The Skeletøn Bøy

TWENTY-EIGHT

"Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift."― Dante Alighieri

++ C H A P T E R | T W E N T Y - E I G H T ++

"Elliott, come on! Get out of the shower!" Adrian yelled, banging on the bathroom door. Elliott had been in there for over an hour, and he was nervous. Rightfully so - Elliott was unstable, and this new string of events was enough to push anyone over the edge.

Anna touched Adrian's head. "I'll get him. Er, her." She was still trying to cope with the fact that her eldest was a girl.

"Elliott won't like that." Adrian said, but moved out of the way. He wasn't going to fight Anna if she wanted to help. In fact, she would probably be better at this.

Anna pushed the door open, poking her head into the bathroom. The shower curtain blocked her view, but she was determined. If Elliott was in some sort of danger, it was up to her to protect her child. She took a deep breath before pushing aside the curtain, her heart shattering at the sight of Elliott curled up into a ball. She wasn't moving, which frightened Anna.

"Elliott, please," Anna pleaded, watching as Elliott lifted her head slowly, taking in the sight of her foster mother. The woman she hated not even twenty four hours ago. Elliott felt horrible for what she said, but she couldn't seem to form words as she let the water wash everything away.

"Let me help you, alright?" Anna reached for Elliott, half expecting to be hit, but Elliott allowed Anna to lift her from the tub and wrap her in a towel. Elliott was shaking, her eyes clenched closed and her shoulders shaking. She was a mess.

Anna guided Elliott to her room and sat her down on the bed, moving towards the closet to find suitable clothes. She dug out a pair of plaid pajama pants and a baggie t-shirt, moving back towards Elliott.

She didn't question the scars, the welts, or the tattoos. She didn't question anything as she slid the shirt over Elliott's body, and then the boxers before the pants. Elliott let her do everything, still numb and unmoving. She hadn't said a single thing, nor did she want to.

"Elliott, do you want to talk about it?"

When Elliott said nothing, Anna understood. She tucked her daughter under the blankets, hoping things would eventually fix themselves, but even that was an impossible hope and Anna knew it.

Before Anna could turn away, Elliott clutched the back of her shirt. "Please don't leave."

That was all it took for Anna to sit in the chair beside Elliott, holding her hand. She wouldn't ask any questions, not until she was sure Elliott was ready, which Anna knew could be a long time from now. Instead, she just held her daughters hand until she found herself falling asleep as well.

Anna stood from the chair, her heart clenching at the sight of Elliott. She'd been afraid of her once before, but Anna knew Elliott wouldn't hurt her. Elliott was emotionally damaged before repair. Anna instantly forgave Elliott, knowing there was no staying mad at her. She was afraid, and rightfully so.

When Anna got downstairs, Mat and Adrian were in their rooms. Mat still knew nothing, and it made Anna anxious. How would the boy take it? Anna didn't even want to imagine Mat's reaction.

The sound of her phone made her jump. "Hello?"

"Hi, darling." Anna recognized Mark's voice on the other side of the line, and she smiled.

"Hi, Mark."

"How are you doing? How is Elliott?" Anna let out a sigh at Mark's questions. She wasn't sure how she was doing - she felt like an emotional rollercoaster. She wanted to tell him she was fine, but she wasn't even that, not really. She felt heartbroken for her new kids. She felt desperate to help Elliott. She felt like her kids were in a lot more danger than Elliott pretending to be a boy.