LARSSEN'S LANE: Grey

Chapter 2.3 - Oddity On Elle

One Saturday morning when Chester was having regular weekend—a week later—with a can of coffee, he sat side by side with his uncle at their house back yard. While Ralph was working with his laptop on a table that he moved from aside his chair to his front, doing a design that his client ordered.

"How's Elle?" Chester asked Ralph about Michelle

Ralph sighed, took a break from his work, paying attention to Chester. "Not really good. Her therapist is apparently not so ... um what to call it, I don't want to say she's not professional, but she just could't even approach Elle."

"Psychologist?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know this therapist?"

"I browsed the internet. Her page looks good, convincing. But then I found she couldn't fulfill my expectation. Like she never coped with a case like Elle's condition before. Like ... not well experienced. Yeah, I guess that's why." Ralph paused. "Anyway, you don't want to see Elle?"

There's a reason of Ralph's question. Chester hadn't meet Michelle yet, even though he had been at home since yesterday.

"I'm afraid. You know, that night. But it's weird, doesn't make sense that she suddenly becomes scared of me. While she's been showing the traumatic symptoms since the beginning. But to me, it just happened after two months? Is there something wrong?"

"Maybe there's something different, something on you or something that you did that she never saw before. Like your appearance, your clothes, the way you slept, or ate, or ... anything?"

Chester dragged his memory to the time Michelle freaking out. There was pretty long silence, prompted Ralph to get back to his work, until Chester noticed one thing. "I wore black hoodie that night. Could it be?"

"While sleeping?" Ralph didn't move his eyes away from the screen this time.

"Yeah, I was exhausted. You remember I came home late, don't you? So, I just slept all the way. And Elle didn't see me came, she's already asleep. I slept not even an hour."

"You better stop hanging around street race. Your eye bags are getting bulkier."

"My car needs maintenance and that costs a lot. I need extra money."

"You such a mess."

"True. But I don't mind."

Ralph observed at Chester's appearance at that present—casual grey shirt and shorts. "I think it's safe for you to see Elle now."

"That's a good thing."

"Just, cut your hair before a bird nest on it." He suggested that after looking at his nephew's untied hair.

"Come on, I just rarely comb it. It's not even tangled. Alright then, I'll see my lovely redhead sister." Chester raised from his seat and left.

"Now you sound like a jerk."

Chester entered the family room to see if Michelle was still sleeping or already woke, and what he found was her blanket crumpled at one side of the couch. Then he checked the family shared bathroom, the only bathroom which Michelle used, considering the routine that Michelle did is going to that bathroom right after she woke up. But she wasn't there, either.

"Elle?" Chester called in a normal level voice. No need for any more silence from Michelle to make Chester worry. He ran to the nearest room which he hadn't checked, the kitchen.

And there Michelle was, with her back facing the kitchen and with a hand stretched out holding a knife. Her face was in between being scared, aware, or angry. Vines popped on her temples and neck.