The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

89. Red Herring

RILEY

SOMEHOW, TODAY FELT JUST AS rough as yesterday. I was nervous about possibly seeing Dad again, and maybe realizing that we'd grown too far apart. As Raymond had explained, there was also the risk of NIO using him against us.

Lauren eventually dragged herself back inside when the neighbor kids came out. I couldn't read zilch from her expression other than she wasn't happy about the state of things. Everything about her stance screamed she still needed space, so Luc and I moved from room to room.

It all felt so new I expected the ground to open under my feet and I'd be stranded again.

The living room had a computer setup in a corner. First room held an imposing bed and yet another desk cluttered with notes and a pair of headphones. I was surprised to see a vinyl record player next to a few shelves of discs, mostly 80s and 90s songs. On the shelf below were a few board games.

I approached the desk to touch a black and white cat figurine, only to turn it and find that it was a cat-butt tissue dispenser.

Something caught Luc's attention at the side of the bed, a pair of slippers. I tripped on a laugh.

"Where did he get those?"

He poked the baguette slippers with his foot and sighed. "Weird shit from Amazon, no doubt. I bet we'll find more if we look harder. We should go before we find any horrors."

Second room was a guest room with a full-length mirror on a wall, a flatscreen and an empty desk. The convertible couch doubled as a mattress large enough for two people. In the closet, he'd left some blankets and pillows. 

We wandered into the basement, which was much larger and cooler, and possessed its own bathroom. On one side of the space, Raymond had placed a ping pong table, and there was foldable sleeper couch near a real fireplace. We discovered a mini-fridge full of beers, soda and water bottles. I decided we'd take this space where we could be more alone.

I found another pair of slippers nearby. Turtle Ninja edition.

Luc unfolded the sofa and tested it. Minimal creaking. "That'll do."

I craned my neck around for the millionth time, my gaze crawling up the unfamiliar walls and the dim lighting with a sinking feeling returning to my stomach. We drove such a long way to finally be here, and the reality, it was punching me like an MMA fighter.

Nothing else was guaranteed, tomorrow. We had nothing but each other, and I couldn't see an end to this running and hiding.

I busied myself with unpacking my bag, careful to hide my wince as I turned away from Luc at the foot of the couch-bed.

Raymond had sent a text with the wifi and VPN password earlier, so I extracted my laptop hidden beneath a dump of clothes, and connected it.

Curiosity replaced the dread in me. I welcomed the much-needed change and opened my private messages as Luc hovered over me. I found tons of messages from Sam and Jen.

Things like "Oh my God, Riley, where are u?" and "Are you okay? I saw the news." and "What happened!?".

I changed the messages to unread and swallowed against the lump in my throat. Obviously, I couldn't contact them. I bet their landlines were tapped. No messages from Emma, however. But I knew she was paying attention.

"I wonder what Emma is thinking about all this..."

Luc's shoulder brushed mine. "That's the least of my worries."