The Mysterious 'Ship
Chapter 8: The Camel's Back
Luan barely slept at all after that sickening revelation.
"No way, no way," she whispered to herself in the dark of the night. It'd been several days since she'd been trapped in the attic with him and she still couldn't shake it. The thought that he, Lincoln, her own little brother had been doing that to her.
That!
It just didn't make sense!
She tried telling herself she was mistaken, but every part of her swore she wasn't. He had to be talking about her, about... there. It just made too much sense!
Besides, she was absolutely positive that Lincoln was one hundred percent straight!
And why she felt the need to stress that given the situation was beyond her, she rued as she huddled under her blankets, her pants rubbing against the sheets.
She'd not slept in anything less than her jeans and shirt since that time with him in the attic. Even if it meant less sleep, she wouldn't give him any damn opening if she could help it, no matter what!
Midnight. It was midnight. Again. Would she get any sleep tonight? Tomorrow? The next day? Was this what her life had been reduced to now, just hoping and praying she wouldn't be his plaything anymore? More important than that, however, was the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Was this feeling of violation because she was his sister, or because of something else?
No.
No way. She wasn't gonna even consider that other possibility. No way.
No.
"Come on, Lincoln," Luan whispered to herself. "Come on in so I can catch you, and all of this can end. We'll get you the help you need, okay?" she whimpered, listened to Luna's snoring. "Come on, I know you want it."
Then she heard it.
Footsteps.
Her heart beat quicker and quicker as they grew closer. Then, when they'd reached the bedroom door? They passed on by and walked into the bathroom.
It was a few minutes before she heard the toilet flush.
But she never let go of the blankets. Her knuckles were white and her fingers cramped, every part of her tensed and ready to strike the moment someone appeared at her bedside-
"Hey, Luan, wake-" Luna jumped back and nearly screamed when Luan popped up suddenly, her eyes wild and crazy for a split second before she realized where she was and what must have happened. "Whoa, Luan! It's just me!"
Looking around, Luan took in their room. It was morning. She'd fallen asleep, hadn't she?
Luna gave her a very, very worried look. "Luan, do me a favor?" she asked when her sister slid out from under the covers and rubbed her eyes. "Please stop reading those books. Either that or I'm burning them, because you look like, pardon my language, shit, and I'm seriously worried for you. Okay?"
Her older sister didn't move until Luan agreed, though she wanted to say it wasn't those books. But she couldn't.
Part of her still felt something. Something that kept her from speaking up even after everything.
Loyalty?
Was it loyalty she felt for Lincoln?
Or something else?
No, definitely not that.
She told herself it wasn't that, so it couldn't be!
But what then was it?
She didn't know anymore.
The two parted ways after that exchange. With a dash Luan grabbed her things and hurried to get washed up before she had to get to school. Breakfast promised to be an oh so appetizing pop-tart or some equally sugary and unfilling thing from the look of the clock.
School went by as usual, and though she did her best and managed to score several moments of eavesdropping on Lincoln in his bedroom and even in the basement in hope that perhaps he might let slip when he meant to violate her next, she didn't hear anything more.
It continued that way for several more days.
Not until Friday, while she and her fellow siblings waited around for both their parents to get back from work, did she manage to get more from her brother while he sat unaware in his bedroom, whispering to himself.
"But I just can't help myself! All I've wanted to do is touch that gorgeous, soft pink-"
Luan practically gagged, her fright so great that she hit the floor, clamped her legs shut and fled as best she could back to her room, forgetting completely why she'd been eavesdropping as she slammed the door shut behind her.
A moment later, she could have sworn she heard a door open off in the distance. Possibly somewhere near Lincoln's room.
And then, there were footsteps. Soft footsteps, plodding along the carpet of the hallway. Soft, Lincoln-like footsteps.
They stopped just outside her bedroom door. Her breathing hitched, heart racing, but nothing was said and nothing was done. Was he thinking? Maybe looking for an opportunity?
Or was he waiting to see if she'd fall asleep?
You'd like for me to sleep, and sleep hard, wouldn't you, Lincoln? That's got to be it, why you're driving me crazy like this, making me lose so much sleep, that way you could do it safely without anyone knowing!
Then she heard their father call out, "Who wants to go out to eat?"
Luan already knew who didn't. Especially if he went.
But the footsteps moved away from the door, went downstairs for whatever reason. Probably figured he'd missed his chance, Luan decided as she stared at the door from where she sat on her bed, her pillow grasped tight in front of her.
As though that would stop him.
Luan didn't let go until she realized someone was on their way up. She quickly put the pillow back and laid down, did her best to act natural as she heard the door creak open.
"Luan?" Rita's eyes widened when she saw Luan laying down on her bed. "Sorry Sweetie, did I wake you?"
Act natural, Luan. Act natural. "No, Mom," Luan yawned. It wasn't an act. "Just kind of figured I'd lay down. Try and get some sleep."
"Luna told me those books have been keeping you up," Rita sighed as she walked in, sat down by her daughter. "If they affected you so badly, Sweetie, you should have stopped reading them."
In a way, Luan hated to be thought of as such a child. Books? Really? Everyone thought it was those damn books that could do this? "I know. I did."
Rita looked over, noticed they were in a pile next to the shared bunk. "Want me to take them back for you?" when Luan nodded Rita leaned over and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Would you like to go out to eat with us? Or should I make sure we bring something back for you?"
Luan really wasn't hungry. "I'll," she yawned again, "be fine, Mom. If I get hungry I'll make something, don't worry."
"You sure?"
Luan nodded again. Rita gave her another quick peck on the cheek and reached down to grab the books when Luan started.
"Oh, not that one," Luan motioned to one of the books. Before Rita could say anything she explained, "It's my friend's book. I haven't given it back to her."
Rita understood, picked it up and slid it into Luan's backpack. But as she went to leave the room, she reached up to turn the light off when Luan popped up and said, "Go ahead and leave it on, if you would."
Rita didn't say anything about that, but Luan could only imagine. Yeah, your daughter, your teenage daughter is afraid of the dark. Again. And if you really want to know why, just ask your sick son down the hallway!
Luan rolled over, looked at the wall, tried to get some sleep.
After all, she was safe. For now.
When she heard everyone leave, part of her wanted to rush out the door, run down to the driveway and wave for her family, bring them back, tell them everything. But she had no evidence, nothing she could prove. Her rational side knew that.
Then an idea popped into her head.
I'm alone. I could go to his room, ransack it, look for any trophies or sicko things like that he might have! Wait, another thought popped into her head then, has he taken any of my things?
She hadn't considered that.
Luan got up, looked through her dresser, noted a few pairs of panties and bras missing. But she couldn't recall if that was because they were in the laundry, or if someone had stolen them.
And then a knock at the door froze her solid.
"Hey, Sis?" every part of her seized up and she swallowed hard as she looked toward the door. "You awake in there?"
She said not one word as she inched over to her bed, sat down as quietly as possible and, after sliding the notebooks she'd been using under her pillow, reached for her pen and hid it behind her back as she sat against the wall and called out shakily, "Yeah, I'm up."
After a moment, Lincoln said, "Can we talk? I… have something kind of important I need to tell you."
Her eyes widened, breathing quickened, body started to shake. As she gripped the pen behind her, prepared for untoward action, she called out against her better judgment, "Come in."
And then, the door opened.
