Preacher's Daughter - Ethan Jailer (First Draft)

2. A House In Nebraska

"And I still call home
that house in Nebraska."

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    Ethel finally caught her breath after running to the edge of town. She stood there, next to the highway, in front of the empty shell of the house that was once lived in. The paint was mostly in sporadic pieces along with the roof, only a few shingles still being held up. The windows and doors were shattered and beat down, spots of colorful graffiti dripping down the walls. She felt all the emotions inside the house flow inside her head, revealing the memories she had with WIlloughby Tucker.
    Will was Ethel's one true love, the one person who understood her, and the only person she's explained her past to. The two used to sneak out at night and meet each other at this abandoned house. Ethel would watch the stars with him through the broken attic ceiling, holding him close to her chest.
    The two would dream that the house was theirs, all the way in Nebraska, away from it all. They would live together, finally free, with no responsibility to hold them apart. She would decorate the home with her paintings of tulips and roses, oceansides, and beautiful skies. It would have been heaven, if he had never left her.
    Ethel was never the same ever since Willoughby had to move away. She still doesn't know the reason why he had to leave, he just did. She prayed that he never told her to protect her, and that he's okay wherever he is now. She wishes so desperately that he is okay.

    Ethel snapped back to reality, stepping carefully up the frail porch. Her eyes traveled around the deteriorated interior; the wallpaper of the living room curling up towards the ceiling with broken glass and foliage littering the carpet floors. She went straight to the attic, sitting down carefully on the dirty mattress she would sleep on with Will by her side. The zooming sounds of cars speeding down the highway filled the house in ambience as she pulled out her notebook, clicking her pan and beginning to write.

    Where the world was empty, save you and I,
    Where you came, and I laughed,
    And you left, and I cried.
    Where you told me even if we died tonight,
    That I'd die yours.

    She dropped her pen and laid back onto the mattress, feeling his presence near her. She had a vision; it was blurry, a dream-like world where she and Willoughby finally made it to Nebraska. The speeding cars' ambience faded away as she stepped in.
    She finally had him again, tightly in her arms. The warm evening skies filled the house with beautiful, orange hues, shining onto her paintings and framed photos of the two hung up on the walls. She felt the cold, awful feelings inside her dilute in the wave of warmth he gave to her. She couldn't let go– she couldn't lose him again. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door...

    Ethel's eyes flew open as she sat up from the dirty mattress, realizing where she was. She sighed and packed up, realizing how late it had gotten. It was almost mid-day by the time Ethel finally got home.
    "Where have you been?" Ethel's mother asked timidly as her daughter stepped in and tossed her backpack on the floor next to the stairs.
    "I visited Riley," Ethel said as she went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. She then noticed her mother looking inside her backpack.
    "What are you doing?" Ethel asked in a huff as she set the glass down and walked over to her mother, now holding her notebook. She silently flipped through the pages before Ethel could reach her.
    "Ethel... are you a writer?" Her mother asked with a small smile, but her smile dropped as she read what was inside the book. There were bold letters saying things about the religion the preacher's wife had practiced all her life. There were paragraphs of rants and questions asking what has their society come to for people to worship with such hate. And at the very end, a sentence about her father. A horrible sentence.
    "It- It's none of your business," Ethel muttered as she snatched the notebook away, flipping the cover over the words.
    "Why did you write that about your father?" Her mother asked, her voice higher than it usually was. Ethel turned around, unable to face her.
    "What did you read..." She said, ignoring the question as remained facing the opposite way from her mother.
    "Are you out of your mind? What made you write this— is this what your faith has become?"
    Ethel took in a deep breathe through her nostrils, pausing before swinging back around and facing her mother.
    "You haven't gone to church in months, you're not any better than me."
    "Your father loved you, and this is how you treat the memory of him?" Her mother hissed at her as Ethel grabbed her backpack.
"Why do you always have to look through things that aren't yours!" Ethel said back, her voice growing in volume. She swung her backpack over her shoulder in a way that caused one of the straps to break.
"What are you writing? Is this what you really think of him? Is it, Ethel?" She screamed out as her face burned red. A glint of tears started forming in her eyes.
"He loved you so much."
    "If he did—" Ethel cut herself off as she saw the color drain from her mother's eyes, realizing that what she was about to say could be what tears this family apart once again. Without another word, she swung open the front door and stepped out.
    "Where are you going?"
    Ethel didn't respond, she only walked away in whatever direction her eyes went to first. The rage blinded her as she wiped her face; she could feel her teeth remain clenched tightly.
The commotion caught the attention of Riley, who saw Ethel storm out through the window. She decided to step out and see what was happening.
    "Ethel?" Riley yelled out, causing the other girl to stop and walk towards Riley. "What's going on?"
    "Nothing, just– going somewhere," Ethel said as she rubbed her forehead.
    "Where are you going?" Riley asked, concern raising in her mind.
    "I– I don't know..." Ethel admitted as she sighed. Suddenly, an unfamiliar man stepped from behind Riley.
    "Hey, is everything alright here?" He asked. The stranger was tanned white with hazel eyes, and couldn't have been younger than 27. He had a biker appearance, with facial hair stubble over his sharp jawline that complimented his slicked back hair. He was wearing a dirty black and blue jacket that draped over his strong physique and tight skinny jeans.
    "Oh– we're fine," Riley told him as he appeared. Something about him caught Ethel's attention immediately.
    "Ethel, this is Logan," Riley said as she stepped aside.
    "Logan Phelps," The man said, his voice deep and slightly raspy. He reached his hand out in front of her.
    "Ethel– Ethel Cain," She said as she grabbed his hand. It felt rough, and gripped her soft palm strongly with a shake.
    "Nice to meet you, I'm a friend of Riley's father," he said with a small grin as she let him go. Something about him intrigued Ethel in a way that nobody else had.
    "Ethel, wanna stay over for a while?" Riley said, Ethel realizing that she really had nowhere else to go– nowhere else she'd rather go, anyway.
    "Sure," Ethel said as she stepped inside. The house was familiar; she used to spend the long, summer days there with Riley and Ezekiel as they talked and laughed. She sat on the couch, Logan sitting right next to her, which was unexpected. It made Ethel blush slightly, because– before she even knew it– she had taken a liking to him.
    The three spent the day talking, almost a moment of deja vu to the two girls from when they were kids. Logan was a little rough around the edges, as Ethel would learn, but it didn't compare to how much she enjoyed his company. Riley's parents worked long hours, so she also enjoyed the company of the other two.
    As the three of them laughed about a joke Riley made, they realized how dark it had gotten.
    "Well, I should get going now. Thanks for the company, Riley, and it was nice meeting you, Ethel," he stood up and brushed himself off, picking up his cap from the coat rack and heading to the door.
    "Yeah, I should probably go, too," Ethel said as she headed to the door as well, Riley following to give her a hug before she shut the door. As Logan hopped into his truck, Ethel started walking to her house next-door when she saw her mother through the window. She was on the phone, which, for some odd reason, filled Ethel with rage. She guessed her mother didn't really care where she went, because she always came back.
    Without hesitation, Ethel turned back around and ran to Logan's truck. Right as the car snapped out of neutral, the passenger door swung open and Ethel jumped in.

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