled my eyes and thought of how ridiculous she was.
"Fix yourself up, crying over boys! What have I told you?"
"I love him."
I kissed my teeth, love my left cheek!
"How's mum and the girls?" I asked
"They're fine."
"...and Michael?"
"He's cool. He gave me twenty pounds today."
I rolled my eyes again, totally unimpressed.
"That's mum's money you know. He don't work, he's getting everything off of mum."
She shrugged.
"I really don't get why you hate him Emerald, he's a nice man and he makes mum happy."
"I have my reasons. Just be careful."
"I am!"
I nodded and realised that I was late for next period. I said goodbye to Sapphire and walked to maths. It was so boring, my teacher was strict so we couldn't get away with anything. I sat down and got on with some work. It was double period too, lord have mercy.

I didn't hang around with anyone in school apart from Ayesha. I didn't see a reason for me to make other friends. More friends equals more problems. I had enough problems of my own. End of school came and I walked home with Ayesha. Ayesha went her own way and I was left to walk the rest on my own, seeing as I was living with my grandma now. I was walking until a car pulled up beside me. I recognised the car. I turned to look at it and the person rolled down their window. It was Cameron, a boy I had seen a few times. I remembered seeing him the day before, when he spilt juice all over himself. I laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" He asked
"It's a free country and I have free will, meaning I can do whatever the hell I want."
"I see you haven't changed, still think you're hot."
"Obviously."
He laughed.
"Never seen you around before." He said.
"I just moved in with my grandma."
"Oh right."
He looked at me up and down and looked as if he was thinking hard.
"Hold on, you're Emerald right?"
I laughed.
"How do you know?"
He started smiling to himself.
"So you're the grandchild that Patrice was talking about."
I laughed, grandma had a very big mouth.
"How do you know my grandma?"
"Her and my mum are like bestfriends."
"Oh right, what does she say about me?"
"She told me how you're her favorite, you can sing, you're pretty and that we'd get along."
I laughed.
"Woah! She couldn't have been more wrong." I said.
"Yeah..."
Silence.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go now. Grandma's probably wondering where I am."
"Yeah, yeah. Tell her Cameron said hi."
I nodded and went. I got in and to my surprise my mum was sitting on the couch.
"Where's grandma?" I asked her
"She's upstairs. We need to talk."
"No, until you get rid of that man we have nothing to discuss."
"I'm not here to argue Emerald, I just want to understand what's wrong with you. Everyone loves Michael, they all think he is great and he makes me so happy. Why do you hate him?"
"It's all an act, he's fake. He's lying to all of you. I'm the only one in that house that knows what he's really like."
"What is he really like, tell me Em."
"He's a monster, a twisted little man that deserves death."
She raised an eyebrow and scoffed.
"I will never understand you. I'm sorry Em, Michael is a part of the family now and you're going to have to accept it."
"Is that what you came to tell me?"
"No, I wanted you to know that Michael proposed yesterday night."
My mouth dropped.
"And I said yes. We're getting married on valentines day, 2010."
"That's in eight months."
"Yes, I know."
"Mum, you can't marry him!"
"Why?"
"HE'S SICK, HE'S ILL! PLEASE MUM, IF YOU LOVE YOUR KIDS YOU'D GET RID OF THAT MAN."
She raised an eyebrow, she looked so confused. I knelt down on the floor and begged her not to marry him, I actually felt like crying. I'd be damned if that man was legally attached to my mother and my siblings. No way in hell would that happen.
"I think...I think you need to go and see Sandra again, Em." My mum said softly to me.
I shook my head and got up immediately.
Sandra was my psychologist. Michael insisted that I'd get one 4 months ago because he had convinced my family that I was going mad and that I had this problem with him for no reason. My mother stupidly agreed, and I had to see her every Saturday for the four months until she thought I'd been making enough progress.
"I'M NOT MAD, IT'S HIM!"
My mother had tears in her eyes.
"You're ill babygirl."
"I'M FINE, IT'S HIM!" I screamed.
My grandma came rushing down the stairs.
"Lyn, I think you've said enough." My grandma said.
My mum tearfully nodded and left. My grandma knelt down in front of me and held me as I cried in her arms.
"I'm not crazy Nana, it's him." I whispered.
"I know baby, I know it's him."
I loved my grandma, she was the only one that knew me and believed me. She was my rock and I had no idea what I'd do without her. We eventually got up and sat down on the couch together.
"Oh yeah, Cameron said I should say hello."
She smiled.
"How do you know Cameron?"
"I bumped into him randomly."
She smiled even more.
"What a small world, ey?"
I laughed.
"Gran, stop reading into things. I don't like him."
"Stop calling me that! And what do you mean you don't like him, he is a very nice looking young man."
I laughed.
"I know, but he's too rude."
"Mmmm."
She said then winked. I laughed again. My grandma was too cool.
"She's getting married to him, you know." I said referring to my mum and Michael.
"I know, she told me earlier."
"What am I going to do, he can't be in this family. I won't let it happen."
She sighed.
"Don't you realise? The more you say you hate him, the more reason your mum has for thinking you're ill."
"So, I should pretend I like him?"
"Well, yeah basically. For now anyway."
"But, they can't get married."
"Don't worry, they won't."
"How do you know that?"
She looked at me in the eye.
"Have I ever let you down, Emerald?"
I shook my head.
"Then just trust me."
I smiled and nodded, she was the only one I did trust anyway.
"I'm going bed, i'm tired." I said whilst yawning.
"Alright, night baby."
"Night!"
I went upstairs and into the guest room/my room. I laid down on my bed and my eyes slowly shut.

I stood there weaponless, he was still there taunting me. He smiled and his pearly white teeth glistened. I hated him for everything he had done.
"I've won, Emerald." He whispered.
I shook my head constantly and continued to say no. Then he put his hands on my waist and smiled. I continued shaking my head and repeated the word 'No'.
"C'mon Emerald, for old times sake."
I shook my head again, I didn't have my knife. Where was my knife?!

Then I woke up and sat up on my bed, sweating. I checked the time on my phone and it was 1 in the morning. I laid back down on my bed and couldn't go back to sleep. I'd be damned if that man married my mother. There was no way in hell that I'd sit back and watch as that man lied through his teeth at the alter about how he was ready to commit to my mother. No way at all.