HOME SWEET HOME
A deep gloom had cased itself around Kappa's camp and when the police and paramedics arrived we were all questioned one by one though there was nothing to tell. Yvonne was supposed to be in a car headed back to campus after she had been cut from he Kappa recruitment trial. "I didn't really know her," I had told the detective as she scribbled notes in her handheld notebook. "I saw her around campus and when us pledges recruited for Kappa, but other than that we didn't really speak."
Detective Haan had written all of my words down before asking me a few questions about Kappa. Whether any other girls had disappeared and the treatment of Kappa throughly rush process. "It's common for the hazing rituals to get a bit brutal," she said. "If you can tell me anything about that, or about Prathana Balakrishna, who I believe is the president of this organization."
I swallowed thinking back to Sebastian laying on the ground nude and bleeding, locked in a cage. Back to me being dragged across the backyard and down the basement stairs, into the dark room and drugged again and again. I thought about the screws coming from the basement about the merciless ripping of pledge pins. I thought about all of this, but what came out of my mouth was, "I don't think I would call it a hazing ritual," I said. "It's not even a ritual at all. We were only here for a scavenger hunt."
The detective looked up from her notebook and exhaled. "Look, I know there's a lot of loyalty going on here, but anything that you can tell us about this organization could help with solving this murder."
I watched the woman back and smiled, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can tell you."
Exhaling she put her notebook away and I too released a breath I didn't know I was holding. When they finished questioning me, I took a ride back to campus with an officer and went straight to my dorm. Without even blinking I packed my things in a small bag and took all the belongings that were of importance to me: my mother's journal, my phone, wallet and dog tags. And left after I ordered myself a car. As I walked out, Prathana was walking in and her eyes didn't even bother to meet my gaze. We passed each other like two ships in the night and something inside of my fractured even more.
"Where to ma'am?" The taxi driver asked.
"Airport."
The flight back to Poulsbo was always longer than I think it's going to be and by the time the car arrived at the large white house my backside was sore from sitting all the time. As I walked up the front of the house, I took out the unused key and quickly unlocked the door to the house.
The familiar scent of coffee and oil paint brushed my nose and I looked around the house which was a perfect example of two things that didn't exactly go together. The traditional home was cluttered with empty canvases and unfinished sculptures. All done by the hands of Danielle who moved from project to project like a hummingbird to flowers. Wherever inspiration struck was where she followed. I knew somebody was home, their car was parked right outside and so I didn't bother to announce myself and slipped upstairs and into the third bedroom on the right.
It was the second largest in the house. The walls were painted a pale green and decorated with tiny string lights. Just above the bed was a map of the world with pins on every city I wanted to visit and on the other side was my desk and a board of photos of various stages of my life. Most of the were happy memories that blurred together and others seemed happy, but were really hidden by terror. In all the photos I didn't recognize the girl in them. At various stages of my life I had become something else for somebody else and now I just felt too exhausted from change to define who I was. I felt almost like Danielle's paintings. So many hands had attributed to creating who I was, but nobody had ever cared to finish and now there I was a cluttered mess waiting, but knowing I'd never become a masterpiece.
"Harriet?" My head swiveled around to see Danielle covered in paint and sculpting clay. "Jesus you gave me a fright. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
My mouth fishtailed, I knew we were trying out a new way of being where I was more open, but I didn't know how exactly to explain what had been happening the last few days. "I had a few days off," I lied. "Finals is right around the corner so we don't really have classes so we can study a bit."
Danielle nodded, I knew she didn't believe me—her eyes watched me with too much alertness for that—but she didn't push nonetheless. "Okay, well I'll leave you to your studies. I'm in my office if you need anything—"
"Would you like some help?" I asked forcing her eyes to open wide. This was unprecedented, but hadn't I said I would try.
"Ye-Yes. Yes! Yes," she said trying and failing to mask her happiness.
I smiled and followed her through the house and to the greenhouse in the backyard. When we first moved here, Danielle had spent the first three months converting the greenhouse into a studio for her art. She kept all the glass walls and ceilings feeling that it would help inspire her being both part of nature and apart from it. It was here where most of her completed work of art hung, or sat in neat—for Danielle—stacks. The plants were placed all around her, sitting on top of tables or hanging from walls and ceilings. The space, was cluttered just like the house and I suspect much like Danielle's mind, but in a more organized fashion. Though, what caught my attention upon entrance was the sixteen foot half clay, half white statue that stood at the center of the studio. "What's it gonna be?" I asked in awe. From the looks of it it was going to be a woman and feet and dress all seemed feminine, but I was more interest in the client who had commissioned it and where it was going to stand.
Danielle had art all over the country and if I was wrong some placed in Europe, Africa and South America as well. She wasn't mainstream, but the people who knew of her work paid high for her art and usually passed on her name from word of mouth. She shrugged cleaning off her hands and looking back at me. "It's just something I'm working on from time to time," she said. "I should've finished it ages ago, but these restoration pieces came up and the guy wants all of them done as soon as possible."
Pointing to the other large work table were several pieces of art in all shapes. Danielle's restoration chemicals burned my nostrils as I neared them, but my heart plummeted into my chest as I saw the pieces. They were familiar. Like the dark memories in my mind I had seen them hung up on walls of my prison once upon a time. The woman in white watched me, her dark tresses falling down her olive toned skin and heart-shaped face. Though, this time instead of her eyes screaming for my to run, they pleaded that I take her with me. "Who commissioned this?" I asked my voice barely a whisper.
Danielle shrugged. "There was no name. Just an address and an unsigned note. The bill was even made out to John Doe, which I'm guessing is an alias, but I'm not unfamiliar to that," she said walked to stand by my side. "It's beautiful isn't it... I mean I feel like it should be hanging in a museum, not sitting inside somebody's house."
Trust me, I thought. Once upon at time it might've been. "Yeah," I said. "Beautiful."
"I wanted to hang it in the gallery, just for viewing purposes, but he owner declined that request." Suddenly Danielle turned to me. "Are you going to be here for Sunday? That's when my opening is and I'd love for you to be there."
I smiled warmed by her invitation before nodding. "Of course, I'd love to go."
Without warning, Danielle embraced me tightly and my own arms slowly wrapped around her. The hug was new and unfamiliar, but warm and I allowed it to sink into me. When we pulled apart Danielle was glowing and breathless from her showcase of excitement and I could feel the chagrin rushing into my skin. "Okay then," she sighed. "Would you like to help me on this?" Pointing back to the large sculpture, I nodded my head. Warning her that I was probably going to mess something up and potentially ruin the entire thing, she waved me off. "You can't ruin art," she said. "The mistakes is what makes the masterpiece."
We stayed in the studio until the sun began to sink. My hand had been full of clay and under Danielle' instructions the sculpture had been added to and refined a bit more. When we came inside, Walter was preparing dinner and seemed to share in Danielle's surprise that I had come home. "It's a good surprise," he added looking to Danielle's sharp glare at his outburst. "You know we always want you back here as much as you'd like to be. This is your home." I laughed it as I went up to clean myself up for dinner.
When I came back down Danielle had set the table and Walter was place the food. I sat down with them once more to their astonishment and we talked about school and work and Danielle's studio opening. "Don't forget the country fair is Saturday," Walter added with a gleam in his eyes that Danielle, for once didn't share. Walter had grown up in this very town, everybody and everyone knew him from his childhood which I felt made it hard on Danielle, a girl from the city to fit in. She didn't understand things like being friendly to neighbors or town meetings and Country fair's, yet every year she tried for Walter's sake to fit in with the caddy people of this town I had no problem straying away from.
His mother used to run a pie booth and upon moving back to Poulsbo, Walter and Danielle had taken on the same responsibilities. Though, the only problem was that Poulsbo seemed to have come straight out of the fifteenth century where women where meant to stay home, cook, clean, have babies and more importantly run the booth. These were all things Danielle had seemingly failed at and yet every year she tried her hand and baking those pies that didn't move from her booth.
"How in the world could we possibly forget," Danielle begrudge pushing around the peas on her plate.
Walter watched her and exhaled. "Hey, this could be a great opportunity for you and your studio. Pass out some flyers and get people interested."
Danielle nodded half-heartedly.
"Hey, if you want I could help with those pies this year," I said catching Danielle and Walter's attention. "I'm no Julia Child's, but one of my host parents was a pastry chef, so I know my way around an oven... kind of." The silence between us was defining and right as I was about to resend my offer Danielle accepted with a heavy amount of enthusiasm. "Okay."
"Okay," she laughed looking to her husband as the subject changed to the upcoming projects Walter's charity was starting this summer.
By the time we had slinked off the bed, my stomach was full and my eyes were heavy I didn't even have time to register the ringing of my phone before I fell into a heavy slumber I tried to wake myself from the moment my eyes shut.
In it the woman from the painting came to life. My mother submerged herself into his bathtub and before I could reach her a pair of arms pulled me away whispering "You got to close your eyes Ettie." Then in a brilliant flash of light I the horn honked and shook my awake.
It was four o'clock in the morning when I sat in my bed. The sun had yet to rise and I was swimming in a pool of my own sweat. Pushing the sheets off me, I jumped from my bed slipped into some exercise clothing and went for a run. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt the wind of my face and my muscles screamed with delight from being able to release all their pent up tension again. I ran through the town through an old hiking trail nobody used anymore and to a small creek. When I was running back the sun had just started to come up forcing the sky in pale blue hues. The town of Greatwood was only beginning to awaken and I was caught in between a few friendly and worrisome looks.
The thing about this town was that when they loved you you were embraced. Much like how Walter was, but when they didn't know you you were an outcast and nobody was afraid of making you seem like it. "Harriet!" My head turned to see Mrs. Banks flagging me down from her car. Stopped at a red light I crossed over to her. "I didn't know you were back in town!"
"Just here for Danielle's gallery opening and the country fair," I said. "Then I'll be right back to Cambridge."
Mrs. Banks nodded. Since we moved here she was the only one of the people who were friendly to us and especially Danielle. She and her husband had adopted two of my closest friends, Warner and Rebecca, who I had coincidentally met so long ago I couldn't even remember. All I knew was that their mother had passed in a terrible car accident. "Would you mind taking some time to talk to Rebecca?" she asked. "You know she's starting to study for her SATs and she's all strung up about going to college when she graduates."
I nodded as the light turned green, but Mrs. Banks didn't move. "Of course."
The cars behind her honks and she yelled a string of curse words before turning back to me. "You'd think they were raised by mongrels," she quipped. "Anyway, you call me oh and... I don't know if you know, but Warner's back in town."
I smiled knowing exactly what she was up to. "I will talk to Rebecca the next time I see her."
Mrs. Banks shed me a knowing smile as she started up her car and took off. I myself shook my head and started up on my run again. Though, I stopped once again as I passed by Danielle's gallery seeing the lights had been turned on. "Danielle?" I called only to see her popping her head out from the back.
"See you are a visual representation of why I need to get myself back in shape," she said pulling a cart of painting onto the main floor.
I looked around taking int he beauty of Danielle's blood, sweat and tears. Just a few months ago, all of this had been nothing but ruins. Danielle had purchased the building years ago and had worked with architects to turn it itself into a piece of art. Though, she had to follow the town's strict rules about architecture, which took a lot of her modern ideas away. She still managed to turn it into something phenomenal. The exposed red brick and hard wood floors and accented white walls. One would they they stepped into New York City instead of another shop in Greatwood. Though there was still no art not he walls and some places were in ruins, I didn't know how she expected all of this to be finished by Sunday.
Disappearing for a second, Danielle returned with a bottle of cold water for me. "How's everything going?" I asked taking a long sip.
Danielle looked around and exhaled proudly. "Good," she said. "I mean we have some more work to do and I might be pulling a few all nighters, but I'm optimistic about Sunday. Hopefully we get some buyers and it's not a toal bust."
"You'll do great," I said trying my hand at her optimism, and despite me feeling it heavy my tongue, I could tell it help Danielle's uneasiness a bit. "Do you need me to do anything?"
"Actually, I've already—"
"Where do you need these?"
My head snapped up as the familiar voice was followed by and even more family face. From just around the same corner, Warner came carrying a heavy bust of a three headed man. Danielle pointed to a podium at the center of the studio which he set it on before his eyes found me. Instantly, I could feel my heart hammering. I hadn't seen Warner since my junior year of high school. He was a year older than me and decided that instead of trying his hand at college he was going to enlist in the military and despite his protest we'd broken up at my insistence. I had enough loss to last me a life time, I didn't need to constantly be tethered to something else who was willingly putting themselves at risk. Even so, the minute I laid eyes on him again I felt my throat tighten. He was taller somehow, his muscles more defined and he was growing a thick beard on his dark face. The smooth lined had been chilled into sharp edges and in a sense he took my breath away. "Harriet Carolyn Wright-Cooper," he said breathlessly, the teasing smirk playing on his lips as he stepped up to me.
"Warner Leslie Banks," I hit back earning myself a deep laugh from him.
"It's been some time."
"Yes, it has."
I could feel Danielle watching us and from he corner of my eyes the bridging of a smile as she quickly made up some excuse about a delivering coming in the back room.
Warner invited me to take a stroll with him and I didn't even think of denying him as he lead me out. "So how long are you here for?"
"Just the weekend," I said as we passed onlookers. It was no surprised that to everybody in this town Warner was one of the most eligible bachelors. Everybody wanted him and the worst thing that could happen was that the only person Warner seemed to have eyes for was me. "I go back to Cambridge on Monday."
"And how's that stuffy college treating you?" He asked sneering playfully.
I laughed. "Very well thank you. They're overworking me a bit, but I can't really say I'm surprised," I said as our hands grazed each others. "And how are you? How's the army treating you? Filled your head with any dangerous propaganda yet?"
It was his turn to laugh again. "You know you'll have to be the judge of that." Warner filled me in on his time at boot camp and all the cities he lived in since he enlisted. A year in Germany and England, three months in France and two years in Japan. Talking to him felt as it always had easy. We laughed and joked, I even told him about my hardships in school and a few things that happened to me with the Kappa recruitment. It reminded me that despite the feelings which might still linger between us, at our core Warner and I would always be friends and that's something I would never take for granted. "So you're telling me it's just club where girls get together and talk?" he asked with too much interest as we walked up the entrance to his house.
"We do other things too," I snapped. "Charity work and fundraisers. It's a great way to be active in the community and to help your resume once you graduate from college."
"Okay, but... do you guys ever like get together in your pajamas and have pillow fights and stuff?" He teased taking on the guise of a teenage boy with deep fantasies. I shoved his shoulder and pushed him inside as he deflected my his and feigning pain every time my hand hit his bicep. "I was just joking! I was joking!"
"What is... Harriet!" Suddenly in the midst of my attacks against Warner I was enthralled in Rebecca's embrace. "I've missed you so much."
"I missed you too," I sighed pulling away slightly to take a deeper look at her. She had grown taller than the last time I'd seen her. Her hair was braided down her back and dark eyes shining at they took in my sweaty appearance. "I heard you've been getting ready for the SATs. Any idea what colleges your going to be applying to."
Rebecca smiled. "Harvard," she said instantly and Warner rolled his eyes beside me and I knew it was said only to get me on her good side, but still I caved to the flattery. Upon further investigation I learned that Rebecca was also applying to Georgetown, Columbia, Baylor and Rice. Though she didn't mind going out of state, she did have small hopes of staying in Texas. I followed her up to her room and was embraced by the pink and plush decor which instantly made me think of Tatiana. "So, how long are you staying."
"Just the weekend," I repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. My eyes gazed around the posters on the wall and the frames on the dresser.
In order to keep her with the in crowd, the Banks put Warner and Rebecca in everything. From Boy and Girl Scouts to debutants, and little league and ballet. Rebecca was what I would classify as a socialite. Like her brother, the entire town seemed to love her and the boys threw themselves after her all the time. Though, she didn't seem to pay them any attention. Rebecca wanted to be a animal veterinarian and specialize in working with farm animals. I set the photo down of her surrounded by her group of girlfriends and smiled.
"You know Warner's been asking about you ever since he got back to Greatwood."
I turned back to her playfully and nestled myself next to her on her bed. "Has he?" I prodded before quickly changing to topic. "And has he also been asking about why you haven't been studying for your upcoming SATs?"
Becca threw herself back on her bed and groaned. "Why does my mom have such a big mouth!" She groaned. I don't know when, but Becca had taken to calling Mr and Mrs. Banks mom and dad faster than Warner had and faster than I had to any of my foster parents.
"You know how important those test are for getting into the college you want," I said. "I mean you have all the extracurriculars and you definitely have the grades. What's going on with you usually your so... together."
The teenager threw herself back pulling the pillow on her head and groaning something into it. When she finished, she peaked out from it and sighed both of us knowing i didn't understand a thing that she was saying. "I don't know if I want to go to college anymore."
"What?"
"I just mean it's so expensive."
"You won't be paying for it and that's what scholarships and grants are for."
"Besides I'd have just gotten out of school what if I want to take a break."
"Statically people who take breaks from school are less likely to go back."
"Now a day a degree means nothing," she countered. "People are making tons of money off of their businesses and social media."
"An education isn't about making money, it's about earning a deeper understand of the trade you want to get into," I rebuffed. "The money it just a perk for the four years, besides do you have any brilliant business plans cooking in there?" I asked tapping my knuckles on her head before slipping out of bed. "What is all of this about not going to college anyway?"
Becca's face burned maroon and she looked away. I paced her room when my eyes caught a tattered photo inside an even older frame. It was of a photo I'd never seen before Becca and Warner were young and wrapped around a woman who's face seemed the burn in my mind.
"Mommy," the boy beside me called forward. "She won't stop crying."
The figure in front of us turned behind and took a hold of my legs. It's face shifted from behind blank, to being my mother, to being the woman with olive hair and then finally taking form of the woman in Becca's photo. This woman smiled at me and cooed my name. "It's gonna be alright Ettie," she said glancing back at the road before her eyes flickered to me. Her hand wrapped around my foot and her finger curled and uncurled around it. "We're gonna take you to the police station and the officers there are gonna find your daddy and you'll be alright."
"I'm scared," I confessed from the backseat. the young girl beside me sound asleep to my terror.
The woman, who'se face was so clear now, smile again at me. "DoN'T WORRY, IF YOU'RE SCARED JUST CLOSE YOUR EYEES eTTIE!" tHEN THE A HORN OVERWHELMED everything.
"Harriet, Are you okay?"
No my head was pounding as if somebody had tossed me around and thrown my brain against the side of my skull. I hissed hands trying to open my head to calm the angst happening inside. "I'm fine," I gritted. ."I'm just gonna go home. I'll see you tomorrow at the fair?"
Becca nodded before I left ignoring Warner's calls for me and if I was alright. I sprinted from the house and through the quiet subdivision. I ran until I reached the safe confinements of my house and rushed upstairs not bothering to say any pleasantries to Walter who called after me.
Shut-ing my door behind me I threw myself on my bed and buried myself in the sheet to act as a protectant over me. The darkness would and usually did soothe migraines torso than anything else did. Though the run had take a majority of it the more I thought about Becca's photo the harder the migraine came back to me.
A knock on my door didn't help matters either and hoping that it would be inconsequential I allowed the stranger to enter my room. "Hey, is everything alright with you Harrie?" Walter prompted and I grunted a yes. "We'll, there's somebody here to see you, so whenever you're ready to come down."
It took a minute to process his words. It was probably just Warner or Becca coming to s see what had happened to me. Though something else in my mind lighted up at the fact that it might be Tatiana. Maybe she was ready to hear my full side fo the story an don't just the bits and pieces I explained through fear and desperation. Ignoring the raging pain inside my head, I lifted myself up and followed Walter's voice downstairs.
As I got closer another deep voice met my ears nd, but it wasn't until I rounded the corner and a pair of shagreen eyes met my brown did my body freeze.