The Hands Of Time Strip Youth From Our Bodies

Jimmy's POV

I paced back and forth/ From the doorway to the kitchen, waiting for Araila to come home. After about 2 hours, Matt made me sit down and eat something.

I rubbed at my face vigorously with my hands. "I feel so fucking bad Matt."

He took a seat next to me, "I know you do." He handed me a bottle of Budweiser and I took a sip.

"I mean I really fucked things up bad Matt. What if she never comes back? What if something horrible happened to her? What if…"

"Dude shut up," Matt said, "You're going to give yourself a fucking panic attack."

"I think it's to late for that," I heard Johnny mumble from the recliner on the other end of the room.

I slanted my eyes at him. Johnny shrugged it off and played with a loose string on his pant cuff.

I glanced back at the clock, nervous as hell. It read 7:00, where could she be. The thought of her jumping onto a bus and heading to my mom's house flashed in my mind.

Araila could be sitting there right now, with blood on the carpet and Mom in the bedroom. The picture of the house flashed before my eyes. My mom yelling, crying. The smell of alcohol and marijuana filled my nostrils. My brain rushed me to the house they way it was when I arrived one month ago, disgusting and dirty.

I cringed at the sight.

Then the memory of Araila lying on a hospital bed, frail and helpless, flashed before me. Tubes connecting to every opening of her ghostly pale body. Blood in bags hanging by her head, pumping life back into her.

My eyes started to swell as the memory faded. The faces of my companions came back into view.

Then the front door opened. My heart raced a million miles a minute and before you could say 'Wait Up' I was at the door. I quickly embraced the visitor. Not looking to see who it was.

"Nice to see you too Jimmy," the girl said. The voice didn't sound like the one of my sisters. I looked down to see blond hair. I quickly released her.

"Is there something wrong?" Val asked with concerned eyes.

I sighed, not wanting to get into the whole story of what happened in the past 72 hours.

I walked back to the den with Val in tow. I honestly have never been so unhappy to see Val in my life as I was now.

She took her seat on Matt's lap and he started to whisper to her about everything that happened.

Her gaze landed from Johnny to me, then to Johnny again. Shaking her head at him.

Zacky's POV

I poured myself a glass of water and poked my head out around the corner of the door to see that Val was now here.

"Yo bitch," she called as she caught sight of me.

I smiled to myself and waved, gulping down my water in some sip. I discarded the cup in the dishwasher and made my way to the place where everyone was. Before I could make it to the dun, there was a feeble knock on the door. Figuring since I was right in front of it, I would save Jimmy the trip. I turned the knob and swung the heavy wooden door open.

Starring back at me was a pair of identical green eyes. My mouth literally fell to the floor.

"K-Katie?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, "What are you doing here?" she growled.

I was a bit taken aback. I mean I haven't seen her in almost 5 years. The least she could do was say 'Hi'.

"I could ask you the same," I retorted.

Her eyes widened and she looked next to her. There was a girl with the pretty brown hair, slender frame, and beautiful blue eyes.

Yes, it was Araila Sullivan, standing along side of Katie Baker.

Katie looked Araila up and down and placed a pale hand to her lips, when Jimmy came barreling into the hallway.

A look of relief covered his face as he pushed past me and grabbed his sister.

"Katie?" He said, just as surprised as I was. I could see him tighten his grip around his little sister.

"Jeez, thanks Katie for brining her back, we were so worried. I know, I know I was a jack ass but I'm so happy you brought her back." Katie mocked Jimmy's voice sarcastically.

That only caused him to scowl even more.

"Get away from my sister you whore," Jimmy snarled.

She flipped him a bird and was gone.

Yes Katie Baker was my, Zachary Baker's little sister.