Ashes, Ashes (READ THIS ONE)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Is there a chance? A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel? A reason to fight?

A Fine Frenzy, ‘Ashes and Wine’

“Do you know what ‘Cupitor’ means?” I ask my best friend, Renee McWilliams.

“Like I said, it’s Latin, but that’s all I can tell you. What’s up with this sudden obsession with this word?”

“I saw it on a piece of paper earlier. I was curious.” I twirl the phone cord around my finger.

“Mhm, alright. Tell me the truth now.”

“I am telling the truth!” I tell her. Lying has never been my strong point, and people, especially my close friends and family could tell when I was. “But it is the truth,” I persist.

“Let me talk to Addison,” Renee tells me, growing impatient.

“I’m not so sure if that’s a very good idea,”

“What happened this time?” she says, sighing loudly.

“Nothing, really. She just doesn’t want to talk to me,”

“I can hear you lying through your teeth. Don’t make me come over there and pry it out of you, because you know I will.”

“Why don’t you come over? I can explain it in person so much better than over the phone.”

“I just knew threatening you would work. I’ll be over in half an hour.”

After Renee came over, and I told her everything, excluding the fact that I saw my dead boyfriend, for a lack of a better word, she freaked. I got Addison to come and help calm her down and was pushed out of the room. Now I'm sitting in the little gap of a room from Addison's room and mine. There isn't much to do here, only count the wooden floorboards and stare at the wall, trying to make sense of what exactly my sister is telling Renee.

They've been in there for around ten minutes now. It sounds like Renee's calmed down, so I stand up and start to walk over to my door. I open the door slowly and the whispering going on inside stops abruptly. "Are you better now?" I ask Renee, though she doesn't reply. She doesn't even make eye contact.

"Can we see that paper again?" Addison asks, holding her hand out. I pull the paper from the back pocket of my jeans. As I hand it to her, Addison goes a little pale. "What's wrong?" I ask her.

She hands me the paper back and strides over to my desk, opening and closing all of the drawers until she finds what she's looking for. She pulls out an old notebook of mine and flips it open. The first page is empty of any words or marks, like I always do with my notebooks. "What's the big deal?" I ask as she grabs the paper from my hand again. She sits down next to Renee on my bed and gestures for me to do the same. With Addison in the middle, and Renee and I on either side, we stare at the notebook. "I still don't see what is so important," I say.