PINK

14

'Does anyone ever consider

how the rat feels when you trap and kill it?'

She steps into the eating area, now clad in a white shirt and pants; the only two-piece combination in her closet. Here she meets Stephen and Addy and Sanny's gazes, patiently waiting for, Iara supposes, her presence. They just sit there. Plates empty and cutlery adjacent.

"Do you want me to make you breakfast?" She asks, one eyebrow raises in confusion. Stephen only nods and this sends Iara straight into the kitchen. They are paying her for this. She gets out five eggs from a brown carton. Caged Eggs, it reads. The pan now hot she taps the egg on the side, causing the white shell to crack as viscous and semi-translucent liquid droops into the pan. As soon as it hits, a sharp sizzling sound envelops the room, only for a moment.

She settles the sunny-side up eggs on their plates with a side of toasted bread cut into strips, soldiers, she would call them. Only one plate had no partner awaiting to eat its contents.

"Is Dante coming?" Iara asks.

"Where is that boy?" Sanny laughs, almost manically.

Stephen immediately gets up to fetch Dante but he already makes himself present, shuffling into the room. His hair is dishevelled and eyes red; Iara feels that smatter of nauseousness right in the center of her body. She prepares herself to ask him how he is, but falls back when Stephen's foreboding words pillage her mind. Instead she sits at her plate and waits, like everyone else, for Dante to rest in his allotted seat.

He slumps down so hard his chair shifts from its original place. Iara watches as his body heaves with each breath, that feeling grows within her. Iara turns to the other members of the family for support but they all just stare. In fact, they seem annoyed at how unmannered Dante is acting. He's hurt, Iara thinks, but they don't seem to care.

After breakfast Iara is stuck cleaning dishes once more. Dante is still seated in his chair and has not moved an inch. Something's wrong. She has to keep her vow of silence though. He comes up behind her and offers to help.

"Are you insane?" She says, seriously. He only chuckles.

"Maybe, I mean, do you blame me?" He laughs with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Get away please." She sternly says, but he doesn't listen. His behaviour reminds her of how Bredan would act.

"Get away!" She screams and as soon as she lets her voice raise louder than it should be, both of them experience a sinking feeling; one under the ribs. The longer they stayed still the stronger and tighter this sensation becomes it almost makes them think they are made of stone.

Dante quickly scurries away back to his seat and Iara decides to act normal and continue washing. Stephen comes around the corner and catches Dante just sit down. This is when the sinking feeling resides and let's hollowness take over.

"What did you do?" Stephen spits in Dante's direction.

"What did you do?" His eyes are narrow and lips in a straight line.

Iara urges for Dante to say something, anything to break this lingering silence. But he doesn't.

"It wasn't him, it was a rat." Iara splutters quickly. Stephen whips his head towards her.

"Rat?" His words cut through the air and emit a sour quality, causing Iara's abdomen to churn nauseously.

"Yeah, it ran across here." Iara points at the bit of steel that separates the sink from the wall. He walks over and inspects the strip of steel.

"I'll get some of that poison. Kill the bastards." He then walks off, not acknowledging his hostile manner towards Dante.

----

It's been two days, and she hasn't left this house once. The walls seem to be caving in on her, triggering claustrophobic anxiousness. She thought maybe she could go to the local shopping complex, get to know her new neighbourhood. If she gets the chance, maybe even leave this forsaken house and all its twisted inhabitants.

She walks up to Stephen and gathers up enough courage to ask.

"Hi, I have a question." She starts.

He nods his head.

"Would you mind if I just headed out, got to know the area?" She nervously awaits his answer.

"You think you could get me some rat killer?"

----

She brings her backpack with extra food just in case she finds the perfect opportunity to abandon her current dwelling. As she walks through the corridor she spots Dante in the bathroom, looking down. She checks her surroundings and decides it safe to talk to him.

"Hey." She speaks softy from behind him. He jumps up.

"Could you please leave Iara?" He says defensively, something she was not expecting.

"Jeez, I was going to ask if you want to come out with me. But nevermind." Iara starts to walk off, but Dante whispers something that barely reaches Iara.

"Wait." He says, voice raised. "Just wait."

She looks at the mirror and is caught in his gaze.

"Uh, I'll wait outside." Iara steps outside and waits for him.

Not once, does she consider Stephen's opinion on her taking Dante outside the house.