Basil

Chapter 1: Frozen Solid

Did you know I came from somewhere much more exciting? Kansas City. Lights were bright, people were boisterous, and my best friends were spectacular. They always knew how to make my frown turn into a bright smile.

They also knew how to create a bong out of a soda bottle. Or make a fake ID so we could get booze.

They weren't the best, but they were my best friends. Sophia and Briar. The ones who taught me how to walk with no noise and hold my breath for as long as 2 minutes past a door.

"It's for the best." My dad handed me my black suitcases, reaching to touch my head. I recoiled back, avoiding his almond-brown eyes. "Don't.." I hissed.

My black, lilac-tipped hair whipped across my face. Tears gathered in my eyes as it tickled my nose. I swatted it away until it returned above my shoulder.

I have no words for him. None. Not after what he has done. Ripping me away from Kansas and putting me in North Dakota.

And at this dinky farmhouse with a man I haven't seen since I was 3. I don't even know his name. I don't know anyone here- I can't. Frustration filled my body, my fingers tingling as my jaw tightened.

"Okay. Be that way. But you did this." He snarked, placing my bags in front of my black combat boots. I rolled my eyes back, huffing as I scuffed the heel of my boots against the snowy graveled road.

This is ridiculous... "Mom wouldn't do this. She'll be upset with you..." I turned my head away, my dad's face in the corner of my eye.

He squeezed his lips into a thin line, his eyes glancing around before he started toward the farmhouse door.

He knocked three times in a slow pattern before picking up the pace with two more. I reached for the handles of my suitcases, dragging them onto the wooden porch.

They thunked once they hit the ground, making my dad glance back. "Your uncle is looking forward to this. Please be kind to him... He needs someone."

I furrowed my brows and crossed my arms. "Doesn't he have a kid?"

"Ricky is only 6. Aunt Florence has been missing for a while now." He cringed. Shuffling and tripping sounded from the other side of the door, catching both of our attention.

Sometimes I forget how scrambled my family is. Aunt Florence went missing 5 years ago. No trace. Not even footprints where she was last seen.

I didn't see my uncle during all of that, of course. I overheard my father speaking on the phone. It felt like something stilled in the world that day.

The door swung open, revealing a tall middle-aged man. He forced a tight smile, lines forming underneath his eyes. They were a photocopy of my dad's. The same almond shape, the same almond shade.

His brown hair was mixed with several gray strands, the sad part is he isn't that old. He is a bit younger than my dad. It must be the stress.

"Oh, Roxanne, Caleb. I missed you guys so much." He stretched out his arms, approaching my dad first.

I stepped back, keeping my bags close to my legs. I don't want a hug. My skin crawls at the idea, I just want to get to my room.

I want to go home.

"Thank you for taking her in, Dylan. She hasn't been the most compliant but maybe she'll be better with you." My dad laughed, tucking his dark brown hair behind his elf-like ears.

"Oh, it's no trouble!" Uncle Dylan clasped his hands together, the calloused palms were clear in the bright sun.

They continued to talk about me. My dad said I was rebellious, failing my grades, sneaking out, all the things a teenager could do, and worse. It only served to make me more upset.