Start Anew (A Greta Van Fleet Fanfic)

Introduction

Tick tock

The house is quiet, way too quiet. It's Saturday, so everyone should be home, it should be much louder outside my bedroom than it is. My dad should be gardening, my mom playing with Lucy, but no. The only sound I can hear besides my clock is the distant sound of Lucy's music box.

Tick tock

I'm nervous, I don't like silence. Gently, I put my book down and get off my bed. My feet sink into the plush carpet, muffling my footsteps as I walk out into the hallway.

"Mom?" I call. "Dad? Lucy?"

Lucy pads out of her room, a contented look on her chubby toddler cheeks. Is she alone in there? Mom and dad never leave her alone in a room.

"Mama, daddy go bye-bye."

"Go bye-bye?" I crouch to Lucy's level and try to smile at her. Like most kids her age, Lucy is scarily perceptive and doesn't try to hide it. I don't want her to worry. "Did they leave the house?"

"Uh-huh. Go bye-bye with friend." Lucy stuck her fingers in her mouth and grinned up at me.

I don't know whether to groan internally or be worried. Mom and dad don't just leave without saying anything, or asking me if I'm okay with watching Lucy. What changed?

Whatever, I can't focus on that right now. I smile at Lucy and say, "Then I guess you and I are gonna hang out for a bit. What do you want to do?"

Lucy yawns, "Nap."

"Nap? I thought you already took a nap, Luc."

"Dada friend gave me sleepy juice." Lucy yawns again and stretches her hands out towards me.

"Oh." I can barely contain the outrage in my voice. What the hell is sleepy juice? What did this guy give my little sister? "Lucy, what kind of sleepy juice was it? Do you know?"

"Uh-uh."

I sigh, "Okay. Let's go next door and see Mr. Gibbs okay?" At the age of freshly-fifteen, I can't legally drive my sister to the hospital, and I don't know if my parents' cars are here anyway. Thank god our neighbor, Mr. Gibbs, was at least close enough to the family that I know he'd be willing to drive us. There's no way I'm taking the risk of Lucy dying in her sleep because of some asshat.

"Stay awake for me, Luc," I mutter as I pick my little sister up and start down the stairs. She whines. "I know, I know, but the sleepy juice might be bad, it might hurt you if you go to sleep." I open the front door, shocked to find that it's unlocked, and carry Lucy out the front door.

"Annie, Lucy!" Mr. Gibbs is already in his front lawn when I step out of the house, and he gives us a friendly wave.

"Mr. Gibbs!" I rush over and nearly trip as I move off the concrete and onto his lawn. "Mr. Gibbs, can you drive Lucy and I to the hospital? Someone gave her something, she's calling it sleepy juice."

"Sleepy juice?" Mr. Gibbs' brow furrows and he frowns. "Yes, of course, let's go." He ushers Lucy and I to his car, which already has a carseat strapped into it; for when Mr. Gibbs' granddaughter visits, I think. She's the same age as Lucy, they've played together once or twice.

I hold Lucy's hand all the way to the hospital as rage bubbles inside me. I wish I'd remembered to grab my phone so I could call my parents; ask them what the hell is going on. Maybe I just want the comfort of their voices. Either way, I regret not grabbing my phone.

Mr. Gibbs shoots me a reassuring smile from his rearview mirror as we pull into the hospital parking lot. I give him a small smile back in an attempt to say thank you. I don't know what I'd do without Mr. Gibbs and his granddaughter's carseat.

Tick. Tock.