Lee Ray Ann

[Lee]
I sat alone in my room. Although I know Aunt Audrey didn't deserve, it I still felt a little better now that I yelled at something. Not that I didn't know I hurt her, she looked well ashamed.
'Good,' the cruel voice in the back of my head said soothingly 'she deserved it'
Suddenly I really felt like the TV characters with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.
'No she didn't you wouldn't let her finish maybe she was going to say something like, ...all the details if it is bloody, or till we know for sure.' the angel countered, just as soft, but with the tone of truth and gentleness too.
'She just wants you in the dark! She thinks you’re oh so young. Too young to give up all hope.' the devil spat, it was loosing this fight. The angel didn't have it say anything; I knew it was right my aunt wouldn't want to hurt me, protect and spoil more like it. The room suddenly felt silent and lonely, so I closed my eyes and listened to the voices below me.
"I am so sorry," my aunt was saying "but I think you should go I need to sort out this mess"
'Mess? She thinks you are a mess?' the devil started again. I sniped that thought in the bud.
'SHUT UP!' my own inner voice said, the one processing what they said. The devil did shut up.
“No worries we need to get back." Derik said in his lower voice.
"say hello to our guar for me." Aunt Audrey said slowly. I could tell she was still shaken from the double blow of loosening her nice and my explosion. (Both the devil and the angel had different opinions of this.) I heard the door close quietly.
Knowing my aunt, she was going to come up right away. She won’t be angry though, I'd be able to pull off the I-just-lost-my-sister card if she was.
I quickly pulled myself together, taking a deep breath I sat up and wiped me eyes. I knew they were red and puffy now.
When the knock on the door finally came, the devil side wanted me to ignore it, but all my anger had dissipated. "Come in" I said weakly, my voice cracked.
"Honey, I'm so sorry." she said poking her head in carefully she thought I'd explode again. That gave me an extra feeling humor, I wanted to laugh, and cry, and scream, and just wake up from this crazy nightmare. I did them all except wake up, that's not possible.
You read right I laughed! Not a funny laugh that spread relief through my worried aunt, but made her think I was crazy. A loud not quite me laugh, it scared me. When I finally stopped she was looking form worried, to like she would cry.
'Now look what you've done.' the angel scolded.
"I don't care what you meant by it," I said ignoring the inward comment "it doesn’t matter it's trivial what matters is that next time I know you wont do again," she looked ready to interrupt but I continued "I can tell. Also what matters is we still have each other. I don’t want to lie to you and I never will again," I paused to see her reaction "But only if you promise to never keep any information that pertains to me, or this case, or my sister." she blinked twice, her expression never changed.
"Ok" she said bleakly. She wasn't just sad but hopeless, she had lost hope.
"This looks bad doesn’t it" I said soberly almost a question. she didn't need to answer, it was rhetorical, but she nodded slowly anyway. "At least we know two things, one wherever Suzie is she is in a better place. Two once it gets this bad there is nowhere but up."
Her expression finally changed but not to one filled with relief more like she was pondering on this thought. "You know, you are a lot more grown up than I thought." she said finally.
I smiled this time it was a me smile. "Thanks"

Later I sat and I thought about what happened, I think I grew up. I am not the innocent Lee who sat in the back and never talked to anybody, I am not Lee the wall flower anymore I am Lee the adult.
It's not the same as thinking back to when you were so small and saying I am so old now. It is like a switch that needs to be flipped. For some people the switch is a love the want to marry. For others a parent who is never around, some people where born with it switched some dies before it is. Tragedy is a cruel hand that turns the light on before it should be it flipped my switch.
I may never talk to the kids at school I won’t be able to relate, because in a sense, I will be older. It's a sad reality, I cry myself to sleep.

[Angila]
I sat on the couch watching the late night shows, you know the ones with the monsters, and bad black and white special effects? I stared at the screen. Everyone else had gone to bed my mom is alone tonight because dads not home, again.
As the credits roll I feel my eyes get heavy. It was a good movie, the vampire died at the end.
I flicked the TV off and stood up to stretch.
As i turned I thought I saw something move near the widow. "Tigger?" I called to the family cat, not that I thought he would answer if it were him. Too much TV you’re seeing things. I told myself.
I turned and quietly made my way up stairs, nimbly avoiding the squeaky steps. I closed my eyes and fell asleep immediately.

my dream was odd it started out pleasant with the usual stuff, but at one point I walked into a room and sat in the only chair, or any thing. There was no other furniture. The door closed behind me. No i slammed closed, which was scary but I just walked to the chair. a funny smell came from nowhere and everywhere. That scared me too because it was so real. I stood and ran to the door. It was locked, "Let me out!" I cried to nobody. I banged and scratched on the door. "Let me out I'm locked in!" somehow I knew if I could get out I'd be ok.
Suddenly the door flew open I never got to see who opened it, because so did my eyes.

I wasn't in bed I knew before my eyes could focus it was a hard, cold surface, and it was moving. I tried to sit up but I was to weak, I could only move my head. I felt the hard surface- that could only be the bed of a pick up truck- stop. Only now did my ears seem to start working. The low hum of a motor was unmistakable.
Feeling stronger I rolled on my side; an old boot was lying next to me. Now I know what the smell was I thought.
The door opened in front, the driver was getting out. Wait the diver why am I in a truck? I thought suddenly my mind unfogging more. Why am I not at home in bed? Where am I? I was panicking.
I sat up shaking millions of questions ran through my head. Curling my knees to my chest I leaned on the back wall. It was cold.
Voices came to me barely audible over the trucks engine. There where two of them though. Another shiver racked through me when the voices got closer. Bits of the conversation where weaving in and out.
"You didn't hurt her..." someone said in an inquisitor’s tone, definably female.
"Na I... the rest though" a man said in reply. He sounded proud.
"... Witnesses?"
"None this time"
I froze what did he do to mom? and Aaron? Where they ok, or, or. I couldn’t even think it.
The voices where definatly getting closer.
"your positive they are dead?"
"You should have seen the mess"
"Lester!" the woman seemed appalled. "You know damned well I don't want to know!"
I hardly registered her reaction. He said mess and she said dead.
Tear welled in my eyes. No, no, no, no, it can't be.
Lester never responded to the woman. just as the first tear rolled down my cheak the door flew open. A man with a cowboy hat on stood in the opening, blue eyes tinkling. this must be Lester. His face was smiling but in a creepy way like were about to eat me. "hay she's awake! should I give her another shot or dose she look like she can follow directions?"
A woman stepped into view. Her hair shimmered in the light it was black, like mine, her dark eyes matched too. I felt like I was looking at an older version of myself.
The biggest difference was that she had an odd smile on her face, not like Lester, but like a false smile like she failed at pretending to care, a very un-motherly smile.
"Give her a shot just in case" she said looking away from me to Lester, who was looking at her expectantly.
"Your wish is my command" he said in a half bow, the creepy smile never leaving his face. he stepped up into the truck, I would have backed up if I hadn’t been against the back wall.
"No! You leave me alone!" I said suddenly alive with energy.
"Oh calm down" he said grabbing one of my flailing arm with one hand and a syringe with the other. I looked down at the hand on my arm and froze. I could hear my own heart beat, he was missing a finger.
My momentary pause gave him time to insert the needle now I was afraid to move. A numbing sensation sped through my arm, slowly with each beat of my heart (which I could still hear) the sensation covered my whole body I slipped into a black, dreamless sleep.