CHAPTER 21
The next morning I kept silent that it was my birthday. Ally's phone said it was almost noon. We stayed up until about 4 last night, talking. Ally was still laying in bed after I finished taking a shower. I sighed and looked at her sleeping form. She needed to leave. I'm not sure why but she just needed too. I walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder then, I lightly shook her. "Ally, wake up," I said, softly. I knew my sister better than this. What was I doing? I grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Ally wake up!" Her eyes flickered but she was still half asleep. "WAKE UP!" Her eyes opened now. First startled as she adjusted and realized she wasn't anywhere familiar. And then her eyes softened and she looked at me. "Wh-what?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.
I shoved her purse into her chest. "Ally you have to leave," I said. Ally's eyes widened at me, "No! I'm not leaving you, it's your bir-" "NO!" That shut her up immediately and she looked hurt. I instantly regretted yelling at my sister. Her lower lip formed a pout and her brows furrowed. It was her sign that she wasn't giving in. "Ally, you have to leave, okay." She shook her head and arched an eyebrow. "No, Ally. You have to leave, I'm serious. You're not safe here, you must go," I explained. Ally was getting my point. "Emma, I'm not leaving you. Whatever you're going through, I can help you with. I said I wouldn't leave unless I knew you were okay, so I'm not." I stood up from the bed and held my arms out beside me. "See, I'm fine," I said, adding a spin to show my point, "Now you can go."
"Why?" I sighed. She was going to make this absolutely difficult. "Because I said so." She smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Yes you are, you're leaving and you're not coming back." That was not my voice. I kept thinking this but I was 100% sure I said it. But my voice had sounded so…. cruel. Ally bent away from me. "Emma," she said. I looked at her, "Ally. You have got to go. I left for a reason. Because I was tired of people I care about getting hurt. You have a family. A husband, two daughters. I cannot risk you dying because of me. And I have a feeling if you don't leave soon, that may just happen." Ally smiled, she didn't believe me. But I didn't smile back. I just stared hard at her. My eyes burned into hers. I did not want my sister to go away. But I needed her to. If she didn't leave, she may be gone forever. I sighed and she realized how serious I actually was. "Oh, God," she said.
I shook my head. "I'm sorry this has happened but I need you to leave. Go home, stay safe. Tell mom and dad I'm…. I'm dead." Tears were forming in Ally's eyes. "But I just got here," she mumbled. "I got to see my baby sister. I don't wanna go." I sighed and she stood up. "I'm not telling them you're dead." Her purse was over her shoulder and I felt relief. She was giving in. "Please do Ally. I don't need them coming for me either. I don't want them to get hurt. Besides, just knowing that you know I'm okay is enough for me. Isn't it enough for you?" Ally looked at me for a long time. She shook her head but proceeded to the door. She was just out the door when she turned to me, "It's enough for now, Emma." Then she shut the door. I heard silent footsteps and then after a minute or two, I heard the loud echo of the huge metal door shutting behind her.
And I began to cry again. I kicked my sister out. I thought I didn't want to be alone. But I am. How is this helping me? I sighed and buried my face into my pillow. 'Happy Birthday Emma.'
~MEANWHILE~
"Could you get me another copy of… of… that one chick?" Frost asked Kara. She remembered his words from nights ago and thought, 'If he doesn't know who she is, he can't find her.' Kara shook her head and her red curls bounced around her like a 5 year olds. "I don't want to," she said, smirking at the irritated Frost. He clenched his hands into fists and looked at her, "Get me the damn picture now!" he snapped. Kara's feeling of power quickly vanished into nothingness as she hurried down the hallway back to her office. She heard footsteps behind her and she quickly got into her desk chair as Frost turned into her office. "Kara… I'm sorry. Like I said, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Frost felt he could win her over with reverse psychology. She'd see how sincere he was and instead would want to do this for him. But instead a vicious smile covered her sweet face.
"I don't want to do it," she said, calling his bluff. He frowned at her in frustration. How could he get his hands on something the Joker cared deeply about if he didn't know what the damn girl looked like. "Fine, Kara. I have a picture-perfect memory, I'm sure I can find her somehow," he lied. Kara's face fell blank. She really thought this would stop him from getting his self into loads of trouble. Frost hurried out of her office and down the long hall on the first floor. He hit the elevator 'up' button and waited. A breathless Kara hurried up beside him. "Don't do this, Cole," she said. Frost looked down at her, "I said this one last thing." The elevator dinged and he stepped inside.
And Kara followed in after him. "Damn it Kara, he stole my money," he said. "Over 100,000." Kara shook her head. "You have over 100,000! Hell you have over 15 million dollars. What the hell do you need $100,000 for?" He shook his head and laughed. "Do you not understand, sweet Kara?" he asked her. She looked angrily up at him. He treated her like some, naïve little girl. But she shook her head anyways. "It's not so much about the money," he explained. "It's about the power. How will I look amongst dealers if word gets out that I let some freak who thinks he's a clown take all of my money?" Kara shook her had. "It's power then?" He nodded his head and the elevator doors opened to the 23rd floor.
He began to walk out and head down the hall to his base room. The room where all of the planning goes down. Where Kara wasn't allowed, he had said to her, 'No girls allowed, except the occasional Play Toy.' But she followed him anyways. "Baby what are you doing?" he asked, turning around to block her from coming any further. "Do NOT call me baby," she stated. "When I said, 'It's power then,' I did not mean I understood. I can't believe you. The only thing you actually care about is power!"
Frost looked sternly at Kara. "You know that's not true." She looked at Frost just as fiercely. Frost closed the space between them, taking her into an embrace. She hugged him back and a smile spread across Frost's lips. He hands slid down her back and onto her butt. He lowered his head and kissed her perfectly smooth lips. Her hands moved to the front of him, gently touching his chest. Then she shoved him away from her. "You perv!" she said. Frost laughed," I thought you were into it." She shook her head. "We're not through here, Cole." But he was walking away to the next door. She followed him and he turned around, his back to the door, facing Kara. "Leave sweetheart, I have some things to do." Kara was furious. "You scum! Just let it drop!" she yelled. Then her voice softened, "Please, for me. We can just go away, Cole."
He shoved her into the wall behind her, "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Kara scrunched down away from him. Tears formed in her eyes from the overwhelming fact that he had pushed her, hard, into a wall. "It's Frost." He looked down at his own hands and couldn't believe what had just happened. He looked at the now crumbled and crying Kara. He sat down in front of her. "Kara…. I'm, so sorry," he said. He felt tears stinging his own eyes but bit back the will to cry in front of her. She shook her head, "Whatever. Just do what you have to do. I'm through reasoning with you." She curled her knees up to her and rested her face on them. Frost shook his head but stood up and went through the door, shutting a very hurt Kara behind him.
~Emma~
Is there something wrong with me? I'm alone again. Something that I didn't want to experience ever again and yet…. I shoved my own sister out the door! And for what? I was alone.
She left me $32, a bottle of water, my clothes, and a disposable phone. I do not deserve this.
And then the weirdest thing happened. Okay, it's not that weird. I began sobbing hysterically. I missed everyone. Ally, Amanda, Dad, Mom, the girls, even Sean. And I missed Him. Oddly enough, I had come back for a reason, a terrible reason but I still came back. And now, even more than ever, I felt completely broke. I guess that's a good thing in one sense. I'm not numb or anything. At least I feel feelings. But these are horrible.
I'm not even sure when I started crying or when I stopped . All I knew was one moment I was hugging a pillow like it was my lifeline. And the next I was sitting awkwardly in the garage. My little sobs sounded much worse here, echoing along the walls and such.
Why exactly did I come down here? I looked around at the gray, cemented walls. The ground was cement. The walls were cold and dark. The ceiling was falling apart. Reminisce of an old ceiling fan could be seen. I wonder what this place use to be? And then I thought about how convenient it would be right now to place a red rose in the center of this huge, desolate place.
But I don't have any. I could go find one. Or….. I looked down and saw the same old sweat pants and sweater I was wearing days before. I frowned at myself. Ew. I must smell. And just like that I was gone, rummaging through many desk drawers to come across an old comb (really ew), which would work for now, some old Halloween make up, nothing too bad, and a white t shirt and another pair of sweat pants.
I was in my room and seconds later, standing, shivering under ice, cold water from the shower. 'Of course,' I thought. 'No one to pay the damn bills.' Lucky enough though, I was able to cope with the frigid water and clean myself.
And afterwards, I actually felt a bit better. My hair would dry on its own. I didn't care how it looked at the moment. But I was surprised to look in the mirror and see myself with make-up on. A face I hadn't seen since Amanda's wedding.
I sighed and walked out of the bathroom and got under the covers. Still shivering from the shower, I tried to huddle up in a ball and gain my heat again.
I finally began to warm again and the bed was beginning to become a small piece of heaven. I could literally feel my eyelids rejecting my own movement. It was quiet and I was concentrating. Concentrating so I wouldn't fall asleep. I wanted to, but I was afraid I wouldn't wake up again. I was listening hard, concentrating on the small chirps of a bird outside my window. If I had been concentrating else where, I would've heard the car door shut.
But I heard the little bird singing. It wasn't until it flew away did I hear the garage door being shut. My state of mind and body though didn't care at the moment. I didn't care anymore. I just shut my eyes and fell asleep.