Ant's POV
"Where you found us." Dan said.
"How is that going to help her?" I asked.
"I need to remind her of who she is. I get the whole Red thing. But that's not truly her. I can't let Rowan get replaced by Red. Red is not my sister. Rowan is. Rowan was the happy one. Red is a sad victim."
"Dan, did it ever occur to you that she might not know what happiness is?" Dec asked.
"But she was smiling and laughing."
"That doesn't mean she's happy." I said.
"But we aren't trapped anymore. We have a real family now. You two." Dan said quietly.
"You think of us as family?" I whispered.
"Of course. You're the only ones who have cared in a long time."
"Alright, I'll go take a walk with her. I'll talk to her. Figure her out a little bit more. You go in with Dan." Dec said.
I looked up. I hadn't even realized Dec had started driving. We were outside the house again. And we had to go in. Again.
I nodded and got out of the car. Dan followed me. I didn't look back. I didn't want to see her face. I'm sure it must be twisted with confusion and fear.
Dan's POV
The entire place was empty. I walked up to the door and attempted to open it. Locked.
Suddenly I heard a loud slam. I turned around and saw Rowan. Standing outside the car. Dec walked around to her, but before he reached her she ran. She ran to the house. To us.
"Dan! What-" Dec caught her.
He easily picked her up and brought her closer to the car. He said something to her. Rowan looked back to us, then to Dec, and nodded. They talked for a moment and then walked off.
"It's locked." I told Ant. "We need a key."
But Ant was already walking away. He moved to another section off the house. To a window. I quickly followed after him.
"You can't get in that way. The windows were always-"
I gasped.
Ant looked at me and smiled. "Well we can get in now.
He took something in his hand and began to clean off the rest of the broken glass.
"What's that?" I asked, looking at the ground for another.
"A rock. The glass will hurt now that it's broken. It can cut us, sometimes really bad. So we have to be careful."
He dropped the rock and pulled himself through the window. I followed. Once we were inside I began to pick up the broken pieces and I threw the rock outside.
"Um, ah. Ya ok." Ant bent down and started to help clean up.
"That's alright. I got it." I told him.
"No no. I threw the rock through the window. It's my mess."
I never got any help cleaning. It was... different.
"Alright, now what are we looking for?" Ant asked when we finished.
R's POV (this is Rowan or Red. I just don't want you guys to know how her name is going work out yet)
Dan leaned forward and started talking to Ant and Dec. I couldn't hear them. Dan said something. Then Dec.
Ant.
Dan.
Dec started the car and said something.
Dan.
Ant.
Dec began to drive, but nobody seemed to notice.
Dan.
Ant.
Dan.
Dec spoke up again.
Dan.
Ant.
Dan.
Ant.
And then Dec was making orders. "Alright, I'll go take a walk with her. I'll talk to her. Figure her out a little bit more. You go in with Dan."
Was he talking about me? Ant and Dan stepped out of the car and started to walk. I stepped out to see where we were.
A rush of confusion took over me. Why would we ever come back here? We were never supposed to come back here. The confusion was quickly replaced by fear. They're taking Dan into the house. Don't they know- don't they understand what happened to us here? Dan shouldn't be brought back in there.
And then I saw Dan try to open the door. I shut the car door a bit loudly. But I couldn't help it. Were they forcing him to do this?
"Dan!" I started running towards them. I had to help. I couldn't just watch. "What-" I felt arms around me.
I turned my head and saw Dec. He carried me back to the car. I huffed and crossed my arms. I'm always being carried around. Forced somewhere because they can pick me up. I can walk, you know.
"Listen, Dan wanted to come back here. I'm not 100% sure why, but it must be important."
I turned to look at Dan. And now I was.. Oh no. I don't like this feeling. I've only felt it once, in that video. I'm angry. How dare we come back here! I couldn't help but think. There couldn't be a good enough reason.
Dan continued to watch us, but I turned back to Dec. "Okay. So now what?" I tried to keep my voice calm.
"Let's go for a walk. I want to talk to you about a few things."
"Alright."
We walked away from the house. I looked around at the place I had always and never lived in.
Everything they had told me was a lie.
These houses had children running around the front with parents sitting on the steps.
I saw a Mom and a Dad spinning in a circle with two little girls. I saw a boy step out of a car with a rolled up piece of paper. Two women ran out the front of the house.
"Mom! Mama!" I heard him yell. "I did it! I really did it!"
"We're so proud of you! I really wish we could've been there but look-" I heard them say as we passed by. "You have a baby sister!" They said in joy as he held her in his arms.
"That's what families are." I heard Dec say quietly. "People who love and care about you with all their heart. And you love them back."
I looked up at him, but he was staring straight ahead. Finally he spoke. "You know, you called me Dad a couple nights ago."
"I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and-"
"It's ok. I don't necessarily want our children calling us Ant and Dec anyway. I'd prefer something like Dad. What do you think?" He said finally looking at me.
"It's up to you. Whatever you want. If that's what you want then-"
"Do you want to call us something other than Ant and Dec? It's not completely up to us. You have to feel comfortable with it too."
"I don't know. I think it's a little too much right now. Maybe we can see what comes naturally."
"Okay." Dec looked a little let down.
"If you want me to-"
"No. No. I want you to do what you want. When it happens, it happens."
"Okay." I nodded.
Beep!
I nearly jumped out of my skin. "What was that?!"
Dec looked down at an odd looking device. "Ant said they got what they were looking for. We should head back now. Come on." He turned back in the direction of the house. I think. I don't know where we are.
"Wait, Ant's not here. How do you know what he said?"
"This is called a phone, which can send messages to a person. It's like writing a letter only a lot faster."
"Okay." I followed Dec back to the house.
A phone? Why not just talk to them in person?
Dan's POV
We slowly walked up the stairs. Well I slowly walked up the stairs. Ant was a step ahead of me, trying to convince me that there was nothing to worry about.
"It's ok, Dan. There's nobody here that can hurt you. Remember, you're trying to help your sister."
Three more steps. Two more steps. One more step. And then I found myself at the door. But I couldn't bring myself to open it. My hand rested on the handle.
The handle that I had so desperately tried to open everyday. Hoping I could let in more air at least, in that suffocating room. But it was always locked.
Finally I pushed my way through. I had to go in.
And I immediately regretted it.
All the memories came rushing back as I ran to the chains. I bent down and squeezed my fingers through one of the floorboards. I pulled and pulled. Images of screaming and yelling flashed before my eyes. And then finally, finally, the board loosened. Until it bent back just enough.
I reached my hand in and felt what I had hidden so many years ago. I stood up, with it in hand, and turned around.
Ant had been watching the whole time.
But I didn't have time to think, because I felt as if I was going to pass out from just being here. We ran out of the house.
Ant pulled out a device, tapped his fingers, and stuffed it back in his pocket.
"What was that?"
"A phone. It lets you communicate with people who aren't around you. It's like a letter but faster." Ant explained.
A phone. Hmm, how useful.
Dec's POV
I wanted to run back to the others. At least all together, we felt more like a family. But right now, it felt like just as things were falling into place, they were also falling apart.
Once we had reached the others, I rushed up to Ant. "Do you think this is actually going to work?"
"Only one way to find out." Ant said. "Dan, show her."
R's POV
What was everyone talking about?!
Dan walked up to me with his hands behind his back.
What could he possibly have that-
Dan pulled out a small grey elephant and held it out in front of him.
I didn't know what to do. I just stared at it. It looked familiar, but what was it supposed to do that everyone kept mentioning?
Dan frowned. "Don't you remember?" He said quietly.
I shook my head no.
"Well it's yours. So here." He sounded upset. I took it from him. He turned and sat in the car.
I looked down at the elephant.
I remembered.
"Oh, I got this for you, Rowan." He pulled something out from behind his back and shook it in my face. "It's a little stuffed elephant, see. It was all I could get. I'll keep it hidden for you, okay."
"I still love you Rowan, even if Mommy and Daddy don't anymore."
And now I'm confused. That was the old me. Rowan was happy and hopeful. Full of energy.
Red is the new me. She's a new beginning. An escape from the bad. Then again, she is the result of the bad.
But Rowan is Dan's sister. Rowan is the one who Dan loves and will protect. And I want to be Dan's sister.
"Let's just go." I said to Ant and Dec.
We drove away from the house, hopefully for the last time. Dan stared out the window, leaving one space in between us. I leaned over.
"Don't worry." I whispered to Dan.
He didn't say anything back. He didn't turn. He only continued to watch the passing houses. I looked out the other window. And I didn't say another word the rest of the ride.
A/N
Hi! I'm back! And guess what? It was my birthday yesterday! I'm finally 14. It feels really weird.
And also if you are looking for another book to read, @SupremeFangirling has started a book for the Jaspar fans. It's called Uncover and she updates frequently. I've only read a little bit so far and it's really good so you can check that out too. And I think that's it.
Keep it real ~Logan