"Dear God, sorry to disturb you but,
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear,
We all need a big reduction in the amount of tears,
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street,
'Cause they can't make opinions meet,
About God...,"
-Dear God; by Lawless [feat. Sydney Wayser]
Marlowe's eyes were locked on the closed door in front of her. She could still feel Danny's presence on the other end, and she had to wonder how long he'd be willing to stand there. Her arms tightened around her legs, her lips pressed together into a scowl.
He's getting ready to leave, she thought. Did she want him in the guest room? He'd probably start asking questions. She wasn't ready for questioning. Did he see her with his parents earlier? A good portion of the student body had. There was no doubt in Marlowe's mind that she'd be given a load of grief over that.
"Are you still there?" she called, silently praying he was already gone.
"Yeah." The sound of Danny's voice made her wince. He did sound concerned, and Marlowe was grateful for it. But...she just couldn't find it in her to really appreciate it.
"I guess you can come in if you want."
There was a moment of silence, and Marlowe wondered if Danny left. Not that she would've minded. Danny seemed like a nice kid, but Marlowe had to wonder if he would be the kind of person to mind his own business or if he'd be the kind to butt in when he wasn't needed. Marlowe remembered living with one small family before coming to Amity Park; they were nice enough, just too nosey for Marlowe's taste. She didn't last long in that household.
When the door opened — very cautiously — Marlowe took note to how Danny looked tense and ready to bolt at any given moment. He was almost like a frightened animal, in Marlowe's mind. Though it wasn't like she didn't feel the same way.
"I-I'm sorry to intrude," he stammered, looking at her carefully, "it's just m-my parents — we were getting worried."
"I said I was fine." Marlowe narrowed her eyes just a fraction. "Thank you for the concern."
"Uhm. . . .," he stammered, looking around the guest room quickly. "I-If you ever need help with anything, you can always ask me."
Nodding, Marlowe tried for a smile. "I appreciate it," she said. Nodding himself, Danny turned to leave, his hand grabbing at the doorknob as he was getting ready to close the door. "Danny," Marlowe called, stopping him halfway out the door. "I appreciate everything you guys have done for me."
Flashback
Standing at the front porch, Marlowe couldn't help but feel anger at herself for hesitating. Why was she hesitating? Wasn't this the moment she prepared herself for? Looking up at the sky, Marlowe saw that it was relatively blue, only with a few grey clouds. The sun was partially out, but there was a cool morning breeze. It felt like forever since she felt what the outside was like. The air was fresh, better than the musky, stale air inside Vlad's.
Turning partially, Marlowe looked at the closed front door. Was she hesitating because of the home? Did she want to go back inside? Marlowe didn't want to, but there was some unconscious tug inside her, telling her she had to go back.
Think about how angry he'll get, a voice in the back of her head whispered. He'll yell and scream and shout. How far can you get before he finds you? You've forgotten, haven't you? He's Vlad Masters. He's got money, a Ghost Portal, ghost powers. There's not a place on Earth you can't go where he can't find you.
Shaking her head, Marlowe tried shoving that voice down. She couldn't afford to think like that. Not after all the hard work she put in to get where she was. Marlowe put everything at risk to put her plan into motion. The time it took her to get to where she was put such an emotional strain on her, Marlowe was certain she'd break mentally before she broke out. Vlad had ruined his daughter's life; putting his own interests above those of the few people around him. Vlad used all kinds of tactics to get what he wanted, and Marlowe couldn't stand it anymore.
All those years of having to deal with his crap, she thought bitterly, and now I'm finally being given the chance to leave. I am not waiting any longer.
With no time at all, Marlowe straightened her shoulders, set her jaw, and turned invisible.
Present Day
Eventually, Marlowe had made her way downstairs for dinner. She didn't want the Fentons worrying anymore than necessary. She was in no mood to be dealing with it.
As it would turn out, Marlowe couldn't find the patience to deal with the Fentons' eccentricity — mostly coming from Maddie and Jack — when it came to ghosts and their latest inventions. Needless to say, Jazz seemed very unhappy with her parents' choice of topic, and Danny seemed to be trying to tune them out.
Marlowe tried to eat as much of the food as she would deem necessary — she didn't want to deal with questions as to why she wasn't eating enough — before excusing herself for the night. It seemed like they weren't entirely pleased with Marlowe's leave, but Marlowe tried not to let it bother her. While she would've wanted to be confined to her room, Marlowe actually wanted to do more inspecting of the house. Especially to the area where Jack and Maddie were supposedly building their Ghost Portal.
That had taking Marlowe's interest the most.
(A/N):
Sorry for the late posting, I was trying to do homework while finishing this chapter. I know it's shorter compared to some of the other chapters, but hopefully you guys enjoy it anyway.
Do I own anything in DP? No. No I don't.
If the whole jumping between the past and the present becomes a little annoying, just know that I won't be doing it for every single chapter. Once I finish with the whole Marlowe escaping Vlad, etc., etc., etc., I'll stop with the flashbacks. As for now, just know this kind of writing won't be permanent.
Anywho, the Super Bowl is over. The Patriots won. I had work so I didn't see it, I only heard about it. I have heard that the second season of STRANGER THINGS will be coming out on Halloween, for anyone who's a fan of the show. I also heard that there was some TV spot/trailer #2 for TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, for those of you who are fans of the movie adaptation of that franchise. I'm sure there were plenty of other good trailers/TV spots for other movies and everything, but those are the ones I can think of for now. Also, for those of you who only watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show, how was the performance? Wasn't it Lady Gaga who performed this year? I don't know.
On another note, if you've got ideas for future chapters — OCs or subplots, stuff like that — be sure to leave a review or PM me.
If something came off as confusing, let me know and I'll explain it the best I can.
Thanks.
Kaia Milligan.
