In The After Life

Chapter Z

I can feel the cage closing in, the sealing off any viable exit. I dreamt last night of sitting in my room as a masked man painted over every window until every last one of them was black.

I awoke before the dawn into blackness and my heart almost exploded for fear it was true. If every door closes, every window concealed, I am nothing but alone.

The fear is a weight on my ribs and a dull ache in my eyes, an unwillingness for my mouth to lift past neutral.

"Vera? Hello is anyone in their" my younger sister Evelyn tapped on my head. I rolled my eyes before getting off the couch.

"You know Eve, I don't actually have to drive you to school every morning." I say as I grab my keys to my old and very tired looking car before making my way over to the fridge.

"Well ever since you came back you promised to not leave me again so really your wish is my command" she makes a stupid hand gesture as she bows before running to grab her school bag.

I felt my shoulders sag slightly. For a 16 year old she knows how to get what she wants that's why she's mothers favourite that and she grew up with our mother where as I grew up with our father.

I shove an apple into my bag as I head for our door. Evelyn comes hopping down the steps overly excited which I'm not sure what for.  "Why so happy?" I ask amused

As we walk to my car her smile brightens. I unlock the doors and both of us get in. She hurriedly puts her seatbelt on and stares at me until I do the same. All the while I'm completely baffled on what's going on.

I start up the engine which makes a very nerve racking noise before it splutters to life. I pull away from our small home and I head in the direction of our school.

"So you gonna tell me why you're in such a good mood or am I gonna have to start guessing?" I question as I side glance her but she's already looking at me with no longer a smile.

"I spoke to mum last night. She seemed grouchy." She says and I already feel my grip tighten on the steering wheel. I shake it off as her light attitude to our family is not intentional.

"You did? I'm guessing she's just overloaded with work" My mother would rather me have stayed away and the faulting look I see her give me every time we bump into each other is a hard one to go unnoticed.

"I told her not to take that job in another state I knew she would miss us too much" she laughs and I force a smile as it would only be her that she'd miss. I roll my window down slightly to let a cool breeze fade in.

"Did she say that?" The reason for her concerning attitude change to my sister would be easily covered up with an idea like missing her daughters. Yet the small tightness in my chest told me otherwise.

"Not exactly. She was just checking in making sure I hadn't gone anywhere or if we had any visitors whilst she's been away" she fiddles with her nails indicating to me she left out some details of how it was said.

"She's worried. We've never spent time just the two of us it's normal. She doesn't need to worry about visitors I wouldn't cross that boundary without asking her first. Plus she'll be home in a few days" I've only been back with them for a year so trust isn't something my mother has built with me. Not that I can blame her.

"You know if you two spoke a little more often then maybe she wouldn't call my phone all the time and I'd catch a break" she huffs and to have the pleasure of an annoyance like your parent being concerned is one I'll experience through her.