Breaking the Chains

Chapter Fifteen

"We're getting nowhere," Riley said quietly as she stopped walking. "I don't see anything that looks familiar. And there's no hills anywhere." Riley let out air and looked down. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"It wasn't. We just need to," Eli stopped midsentence and looked at Riley with a smile. "Come with me," he said quickly and grabbed her hand before walking toward a wealthy looking man with gelled back hair while wearing a suit and tie. "Sir?" Eli asked, using all of his hope to make sure he didn't screw up.

"Yes?" The man turned around and smiled at the two of them. They were all standing by the end of a sidewalk so they all took a step back onto the grass so that everyone could walk past without troubles. 

"I was wondering if you would know where any houses on hills would be? We can't seem to find our way." Eli sheepishly grinned as he tightened his hold on Riley's hand.

The man looked between the two of them and let out a breath. "Do you both need a ride?" Eli hesitated but Riley nodded almost immediately. The man seemed to deflate but put on a smile for the two of them anyways. "Alright. Let me just call my boss to let her know that I will be late." He took out his cell phone and quickly pressed the numbers before putting it to his ear. Riley tilted her head as she watched, Eli smiled gently at her.

"You sure this a good idea?" He asked in her ear with a whisper. She nodded immediately before the man came back.

"Alright. Follow me," the man said with a forced smile as he walked in the direction of the parking lot. "The only house I know that's on top of a hill is in Billmount. Is that the right place?" Immediately Riley smiled and a smile grew on her face.

"Yes, actually," Eli said with a determined voice as he turned toward Riley and offered a small smile. When he looked at her, she had the biggest smile he ever saw on her.

"Awesome," the man said under his breath as he entered his car. Eli opened the back door for Riley, which she accepted and sat down before Eli closed the door and entered on the other side. "All set?" Riley and Eli nodded before the man started his car and backed out of his parking spot.

And then they were on their way.

Riley watched as the vehicle turned and began to go up on a hill. Her insides were bouncing around inside of her. She was finally going to see her family after years of being all alone. She had to keep thinking of the first words she would say to them the moment she saw them. The man's vehicle began to slow down and when Riley focused  outside rather than on her thoughts, she saw her front yard and old childhood house. Finally, the car came to a stop and immediately Riley ran out of the car. She bolted toward her front door and knocked a few times quickly before she looked back toward the car to see Eli coming toward her. The man was backing off and waved toward them before he drove down the hill.

"Are they-" But before he could finish, the door opened to reveal a little boy who looked around twelve.

"M-Matt?" Riley stuttered and took a step toward him. He squinted and took a step back quickly before Riley got to close. "Matt, it's me," Riley swallowed and dropped her arms as she tried to take another step toward him, "Riley."

"But you don't look like her," Matt said slowly, looking behind him to see if his parents were around.

"Matt," Riley breathed out and a frown slowly took over her face. "Is mom and dad there?" The boy looked conflicted for a moment before he reluctantly nodded. 

"Mom! Dad! Someone's at the door for you!" Matt looked back toward Riley and waited with her for their parents to show up.

"Hello?" Riley's mother popped her head out of the corner and her face froze when she saw the girl. Her movements went in slow motion before her face slowly fell in shock. "Riley," she breathed out and took a step closer toward the girl covered in bandages and bruises. The woman seemed not to notice Eli quite yet but Riley was memorized by the woman. Riley smiled and hugged the woman as tightly as she could manage considering her state. "Oh dear, I've missed you. Where have you been?"

"I-" Riley began before she heard her dad's voice.

"Who's at the door?" He asked before he stopped and smiled brightly. "S-Snookums!" he stuttered and went to join the hug. Matt stood there for a moment and glanced toward Eli before back to his parents hugging Riley.

Before Riley knew it, the boy slithered through their parents and wrapped his arms around her. She tried not to wince but it came out anyways, making everyone but Matt back away immediately. "Where have you been?" Her mother asked worriedly.

"And who's the boy?" Her dad asked as he walked toward Eli. Riley looked toward him and immediately jumped toward Eli and held his hand.

"This is Eli," Riley started and smiled tiredly. "And I'll tell you what happened if we can come-" Riley was interupted by her father who gave a hug to Eli.

"Thanks for taking care of her," he said quietly before Eli dropped Riley's hand and brought his arms up and hugged the man back. "Thank you."

"It was not an issue, sir," Eli managed to get out after a moment before the man took his arms away from him.

"Well, come in," the father said easily and gently pushed Riley and Eli into the small, old house.

Riley sat on a loveseat in the corner of the cottage feeling living room, but she only took up half of the space. She was so thin compared to how she was four years earlier. She looked at her parents with a smile, but she was so tired that she could probably fall asleep any moment. Eli was sitting beside her on the floor. There were never a whole lot to seats in the house because they weren't a big family and they hardly ever had guests over. Eli had a hand on her left foot, stroking it with his thumb gently. She hardly fidgeted and Eli had a feeling it was because she simply wasn't ticklish.

"Do you guys need anything to eat? We have apples and oranges." Riley's mother popped up from her seat and went toward the kitchen without a absolute answer. Riley felt her stomach growl just a bit but she didn't feel hungry. The soup she had earlier that day was enough for her to survive an entire day or two. "I'm going to cut them into small wedges," her mother added and Riley would've laughed if she wasn't so tired and comfortable.

"Where were you?" Matt asked, sitting at the end of the couch closest to Riley and Eli with his legs tucked in a criss cross.

"I was," Riley didn't know how to answer that. She lowered her head and frowned a bit, trying to find the right words. "I was," Riley shook her head again and nearly tried to move on from those two words before Eli answered.

"She was kidnapped," he said quietly with some anger, not toward the family but toward the entire situation.

"Kidnapped?" Riley's father asked as his face fell. "Who took you? Did you see?"

Riley closed her eyes tightly and took in a breath. "Alison," she whispered. Eli gently stroked the top of her foot as her father's eyes got wider. Matt looked confused as he looked back and forth from Riley and her father.

"A-Alison?" Riley's father questioned before anger filled his face. "What the hell did she do to you?" Riley jumped back and pressed her back against the love seat behind her. Eli looked toward her but her eyes were shut tight. Her father's voice was growing louder and that's what made Riley yelp almost silently.

"D-dad it's fine," Riley said quietly and held her own hands in front of her.

"It's not fine! Look at your arms, Riley," he frowned and dramatically lowered his voice."She beat you." Riley looked up from her hands and let out a breath quietly. The only way she could answer was to nod.  Eli looked toward her with a frown and kissed her knee before he looked toward her father. "Hon," he said quietly and walked toward Riley. "I won't let that happen to you ever again." Riley nodded just a bit once more as she tried to put on a smile.

"I won't either," Eli said quietly, and Riley's father looked at him and nodded. That all happened before Riley's mother walked in with a plate of apples.