Lost in Reality [pokémon Ranger Fanfiction]

Chapter 3

"Thanks for driving me to school, Kate."

Kate gave a split glance away from the road, pushing a smile to the young girl sitting behind the driver's seat, "Anything for you, Clara." The child was only eight years old, her blonde hair slightly roasted with a brown tint was tied into two pigtails with sky blue ribbons. Clara wore a white blouse, buttoned to the collar, and a skirt to match her ribbons. Kate looked back to the paved road ahead, very careful of each thing around their car, "I have an appointment today so I thought I would help out mom and pa."

She rolled her fingers over the steering wheel. Kate barely noticed how her knuckles turned white, but how could she not be nervous? She had precious cargo aboard the car. Kate stole one more look back to her sister who smiles held more light than the sun.

"So, what are you learning in school right now?"

"About rangers and stuff."

A smirk drew across Kate's expression, locking eyes with Clara in the rear-view mirror, "Oh! Have you told your class yet how your big sister is the Kate Hitomi, member of the Brighton Operation and defeated a raging legendary and put Blake Hall behind bars?"

Clara's face dimmed, shoulders shrinking as the young girl looked back out her window to see the passing city. "Not really," she said under her breath.

"What?" Kate's grip tightened on the wheel, speeding up just slightly, "I mean, that's your decision, but... You don't want people to, like, put you above them right? Like, holding too high of expectations for you since your sister was successful. I-- I understand that. Living in a shadow has no road to true happiness."

Clara still kept her eyes out the window, "That's not it."

The car was held in a drowning silence where neither head gave an inch. After a few minutes passed, Kate grumbled an exaggerated sigh, "Are you going to tell me what 'it' is?"

The small child flinched at her sister's venomous tone, "Well... Our teacher said that Blake Hall was our key to re-new-able energy in Almia. And that... When the rangers put him in jail-- that it ruined our energy system. Saying the rangers have to learn about res-s-sponsibility. And I... I don't want to tell the teacher that I am related to someone they dislike."

She's embarrassed by me! Kate growled, pulling into the school's parking lot. The fire rising into her chest was quickly swallowed when she exited the car with a slam. She kept a mechanical composure as Kate glided to the back door. 

Opening the door for Clara, Kate gave a chilling smile down to her sister. Clara's skin rose with goosebumps and tried to just focus on the pavement as she swung her legs to leap out of the car.

Her shins met a painful crash. A shriek filled the parking lot as every nerve in Clara became ablaze. Tears had already formed swollen pools when another crash came to her legs. Over and over until her legs felt like shattered glass, "Kate, stop!"

Kate repeatedly slammed the door. The metal lining tearing into Clara's skin. First came dark bruises, deep purple with a blue frost around them. Then skin popped, tearing away and leaving exposed muscle. "You weren't there; you don't know what happened! Stop lying to me, you brat!"

Clara wailed, trying to jerk her legs away, but they refused to move. The onslaught of the door came over and over. Soon, fractured pieces of bone poked out. "Sissy, please!" Clara sobbed, her face flooded with tears. She could barely make out words between her own screams. One moment she flew her arms down as the door was swung wide. She had a second. A second to pull her legs back into the car and lock it from the inside.

"I'm no sissy! I'm the bravest person here! I'll show you," Kate's misinterpretation only sent anger boiling through her own blood. Her next slam of the door coming down harder and faster than any of the last.