Misguided

🌺 CHAPTER 0.2 🌺

Down stairs Eric called his oldest son Wren, he typed in his phone number quickly and with shaky hands.

"Hello, dad what's wrong?" The groggy voice of Wren answered indicating that he had been woken from his slumber. You see he was a med student and needed all the sleep he could get.

" I-I, it's y-your sister. I-It's bad." Eric fumbled over his word, the adrenaline starting to wear off.

"What's wrong with her? She's here in bed, dad what's going on?" Wren states. Since he's the oldest he's in charge of this three younger brothers and little sister.
He vividly remembers sending Arden to her room after they had an argument about her declining grades and skipping school throughout the year.

"No she's h-here in hospital, I-I don't know what's wrong. S-She's in surgery.
Just stay at home a-and i'll call u in the morning with n-news. Try go back to sleep Wren." Eric told his child who just muttered a goodnight in response and hung up.

The second the phone beeped letting him know the call ended, he was straight up out of bed, across the hall to Arden's room. He opened the door carefully trying not to make a sound to alert his other brothers who were fast asleep the floor above them.

The bare skin of his legs not covered by his cotton black sleep shorts were instantly hit with the raw wind, alerting him something was wrong. One switch of the lightswitch illuminated the room, the soft pink walls they painted when they moved in we're covered by rock band posters and pictures of their mother.

He smiles softly as he notices one particular picture.

All seven of them are in the local park for the twins birthday. Reid and lake, five years older then Arden, who in the picture are tickling her. Seven, the youngest son, behind them being lifted by their father and Wren was sitting on his mother's lap.

This was when times were good, when their mother still had her beautiful golden hair and the spark in her eye when looking at her husband and kids, if only they knew a year from then, their mothers hair would fall out from the chemo and her eyes would barely stay open long enough to enjoy the wonders life had to hold.

He hastily puts down the photo, already feeling the tears form behind his eyes and his throat tightening, and gets back to his mission on hand.

He turns around, raking a hand through his shaggy black hair. The queen sized bed was unmade and clothes all over the cream carpet of the floor.

He wonders when the last time he actually set foot in his sisters room was, god how messy it was. The slight breeze of wind now hits him directly on his arm and he turns his head to the open window. He sicks his head out and notices and rope ladder dangling down from the windowsill.

She snuck out? But she's only 12? Was it about the fight?

All these thoughts running through his head. He drags down the window in an attempt to close it peacefully but It makes a loud squeak and he pauses to hear if he woke up his siblings.

After a few minutes he hears no sounds and continues slowly closing the window.
Walking back out of the room making sure to not step on the mountains of clothes littered everywhere.

He turns the light switch off and rounds the corner toward the stairs of the three story house, after he's safely closed her door with a click.

He walks down the wooden stairs that lead into the main hallway and continues walking straight to the kitchen. The smooth marble flooring did nothing to warm him up. He walks over the the counter and flips on the kettle making a low hissing sound.

After making his coffee he walks back into the living room and sat on the grey velvet couches, that line the back wall, just enough space for all six family members when they have movie nights, although Arden has been less present in the last few months.

She just spends her time in her room, sneaking out and skipping school. Everyone just played it off as teen mood swings.

He sat there looking out the window that over looks the long street they live on and stayed there till morning, watching the dark blue sky turn orange and yellow as the sun began to rise.