Trouble in Tiltown

Trapped

My eyes fluttered open as I saw James cooking up food in the kitchen. My nose sniffed the air, attempting to find the ingredients he was whipping up. Walking into the kitchen, different ingredients laid across the countertop in a mess.
"Waffles, eggs and bacon." I listed them off as he continued working the pan on the stove top.
He tongue stuck out slightly, "Lots and lots of bacon." He corrected as he finished it up and placed it on a bigger plate. He took an egg and a three slices of bacon before sitting down and chomping.
"This is quite a lot, don't you think?" I questioned him as I helped myself before I sat down with him at the table.
"Well, after everything you've been through, you deserve it." He shrugs.
"We've all been through a lot." I corrected him back as he grins slightly. As we were halfway through eating, the sun began to shine brighter through the windows, leaving a warm glow on our skin. I carried all the dishes to the sink and began the washing as James stood nearby.
"Look, I have something to tell you." James says, softening his voice as his eyes meet his bare feet. My eyes focus harder on scrubbing the plates as I anticipated his future statements.
"What?" I had accidentally said with a bit of a tone than I had meant originally. However, this didn't bother his softness.
"I was still here when your mom had left. She didn't tell me much, and in fact, she nearly ignored me completely." He admitted.
Scrubbing the plate until it began screeching, I had said nothing. I feel his eyes watch me until he realized I wasn't going to respond.
"However, she did leave with one thing for me to wonder about." He said. I hurried to turn of the water that rushed out from the faucet and turned to him, taking off the yellow rubber gloves and throwing them down on the counter.
"So?" I ushered him to go on.
"She told me that she didn't want to leave you, but that it was time for her to do so."
I groan as I wandered to the empty living, sitting onto the cushioned sofa as James followed me.
"Great, thanks for the update." I spat while I begun to pick at my fingernails. Suddenly I was slapped on the hand by James and as I looked up at him with bewilderment, he glared me down.
"You idiot! Your mother didn't want to leave you, she was told to." James growled with pure annoyance clear in his tone. For a moment, I thought about it in silence until my eyes wandered back up to James who still had a scowl.
"How do you know so much?" I inquired him, standing up in front of him.
He hesitates as his eyes dart around the room, "Because our mother left, a while ago."
"Why didn't Jerrick tell me this?"
"Because too much has been happening for us to soak every thing in." He admitted. But before we could continue to argue, a knock on the door sounded throughout my home. James and I both take a second long glare at each other.
"I'll get it." James says before cautiously opening the door. However, the person at the front door welcomed themselves in.
"Hey, how've you guys been?" Jerrick says as he plops down on my couch as he bends his arms behind his head. James and I exchange a confused look as if we had both been wondering the same thing. How and why is Jerrick acting so fine?
"I think we could all be better." James says before slowly walking up to Jerrick who continued to wear a grin across his face.
"Oh, not me. I am absolutely wonderful today." He says with a smile, his blonde wavy hair brushing across his dark eyelashes. As I looked to James, he winked at me before he spoke up again.
"Actually, Laurence and I were gonna head to the lake. You wanna join?" He asked Jerrick who jumped to his feet with energy.
"Hmph, I guess so." Jerrick agrees before already heading out the door.

Once we got up to the water, I noticed Jerrick took a seat at the bench.
"Jerrick, you're not gonna swim with us?" I questioned him, an eyebrow raised at his sudden strange behavior, unlike before. His head snapped towards us with a twisted expression, almost as if he were disgusted.
"That water is disgusting." He scoffed loudly. When it was my birthday, he had no problem with it. However, we ignored his rude attitude and James and I messed around in water as the sun beat down on us.

Once we decided to finish, we both went to the restroom as Jerrick continued to be silent at the bench.
"What is up with Jerrick?" I questioned aloud as James did his business in a stall while I stood in front of the mirror, my hands on the sink.
"I'm not sure but we have to keep a close eye on him. That's my brother and he's not being himself." He showed concern in his voice. As I heard him buckle his belt, he came out just in time for us to both hear a lock click. James looked at me before running to the door, shaking it. Locked.
"Jerrick!" James pounded on the door, yelling for his brother. Though, no other sound came from the outside. Running up by James, I helped.
"Help us!" I yelled as I copied his energy. After too long, we had to accept our fate, sliding down against the door.
"Your brother locked us in, why?" I asked aloud, though my voice weakened after an hour of yelling for help. James head suddenly fell onto my shoulder, ignoring the fact I was rather lanky and even almost bony.
"We don't know." He says, a new form of raspiness took over his voice as he spoke. As I watched his eyes closed, I decided to do the same. The air, smelling of a strong mildew. Reading the small words that were graffitied on the stall walls until my eyes finally wanted to give up.

Awakening to James hitting my shoulder, I jump up from the floor swiftly.
"What's going on?" I questioned. He pointed to the door.
"Someone's out there!" He exclaimed in a hushed whisper. My eyes look down to below the door where a gap was and I spot a shadow underneath.
"Who is it?" I whispered back to him. Before he could reply, the person was revealed to us as they opened the door up.
"Well hi there, boys." The man spoke in a deep tone, tilting his hat up. Abraham stood in the doorway with a dark grin.