PERVERSE - Apply Fic

20

Este is not the kind of woman who runs. Now, once Este finally stops screaming, when their shill screech stops burning their throat, Este bolts up the stairs, all the way to the bedroom she shared with Jayce.

Inside, Eva is stuffing a bag with the last of the valuables she can find that don't belong to a woman.

"We've got to go," Este swings through the doorframe, their fingers curling around the wood, nails digging into the paint. "Now!"

Este doesn't wait for Eva, turning around and sprinting down the stairs. Eva does not even zip her bag shut. Her fingers wrap around an entire jewelry box, ripping it off the dresser as she hurries after Este. The woman who's house they are robbing waits in the doorway, throwing on her shoes. The ground was too wet for them to wear the shoes inside the house. Este spots Eva hurrying toward them, grabs Eva's shoes, and throws themselves out the front door, knowing they are leaving it unlocked.

Eva moves slower without shoes. Even through her socks, the concrete is cold, almost sharp. She manages to get the jewellery box in her bag, and barely zips it up. They make it down six houses before Este finally stops, huffing out air into the cold day. They can see their breath forming in front of them, fog clouds. Eva wants a cigarette.

Este throws the shoes to Eva, "put them on."

"They home?" Eva asks, furrowing her brow.

Este shakes their head, "no. I can't explain it. Bring this to the church. I'll come back later tonight and pawn it then."

Before Eva has even laced on her shoes, Este dashes further down the street, not entirely sure how to get to Kaylee quickly.

~~~~~

After Clare's failed phone call, they head back into the park to grab Kaia. The pair of them were waiting for a bus to come since on days like Sunday the buses run hourly. They also only run in one direction. Clare doesn't mind. It would probably take three hours to walk from where they are to where they need to go.

After paying with their coins, Clare and Kaia sit next to each other. Besides the driver, there is only one other person on the bus. He sits in the back row, layers upon layers on his body. It's warmer in the bus than outside, but Kaia watches as the man curls up into himself, shivering.

She leans in closer to Clare.

"You don't have to, you know," Kaia offers.

On one of their first nights in Chelster, Kaia almost did what Clare is about to do. Fallon pretended to trip to give Kaia an escape route.

Clare shrugs, "we're at a dead end."

Normally, interviewing helps in investigations. Although Este's old husband's new wife knows about them, they've all decided to keep it quiet for now. Clare can't get into contact with the boy who is said to have killed her, and she certainly can't interview her partner. Somewhere in town, Clare's parents live in a house. They can't talk to them either.

Kaia nods. She wouldn't do what Clare is about to do. Even Kaia doesn't want to know what happened that badly.

They sit together on the bus for an hour, barely talking. The conversation floats between their potential dinner plans and maybe trying to watch a movie. It's all futile. They can't afford much besides pasta, not even gluten-free vegan frozen pizzas anymore. Clare doesn't eat anyway. All the movies in the basement are biblical, and none of them have the ID to get a library card to take something else out on VHS.