Repeal

Chapter 13

With the new morning come’s familiar sounds. There are noises in the kitchen: wandering feet, the fridge squeaking open and slamming closed. The house is quiet, but not silent.

Kiera rolls onto her side, staring at the window where light leeks through the curtains and stains the room a pale gold. A bird twitters outside annoyingly, but she hardly registers the sound. Carefully she sits up.

 An ache jolts through the base of her skull, disappearing into the trickling river of pain slowly making its way through her. The pain is less intense, and as Kiera stands there is no swaying room or throbbing muscles. The pain in her stomach has almost dissipated.

Close enough to sure-footed for Kiera; she walks out of her cave. Wafts of cooking onion, burning toast and bacon drift down the hall.

With her curiosity pricked, she wonders closer to the front of the small home. Chase had never struck her as a cooker, even slightly. Then again, she’d never thought about it. At the end of the hallway she turns into the kitchen and finds two people. Neither one of them is Chase as curls of smoke rises from between the pair.

Kiera freezes in disbelief.

There’s a curse from the blond as she spins around to grab the toast as it pops. “You burnt the toast again, mum.” 

“Oh, hush. You were the one standing around doing nothing!”

Jess snorts un-lady like and glances over her shoulder. “Whatever. Hey Ra, you look awful.” She flashes a bright smile.

“What are you doing here?” Kiera asks as Bree spins around.

“Cooking” the older woman waves a spatula. “Bacon and eggs on toast. You’re favourite.”

“You call this cooking?” Jess raises a thin, prefect eyebrow and turning to their mother. “I forgot how bad you’re cooking is. This is not cooking; it’s burning, mashing and breaking. You’re eggs look like you’re trying to scramble them without heat!”

Bree turns to argue back, eyes challenging. Kiera watches the aggressive banter with detached amusement. Jess was like Bree and so unlike her at the same time, Kiera wondered if her sister was adopted some days. It was possible. Bree had dark brown hair, and simple grey eyes. Hunter had the same hair, but with darker eyes, while Kiera had too taken the grey eyes and stolen her dads black hair.

Jess however, had a golden blond hair cut stylishly short and adorned a plain pair of brown eyes.

Kiera’s mother and sister clashed like male wolves showing their dominance, and got along like two best friends. They always seemed semi-serious, and argued about everything.

Leaving the duo in the kitchen she wonders in search of Chase. He’s easy to find, sprawled unceremoniously across the couch without a blanket or pillow. There’s a drooled patch on one thin couch cushion.

Planting her butt on the coffee table she nudges his shoulder with her foot. Chase grumbles, throwing an arm at her weakly. “Chase, wake up” Kiera kicks him again. In reply Chase grunts, rolling into the back of the couch. The skin under his eyes is dark.