“Girls? As in, plural?”
Shooting a confused look, Lilith said, “Yeah? Aren’t they all here?”
“Just Kayla. The other girls left Roland too?”
Lilith shrugged. “Apparently. They took off the same night you stole Kayla. Roland thinks you somehow stole all of them. Regardless, he wants you dead, he wants his property back, and Mom’s letting it all happen.”
Ethan scowled. “What a terrific mother.”
“Hey, she never claimed to be our mother.”
“But you call her that literally all the time.”
Lilith dodged his statement by saying, “She has a point, though.” Leaning against a column supporting the roof of the porch, she explained. “Mom explained it to me. She says that she loves you like her own, but peace and order is paramount. She says it’s the only thing more important than any one life. Roland is angry with you, his boss, Carrie, is supporting him, and to avoid risking dozens of lives, it’s better to just let you and Roland handle this alone.”
“Carrie’s sending her men after me?”
“No. She’s just letting Roland deal with you however he wants. It’ll be war if Phoebe protects you, though, and nobody wants a war. It’s easy for tensions to get high between the families. The reason the families have never been at war with each other is because the Matriarchs hold principles above everything, even themselves and their own relatives. So, I suggest you find a way to beat Roland.”
Anger stirred in Ethan. He was appalled to learn that he was alone, but couldn’t entirely argue with the reasoning. “Great. I’m a dead man. There’s no way I can fight Roland. I’m only 18. I don’t have people; Roland does.”
“Roland has maybe two men under his thumb. He’s far from powerful. Still a threat, though. Don’t worry,” said Lilith, lifting her head and closing her eyes. “Have you ever heard Mom talk about the Blacklist?”
Ethan shrugged. “Most companies and organizations have blacklists. So, yeah.”
“No, I said the Blacklist. As in, one thing, not a general term.” Ethan shook his head. “Okay, well, it’s a list of people all the families have been after for years. Fugitives. I have reason to believe Roland has connections with them.”
“Them? As in, more than one? Have they formed some kind of organization with each other?”
Lilith smiled. “Exactly.”
“What makes you think Roland talks to them?”
“He communicates with several figures nobody recognizes. I had a talk with Amber shortly after you broke into her house the other night, mostly for the purpose of persuading her to forgive you. Then, I asked about Roland, since he belongs to Carrie, and I like learning everything I can about every-one I can. When she told me that Roland to these mysterious people, I got curious.”
“Amber’s a whore. Why would Roland tell her anything about his business relationships? Wouldn’t everyone be mysterious to her?”
“Roland’s keeping their identities a secret from everyone, including Sierra. Sierra told me that as well. Roland’s a pimp. Why would he have secret clients in the first place?”
Ethan only nodded. Sis might be on to something… he thought.
“I think Roland is in cahoots with the wrong people. I mean, the wrong kind of wrong people,” Lilith laughed. “If I can expose him, maybe I can pardon you from … exile.”
Ethan cocked his head a little. “You’re doing this for recognition,” he stated plainly.
“Think of it as a much-desired bonus. I’m doing this for my brother.”
“How are you going to pin anything on Roland? Phoebe’s not gonna give you any of her people. She’s probably going to order you not to talk to me or protect me.”
“Mom already gave me those orders. But I don’t care. You’re my other half. We’re practically the same person.”
“We’re twins. That’s … not the same thing as being the same person.”
“And I don’t have any of Mom’s people, but I have some friends of my own already.”
“Shane?”
Lilith nodded. “Yeah. Shane and some others. I’m starting my own regime. Gonna call it my ‘Brotherhood,’ since males are more physically capable than my kind. The ‘Brothers’ will help me with whatever I need, I know it. I’m sure everything will work out.” Ethan became dead-silent, until Lilith eventually asked, “What?”
“You’re planning on making your bones, and you know what that requires.”
Lilith stood up, then approached Ethan slowly. “All things in life are a shade of grey, Ethan. Stop being so black-and-white.” She started to walk away.
“Wait… What does that mean?”
–––––––
‘Nightmare’ described in essence what transpired for over a week. The first two days and nights were the worst. Fortunately, Ethan’s Aunt Nat was respectful enough to stay out of it all, except when he needed to be in two places at once, such as buying groceries and supplies while also staying beside Kayla.
The first night following her attempt to escape through her bedroom window, Kayla cried that her muscles hurt and that she was suffering a migraine. Ethan, who lacked a book explaining what to do, asked his aunt to use her computer to connect to the internet, but Nat said she didn’t have internet, nor would she have allowed it anyway since she might have needed the landline to call 911 for Kayla. He did have one solution, though: Kayla herself. She told him she might be fine if she could take a hot bath. Nat, who lacked any body fat for all he could tell, said she would try to help put Kayla in the tub, but doubted her ability. When she attempted it, she, a full-grown woman, was the one starting to cry, claiming she felt a sharp sting in her spine when lifting Kayla. Ethan had rushed into the bathroom and lifted Kayla into the tub himself. Kayla didn’t seem to know he had; her eyes were shut tight as she dealt with the pain in her head. Kayla sat in the hot water for over half an hour, until it cooled. Shockingly, she didn’t mind. She had fallen asleep, peacefully. Nat woke her up, and Ethan came in to lift her out of the tub, looking away. Nat helped her dress.
The second night was nearly identical to the first. The third night was, finally, a noticeable improvement. Kayla was eating plenty of healthy foods provided by Nat, sleeping plenty, and occupied her time watching TV or occasionally playing board games with the others. It was all for the sake of waiting for Kayla’s body to cleanse itself, and the more time passed, the more Kayla consciously understood that. By the third day, she wasn’t opposing their efforts at all, nor complaining. It lasted nine days total.
–––––––
Kayla was sitting on the back deck. She had moved a chair from the pine needle-covered table and situated it directly in front of the railing. Ethan found her like this, feeling he might need to leave her be. She looked peaceful. But he was already one foot on the deck by the time he gave it any thought, and Kayla noticed.
She turned around. “Hey,” she whispered.
“Hope I’m not interrupting a deep thought.”
“Many deep thoughts, actually.”
Ethan lowered his head. “I’m sorry… I’m good at ruining things lately.” Kayla didn’t respond. Ethan tried to think of a way to break the awkward silence. “So, what were you thinking about?”
“What everyone’s doing,” answered Kayla.
It took a moment for Ethan to understand her meaning. “Oh. You mean what everybody down there is doing?”
“Yeah…” said Kayla softly with a hint of excitement. “It’s one of my favorite things to do,” she added; her voice almost too soft to be audible. They listened for a moment to the faint sound of Interstate Five traffic. It blended perfectly with the gentle wind drifting through the air. “I’m targeting individual cars for stories, mainly the ones taking the exit ramp. The ones turning at the light, crossing the bridge, are going to some kind of event, while the ones turning right are just going home. I’m thinking of different events the cars turning left are going to.”
Ethan thought he
’d stir things up. “Instead of cars coming off the freeway, what about cars going onto the freeway? What are they up to?”
Kayla smiled. “Hadn’t thought about that. I imagine… They’re… I don’t know.”
Ethan wasn’t going to stop his games there. “I’ve seen one car come off the freeway, turn right, then a minute or so later, it turned around and went back onto the freeway.”
“Really?”
He couldn’t keep a straight face. “No. I totally made that up.” They shared a laugh. “Made you think though, didn’t it?”
“You’d be great at writing stories,” said Kayla. “Particularly ones with plot twists.”
“Speaking of stories, are you working on any right now?” asked Ethan. He was trying to get her mind, and his own, off the reason they were there at that house in the first place. Whatever it took to make Kayla think more optimistically about her future.
“I’ve been thinking about one story in particular. It’s…” She pondered a moment. “It’s a story about Mother Nature.”
Confused, Ethan asked, “Mother Nature? As in, an actual character?”
“Yep. I probably won’t call her by that title in the book, if I ever wrote the book. It would basically be about this woman who’s beautiful and radiating bright, white light, and she’s immortal. She’s perfect in every way. But she has an enemy who’s the complete opposite of her. Like, the devil or something. She mated with him before he became an evil entity, and their children became…”
“Mankind.” Ethan was certain of his answer.
“Exactly. A perfect being mated with the evilest being, and had their children were thus half good, half evil.”
Ethan nodded his head. “Like real people.” Kayla confirmed his guess. “Interesting concept. I hope you write it someday.” He meant that, but dually meant it to further his campaign of making Kayla optimistic about her future. Just by this one conversation, Ethan felt himself shifting from wanting to support Kayla because she’s family, to supporting her because she truly had potential. “You’re creative,” he said, genuinely. “And smart.”
“Not really. I just think a lot. People say I think too much.”
“Yeah, you were always like that, even when we were kids.”
Kayla turned her body right, facing Ethan without moving the chair. He looked at her as well, catching her half-smiling. “Thank you. Thank you for helping me.” She paused. “And for not giving up, even though I was a pain in the ass.”
The compliment was appreciated, but was also somewhat offensive. In his heart, Ethan believed family should unceasingly be there for one another without expecting anything in return, and that included expressing gratitude. Nobody thanks their parents for dealing with their dirty diapers as babies, nor does anybody thank their children for taking care of them when they’re old and … also having dirty diapers. Shouldn’t that kind of love and care just be expected?
“Well, yes, but I’m thanking you anyway,” replied Kayla.
“What? Oh, shit. Did I say that out loud?”
Kayla laughed. “Yeah, you did. It’s okay. I understand where you’re coming from.”
“Sorry. It’s just… Everybody goes through times when they can’t help themselves. That’s why we have family in the first place. It’s kind of like your back thanking your fingers for scratching it.”
“Ethan, Ethan! I get it!” laughed Kayla. “Sadly, most people don’t get it, though. I’m glad you do.”
He enjoyed the moment they were sharing. However, still, there was something he needed to know. His mind wouldn’t allow him to shut it away. “Kayla…” he began. “Why did you do it?”
She looked at him when she said, “I thought you read my letter?”
“I did. But you… You said you’ve given up. I thought you were going to kill yourself, not… Not, you know…”
“Not become a whore? Well, that’s what I meant, Ethan. Prostitution isn’t living. It’s the epitome of a dead end job. Plus, I knew Roland was abusive to Amber. He’s killed whores before. I thought I’d make a bunch of money, spend it on frivolous things, then probably get beat to death or something.”
“You say that so casually. Did you really want to die so much? Why not just jump off a bridge? Shoot yourself in the head? Anything but getting beaten to death.”
“There’s at least a little fun getting rich before you die, Ethan. There’s no fun in being poor then dying.”
Her logic baffled Ethan immensely. “Put the money into savings or something. Get an apartment, play music and write stories on the side, until you can do that stuff full-time. You know? You don’t have to get rich then die.”
Peering out at the town below, Kayla asked Ethan, “What’s the point of life, Ethan? We all know how the story goes, and it’s the same with everyone. You’re born, you make a million mistakes, then you die. The world goes on without you, and when the world doesn’t exist anymore, the rest of the universe will go on. There’s no point to it all.”
He had heard similar arguments before, from his sister. They think so much alike, he thought. I’m surprised they don’t get along. He chuckled as he thought, Maybe that’s why they never got along. Returning to seriousness, he said to Kayla, “Maybe we need to make our own point. Uh, I mean … You know… Purpose. Maybe we’re meant to make our own purpose.”
Almost without any time to think over his words, Kayla replied, “I can’t make my own purpose. There’s nothing for me. Anywhere.” Ethan almost responded, but Kayla cut him off: “Look, let’s just … not talk about this.”
“I’m sorry. What do you want to –”
“I don’t want to talk anymore.”
You screwed it up, thought Ethan. Why did you have to push? She literally had to tell you to shut up, because you wouldn’t stop pushing! He had enough sense to understand that Kayla didn’t dislike him, nor think any less of him, but he felt guilty regardless. He punished himself for seemingly crossing the line. Kayla’s not punishing you, thought Ethan to himself. She’s just feeling overwhelmed right now. Let her be. Wait for her to get better. So, they remained there on the porch, sitting in silence. Five minutes passed, then fifteen. Ethan was starting to feel cold. Kayla kept curling her body up, tighter and tighter, but oddly enough, didn’t choose to grab a blanket or stay inside. So focused, he thought when seeing how much she looks at their view. She sat on that porch every night, staring at the distance. Views must make her think… He recalled her talk about where she imagines people on the freeway are going. Imagination. Then, it came to him. She enjoys things that fuel her imagination. Recalling their history together only made this realization clearer. Books, sounds, observation… Such a thinker… He looked at her face, studying it closely, until she glanced in his direction, nearly catching him in the act. From her blank expression, he thought, She’s too smart for her own good. Too smart to use her brains for anything useful. Then, he looked again, seeing light reflect off her skin peculiarly. Tears. “Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the enduring silence.
That was when Kayla stood up. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m gonna go to bed.”
Just like that, she went back inside, and didn’t look at Ethan even once. I thought everything was fine… he thought.
–––––––
All seemed well for the time being. Kayla wasn’t even mentioning her craving for shooting up, though it was obviously on her mind at times. Ethan felt proud for successfully keeping her distracted. The lifestyle of a junkie never seemed to fit with Kayla. She was too intelligent and had too much potential to have to stoop so low, but she didn’t know it. I hope she knows it now, he thought. It seemed heroin wasn’t even an addiction, but more of a statement she was making to herself and to the world about the meaninglessness of life. Ethan came to believe that heroin was solely a physical need, not a mental one, and once her body was completely rid of the substance, she wouldn’t crave it ever again. Only time will tell if I’m right…
Lilith paid anothe
r visit toward the end of September. Ethan invited her inside this time. “Any updates on the people trying to kill me?” he asked his sister.
“I’m sure Aunt Nat told you that Phoebe and Scarlet have men in the neighborhood. I knew they would protect their sister. But that’s not why I’m here. I came to tell you that Roland hasn’t been seen in days.”
Ethan’s spirit lifted slightly. “Good. Me and Kayla can come home now?”
“Kayla and I,” said their cousin, who had just come up the stairs.
Lilith fidgeted a little when she saw Kayla. “No,” she said looking at her, but addressing Ethan. “You can’t come home. See, nobody knows why Roland’s gone, or where he’s gone to. Could be looking for his girls personally, or on the hunt for a new crop. Personally, I think he’s meeting with friends.”
Friends, Ethan intrigued. “Why would he be doing that? Is he on to you?”
Lilith responded, “Well, I’m just a kid, so that should make it easier to fly under his radar.” She added, “But then again, I’m just a kid, so that should make it easier for him to catch me. I admit I’m not very experienced with this. Mom beefed up security in this neighborhood, so you should be fine.”
“Good. You could have just called,” replied Ethan as he turned to walk away from the conversation.
“Little brother…” said Lilith; some uneasiness in her voice. “I have something more important to tell you.” Ethan looked at her, confused. “We should talk in private.”
“Well, what’s it about?” asked Ethan.
“It concerns a certain relative of ours.”
Wow. Real subtle, thought Ethan. Just then, Kayla said, “If you’re going to talk about me, then have the balls to say it to my face.”
“I’ll get right on to that. Now, to find a way to grow balls… Besides, I didn’t mean you, Kayla.”
“Alright then, if it’s not about me, but it’s about a relative, then I should hear it regardless. Or did you forget we share blood?”
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