Long car trips weren't Anklet's things. Oddly, when the family went to the beaches in the east last year, she rather enjoyed the flight. But when it came down to spending several hours bundled up in a stuffy car going at average speeds without complimentary pretzels…Anklet would have preferred walking the eighty miles to Hastings.
But despite her young age, even Anklet knew it was better to not raise her voice about this car trip. In fact, she remained quiet for most of the trip. She didn't even break out her handheld system and get back into her adventure with her mystical allies. Anklet just looked out the window to the rather boring sight of nature. Same old colors and nothing she hadn't seen before in a picture book.
At least Gee looked a bit more comfortable. She couldn't do much on car trips without getting sick, and that includes reading and playing video games. And yet she could keep a small smile on her face. Gee had a leg balanced on top of a cooler carrying cold drinks and a few fruit snacks for the trip. Gee was still cradling her empty juice box absent-mindedly as she too stared out the window to the passing scenery.
Of course, Gee could feel comfortable in the car because her parents were in it. As Davis' grudge focused on Kneesocks, both Kneesocks and the police felt it would be safer for Anklet to go with Panty's family while Stocking staid with Kneesocks to wait for Panty to arrive safely in Hastings. The police wanted to make absolutely sure that Davis wouldn't follow them. Panty was focused on driving towards their destination and Scanty just stared forward towards the road.
"Hey, you want anything?" Gee asked as she lifted her foot off the cooler lid. Anklet sighed and shook her head. "Okay." Gee sighed as she lifted the lid up and took out a second box of apple juice. Gee stuck her empty box into the car door pocket, making a mental note to come and get it out once the trip ended. Scanty wouldn't be too keen about trash being left in the car…plus, given the situation, Gee didn't want to cause any problems.
"How long do we have to stay?" Anklet asked out loud.
"As little as two weeks." Panty repeated. "Sorry, kiddo, but with that crazy man after you, we can't be too sure."
"Okay." Anklet meekly replied. Her first-hand experience with the killer at the bowling alley taught her that all of this was necessary. She would miss her friends dearly…and dreaded all the makeup homework she would have to deal with once they came back.
She remained still the rest of the journey. Normally she would pester the driver if they were yet, but Anklet kept quiet.
In what seemed to be a eternity to her, the car finally rolled to a gentle stop. "Yeah, we're here." Panty breathed out as she turned the car off and took the keys out of the ignition. "Everyone grab a bag." She gently ordered as she pressed in the button for the trunk release and then stepped out. Everyone followed suit, crawling out of the car slowly and taking in the surroundings of their temporary living place.
From where they stood, Hastings seemed to be built up of lush green hills. To the west looked to be a small mountain. And to the east were a few scattered buildings of both modern design and some looked to have been around for at least hundred years or more. The usual noises of city traffic were dwarfed by the wind and the scattered fauna. Speaking of the wind, it caught up to the four and blew right in their faces. Panty laid a hand on Scanty's skirt to keep it from blowing up too high up. While she did want to, this clearly isn't the time nor place.
Anklet took a good look at the house they were going to be staying at. A two-story white building with the only distinctive feature about it were the small round windows. A few other identical buildings were scattered across the landscape. She grabbed her duffle bag out of the trunk and went inside the house. Again, nothing special about it. A kitchen, living room, a office to the left, and the staircase in the middle. Everything looked simple. She wasn't expecting to be kept in a fantasy playland…but this place made her feel sleepy.
"All right." Panty spoke up. "The bedrooms are upstairs. They're three rooms…one is me and Scanty, the second is for Stocking and Kneesocks, and the last one is for you too." She pointed up the stairs. "It's the one at the far of the hall…"
"Why don't the two of you go and unpack?" Scanty bent down to rustle the two younger girl's hair. "While you're doing that, I'll make something for us to eat."
"Don't worry, girls." Panty added as she opened the cabinet. "There's some things already here. Chicken dumplings, Gee?" Gee nodded with a nice smile. Panty chucked the can onto the counter…where it actually landed on the flat side. Panty let out a nice little chuckle. "Okay…mashed potatoes?" Panty held up a packet of microwavable mashed potatoes. "Anklet?"
"Sure, yeah." Anklet grunted out as she ascended up the stairs with her duffle bag.
Gee figured that something was bothering her half-sister and she followed after her, sending a quick 'thank you' to her parents. Gee went up the stairs and found that the second story was just a hallway with the three rooms; one on each side and the one at the end of the hall. The door to the far end was open, meaning that Anklet already made her way inside. Gee walked into the room and found it to be like the rest of the house; no special furniture, just two beds, two dressers, a couch and a coffee table. Anklet was currently unpacking her bag into the dresser.
"It's not the most interesting place, huh?" Gee started.
"Yeah." Anklet merely responded.
"Actually, I've been bathrooms more lively than this place."
"Yeah."
"At least we got open fields to play in. Hey! We could start up a new season of mania-ball!"
"Yeah."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, I know I'm saying yeah a lot." Anklet spoke up as she tossed in a shirt. "But I'm not really in the mood to talk about things."
"Are you going to miss someone's birthday party?" Gee asked.
"Not that." Anklet shook her head. "It's just…" She took a pause to find the right words. "…I'm afraid."
"Of that man?"
"Yes…and I just know…that things aren't going to end well for us." Anklet looked down to the ground. "…I just know that things are going horribly here."
"Hey, hey." Gee comforted her half-sister by snuggling up to her. "It's going to be fine. Stocking and Kneesocks will be over soon, and we can all eat lunch together. After that…we can play whatever board game you want."
"Monopoly?"
"Sure."
"I get the car piece?"
"Yeah."
"And I can lay claim on Boardwalk?"
"Not a chance!"
