Connected 2 You

Tying Up Loose Ends

The sun moved further and further up the sky as we drove away from the transport Philip had just been in. Buildings had given way to trees before eventually clouds and blue sky took up most of my view.

I stayed in the trunk without saying a word, just like I had been told to do. My stomach lurched again as the car turned down what felt like a long driveway. It slowed down and I heard gravel kick up into the wheel wells. All I could see from the floor was the tops of some trees as they were beginning to bud.

A few moments later the car had come to a complete stop. I sat all the way up and watched as Rena, Philip and the driver all began exiting the vehicle.

Rena came around to the trunk and opened it up. She patted my head. "See that wasn't so bad was it?"

I shook my head and began moving forward, getting ready to get down.

"Oh, one second." Rena stopped me, reached to my side and began untying my hands. "Better to have your hands free when you get down, in case you lose your balance. Don't want you doing a nosedive out of the car."

I smiled at her as she moved back with the untied rope in her hands. "Thank you." I rubbed at my wrists. They were a bit achy, but definitely not as bad as they had been in the basement. When I looked down at them, I could see that most of the bruising had begun to turn colors again. She smiled back at me and I watched as Philip walked past us and up towards the house.

It looked like something out of a dream. Brown and tan stones built up the exterior as a dark roof stood watch over all. Flowers cascaded from window boxes and wound their way up the sides of the house. While small trees and flowering bushes lined the path from the driveway to the front door. The explosion of color was such a striking change from the mellowed greens and browns that had taken up most of the city.

"Whoa." I said under my breath.

Rena giggled at my astonishment. "Like I said, houses all over the world. Some are even more beautiful than this. Some sit in the middle of the world's busiest cities, and some sit on the outskirts of cities in the harmonious countryside. Some are covered with snow and some are sitting on beaches no one has ever seen before. Home is where your family is, and I wanted my family to be comfortable anywhere in the world that they wanted."

I nodded slightly, remembering what Rena had said a day or so before about what it meant to work for her. I watched her walk up to the house, following Philip as I wondered just how many houses she had stashed away throughout the world.

She could have just disappeared and never been found again. Wouldn't that have just been easier for her to do? Why was she still going around the world stirring up trouble when she could live somewhere like this practically untouchable from the law.

I shook my head and slowly walked up the path, enjoying the way the sun felt on my skin. Korea had still been chilly when we had left, and the day before had been a bit cloudy as Rena and I had walked around the city. It seemed like the clouds had stayed in the city and sunshine and warmth were now hugging the country.

My fingers trailed along petals of flowers in pinks, yellows, whites, and reds, until I got to the front door. It had been left open and I could hear Rena and Philip talking loudly inside.

"Why am I here Rena?"

I blinked several times at the door. Should I go inside? Or should I stay out here? I didn't really want to disrupt them, but would Rena be upset if I stayed out here? Would she think that I was trying to leave?

I scoffed. Why should that matter? I thought to myself. Don't you want to get away from all of this? Don't you want to go home?

I sighed and continued into the house. The main hallway was empty and Rena and Philip's voices were coming from the sitting room to the left.