The Soul

BEFORE: Chapter Four

     "How dare you show your face here!" her mother snarled.

     That was the only way to describe it; a snarl, directed right at Cara. Michelle did not look the way Cara remembered. She looked haggard, hair standing up every which way, gray streaks shining through. Dark eye bags underneath cerulean blue eyes that flashed at her angrily. Hollow cheekbones, thin white lips.

     This was not the Michelle of the corporate world that she remembered. That Michelle would never have let her gray grow in, never look this pale. But the way she spoke to her right now sounded exactly the way Cara remembered from before.

     Some things just never changed.

     Cara steeled herself, shoving the hands off of her shoulders with great force, eyes betraying no emotion. She would never again let this woman see how scared she was. She wanted to hurt her just as much as she had been hurt. But it was as if Michelle didn't even notice Cara's force, grabbing her again, getting close to her face, spit flying from her mouth.

     "Get out of my house!"

     She shook her, ignoring Cara's own demand.

     "I said get. Off. Of. Me" Cara ground out loudly, pronouncing each word separately, once again shaking the woman's hands off her.

     Perhaps she understood the anger pouring off of Cara in waves, for Shelly didn't grab her again, instead breathing heavily at her.

     "I'm not here for you Michelle. I came to check on Bree."

     And with greater vehemence, "do not doubt for a second that I would rather be anywhere than here, in your house."

     Michelle was shaking with anger, her eyes shooting daggers at Cara. "You were always such an idiot. I see that still hasn't changed."

     "I don't care what you thought of me before, and I sure as hell don't care what you think of me now."

     Cara turned to head into Bree's bedroom, knowing now that she wouldn't be in there. If she had, she would have come out at the sounds of the struggle occurring just outside. Still, Cara hoped that she would be proven wrong.

     "She's not in there," Michelle said, as if Cara had not just opened the door and seen that herself.

     The bed was empty, unmade, as if whoever laid in it had just got up and left at a moment's notice.

     The last thing Cara wanted was to have a conversation with her estranged mother, but knowing she would be the only one to know what had happened to Bree, she turned and asked "What happened?"

     There was no emotion in her voice when she asked it, as if she was asking what time it was. She refused to show any emotion in front of this woman.

     "They took her. They took her! And it's all your fault."

     The anger simmered again. "My fault? How is it my fault? And who are they?"

     Running her shaking hands through her hair over and over again, Michelle continued as if she had not been interrupted.

     "I had warned her not to help you, not to keep in touch with you. I told her this would happen sooner or later, and I was right. They came and took her. Just because she wanted to protect you, you piece of filth."

     Her words dripped with disgust, as if Cara was the lowliest of the low, but Cara had already known that. The hate her mother had for was unreached by any other, except for the hate Cara had for her.

     "Listen, are you gonna give me straight answers or not? I don't have time for your nonsense."

     Cara's voice was just as repulsed.

     And as she watched, Michelle's angry face transformed into one of fear as she stared over Cara's shoulder. She seemed frozen all of a sudden. Confused, Cara turned her head, seeing only her sister's window, opened just like hers had been. She looked back at Michelle when she heard movement, watching as she walked closer to Cara's standing form, fear still etched on her face. When she reached her, standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side, one facing the window and one not, she turned her head to look at Cara. This close, Cara could see something unusual about her face, specifically her eyes. She hadn't noticed it before, and maybe it hadn't been like this before, but now, Michelle's blue eyes were pitch-black, the pupils dilated into non-existence. There was no life behind them, and when she opened her mouth to speak, no life reflected off of her voice. Distinctly, Cara noticed that she no longer looked fearful. In fact, there was absolutely no emotion on her face now as she continued walking to the window.

     Too late, Cara's hand shot up towards her as Michelle reached the window, and with no trouble, climbed up onto it.

     Too late, Cara thought she's gonna jump.

     Too late, Cara ran, hoping to reach her before...

     But it was too late, and she had already jumped, no hesitation in her movements.

A Note From the Narrator

     Do you understand what I said about your petty arguments? Death happens before happiness is given or received.

     I come before you forgive or receive forgiveness.

     Nothing can stop me.

     I always come.