Touched by the Fear

[21]

The intoxicating smell of coffee paved the way towards the kitchen. The coffee gurgled as it brewed, dripping velvety dark liquid into the clear pot. Hollis smiled at the sight of it. Her eyes were tired and her face bore the signs of a troubled nights' sleep. She shuffled towards the cabinet where she pulled out her favorite mug and leaned against the counter, waiting for the coffee to be done.

Since the encounter at the school on Wednesday, sleep hadn't come easy for her. Even with school having been closed the day before and today, Hollis spent much of the night tossing and turning. The terror that she had felt had seeped into her skin and refused to let go. What little sleep she did get was filled with nightmares; images that left her gasping for breath. When she was awake, her brain was on autopilot...always thinking. That was why she turned to caffeine, her go-to drug as of late. The previous day, she had consumed more coffee than she had in a week. If her dad noticed, he hadn't said anything although she could feel him watching.

The last few drops of coffee dripped into the liquid. Hollis filled her cup up, mixed in some milk and sugar then went to sit at the island. Her eyes stared down into her hands, which were wrapped around the steaming cup of coffee. The heat burned but she didn't seem to notice. Instead, she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a tentative sip. The taste of caffeine on her tongue was bittersweet, electrifying her senses almost immediately.

"Did you get any sleep?" Grant's voice drifted into the room. He walked towards the pot of freshly brewed coffee before pouring himself a cup. As he drank it, he eyed her cautiously, worry etched onto his face.

"Yeah, I mean, kind of," Hollis answered. She put on a smile, trying to convince him of her answer.

He placed the cup down, his eyes never leaving her.

She averted his gaze, focusing all her attention on the drink before her. Her mind swam with thoughts that ranged from ideas to memories to questions until it rewound to the beginning.

"I know you didn't," Grant started, breaking through her thoughts. "You haven't slept right since Wednesday night."

Hollis wanted to argue that she had slept fine but knew he would be able to see right through it. She sighed audibly before she lifted her eyes to him. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Grant nodded understandingly. He crossed the kitchen and sat down opposite her, waiting for her to talk.

She stared at the faded design on the cup for a few seconds before she spoke. "You said that you know the Hale's well, right?" She asked, trying to pull her thoughts together, to put them into something other than the jumbled mess they currently were in.

"Yeah. I've known them for years," he answered. "After the fire..." he trailed off, his eyes becoming distant as if he was remembering that time. "After I...left," he eyed her, saying the word 'left' as gingerly as possible, "I lost touch with the family. Those who survived, I mean."

Hollis nodded, thinking over his words. It still stung when he brought up his leaving but that was all in the past.

He studied her over his coffee and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I just.... Do you think Derek could have killed all those people?" She looked at her dad, wondering what he believed.

"Honestly, I don't know," Grant said. He scratched his chin, mulling over her question and his answer. "I knew him when he was just a kid but who knows what he's capable of now. People change." His eyes lost their focus as if remembering something that ought to have been forgotten. A hidden memory stirred behind his eyes, one that was strongly kept at bay. "Under the right circumstances, they can do almost anything," he said in a whisper.