Breaking our bonds

Chapter nine

"Elizabeth, wake up."

Those words rang in my ear like an alarm. As soon as they did, something grabbed my arm. It was long and thin, with sharp ends to them.

"Caroline, get your hands off me, "  I said. "You know how sharp your nails are."

"I will get my hands off you if you just get up, " she said shaking me.

"Okay, I'm up, " I said. "Now what do you want?"

"It's mum. She's ill."

"And one of us have to cook. Urgh, " I grunted still unable to shake off the last dose of peaceful sleep. " What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know, but I heard her coffee was poisoned."

"What?" I screamed. I was wide awake now.

"They found rodenticide in her coffee, " Caroline said. " Elizabeth, you have to get up now."

Light filtered from the windows. 'There was rodenticide in her coffee?' Mum had never had any enemies. She never had any reason to be hated.

'Always be kind, Elizabeth, ' she repeated to me like a recording.  Would a kind, caring human being be a victim of poisoning? She might if she was trying to disclose something.

"Rachel did this, " I screamed.

"Why would you say that?" Caroline asked smirking a little bit.

"Listen, I heard something yesterday, " I said as I felt my heart race. If Rachel was in the house, she could still be there. It was a thought that could drive the sane mad. I knew that she might as well still be here. She may be lurking in the corridors, waiting to hunt me. I wanted to scream at her. She could try. She could vandalize my room and poison my mum. She could even kill me. Yet, she could never break the bonds that Joan and I have. She'd die trying.

"Mum wanted to tell me something. I think she knew who my stalker was. She knew it was Rachel the whole time."

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" Caroline said. "Rachel will stop at nothing. She'll terrorize us and we'll suffer. "

"How is mum?"

"She's fine. She's in the hospital now, " Caroline said. "Nobody can save us from Rachel but you."

"Me? What can I do?"

"Elizabeth as much as I like Joan, I think it's time to end your relationship. It puts us as at too much risk."

"So? One call to the cops ought to shut up Rachel for good."

"Yeah, it'll shut her up about your illegal relationship."

"Why? Why is our relationship their business?"

"Listen to me Elizabeth, " Caroline hissed at me. "You have put mum in danger. She would have died. And now you put the rest of us in danger. God, I thought you at least had a heart."

"I do, and my heart belongs to Joan."

"But you must care for the rest of us?"

"I do, " I said at last. "But nothing is going to rip me apart from Joan. I love her."

Caroline's jaw tightened. She looked like she was ready to bring her long nails straight at my face. Yet, she didn't. That's one thing I always admired about my big sister. She was always calm.

A few minutes saw me inside a taxi and on my way to the hospital. I was in tears. The thought of someone suffering because of me stung. It stung even more now that Caroline blamed me for it.

"Hey, Elizabeth, if it's about what I said, I'm sorry, " Caroline whispered hugging me. "You're my sister and I love you. If you're happy, then I don't know why the rest of the world shouldn't be."

"You really believe that?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do. Besides, life without a little danger makes a very boring story."

For the first time today, my lips stretched into a smile. I knew I was falling apart. I knew that Rachel may get to me someday. She may even get to Joan.

She never understood love or friendship. All she understood was hatred. She could never know what it's like to have a girl like Caroline with you. She would never know what it was like to have someone lift you up when you are down. And for once, I pitied her.

Reaching that hospital was like reaching heaven. I had never felt so close to my family before, as to describe their presence as similar to being in heaven. Yet, it was.

"Dad, is mum all right?" I asked.

"She's fine, " he said as fear danced in his eyes. "She wants to see you Elizabeth."

"Sure, I'll be there in an instant, " and grabbing Caroline by the hand I would have gone if dad didn't stop me.

"No, not you Caroline, " he said. "Just Elizabeth."

I was going to obey when I saw Caroline's face.  Her eyes showed every sign of distress.

I knew my parents loved me more than they loved her. I heard all about it yesterday. But I wasn't going to let their favouritism let her down.

"You know what, " I said turning to my dad. "I want Caroline with me. She's my sister and your daughter."

"I know that but there is something your mother wants to tell you. Something that she wants to tell no one but you."

"Well, whatever it is, there is nothing that Caroline need not hear. " I flashed a smile at my sister. She smiled back. "I trust her."

So taking my sister's hand I flounced into the room where mum was warded. As she laid there paler and smaller than she usually was, a tall figure loomed beside her.

The familiarity of it struck me immediately. It reminded me of friendship and comfort and most of all; trust.

It was Ian.