Caustic (5 page)

TEN

SKYE

The next morning, I felt something wet on my face. I attempted to bat it away, and was met with a soft furry creature. Opening my eyes, I saw a beautiful Irish Setter staring at me with dark brown eyes. “Hi,” I greeted him, and received another round of kisses in return. I sat up on what was an old sofa with an afghan thrown over me. I wondered who had made it. Suddenly, I realized I didn’t know who made it because I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t even remember how I got there. And, while that sometimes wasn’t out of the ordinary, this time something didn’t feel right. I rubbed my forehead, feeling another pounding headache coming on. Two hangovers in a week? I was on a roll. I heard someone whistling from another room, and I wrapped the afghan around my shoulders as I shuffled over into what I guessed was the kitchen.

Ellis stood with his back to me, in nothing but pajama bottoms. I looked at the roughness of his body, all hard angles. He was built.

“Morning,” I said, as I attempted to wipe the drool off of my mouth. I probably looked like an absolute disaster, and here was Ellis looking perfectly statuesque. He turned around, and I got a full frontal view, as well. It was even better than the back. His pecs were well-defined, and he had a six pack that those guys in magazines would die for.

“Eggs?” he asked, as he held a skillet in his hands.

“That would be great.” I sat down at the table, and noticed that there was already a huge glass of water, and some aspirin sitting next to it.

“I figured you could use it.”

“You know me so well already.” Neither of us laughed. I just don’t think either of us were ready to. We certainly weren’t together for light circumstances, and I needed to remember that. As much as I considered jumping Ellis’s bones, I had to push those feelings aside. This wasn’t just another guy I could screw around with. He knew my sister, and now it seemed like he knew me.

He sat down across from me, and immediately dug in, chugging down a glass of what looked like apple juice before I had even lifted my fork. “How did you sleep?”

“I guess okay. I passed out, didn’t I?”

He nodded, swallowing some eggs. “Kind of. After that call with your sister, you weren’t really with it anymore. I hope it’s okay that I brought you back here. I tried to check your phone to see if you had a hotel reservation or anything, but it was dead. It’s charging over there on the counter, by the way. Somebody’s been calling you.”

I ambled over to my phone, hoping that maybe Leia had called me back, but, instead, it was Sloan and my mom checking in on me. Sloan’s boyfriend, Jordan, had just won some sort of huge fight, and he was talking about taking her on a cruise. She was excited, but I didn’t have the heart to call her back. Not yet.

“Boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t have one of those,” I said, brushing it off.

“Why not?”

I turned and raised an eyebrow at him, his fork still in hand, and still totally shirtless. What was it about him that pulled me into him so quickly? I couldn’t figure it out. “I don’t know. Telling people about your missing sister kind of kills the dinner conversation. I don’t typically make it past the first date.”

His eyebrows came together. “So, you don’t tell people about her?”

I took a deep breath as I set my phone back down the counter. It wasn’t fully charged yet. “No. I mean, honestly, you’re the first person I talked to at length about her, except the therapist my parents hired when she went missing. We all went to therapy, always for Leia. At first, it was to try to get her to be better, and then it was because she had gotten worse.”

“You sound like you resent her.” He certainly was honest.

I slipped back into the kitchen chair, and started drinking the water he had poured for me. There were still hash browns on my plate, but there wasn’t any ketchup on the table, and that was the only way I liked to eat them.

“Missing something?”

“Ketchup? I know that’s like the worst thing to say to a cook, but I love it on hash browns.”

He smiled at me, and it was warm, something that I always thought had be reserved for people you had been friends with forever. “You’re not offending me. I should have known.”

“Why?”

“It’s how Leia used to eat them.”

I didn’t respond.

“Did you know that?”

“I don’t remember.

“Oh, well, let me grab it for you,” he offered, as he stood up from the table, and reached into the refrigerator behind him. The kitchen was small. I was surprised he could really move around in here and cook. As I looked back down to the living room, I realized the whole cabin must be small.

“Is it just you here? I mean, do you live by yourself?”

“Yeah, just me and Chester. I guess you met him this morning. Sorry about that, he usually occupies the couch while I cook. He’s outside on the back porch right now. He loves this chilly weather.”

I smiled. “You don’t seem like the type to have a dog.”

“I don’t like to be alone.”

Neither did I. The nights were the worst, but, if there was someone in my bed with me, the nightmares seemed to fade away. I didn’t think about the ambulance that they took her away in, or the way she screamed at me. Now, I had to think about how her journal said she wanted to end my life. I would never truly get away from the nightmares; no matter how hard I tried.

“So, I did a little digging, last night and this morning. There’s a couple other people that we used to hang out with at the institution. One in particular, an older guy. I still had his number, so I called him. He said he might have some information about her.”

My heart stopped in my chest. Why had we been sitting here having such a mundane conversation when he had such important information? What else was he hiding from me?

“When can we go? I can be ready in like five minutes.”

“Well, actually, I think you’re going to want your clothes, which are in your car, back at the restaurant. And, also, I need to prepare you. Frank is not well. He’s a schizophrenic, so whatever information he thinks he might have, it might not be valid anyway. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

I nodded. “Fine. But I want to get to him as soon as possible.”

He finished the last bit of food on his plate, and stood up taking his dish in the sink. “Just leave your stuff there. I’ll get dressed, bring Chester in, and then we can go. You can change at the restaurant in the ladies room. Unless you want a shower?”

How gross was it that I decided to say no? But, for some reason, showers didn’t matter. Nothing did when there was information about my sister on the line.

ELEVEN

SKYE

After I changed at the restaurant, we hit the road. Ellis drove an old Jeep that he said would be better on our trek. “He kind of lives off the grid. Like I said, Frank is a little unusual.”

“Are you telling me that we’re going off-roading to see a guy who may or may not believe in aliens?”

He turned and gave me a stern look. “Mental illness isn’t funny. It sucks, trust me I know.”

It was also genetic, but I didn’t tell him that. If my sister was insane, there is an excellent chance that I was crazy, too. It had been something that had plagued my mind since the minute she went dark. Whatever happened to one, happened to the other. That was just the way the twins worked, but I didn’t feel like I could tell him that. Not yet, anyway.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes you did, but it’s okay. And, actually, if anyone is truly certifiable out of the people that I used to hang around with, Frank is it. Yes, he has a lot of conspiracy theories. You’ve been warned.”

I nodded. “Got it. I promise to keep my mouth shut. Besides, he doesn’t even know me, so you ask the questions.”

He thumbed over his shoulder towards the back of the Jeep. “There’s a hoodie back there. I’d like if you wore it. Put the hood up, and wear sunglasses.”

“Are you serious?”

He looked at me like he was judging me. “Do you know what it’s like to see you? Especially for someone who’s not mentally capable of understanding that you’re not Leia? He might tell us that she’s dead, or that she got abducted, or that she lives in his basement. You don’t want him seeing you, and making up stories just because you’re there.”

He had a point. It was the same thing I’d been doing with my whole life. I should’ve expected this. “Fine. So, I guess I can’t talk either?”

He shook his head his eyes focused on the road. “No, that would be counterproductive.”

“Why couldn’t he just tell you what he knew on the phone?”

“Because then we wouldn’t come see him. I can’t imagine that he gets a lot of guests.” He turned off of the main road, and onto a dirt path that led us through the forest. The trees grew so tall here that it was like someone had turned off the sky. Ellis flipped on his headlights, and we drove in silence until finally, I saw a clearing. A small cabin or, rather, shack was in front of us. It had what looked like a metal roof with a chimney coming out of it. I wondered if there was any electricity. Something told me that Frank wasn’t the type to use any of our modern-day conveniences.

Ellis hopped out of the Jeep, and just as I was about to get out myself, he opened the door for me, and gave me his hands. I held mine in the air for a moment; no one made gestures like this anymore, especially not to me.

“Be careful. It’s kind of muddy.”

I nodded as I gave him my hand, and jumped out of the vehicle. He squeezed it tightly before letting go, ascending the cinderblock stairs that were in front of the shack. He knocked on the door only once before it swung open, and a deranged-looking man was staring down at us.

“What do you want?” he asked roughly. “I’m not buying anything! Now, get off my land.”

Ellis pushed me, so I was behind him, only step lower. “Frank, it’s me. Ellis, remember from the psych ward? We just talked in the phone this morning. You said you had information about Leia.”

The man’s eyes moved back and forth, like he was looking for something, but too fast to focus. He had barely any hair, and was paler than me. I guessed he didn’t go out in the sun very much. “Ellis,” he said as if he was looking for recognition within his own mind. “Yes, come in. But, were you followed?”

“No,” Ellis said simply. “Trust me, I made sure. I know how worried you get.”

Frank turned around and walked back into his home. “You know they’re out to get me. At any moment now, they’ll find me.”

Ellis nodded, “Of course. We were careful. Now, you said you had information about Leia.”

He looked me up and down. “Why is she hidden?”

Ellis put a protective hand between us. “It’s better that way. For her and for you. Now, tell us what you know about Leia.”

Frank shook his head like the memory had faded. “Do you want some tea? I think we should talk about this over tea.” He hustled off into what I assumed was the kitchen, as I heard him clanging pots and pans. I lowered my sunglasses and looked around, the place was full of junk. Floor-to-ceiling just completely cluttered. You could hardly walk through most of it, but I noticed the sofa off to my right. “Should we sit down?”

Ellis shook his head without saying a word.

“You said he was schizophrenic? Does he listen to the voices in his head?” Suddenly, I worried that we weren’t safe. Ellis made me feel protected. However, if this guy really flipped his lid, he could severely hurt one of us, or worse.

Frank rushed out of the kitchen, holding a tray in his two hands. He set it on the coffee table, and I heard the china rattle as he shook. I wondered if years of medication had done that to him, or worse, if he had always been that way.

“You should sit. You want to know about Leia.”

I looked around the house once more, and, through the doorway, I could see Frank’s refrigerator. Ellis turned and walked into the living room while I slipped behind him and examined the front of it. There were pictures everywhere, and the entire thing was full. And, right in the middle, was a picture of Frank and Leia. I touched her face and remembered how much she loved to smile like that before she got sick. She looked so happy. I grabbed the photo and stuffed it into my pocket. I knew it wasn’t right, and that Frank would probably freak out about it later, but I needed something of hers. Something to tell me that I was on the right path.

“Skye?” I heard Ellis call my name. I quickly turned around and put my sunglasses back down, making my way into the living room.

“I’m here. Sorry, I was just looking for the bathroom. I should’ve asked.”

Frank nodded. “What you want to know? About my Leia?”

His Leia? I prayed that she wasn’t hidden in the basement, or in a ditch up behind his shack. Something about this man told me he was capable of becoming dangerous. “When was the last time you saw her?”

His head snapped towards me. He recognized the voice. But then, almost as if he hadn’t noticed, he spoke in a very monotone response. “Six months ago. Before they took her.”

Ellis said his tea down. I noticed he hadn’t drunk any of it. “Before who took her?”

Frank’s eyes grew wide. “The government. I can’t believe you didn’t know! It’s why I live in hiding. She was here one day, and they came and took her the next. Leia took care of me. I miss her.” He looked down at his shaking hands. My heart broke a little bit for him. Obviously, my sister had been important to him once. And he could hardly care for himself.

“Do you know who took her? I mean, from the government?”

I was sure the government hadn’t kidnapped my sister, but I knew I needed to feed into his fantasy in order to keep him talking.

“No. They didn’t show their faces. Like you.”

He pointed at me shaking his fingers he spoke. “Are you her? Are you hiding from me?”

He stood towering over Ellis and I. Ellis stood as well, trying to calm the situation, but it was too late. Frank started screaming at me. “I know it’s you, Leia! I miss you so much. Come back to me, please. I’ll fix your brain, I know how to now.”

Ellis took my hands, and pulled me from the living room, pushing out the front door. “Frank, it’s not like that,” he kept saying. “It’s not her. I promise.” He looked directly into my eyes, past the sunglasses, and right into me. “Go to the car. Do not come back.”

Oh, shit. I knew that this could get ugly fast.

But just as quickly as Frank had gotten upset and out of control, a calm came over him. “Are you Skye?”

Ellis still had his hand on my upper arm pushing me out towards the front door, but I stopped, cemented into place. “Do you know me?”

I took off the hood and the sunglasses, and I saw the look of shock written all over Ellis’s face. I hated to defy him when he was just trying to protect me, but somehow I knew that Frank had more information than he was telling.

His moment of clarity continued. “You’re Leia’s sister. Did you know that she stayed with me for a little while? She helped take care of me when I ran out of my meds once. I’m out of them again, aren’t I?”

Ellis let go of my arm, but stayed between us. “Yeah, Frank, I think you are.”

He folded his arms and looked down at the floor, suddenly seeming like a much smaller man. “Sorry. I really can’t control myself sometimes. I’ll have to call my doctor, and get new meds. But I knew her. She’s a sweet girl.”

I peeked over Ellis’s shoulder trying to catch Frank’s eyes. “Do you know where she is? My family is desperate to find her.”

He nodded, but it was slow and sad. “After she stayed with me, she said she had to move on. I don’t know where she went. She left a number, and I call it sometimes just to hear her voice. But she never answers.”

The voice mailbox… Frank must’ve been one of the people who contributed to filling it. I could tell from the darkness behind his eyes that he truly did miss her.

“I’m so sorry she left you, Frank. Call your therapist, okay? Maybe they can help you.” I was being honest; this man needed more help than either of us could give him. His demons were darker than anything I’d ever seen, except when Leia was really bad.

“Thanks for visiting me. And, if I hear from her, I promise I’ll tell her that you were here. I mean, if I can remember. Okay?”

Ellis put his hand on Frank’s shoulder. “Okay.”

We quietly slipped out the door in silence and out to the Jeep. I waited until Ellis had the engine running and turned up the music before I let the sobs overtake my body. I gazed out the window, not making eye contact with Ellis. I didn’t want him to know how unstable I felt.

There was nothing here, just a picture and a sad man, more skeletons that Leia had left behind.