Chapter Two
Arrival
"Stop eating my Cheetos!" I screeched unlady like. For like the millionth time. How he kept managing to get them without my knowledge was beyond me.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that you're doing everything in your power to ignore that aching feeling in your chest?
"Release! Release!" I said desperately.
Guess what he didn't do?
"I thought you were trained!" I huffed. I was parked outside my father's house trying to get the dog to leave my precious Cheetos alone so we could go inside.
"May I help you?" a deep voice asked.
My head snapped up quickly hitting my head on the roof, a result from me being hunched over into the window to get the dog.
"Hi, I um I'm here to see my dad?" I said, confused at to who this humongous boy was. I couldn't see him all that good due to the fact that the sun was in my eyes.
"Rachel? Rachel! " He said, hugging me and twirling me around.
When he stood me back up I quickly righted my shirt and tried to figure whom this overly friendly kid was.
"And you are?" I asked a little creped out by the complete stranger.
"Its me! Seth!" he laughed.
"Seth? What no way! What the hell happened to you?" I asked examining his muscles.
"I grew up?" he said shrugging.
Suddenly Frodo starts barking, but is still waging his tail. He is still friendly enough that I know he is not trying to be protective. I guess this means he doesn't know if he is going to keep me yet. Go figure.
"Whoa cool! I didn't know you had a dog! Wait WSU lets you have pets?" he asked furrowing his eyebrows.
"I uh kind of got him from this old lady on the way here. I sort of almost ran over him too." I said biting my lip at how ridiculous that sounded.
"Sweet so he is like super dog?" he said smiling.
"I said almost ran over him you dork." I laughed grabbing my bag and heading for the front door.
"Hey Seth? Take him for a walk will ya?" I asked giving him my best puppy dog smile.
"Sure!" he answered eagerly.
Either my smile is just that good or he is just the same sweet little boy he was when I left. Just, you know, not so little anymore.
"Dad its me!" I hollered as I opened the door.
"Rachel! You're late! You said you would be here at four." He scolded me, but still pulled me in for a big hug.
"No! I said no such thing! I clearly stated that I would be here around four or five." I laughed.
"Its good to have you home!" he smiled.
"Good to be home dad." I smiled back.
As I looked around the room it finally hit me. The house really hadn't changed. My father still refused to change anything since my mother's death. It was like it was taunting me. ' Yeah sure everything seems the same doesn't it?' My hands started to shake. I needed to do something.
"Hey um dad? Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" I asked him quietly.
He took one look at my face and understood. I quickly entered the hall bathroom and turned the water on. After shedding my clothes, I stepped into the steam. I sighed letting myself cry here. I knew my father couldn't hear me so I let it all out. I could feel the hurt eating at my stomach. It was crawling into my chest. It was eating me whole.
The shower helped but not all that much. I was able to stop shaking. I let my long black hair air dry and slipped on some dark jeans and a WSU t-shirt.
"Hey dad? Where is Jacob?" I asked curiously as I stepped into the living room. It was a crowded little room, with oversized furniture.
"Sleeping. Where else?" he laughed.
"Didn't you tell him I was coming?" I asked.
"No I actually didn't tell anyone. It's a surprise of sorts. Though I'm sure the pack knows now that you met Seth." He shrugged.
"The pack?" I asked totally confused.
"Yeah, that s like a nickname for all of Jacobs friends." He said fidgeting.
I raised my right eyebrow. These kids are just weird.
I slowly crept into Jacob's teeny room. I crept closer and closer till I was just a foot away. Then I jumped on him.
"BOO!" I screamed giggling.
"WHAT THE CR-"he screamed, but before he could finish his sentence I quickly put my hand over his mouth.
"Shhhh! They'll hear us!" I whispered.
"Rachel?" he asked groggily, giving me a weird look.
"I said shh!" I said urgently.
"Who in the world are you talking about?" he asked looking at me like I was completely crazy.
"The goblins silly. Remember the ones that live in your walls?" I laughed getting off of him.
"You butthead. When I was little that seemed totally reasonable. "He said laughing with me.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?" he asked shoving my shoulder so we walked into the living room.
"I told dad. He just didn't tell you." I shrugged.
"Hey Rachel! I took Frodo a bath; he looked like he needed one. Who knew he was such a pretty white!" Seth said showing off Frodo's shiny white coat.
Frodo suddenly jumped out of Seth's arms and started hopping at my feet. What's with this kid? One minuet he wants me then the other he could care less?
"You have a dog?" Jake asked.
"Yip just got him today too. Cute aint he?" I smiled picking him up.
"Sure." Jacob said scrunching his nose.
"Don't worry Frodo, he's just jealous. He is way too big for me to carry." I said laughing at my lame joke. He was huge though. Way bigger than Seth.
"Hey Rachel? Whens diner?" my dad called coming in from the kitchen munching on a piece of who-knows-what.
"How did you guys survive without me?" I groaned and headed to the kitchen to start cooking spaghetti.
... ... ...
The dreams that night came back harder and much more terrifying than before. I was alright during the day but that night was like hell. I screamed more than ever. The metal clashed and my mother screamed. Her scream would mold into mine as I awoke in Jacobs arms.
I felt bad for always waking him up. He was the little brother and I was supposed to take care of him not the other way around.