Devil's Nest

Chapter Eleven: Ticket to nowhere

The detective wanted to drown herself in the tiny plane sink, or even open the exit door in the mid flight and be sucked into the cold atmosphere where she could suffocate, then again that would be murder suicide. Maybe she can step into a swamp and be eaten by alligators or beaten by a poisonous snake, it's quite likely around the bayou. Leslie did not want to see her family, eighteen months is a long time, a lot of things changed- she changed.

Everything was the same. The long dirt path, the thick trees on each side and the smell of sewage along with mild, it was worse than New York; fresher and nearby. When stepping out the cab, Leslie walked the rest of the way since the road because narrow and even more unsteady to drive through. She cursed under her breath for the hot spring humidity that made her skin moist and sticky, her hair was already frizzy and popping out of her ponytail and the tennis shoes weren't any help to protect her feet with the sharp rocks. Louisiana was greeting her with a sharp slap and a wet sloppy kiss.

Leslie slowed down her pace once seeing the crooked need of maintenance brown and green fence that use to be white at one point in time. The grass was recently cut, and the driveway only held one car instead of two from the last time she has been here. The house was a small family home with four rooms (of including the basement where her oldest brother spent most of his days in), the yellow paint was chipping and the small garden on each side of the door were on weeds and dirt. Leslie never realized his bad the place was going to shit without her nor her mother around anymore.

Taking a small breath in, the detective walked through the open gate and up the porch, she knocked three times and waited. The white door opened, Leslie breath was caught in her throat from the man that partially raised her. Mr. Anakin stood at the door, brows raised and lips thin; one sure of his daughter made him worry- bring that they haven't seen each other for quite some time. "Hi dad." Leslie pushed out with a small smile.

"Leslie, what are you doing here?" His voice was deep, stern and distant.

Leslie smile dropped immediately, she didn't expect a warm hug and a good welcoming greeting; but she did want a smile, a sign of relief that she's a alive. "I promised Uncle Bobby I would come down and see Lawrence off."

The older man sighed heavily before stepping to the side, "Don't want you to melt out there."

Leslie lips tugged into a small smile once again before she walked inside. The inside was the same, everything was in order but the new plasma tv playing the football highlights. She set her carry on bag on the couch while looking around some more to see if everything was in out, that her mother's antics weren't used as pawn money but her lunatic brothers. Luckily their father did not allow that and her brothers had enough scene not to scoop so low.

"How's New York? Work?" He asked while closing the door.

"Fine, everything is fine. How are things with you?"

"Fine, steady and stable."

Leslie nod and gulped down the fear stuck in her throat. Eighteen months... that's all she kept thinking about when she looks at her childhood home and father. "Evelyn is fine, she's a nurse now at one of the Brooklyn hospitals."

"Really, that's good."

Then there's silence, the awkwardness was too real and thick to even cut her way out of it. Their situation was still fresh like a gunshot wound, bleeding out no matter how tight you wrap the bandage; if not properly fixed, they'll die and that's the last thing Leslie needs. Then there were the sound of gravel being dragged by tires, the annoying and familiar honk of the high pitched horn made Leslie roll her eyes. The problem of the situation had arrived.

The loud clicking of the heels mixed in with the house keys jiggling in her claws of a hand, Leslie cringed from the sound of it. The door opened, the sun wasn't enough to blind Leslie from turning to stone when taking one look at the familiar intruder that's been around her family for over twenty five years. Martha Barnes, the lock ness monster of the swamp.