slipping in and out

Ellie thought she might go into convulsions. She sat up then. She knew Kate was near, and it wasn't right. She wasn't able to speak to her.

"She's with Evan. isn't she?" She got out of bed. She could hardly move, but she felt she had too. Kale stirred then from sleep.

"Why are upset about that?" Kale winced. "She's not exactly here you know."

"Why isn't she? Why can't my sister be with me?" Ellie went to look at the mirror. "How come I can't see her? What have you done?" Why hadn't she thought this sooner? Why hadn't she asked?

"Look, the less we have to worry about, the better, all right?" Kale told her.

"No, its not. Its not all right. I want to go home Kale! I want to go home, thats all I ever wanted?" She woke the baby then.

"You are home." Kale promised.

Ellie went to check on Emily in the make-shift laundry basket.

"What are you trying to tell me?" She wasn't buying into this anymore. It wasn't an escape. It was prison.

"You'll see, it'll be better than last time." Kale watched her with the baby. "You'll see. We'll be just fine. The three of us."

"I had a life," Ellie squinted hard. "And you took it away from me. You took it away from me!"

The truth hurt. And she knew it now. How in the hell would she ever get back to her family now.

colder than ice

All that was really on Kate's mind was sleep.

 

The chunky beef soup helped. It was the best comfort food in the world. It made her think of being at Grandma's, eating those buttered biscuits of hers. Of course, she didn't have those here, but she oh so wanted to try to make them from scratch like her grandmother used to.

 

Kate had no idea why she even thought of her grandmother at a time like this.

 

True, she wasn't going anywhere. And she could hardly wait to lay down on the fluffy pillow in the bedroom, but when she did, she thought she would be frozen stiff.

 

Ellie. Ellie had to be laying in this very spot. She was sure of it.

 

Kate wondered if Ellie knew she was there, too. Maybe she knew Kate was laying in that very spot too. What if she was oblivious to all of this and she thought Kate had walked out on her, like she always did.

 

Kate felt sad thinking about that. She wished she'd been a better sister. She wished she hadn't put her sister down. She wished she would have believed her now. She wished she was anywhere but here.

 

Her teeth began to chatter. She wanted to be warm but she didn't know how. Kate thought she might go delirious.

there was a time

"What was that for?" Kate pushed him away. Really, she didn't know what Evan was up too. What did he think was going to happen?

"I dunno." He winced. "I wasn't thinking. Its just crazy, you know. I think I'm going crazy. Absolutely."

"Yeah, you are a nut job." Kate agreed. "You aren't my favorite person, you know." She hugged herself then. "What did she see in you, anyway?" She gave him a bitter look.

"We had fun. She was fun." He shrugged.

"Are we talking about sex fun?" Kate wanted to know.

"All right." He smiled. "It was great because she-" Kate had him blushing then.

She couldn't help but laugh.

"And then she left you," Kate said point blank. "Evidently, he's having some fun with her, too. Are you saying my sister was easy?"

"God, no." Evan glared at Kate then. "But I miss it because she knew me better than anyone else and-and. I didn't want this to happen to her. I wanted her to forget about him. But she didn't. He wouldn't let her."

Kate went to look in the fridge then. It was empty.

"Isn't there anything to eat around here?" It was dark and she was hungry, and it felt as if time was standing still.

Evan went to look in the cupboard and found some Chunky Beef soup. "Will this do?"

"Of course." Her stomach growled then.

"Now if I could just find a can opener."

what to say

LIE. Lie. lie......

 

Kate could feel it biting on her tongue. Just as she expected. It was her mother.

 

"Mom!"

 

"KATE! Why are you screaming?"

 

"I'm not screaming." She choked. "It's just....Ellie went...she went somewhere with Kale. I don't know where they went." All she could feel was her heartbeat.

 

"Why didn't you stop her? Is she crazy?"

 

"I dunno." Kate looked at Evan. She crumbled on the couch. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop them. She has a mind of her own, you know. You can't tell her anything and then when you do she won't talk to you."

 

"Where are you?"

"Some, some, hotel in the middle of no where."

 

Evan nodded then that she had done good. She had to keep her Mom from finding where they were.

 

"I thought I'd wait for her, you know. I'm going to wait and if I hear anything you'll be the first to know." Shortly, after that she hung up.

 

"YES!" Evan said, grabbing her shoulders then. He looked at her as if she'd been perfect. And then he kissed her.