Day 6, Daylight

I didn’t sleep a wink. Listening to every noise, jerking at every creak of the old house, plus my fear of the dreams, all of it left me wide awake. Rhi managed to get some sleep in, which I’m grateful for. Soft snores from around the house tell me others have as well. As pre-dawn light finally starts seeping in through the numerous cracks around the house, I shimmy carefully out of bed and go around opening up all the windows and doors I can without waking anyone. If I thought this place was an oven before, that was nothing compared to the torture of having everything shut up. I move around quietly in the shifting old house, every sound makes me scared I’ll wake someone who desperately needs sleep.

My reward is the cool breeze that slips over my sweat-crusted skin. I start getting coffee ready. Tea just isn’t going to cut it today.

I’m not surprised to find May already at the kitchen table. She’s sitting there staring at her hands, not moving.

‘Coffee, Aunty?’ No matter what else happened that old girl has my respect.

‘Tea please, bub.’

I’m getting it all ready when a soft choking sound has me around the table and crouching by her side. Only then do I see the rivers of tears flowing down her face.

I reach out and take her hands in mine. ‘What’s wrong, Aunty?’

She chuckles softly. ‘Not a damn thing. I slept without a single problem.’

I smile up at her. ‘But that’s good, ay?’

She shakes her head hard, gripping my hands with hers. ‘Not at someone else’s expense. Not at yours and your sister’s expense.’

I lean up and kiss her cheek. ‘That’s Laney’s fault not yours. She went an mixed it with that idiot, went where she shouldn’t, took what wasn’t hers and this is what happens. When I get er back I’m plannin to rip out every strand of er air for all the trouble and heartache she’s caused.’

I’m not angry at my twin … not too much anyway. She’s been into everything our whole lives, couldn’t seem to stop herself. How do you blame someone for doing what’s in their nature? I’ll still be ripping her hair out though.

‘How can we even think about puttin someone else through this?’

I hesitate.

‘If we’re goin to find where they took Laney we need to be safe to do it. He can take back what he gave.’ I squeeze her hands. ‘We’re different from im though, cos we won’t leave im in danger. Once we get Laney back, we’ll figure it out. Like Rhi said, one step at a time.’