Blood Bond
Lost, But Unfortunately Found
"But you know I do want kids. Maybe three…or four…or five."
"I was thinking two…or one…or none," I laughed.
"I’m serious. I want five. Please?" Daryl pleaded.
"I don’t know…normal families have two or three. I don’t know if I could…"
"What if you had quintuplets?"
"I highly doubt that." I wanted that conversation to end.
"I don’t…But at least three. Please?"
"I—Daryl…That’d make you happy, wouldn’t it?"
"Yes. The happiest I could be." I could tell he wasn’t lying.
"…At least three," I agreed quietly. His face lit up.
"Thank you! I love you so much." He hugged me.
"I love you, too."
"When?" he asked, serious again.
"I—I don't know. Can we talk about that later? I have enough stress to deal with now."
"Stress? Why would this be stressful? Thinking about becoming a mother is stressful?" Daryl asked, worried.
"No, it’s just that I’m only fifteen."
"I’m only sixteen, but I love you. I’m ready."
"It still doesn’t change the fact that I think my brother is dead!" I yelled. He backed off a little. I started crying and couldn’t stop.
"Why do you think he’s dead?" Daryl asked.
"Because I saw him in his room! He was getting out money and a bag of white powder out from under his bed! I told him I wouldn’t tell! I—I thought it's be okay! He'd get out of it! He'd figure out it was wrong and stop! He'd tell the police and we'd put it all behind us! For all I know the police caught him or they did!" I forced out.
"Who’s 'they'?"
"That gang that pushes cocaine on kids..." I said, trying to calm myself though I was still weeping.
"Oh…I’m sorry. Let’s try to find him. Come on." When I didn’t get up he picked me up and I cried into his chest.
"I'm pathetic, aren't I? Kyle might be dead and all I can do is cry…" I said, slowly regaining my composure.
"No. Don't talk like that. You're anything but pathetic. I won't let you talk about yourself like that. Let's go find your brother." He carried me down the stairs and put me in the passenger seat of his car.
We drove around town for what seemed like hours. We searched alleys, main roads, even the back roads, but found nothing. Where could he have gone?
All of a sudden the car stopped abruptly and the only thing that kept me from ramming into to dashboard was the arm that Daryl had thrown in front of me. I looked over at him and he looked guilty.
"I'm sorry," was all he said. I thought for a moment and pulled away. I opened the door and jumped out, praying that it wasn't what I thought.
I felt myself getting queasy at the sight at my feet. This couldn't be happening. I tried to kneel down, but ended up collapsing beside the body I knew was Kyle.
"Oh my god...Kyle...Kyle...Please, don't be dead..." But I knew he was. His eyes were a blank black and there was a piercing on his neck. It was certainly a fatal wound. I felt the ground start to spin. Kyle couldn't be dead—I just saw him a day ago. He wasn't...couldn't...
"Tonia...Come on. We'll take care of him later. Are you ready to go home?" Daryl asked. I knew what he was asking. I barely got out an answer before passing out in his arms.
"I was thinking two…or one…or none," I laughed.
"I’m serious. I want five. Please?" Daryl pleaded.
"I don’t know…normal families have two or three. I don’t know if I could…"
"What if you had quintuplets?"
"I highly doubt that." I wanted that conversation to end.
"I don’t…But at least three. Please?"
"I—Daryl…That’d make you happy, wouldn’t it?"
"Yes. The happiest I could be." I could tell he wasn’t lying.
"…At least three," I agreed quietly. His face lit up.
"Thank you! I love you so much." He hugged me.
"I love you, too."
"When?" he asked, serious again.
"I—I don't know. Can we talk about that later? I have enough stress to deal with now."
"Stress? Why would this be stressful? Thinking about becoming a mother is stressful?" Daryl asked, worried.
"No, it’s just that I’m only fifteen."
"I’m only sixteen, but I love you. I’m ready."
"It still doesn’t change the fact that I think my brother is dead!" I yelled. He backed off a little. I started crying and couldn’t stop.
"Why do you think he’s dead?" Daryl asked.
"Because I saw him in his room! He was getting out money and a bag of white powder out from under his bed! I told him I wouldn’t tell! I—I thought it's be okay! He'd get out of it! He'd figure out it was wrong and stop! He'd tell the police and we'd put it all behind us! For all I know the police caught him or they did!" I forced out.
"Who’s 'they'?"
"That gang that pushes cocaine on kids..." I said, trying to calm myself though I was still weeping.
"Oh…I’m sorry. Let’s try to find him. Come on." When I didn’t get up he picked me up and I cried into his chest.
"I'm pathetic, aren't I? Kyle might be dead and all I can do is cry…" I said, slowly regaining my composure.
"No. Don't talk like that. You're anything but pathetic. I won't let you talk about yourself like that. Let's go find your brother." He carried me down the stairs and put me in the passenger seat of his car.
We drove around town for what seemed like hours. We searched alleys, main roads, even the back roads, but found nothing. Where could he have gone?
All of a sudden the car stopped abruptly and the only thing that kept me from ramming into to dashboard was the arm that Daryl had thrown in front of me. I looked over at him and he looked guilty.
"I'm sorry," was all he said. I thought for a moment and pulled away. I opened the door and jumped out, praying that it wasn't what I thought.
I felt myself getting queasy at the sight at my feet. This couldn't be happening. I tried to kneel down, but ended up collapsing beside the body I knew was Kyle.
"Oh my god...Kyle...Kyle...Please, don't be dead..." But I knew he was. His eyes were a blank black and there was a piercing on his neck. It was certainly a fatal wound. I felt the ground start to spin. Kyle couldn't be dead—I just saw him a day ago. He wasn't...couldn't...
"Tonia...Come on. We'll take care of him later. Are you ready to go home?" Daryl asked. I knew what he was asking. I barely got out an answer before passing out in his arms.