Animals (sequel out)

🗡️36🗡️

A Long While Ago.......2021 [she's nine]

I exhaustedly scribbled spirals in the corner of my homework. I already know how to do this why do I have to do this like fifty more times. I grew more and more annoyed and depressed by the unfinished half sheet.

"Hope, you want to stop into town" Alaric opened my door and peered in.

"Yes please" I excitedly hopped up from my desk.

"Come on then" he smiled and started walking to his car as I run after him.

I climbed into his trucks passenger side and eagerly sat crisscross asking "What are we doing?"

I loved getting out and going anywhere living at your school is cool and all but you end up just feeling trapped in one place.

"We're picking up an artifact just outside of town" he smiled" I might need some of your help."

I grinned back. I loved helping him on his missions and even just driving with him he'd turn on the radio and we'd both sing along even though Alaric wasn't really a good singer.

"It should be just around here" Alaric parks his truck.

I excitedly climbed out and ran to follow him

"I might need you to use a little magic to find them" he smiled at me and took of my bracelets.I was almost jumping up and down with excitement. "I need you to read this" he bent over and handed me a small sticky note.

I took a deep breath and read "Oportet ministros manus lavare antequam latrinam relinquent."

"It's this way" I pointed and proudly smiled at him.

"Good Girl." He smiled at me and ran off to pull the artifact out of the greenery.

He came over and showed me the rusted metal box he pulled from the ground "Do you want to see what's inside."

I nodded excitedly at him.

He flipped open the latch to the box to reveal a necklace, about a dozen letters, and set of stone figures.

"Can you feel the energy from them Hope" he smiled at me and I excitedly nodded back.

"You can have this Hope I recognize it from a book, It's a pendent that makes quiet and lost things heard. People have been making these for centuries. I could show you one day if you'd like." He gently pulled the necklace from the box and placed it around my neck.

"I think we've earned milkshakes,but what do you think" he set the box in the back seat of his truck.

"Yes please" I smiled a wide toothy grin.

I wish things were still that simple

I don't know what happened he was the only man I looked up to. The only man who I thought wouldn't let me down.  I want to know what I did wrong and what changed him.

Maybe he was always this way deep down.

He couldn't have been I don't think.

Caroline's eyes were almost glazed over it looked like her brain was going a million miles a second. All the connections seemed to be forming and connecting about what I'm not sure but I could understand her glazed over expression without words.

"Caroline" I speak up.

She reaches her arms out to me and I climb in her arms and wrap my arms under hers and rest my hands on her shoulders.

  "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you." She whispers with extreme tenderness.

"You didn't know" I can feel the knot in my throat.

"Did you know if he did this to anyone else" she asks her voice breaking into shards of sound.

"I don't think so, I know Josie was completely shocked when I asked her if her dad was ever...mean to her. If that's what you were worried about" I answer,my voice diving and sinking deep into my throat.

"She knew" her voice gains a lightness but it was only brought about due to her confusion.

"Not really. I asked if her dad was ever.... Just mean to her." I answered almost numbly just completely overwhelmed and washed over by all of my emotions.

"You didn't say mean though" Her voice catches and gains an irregular melancholic rhythm Please,what did you actually ask her."

"I asked if her dad ever hit her around, she was really disturbed by the idea and asked me if he ever did hit me. I said no but deep down I feel like she knows" I rest my jaw on her shoulder:

"Why didn't she tell me"her voice sound like she's been crying.

"I freaked out and told her something stupid about how I was just asking and I didn't mean it." My eyes well up with tears.  " I'm honestly surprised she didn't tell you I thought she would've."