"Get the door," I heard someone say from inside, followed by footsteps approaching. The door creaked open, and I stood frozen in shock, my eyes locked on the figure before me. It was Mark, my brother, and he looked...different. He had grown taller, but his frame was thinner, almost gaunt. His eyes, once bright and full of life, now seemed sunken and haunted.
I suddenly felt like I had failed as a sister. I had left him, left all of them, to suffer at the hands of our adoptive parents. The guilt and shame washed over me like a wave, threatening to consume me.
"Mark," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He stared back at me, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and uncertainty. "Sis?" he called, his voice trembling, as if he couldn't believe I was standing right there in front of him.
I blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. I had dreamed of this moment for so long, but now that it was here, I felt like I was going to shatter into a million pieces.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice cracking as I finally burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Mark."
I pulled him into my arms, wrapping them tightly around him. He was crying too, his body shaking with sobs. "I thought you weren't coming back," he gasped, his words barely intelligible. "I thought you forgot about us."
I sobbed harder, feeling like my heart was being ripped apart. Of course, they would think that. It had been two whole years since I left. I had abandoned them, left them to face the monsters alone.
We stood there for what felt like an eternity, holding each other and crying. I couldn't bear the thought of what they must have endured without me. The pain, the fear, the uncertainty...it was all too much to bear.
Finally, I pulled away, staring deep into Mark's hazel eyes. My breaths were still coming in fast, and my heart was racing with emotion. I cupped his cheeks in my hands, my thumbs gently caressing his skin.
"Mark, look at me," I ordered, my voice firm but gentle.
He looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed from crying.
"It's okay, I'm here now," I said, trying to reassure him. "Everything will be fine. I promise."
I hugged him again, holding him tightly as we both struggled to compose ourselves. We stood there for a few more moments.
Finally, Mark pulled away, his eyes still shining with tears. "Let's go in," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I walked into the living room, Mark trailing closely behind me. As we entered, my eyes immediately locked onto the figure sitting on the couch, her legs crossed and a smug expression plastered on her face.
There she was, my adoptive mother, Merida, in all her glory. She was sitting on the couch, her legs crossed, and a scowl on her face. She looked surprised to see me but was quick to mask it. "Well, well, well, whom do we have here?" she mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I felt a familiar surge of anger and frustration, but I bit back the retort that was on the tip of my tongue. Instead, I turned to Mark and whispered, "Go get your sisters, we're leaving," I whispered, trying to keep my voice low.
Mark's eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting forth between me and Merida. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I smiled reassuringly at him. "Trust me," I said, trying to convey a sense of confidence and certainty.
Mark nodded, seeming to accept my words at face value. He turned and hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with Merida.
I turned back to face her, my eyes locked on hers. For a moment, we just stared at each other, the tension between us palpable. Then, I walked over to the couch and sat down, my eyes never leaving hers.
On normal circumstances, I would have referred to her as "mother," but after everything she had done, I couldn't bring myself to use that term.
Merida glared daggers at me, her eyes blazing with anger and resentment. And If looks could kill, I would have been dead on the spot. But I refused to be intimidated. If it were before, one glance from her would have me cowering in fear.
I stared straight back at her, my eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, it seemed like we were engaged in a staring competition.
Merida was the first to break the silence. She stood up, her face twisted in a snarl, and pointed a shaking finger at me. "The nerve of you, Evelyn, to think you can just run away, come back after two years, and then walk freely into my house."
I scoffed internally, she was feisty as always.
"Don't get me wrong, Merida," I said, using her name deliberately, knowing it would rile her up.
"I'm not here to stay if that's what you're thinking. I came to take my siblings away from here."
Merida laughed, almost like a crazed woman. "Very funny Evelyn." She sat down. "Need I remind you that I adopted you all?"
I smiled, a cold, calculated smile. "That's why I'm here to make a deal with you, Merida," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out an envelope. I placed it on the table, making sure the contents were visible. Merida's eyes widened as she saw the stack of cash inside.
I knew I had her attention. Merida loved money, and the promise of a hefty sum was enough to make her listen. "Take this, and we'll cut off all ties," I said, pushing a paper across the table towards her. "You'll never bother us again, and we'll never return here. We'll have nothing to do with each other in the future."
I studied her every reaction as her eyes scanned the paper, her face twisted in a mixture of greed and calculation. I knew she was tempted as hell, and I also knew that she would do just about anything for the right price. She didn't deserve it. No. But I just wanted to settle things on a peaceful note and this was my best option.
The paper was an agreement, one that would give me leverage to take legal action against her if she ever tried to break the agreement or extort more money from us. It wasn't a legally binding contract, but it was enough to give me peace of mind.
I studied Merida's face, watching as she weighed her options. I knew she wouldn't go down without a fight, but I was willing to do whatever it took to protect my siblings.
"Sign on these when you have decided,"
Merida scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "And what makes you think I'll agree?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly playing hard to get.
I looked at her, my gaze becoming serious and stern. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, I'm taking my siblings with me, but you'll be the one losing out. So, it's up to you to decide."
"And you wouldn't want me to sue you for child abuse, would you?"
She paled but was quick to mask it.
"Wh..what do you mean?" She stammered.
"I'm pretty sure you know what I mean."
She scoffed. "You think they'll believe you?"
"And do you think they'll believe it's self inflicted? Come on Merida. The scars are still there. I'm pretty sure the ones on Mark are still fresh. Isn't it? And everyone in the neighbourhood knows you never let us out, so who could you possibly pin it on?"
The room fell silent, with only the sound of Merida's heavy breathing breaking the stillness. A few minutes passed, and I could see the wheels turning in her head as she weighed her options.
"Fine!" she finally yelled, slamming her fist on the table. "Not like you're all doing me any benefit by being here anyway. You can leave and never show your ugly faces in front of me again."
I was taken aback by her outburst, but I didn't let it faze me. Instead, I smiled, a sense of satisfaction washing over me. This was easier than I had expected.
I passed her the pen, and in no time, the agreement was signed. I took the paper back, folded it, and tucked it into my bag.
""I'm glad we could come to a mutually beneficial agreement."
I turned back to leave and saw Mark returning with the twins in tow. I rushed over to them, pulling them into my arms and holding them tightly.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion. "I'm so sorry I left you. I'll never leave you again, I promise."
"It's time to go," I said, standing up and saw Merida glaring at me, her eyes blazing with anger and resentment. Poor woman can't bear to let us go.
But I just smiled and turned to leave, my siblings following closely behind me. We walked out of the house, leaving Merida and her toxic behavior behind.
The walk to the bus station was a long and tiring one, but finally, we arrived and collapsed onto empty chairs. The few people waiting for the bus stood around chatting with each other. We had been waiting for what felt like an eternity, but finally, the bus arrived, stopping just in front of us.
I stood up, stretching my tired muscles, and helped my siblings to their feet. We filed onto the bus, finding seats near the back. Mark and Zoe immediately rested their heads against the window, falling asleep a few minutes. Lily, on the other hand, was wide awake, bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement..
After a while, Lily finally started to get sleepy, her eyelids drooping as she snuggled up against me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close as she drifted off to sleep, before letting my thoughts drift back to our lives now.
This would be a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives. If I work hard enough, I'll be able to send the three of then to school.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, we arrived. I took my siblings to a hair stylist to get their hair done. Appearance mattered, and I didn't want anyone looking down on them or treating them like beggars.
They had lost so much weight, and their clothes hung off them. I had promised them new clothes, but I had decided to wait until they had put on some weight. The clothes they had were still manageable, and I didn't want to waste money on clothes that would soon be too small.
After a while, we arrived at our new home, a small but cozy apartment in a quiet neighborhood. I unlocked the door, and we stepped inside.
"Welcome home."