Absolution (2 page)

I drove home heavy-hearted. Home looked warm and welcoming, with golden lights shining from each double-hung window. Love waited for me there. My family. Safety.

Luke’s blue Samurai was parked out front. He wasn’t usually home this early, but I was glad he was. Maybe, like me, the long day with the funeral had taken a toll and he yearned for the completion of home, too.

After parking Mom’s van in the garage, I went inside. I was smacked with an invisible boulder. Albert. I froze.

Chapter Two

____________________

The sound of Mom’s sniffling trickled from the kitchen. A door slammed—Dad’s office—the glass French doors had a fragile sound when they closed—or slammed. Abria’s squealing, upstairs. Her fists against her locked bedroom door. A thump. Two.

My heart raced. “Mom?”

“What?”

As I crossed the family room towards the kitchen, my gaze flicked the area for Albert. Drawing closer to Mom, the vibe of weighty energy intensified. She was kneeling on the tile floor in the center of what looked like a misguided contemporary art piece of splattered and drizzled chocolate, amber syrup and white cream.

I didn’t need to ask who’d caused the mess. Mom had no doubt found Abria playing in the contents of the refrigerator. Abria loved the smooth texture—not to mention the taste—of any syrup. We’d often found her

‘painting’ walls, floors, and table tops with Hershey’s chocolate, maple syrup and caramel ice cream topping if we didn’t hide the bottle in the back of the fridge.

“Let me help.” Cleaning took my mind off Albert for a millisecond.

He was here, somewhere, his menacing presence layered my body with the impending heaviness of being buried alive. I grabbed a roll of paper towels, wet them with hot water and joined Mom in wiping up the sticky goop.

“I asked Dad to check on her because I was upstairs folding laundry. Of course, he was working and got distracted just long enough for her to do this.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If he’d gotten up for one second.
One second
….” They’d argued.

Ugliness still hung in the air like pollution. Weighty darkness pressed around me, closing in with suffocating presence.

Paper towels sopping with gook, I gulped in air, stood. Albert’s ice-green eyes met mine from across the kitchen. The pleasure in his grin sent fury through my bones. He leaned casually against the pantry, his black suit popping out in contrast against the white door behind him. The noose-tie he wore proudly around his neck writhed with the tortured souls he’d conquered and enslaved.

My skin flushed with anger. “Get out!” I shouted before thinking. I looked at Mom, who stared up at me with a frown.

“Excuse me?”

Albert laughed and crossed his arms over his chest, his sleek black suit shifting in designer-like ease with every move he made. “You should have seen them going at each other, Zoe.” His voice slit my skin. “They’re getting the hang of arguing. But then, hostility only needs the gentlest fertilization to ripen in most people.”

I bit my tongue.

“Are you going to help me or not?” Mom demanded.

“Yeah, give me a second.”

“See how fury feeds?” Albert floated closer. I stepped back, my heart pattering against my ribs. “Like cancer. Devouring until it consumes everything in its path.”

I swallowed a lump.
Oh yeah?
I shot him a glare and made a beeline for the stairs. His hideous laugh trailed me and seemed to nip at my heels as I took the stairs up two at a time.

I unlocked Abria’s door and snatched her into my arms, enjoying a luscious feeling of victory.
Let’s see how long you stick around now, psych-job.

I skipped down the stairs and Abria giggled in my arms at the jiggling movement. “That’s right, baby. You laugh all you want.”

Albert’s gaze fastened on the two of us the moment we were in his line of vision. He’d moved into the family room, fifteen feet away from the kitchen. He jerked upright. A stony expression flashed and held his face paralyzed shock. The faintest howling screams lifted into the air around him—and I realized the voices came from the noose of souls tied around his neck—their cries screeching like fingernails scraping a blackboard.

Abria went still, her blue eyes on Albert.

Albert turned his face, closed his eyes and dissolved.

I squeezed Abria to my chest. My racing heart finally started to slow.

“Good girl,” I whispered against her hair, kissing her.

“Goo gir,” she parroted.

“Did you see him?” I held her chin so that I could look into her round, blue eyes. “Did you?”

“Di ju.”

I set her on her feet, and she ran into the kitchen where Mom was cleaning. I jumped and tackled her. Abria screeched. My knees ached coming into contact with the cold tile. “No you don’t,” I grunted.

“Why did you bring her down?” Mom barked. “Take her back upstairs.

I’m too angry to be around her right now.” She scrubbed harder.

“Sorry.”
But there was this evil guy here and I had to get rid of him
. I carried my sister back up the stairs. Abria knew where we were headed, and started head-banging my chest in protest.

“I know, I know.” I tightened my grip so she wouldn’t wriggle free and race back downstairs for more syrup. “But you made a huge mess and we have to clean it up. Then you can go down.”

“Go-dow! Go-dow!”

Soft voices seeped out from underneath Luke’s closed bedroom door as I passed. I stopped, listened. Abria’s pleading drowned the quiet conversation.

I crossed the hall to her bedroom and set her on the floor. “I’ll be right back honey and we’ll take a bath.”

“Ba! Ba!” I could hardly bring myself to shut the door in her eager face but if I didn’t, she’d go bug Mom. I brought the door closed, my heart squeezing. I held my finger to my lips. “Shh.”
As if that’ll work.
Abria’s autism didn’t allow her to pick up on social cues of any kind, let alone most common commands. I closed the door, her chirps continuing on the other side.

I knocked on Luke’s door and the voices silenced. The door opened.

Luke had changed out of the slacks, shirt and tie he’d worn to Brady’s funeral earlier that day.

“Z.”

“What’s up? You okay?”

He nodded, glanced around, then motioned for me to enter. Abria still chirped from behind her closed door, “Ba! Ba!”

I entered Luke’s bedroom and took in a breath of incense. His sunset-colored lava lamp cast an orangey glow onto the boogie boards and skating posters hanging on the walls. Luke moved aside and I stopped. Krissy sat on his bed, head bowed. Her dated camel coat soggy and stained with mud splotches that also stained the hem of her denim jumper—the same clothes I’d seen her wearing earlier at Brady’s funeral. Her red-rimmed eyes lifted to mine.

Luke shut the door and stood beside me. “I found her on State Street, hitchhiking.”

Krissy lowered her head, averting her eyes.

“Chase and I went to your house looking for you,” I said, sitting next to her on the bed.

She wrung her hands.

“It’s cool, Krissy,” Luke said. “Zoe won’t snitch.”

Luke and I had made some strides for him to say that, and I couldn’t help that my lips lifted into a little grin.

“What happened?” I asked her.

She remained silent. Luke shrugged and tweaked his face as if to say he didn’t know anymore than I did. I reached out and laid my hand over her wringing fists. She went still. Suddenly, her shoulders buckled. Soft sobs followed.

Luke stepped back, shoving his hands in his front pockets. Krissy crumbled against me, her sobs growing into howls. I put my arms around her and patted her back.

“Shh, it’s okay,” I said.

Luke fidgeted, his hands scraping his face. He glanced at the door, as if anticipating Mom walking in to see what was going on. “Keep it down,” he whispered. Krissy’s cries lowered a few notches.

“Talk to me,” I said.

Krissy’s weeping slowed to hiccups and snorts. She sat erect, wiped her nose with the sleeve of her coat and kept her gaze focused on the denim fabric of her jumper crushed in her white-knuckles. “I can’t go home.”

“Okay,” I said.

She looked at me. “I’m serious. I can’t go home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“What will I do? I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Do you have family here?” I asked.

“An aunt up in Ogden. My mom’s sister.”

“Want me to call her?”

“No! No one can know!”

Silence.
No one can know… what?

A tap on the door froze us all. “Uh, busy,” Luke piped.

“Is Zoe in there?” Mom.

“Yeah, be right out,” I said.

“I thought you were going to help me.” Remnants of frustration clung to her tone.

“I am. I will. Give me five minutes.”

“I’ll be done in five minutes,” she growled. Her heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs. Surely Albert hadn’t come back. I couldn’t possibly handle him
and
Krissy.

“Five minutes?” Krissy’s voice was meek.

I patted her hand. “I’m not going anywhere. Now…” I moved closer and latched my gaze with hers. “Tell me what happened.”

Fragile moments stretched through papery silence. Her face shifted like sand beneath a violent wave, emotions tearing at her. She took a deep breath.

“I can’t.” She jumped to her feet, edgy. “I need to go.”

“Where are you going?” I joined her.

“Yeah, it’s freezing outside,” Luke added. “And you’re like all wet.”

“I don’t care.”

“Hold on a second.” I touched her elbow. Her eyes lifted to mine, empty. Lost. “You just said you can’t go home, and you don’t have anywhere to go. So…”

Krissy took a deep breath. “I was kidding.” Her face remained pale and her expression dead. “Can you give me a ride home?”

Luke and I exchanged glances.

“Zoe!” Mom.

Krissy’s defeated gaze dropped, as if she didn’t have the strength or courage to continue to fight anymore.

“You can either wait for me to take you, or Luke can take you.” Krissy’s father’s menacing threats hissed through my head. Whoever took her home would have to drop her a block away from her house for their own safety.

Krissy’s shoulders lifted.

Outside the bedroom came the slam of a distant door, thumps and Abria’s screaming.

“Zoe?” Mom again, her voice ratcheted up five tense notches. “Can I get some help here? Joe? Luke? Anybody?”

“I’m trying to work!” Dad yelled from his office downstairs.

Static discomfort jumped into the silence Krissy and Luke and I now shared.

“I should go,” Krissy whispered.

“Well, I’m trying to get some help,” Mom shouted in reply to Dad.

“I’ll go help Mom.” Luke headed for the door.

“Come on.” I tilted my head in the direction of the now-open door.

“I’ll give you a ride.”

Luke tossed me the keys to his Samurai and I grabbed them mid-air. “In case they’re too into it to let you drive one of their cars.” Then he disappeared.

“I’m sorry.” Krissy’s eyes watered. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t be here.”

“How is my parents’ argument your fault?” I whispered as she and I slipped into the hall.

Abria’s laughter came from her bedroom, mixing with Luke’s bass voice and Mom’s crisp tone. “What’s Zoe doing?” Mom asked. “She was helping me and vanished.”

“Um. Not sure,” Luke said. “But I can get Abria dressed for bed.”

Abria squealed.

“Quit jumping on the bed, it’s not a trampoline!” Mom’s exasperated tone followed Krissy and me down the stairs even though Mom was in Abria’s bedroom.

Slam.
The glass doors to Dad’s office clattered. My heart stammered.

The heavy foreboding I’d felt before when I’d been near Albert seeped at me from the living room, Mom’s pristinely clean sanctuary because no one but guests were allowed inside. Albert sat stretched out on the ivory couch, one arm along the back, legs crossed, his black-suited form like ink spilled on the unadulterated fabric.

His grin sparked fear and anger inside of me. I came to a halt. Krissy stopped by my side.

“Zoe.” His creamy voice—the familial tone—always reminded me of Matthias. “Did you think I was done here?”

If I spoke to him, Krissy would think I was insane. Compelled to defend my home, my family and everything I held dear, I glared, retorts bursting like fireworks in my brain, needing my voice.

“What?” Krissy whispered. Out of my peripheral vision, she followed my gaze to the couch, which I was certain to her was empty.

Albert waited, grinning. “I liked her
party girl
look better,” he finally said, though his eyes never left mine. A shudder rambled along my spine.

I took a deep breath, shoved Luke’s keys at Krissy and kept Albert locked in my locked vision. “Take Luke’s keys and get in the car,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”

She hesitated, but took the keys, her gaze darting from me to the living room couch I was so intensely focused on. Quietly, she went out the front door, shutting it behind her.

Dad sat inside his office, on my left. I didn’t verify with a look, too afraid and wanting to keep Albert in my sights, but I wondered if he saw me staring into the living room. He’d think I was nuts.

“Get out,” I hissed.

“Zoe, that’s hardly the way to treat a guest.” Albert gestured around the room, but his steely blue eyes never left mine.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t invite you.”

“Ah, yes. But I enjoyed a fruitful visit with your parents.”

“You can’t stay.” I inched closer, so my voice wouldn’t carry and rouse Dad. I glanced over my shoulder at him; he was glued to the computer, the icy blue light of the monitor reflecting on his stressed face. My mind scrambled with my options.

“What are you going to do, go get your sister every time I show up?”

Albert sat forward and clasped his hands.

“If I have to.”

“You can’t wear her around your neck like a cross or a clove of garlic, Zoe.” He chuckled. “As if something so puny could actually repel me. No one—not even Abria—can protect you from me.”