The Accidental Siren

9.3 Night Terrors and the Flooded Confessional

We were soaked within seconds. Our clothes stuck to our bodies like a second layer of flesh, exposing every crease of fat on my body while accentuating Mara's perfect form.

I ran to catch up.

“How much farther, ya think?” she asked, her lashes flitting rain from her eyes.

“We’ll be halfway there at the top of this hill... I think.”

“Cool.”

I used her question as an opening. “Whaddya think it'll be? The flying saucer?”

“Your sister’s mad at me.”

Mara's disregard for my question forced my brain to shift gears. “Huh? Did Livy say something?”

“She was probably spying on me the night Ryan was over. Prolly heard everything he said, just like you did.”

“Ryan’s not all that, you know.”

“I like it when women wear earrings.”

“Then get your ears pierced. You're old enough.”

“Your mom can't let me. Part of the foster-parent rules.”

“Oh.”

The ground began to slope upward this time. We took turns bracing ourselves on tree limbs, holding the other's hand to help them up, rotating, then repeating the motion to rhythmically repel each other up the hill.

I had to shout over the rain. “What should I do with your stuff when you're gone?” It was supposed to be a rhetorical question.

“Give my candles to Mrs. Greenfield,” she replied. “My clothes, make-up and jewelry goes to Livy.”

Was she serious?

“I have twenty-three dollars in a piggybank in my bottom nightstand drawer. Give it to your Mom to pay her back for her help. My Saint Michael statue, give it to Whitney. He needs protection.”

“What about me? How am I going to remember you?”

“You have our movie. It's the most fun I've ever had.”

It sounded like a copout, but she was right, our best memories had been captured on tape: bouts of goofiness, applause, adorable bloopers, and priceless moments between every take.

At the top of the incline we saw it: Mara's hill and tower, bleak in the thickening mist, framed by clouds that stifled the rising sun. Behind us, the castle tower stood tall above the trees. Above it, lightning tore a web across the sky, burning my retinas so--when I looked at Mara--her face was covered by the same jagged bolts.

“Almost there,” she said.