A/N: Another flashback! Don't know why, but I feel compelled to explain just why our favorite brother and sister moved to the Great Windy City. I hope this chapter will encourage you to forget about my long, unexcused absence. Merry late Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that shit.
P.S. I watched the remake of The Longest Yard, the one with Adam Sandler and (my personal favorite) William Fichtner. And I must confess when William Fichtner was on screen dressed in that blue football uniform on the guard practice field…MMMFFF. Almost gave a fangirl squeak right there. Might do a Longest Yard story just because of it, but enough of my filthy mind and mouth.
The sound of something breaking in the close vicinity of my room startled me out of an uneasy sleep. I bolted upright, straining to hear. I slipped a hand under my bed, and closed my fingers around the cold but reassuring feel of the aluminum bat I had affectionately named "Titan". I padded out of the bedroom, and heard a quit curse come from my kitchen, and I stiffened, ready to attack as I entered…
"Teddy!" My brother looked up in surprise from the small pile of debris that had once been a drinking glass, and then a smile spread across his face.
"Well good morning, sister. No, don't come in here, I'll go to you." He crossed the kitchen and picked me up, eliciting a small shriek from me, and then swung me onto the counter. I giggled, and let go of the bat, letting it lean against the counter as Teddy grabbed the broom.
"You should tell me when you come over so I don't accidentally beat you to death." I stated, swinging my legs back and forth in the air. My brother looked up, an eyebrow raised.
"I'm so terrified." He said, indicating the big red flannel shirt I wore to bed, and the black shorts I had on underneath that exposed my tanned legs. I stuck out my tongue and hopped down as he tossed the shards away, then surveyed the mess he had made. He had dragged out my waffle iron, and had made a batter from scratch, except it looked like he had battle a dragon while making it. Flour was scattered on the red counters (on the floor too) and the remnants of eggshells were lying there like a pile of wounded soldiers, still oozing. I rolled up my sleeves and started to clean up the battlefield.
My older brother fiddled with the radio, and he laughed as a deep voice said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo No. 5." I smiled and plugged in the waffle iron, happiness in my heart and laughter in my voice.
X X X X
"Theresa, your food will be the death of me." My brother murmured lazily. We had finished eating a while ago, and now we were in my backyard, lounging with happy tummies. Months ago, when I first bought the small house, I had gone a little crazy with flowers and gardening. The grass had been overtaken by the large field of sunflowers I had lovingly tilled, sowed, and watered. They were my favorite flowers, beautiful, tall, and royal with beautiful coloring. I dragged two reclining lawn chairs into the giant orange and yellow flower forest, and Teddy and I were now lying there side by side, chairs tipped all the way back, our hands intertwined.
"I swear that on my headstone it will say, 'Killed by his sister, who was too much of an excellent cook for her own good.'" I nudged his leg with my bare foot, and stuck out my tongue.
"Such a liar." Earlier I had changed into a flowy, cream tank top and a pair of high-waist, brown 1950 style shorts, and I enjoyed the feeling of sun on my legs. The tall, tree like flowers cut into the impossibly blue sky, and casted shadows across the two of us, and I started to doze, completely content.
A banging at my front door jerked me up, and I stood, confused. "Stay here." I told my brother, who nodded, and I made my way around to the front of the house. A black car was parked at the curb, and two men were waiting at my door. I could instantly tell they were police.
"Ms. Bagwell?" One of them asked, the slight breeze ruffling his messy black hair. He seemed pleasant enough, and his brown eyes were kind. He pulled out a badge and showed it to me. "I'm Detective George Hart and this is my partner."
"Detective James Franklin." The other man offered, who seemed the total opposite of his partner. He had buzz cut blond hair and eyes like steel shavings, and, where his partner was fit and slim, this man was probably a close cousin of the giant at the top of the beanstalk. He looked like a tank.
"May we come inside, Ms. Bagwell? We have a matter to discuss with you."
"Uh…yeah, sure. Call me Theresa." I led them into the house and they sat on the brown leather couch. "Coffee, soda, water?" I offered, but Hart politely refused. Franklin grunted a no. I grabbed a Coke and perched on the edge of my red armchair.
"Theresa, have you recently been out of town with a family member?"
"No, I've been too busy with work. I'm a doctor at Saint Michael's, and this is the first day I've been able to get off in weeks. You can check with my boss if you want to make sure."
"Well do you know if your brother has been out of town lately?" My stomach started to work itself into an intricate knot, and I took a swallow of coke.
"No sir, detective. We haven't really talked much lately, and he never tells me where he's going. A character flaw of his, I'm afraid." Detective Hart smiled affably and nodded.
"Well, Theresa, could you contact me if he does decide to swing by?"
"Excuse me, but what is this about, detective?" I asked, my throat dry as I took another sip of my drink.
"Oh, it's nothing, we just need to ask him some questions about something that happened the next town over, nothing serious." He's good at lying, I thought and smiled, pretending ignorance like I've been doing all my life.
"I will contact you if he comes by, detective." They left quietly, and I walked back into the back yard towards my brother. I wasn't dumb, I knew what happened in the next town. I watched the news and…
"Who was that, sister?" he asked, smiling. Everything seemed too bright, too real as I went to him.
"What did you do?" I whispered, my coke spilling out of my hand and landing on the ground with a thump. He was up in a flash and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Theresa? Theresa, what's wrong? Who was that?" he sounded so worried, so frightened for me, not at all like a monster.
"Police. About kids." I couldn't speak and I felt my throat closing up. The color leached out of his face and he touched my cheek as I started to choke. I couldn't breathe, oh God. I was gasping like a fish plucked straight from the water, and I thought I was going to die like one, choking on the air.
Theodore held me as I went to my knees, my fingers grabbing handfuls of his white shirt as I struggled. He knelt as well, his forehead pressed to mine. "Remember, from 100. 99, 98, 97, 96…"
The day was beautiful, the birds were chirping and singing sweetly as I was suffocating. My brother counted out loud while I tied to followed his lead in my head. Black curtains flickered at the edge of my vision as I started to pass out.
"I'm sorry." A voice whispered, then I felt my cheek sting, and I was suddenly breathing again. I lost consciousness soon afterward.
X X X X
"Chicago?" Teddy asked, much, much later.
"Yes, you need to go there. Far away from Alabama and this city. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise I'll be arrested." I nodded grimly, my fingers freezing despite the hot coffee cup I had nestled in my hands. He looked old, and tired as he rubbed his face with his hands.
"I'll follow you after I find an apartment up there, and after I give my two weeks notice." His head shot up and he looked at me in disbelief.
"Why are you coming with?" he asked. It took me a second to answer.
"Because you do better with me around. And I don't want to leave you all alone up there." He pulled me against him, and I buried my face in his chest as he stroked my hair. I couldn't tell him why I really was coming up there too.
I'm coming with because you do better when I'm around: You don't hurt people when I'm with you.
I don't want to leave you all alone up there: I don't want you alone at all.
And most importantly… I don't want anyone else to know that you're a monster.