Emmaline [h.s] AU

15

Ever since I can remember, I have been good at memorizing things. Often times, as a child I would get scolded for it because I would bring it up when all my family wanted to do was forget. I memorized the road we lived on, what the house next to ours looks like, the many doors in the house and where they lead to. But one thing I memorized that my parents didn't know, was our house phone number.

We each had individual phones with everyone's number so that we didn't have to know them mentally, but the house phone was always for emergency's or my father's work. I remember I called it once, I got in trouble and I didn't understand why.

But now, I find myself in front of Harry's phone in his office. It was dark, the clock read two fifteen in the morning. I should be in bed, but after Harry's words from last night I just couldn't get much sleep. So I sneaked out of the apartment, walked the silent and empty warehouse all the way to his office and here I was.

Afraid of picking up the phone.

What if they don't answer? What if Harry was right? I doubt my father would allow the worst to happen, he was always ahead of everyone else. I must've been biting the skin on my fingers for too long because I wince when it hurts and bleed. I should just do it—they couldn't trace me, right?

I let out a breath as I pick the phone up, the keypad glows green and it waits for me to use it for its intended purpose.

With one last intrusive thought on why I should not dial, I do it anyway and press the phone to my ear. I gripped it as if my life depended on it. The line rings, the number of pauses between rings seemed infinite that it made the palms of my hands sweat with anxiety.

Why aren't they picking up? My heart pounds in my ears, my face grows hot. They can't be.

"We're sorry, the call you are trying to reach—" I cut the operator short as I end the call. My eyes burned with tears and just as I was setting the phone down back in its holding place, it begins to ring uncontrollably that it startled me and even managed to wake Onyx up.

My hand shakes as I reach for it, my home number across the screen and I immediately pick it up. I wait a second, hearing breathing on the other line and then I speak. "Hello?"

Shuffling. "Hello?"

I quickly recognized this voice and I suddenly felt like crying. It was my baby brother, Tadeo. "Deo," I breathe out, relieved to hear his voice, my hand goes to my mouth as I try to hold back a sob.

"Emmaline?" He says in a whisper, he sounds shocked and I hear more shuffling. "Where are you?"

I look around the room. "I'm in an office, I don't know." I say.

"You've been away so long." He says. "I'm so glad to hear your voice."

"Is everyone okay?"

There's a short silence on his end before he speaks again. "You're not supposed to call here."

My eyebrows furrow at this. "I know, I just wanted to know if you guys were okay—"

"We're okay," He says shortly and I let myself relax at his words. "I understand if you have to go, I won't take much of your time."

The furrow in my eyebrows remain as I try to listen to what he's saying. "What?"

"I'll see you around." And before I can say anything else, the line goes dead. I refrain from calling back, that was too weird and it didn't sound anything like my brother. What if they aren't really okay and he was trying to get me off the phone so I'm not located?