Fallout Dreams

mia 08

it took a full day of shopping, eating, and bonding, but mia could finally admit her sister looked more composed than she did.

ava had spent the entire evening in her dress despite the plummeting mountain-top temperature. mia kept hers on too, but asked to borrow her sister's sweater the moment they stepped outside the restaurant.

on the way home, rain pummeled the windshield and soaked the streets, but ava never flinched when trucks passed or held her breath when mia had to drive around curves.

by the time they reached home, mia's tolerance for late nights and prolonged intoxication kept her awake while ava struggled to walk from the garage to the porch to the ugly green door.

the rain had stopped, but water still veiled the windows in a blurry veneer of moonlight, just enough to illuminate an enormous arrangement of lilies in the center of the coffee table.

"holy shit," mia said and plucked a card from the bouquet. "did mom drive all the way out here to see us?"

ava face planted on the couch and muttered between cushions, "they're lovely. she's a good mom."

"i feel bad we missed her. maybe we shouldn't keep ignoring her calls."

ava didn't respond.

mia kneed her sister in the side... but she didn't flinch. "you're kidding." she pulled out her cell and typed a group text to ava and mom. "hey! just got home from eureka. sorry we missed you. the flowers are LOVELY. ave crashed hard, but she'll see them first thing in the morning!" she pushed send. ava's purse immediately buzzed on the floor.

mia moseyed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, poured herself a glass of imitation tea, and spiked it with a splash of vodka... then two more. even with the booze and crappy powder, it still tasted like home.

both phones buzzed at the same time with a reply from mom. "hope she likes them! i had a little help bringing them inside ;)"

mia hated when her mom used emoticons. "who helped?" she typed, then gulped her tea and drifted back toward the living room.

again, both phones vibrated with mom's response. "your new guy friend! charming and polite and suuuper cute ;)"

mia blinked as if blinking would help her brain process what she just read. it didn't, so she tried again.

"your new guy friend."

every hair from neck to arms prickled with a thousand static-electric shocks.

i was right.

the sense of validation quickly succumbed to fear as mia's eyes flicked to her sister's bedroom door. what if he's still here... what if he's hiding? waiting for ava to come home?

she sucked the last of her tea. it was these last few drops that traveled to her head instead of her stomach, soaking her brain and leaking from her eyelids to create a liquid veil just like the windows, blurring the living room, stretching the distance between her body and ava's door, spiraling her perception counterclockwise with every step forward, reinvigorating her desire to understand whatever darkness overtook her sister precisely one year ago.

into the black; door locked behind her. moonlight didn't stand a chance against the painted window. she flipped the light but the chandelier only illuminated her sweater arms, the heart-shaped watch on the night stand, and the empty splotches of white around the open closet door.

the shrink was right. the handprint was gone.

"ava's an artist," nolan had told her only a week ago. "she's special, delicate, vulnerable... she needs someone to watch over her... someone to inspire her..."