The Homecoming

Jill grunted with the weight of her final suitcase as she heaved it into the back of the waiting taxi cab. She had to readjust it a bit to make it fit along with the other five, but in the end she managed to slam the trunk door down on top of it all.

"All set?" the cab driver asked as she fastened her seat belt. Her day had definitely not gone well so far, first a flight delay, now a taxi driver who wouldn't even help with her luggage. She sighed, loud and pointedly, and brushed her limp strands of red hair from her eyes.

"I'm going to Millidgeville. I'll show you the house when we get there."

It was a cloudy day. Not a speck of light shining through the deep, dense clouds. A slight haze surrounded the whole city and area. a slight haze surrounded Jill too, drawing her in.

It felt so good to be home, yet she still pondered her welcome back.
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"Ashlee, so help me god! I'm not coming up there! Get the hell out of bed, you have work to do!"

Ashlee groaned, rolled over, and shoved her head under the pillow a bit farther. Her plan being that she would hold out as long as possible before caving into her mother's demands. And, any extra sleep possible was a god-send these days.

The bedroom was dark, all the curtains closed tight so as to not let even a speck of light through. It was like an entire haze was surrounding her this morning, pulling her in. It almost felt muffled in there, like when you wake up to snow, and even before you see it, you can feel that it's going to be there.

"There's mail here for you, and I'm throwing it out if you don't come down here, now!"

Ashlee poked her head out of the pillows and blankets a bit. Had she heard correctly? Mail? But that would mean...

"I'm coming mom!" She jumped up, grabbed her robe and set off bounding down the stairs.

The twins sat at the kitchen table eating toast. Her older brother Henri was just making his way out the door, and there sat her mother in the midst of it all. Like one single image in a painting, like the only object not moving in a meteor shower.

"It's on the table," she said coldly, without even looking up from her paper. "There's no return address. I want you to tell me who it's from."

"Well gee, let me just ask the damn letter. Maybe it will tell me!" Ashlee snatched the envelope off the table and studied it a bit before tearing one end open. Plain, white envelope, typed address, plain white paper.

"I meant when you opened it Ashlee, don't be smart with me, I'm not in the god damn mood."

But by now Ashlee was already lost in the note. And she knew exactly who it was from.
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"I know, that's exactly why I said, why not the pink shirt?"

Rayelle walked out of class, surrounded by her 'friends' as always, or at least what she liked to call friends. Ashlee remembered when they had been friends, it wasn't even that long ago. But then again, so much had changed in the short time that Jill had been gone. So much had changed about this 'elle', this girl who she had always considered almost family. So much had changed. And now, just looking at her made ashlee feel a bit of hatred inside towards a girl who now treated her like a lower life-form.

"Can I help you?" Rayelle asked with a smirk as Ashlee stepped in front of her. With the new-found stillettos, Rayelle was a good foot taller then Ash now, even more intimidating, but Ashlee stood tall. With the army of bitches standing behind her, Ray was now powerfull, and she knew it. And Ashlee was only one.

you're doing this for Jill, she thought to herself. This is for Jill.

"Yes?"

"I need to talk to you in private Rayelle, it's important. So if you can take a moment out of your busy schedule..."

"What is it? I am busy."

"It's about Jill." Ashlee knew she touched a nerve, she could see it right across Rayelle's face. Her eyes seemed to bug out for a second, then settle back into place.

"What about Jill?" She asked, as she fought to regain her cool. The new rayelle was far too good to remember "old" friends.

"Like I said, it's private," and with that, ashlee turned on her heel and walked away. She was glad Rayelle couldn't see the look on the face, and Ash, the look on hers. She was fuming right to the tips of her bleached blonde dreads. How dare Rayelle Whittaker treat her, her former "best friend" like this? And how dare she act like Jill didn't matter?

"Ashlee, wait." She felt a tap on her shoulder. Rayelle had followed her, down the hall and onto the stairwell. Her eyes were a bit shiny. "I want to know what it is, I want to help."

"Oh really?" Ashlee started. "Because..."

"I know you're getting letters from her Ashlee, would you just please tell me what's been going on. Jill was my friend too."

"Was your friend? Oh, so now she's not? You know sometimes Rayelle, you piss me off so god damned much..."

"Where is she?" A desperate look flitted across Rayelle's face. "I need to know where she is."

"She wrote me a latter, I got it this morning." Ashlee sighed and looked down, almost incapable of telling Rayelle this top-secret information. "She's coming home, she said to meet her at my house tonight because no one will be home. And not to tell her Dad or anyone." Ashlee patted her side-pouch on her purse. "It says it all in the letter."

"Let me see that!" Rayelle made a grab for the purse, but Ashlee quickly turned to the other way.

"She told me not to show anyone, not even you!"

"God damnit, you're a priss, when are we supposed to meet her?" It seemed Rayelle was getting bored with this little meeting in good-time.

"Tonight, my house. She flies in this morning."

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by the time the cab pulled into the driveway, the street lights were on, the sun having past sunk behind the shadows of the mysterious clouds that loomed above. Jill shivered as she stepped out onto solid concrete. It had been quite a while, quite a long drive, quite an adventure, quite a night.

"Do you need any help with the bags Miss?" the cab driver called out of his open window. Jill could tell though, just by his tone of voice that he didn't exactly feel like helping her.

"I'm good, thanks."

"Have a good night then." and with that, he was off down the dark, curving road. She watched his taillights until he came to the intersection. She watched as his blinker came on and he made the turn back in the direction of the highway. The only thing that had somehow linked her to her life for the past eight months, gone.

She slowly turned around, looking straight at the house looming ahead of her. It seemed dark enough, not a light on that she could see on any of the floors. No noise or music, and it all seemed so 'peaceful'.

Leaving her bags at the curb, she slowly started to walk forward, as if in a trance, as if the house was pulling her closer. This was her house, or at least the closest thing she had ever had to feeling like a home. The night was dead silent, only the subtle tapping noise of her feet, walking up the front steps. Then the muffled noise of the doorbell sounding, barely, almost like a screaming girl being smothered.

She could hear the footsteps coming, almost feel the vibrations of their steps. She could see the reflections of the shapes behind the tinted glass, feel the anticipation as the screen door inched open.

But she was not ready for what stood behind it. She could not describe the feeling, that sinking feeling, the feeling of finally being defeated. She had ran, she had left it all behind, she had tried her hardest to let that be a chapter in her past. But it seemed no matter where she went, it was there. And there was only one word that could describe that feeling she felt right then.

"...Dad?"

Read What Happened Before.

Read What Happens After.