Nothing is Real

Chapter 1

"Everything is a lie.”

That's what my mother told me before she died. I didn't know what she meant by it but I knew it meant something. As I was walking down the unusually long hallway. I saw Astrid, my sister. She was doing what she always does in her free time. Knitting. She never stopped until she was done the entire ball of yarn.

"Just give me a minute," Astrid said, looking focused on the scarf.

"I'll wait till you're done" I said back "Just take your time.”

Once Astrid was done, she stared at me intensely.

"What's wrong?" she asked me.

She somehow could always tell when there was something wrong.

"It's Ryker, again" I answered.

"What did he do now?" She never liked Ryker and I didnt know why.

Ryker suddenly appeared behind us in the hall,

"Hello, ladies," He said with an annoying voice.

Throughout the 12 years I’d known him I had always thought he was annoying, but this time, I was mad.

"Why are you here?" I asked Ryker,

'Why the sour face?' he said with a cocky tone.

"You know why" I answered him, my expression was limited for him.

I never wanted to waste my breath explaining something or show any emotion.

"Look Eli..."  he said,

"Don't call me that" I interrupted.

"Eli, I said I was sorry for calling your dad worthless.”

I hated him for reminding me, but I knew he was sorry.

"Ry, I told you twice now, I don't want to hear it.” I said with a nasty look on my face.

"Fine Eli, I'll see you soon.” Ryker turned his back on me and walked out the front door. I knew he was going to come back, he always did that after a fight.
                                                                                                              
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After my shower, I looked out my window, i saw Ryker walking down the road, but he wasn't going to my house, he was going to the Elwoods. I grabbed my things and put my damp hair up into a low bun and chased after him.

"Ryker!'' I yelled while he was far from me.

He spun around and saw me sprinting after him.  "Eli, what are you doing out here this late?" he asked me.

He never cared about me being out late, unless he was up to something.

Instead of answering his question I asked him one of my own, "Why are you out here?"

"I'm not doing anything, so go back inside," he demanded.

A single question tugged at my mind: why is he out here alone?

"Fine, I'll go inside" I said, "Goodnight, Ry."

I tried to sound as innocent as possible so he wouldn't think something up.

"Goodnight, Eli.” He said back to me.

He waited until I was out of his view, then started walking up the Elwoods driveway. I ran behind a bush to watch what he was doing. I saw him take out something sharp from his pocket, it was a swiss army knife, it looked familiar. Then I remembered that it was the knife that his grandfather gave him the day before he died. It was a dark scarlet color with engraved writing painted gold. The writing said, ' 26 days'. Ryker didn’t know what it meant, but he wants to find out. He used the knife to open the lock on the front door. He was breaking in. Ry was never the guy to break into someone's house, especially if he's known them his entire life. I followed him after a few seconds, the house was empty because the Elwoods were on a fishing trip. I noticed Ryker go into the main bedroom. He moved a painting off of the wall, reviewing a safe. I didn't know how he knew it was there but put that thought aside for now. He somehow knew the code, '2681', in the safe there was a small brown sack. I thought for a second why they might have a sack in a safe. I also wondered why Ry might be stealing it. Their front door opened, it was Lawson and his father. Ryker quickly locked up the safe and put the painting back on the wall. I saw him open the balcony door and climb down a ladder. Once he was off their property, I climbed down the ladder he left with, and ran home.
     
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"Why would he steal a bag?" Astrid asked me.

"I don't know. I saw something in the bag, but I didn't know what it was". Astrid looked down at the floor, I could tell she was thinking.

"Maybe it was money," Astrid asked me.

"No, I've known Ryker my whole life" I said "He has more than enough money."

Ryker has always been hungry for adventure and excitement, but stealing something, I don't know why he would do that.

"Elianna?" Astrid asked me.

"Yes?" I answered.

"What if it was Alcohol" Astrid commented.

it wasn't that. I knew that Mr, Elwood  didn't drink,  and Lawson was too young. "I'll ask Ry."
                                                                                                
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The next morning, I knocked on Rykers door. No answer, I rang the doorbell. No answer. Where could he be? I thought. I heard a loud crash, it was coming from the backyard. I jumped over the very unusually short gate leading to the back yard. I ran down the stone pathway. I turned the corner and saw Ryker, laying on the ground with a broken down gazebo on top of him.

"Ry, are you okay!?" I asked him in complete shock.

"I'm okay." Ry answered.

His voice was hoarse and scratchy.

"What on earth were you doing?" I asked him, I knew he was reckless but I didn’t know he was this reckless.

"I was trying to fix the hatch on the top of the gazebo, and then I fell"

Ry answered, lifting the bar off of his chest. He got up and we went inside, I made him and I each a cup of tea and sat him down to talk.

"I have a question for you," I asked Ryker with a pleasant voice.

"Sure, What's on your mind Eli?" he answered me, smiling.

I felt bad asking if he was stealing from people because he is such a good guy.
"I saw you" I said "Last night, in the Elwood's house."

He looked surprised.

"Why were you watching me?" he asked me with a stupid smirk on his face.

"I was watching you because you were breaking in" I answered him.

At that moment I could tell,  Ryker knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Ok, answer me this," He said with a serious tone, "What do you think I stole?"

I knew he was going to ask that. He always knows what I'm talking about.

"What did you think I was stealing?" He said for the second time.

The truth was, I didn't know what he stole, but I knew he stole something. I couldn't think so I just blurted out,

"Prescription drugs" The second I said it I regretted it.

He paused for a minute, then began laughing at me.

"Drugs?" he said laughing.

"What?" I said. Once he was done laughing he just stared at me.

We made eye contact, His Cloudy gray eyes stared into mine. After a few seconds I broke eye contact and remembered, I needed to find out what he was hiding.

"What was inside the sack?" I asked him but he just looked at the floor.

Then after a little bit he answered me. "It was medicine"

For a moment I thought, why would he want medicine? He is the most healthy person I know. I managed to find a few words to say.

"Why do you need medicine?" I asked him.

His answer shocked me. "It's not for me," he answered.

"Then who is it for?" I asked, completely unaware of his answer.

"It's for my Mom"