Chapter 19

A few hours had passed since the boys set out on their exploration adventure. The yellow disk of the sun had disappeared behind the distant Manhattan skyline, ushering in the twilight period. The sky had gone from a bright shade of blue to beautiful shades of pink, orange and magenta.

The area around the RV park was quite tranquil. A slight breeze permeated through the air, rusting the green leaves adorning the trees; as night set in, this would eventually give way to the sounds of crickets and cicadas, creaking and hissing in their characteristic rhythmic patterns.

Zeke and Julia had decided to go on a short shopping trip, in an effort to pass the time prior to their planned visit to Manhattan to see a production of "Anything Goes". Tabby had also vacated the RV, opting to take up post within her former trailer home. She had finished her lunch in a diligent manner, and quickly scrambled into the small camper to begin the process of preparing its sleeping quarters for her and her girls. The red headed woman currently remained within its silver walls, seated on the couch in silence as she spun a small pen in her left hand. Her opposite hand was occupied by what appeared to be a small Polaroid, and object she was currently staring at with an expression of sadness.

Currently, the Kanker sisters and Lindsay were the only individuals occupying the upper level of the quiet RV. The girls had taken their seats in one of the large booths located in the dining area, transforming it into a makeshift fashion studio. Dozens of makeup accessories were scattered across the table, having been put to hard use over the last hour as Lindsay crafted the Kanker sisters theater looks.

At this time Lee and May's makeovers had been completed. Lee had traded in her usual summer capri jeans for a pair of jet black dress jeans, which complimented her black high heeled boots; a green dress blouse completed her "flashy look". She had removed her green headband, allowing her red curls to hang freely wherever they pleased. As typical of the proud ginger girl, she refused to allow Lindsay to conceal her freckles, but did allow her to apply a significant amount of black eye-liner, accenting the girls ice blue eyes.

May had donned a yellow knee-length dress, and a pair of silver high heeled shoes. Her blonde hair was no longer straight as usual; Lindsay had styled it into loose hanging waves, much like those she had worn on the night she and Ed had declared themselves an item. The excited girl was currently standing in front of a tall portable mirror, admiring her clothing as she repeatedly performed pirouettes.

As Lee observed her little sisters antics with a sardonic expression, Lindsay and Marie remained seated across from each other in the booth, the tall girl gingerly continuing her work on Marie's already pretty face. As she did so Lee decided to initiate a conversation.

"Whoah there Anna Pavlova," said Lee as she observed May performed another pirouette, "With the way that dress is flaring out every time ya spin, you're gonna wind up liftin' off and going through the roof!"

May clicked her tongue, deciding to respond in a playful manner.

"Don't be jealous of my cute yellow dress," said May, "I just know Big Ed is gonna love it!"

At that point, the excited May performed a powerful pirouette of around three turns. Unfortunately, just as May completed her third turn, the edge of her dress managed to snag a small nail protruding from the mirrors wood frame. The result was a slight zipping sound, as a prominent tear formed in the bottom of the dress.

"Oh no," said May as she took hold of the dress, using both of hands to examine the fabric.

Lee giggled slightly.

"Well Big Ed is certainly gonna love seeing your little cute undies," said Lee as she chuckled.

May did not respond, electing to simply stare in Lee's direction with watery eyes. Sensing her little sisters innocent state of distress, Lee began making her way towards the back of the RV, waving her hand in an effort to signal May to follow.

"Come on goofball," said Lee, "I got some yellow thread in my sewing kit downstairs. Let's get ya fixed up."

May's frown quickly turned into a smile as she began to follow her sister towards the stairs leading to the lower level.

"I'll be right back," said May as she gazed towards Marie, "Don't stress out too much on Marie's makeup Lindsay, you'll never get her looking as hot as I do now."

May giggled slightly as she dashed away from Marie and Lindsay's position, making her way down the stairs and disappearing from view. As Lindsay giggled, Marie turned around to face the stairs, attempting to project her voice for May to hear.

"Come back and see me when you learn not to rip your clothes, bubble butt!" yelled Marie.

After delivering her statement Marie turned back towards Lindsay. As she did so, the tall girl retrieved a large makeup brush from her kit, dipped it in a small can of rouge, and proceeded to gently powder Marie's cheeks.

The two girls remained in complete silence for a few moments, after which Lindsay decided to initiate a conversation with a smile.

"You and your sisters crack me up," said Lindsay, "It's so obvious that you love each other more than anything, yet you always seem to be fighting about something."

"Yeah," said Marie, "We fight and make fun of each other, but it's usually all in good fun. May is always happy-go-lucky about everything, and while it can be annoying some times, I wouldn't trade her for the world. And you know as well as I do that Lee is the best big sister and friend anyone could every have...even though she's a total grouch sometimes."

Lindsay and Marie shared a giggle.

"You know," said Lindsay in a drawn out feminine manner as she retrieved a tube of ruby lipstick from her kit, "I'm honestly kind of surprised you are letting me do your makeup. I was beginning to think you'd hate me forever."

"Well, I figured it's been around six months since you and Lee made up, so why not let bygones be bygones?" said Marie, attempting to portray a stoic demeanor, "Plus what normal girl would turn down a free makeover?"

Lindsay said nothing, responding only by sharing a slight smile with Marie. After a few seconds, she decided to continue their conversation.

"Are you sure you don't want me to try to work something up for your hair?" asked Lindsay as she continued to work her magic on Marie's lips.

"Nah," said Marie, "I tried everything, but these ponytails are the only thing that work at this length. I'm actually starting to really like them, they keep my hair tame and frame my face well, so why mess with success."

"Work it girl," said Lindsay in a playful manner as she placed the finishing touches on Marie's face.

With one final stroke, Lindsay closed the tube of lipstick and placed it back into the top drawer of her kit.

"All finished!" said Lindsay. She then proceeded to take hold of a small hand-held mirror, lifting it into position to facilitate Marie's view of her reflection, "What do you think?"

"Wow," said Marie, "This is perfect! You really know how to bring out somebody's features!"

"Thanks," said Lindsay.

"Double Dee's jaw is going to hit the floor," said Marie in a playful manner, "Wanna know how to make his face turn red and his head to sweat? Check this out, he calls it my 'amorous look.'"

At that point, Marie placed he mirror onto the table and rose to her feet. She then cocked her hip slightly to the left, placing her left hand on her pelvis while allowing her right to hang freely. While doing so, she adopted a sly grin, simultaneously squinting her right eye ever so slightly as attempting to appear as sexy as possible.

Lindsay did not respond to Marie's statement; instead, she remained fixated on the black haired Kanker's face with what seemed to be an expression of concern. Taking notice of Lindsay's demeanor, Marie decided to comment.

"What's wrong?" asked Marie, "Is there something wrong with my makeup?"

"Hmmm" said Lindsay, "On second thought, maybe that lip stick is a little too much. It's bugging me how it turned out, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you left my makeup chair looking less than stunning. Here sit down and let me fix it."

"Why?" asked Marie as she picked up the mirror, "I think it looks awesome! It really fits my look and accents my lips. I'd prefer to keep it!"

Lindsay remained silent, merely biting her bottom lip as the sound of foot steps emanated from the rear of the RV. Within seconds, the girls attention was drawn away from their conversation as an exuberant May dashed down the hall towards their position.

"I'm back and good as new!" said May as she performed another pirouette, "See?"

"Hey, easy on the spinning nimrod!" said Lee as she approached the booth in a much slower manner, "There ain't no guarantee that I'm gonna be able to fix it again!"

Lee turned towards Marie, instantly taking notice of her new look.

"Damn Marie, you clean up nice" said Lee with a sly smile, "That must have been your toughest task yet Liz!"

Marie clicked her tongue, gazing towards Lee with a playful glare.

"Lee," said Marie in a seductive voice, "Lee, you don't know how hard it is being a woman, looking the way I do."

Marie giggled as Lee rolled her eyes.

"Alright spaz, in all seriousness you look great," said Lee, "But now that we're all done with the makeup, I think it's time we get down to business."

"Do you really think we should go through with this?" asked May, "I mean, Mom seems to want to keep whatever is at that address a secret?"

Lee sighed.

"Mom's usually not one to make waves or talk about her emotions unless she has no other options," said Lee, "The only way we will be able to relieve her stress is to find out what the problem is ourselves. And this is probably the only opportunity we are gonna get to do this. Mom's preoccupied with cleaning the trailer and getting the beds ready for tonight, so we should be able to sneak out undetected."

"Well we've only got two hours before the show starts," said Marie, "Are we going to be able to make it there and back before then?"

"No problem," said Lee, "According to the map app, the place is only two blocks away. We'll be there and back way before then."

At the conclusion of Lee's statement, Lindsay rose from her seated position, taking hold of her makeup chest as she did so.

"Well I'll just go put this back with my bags," said Lindsay, "I'll see you guys when you get back. Good luck and be careful okay!"

"Thanks Liz," said Lee, "Hold down the fort while we're gone, and if my mom comes in looking for us, just tell her we went to the store to get some snacks."

"Will do," said Lindsay.

At the conclusion of Lindsay's statement, the two girls interlocked their pinky fingers for a few seconds, a common ritual that had been established back in kindergarten as a symbol of the girls unbreakable bond. Lindsay then took her leave, making her way down the stairs towards the lower level in a brisk manner.

"Well girls," said Lee, "It's now or never."

"Let's do it!" said Marie.

One by one the girls made their way down the stairs and out of the RV, remaining completely silent as they did so. Once outside, they proceeded towards the exit of the park, walking side by side at a relatively rapid pace.

Unbeknownst to the three girls, the sound of their footsteps had attracted the attention of a distant observer. Within the trailer, Tabby had risen from the couch and had made her way towards the solitary window. Using her index finger and thumb to gingerly separate the closed blinds, the redheaded woman peered through the small slit, observing her three daughters with a blank stare. As the three girls disappeared from view, Tabby released her hold on the blinds, causing the leaves to spring back to a closed position. She then turned towards the interior of the trailer, staring towards the far wall in silence. A few moments passed, after which the freckle-faced woman took hold of her purse, and proceeded to make her way to the trailers front door.

Ten minutes was all it took for the girls to reach the 200 block of 22nd avenue, the block on which they hoped to find the address their mother had received during her trip to the city a few days ago. Typical of the surrounding neighborhood, the block consisted entirely of two story masonry row houses, most of which appeared to have seen better days. Many of the houses have already been torn down due to being in a terminally dilapidated state, leaving weed and debris filled lots in the places where they once stood. The remaining houses on the block were in varying states of partial collapse; the city had fitted with red warning tags to the graffiti covered houses, indicating that the properties were immanently dangerous of collapse.

The girls observed the state of their surroundings in awe as they made their way down the street in a slow manner. After taking a few steps, Marie decided to initiate a conversation.

"Well one things for sure," said Marie, "Someone's pulling moms leg."

"Yeah," said May, "These houses are all abandoned. There sure ain't anybody living here."

"Don't be so hasty," said Lee, continuing to observe her surroundings in a serious manner, "Remember the 'badlands, that we had to walk through to get home from school back in the city? There were tons of houses like these, and most of them had been taken over by the homeless and the junkies claiming squatters rights. There is no reason this would be any different."

Lee paused prior to continuing.

"Be careful, watch your surroundings, and stay close to me" said Lee in a quiet manner, "We don't know who or what is lurking in these lots and alleys. Let's just find this address, see what's up, and get back to the RV before it gets dark."

"Right," said Marie and May simultaneously as they continued to follow Lee's lead.

After a few moments of walking, diligently counting the house numbers as they did so, the girls had finally arrived at their destination. The address of 245 22nd Avenue did indeed exist, although it wasn't exactly what one would call a home. The windows adorning the two story masonry property had been covered in plywood boards; it's front facade was covered in graffiti and adorned with cracks. The wrought iron railing mounted to the marble steps leading up to the front was rusted beyond repair; the wooden door itself appeared quite dry rotted.

"Well girls," said Lee, "Here it is."

"So what do we do now?" asked May.

"What else?" asked Lee, "Let's knock to see if anyone is home!"

Without hesitation, Lee slowly ascended the three steps leading up to the front door. Her sisters watched as she lifted her hand, created a fist, and delivered a series of five raps to the wooden surface.

To the girls surprise, they did not have to wait long for a response; in response to Lee's knock a faint voice emanated from the interior of the property. The voice was that of a female, speaking in a highly hoarse manner, as if the owner were overcome by lethargy.

"Occupied!" said the voice, "Find some other place to go. No visitors!"

The girls shared an expression of confusion for a few moments, after which Lee turned back towards the door to provide a response.

"Excuse me miss," said Lee, "But we are not looking for a place to stay. We are actually looking for someone who lives at this address, and you might be the one."

"I'm certain you don't want to see me," said the voice, "Go away and leave me in peace."

Lee paused for a few moments, at which point she decided to issue her trump card.

"Do you by any chance know a woman named Tabitha Kanker?" asked Lee.

No sooner than Lee had posed her question, the sound of creaking floorboards filled the air, seeming to grow louder as the inside occupant approached the front door. In a matter of seconds, the sound of the doorknob unlatching filled the air, after which the door began to open.

Lee observed with curiosity as the occupant slowly moved the door to the halfway open position, eventually revealing the source of the voice. Standing behind the door was a rather petite woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties. Her thin frame was covered in a loose fitting oversized grey t-shirt; the shirt reached the area of her thighs and was torn in several places near the bottom edge. Her legs were covered by a pair of loose fitting flannel pajama bottoms, contrasting with the light brown color of the worn bedroom slippers she donned on her feet.

Physically, the woman was of a light completion and appeared rather similar to Lee; he face was covered in red freckles, and her head was adorned with shoulder length red curls. However, in contrast to Lee, who's curls hung smooth, the woman's hair was quite frizzy and unkept. The pupils of her ice blue eyes were dilated (as if she were under the influence of a depressant), and displayed an expression of melancholy; the bottoms of their orbits appeared dark and saggy, as if the woman desperately needed sleep.

The woman stared into Lee's eyes for a few seconds, prior to replying in a hoarse sounding voice.

"I know nothing of a Tabitha Kanker," said the woman as she stumbled slightly, as if she were struggling to remain standing, "Not that I would want to speak to that spoiled brat anyway."

Before Lee could respond, Marie decided to inject herself into the conversation, taking a few steps forward to make eye contact with the woman.

"Well which is it?" asked Marie, "If you don't know her than why would you suggest you didn't want to speak to her?"

Unfortunately, as soon as the woman made eye contact with Marie, her demeanor suddenly changed. Her generally lethargic demeanor vanished, and was suddenly replaced with one of extreme distress. The women backed away slightly, adopting a fearful expression as she began speaking in a highly incoherent manner.

"No, no, no, no, no!" said the woman, as she turned towards Lee, "Why'd you bring her here? Are you from the city! I'm not interested, I've been through too much already! I tried, I tried, I tried, but it wasn't good enough. I tried to tell her, she didn't listen! She didn't listen! I can't take it any more! I lived with these demons all these years and I'm not allowing them in anymore!"

"Whoah lady calm down!" said Lee as she reached toward the woman, attempting to calm her by grabbing her hand.

Unfortunately, the demented woman had other plans; without warning, she reached behind the door, and retrieved an old rusty metal baseball bat.

"LEAVE ME IN PEACE!" yelled the woman as she lifted the bat above her head, as of preparing to deliver a powerful strike to Lee's tall frame.

Upon laying eyes on the weapon, Lee's self defense instincts promptly kicked in. The redhead adopted a defensive posture, preparing to use her skills to wrestle the weapon out of the woman's hand, and perform a counter strike of her own. However, the woman's aggressive actions were suddenly halted when a familiar female voice echoed from behind.

"HOLD IT!"

The woman froze in place as if she were a statue, turning her attention towards the source of the voice; simultaneously, the three Kanker girls turned around to lay eyes on the familiar figure of their mother, Tabby. The somewhat heavy set woman stood with her pelvis relaxed to the right, her right hand placed on her hip as she stared into the woman's eyes with an angry scowl.

Upon laying eyes on Tabby, the woman slowly lowered the bat, clenching her teeth as she did so.

"You..." said the woman in a long, drawn out manner, with intonations of intense anger.

"Yes, me," said Tabby as she began making her way towards the stoop, "You're just as fucked up as always. You are lucky I stopped you before my daughter took that bat off of ya and shoved it up your ass."

"Daughter?" asked the woman as she gazed intently into Lee's eyes. After pondering her thoughts for a few moments, a proverbial lightbulb seemed to ignite over her head.

"Annalee?" asked the woman, after which she turned her attention towards Marie. After staring intently into Marie's eyes for a few seconds, she briefly examined May before turning her attention back to Tabby.

"Now it all makes sense..." said the woman in a hoarse voice.

"Mom..." asked Marie, "You know this degenerate lunatic?"

"Well Annemarie," said Tabby, "As much as I hate her guts, I guess as your mother I should request that you show respect to your elder relatives...no matter how much of a loser they may be."

The girls briefly shared confused glares as Tabby came within feet of their position; she proceeded to deliver another statement with a sarcastic smile.

"Girls," said Tabby, "Allow me to introduce you to your Aunt Katie."