Into Abeyance

Lia introduced her long, pale, thin arms into the short sleeves of her grey hoodie. She zipped it up, covering half of the indigo shirt underneath. She took a few bills and crumpled them into her front pocket and scampered out of her room, locking the door behind her and twirling the key on her index right finger.
She walked steadily away from the motel, waving at Marty and through the deserted streets. She rejoiced as the smell of salt came stronger and stronger into her nostrils. Before she knew it she was standing were the ocean met the land, her jeans rolled to her knees, her converse on her hands and her toes wriggling happily against the coldness of the water. She smiled as her eyes went upwards to the shinning moon.
For the first time she heard people behind her, boys and girls from thirteen to ones around her own age and others hitting their thirties. They were all in large groups, a few meters separating them but all scattered in front of the ocean, beers and stronger liquor hidden inside the gigantic blue and red cups.
There were a couple of bonfires and the clicking of ice and bottles. Something cold was pressed against her bare arm. She flinched and turned around to see a boy around 8, sandy hair that matched the sand and crystal clear grey eyes. The cold thing on her shoulder was a red plastic cup with a strong smell of vodka. The boy smiled at her.

“You look familiar.”

He stated placing the cup in between Lia’s hands.

“It’s on the house.”

He said with a smile. Her fingers quickly craddled the cup and took a swing of it, her throat thankful to have the delicious liquid.

“Thank you.”

“It’s better if you stay away from the water, many of us have drowned lately.”

He advised.

“Michael Jones, leave the lady alone!”

A tall, tanned boy around fourteen years old came and took the younger one by the shoulders, his blonde straight hair flying everywhere. He gave Lia an apologetic look and then his grey orbs widene. He froze. Lia unstiffened and gave them both a warm smile.

“I don’t think our dear brother should be serving drinks to stranger, Adam. What if-“

But she was cut off when her air left her as she was raised from the floor in a bone-breaking hug. She moaned as her cup slid from her fingers and drenched the sand. Adam was slightly trembling, not letting go. Lia caresses his back softly, maing soothing noises until he put her down and placed his face on the crook of her neck, making small sniffing noises.

“I thought I wouldn’t ever see you again, Lia!”

“I thought so too, Adam...”

She gently pushed him away and passed a hand though his shoulder-long blonde hair. She noticed his firm square jaw and sculpted nose, his big eyes and soft mouth. His body was toned and his skin tanned. He looked so beautiful and so...big.

“Whoa, you’ve grown!”

“That I have.”

He said with a smile. Lia turned to the little toddler looking at them strangely.

“Hey Mikes.”

She said, kneeling beside the little boy. He wasn’t too different from what she remembered, only taller and less chubby. He had small eyes, round pink cheeks and a small mouth. His hair was sandy and tousled, his skin was white as hers.
The little boy frowned and took a step back, crossing his arms.

“Of course...you were only four...”

Lia said with a sigh as she stood up.

“That...that lily-!”

The little boy mumbled, poiting at Lia’s bare feet.

“Hmph?”

“That lily! I remember that! I never understood why someone would paint a lily everyday on their feet! Who are you?”

He asked Lia promptly, who in turn laughed.

“I did not drew it everyday! It was my twelve birthday gift...it’s a tattoo. I’m your older sister. I’m...I’m Liliana. Lia.”

The boy’s brow furrowed,

“You’re the little bitch that ran away.”

The toddler stated in a disgusted tone. Lia turned to Adam for an explanation.

“That’s kinda what mom and Patrick have been referring to you since that day...”

Lia shook her head as Adam scolded little Mike and shooed him away towards a girl around Adam’s age wearing only bathing suit and a ripped pair pf jeans. Both of them sat on the sand and stared into the sea.

“So...what brought you here?”

Adam asked her softly.

“I wanted to see you.”

She half-lied. Adam groaned.

“And there’s also some other business I have to attend. Checking on you guys being alive was in my list, seeing as you never responded to the packages I sent you monthly.”

Adam chuckled.

“Mom didn’t want them since she noticed they didn’t have any money. She broke the cds and burned the letters.”

“But, they did have money!”

Lia protested, kicking herself for the hundreds of dollars that she had lost.

“Not the first, though. And I wasn’t about to tell her the rest did. I received them, I had to slip the delivery man something every now and then. He asked too much for me to send you a letter, so I didn’t. Sorry.”

Lia nodded.

“T’is okay.”

The silence reigned between them.

“So...”

Adam chuckled.

“It took you long enough.”

“What?”

“I know what you’re going to ask me about. Or who.”

“Liz.”

“No, you would quickly ask about Liz since you already know she’s okay ‘cause if she wasn’t I would’ve told you already. Then you were gonna ask about Steve.”

“Oi! I was not!”

Adam chuckled again, standing and shaking the sand off his ass.
Lia stayed were she was, brow furrrowed.

“He’s living in the same place. Alone. Must be there. He’s changed since you left. Not the party boy at all.”

Lia froze.

He’s changed?

She stood up and started walking away from her brother.

“I’m staying at The Pearl in the Shell. Call me there. Keep this quiet, okay? And Mikes away from alcoholic beverages.”

She commanded as she walked towards the oldest crowd, got her full cup of vodka and walked away from the beach. Adam looked at her go, longing and happiness shinning through his orbs.

“Something’s wrong. Right, Lia?”

He whispered as her figure turned smaller and smaller until it dissapeared completely.

* * *

She remembered the small house with the walls painted white and a small veranda with violet flowers. It looked the same, a bit more taken care of, though. She walked around the house, skipped the fence and was faced by a gigantic black dog, his teeth bared and a malicious stare on. And he was loose.

Oh boy.
Freaking dogs.
I fucking hate them.
They should all be dead.

The dog snarled as if he could hear her loathing thoughts and started barking like crazy and walking towards her.

“Crap!”

Lia yelled audibly.

“Hades, sit.”

A calm voice came from the back door of the house. Lia’s eyes quickly took in the shirtless tanned man, his hair a mess of razor straight darkness framing his jaw. He had a pair of grey boxers a little too low, a line of thin black hair raced from his belly button lower, and lower, and lower.
If it wasn’t for the terrifying dog with the even more so name she would’ve gaped at him right there.

“What are you doing here, girl?”

The man asked, tired eyes looking at her. She wouldn’t take her eyes off the uncomfortably close dog so her mouth was superglued shut. He couldn’t look at her properly.

“I asked-“

“Dog.”

Lia explained in a low mumble. The man sighed.

“Hades, inside.”

The dog reluctantly obeyed. As soon as the dog was out of her sight Lia collapsed to the floor, her breath unstable.

“I hate dogs.”

“Get up. What the fuck are you doing on my backyard? I think I’ve stated plainly how I get you drunk, hormone-induced, teenagers on my backyard!”

“Hey, I’m not a teenager!”

Lia shriked glaring at his eyes, who widened for a split second. Then returned to their loathing and exasperated expression.

“Go figure. There is only one person in the world who can’t talk in front of dogs...”

He mumbled as he walked towards the door. Lia trotted beside him.

“Take that brute away.”

She told him before stepping into the house.

“Who said you were to come in?”

He looked at her, eyebrow raised.

“Come on,Steve.”

She pleaded.

“Hades, go downstairs.”