The Liverly

XI

Thanksgiving preparation is in full force as Tyrell's sister is crashing here one day before whisking him off back home to spend Thanksgiving with his family. Our Thanksgiving is taking place before they leave so we can spend it with Tyrell. I've already been wrangled into helping clean vegetables and cut potatoes, not that I mind in the slightest. It's filling my days with something other than being too afraid to open the laptop or drawing, but I have to open the message at some point. I have to know if they understand how I feel or what I know.

It's only noon, but I need a break after running around on my feet since breakfast. I tell Ms. Husby I'm going to take a nap for a bit, but I'll be down later before scrambling up the steps back to my room. Inside, I close the door, lock it for whatever reason, and open the blinds to let all the sunlight in before I look back at the laptop.

It sits on the coffee table like a tiger, waiting to pounce on me. Well, the website does. And all the memories it conjures when I try to even put into words what my life is. I sink into the couch and hesitantly pull the laptop into my lap, tapping the spacebar a few times to wake it up. It creaks an eye open and slowly turns on, as if trying to make this more stressful for me. My insides feel like bubbling soda, and my hands shake.

The webpage is still up, but as soon as I click on the message link up at the top, it prompts me to sign in. The homepage shows all the forums that people are currently posting in and recent photos uploads of vampire art and makeup. The message notification at the top shows three new messages. I click it hesitantly and wait for the screen to load. Two messages are from random guys asking for a date. Pretty sure one sent a picture of something I have zero interest at looking at, too.

But then there's the response to my cry for help.

Said your family was kidnapped?

Yeah, I respond. I wait a few minutes to see if the other person will respond, and I'm not disappointed.

You're lying.

My breath hitches.

So either you just happen to know things, or you're someone else.

I stare at the screen and respond with OK. What else can I say?

Did he bite you?

My hands itch to slam the computer shut and throw it out the window. I don't want to think about this. I don't want to remember.

Are you hidden? Are you safe? the person asks.

Yes, I respond. I don't know which question I'm answering.

"Gwen!" Tyrell shouts, his voice carrying through the door and into the room. I jump and slam the computer shut.

"Gwen, come meet Aliyah!"

I toss the laptop to the side, ignoring everything closed within it, and unlock the door to head downstairs when I hear the thunder of feet coming up the staircase. I open the door to see a girl wearing a tiny backpack and t-shirt with a cartoon cat dressed as a wizard fling herself at me. "I love you!" she screams as she bowls into me while at the same time, Tyrell is running up the stairs yelling, "Don't attack Gwen!"

Tyrell arrives at top of the steps, wheezing, and staggers down the hall to us. Aliyah remains plastered to me despite my attempts to remove her. I settle for extricating a hand from the crushing hug she continues to give me and waves at Tyrell. "I'm being crushed by a kraken," I tell him.

Aliyah giggles and lets go. "More like a snake." She waves and skips away, glancing over her shoulder to say, "It was nice to meet you, Gwen!" The thundering of steps and Caleb yelling are all we can hear for the next few seconds as Aliyah flies down the staircase.