LARSSEN'S LANE: Grey

Chapter 2.1 - Oddity On Elle

The day of coming back home. Chester just picked his uncle and sister from the airport. And here they are, at Henry's house in Willow Park, California.

Michelle acted like a 'normal' amnesia girl. Followed by Chester, she stepped slowly toward the family room, while observing every corner, every side, every detail of the house, right after she entered the house. When her pace was stopped before a family of four picture, which was hung on a wall, over a low-height cabinet, Chester's pace was stopped too.

Chester phone rang in his short cargo pant pocket. While answering the call, speaking in a low voice, he kept his eyes on his sister. The readhead girl was staring a couple minutes at every face in the picture, the Henry Family members—Christopher, Melanie, Chester, and herself. But she couldn't recall anything. Then she turned her head backward, over Chester.

"Uncle Ralph really isn't our father?" She stared at a brown haired man's face—Christopher.

Chester stopped from speaking with someone on the phone. He looked up at Michelle. "You're asking me? What was that?"

"Uncle Ralph isn't our dad?"

"Hold on a second." Chester spoke to the person on the phone again. "Sure, that's why you call him 'Uncle'. You wish he was?"

Michelle went on observing. Now she was taking a look at the pictures below the big picture, sat on the cabinet. She settled at a picture of a family of five. She gazed at redhead teenage boy. "Who's the boy with the red hair?"

"Wait," said Chester to Michelle. "Sorry, I'll call you later. My sister's needing help." He ended the call and put the phone in his pockete. Paid serious attention at Michelle. "He's Brandon, our eldest brother. He died eight years ago, when he was eleventh grader."

"And the brunette is you?"

"Yeah."

Michelle took the picture of a two year old-toddler red haired twin. Showed the picture to Chester. "Is it me?"

"Yes. And the other is Jackie, your twin."

"Jackie ...?" She whispered, stared at picture. But her eyes were apparently empty, and stiffened for a few seconds, nearly a minute.

"Elle?" Chester got closer to Michelle, grabbed her shoulder. "What's wrong? You remember anything?"

"Why is there only one of us in the picture?"

Chester was silent for a second, trying to get what his sister meant. Then he got it, that her question was referred to the big picture with only one of the twin.

But before Chester gave an answer, Michelle mumbled. "It hurts, my head."

"Wait. Hold on. I'll get your pills." Chester rushed to a couch where a small backpack was laid. He opened the main compartment and slopped everything from compartment down on the table. And there he found Michelle's pain killer. "Oh shit." He cursed when found no water. So, he ran toward the kitchen. He took a cup af fresh water from a water dispenser. Then rushed back to Michelle with a bottle of pain killer in one hand and a cup of water in another hand. He opened the pill bottle, took one pill and handed to Michelle, also the water. "Take it."

Michelle took the pill and the water from Chester's hands. She drank the water to help swallowing the pill. Only a small amount, most water was left in the cup. "Elle ... where's Elle ...?"

That was perplexing to Chester that Michelle asked about her own presence. "You better take a rest. Let's get to you room?" Chester guided Michelle heading to a corridor.

But Michelle was startled right before the corridor. "No ...."

"Elle, what's wrong?"

Reflexively Chester caught Michelle's suddenly dropped down body. "Elle." Shook the body in his lap, making sure she's not losing consciousness.

Michelle hyperventilated. Vines popped on her temple. Sweat seeped out of her pores like squezed wet sponge. Like a phobia. Rapidly her body turned to a seizure.

"Elle .... No, no, no." Chester shouted, calling his uncle. "Uncle Ralph, help! Uncle Ralph, hurry up!"

Ralph came in a hurry, threw his tablet onto a couch in the family room. In front of the corridor, he found Michelle unconscious on Chester's lap. "What happened?! Oh my God." Not waiting for Chester's answer, he gave instruction. "Don't panic. Now lay her down, on the floor. Be careful."

Chester laid Michelle's body on the floor carefully as his uncle instructed.

Ralph turned Michelle's body slowly to the right. "Take a pillow, the couch's pillow." He instructed again in a firm voice, while one of his hand propped Michelle's head. He kept his eyes on Michelle, the little girl was breathing roughly in a rapid rhythm.

Chester rushed to the couch in the family room and snatched a pillow.

"Put it here, Under her head." As Chester put the pillow under Michelle's head, Ralph pulled out his hand. "Your phone. Set timer, five minutes."

Chester groped his phone and set the timer. "Now what?"

"Let her rest. Five minutes."

"Are you sure?"

Ralph wasn't even convinced by himself, could be seen on his stretched face.

Over thirty minutes until Ralph made sure Michelle ended her seizure phase. Later on, Chester picked up the girl into her bedroom and left her there. But the quietness didn't last a long. About one hour later, Michelle woke up, banged her door while screaming, asking someone's help to get her out. While the door was not locked.

When Chester came from behind the door, Michelle just abruptly pushed him away. Then ran through the corridor. She hit Ralph, but she didn't care and kept running until ended up stopped by the front door. Once again, the door was not locked.

Chester caught her and embraced her protectively in his hug. It's okay. "You're safe here."

Michelle hid her face in Chester's chest. "Don't bring me there. He's there. He wants to hurt me." Her voice and whole body were shivering.

"Where?"

"The room. He's there in the room. He chased me."

"Okay. But you're safe now." Chester rubbed his sister's hair.

Since then, she stayed in the family room instead. Ralph and Chester took responsibility to watch the girl in turns, made sure she stayed safe. Weekdays were Ralph turn and weekend were Chester's turn. Considering Chester had to catch up his study, so he could only be at home during weekend.