sister sister // heathers au

one

Mom and Dad always told us how lucky they were. They also told us that luck runs out, so never gamble. They had taken some gambles and they were lucky to not pay the price.

I guess their luck ran out.
- Emily Dean

When the Dean sisters arrived home one day in January of 2012, they were confused to see that their parents weren't home. It wasn't surprising for their father not to be there, he wouldn't be out of work for a few more hours. But their mother was a recluse. She practically had to be dragged out of the house. Agoraphobia, she had explained to her daughters. The psychiatrist she had made house visits, it was so bad. Her not being home was worrisome.

"Did mom send you a text?" Emily, the older sister asked of her younger sister.

"No." Chloe answered. She had even checked her phone to see. There was no messages from her mother displaying on the screen of her LG Lollipop. There weren't texts from anyone for that matter.

"That's strange." Emily mumbled before walking inside. Chloe trailed behind her big sister. She was always following Emily. They were best friends.

Just as Chloe was locking the front door behind them, Emily's phone rang.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and read Mom on the screen. She answered and put it on speaker.

"Mom?" Emily asked.

"Hi, girls. Daddy and I are going to be tied up with some things for a bit. Everything will be okay. I promise. But you two need to behave. Some people will be there to pick you up, just stay together." She said. She didn't give any explanation of why, or how. But Emily and Chloe felt their stomachs turn with anxiety.

"What people?" Emily asked, keeping her eyes steady on her sister. Chloe couldn't stand to be separated from their mother. Tears were glistening in the corners of her big blue eyes.

On the other side, Emily could hear her mother sigh. "Social services. I'll explain the second I see you two." She added.

"Where's Daddy?" Chloe piped up. She was only thirteen, and still referred to their parents as Mommy and Daddy. Emily, three and a half years older, called them Mom and Dad. Sometimes she'd call their mother Mommy, but only if she wasn't feeling well.

"He's not with me right now, but he loves you both. I have to get off the phone now. I love you both so much." She said, waiting for the replies of her daughters.

"I love you Mom," Emily said.

At the same time, Chloe spoke up too. "I love you Mommy."

As soon as they said that, the phone was hung up. Just before it clicked goodbye, Emily could hear the hiccuping sound that always led to her mother's crying.

"I'm scared, Emi." Chloe whispered.

Though Emily was also worried, she couldn't tell Chloe this. She had to be the grounded one because Chloe was completely neurotic. If anyone shared what Chloe felt, she spiraled into a tantrum on the floor. Emily didn't have time for that. Putting her thumbnail between her front teeth and thinking, her brow furrowed. She heard what happened to kids taken by Child Protective Services. They got separated. She couldn't allow this. Chloe depended on her.

"We need to pack." She decided what to do. They were going to run. It was the only way they could stay together.

"But they aren't here yet." Chloe replied.

"We aren't going with them." Emily said, rushing up the stairs for Chloe to follow. Her plan required precision and speed. She managed to pack a bag pretty fast. What did she need other than some clothes, her toiletries and electronics?