Touched by the Fear

[18]

Hollis stepped into the house, the door closing behind her with a soft click. Her eyes took in the room, seeing the familiar layout of the furniture and decor. But there was something different. It hung in the air, cloaking the place in something dark. She had sensed it the day before when she had stepped into the Martin household. It was like what they had experienced on Saturday had followed them home, to the corners of their home. Hollis felt it in her home as well except that darkness had been there for quiet some time. It had seeped into her home the day her world had collapsed in on itself just over three months ago. Overtime, lightness had pushed it away but, lately, it seemed as if it had returned bigger and darker than ever.

A sigh fell from her lips as she turned to look at Mrs. Martin, who looked at her with the same kind expression as she had since the first time Hollis stepped foot in the house. A smile graced her face as she nodded in the direction of the stairs.

"She's upstairs. Resting," Mrs. Martin told her, her hands clasped in front of her.

Hollis glanced towards the stairs that led to the second floor, the way towards Lydia's room memorized in her mind. "I'll only be a minute."

Mrs. Martin nodded her approval and left, disappearing down the hall possibly towards the kitchen.

She walked towards the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When she reached the top, Hollis crossed the hall towards Lydia's room. She knocked softly before she turned the knob, opening the door with a slight creak.

"Hey, Lyd," she said quietly as she stepped inside.

Lydia glanced in her direction, a smile working itself onto her face. "Hey."

"How are you?" She crossed the room then sat down on the edge of her bed.

Lydia shrugged, managing to sit up and rest against the headboard. "Okay, I guess." A faraway look appeared in her eyes but when she looked towards Hollis, she smiled. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Hollis nodded, although she didn't buy her act at all. She had known Lydia for years and could read her like a book; see between the lines of every little shrug and facial expression. Nothing went past her, and the same could be said for Lydia.

"What about you?" Lydia asked, staring intently at her. "How's your head?"

"It's fine," Hollis answered truthfully. "It's still bruised but it'll heal soon." She glanced around the room before turning to her. "So I'm guessing you won't be in school today?"

"I'm taking a personal day," Lydia answered. "I'll just be watching movies and doing absolutely nothing all day. Feel free to be jealous," she added with a wink.

Rolling her eyes, Hollis smiled. "Well, if you need anything, just call," she told her. "If you want to talk about what happened—"

"I don't," Lydia interrupted, shaking her head. "There's nothing to talk about."

Raising her eyebrow, she tilted her head in disbelief. "Really? Because that's all I can think about." Since that night, they haven't discussed what had happened at all. Jackson returned to his usual pissed off self while Lydia painted on a perfect facade. Although Hollis was still shocked by the events, she was itching to discuss it. To figure out what actually happened.

Lydia opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. Instead, she looked down at her hands, admiring her manicure.

Forcing a small smile, she reached for Lydia's hand and squeezed. "It's okay to talk about it. You told me that after my parents..." she trailed off and cleared her throat.

"I can't talk about," Lydia told her, shaking her head. She looked at her with a pained expression, the pretense fading from her features. "I can't.... If I do, then I keep thinking about how I forced you and Jackson to go into that store. If I hadn't suggested a movie night then..."