Before and After You

Chapter 7: Charlotte's Web

Feeling a kick against her side, Clara is plucked away from the dreamland where she is chasing after a spider that can talk, and jostled awake. Groaning, she pulls herself up on the bed and rubs her sore rib which Charles had unknowingly kicked in his sleep. Blinking slowly and acquainting herself in the surroundings, she takes note of two things: (1) she and Charles are in their Daddy's room; and (2) their Mommy and Daddy are nowhere to be found.

She remembers vaguely being told that they will be coming up shortly after they clean up after their dinner. Clara fell asleep just a little after Charles did without having a glimpse of their parents. Panic begins to flare in her stomach. She may be calm and logical, but she is also a child. And after what happened the other day and a faint memory of waking up in a bright room with her eyes hurting thinking she is alone assaults her little mind, she couldn't help the fear budding inside her. Carefully, she creeps over to Charlie who is still sleeping soundly, letting out little snores, and shakes him awake.

"Charlie, wake up!" she whispers, her eyes darting back and forth between the little boy and the door that is slightly ajar. "Charlie!" her voice rises when he stubbornly groans.

"Wwhaaat?" he whines and sits up, his eyes still close. "Ate, it's tooooo earwy, I'm stiww sweepy," he complains.

"Let's go!" she says and begins to pull on his arm.

"Where?" he asks, his eyes squinting as they adjust to the light.

"To look for mommy and daddy."

Charles' face screws in confusion. "Aren't they here?" he asks and turns to the other side of the bed only to find it empty. "Uh oh." Suddenly, he is no longer sleepy. "Did the wost boys take them?!" he screeches to Clara, referring to the bedtime story they read the other other night. Does Peter Pan awso take mommies and daddies? he thinks to himself.

Clara shakes her head. "No. They only take little boys like you, but you're not coming with them, are you?" she asks and looks at him pointedly.

"No! Why wouwd I?!"

"I don't know. Maybe, you'd want to fly with them."

"But they have no mommy and daddy!"

"And we need to find ours so let's go!" Clara says and helps him off the bed that is way too tall for a six year old. Clutching her brother's hand, she carefully leads them down the stairs and the first thing that goes to her mind is to check the kitchen.

Her dad always rises early and more often than not, she'd wake up and find him there preparing pancakes. She would always arrive just when he's adding the finishing touches so she gets to add more blueberries. But this time, the kitchen is empty. She turns to Charles and whispers, "Check dad's office, I'll check the living room." The little boy nods and sets to leave. "Don't run," Clara reminds him before he disappears behind the kitchen arch.

She herself goes to the living area and grows vexed when it is also empty. The anxiety is already being masked by her exasperation. She places each of her hands against her hips and tries to think. Come on, Clara, think. Mom and dad are worrywarts. They wouldn't leave you alone. Where could they be? she thinks to herself. The pool? They aren't usually allowed by the poolside without proper adult supervision; she reasons that she's not really going near the pool. She's not even going to enter the area. She's just going to check if either of their parents decided to go for an early swim. The walls are glass anyway so she'd see immediately. Making up her mind, she goes to check but the pool is also empty. Close to pulling all her hair out, she goes back to the living room and throws herself on the couch, something which Charlie immediately copies as he comes back.

"Aren't they in the office?" Clara asks, her voice muffled as she buries her face against the pillow.

"N-no," comes Charles' quivering voice. "Ate, did they weave?"