Hey! Long time no update. I'm not even sure anybody reads this story so I'm not going to worry about that or the very short length. I'm low on inspiration and motivation. Hope you enjoy and review! Disclaimer: I don't own the Chemical Garden Trilogy. I do wish they'd make it into a movie.
As the New Year rolled in, the amount of demonstrations seemed to pick up. Despite the frigid weather, more and more people came out to protest with us. Maybe it was because yet another government funded research project had been funded in the city, or maybe it was because my sister's story had reached an all-time high circulation. Either way, Joseph kept us busy. I rigged at least ten small explosives that month, and Sara's voice was hoarse from speaking so much. Rhine was getting better, or at least she made us think she was. Looking back, I knew she was dying, but I avoided the issue as best as I could.
It was a freezing February afternoon, and Joseph had finished riling up the crowd. If we lived in a different time, in the days my dad used to tell Rhine and me stories about, he could've been a politician who actually made a difference. In our world, however, he was just an angry guy with a voice few in power cared to listen to. Sara opened the stage for anyone who wanted to share their story. A young girl with a baby on her hip stepped forward. She couldn't have been older than fifteen, and it was clear that she was scared out of her mind to be here.
"Hello, my name is Cecil," she said softly, brushing a piece of strawberry blonde hair out of her face. "I used to have two sister wives. I always used to think that being a wife was the best life you could want, but for them it wasn't. They were both abducted from their families. One had to leave her brother, and the other watched as her sisters died because they weren't selected."
She paused. "I wanted us to be a perfect family, but my favorite sister decided she had to get home to her brother. She said we couldn't trust our father-in-law and that I should take my son and run. I didn't believe her. I should have."
Another person stepped up to speak when she faded into the crowd. I gestured to Sara and followed Cecil. She seemed to be in a hurry, constantly looking over her shoulder. I called out, "Cecil!" She didn't turn around. "Cecil, Vaughn is looking for you."
She froze. "Who told you about Vaughn," she asked quietly, almost like he was afraid he could hear her.
I smiled. "Rhine told me," I replied.
Cecil's eyes widened. "You know Rhine? Where is she? Is she safe? Did she find her…" She squinted as she looked at me. "You have her eyes," she whispered.
"My name is Rowan," I introduced myself. "I can take you to her if you want."
Cecil nodded eagerly. She shifted her son in her arms. We took the back way back to the house. Gabriel was fixing one of the windows. His eyes narrowed when he saw Cecil.
"Why did you bring her here?" he asked me, not evening acknowledging her presence. Cecil looked down at her shoes, shame written all over her face.
"I thought my sister would like to see her," I replied lightly.
"Vaughn will track her here," he stated. "She took his property."
"My son is no one's property!" Cecil shouted her cheeks red.
"That's not how he's going to see it," Gabriel responded.
"If Vaughn shows up here again, I will shoot him," I reassured Gabriel. He nodded and went back to his work. "Where's Rhine?"
"Kitchen," he said gruffly.
The house was warm and smelled like cinnamon. I made a makeshift bed for Cecil to put Browmen down on. The baby was out like a light in minutes. I looked Cecil over. Her clothes were dirty and her hair matted. She was in desperate need of a shower and some clean clothes.
"Why don't you get cleaned up first?" I suggested.
Cecil shook her head. "I want to see Rhine," she insisted. Knowing from experience that reasoning with girls was not my strong point, I lead her into the kitchen. Maddie and Chris were stirring something in a bowl while Rhine washed dishes.
"Hey, you're early," she said. Cecil stepped out from behind me and Gabriel. Rhine almost dropped a plate in shock. "Cecil?"
Cecil was visibly nervous. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted us all to be together, you know? And I thought I could trust Vaughn, but I couldn't, and Linden never loved me like he loves you," she rambled. "I managed to get someone to bring me here, but I had no idea where to start looking and…"
Rhine put a hand on Cecil's shoulder. "Stop," she said. "It's okay." Cecil clung to her, crying and apologizing, and Rhine just whispered comforting things and smoothed down her hair.
Gabriel and I watched from the doorway. This was yet another thing Rhine had become when she was gone: an older sister. Eventually, Cecil calmed down, and we all moved into the living room. Maddie and Chris were fascinated with the baby, and with Rhine's reassurances Cecil allowed them to play with him. My sister was looking especially pale, and so Gabriel and I prodded her into laying down upstairs.
Cecil frowned. "Rhine's sick, isn't she?" she guessed, watching the children play on the carpet. Gabriel and I didn't say anything. "I don't want her to die," Cecil whispered, not meeting our eyes. "Not like Jenna."
"She won't," Gabriel swore.
Cecil nodded. "Vaughn is going to find me," she said. "I don't want to cause trouble."
I made this girl look me in the eyes. "If that man comes back here, I'll shoot him," I told her. "My sister considers you family, and that makes you family here. We don't have much, but you're welcome to stay as long as possible."
Cecil smiled, looking much more like the fifteen year old girl she really was. "Thank you," she replied. "Your movement's been using Rhine's story, hasn't it?" I nodded warily. "Can I help?"
I raised an eyebrow. "And how will you do that."
She smirked. "I have information that will hurt cure research."
Oh yes, Joseph was going to like her. And I guess I did too. As long as trouble didn't follow her…