Anna

43 - Mistake

Ellie's knee bounced up and down in the waiting room's hard, uncomfortable seat. She made no attempts to settle her restless leg, knowing it wouldn't do any good. She had been endlessly on-edge since stumbling upon her old apartment building three days ago.

She looked to Joe, who sat on her right and had not taken his eyes off her since they arrived. He gave her a small smile that was probably meant to reassure her, but he only succeeded in showing his nerves as well. Pulling his hand away from Tessa's, he rubbed his palm up and down Ellie's back a few times to make up for his lackluster smile. Ellie couldn't blame him, though. None of them wanted to be there.

A few other people were peppered across the room in the same uncomfortable chairs, all of them looking about as anxious to be there as they were. The grungy white walls locked them all into the same space with no escape.

Ellie's leg began to bounce with so much force that her heel thumped against the tile floor. A hand rested against her knee in an attempt to settle it. Looking to her left, Ellie locked eyes with Freya, whose unsure smile only mirrored Joe's.

A deep sigh escaped Ellie's chest and she shifted in her seat, but it did not take long for her leg to resume its original pace.

— — —

Three days ago

When Joe and Tessa came home from their date night to find Ellie leaning against Freya with red eyes and tear stained cheeks, they wasted no time calling an emergency family meeting. Twenty minutes later, Joe, Tessa, Chase, Freya, and Ellie all sat around the dining room table like they were preparing for the most important meeting of their lives. Lizzie and Stella had been instructed to stay in another room.

"Just tell him what you told us," Tessa said next to Ellie, lifting her eyes towards Chase.

Ellie shrank in on herself. After relaying the evening's revealing events to Chase, he remained stiff and expressionless. She feared it was too much for him to handle, or that it would send him spiraling again. After all, who knew how close his daughter had been to becoming the next Anna?

To her surprise—and everyone else's—Chase stood from his chair, walked around the table, and knelt beside her. He enveloped her in a tight embrace, which she gladly returned.

"That must have been really hard for you," he said into her hair.

Ellie nodded, then pulled away. Three months ago, Chase wouldn't have looked at her, let alone touch her. Now he voluntarily held onto her and his eyes met hers with understanding.

Then, Chase turned to his brother and his stern voice returned. "You need to go to the police. If he hurt another girl without anyone knowing, then the wrong person is rotting away in some jail cell."

"Bold of you to assume they actually made an effort to find out who killed the kid," Freya said with crossed arms as she slouched in her chair.

"A little girl died," Joe said in Chase's stead. "They wouldn't have just stopped looking for who killed her."

"Why not? They didn't even wait for a body before they gave up looking for Ellie and decided she was dead. Look what that got her."

Ellie grimaced at Freya's words, even though she understood the meaning behind them. Joe eyed Freya with disbelief, but a hint of grief hid behind his gaze. He did not want to admit that what she said was true.

"We're not going to just sit on this and hope someone figures it out. There's a justice system for a reason."

"A load of good the justice system has done you and your family. They couldn't find two girls stashed away in some creep's house. What makes you think they could do right by anyone else that fucking freak hurt?"