Lux sat in the passenger's seat of her family's station wagon, coughing
violently against the fumes, yet she continued to inhale from her
cigarette. It had only been about five minutes since she had turned on the
ignition and shut the garage door. Her mind had went numb after that, being
so far gone that she had barely heard the screams coming from the boys, as
they ran out of her house and past the garage. Lux felt no remorse though,
not even curiousity as to what exactly had happened...
* * * * *
Chase stopped abruptly, still shaking from the shock of what they had just seen. His eyes were wide with fear, and he thought his heart was going to pound right out of his chest.
"We only saw two," he said under his breath, subconsciously knowing that over their panic, the other guys wouldn't hear him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion after that, the world around him becoming almost surreal. He turned and saw Tim and the others race down the street, seemingly unaware of where they were going. Turning back around, Chase slowly started to come out of it, hearing the humming of a car close by...
* * * * *
It was three days after the funerals. Bonnie and Therese had been buried beside their youngest sister. The two spots had already been reserved almost a year ago by Mrs. Lisbon, a month after Cecilia's death. She had planned for those spots to be for her and her husband when their time came, so they could be by their youngest daughter. She had of course assumed that her other four daughters would grow into adulthood, and eventually start families of their own, with so many years ahead of them. Instead, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon had to put two more daughters into the soiled earth, after their premature departure from this world.
As much as Mrs. Lisbon disapproved of Dr. Horniker, she felt she had no other choice than to send Mary and Lux there. She had lost all hope by now, even letting her husband make some of the decisions. She now seemed detached from her two surviving daughters, knowing everyone in town thought that it was only a matter of time before they joined their sisters, and she herself had begun to agree.
Mr. Lisbon though, still held out some hope. Sitting across from his daughters' psychiatrist, he brieftly began to observe the darkened and serene office, waiting to hear what Dr. Horniker had to say.
The doctor soon cleared his throat, shutting both girls' charts, as he focused his attention on the aging man in front of him, looking worn and grief-stricken.
"Your girls are lucky that the neighbor boy found them in time," Dr. Horniker said, trying to start out on a positive note. "I recommend starting the girls on an anti-depressant... I think it will help matters for them." Looking away, the doctor debated on whether or not to state his own opinion. He finally decided to casually bring up his take on things into the conversation. "Mr. Lisbon, how long have the girls been out of school?" he asked, but saw that Mr. Lisbon's eyes began to fill with tears, so he quickly thought of something else to say. "I heard your moving out of your home. That should be better for them... And Mrs. Lisbon, what is her take on all of this?"
Mr. Lisbon frowned at the doctor, watching his expression, as he tried to read him. His mind was racing with so many other thoughts and memories, that he couldn't even will himself to concentrate. But somehow, he knew where this was going, and what was expected of him, especially now.
* * * * *
Even though the Lisbons had moved out, they remained in their small suburbian town, now just living on the other side. Even with the tragedies that occured, the superintendent of the girls' school had signed up Mary and Lux for summer school, to make up for all the months they had missed, since he did not particularly want to hold them back a year.
Upon hearing of Lux's return to school, Trip had drug himself out of his bed, where he had remained since the suicides, hiding away from the outside world, and the reality that was haunting him.
It was only May, and he wondered if he'd even be allowed through the front doors of their school, with his record and failing grades, and now his long and unexcused absenses. But after all these months it was still the same unsecured school, not a teacher in sight.
Of course being high, Trip began opening up random doors to classrooms, needing to find Lux. It took awhile, but he finally found the right room, and there she sat. She was in the back row, the furthest seat away from the door. Her golden hair was hanging down, almost covering her whole face. She was staring down at the top of her desk, taking no notice of the world around her.
Trip snapped himself out of his trance, stumbling clumsily into the room. A boy was seated in the desk beside her, so he grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him up, mumbling something about finding another seat before shoving him away.
Lux glanced out of the corner of her eye, looking over just in time to see Trip sitting down beside her. She quickly looked out in front of her, staring off for awhile, before lowering her eyes back down to the desktop.
Throughout the rest of the class period, Trip watched Lux obsessively, not being able to turn his head away once. Even as the bell rang for their next class, he remained transfixed, as Lux sat still in her seat, making no attempt to move.
Once the room was empty, Trip felt himself grow cold, his body shaking nervously, as he cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.
"He left our mom. He told her he wanted me and Mary to live with him, and that he was leaving her... She was put in the hospital after her breakdown, the one upstate. It's suppose to be a real good one," Lux spoke softly, her voice weak and nonchalant. She didn't stop there though, she just let it all out, oddly calm throughout it all.
"We never talk about it, and dad never asks..... Why are you here?" She didn't even seem to want to know his answer, but also didn't want to be left alone, trapped in silence again.
Trip's emotions had been so out of control that he thought he was going to break down into tears. It was one thing to cry alone, away from everyone else, but he couldn't in front of Lux. He felt selfish and stupid. Thoughts of that night, after Homecoming, came flooding back, but he couldn't ever bring it up. He was guilty, and a coward, but he couldn't help but hope that maybe she had forgotten.
"I-," Trip stopped himself, searching his mind for something comforting to say. "We can talk, more.. Tonight?" He knew that had came out wrong, but he was desperate and just wanted to see her.
Lux turned her head, finally looking him in the eye. Her skin was pale, and she looked tired, her eyes seemingly hard.
"No," she said steadily, rising up from her seat and walking away, now leaving him behind.
* * * * *
Chase stopped abruptly, still shaking from the shock of what they had just seen. His eyes were wide with fear, and he thought his heart was going to pound right out of his chest.
"We only saw two," he said under his breath, subconsciously knowing that over their panic, the other guys wouldn't hear him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion after that, the world around him becoming almost surreal. He turned and saw Tim and the others race down the street, seemingly unaware of where they were going. Turning back around, Chase slowly started to come out of it, hearing the humming of a car close by...
* * * * *
It was three days after the funerals. Bonnie and Therese had been buried beside their youngest sister. The two spots had already been reserved almost a year ago by Mrs. Lisbon, a month after Cecilia's death. She had planned for those spots to be for her and her husband when their time came, so they could be by their youngest daughter. She had of course assumed that her other four daughters would grow into adulthood, and eventually start families of their own, with so many years ahead of them. Instead, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon had to put two more daughters into the soiled earth, after their premature departure from this world.
As much as Mrs. Lisbon disapproved of Dr. Horniker, she felt she had no other choice than to send Mary and Lux there. She had lost all hope by now, even letting her husband make some of the decisions. She now seemed detached from her two surviving daughters, knowing everyone in town thought that it was only a matter of time before they joined their sisters, and she herself had begun to agree.
Mr. Lisbon though, still held out some hope. Sitting across from his daughters' psychiatrist, he brieftly began to observe the darkened and serene office, waiting to hear what Dr. Horniker had to say.
The doctor soon cleared his throat, shutting both girls' charts, as he focused his attention on the aging man in front of him, looking worn and grief-stricken.
"Your girls are lucky that the neighbor boy found them in time," Dr. Horniker said, trying to start out on a positive note. "I recommend starting the girls on an anti-depressant... I think it will help matters for them." Looking away, the doctor debated on whether or not to state his own opinion. He finally decided to casually bring up his take on things into the conversation. "Mr. Lisbon, how long have the girls been out of school?" he asked, but saw that Mr. Lisbon's eyes began to fill with tears, so he quickly thought of something else to say. "I heard your moving out of your home. That should be better for them... And Mrs. Lisbon, what is her take on all of this?"
Mr. Lisbon frowned at the doctor, watching his expression, as he tried to read him. His mind was racing with so many other thoughts and memories, that he couldn't even will himself to concentrate. But somehow, he knew where this was going, and what was expected of him, especially now.
* * * * *
Even though the Lisbons had moved out, they remained in their small suburbian town, now just living on the other side. Even with the tragedies that occured, the superintendent of the girls' school had signed up Mary and Lux for summer school, to make up for all the months they had missed, since he did not particularly want to hold them back a year.
Upon hearing of Lux's return to school, Trip had drug himself out of his bed, where he had remained since the suicides, hiding away from the outside world, and the reality that was haunting him.
It was only May, and he wondered if he'd even be allowed through the front doors of their school, with his record and failing grades, and now his long and unexcused absenses. But after all these months it was still the same unsecured school, not a teacher in sight.
Of course being high, Trip began opening up random doors to classrooms, needing to find Lux. It took awhile, but he finally found the right room, and there she sat. She was in the back row, the furthest seat away from the door. Her golden hair was hanging down, almost covering her whole face. She was staring down at the top of her desk, taking no notice of the world around her.
Trip snapped himself out of his trance, stumbling clumsily into the room. A boy was seated in the desk beside her, so he grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him up, mumbling something about finding another seat before shoving him away.
Lux glanced out of the corner of her eye, looking over just in time to see Trip sitting down beside her. She quickly looked out in front of her, staring off for awhile, before lowering her eyes back down to the desktop.
Throughout the rest of the class period, Trip watched Lux obsessively, not being able to turn his head away once. Even as the bell rang for their next class, he remained transfixed, as Lux sat still in her seat, making no attempt to move.
Once the room was empty, Trip felt himself grow cold, his body shaking nervously, as he cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.
"He left our mom. He told her he wanted me and Mary to live with him, and that he was leaving her... She was put in the hospital after her breakdown, the one upstate. It's suppose to be a real good one," Lux spoke softly, her voice weak and nonchalant. She didn't stop there though, she just let it all out, oddly calm throughout it all.
"We never talk about it, and dad never asks..... Why are you here?" She didn't even seem to want to know his answer, but also didn't want to be left alone, trapped in silence again.
Trip's emotions had been so out of control that he thought he was going to break down into tears. It was one thing to cry alone, away from everyone else, but he couldn't in front of Lux. He felt selfish and stupid. Thoughts of that night, after Homecoming, came flooding back, but he couldn't ever bring it up. He was guilty, and a coward, but he couldn't help but hope that maybe she had forgotten.
"I-," Trip stopped himself, searching his mind for something comforting to say. "We can talk, more.. Tonight?" He knew that had came out wrong, but he was desperate and just wanted to see her.
Lux turned her head, finally looking him in the eye. Her skin was pale, and she looked tired, her eyes seemingly hard.
"No," she said steadily, rising up from her seat and walking away, now leaving him behind.