Elias

| twenty-nine |

"Looks like about 500 grams and it was only in the back shed, wait until we check the basement," the blonde man stated.

Mr. Avril looked over his shoulder at Ambrosia before whispering something to the two men and let them walk out.

"You need to get the fuck out of my house," Ambrosia snaped.

The tall man only chuckled solemnly and rubbed the stubble of beard dressed on the lower portion of his face.

"Why don't you take your sister upstairs, she might tell you a few things," he answered shaking his head in a humorous mood.

Ambrosia needed to grab her phone from her room and call...anybody. She clutched her fist and grabbed Ivy pulling her up the stairs. Slamming the door shut, Ivy jumped in surprise and looked around.

"Who the fuck is this guy, Ivy, who the hell did you have me pay!?"

Ambrosia began to tear into her sister her hands moving wildly as she yelled.

Ivy only shook her head and mumbled something unintelligible before breaking down once again.

Ambrosia rolled her eyes and began to pace infront of the door in a struggle to figure out what was going on. It felt crowded in her room and Ambrosia could help but need some air, some place to get away from the crying and the confusion.

Ambrosia rushed toward the window and unlatched to open the double door window. The cold winter breeze filled the room and demanded stillness.

"Grandmother was a liar, everything she did was a lie this house was a lie," Ivy spoke barely over a general whisper.

"What are you saying, Ivy?"

Ivy looked up at her sister, the evening sun shone down on her grimacing face streaked with bleak tears that streamed endlessly from bloodshot eyes. Ivy sniffed as she formulated her next sentence.

"Grandmother built herself on drug money, she was a hub for cocaine shipments and dealings..."

Ambrosia stood with her feet nailed the ground, she blinked and frowned.

"How do you know this?"

"Because I here over the summer and I saw her and she was with Tania and-I-she was helping her run the..."

Ivy took a deep breath.

"...and it wasn't sup-supposed to end up like-like this," Ivy gagged curling her body up over itself as she began to cry.

"And now dad is dead."

Ambrosia was silent and let her sister weep because she knew that there was something far darker holding her back. Something that was held back from deep within her childhood something only Ambrosia knew of.

It seemed to hold everything still within Ivy's life, it held back everything but the wind.

Ambrosia turned her body back to face the window and leaned out into the cold gusts. She let it whip her hair around and dry her lips.

She let the wind open her up in the coldness of the days that would be awaiting her.

"And now dad is dead."

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"So it was at the fair?"

"Yes"

"After I went to the haunted house with Lucinda?"

"Yes"

"In the mirror rooms?"

"Yes, well there was a door in one of the mirror rooms and he took me inside."

"Then what happened?"

"..."

"What happened Ivy, I can't help you if you don't tell me?"

"Then he touched me."

"Where did he touch you?"

"In the no-no area."

"That's all right?"

"No, then I touched his and then he kissed me."

Ambrosia's face grew hot in anger as she watched her sister who walked quietly beside her.

"D-did you tell him to stop?"

Ivy nodded twirling the pink and yellow striped toy purse in her right hand her small brown face remained down.

"Why didn't you scream, Ivy?"

"Oh no, I did 'Brosia, but he said," Ivy cleared her tiny throat and quoted, "shhh don't cry because it will feel really good and if you are a good girl I'll get you a nice toy and candy after."

Ambrosia stopped suddenly her small hands balled into fists as she dug her nails into the palms of her hands. Hot angry tears began to stream from her eyes.

She couldn't believe what she had done. She had left her little sister with Lucinda's brother. Someone, she thought she could trust, but now she felt like the worst human being on the planet.

"You should have screamed louder..." Ambrosia hiccuped.

"Huh?"

"You should have screamed louder!"

Ivy stopped and looked back at her older sister her little brown braids bounced back. A small flash of worry appeared on the little girl's face and she grabbed Ambrosia's hand.

"Don't cry 'Brosia, please don't cry."

But despite her sister's pleads Ambrosia only cried harder.

"I'm sorry...It will never happen again."

"No I'm sorry Ivy, it's not your fault and it will never be your fault," Ambrosia wailed pulling her sister into a tight embrace.

Ivy stood quietly latched onto her sister as the cold winds brushed passed them on the way to school.

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