These Streaks of Blood

7

Emily is in that dream state where you're half-asleep, groggy, unsure what's real and what's not.

That's why she doesn't question the sound of footsteps at first; she merely flips over and squeezes her eyelids more tightly closed, hoping that whatever the sound is, it will just go away once she's fully asleep.

That strategy works, until she hears someone calling her name in a hushed voice.

Her eyes burst open to meet the gaze of her little sister.

She muffles her scream of surprise and instead just yells, "Natalee!" Without having to think about it, Emily tosses her arms around her sister's neck and pulls her down onto the bed next to her.

Natalee's sigh of relief is muffled by her laughter. "Oh my goodness, I've missed you," she manages to murmur.

Emily squeezes her sister tighter for a moment before pulling back and staring into Natalee's face. She doesn't seem too different, though it's hard for Emily to see in the darkness of her room. The only thing that immediately seems strange to her is that Natalee is smiling with her lips pressed tightly together; she's always had a bright, toothy smile, but this seems like an insignificant enough comment that it can wait for another time. There are more important things to say, and especially to hear.

"Natalee, I'm crazy glad to see you, to know you're okay... I mean, you have no idea," Emily says, "But you need to tell me what happened. You have to talk to me."

Natalee appears hesitant, so Emily urges her on, "Come on, Natalee, you know how important this is. I thought that psycho kidnapped you, I've been freaking out--"

"He did," Natalee admits softly, reluctantly.

"What?"

"He did. Kidnap me," her sister says.

A brief silence; then, "Tell me everything, Natalee. Please," Emily says, beginning it as a command and ending it with a plea.

"Everything?" Natalee repeats, looking dubious.

Emily just stares at her as if she's gone mad. "Yes! What did you think, you'd just come home after you've been missing for two days and nobody would think anything of it? We've got to--"

"Okay, okay," Natalee appeases hastily, successfully hushing her. "I'll tell you what happened."

Emily makes to get up, knowing that she can't just keep her sister here now that she's back; the police will want to talk to her, and depending on her ordeal, she might have to meet with other specialists. Before she can lower herself from her bed, however, Natalee's hand clamps around her arm, holding her in place with an iron grip. Emily turns her head to stare at her. Natalee looks thoughtful, conflicted, for a moment - then her expression clears and she nods very slightly, as if making a decision.

"Two nights ago, he broke into my room and pinned me to the ground," she explains, and Emily just sits still, listening closely. "He said if I made a noise, he would hurt you. I wasn't sure where you were, so naturally, I listened to him; for all I knew, you could've been tied up. Then he dragged me out the window and put me in a car. I didn't see anything, but eventually, we ended up in a big house." 

"And what then? What about these past few days? What's he been doing to you?" Emily questions, swallowing all of the disgust and hatred and horror that tries to fight its way up her throat at her little sister's words.

"He..." Natalee licks her lips, still keeping the inside of her mouth hidden. "He was always out, 'running errands', he said. He barely spoke to me, and he didn't so much as lay a hand on me."