Mary sped her car up in front of her old home, slamming on the breaks and
jerking forward with the car. She quickly swung open her car door and
jumped out. Stopping at the trunk, she pulled it open and took out her
wedding dress, which was now carelessly balled up. Holding it, crumpled up
in both arms, she froze at the sight of the house. Amazingly, it still had
that faint stench to it, as she looked up at it against the blackened and
threatening sky. Thunder could be heard from miles off, but there was still
no rain.
Mary forced herself to walk up the front steps of the porch. After all
these years, the house was still empty. The drama-seeking people in this
town had come to believe that the house was haunted, or that Cecilia had
put a curse upon her family. They didn't have the guts to say something
like that near Mary or Lux though, knowing how angry they'd get.
Turning the nob to the front door, it jolted open on her, the door wavering inwards with a soft creak. Mary didn't hold herself back, she had been preparing for this. She walked inside, shutting the door behind her, before heading towards the staircase.
Upstairs, she made her way carefully into Cecilia's room. She kept her head down the whole time, bringing her dress over to her sister's old bed, now being gentle as she laid it out. It was almost as if she was leaving it there for Cecilia, to replace the one that their mom had destroyed. Turning in silence, she made her way back into the hall...
* * * * *
It was now storming outside. The rain crashed down against the musty window panes, some of it even leaking through the roof, in more places than it used to.
Mary laughed out a little as she looked in the mirror. She was now in her old room, sitting on Bonnie's old rocking chair, as she started into her weather-themed mirror. She used to love that mirror, but after what had happened, she left everything behind that used to be important to her. When she laughed, it wasn't a pleasant one. It was full of self hatred, laughing pitifully at her own reflection.
Leaning forward to observe herself closer, her phony smile had faded into a miserable frown. She made a grab for the scissors without a second thought, lifting them up off of the desk. Grabbing a hold of her long, dark blonde hair, Mary began cutting it off, slicing the scissors through random layers of hair. When she was satisfied with what she had done, she clutched the scissors tightly in one hand, holding the blade up to her face. She wondered how ugly she would have to look on the outside, for people to stop "caring". She already felt ugly on the inside. None of them could understand, and Lux refused to. None of them knew what it was like. To loose three sisters is devastating enough, but to constantly blame yourself for two of them was unbearable. How could she ever be happy, knowing what she had done? But this time she wasn't going to be selfish about it. She wasn't going to bring everyone down with her. She needed Lux to believe that she was moving upstate, even if it meant her sister hating her. She needed Chase to find someone else, to blame her and resent her. Her dad still had Lux, and none of them would ever have to find out.
Running the blade across her left cheek, she winced, freezing afterwards. Tears fell from her eyes, her hand trembling so bad that she dropped the scissors. She was just stalling, she told herself. Getting up from the rocking chair, Mary headed back down the staircase, grabbing her keys off of their old coffee table on her way out. She then ran straight through the mud-soaked lawn and back to her car.
* * * * *
The rain hadn't let up. A fog began to form, growing thicker as Mary drove down the highway. She figured that she was far enough away by now. She had no sense of time, but it seemed darker than before. The blood on her cheek was now dry, but the cut was turning a darkish purple. Hair that she had clipped away was still falling out, some strays sticking to the headrest of her seat. The car was covered with mud, the faint stench of a river lingering overhead.
At first, Mary had felt ashamed and stupid for what she was doing. She felt crazy, but knew she wasn't. Maybe she had finally broken down, after all these years of pretending. All these years of acting the part of a normal, healthy teenage girl, mimicking the emotions and actions of those around her. Proving the theory that no one ever truly knows another person.
Mary slowed down, tapping her foot on the brake lightly. She could hear the sounds of the river running below the bridge of the highway, the sounds of the rain hitting into the streaming water. The fog was too thick though, she couldn't even see where the road led to, only being able to see a foot or so in front of her. She had come to a complete stop in the road by now.
*Flashback*
Cecilia tugged the bracelets until the tape came unstuck. Then she froze.
"All right. Go up, then. We'll have fun without you," their mother had said. As soon as she had permission, Cecilia made for the stairs. She climbed the steps to the kitchen, closed the door behind her, and proceeded though the upstairs hallway. Her footsteps could be heard right above them. Halfway up the staircase to the second floor, her steps made no more noise, but it was only thirty seconds later that they could hear it happen, as they all remained down in the basement, completely unaware... First came the sound of wind. The wind-sound huffed, once, and then the moist thud jolted everyone, and for that moment everyone remained still and composed, heads tilted to allow the ears to work, no belief coming in yet.
Watching their mother running for the stairs, Mary screamed, the reality of what had happened hitting her.
*End of Flash*
Mary started up the engine again, turning the key in the ignition until she heard a roar.
*Flashback*
"Where are your parents?" she could heard from one of the boys in the living room.
"Asleep," Lux answered.
"What about your sisters?"
"They're coming."
Something thudded downstairs. Mary held back tears, a sinking feeling in her chest... Bonnie.
"Come on." It was Chase's voice this time. "We better get out of here. It's getting late." Then there was silence.
"Wait," Lux said. "Five more minutes. We're not finished packing. We had to wait until my parents were asleep..." Lux's voice began to trail off. Mary closed her eyes, inhaling the warm air deeply. The last thing she heard was a car door shut.
*End of Flash*
Letting out a deep breath, Mary slammed her foot on the gas, speeding off blindly into the heavy fog. Technically, it happened quickly, but to her it lasted far too long. The front of the car hit into something, sending it spiraling into a circle, but Mary didn't let up on the gas. It was quiet after that, with only the far off sound of wind, slowly coming closer. She had heard it before feeling it; the sound of impact. Then she felt it, the water's surface hitting into her car like a brick wall. It sucked her in after that, her body violently jerking forward with the car, as she heard the sound of glass shattering from either side of her. Then she felt the cold water...
Turning the nob to the front door, it jolted open on her, the door wavering inwards with a soft creak. Mary didn't hold herself back, she had been preparing for this. She walked inside, shutting the door behind her, before heading towards the staircase.
Upstairs, she made her way carefully into Cecilia's room. She kept her head down the whole time, bringing her dress over to her sister's old bed, now being gentle as she laid it out. It was almost as if she was leaving it there for Cecilia, to replace the one that their mom had destroyed. Turning in silence, she made her way back into the hall...
* * * * *
It was now storming outside. The rain crashed down against the musty window panes, some of it even leaking through the roof, in more places than it used to.
Mary laughed out a little as she looked in the mirror. She was now in her old room, sitting on Bonnie's old rocking chair, as she started into her weather-themed mirror. She used to love that mirror, but after what had happened, she left everything behind that used to be important to her. When she laughed, it wasn't a pleasant one. It was full of self hatred, laughing pitifully at her own reflection.
Leaning forward to observe herself closer, her phony smile had faded into a miserable frown. She made a grab for the scissors without a second thought, lifting them up off of the desk. Grabbing a hold of her long, dark blonde hair, Mary began cutting it off, slicing the scissors through random layers of hair. When she was satisfied with what she had done, she clutched the scissors tightly in one hand, holding the blade up to her face. She wondered how ugly she would have to look on the outside, for people to stop "caring". She already felt ugly on the inside. None of them could understand, and Lux refused to. None of them knew what it was like. To loose three sisters is devastating enough, but to constantly blame yourself for two of them was unbearable. How could she ever be happy, knowing what she had done? But this time she wasn't going to be selfish about it. She wasn't going to bring everyone down with her. She needed Lux to believe that she was moving upstate, even if it meant her sister hating her. She needed Chase to find someone else, to blame her and resent her. Her dad still had Lux, and none of them would ever have to find out.
Running the blade across her left cheek, she winced, freezing afterwards. Tears fell from her eyes, her hand trembling so bad that she dropped the scissors. She was just stalling, she told herself. Getting up from the rocking chair, Mary headed back down the staircase, grabbing her keys off of their old coffee table on her way out. She then ran straight through the mud-soaked lawn and back to her car.
* * * * *
The rain hadn't let up. A fog began to form, growing thicker as Mary drove down the highway. She figured that she was far enough away by now. She had no sense of time, but it seemed darker than before. The blood on her cheek was now dry, but the cut was turning a darkish purple. Hair that she had clipped away was still falling out, some strays sticking to the headrest of her seat. The car was covered with mud, the faint stench of a river lingering overhead.
At first, Mary had felt ashamed and stupid for what she was doing. She felt crazy, but knew she wasn't. Maybe she had finally broken down, after all these years of pretending. All these years of acting the part of a normal, healthy teenage girl, mimicking the emotions and actions of those around her. Proving the theory that no one ever truly knows another person.
Mary slowed down, tapping her foot on the brake lightly. She could hear the sounds of the river running below the bridge of the highway, the sounds of the rain hitting into the streaming water. The fog was too thick though, she couldn't even see where the road led to, only being able to see a foot or so in front of her. She had come to a complete stop in the road by now.
*Flashback*
Cecilia tugged the bracelets until the tape came unstuck. Then she froze.
"All right. Go up, then. We'll have fun without you," their mother had said. As soon as she had permission, Cecilia made for the stairs. She climbed the steps to the kitchen, closed the door behind her, and proceeded though the upstairs hallway. Her footsteps could be heard right above them. Halfway up the staircase to the second floor, her steps made no more noise, but it was only thirty seconds later that they could hear it happen, as they all remained down in the basement, completely unaware... First came the sound of wind. The wind-sound huffed, once, and then the moist thud jolted everyone, and for that moment everyone remained still and composed, heads tilted to allow the ears to work, no belief coming in yet.
Watching their mother running for the stairs, Mary screamed, the reality of what had happened hitting her.
*End of Flash*
Mary started up the engine again, turning the key in the ignition until she heard a roar.
*Flashback*
"Where are your parents?" she could heard from one of the boys in the living room.
"Asleep," Lux answered.
"What about your sisters?"
"They're coming."
Something thudded downstairs. Mary held back tears, a sinking feeling in her chest... Bonnie.
"Come on." It was Chase's voice this time. "We better get out of here. It's getting late." Then there was silence.
"Wait," Lux said. "Five more minutes. We're not finished packing. We had to wait until my parents were asleep..." Lux's voice began to trail off. Mary closed her eyes, inhaling the warm air deeply. The last thing she heard was a car door shut.
*End of Flash*
Letting out a deep breath, Mary slammed her foot on the gas, speeding off blindly into the heavy fog. Technically, it happened quickly, but to her it lasted far too long. The front of the car hit into something, sending it spiraling into a circle, but Mary didn't let up on the gas. It was quiet after that, with only the far off sound of wind, slowly coming closer. She had heard it before feeling it; the sound of impact. Then she felt it, the water's surface hitting into her car like a brick wall. It sucked her in after that, her body violently jerking forward with the car, as she heard the sound of glass shattering from either side of her. Then she felt the cold water...