Alone With Them

Chapter 2

Cathryn had never seen her mom this angry. She tried not to shrivel under the murderous glare. As it turned out, the car ahead of them had been a cop car being driven by an experienced police-force member on the lookout for two missing girls. After being stopped and loaded into the backseat – where the apprehended were forced to sit – Cathryn and Joan had been taken back to the police station. They had called Uncle Brandon, who, in turn, had called Cathryn's mom.

"I can't believe you two," exclaimed Uncle Brandon as he hunched over his victims. "We had to pick you up from the police station. Police!" Cathryn wished they hadn't picked them up. There were more disappointed eyes at Joan's house than there were at the station. Both Mom and Uncle Brandon were furious. Joan was lucky her mom was at work. Uncle Brandon had called her in the car while driving home, and she had not sounded thrilled.

"What on earth would drive you two to sneak out of the house?" her uncle asked.

"Well why'd you call the cops on us?" Joan retorted. Cathryn silently groaned, praying her cousin didn't get her into any more trouble. She never knew when to shut her mouth.

"Because you both disappeared! Not only that, but you lied to me. I couldn't find you down any of the backroads and I searched for an hour, Joan!"

"I didn't lie to you! I said we were going on a walk. I don't have to walk down the same road every time, Dad," Joan complained, her lip curling out in a pouty face. If she thought she was going to get out of this unpunished, she was sorely mistaken. Cathryn only wished she hadn't agreed to help her sneak away to see Trevor. All she could feel was guilt as her mom glared from behind Uncle Brandon. She wished she could sink far enough into her cousin's living room couch to disappear.

"Do you usually go walking in a swimsuit?"

"Brandon," Cathryn's mom warned, placing a hand gently on his shoulder and cutting off his shout. "Take a deep breath."

"You're right, sis. You're right..." Uncle Brandon mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the kitchen. It was so quiet; they could hear him gulping down a cup of water. All the while, Mom stared into her eyes, as if trying to read her thoughts. Cathryn was very sorry; she hoped her mom could tell. If she could, she didn't show any sign of pity. Uncle Brandon came back into the living room wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He combed his sweaty, dirty blonde hair back with his tanned fingers.

"Say goodnight to Cathryn, Joan."

"Goodnight," she mumbled. Cathryn could see the sadness filling her eyes.

"Goodnight, Joan." Without any more words, Cathryn stood and followed her mother out to the car.

"Goodbye," Mom told Uncle Brandon at the front doorstep. They whispered a few things to each other, Cathryn told him her goodbyes, and they went to their gray minivan. Her mom refused to talk while she drove. The ten minutes back to their house turned into an eternity and Cathryn begged internally to be struck dead before they reached home. The quieter Mom got, the more dangerous she became.

The world was dark when they pulled into the garage and as she made her way into the house, Cathryn said her final goodbyes. Goodbye house. Joan. Markus. She hoped her mom would invite them to the funeral, if there was one. She might not even go that far and just bury Cathryn in the backyard like they did to Speckles a few years back. Maybe she'd see her puppy in heaven.

"Sit down," were the first words that escaped her mom's pursed lips and Cathryn quickly obliged. Cathryn watched her mom pace back and forth from her view on the couch. Finally, she collapsed from exhaustion, her chin to her chest so Cathryn couldn't see her face. When she finally sat up, Cathryn thought the guilt was going to crush her.