The Beginning Of Corruption (Book 1)

chapter 4

Harper's pov

Amanda has been home for 5 months now. Mrs. Luis locked her in her room, without anything to eat. So after dinner I have been bring her what I don't eat. It is Athena's, Josephine's, and my 12th  birthday so I'm going to see if Amanda will come down stairs.

Amanda I sitting in her bay window looking at the front yard. Her long brown hair rolled down her back to rest on the seat. Her stomach is becoming rounder as each month slipped away. "You know you are the real life Rapunzel?"

She chuckled, "no I'm not." I wanted to ask her why she did not believe so, but I didnt.

"Amanda are you coming down?" Ena and Jo says 'I am to optimistic' which is not bad. Especially when they are a bunch of party poppers.

"No sorry Harper not today."

"You said that yesterday!"

"I know, here. Give one to Ena and Jo for me."

"Okay," I left her room to go meet Athena and Josephine outside.

I sneaked out, without Mrs Luis noticing. Athena is by the tree in driveway hitting it with a bat. Josephine is reading the Badlands. The Badlands is our family's book contains from journal entries to pictures of our ancestors. "Here Jo it's from Amanda."

I handed her the bracelet with her name on it. "Thank you Harper. Is she coming down?"

"No," Josephine had just as much hope as I did. Athena had a little too, but they refused to show that they cared around each other. I strolled over to where Athena was at. "Ena here!"

She stopped hitting the tree and turned to me.

"Where did you get this?"

"Amanda gave it to us for our birthday." We both glanced at the window, Amanda was still in it but turned around.

"Is..." I interupted before she could finish.

"No not today."

"Okay," Athena went back to hitting the tree.

Athena's pov

I go back to hitting the tree with my bat. I heard Harper sigh and walk away. How could she have all of that hope? I had a shred of hope, yet I am still mad. Mad that she refuses to come down stairs, to talk to us, or even to look at us! My last blow to the tree cracked my bat in half. Pieces of wood were flying everywhere. It seemed beautiful, and peaceful. "Ena are you okay?!"

"Yeah! I'm okay!" I was staring down at the snapped bat, after a few seconds I saw red dots. Josephine's yelling snapped me out of my daze.

"You are not okay Athena!" They are both standing in front of me. I did not even hear them get up. Next thing I know I am being dragged into the house.

Josephine's pov

Does she wants to get herself killed? Harper led us back into the house, I was pulling Athena behind me. I sat her down at the island and fetched the first-aid kit.

"What happened?!" Mrs Luis was standing two feet in front of Athena.

"Leave her alone Maria!" Amanda walks from around the corner, and sits next to Athena. The veins in Mrs. Luis's head were bulging out. Amanda is only making to worse for herself.

We all were in the family room waiting. "Why did you defend me? Was it for your own vendetta?"

"ENA STOP!" Harper is as red as a tomato right now.

"It's okay Harp." Amanda is a little to calm about this, she started to talk again. "I defended you because she was taking her angry towards me out on you. And you are my sister I shouldn't have to explain this, but apparently I do."

Dinner was quiet. Athena was crying quietly, she most likely felt bad for snapping on Amanda. Harper eat her food without a care in the world. Amanda is eating while giving Mrs Luis a death stare. When we were done eating, we all went to the family room excluding Mrs Luis. Athena is laying in Amanda's lap.

Athena is yelling at the top of her lungs. "Josephine you are cheating!"

"NO I AM NOT!" Amanda and Harper are laughing so hard that tears formed in their eyes. Monopoly is not a game to be taken lightly in our house. The laughing and yelling died down we all stared at each other.

"Hey guys," we all turned to Amanda, "whatever you hear don't move." I was getting a weird vibe off of Amanda. Almost like a deadly one, she got up and walked to the kitchen. Nothing prepared us for what came next.