To Find An Escape

Part 3 - Lyre: The Morning After

They always say that the morning after is the hardest. I have no idea who 'they' are, or what they meant, but I agreed with them fully. My hands covered my eyes as I sat up on my less than comfortable bed. Alice was next to me and I saw her little black phone sitting on the bedside table on top of her laptop.

Frowning at the two little items I stood up and grabbed the laptop and wandered out into the small living area and switched on the widescreen television. 

They'll track our emails, I thought to myself sadly. Opening up the internet I went into my email account and pressed 'new message'. My hands flew across the keyboard and I made a loud clunk when I pressed the 'send' key.

"Aaliyah Spencer Cross!" I jumped slightly when Alice's voice sounded from behind me. Sheepishly I turned around and looked at my less than impressed friend. "What are you doing?"

I shrunk back when she raised her voice; my whole body shaking with fear, "I'm sorry," I bowed my head and looked downwards.

Her arms wrapped around me and I flinched slightly, she appolgised softly and we sat there for minute, her taking more comfort from the embrace than I did.

"Sorry Lyre," She whispered.

"Don't sweat it Leech," I pulled away from her and put some distance beween us, "I just hate that name you know?"

"Not really," Alice knew that I was avoiding what was really upsetting me, "Sorry I shouted at you,"

"I doesn't matter," I shrugged.

"Yes it does!" She insisted, "Everytime I raise my voice at you, you just freak out," she frowned, "Why is that?"

I avoided her eyes and started typing absently on the laptop. Alice looked annoyed that I was ignoring her and grabbed the laptop off my lap.

Her eyes grew wide when she saw that I was using my email adress, "Dude!" She shouted again, making me flinch slightly, "You said that -"

"I know what I said!" I screamed at her, "But I needed to throw them off out trail!" She looked down at the computer and I opened the email I had sent to my other account. "Read it," I frowned.

"The bus line only reaches Newfields," she looked up at me, "You lied, now we have to head westward," she looked puzzled.

"We are no where near Newfields," I started, "and we are heading north, not west or east,"

"Why would you do that?" Alice questioned.

"So that they got the wrong idea as to where we were headed, and of how we would get there," I smiled weakly.

A slience passed between us, she looked down at the computer again, "What if they check where it was sent from?"

"Newfields is twenty minutes drive away from here," I shrugged, "There are no train lines in this part of town, only trams and trains,"

She huffed out a breath, "What about why you hate when people yell?"

I shrugged again, " I have always hated when people are loud," I laughed at myself, "which is weird because I am really loud myself," 

"Is it because it makes you feel weak?"

"I guess," I thought for a second, "I suppose thatit started when Aaron started yelling at me," I looked down at my feet, "he never used to yell at me because I was his little sister but when he started to I got really scared,"

"It's okay," Alice tried to sooth me, but I was past the point where words could do me any good. "He just didn't know how to handle you," she attempted to joke to ease the tension.

I laughed even though I didn't find it funny. She was right, my brother had no idea how to handle me because I was one of those people who changed personalities every five minutes. Alice calls them Ali and Lyre sometimes.

Lyre is my normal, seemingly bubbly self who can't get enough of everything and needs to be kept active or she will get bored and Ali was that alter ego of mine that was the person who I really was. Ali was an angry and scary person who hated everything alive and dead alike.

Then there was the part of my soul, who I named Lily, who was a scared little girl. She came out when people got past Ali and Lyre or caught me off guard.

Alice looked down at my hands and took my left one in hers looking across my wrist with concentration which scared Lily to the back of my mind and made Ali bubble beneath the surface.

"There are no new cuts," I bit out, "so stop looking,"

"Okay Ali," Alice laughed as she jumped up from her seat and grabbed her backpack, "Let's get going," 

We signed out of the hotel and the man looked like he was hungover. We gave each other one quick look and bolted out of there faster than how quickly I got a llamas in hats reference.

The fresh air hit across my face and gave me new hope with the new day. We walked across the road and called a taxi to take us to the airport. 

We payed for our tickets in cash, which got us a curious look from the lady behind the counter and went to buy some brunch. As we sat down with our hot chocolates and muffins we started to plan what we were going to do when we got to our destination.

"I think we should-" Alice started but I cut her off loudly.

"My tag!" I shreiked as I touched my ear and found that there was no tag there.

"I have it," Alice smiled ad handed me the wing shaped earring. I calmed down visibly as I clipped it on and took a sip of my hot beverage.

"Go on," I offered sheepishly.

"Well, I think that it would be best if we -"

"Lyre!" 

We both froze for a second, but we tried to continue our conversation as if we didn't know what the person was going on about. I stood up and took my empty cup to the bin and shreiked when I felt tiny arms wrap around my legs.

"What the -"

"Lyre!" The child chimed happily.

James! My mind shreiked, I knew this kid. I more than knew him, he was my brother. 

"Fuck," Leech said from behind me.