The Wrong Sister

Sitting in the rain

"I can wash myself." I held my hand out for the hose. 

"The Alpha said I had to wash you." Asta looked small. She stood hunched and looking at the floor, "I'm sorry." 

I quirked a brow. None of the other members had expressed any kind of regret. They treated me like a child who didn't want to eat its vegetables. 

"You've already done it once before. I suppose it doesn't matter." 

She walked closer timidly, "Please take your dress off. I'll wash it first so that it will dry as fast as possible." 

I glanced at the house Jozef's silhouette burned through the curtain. The dress came off quickly. I threw it to Asta and curled up on the floor trying to cover as much of myself as possible.  

Bored, I watched Asta sprayed the dress. She was clearly uncomfortable with me staring. 

"That night at the club? I assume you approached me because Jozef told you too?" It was hard to get the sentence out. It scared me that he had so much control over what had been happening in my life. I wasn't even thinking about him anymore, but he was there. 

"Yes." 

Asta finished wringing out the dress and spread it across the lawn. She approached me again. 

"Could you stand up, please?" She still hadn't looked me in the eye. 

I staunchly refused to look at the house again as I stood and opened my arms wide. 

Asta spent a lot of time spraying my arms.  She rubbed at my shoulders trying to get rid of the lingering smell of gasoline. Finished with my arms she  rounded my body to work on my back. 

"So how did he manage to convince you?" I twisted so that I could watch her face.

Asta stopped scrubbing my back. She stood silently contemplating to the sound of water spraying onto the lawn. 

A shiver wracked my body as the breeze kissed my body. 

"I'm sure you've noticed, but as time passes worse and worse things have happened." She watched my chin as she spoke, "Depression and other mental health issues are at an all time high. Global warming has been getting worse." 

"There is far less of a stigma surrounding mental health issues so more people are asking for help. Global warming was getting worse long before I was born and there are perfectly understandable reasons that don't include your 'Alpha' not having the girl he wants." I turned away from her. She believed with her whole being. I knew that. I just wasn't expecting the turning point to be so iffy. It was disappointing.

A cold hand gripped my jaw and brought my face back. Asta's eyes burned with desperation and fear. 

The intensity of her emotions sent a shock through  my spine. I spun to face her properly and backed away a few steps. 

"You've felt it too." She closed the distance between us. "I know you have. Everyone can feel it. Life has gotten less and less enjoyable. Every experience is accompanied by pain now. Emotional or physical. It didn't used to be like this. That's because you ran away." 

"Asta I think you are depressed. You need help." 

"I've tried that. It didn't work. Don't tell me that there is something wrong with me. We've all felt this. We know the truth. The Alpha will save us all." The glint of desperation in her eyes had grown. It evolved into pain and exhaustion.

"Asta things get worse because bad things happen and if you don't deal with them you carry them into other experiences." I slowly reach my arms towards her. She froze but didn't pull away.