For Better or Worse

VII. FOUND.

It had been two weeks since the incident with her step-father, but to Aria, it felt like it happened only yesterday. Her wounds were fresh and her suicidal thoughts still lingered.

Aria still remembered the guilty look on her mothers face when she hoisted herself out of bed, her legs still weak and her body aching, and left home with nothing but a small bag of clothes for the children and herself. She walked about two miles to Mrs. Botley's house, too dirty and ashamed to ride the subway.

When Mrs. Botley opened the door, her eyes were wide and she held Aria by the waist to keep her from falling over. She screamed at the children to run upstairs, trying to make sure that they didn't see their sister in such a distraught state.

"Aria!" she shouted, shaking the girl's body slightly, "Aria?" she called again, but by this time, Aria had already fainted.

Ever since she woke up from fainting, Aria hadn't eaten much. She seemed to be surviving off of nothing but a few crackers and bottles of water.
She even refrained from speaking more than she had to. In fact, the only time Aria spoke was when she asked Mrs. Botley if she and the kids could stay with her for a few days.

"Of course you can" Mrs. Botley replied. Aria thanked her and was about to head back to the guest bedroom, but Mrs. Botley couldn't hold back her curiosity and worry any longer.

"Aria?" Mrs. Botley called, "Can you tell me what happened to you that night?"

Aria stopped in her tracks and gave Mrs. Botley the most pained and saddened look she had ever seen. She didn't say anything, but her eyes spoke for themselves. They seemed to say "please don't ask me to remember it."

Mrs. Botley let it go, but deep down, she knew the answer. The small purple marks on her neck. The blood between her legs. It was obvious, but there was a part of her that hoped it wasn't true.

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Isaac and Levi were the only ones out of the four children who could tell that their sister was in more than just physical pain. Both of them found it strange when their mother told them to head over to Mrs. Botleys house that night.

When they asked her why, she struggled to find an excuse and just yelled "Because I said so" as the final reason.

"Levi?" Isaac said, forcing his older brother to snap out of his deep thoughts. "Do you think Aria's gonna be okay?"

Levi didn't know how to answer. This was the first time he had seen Aria so distressed and distant.

Isaac changed his question. "Why was there blood on her legs?"

Levi knew the answer but refused to let his younger brother know the truth. "I don't know."

Isaac looked up at the staircase. "She hasn't said a word to any of us for two weeks. Do you think she hates us?"

"Of course she doesn't. She just...needs some time to her self."

Isaac contemplated his brothers' words before saying "Its been half a month. She's had enough alone time. She's always been there for all of us so I'm gonna be there for her." He marched up to the guest room where her sister had been isolating herself and twisted the doorknob. It was locked.

"Aria, open up," he called.

Aria was in bed wrapped in a blanket with the lights off. Her eyes were red from crying. She turned onto her side and covered her ears with the pillow.

Isaac called her name and kept banging on the door louder and louder. "Aria, I know you're just ignoring me. Just open up. I promise I won't ask you what happened. I just wanna talk." At this point, Isaac was holding back his tears and trying to keep his voice from cracking. "I just- I just want my sister back."