Cold Weather, Play Warmer

Chapter 6

Well...Operation Christmas Morning Melt was a bust. Such a strong wind of emotions, too. I guess I realized that I started all that, but I didn't want to own up to it, which was not normal. And yeah, you've probably lost all sympathy for me after that pathetically uncalled for outburst. I don't blame you.

When I left, my mindset was racked. I didn't have anything left for them, just...hate. Not a good feeling. Think about this: I could've easily said sorry and patched things up...but how many times have I done that? How many times has everyone else screwed up, said sorry, and then work their tails off to make things right? It's a cycle that goes on and on and on, longer than the Energizer bunny. That's how sick of apologizing I was. I could draw up an entire comic series just from that idea, and there would be no end to it. It's just not enough for me anymore, and I thought it'd never be enough again. I wanted to go somewhere quiet, somewhere I could take it easy. The bike had a full tank, and I wasn't gonna waste it. I left Royal Woods in search of a place all to myself.

As for my family, I haven't been able to piece together what had exactly happened. Lisa's bugs couldn't record everything, and the stories circulating the House weren't exactly straight. All I know for certain was that they had police on me like no body's business. They were all livid, except Leni. I didn't know they were hunting me because I never noticed. I just kept my eyes forward. Eventually, I made it to Lansing, where there were many hiding places to take cover in. I made my way through the inner city and cut across to downtown. Then, I found me an abandoned factory and made temporary shelter there to plan my next move.

As for what happened at home, what I'm about to narrate is solely going off of Lisa and her surveillance devices. Y'know, 'cos she's insistent on always telling the truth.

Late afternoon, Lori fully recovered and called the RWPD,

"Yes, we had a family dispute, and Lincoln ended up assaulting all of us...my brother, yes, that's him...last I saw, he had an orange jacket, a brownish-grayish hat, and a light green scarf, and he was driving a small motorcycle...his major features are his white hair and his chipped overbite...we'll watch for him, too..thank you." Lori hung up and went back upstairs to her room, where everyone was still nursing their bruises.

"Well? What'd they say?!" Luna asked.

"He's done so much that he's now Royal Woods's most wanted," Lori explained, "Once they catch him, he will be tried as an adult."

Mom fainted.

"Are you sure we want to leave it to the police?" Dad asked.

"It's for the best," Lori said, "I know it's hard, but we all need to accept it for what it is. Lincoln is out of control. I mean, look at what he did to Luan."

Luan muttered some inane gibberish.

"I know I felt that..." Lola winced.

"How could he do this..." Lynn was in complete shock, "and after everything we did together..."

"He was using you to his own ends!" Lori shook her, "He's gone. He was scheming to get us out of his hair. Nothing more."

"...really?..." Leni woke up. Lori and Dad tried to get her on her feet, but she pushed them away. "He hit me on the stomach, not the head. If he wanted us gone, then he would have done much worse."

"You are making literally no sense! What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that he didn't pulverize us out of rage. He did it out of hurt, out of depression."

"Pffttt-HA!" Lola sat on Leni's lap, "Sister, did you see the way he shoved me down?"

"He shoved. Not 'stomped your faces', shoved."