A Gaze-less Stare | Fear Street |

{ III } Another Leech

1666

She didn't know what the recent talk of the town was.

Their words seemed to buzz past and all around her, and yet she still took no notice.

Eleanor had exited the Berman home with a full bag of dirtied laundry thrown over her shoulder that morning, too busy with her morning chores to take notice of the hushed whispers that followed her as she walked through the town.

She only took notice of the quiet voices of the townspeople when she tried to greet them as she passed, only to receive silence and an averted gaze in return.

She chose to ignore their actions.

She'd rather play coy. Rather be viewed as blissfully ignorant than one to overthink every situation she found herself stumbling into.

But Eleanor couldn't keep up the facade when it came to Thomas.

She watched with a scornful gaze as he stumbled towards her. In one hand he limply carried a no-doubt empty flask while he used the other to push his greasy hair away from his eyes.

"There you are, girl." He slurred out. His once strong and caring voice was now tainted and strained by the years of drinking and his lack of hygiene didn't help the case.

"I'm not the one disappearing into the night, Thomas."

Eleanor attempted to walk around her brother, but he quickly stepped in front of her, successfully blocking the path. 

"Went to our family's house... but the door's locked and the key's missing." He tilted his head to the side as he spoke to her, annoyance evident in his voice. "Aye, and it'll be stayin' that way." Eleanor confirmed before stepping around his form.

"Well, aren't you spirited this morning?" Thomas followed the girl as she continued her trek through the town. "What are you playing at, Thomas?" She groaned out, realizing that he wouldn't be easy to avoid.

"There's been talk around the town, little sister." Thomas began, going to place an arm around her shoulders only for her to shrug him off. "People talk all the time, Thomas."

He nodded slowly, before releasing a cruel chuckle. "But never about you."

Eleanor slowed her pace, his words almost stopping her in her tracks.

"Well, what is it that they say?" She queried, not entirely believing him but she wasn't a fool. People had been acting strange all morning, and she did not doubt that some of it pertained to her.

"They mean to cast us out. Exile..." Thomas explained to her.

It wasn't a shock, she had honestly been waiting for this day to come. To be thrown out of Union like a pile of useless scraps and to the dogs.

"You must have known this day would come. When was the last time you worked? Or tried to better Union, or yourself? The same could be said for mother."

Thomas rolled his eyes at his sisters' words. "It's sinful to speak ill of your family, girl."

"It isn't sinful to speak the truth, boy." She mimicked his tone.

"Get off your high horse, sister. If we are to be cast out, you'll be joining us."

Eleanor couldn't help but scoff at his words. "I'll be cast out? That's absurd."

"They mean to root us out. All of us."

The youngest Slater stayed silent, continuing slowly down the path to the stream through the woods with her brother still at her side.