Unanswered

The Rain is Cold

My heart was slowly inching up my throat and I felt as if she could hear the pounding grow louder. Utterly indifferent to my presence, she continued going about her business and placed a stuffed bear on the pillow. I snapped out of my entranced state and bolted downstairs and nearly tripped on something as I attempted to flee the house. Unable to shrug off the curiosity, I looked down only to see the box I knew I placed on the table opened. I quickly scanned the room to search for the culprit and I mentally face palmed myself as I realized it was probably the girl upstairs.
The girl.
I momentarily forgot what I was running away from and hopped over the box. The door wouldn't open and I heard a menacing chuckle arise behind me. A wave of hopelessness engulfed me and I slumped against the door with my eyes squeezed shut. Chilling tears streamed down my face and I flinched as they were wiped off my face.
"Ari, what's the matter sweetie?" a hospitable voice inquired.
I reluctantly opened my eyes, hoping and praying that I would live to see another day and was pleasantly surprised to see my mother hovering over me with a pained countenance. Lara was seated on the opposite side of the bed with a bottle of water and also displayed a worried look. I stared back at them with a puzzled expression and sat up only to realize my room wasn't rearranged.
"Where did she go?" I asked myself under my breath.
"Who?" I looked up at my mother and completely ignored her question. The snacks that I positively believed were there weren't. My room was exactly the way it was this morning, you know, before her.
"When did you guys get home?"
"Your mom and I left the store a little early since we pretty much found everything we were looking for and decided to come and pick you up so we can all head out for lunch." Lara stated and switched her gaze towards my mother.
"And... you were asleep in your chair with your portfolio sprawled out on the floor," mom chuckled, "I figured you'd want to be a little more comfortable, so I switched you into your bed. You fought me for some reason and started spazzing out. I... I didn't know what to do. I thought you were having a seizure or something, but as soon as you started you practically stopped. Then you started mumbling and groaning, and then tears started pouring down your face." She looked back over at me and finished wiping off my already dried tears.
Lara inched closer to hand me a water and I graciously accepted. My throat felt raw and scratchy, as if I'd been endlessly screaming. My mom offered me a sympathetic smile and started to pull the covers off me. I groaned as the warmth of the sheets was taken away leaving me with a slight shiver.
"Alright honey, whadaya say we head out to lunch now hmm?" Mom asks me gesturing towards her grumbling stomach. I release a light giggle and nod my head in agreement. They both get up to leave and I open another suitcase to find an outfit. As I get my suitcase, I look over at my portfolio sitting on the chair and sigh as I see my mom just rushed and threw all the papers into a messy pile. I clean up the papers into an organized pile and happen to glance out my window.
Two trees.
I can't hold back a gasp at this point and blink several times to make sure I was seeing correctly. Two trees. I knew for a fact I fell asleep to a backyard with one tree much to my disbelief. How did I fall asleep? I remember sitting down in the chair to work on my English project and then looking out the window, at a tree. And then I remember the doorbell ringing and a box. The box. All of that felt so real so the box has to be real, right?
I violently shake my head, hoping for this all to end, what ever this is. I turn back to my suitcase and pick out a random outfit. I close my door to get changed; even though we're all girls, I'd rather not change with the door open. I throw my clothes onto the bed and put on a sweater and some jeans. I hear a piece of paper fall to the ground and I assume my portfolio fell over again. I huff and turn back to the chair to pick up the papers but realize there's a note that seemed to have fallen off the door.
Probably still doesn't make sense yet.
~RL
For the countless time today, I gasp and frantically search around the room worried that someone might be in here with me. There was no way that note was there this whole time since it was bright yellow and I would have seen it. I crumple it up and throw it onto my bed. The door violently creaks as I fling it open and try to discreetly sprint out of my room. I jog down the stairs taking two at a time and make sure I don't trip and face plant because that's just me.
I try to clear my head because I'm not in the mood to be barraged by questions I don't have the answers to. I try to forget about the whole incident for the rest of the day, but that wish is short lived as my mom exclaims something in the kitchen.
"Well what is it Jenny?"
"Why... it's a cute little teddy bear." she answers with the excitement of a 6 year old. She comes over to me holding the teddy bear and places it soundly in my arms. The same exact teddy bear I saw in what I could have sworn was a dream.
"I think this would look very nice on your bed." She pats the top of my head and follows Lara out the door and into the car. I stare at the stuffed animal and toss it onto the floor and follow the two of them outside.
In the car I fight the urge to question my mom about the bear and end up giving into my curiosity.
"Mom, where'd ya get the teddy bear from?" I dread the words as soon as they come out of my mouth.
"There wasn't a full name, just initials," she answered as a lump of anxiety started to form in my stomach, "I think the initials were RL."

***Oooh how was that one? Wow, two updates in one day! When I reach 100 reads I will probably set up an official update schedule that isn't so sporadic... Let me know what you think!
~Tori:)