The sister

The Distraction

The car ride to the next town was filled with silence. I didn't argue with her about this because I wanted to make her happy.

Once we walked inside the building my stomach turned to knots. There was a semi-circle in the middle of the room. We were in a church. The sign up sheet told me that this was for coping with loss. Sophie probably came here already for Elle.

We listened to people talk about how they were doing, most people already knew who others had lost. When it got to Sophie, she stood up to speak.

"I've finally accepted that Elle's death wasn't my fault. I feel better about it than I ever have. I realize now that I needed to forgive myself." She drew in a shaky breath.

"I've brought my sister with me today," She motioned towards me. "Our mother was murdered two nights ago." The room didn't react the way I expected at all. I expected gasps, shrieks, stares. 

People consoled us, briefly before asking us how we were doing. What kind of question was that?

Sophie continued to speak about how she was doing. This was the first time I heard her side of it.

"I regret not getting help earlier. If I had, I would've been closer to her than I was. Now I won't get that chance. I feel like I don't have a right to be upset because I barely knew her. I really didn't know much about her, but she was always on my side, no matter what." 

I stared at the floor, not wanting to lock eyes with anyone.

"You don't have to speak." She whispered to me once she sat down.

I didn't respond. I didn't know how to explain my feelings. They skipped me and went on in the line. I listened to other people's problems and distracted myself.

I was starting to see why Sophie goes to these things.

Once we went back home, it was late at night. I decided I shouldn't go to school. I would wait until Tuesday. That gave me a day to get clothes and prepare myself.

The next morning, I went to the police station to see Carson, but he wasn't there. I found Officer Johnson and she told me my dad was let go last night.

"Thanks, do you know where he went?" I hoped she could tell me.

"I don't. I know he wouldn't be allowed back at the house. Sorry, I wasn't much help hun." She gave me a pitiful look. I smiled the best I could and went to the scene. 

Carson was there and he gave me a bag of things and my car keys. 

"Your dad couldn't have gone far. Look in the places he went to be alone." He offered.

I knew that wasn't what he was doing. He was looking for the people that did this.

Where would he start?

I drove around town, trying to find out, when a horrible thought crept over me.

He would've gone to the person he always does: Karen.

I spun my car around and drove towards Wellspring. I got there in record time, just before I saw Karen and Dad talking outside.

I rolled my widow down and tried to hear their conversation.

"Who would do this?" Dad asked.

"I don't know, but this is bad. It looks like you did it." Karen responded. She kept glancing inside the house.

"Let's go somewhere else. Don already thinks I'm cheating on him with you. We were arguing last night a bit." She sighed.

"He can't know about our deal." Karen nodded. Why? What was she hiding?