The Shadow Sisters

[E1] Chapter 21 - Elizabeth Cole

As Elizabeth drove Marie towards town, they remained in silence. The roads in the centre of Willow Town were much wider than the rest of the city, but still as twisted and mismatched as other areas.

The silence was soon broken when Marie said, "So where's Hannah? I didn't see her on the bus."

"I think she went to that club thing today," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, Rocket Club, wasn't it?" Marie said.

"I'm nearly sure it had something to do with stars," Elizabeth said, "Nebula League or something like that."

"Maybe. I forgot she was doing that."

"Yeah, she's not exactly one who can hide away in her room without anyone noticing."

"True. It was weird to see the walls not trembling."

Elizabeth snorted. "It is a little bit lifeless around the place without her."

Marie offered a shadow of a smile, as if she half-agreed.

When they arrived into the city centre, the traffic was dense and slow moving. There were lights and junctions it seemed at the end of every block. On the paths there was a constant hustle and bustle as thousands of bodies, forming crowds, milling together like rivers.

Sometimes, one forgot that Willow Town was a city, due to the sprawl and the fact it was so suburban on its outer edges, but here, at the base of all the towering buildings, it was easier to conceptualise.

They arrived into the middle of the high street, which was full of shops, bars, and restaurants. There were no parking spaces, but with the rate that traffic was moving at, they may as well have been in one.

Elizabeth craned her neck. "This is the place?"

Marie nodded and glanced at her phone. "This is definitely King Street, but I think we might be a bit early."

"You know your Mum."

"Always irrationally early for everything."

"You want to wait here in the car? The only thing is that I have to pick Hannah up from school soon. Otherwise she might be left waiting."

"It's fine," Marie said, "I'll just grab a bun and a coffee from one of those cafes and wait for the rest of them."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Marie hopped out of the car.

She was just about to close the door when Elizabeth said, "Honey?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you're trying to make friends and live your life again."

Marie shrugged. "I'm still mad at you, for the way things were left."

"I know."

"But it's sort of exhausting, being angry all the time. I figured that I may as well make the best of things, while I'm here."

"I suppose that's all I can really ask."

Marie scuttled off, disappearing into the crowd. Elizabeth remained at the wheel, lost in so many thoughts that it felt like no thought at all, like how all the colours come together to make white. Her mind was a blank sheet. Until she remembered herself, and drove.

It was a while before she managed to escape the traffic. From there, it was a straight shot to Willow Wood Secondary School, where she picked up Hannah.

Or at least, she thought that the girl with pale skin, dark hair, and a tattered patchwork dress was her younger daughter.

When she entered the car, she smiled. It was those eyes, ocean blue and sparkling, that unmistakably marked her as Hannah.

"You look nice, Sweetie," Elizabeth said.

"Thank you, Mum."

"Trying out a new look?"

"It's just a costume for the concert."

Oh thank goodness for that. "Are you looking forward to it? The concert, I mean."

"I can't wait."

Elizabeth chatted to her daughter on the way back home and was treated to more information and stories about her new friends. She was so pleased to hear that Hannah had fallen in with such a friendly group. To be honest, her old friends in Ballyfield were a bit cruel, a bit vapid, and they could have easily influenced Hannah away from her kind nature.

When they were home, Hannah rushed upstairs. In moments, the floor was shaking from the sound of her music. Typical. She could scarcely go a few minutes without some sort of audio stimulation. Today Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and The Smiths were her preferred choices.

As Elizabeth washed the dishes, she could almost feel her hips being swayed side to side by the music.

Oh, stop that, she told herself and continued with her chores.

As she climbed the stairs, the music changed era and genre as her daughter now was playing Sharon Van Etten. When she entered her room, Elizabeth paced up and down, forgetting what she'd originally even gone in there for.

She strayed over to her wardrobe door and opened it. Most of it was full of blouses, sweaters, and jeans, but near the back was a bright red dress that she hadn't worn in years. She still liked to hang it, to keep it nice, even though she'd never had anything special to wear it to.

Now, as she touched the fabric, she wondered after all this time, if it'd still fit.