It was the beginning of an arid sweltering summer. But contrary to the oppression of the heat or perhaps in spite of it, all those who hadn’t yet reached adulthood were raised into a heightened state of joviality. In celebration of this sudden irrepressible happiness and ecstatic freedom, parties had appeared and grew and merged until there was a massive group upon the beach. They were all those who were passed the awkwardness of gangly limbs and the mourning of lost childhood but not yet fully grown. Their eyes shown with passion about everything they came across whether it be hate or love and those passions exaggerated by the fiery heat of the night and the icy water.
Amid the heat-crazed crowd was Linette, a smile on her face and a laugh in her throat but a thick mask of composure shielding her from the world. She was looking for her sister.
The fever of freedom did not exist in her, because she was not free. She had not allowed it because as long as she was with her family she had responsibilities. Watch Alice, look out for her, do various chores, teach Alice things and the one thing that she never spoke of but took on all the same: make sure Isabella, her older sister, was safe.
Isabella was essentially good and did not want to be a burden on her sister, but she did not realize that she required looking after. Isabella was beautiful, too beautiful. It was almost painful to look at her she was so bright and unconsciously attractive, Linette was in a way jealous of her, how effortless everything was to her. She didn’t need to work to make friends because they flocked to her. She didn’t need to find ways to make things work her way, they just did. But with that beauty that had acquired so many friends there were some who were bound to steer her in the wrong direction or try to harm her in some way. This would not be such a problem if Isabella weren’t so blind to the malice and intentions of others. As a result of all this Linette was a sort of keeper to her sister and ignored many jeers and teasing because of it while the eldest lived a life of ignorance, praise and comfort.
A high melodious laugh floated its way to Linette’s ears as Isabella made her way towards her on the arm of a tall handsome boy. His complexion and hair was light, his face holding innocent expressions but his eyes were dark and animal like.
“Linette, come and join the party!” Isabella looked at Linette, her face manically laughing.
Her eyes were wide, too wide and her smile too bright. Linette recognized love shining from her sister. Everything about her screamed infatuation from the way she stood next to him to the tone of her voice. She glowed with it and happiness too because from the look in his eyes she had infatuated him as well. However, instead of his eyes glowing with love and peacefulness they smoldered like coals in a fire, he wasn’t in love, he was hypnotized, unnaturally obsessed.
“Aaron, why don’t you get us something to drink?” Isabella asked, fluttering her eyelashes in a way that looked coquettish rather than stupid like the other girls’ attempts. “I heard Damien brought some drinks.”
With a quick kiss he left her and the two sisters were alone.
“Isn’t he wonderful?” Isabella giddily exclaimed.
Linette smiled politely, she found love was like a virus, nothing could help cure it, and you just had to let it run its course. So she tolerated and humored Isabella in those times where love’s strong grasp still held her willingly.
“He couldn’t take his eyes off you,” she offered indulgently and got the desired affect.
Isabella smiled brilliantly and stated jabbering away. “I knew you’d like him. He’s just so loveable! And I told him about you, he’s sure to like you too. He’s from out of town did you know? He only came here a few weeks ago. He’s staying the whole summer though and I…” Linette blocked the sound of Isabella’s chatter and looked up to the sky.
Dark clouds had started to blot out the stars visible from the beach. The clouds crawled across the sky quickly and the air became calm and still signaling a building tempest.
“Isabella, we need to get home, now,” Linette said, urgency in her voice.
“Why? Don’t be stupid, this party is just starting we can’t leave now!”
“There’s a storm.”
“So what?” Isabella turned from happy and warm to cold and angry in seconds. “Go on without me. Leave! I’m not letting you try to rule my life!” Isabella stomped off leaving an exasperated Linette.
I’m sure Aaron will get her home safely Linette compromised and she started walking back to her house.
They lived several streets away from the beach, it would take a good twenty minutes to reach home but Linette had few qualms about it. Even though walking through the town at night alone was slightly hazardous Linette had been on far more precarious walks in her lifetime and she was accustomed to it.
But tonight was different, walking down Manes Street, things stirred in the shadows. As the wind began to blow Linette imagined the sound of footsteps behind her as someone stalked her in the dark. She shivered. How different was the atmosphere now than what it had been two hours ago! The cold seeped into her skin and deep into her bones. Her neck prickled, Linette whipped her head around, trying to find the source of her discomfort. Thunder rumbled angrily in the distance, Linette jumped and walked quicker until she reached her doorstep.
The house was dark and its occupants asleep. Linette slowly walked to the staircase on tip toe and silently tread through the upstairs into her room.
In the dark she changed into pajamas and crawled into her bed, welcoming the deep sleep where her worries escaped her.
