Mind Link

The front door slammed pointing out to Mariah Furness that at least one of her children was home.

"Kyle?" She called out from the living room.

"No, mum!" Tayla replied, "It's just me!" She dumped her school bag by the stairs and followed the sound of her mothers voice.

"Where's Kyle?" Mariah asked automatically when Tayla entered the room.

"I dunno mum," Tayla answered pulling something from her pocket, "I think he went with Cody and Katie to see a movie or something."

"Oh, well why didn't he call?"

"I don't know. Can you sign this?" Tayla said, thrusting the notice into her mother's hands.

"What is it?" Mariah asked, her voice uninterested.

"Nothing. It's for my environmental class at school. Kyle's got one too," Tayla explained, trying not to go into too much detail.

"Excursion?"

"Yeah."

"And Kyle's going to?" Mariah enquired.

"Yes," Tayla rocked back on her heels and forward again onto her toes, eager to get up to her room.

Mariah sighed, "Well alright i suppose. I think there's $10 in my bag. Split it with your brother will you?"

"Sure thing mum," Tayla said, handing her mother a pen from the computer desk and crossing to the kitchen to collect her mother's bag.

With permission slip signed and money secured in an envelope, Tayla headed upstairs to her room. As the door closed the terrible weight lifted off Tayla's chest. She was free. In her room, she was a burden to know one. She could so what she pleased. Dumping her bag, that she had retrieved from the bottom of the stairs, at the foot of her bed, she walked over to her window. The curtains were drawn wide and sunlight was pouring into the room.

Tayla's room overlooked the backyard; Kyle's overlooked the front. Obviously. Tayla wouldn't really mind, except the backyard was always so messy. The grass was never cut, the hedges never clipped, the fence needed re-painting, the washing line looked like it had been severed in two and the shed as almost caved in on itself. Mariah Furness wasn't really an outdoors person. Kyle wouldn't even left a finger to help out around the house. And Tayla, well she didn’t know the first thing about backyard managing. No, that was all up to their father, but he was never home. In fact it had been almost 2 months since his last visit. Tayla wasn’t even aware of which country he was in. Last she’d heard, it had been New Zealand, but who knows, by now he could be in America. Tayla missed her father. Like Mariah doted on Kyle, Philip tended to dote on Tayla.

Tayla stood, leaning against her desk chair, and stared out into her backyard, beyond her backyard, further than she could see. Tayla’s imagination was pretty far flung, but she was still very logical when she had to be. Stretching out her arm she slid the window halfway up, letting a breeze into the room. She sniffed at the air, tasting a million different scents, wishing she could escape the confines of her home. But of course, leaving was quite impossible. In short, Tayla was somewhat of a prisoner in her own home.

Down below, the front door slammed. Kyle was home early. Listening hard Tayla distinguished between four voices. Kyle brought friends. Tayla sighed, fantastic. She walked over to her door and flicked the lock she had installed a few months back with her own money. Mariah Furness had no idea and would probably crack it if she ever found out. Locks were not allowed in a house were fire could break out. Walking over to her bookshelf Tayla grabbed and old, battered book off the top shelf and plopped down on her bed to read. Pulling her iPod out of her pocket she turned the volume up too loud, drowning the rest of the world out.

Down stairs Mariah Furness was fussing over her sons hair. “It does need a cut Kyle,” she insisted.

“Not now mum,” Kyle said, gritting his teeth.

“It is a bit long Kyle,” Cody said with a laugh and Kyle shot him a death stare.

“We’re going up to my room, O.K ?” Kyle changed subject.

“Alright dear,” Mariah sighed, “but leave the door open will you? Oh, and tell Tayla I need her downstairs.”

“Yes mum,” Kyle said, dragging his friends out of the room.

“Tayla’s home then?” Katie asked.

“Yeah, course. Where else would she be? The little nerd’s probably up in her room reading right now.” Cody snickered.

“Shut it,” Kyle grumbled, leading the other two down the corridor.

Passing by Tayla’s door, Kyle knocked three times. Universal sibling code for mum needs you now.

“Can we just?”

“No Cody!” Kyle said, dragging his friend past Tayla’s bedroom door.

From inside, Tayla heard Kyle and his friends quarrelling outside her door, but unable to hear words due to the volume of her music she wondered what they were talking about. Hoping they would pass soon, she turned the pages of her book and continued to read.