Aunt Candy and the Mysteries

One.

I'm still not completely sure how we got here.

One minute our lives are perfect, two loving parents tucking us in like they do every night: a kiss on our foreheads, saying "Love you to the moon" as they exit the room, leaving us with smiling faces and good dreams. Our mother's beautiful blonde hair usually pulled back in a messy ponytail as she holds tight to our father's hand, him smiling his sunshine-y smile.

How can they just be gone?

"Alright children!" a perky woman in a pan suit says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I have to quickly look around at the busy office, bustling with activity before I remember where we are: The city's town hall. "We've located your Aunt! She's in London and is very excited to take you two in! I've arranged for you to be on the next flight out and accompanied by our newest and best: Officer Feid!" She gestures to the deadpan policeman standing dutifully in the nearest door way. He has no hair, but also no need for it for he looks young and his blue eyes are quite handsome. "So grab your bags!" She says, "You're headed to the airport! Officer Feid!" he turns his head at the sound of his name to see the perky blonde woman waving him over. He walks over to listen to the perky woman's assignment for him. "Thank you, I've got it from here." He tells her when she tries to continue the conversation. We grab our much too small bags, ready to follow him to his car. She stops mid conversation, seemingly disappointed, and walks back to her spot behind the front desk. "Let's go." Officer Feid says, waving us in the direction of the door.

As we walk out of the town hall, I fall into my thoughts. I realize that as much as it pains me to do so, some part of me needs to leave this town. There are too many memories that are too raw to smile at, things I'll never be able to forgive myself for. So a whole different country sounds somewhat inviting. One thing that makes me nervous, though, are our Aunt Candice's five adopted kids. I value the opinion others have of me, and it's hard to make a good name for myself if they don't want to see any good in me. On the other hand, if they are what I fear, then I'll at least be mentally prepared. I'm just hoping that if they're mean, that our Aunt won't be. She's the closest thing to my mom I'm ever going to get again. I stop my train of thought. That's one of those 'too raw to laugh at' memories. 

We put our bags into the back of Officer Feid's car then climb into the back seat. He starts the car and we begin our exit of place we've live all sixteen years of our lives. It's a scary feeling no matter how much I want to leave. I grasp my brother's hand and he gives mine a small squeeze in return. I'm glad I still have him, otherwise I don't know where I'd be, though I know for sure it wouldn't be anywhere good.

We slowly watch as we get closer and closer to the airport and the rest of our lives in London. It just all feels unreal. Like someone is going to call in a few seconds and tell us it's all a hoax, a big joke that we'll all laugh about later. I wait for a moment. My cell phone doesn't ring. No, it was all real. I turn to my brother who is already looking at me, and give him a small forced smile which he does in return.

♢⚿♢

The airport is even busier than the town hall. I stare at the floor and bite my lip, not wanting to have to look at all the happy families. I know that sounds cliche, but it hurts look at their smiling faces when I know mine has been replaced by fear. I blame myself for it, no matter what anybody tells me, I have some fault in their deaths. I sit, staring at the carpet on the gate floor, waiting for our boarding group to be called. Officer Feid sits across from us, having just returned from getting himself a sandwich. "I'm sorry about all this." He says softly. I look up, surprised that he said anything. "It's okay, it's not your doing." my brother tells him. "Yeah, but I know it's hard having to go through a situation like this by yourselves. I'm just glad you have other family you can live with." "Yeah," I say "Me too." I biting my lip again. "You know, I never got your names" Officer Feid says, a tint of interest in his eyes. "Peter." My brother says "And Scarlette." I finish.
"Got a last name?"

"Holft." Peter and I say at the same time.

"Nice to meet you two." He says with flatline lips.

The lady at the desk makes the announcement for boarding group C to get in a line.

"Well, this is where I leave you" Officer Feid says, standing up. "I wish you both the best of luck in London." he says, with a polite nod of his head. I smile kindly at him. "Oh!" He says, having almost forgotten something. "When you get there, go to the first security desk you see. Someone will drive you to your Aunt's house" We nod our heads, showing that we heard the instructions. "Here we go." I say, looking over at my brother. His wavy brown hair a bit messy as if he'd been playing with it nervously. At least he can pull it off. 

We reach the desk and hand the lady our tickets. She quickly scans them and tells us to go. We walk into the aeroway, then onto the plane and to our seats. We have side seats, which are thankfully grouped by twos. I'd get a little paranoid with a third person I don't know being so close to us, and with my number one emotion at the moment being a mix of paranoia and fear, that would have ended in madness.

I put my larger bag into the overhead compartment before placing my understuffed backpack beneath the seat in front of me. My brother quickly follows suit. I hastily plug in my earbuds to the plane's TV screen for overseas flights. I don't want to sit in silence for more than a minute. If I did, then I'd have to think of everything that's going on. And that's not going to happen. I click on a random G rated movie then look out the window and watch as we head for the runway. Through the window I can see the wings of the plane, the jets filling with forced fire. I look away. I don't think I'll ever look at a flame the same way. There's nothing beautiful about destruction and that's all it is to me.

I feel a hand tap my shoulder just before we take off. I pull out one of my earbuds and turn to face him. "Scared?" I ask, seeing  Peter's expression. "More than you know." he answers before resting his head on my shoulder and closing his eyes to listen to the engine and wheels as we take off. I turn my head to watch it all happen. Watch as our lives as we know them change forever, never to be the same again.

"Here we go."