Hidden in Plain Sight

*Jack's POV*

Carly fell ill the day we had to leave, and it was really quite sad. She was going to be the one to drop us back off at the airport and she was going to wave us off. Kinda like the last time we saw her, when we were waving her off at the airport when she was moving. To me, it was going to be special. Because the day we saw her leave, was the day Carly and I had ended it. And we were going to do that again, only this time we weren't together this time and I was the one who was leaving.

I was going to give her the biggest hug goodbye before i boarded the plane. I was going to tell her how much I missed her right before I left and how she will have to come visit me soon. It was going to be emotional. But when we were packing our things at her place, and I was in her room as she was resting. I hugged her as tight as she would allow me and I told her then. It was as good as I could get, and I've been kicking myself for it, even though it's not my fault. But man am I going to miss that girl.

But right now, Jaime is driving us to the airport to fill in Carly. Well, to be honest, Jaime is driving me and Alex and the other two are taking our car to the airport too. I don't know how I ended up with Jaime but I can't help but feel a slight tension and awkwardness around us. I mean, we're grown men, we should be more responsible about this. But I know Jaime is going to ask what I know about Carly, and I'm not sure I should tell him all I know.

"Hey Jack, can I asks you something, about Carly? I was thinking you might know" Jaime asks. See I told you.

"Uh yeah sure, is she okay?" I reply.

"Well I'm not entirely sure. About 2 or 3 times since we've been together, Carly's been having nightmares I think. Just the other day she had one and it was scary. She was stirring a lot in her sleep and she seemed to be mumbling words. Then all of a sudden, she thrusted up out of her bed and screamed 'just stop!'. Then when I got her calm, it's like she snapped and she was normal again, as if the nightmare had never occurred. Do you know anything about that?"

I paused for a moment, taking in what I just heard. "Actually no, I don't think I've ever heard or seen Carly do that before"

I lied right then and there, straight to his face. I knew exactly what he was talking about. And the thought scared me.

She woke up with a jolt. Breathing heavily and sweating insanely. I held her shoulders tightly, knowing she had another night terror. Her night terrors have been taking a great effect in her lately. I think their getting worse.

"Jack" she cried softly.

"Yes?"

"Make it stop. Please, just make them stop." She cried.

"Make what stop? Baby you have to tell me what's going on" I cooed rubbing her back. I knew that holding her tight and keeping her close to me didn't work.

"The words, the noises, the people. The things I'm seeing. It's like I'm watching myself from a distance, and I can't save myself. I'm watching myself be attacked by all this terror and horror, and I don't know how to stop it"

I didn't say a word. Carly just cried. She fell into my chest and I held her tight. I kissed her forehead and we just sat there. It crushed me inside to see my beautiful girl in such a world of pain. A world of pain she can't escape and a world of pain I can't help her to escape. It kills me to see her like this and it drives me absolutely mad when I can't help her the way I want.

She calmed down. "Jack, I even saw my dad". Carly looked at me, with her deep blue eyes. She wasn't there. Carly wasn't there anymore.

I didn't know what to say to her. I couldn't tell her everything was going to be okay, because we both know it wasn't. Carly has told me about her dad. She told me that after her mother passed, her father couldn't cope with the loss. He turned into a drug addict, spending the families budget just to pay off his next fix. Carly's older brothers would fight with him a lot, but only verbally. Carly never understood why her dad only hit her, but she soon realised when she grew older.

He was taking his anger out on her.

Carly's older brothers protected her as best they could. They loved Carly like she was their world. She was their world. When they were old enough to move out, they let Carly stay with them rather than with their dad. They were practically her father figure. Carly was 6 when she lost her mother. She was 10 when her brothers moved out and took her in.

Everything seemed to be going okay from then on. Their father was soon out of their lives, they would visit their mother when the got the chance, but that was until Carly hit highschool. Having experienced what she did at such a young age, Carly was a little different. She was constantly being bullied for her grades and but contradictory to that, she was made fun of her smart in chemistry and music.

Carly had made it through school and to celebrate that, she came to one of our first concerts in Australia. She had won a backstage pass to meet us and that was the first day I met her. She talked to us about her love of music and how she had always wanted a career in music, whether it be recording or live production. Going home after that, the band I had talked over and over and we had called many people. We wanted Carly as our next record producer, or at least apprentice type thing.

Carly was 19 when she moved into Baltimore and began work with us.

But as the years went by, her past came back to haunt her. The night terrors were emphasised images of all the things she's been through in life. The loss of her mother, the abuse from her father, and the attacking from her peers. But to still be as strong and as happy she is today, I found truly amazing.

But I wasn't going to tell Jaime. It wasn't my place to tell him.

Notes

I feel this is one of my best chapters.
Any thoughts on the story? Feel free to comment :)