Chapter 1: Hello? Anyone home?
(Warning, there will be some 'language' used in this chapter. Ps: this is the chapter with that domestic violence I mentioned in the summary)
Myra awoke to see Celia's half of the room. As usual, the fourteen year-old had gotten up before her older sister.
The bed was neatly made, the old, crunchy gross carpet was clear of any dirty clothing or any of the silly nick-knacks that Celia loved so much. She sleepily looked down at her own half of the room: it looked as though a bomb had gone off. Dirty clothes were in several heaps and piles on the rarely vacuumed carpet, along with crumpled up pieces of paper and open notebooks. Even her nightstand was crowded with empty plastic water bottles and a few used tissues. There might've also been a book somewhere on there too.
The only clean spot on Myra's half of the room was her dresser. The drawers themselves weren't clean, but the top was clear. It was the only spot she bothered to keep clean anymore because that's where she kept her Lapras, Nikko. In his poke ball of course. Anywhere else on her half was gross.
Anytime Celia came over to her half of the room, Myra would say, "enter at your own risk." She really needed to clean up… her eyes drifted to her alarm clock, the digital numbers barely visible through all the debris on the nightstand.
"Shit!" Myra muttered, throwing her covers off herself and practically running out of the room and into the bathroom.
It was eight twenty. She was supposed to drop Celia off at the trainers' school down the street at eight forty five. Myra was sweating in her long sleeved night shirt and pants. Now 'a days, that's all the wore. Long sleeves. It was summer too. Celia always seemed suspicious, but Myra didn't care.
Groaning, she ran back into the room she shared with her sister and grabbed her usual attire: an old, gray beaten-up old hoodie and some tattered jeans and ran back into the bathroom. She locked the door. Myra always changed in the bathroom with the door locked so Celia wouldn't see. The sixteen year-old stared grudgingly at herself in the mirror.
She hated her hair. It was a thick, wiry, coarse, frizzy mess. It was near impossible to brush through. She didn't have any time to even attempt to comb through it, so she threw it up in a ponyta-tail. The top of her head looked awful now with her hair pulled up, so she slapped her navy blue and gray baseball cap on, backwards of course. She sighed before changing her shirt. Myra couldn't help but wince when she saw her bruise-stained skin. Her skin was nearly transparent it was so pale, so things like bruises showed and stuck around too long for her liking.
I'm not afraid. She told herself, sliding the hoodie over herself. The girl knew her legs would have some too, but not nearly as many as her arms and neck. She took another look at herself in the mirror and ran her fingers over her left eye; it was also bruised. It had been for about a week. Although it had faded a lot, she still had to cover it up with makeup so Celia and anyone else she talked to wouldn't notice. She disdainfully picked up Celia's makeup brush and powder. She was just as pale as Celia, so her blush or whatever you call it matched Myra's skin pretty well. The brunet covered her face in a thin layer of dust before putting everything away again.
With her black-eye covered, she stepped back and looked herself over, making sure that no bruises were showing before unlocking the door and walking back into her and Celia's room to get her Lapras and cell phone. She had slid Nikko's poke ball into her pocket when her phone started buzzing. Inhaling deeply, she reluctantly picked up her phone.
No matter what he says, he doesn't mean it, Myra. Just read the message. It might not even be him. Myra thought, coaxing herself to look at the phone.
Like she suspected, it was him. She didn't want to read the message. Myra had already played the 'work called me in early, can you come take Celia to school for me?' card too many times. Her friends wouldn't believe that working at the Dream Yard as a tour guide wouldn't make it so she couldn't take her little sister to school. But I haven't played the sick card. Maybe it won't even be hurtful. She couldn't cry again. No one could know about this, especially not Celia.
It buzzed again. Don't make this worse, Myra. Just answer the text messages…
The phone gave another two buzzes. Then it started to ring. She looked at the caller ID and saw, 'Matt'. She had to answer it. Myra answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Why the fucking hell did you not answer my messages?"
"Sorry, I'm getting ready right now, I have to get Celia to school-"
"Tauros-shit! Who are you with? What were you doing last night? Damn it, Myra answer me now!"
"Matt-"
"You're lucky I even stay with a whore like you! I'm the best you can do, I'm all you can do, slut!"
Her voice quavering, Myra spoke again. "I'm not with anyone, Matt. You're honestly the only guy I've been with-"
"Do you think I'm that fucking stupid? Don't you even try to leave me you ugly bitch!"
A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Where did this come from? I thought we were fine, Matt! We were fine on Tuesday-"
"And we would've been fine, but you insist on sleeping with-"
"I'm not doing that! I'm not trying to leave you! I'm not doing anything wrong!" Myra screamed, hanging up, her face bright red as she cried.
She looked at the clock again. It was eight thirty. There was no way she would be able to stop crying and have her face go back to its typical pale color in ten minutes. Wiping her eyes, she started texting her friend, Carly.
'Hey can u take Celia to the trainers' school for me today? I'm sick.' She knew Carly would get back to her quickly. The girl was always on her phone. Seconds later, the phone buzzed. 'Aw, sry 'bout that Myra. Ya I'll take her.'
Myra sat on her bed and just cried.
XXX
Celia's POV
Celia sat on the wood floor beside her Eevee, V. V gave a content purr as his trainer ran a brush through his fur, his big brown eyes wide with adoration for her.
She giggled, "love you too, buddy."
Celia looked at the kitchen clock and frowned.
"Aw, it's almost time for stupid trainers' school. I hate that place, I've been held back for four years now just because I don't like to battle. What's wrong with that?" She asked, staring sadly at her Eevee.
"Umby, did you like to battle when you were V's age?" Celia said to her grandma's elderly Umbreon.
She left him to protect Celia and Myra, well that's what Grandpa said. Grandma just said he was retiring. The Umbreon just twitched his ear in response.
She sighed, "V, will you ever be grumpy like Umby and Grandma?"
V gave her a sweet look and settled in her lap.
"That's good." She giggled, scratching him behind his ears.
"Hey V, maybe instead of battling like the other students at recess, we can sneak over to the park and ditch for the rest of the day." Celia whispered, grinning.
V cried out in agreement. She heard a knock at the door. She got to her feet, V still in her arms as she went to answer the door. Umby had one eye open, ready to attack if the person at the door tried to hurt Celia. Celia quickly recognized the person as Carly, one of Myra's friends.
"Oh… hey, Carly. What brings you here?"
"Well hello to you too. Myra texted me and asked if I could pick you up. She says she's sick." The blond said.
Celia looked towards the stairs.
"It's probably best if you don't bug Myra. Besides, you'd be late for school." She said cheerfully.
Celia sighed, "yeah, don't want to miss all the fighting."
Carly formed a determined fist, "that's the spirit! Now come on, Squirt!"
Celia and V exchanged annoyed glances, but followed Carly outside.
XXX
"When you get back from recess, we'll start our mock battle tournament, okay?" Ms. Sumner said as she released her students outside.
Her class consisted of a bunch of ten year olds. And Celia.
"Wait, hold up, Celia." She called as the ten year olds ran outside with their Pokémon.
"Hm?" Celia asked when she turned around.
"Um, Celia, not that I don't enjoy having you in my class, but you've been stuck in the same school for nearly five years that most graduate from in less than a year. Is something wrong?"
Celia shrugged, "I just don't like battling. I don't think V here is much of a fighter either. The only reason I'm here is because my older sister's making me."
"Yes, but if you ever want your trainer card you're going to have to graduate."
"I don't really want my trainer card. I don't plan on traveling, I want to go to a normal school and then college so I can have a real job that's more reliable. As a trainer, you never know if there's going to be anyone out there that you can actually beat, or that there's any other trainers out there period. I want a job that will promise me a certain amount of money. That's all."
"Well, Celia sorry but your grandparents are your legal guardians, and they insist that you get your trainer card. Until you turn eighteen you will be obligated to taking this class"
"Then I will wait until I'm eighteen." She said smoothly, turning her back to the teacher and walking outside.
"Eve?" V asked worriedly.
"Don't worry about it, buddy. I will stick it out for as long as the law requires me to do so, then we'll be gone. I don't know exactly where we're going, but we're leaving. With or without Myra."
XXX
Myra's POV
After the redness had left her face, Myra went to her place of work. Since she couldn't have a serious training career thanks to Celia, she worked at the Dream Yard as a tour guide for the tourists. It had gotten rather popular over the years, which was understandable. Striaton was one of the few cities in Unova spared from the bombing when Team Plasma was still in power.
She wished she didn't have to have a job, but since her grandparents refuse to pay the bills for the apartment that they bought for her and Celia to live in, she was forced to get a job. Of course, if her grandparents knew that Myra was desperately looking for work but just couldn't find any, then they'd give her financial support. Sometimes, Myra felt like her grandparents, especially her grandma, didn't want her and Celia around.
She slowed her walk when she felt like someone was watching her. Myra looked around.
Arceus please don't be Matt… She thought, looking until she saw a few sketchy looking people hanging around the alley way next to her apartment.
There were four or five of them, all watching her intently. A few of them started laughing when they saw Myra watching them watch her. Her hand gripped Nikko's poke ball and she started walking faster. They just laughed harder.
XXX
"You did what?!" Myra shouted, her face red and angry.
Celia shrunk back a little.
"Celia, do you realize how bad this is going to be if Ms. Sumner doesn't forgive you? If she decides that you aren't trying enough and you're not committed enough, then she's calling grandpa and grandma up and then what? BOTH of us will be in trouble, not just you, but I will be punished too! And I didn't do anything! I didn't skip school, I didn't basically declare that I wasn't going to try at all in trainers' school until I'm a legal adult! Arceus, Celia! The only way to make a real living in this world at our age is through being a trainer. College is too damn expensive! And it takes too damn long! You can't make it until you're an adult with just me and my pathetic job in Striaton. This may be a cheaper town to live in, but I can't do this forever. I've been waiting and waiting for you to get that card so we can travel and ditch that damn house!" Myra said, looking defeated and angry.
Celia was on the verge of tears.
"I-I'm sorry," she sniffed. "I just don't like it."
"Celia, just try for me." She said, exasperated.
Celia nodded sadly. "Okay…"
"Vee…" V murmured along with his trainer.
Myra smiled faintly.
"All I'm asking is that you brush your Eevee less, and train with it more."
"I'm still going to brush V a lot, but I'll at least try to get my trainer card…" She said.
"But why? Eevee-"
"V." Celia interrupted.
Myra rolled her eyes and continued. "Fine, 'V' already really likes you. If you'd just level it up a little you could end up with an Espeon or an Umbreon. Maybe even Sylveon."
"Myra…"
"Yeah?"
"You weren't really sick this morning, were you?"
Myra quickly stiffened up. "Let's go home."
"Myra, I'm gonna find out eventually you know, may as well tell me now. Same with the all the long sleeves, today it was nearly a hundred degrees out and you still wore long sleeves. You didn't only wear long sleeves last summer."
"Keep your nose out of my business." Myra glared.
Celia cowered under her older sister's gaze, knowing it was best to keep her mouth shut. The two started walking up the stairs that led into the apartment. Myra stared at the stairs and stopped.
"Hold up, Celia." She said, picking up a rock that was on the stairs.
There was a white piece of paper taped to it.
Myra held it up and read it aloud: "Feel the thunder."
Celia's and Myra's gazes fell on the windows on either side of the door. One was smashed, a small hole in the center.
"What the hell…" Myra's blood had run cold at this point.
Is Matt inside? She asked herself fearfully.
"The only way there's a smashed window with the rock on the outside is if someone threw it from the inside of our house." Myra murmured as she turned to Celia. "Celia, if there's someone in the house, you run. Don't even look back to see how I'm faring. Just run to the Pokémon center and call the cops. Don't call them on the way to the center, call them in the center. And don't you dare come back to the house until the cops have cleared it. Got it?"
Celia nodded, stepping off the stairs and onto the street. Myra took a deep breath, her hand shaking as she put the keys into the lock.
"Um, Myra, maybe we should just call them now." Celia said frightfully, clutching V tightly in her arms.
"Hell no, even if you do call the cops what are they going to do? They never do anything! It's always the trainers anyway, and I'm a trainer. I have Nikko." Myra insisted, holding the Lapras's poke ball in the air for emphasis.
Celia gulped, visibly shaking. She forced herself to roll her eyes. Myra refused to look afraid in front of Celia. Her heart pounding, Myra opened the door.
The room was dark, which was typical. No one was at the house during the day other than Umbreon, and he like the dark so she never left any lights on. The TV was off, it all looked normal. Except for one thing. Umbreon would always come to the door and greet each of the girls with a nod. He wasn't there.
"Is Umby there?" Celia asked from the street.
Myra turned her head towards Celia. "No."
The fourteen year old looked truly scared now.
"Hello? Carly I swear if you're yanking our chains here it's not funny. Get your ass to the front door now before I send Nikko to beat you." Myra yelled, her voice echoing throughout the house.
A few seconds passed and nothing.
"Umbreon?" She called out, her voice thin and almost desperate.
Celia started walking up the stairs.
"Umby? Umby are you there?" She shouted.
"Eve!" V called, wanting to help his trainer as much as possible.
"If someone's here, come out where I can see you with your hands up where I can see them or else I'm calling the cops!" A few more seconds passed, nothing. "Celia, maybe nothing happened. There's probably a rock on the kitchen table or something. Some kids probably just wanted to freak us out so they broke the window and put the message rock outside." Myra said.
"But what about Umby? Why isn't he coming?" Celia asked fearfully, her pretty blue eyes starting to water.
Myra put a shoulder on Celia's shoulder. "Celia, he's really old. He might've just passed away while we were gone. Or, you know he could be deaf by now. He might just be sleeping upstairs and be too hard of hearing to notice that we're home."
Celia nodded. "I guess."
"Well, I'm going to say false alarm." She said, shrugging it off as she put one foot in the door.
"Wait!"
Myra froze.
"What?" She asked.
"V doesn't want you to go in there." Celia whimpered, holding V up for Myra to see.
He was growling, his ears flat and his little claws extended.
Myra rolled her eyes, "what does he know? The little puff-ball hasn't even won a single battle. You've probably got him all paranoid or something."
Celia glared at Myra. "He's still a Pokémon. V has a great nose and good ears. I'm not going inside." She said stubbornly.
"Celia, the door was locked when we got back. The hole in the window isn't big enough for a person to get through, and if someone let a Pokémon loose in the house via poke ball, then Nikko will take it out. You're coming inside. I saw shady people standing around the apartment this morning-"
"When you were 'sick'?" Celia glared. "Unlike you, V and I don't lie. Someone's in there!"
Myra rolled her eyes again and walked into the house, Nikko's poke ball in hand and enlarged, prepped for a fight. She looked around. Nothing.
"Celia, no one's here, see? Nothing is going to happen! Get your ass inside now."
Celia looked at V, then Myra, and reluctantly followed her sister inside.
"There, see? Nothing's wrong here." Myra muttered, closing the door and locking it.
"Alright, now I'm going to make a note to call someone to fix the window tomorrow, and then we can go look for Umbreon and have dinner. I made oran berry soup." She said, walking into the kitchen to find a sticky note.
Myra hadn't even put the pen against the paper before Celia screamed. It was a blood-curtailing shrill scream that would make a person's hearing hard for a few minutes. Myra's head jerked up, she spun around and saw a man standing in front of her, a small revolver in his hand aimed straight at her face.
"Should've listened to the kid, sweet-heart." He smirked.
Myra started feeling behind her for Nikko's poke ball.
"Move and I shoot!" He shouted, pressing the fire-arm against her head. The brunet froze and put her hands up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements.
"Are you alone?" She asked.
He chuckled. "Nope."
"What are you doing to Celia?"
"Who? The girl? Ah, don't worry she's already bound up. She can't move, so we ain't gonna hurt 'er."
"What about Umbreon?"
He gave another hearty laugh and turned Myra to face the corner of the kitchen. Her brown eyes widened.
"U-Umbreon? You alright? Come on… get up." Myra pleaded, staring horrified at her grandma's Umbreon.
He was slumped unmoving in the corner, a small trickle of crimson flowing onto the floor from his head.
"One little smack to the head and the old timer just dropped dead." He smirked.
"What do you want?" She asked, choking back tears.
I can grieve later. She told herself.
"Sorry, I don't even know. We just had orders to get you." "Now, let's get this show on the road," the man said, hitting Myra with the butt of his gun on her head.
She was out.
I had this chapter pre-written and well I'm not good about keeping written chapters stored up… so you guys get two chapters all in one day!