Chapter Three-Hundred-Ninety-One
Ellie sat under her bed for ten minutes waiting for Summer’s next attempt at getting in but when it wasn’t happening, she began to grow uneasy.
“Where is she Lil’ Rok?” she asked her puppy companion quietly. Lil’ Rok whimpered in response and he lay his chin on her leg as he lay across her lap protectively. “I loves you Lil’ Rok,” She reminded him quietly. “You are a good puppy.” She hugged him close to her for a long moment as she sat there carefully thinking out her options. The first thing she needs to figure out, is where the bitch is, and then she needs to figure out how to escape. She is ninja, she knows she can figure it out somehow. It’s the how part that she is having trouble with. Ellie sighed heavily. If only…she had her detective kit. If she had her kit she would be able to use her devices to listen for Summer. But she does not, because of her. Why didn’t she just let him take her sai? she thought bitterly to herself, and then after a moment her eyes widened. HER SAI!
“Duh, Ellie!” she quietly lectured herself and she whacked herself upside the forehead with her hand. “How dense can ya be? You’ve had a weapon with you all a long!” But then she remembered the stupid rules that came with her sai. No hitting allowed…but…if it were self-defense, would the rule still apply? If someone were beating the crud out of her first…a grownup someone who shouldn’t be…then could she fight back with them? Her daddy would be pretty cruel to take her sai from her when she is only trying to protect herself because he left her there alone and defenseless in the first place. Ellie making up her mind right then crawled on out from under her bed to retrieve her weapons, only to find that they were no where to be seen.
“Damnit! ” she cursed freely, not having a care in the world if its right or wrong at the moment. No one is there to stop her do it, and given her stressful circumstances they’d better not give her hell about it later either or she will NOT be happy. “Where are they Lil’ Rok? Where did I puts them?” She asked her companion, a note of hysteria on the edge of her voice. Her sai had given her hope, had lifted her spirits, and made her feel safe. But now if she doesn’t even have them…out in the living room that’s where she left them! She left them lying on the floor the night before when she was sure they weren’t going to be taken away. “Double Damnit!” she cursed again while stomping her foot feeling furious with herself. Raphael would never leave his sai just lying around, he would’ve put them right back where they belong. How could she be so careless? As she sat there feeling sorry for herself, Ellie heard a loud crack on her door. Knowing that it was the hammer that Summer had finally found, she tensed up and Lil’ Rok began yapping furiously at the door.
~*~*~*~*~
“Julie honey, slow down a little, you are getting ahead of the tour guide here” Doctor Johnson told her while laughing some as she danced a long into the living room ahead of him and Annabelle. “I suppose her energy is to be expected, she’s been cooped up in a car all day,” he told Annabelle conversationally.
“That, and she is just naturally full of energy,” Annabelle told him while resting her head upon his shoulder as they walked and he kissed her forehead softly. When they finally entered the room that Julie had gone into, they spotted her standing frozen at a table full of picture frames. Doctor Johnson looked carefully at her gaze and saw that she was staring at a picture of Kayline just weeks before she died. Deciding to explore his curiosity, Doctor Johnson walked up behind her and knelt down before wrapping an arm around her.
“That is my sister Kayline,” He explained gently.
“What happened to her?” Julie asked in a whisper, which peaked his curiosity even more. Julie is never quiet. She is very loud and talkative and full of energy by nature. It is very rare for her to whisper.
“Why would you think anything has happened to her?” Doctor Johnson wanted to know.
“Because she’s not here with you an’ your brother…an’ you and your brother seem very close so why wouldn’t she be here?” Doctor Johnson turned his head then to look at Annabelle who was standing there listening.
“Is it all right if I tell her?”
“Yeah go ahead,” Annabelle nodded. He looked back down at the curious little girl then.
“She died during a tornado…many years ago when she was exactly your age.” Doctor Johnson watched as her eyes grew big in confusion and she stared at the picture of Kayline in silence.
“Whats going on here?” Brandon asked cheerfully as he and Peyton suddenly entered the living room.
“Julie was showing interest in Kayline and I was just telling her about her,” Doctor Johnson answered as he moved over and sat on the floor beside the table.
“Did you finish the grand tour already?”
“Well I haven’t showed them their rooms yet because I wasn’t sure where you wanted everybody to stay. You’re the one who lives here and keeps the place together I thought I would ask you first.”
“Well, I thought Julie could stay in Kayline’s room…but I wanted that to be up to you since…well…”
“I’m fine with it” Doctor Johnson replied with a small smile and he looked at the little girl beside him who finally tore her confused gaze from the photo. “I’m sure Kayline would’ve liked for her to be a guest in her room. Right Julie?”
“Right,” Julie answered softly. “I mean I think…she seems like she is-was a nice girl.”
“Then its settled,” Doctor Johnson replied, his eyes twinkling at her little slip up. Could it be true? Could Julie have an imaginary friend, and could that friend be his sister? He felt hope surge through him at this possibility. “Julie stays in Kayline’s room, and Anna with me in mine.” He looked at Annabelle then.
“I mean, that is if you want to after all.”
“Who can turn down an invitation like that?” Annabelle asked while throwing him a sexy grin and Doctor Johnson smirked.
“Behave yourselves children,” Brandon spoke up after shaking his head in amusement. “This is still mom and dad’s house, they may no longer be alive and haven’t been in it for years, but that doesn’t mean it’s not their house anymore.” Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes.
“Says the brother who was just doing god knows what on the front lawn for the whole world to see.” Brandon scoffed at his words and Doctor Johnson got to his feet and kissed Anna’s cheek.
“I’ll be right back baby,” He told her and then walked off. Brandon got to his feet as well and walked over to Anna before pulling her into a hug.
“Hey Anna, its good to see you again. I’m sorry I didn’t greet you before.”
“Its all good,” Anna laughed. “I could see you were a little preoccupied.”
“Yes, well, I strongly believe that any woman who can get my brother to smile that big deserves a more proper greeting.” Annabelle shrugged while blushing slightly.
“Its no big deal.”
“No big deal? Anna, you got him to come home. That’s a huge deal. You will always be one of my favorite people.”
~*~*~*~*~
Summer banged her way through the door with the hammer and when it finally busted open, she looked this way and that frantically for the little girl that she so badly wanted to get her hands on.
“WHERE are you?!” she yelled while throwing the hammer to the side and walking around the room picking up things that a five year old could possibly be hiding under and throwing it across the room as well. The little girl that she was after was being very quiet though and so was Lil’ Rok, surprisingly. She thought she would have to deal with him right off and she isn’t really up to hurting an animal, but if she must, so be it. She walked over to the closet and pushed it open before leaning into it and grabbing up and throwing out all of the things that she might be hiding under. Ellie watched her for a couple of seconds from under the bed and deciding that this was her best opportune moment, she rolled out from under the bed with Lil’ Rok, got to her feet, and made a mad dash out of the room. Summer saw her in the corner of her eye and whirled around and ran after her.
“I’m gonna kill you!” she roared, and Ellie shrieked frantically as she ran with all of the strength she has in her. Which isn’t much, due to her cold and all of the evil dust bunnies that were under her bed. She made it just at the top of the stairs when she suddenly felt a sharp tug on her hair as Summer grabbed a huge handful of it and yanked her backward. Ellie shrieked and cried as she was being dragged through the hallway to the spare room. All the while she held on tightly to Lil’ Rok who was yapping like crazy. He’d been trained to react during these situations, and react he shall. As soon as she got her into the spare room, Summer threw her into the same corner of the room that she always throws her in. Ellie started to get up, but Summer pushed her back down. She went to grab Lil’ Rok from her, but Ellie shrieked in protest.
“NO! YOU leaves him alone!” she demanded, and then rolled over so Lil’ Rok was underneath her but wasn’t being squished. Summer being impatient and furious went right into beating Ellie not really caring much about the dog unless he gets in her way. Ellie lay there shrieking and sobbing as Summer pounded on her with her fists and kicked her repeatedly.
~*~*~*~*~
“Gramma, please, I need to tell you something!” Chris pleaded after standing there listening to her on the phone. He’d been trying to get her attention all this time since he got done talking to Ellie but she kept patiently reminding him that its bad manners to interrupt someone when they are on the phone.
“Chris if you interrupt me one more time I swear I will send you to your room!”
“But it’s important!”
“I’m sure it can wait until after my phone call.”
“ELLIE CAN’T WAIT THAT LONG! SUMMER IS GOING TO KILL HER!” Chris shouted frantically, his patience with his grandmother suddenly gone out the window.
“What?!?!” Josh shouted, suddenly dropping his book to the floor. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?!?!”
“I TRIED, DIDN’T I?!” Chris shouted back irritably.
“That sort of thing is an EMERGENCY Chris, therefore you just BLURT it out! Gramma we have to go to her now! ”
“How do you—“ She began unsure of what her grandson just told her.
“-Walkie-talkies! Don’t ask questions, Ellie needs saving!” Chris demanded.
“All right, All right we’re going” Jackie replied while shutting off her phone. She is sure Harold heard everything, therefore he doesn’t really need her to explain. She grabbed her keys and she and her grandchildren rushed out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As Ellie lay there sobbing and taking blow by blow, Lil’ Rok managed to slip out from underneath her. He ran around her body over to Summer and began yapping at her and Summer did her best to ignore him. When his yelling at her wasn’t doing the trick however, Lil’ Rok lunged at her and bit and latched on to her fist before it could pound on Ellie again. Summer shrieked out in pain, pulled her fist back, and tried to shake the pug off but the stubborn dog only began to growl viciously at her. Ellie using this as her best opportune moment, got to her feet and ran out of the room leaving Summer behind as she tried with all her might to free her fist. Lil’ Rok waited until he could hear his Ellie’s little feet at the stairs before letting go and Summer flung him to the floor.
“You little beast, I’ll take care of you later!” She informed before fleeing the room and Lil’ Rok got to his feet running after her while barking angrily. He caught up to her, grabbed onto her foot with his teeth, and growled some more buying Ellie time to crawl down the stairs. By the time she reached the last step, Summer managed to kick him off of her and she limped after Ellie. Meanwhile, Ellie got to her feet and she ran as fast as her sore and weak body would allow her to toward her sai. When she reached them, she flung herself to the floor and grabbed them up just on time for Summer to make it down the stairs. She flung herself at Ellie not having noticed her sai and Ellie rolled out of the way causing her to fly right into the coffee table landing on her stomach hanging over it. Summer grumbled and muttered something incoherent under her breath before turning around on her knees. She went to attack again, only to have Ellie swing her sai at her and whack her right in the head with it.
“This is the LAST time that I takes your beatings bitch!” she told her furiously. She whacked her once more and Summer dropped to the floor and grabbed at her head whimpering. “I didn’ts come into my new daddy’s life for YOU to takes him away from me now!” She swung her sai down toward her face only to have Summer’s hand fly up and grab onto it. Ellie tried to pull it from her, only to have Summer reach her other hand out, grab her leg, and yank it out from under her. Ellie landed flat on her back with a loud whimper and Lil’ Rok instantly started up again as soon as his little warrior lost control. Summer got to her knees and started to get up only to have Ellie fling her foot at her and kick her right in the nose as hard as she possibly could.
Summer cried out as blood spilled from it and Ellie got to her feet running entirely on adrenaline now. The pain doesn’t matter to her right now; all that matters is that she gets out of here safe and that her puppy is safe. She ran over to Lil’ Rok then and swept him up into her arms before running toward the front door. She grabbed the knob, flung it open and ran outside in the direction she knows Brian’s house is in. She ran as fast as her little body would allow her to rounding the corner just on time for Jackie’s car to approach her from in front and Q to drive up from behind and the two of them came to a stop. Q had seen Ellie run out the door when he was on his way to get her and Jackie was on her way to rescue her too. Jackie and Q made brief eye contact while they both remained in their cars and then Q nodded and Jackie opened her door and held her arms out to Ellie.
“Ellie sweetheart, come here” she told her gently. “I’m gonna take you to Brian’s house where you’re safe.” Ellie stared at her a moment, and then flung herself into the caring woman’s arms and as soon as Jackie pulled her up into her lap she broke down into wounded sobs. Jackie held her for a long time until her sobs turned into whimpers and then she handed her over to Josh who sat in the front seat – not something he would normally be allowed to do, but the circumstances were serious. He had been in a hurry and that’s where he put himself and Jackie was in too big of a hurry to say no.
“Buckle her up,” She ordered and as Josh undid his seatbelt so he could wrap it around her as well, Jackie backed up putting a safe enough distance between her and Q before doing a U-turn and taking Ellie back to Brian’s with Q following behind her. All the while, Josh enveloped her in his arms and kissed her forehead softly while reminding her repeatedly with soft whispers in her ear that she is safe and that she is okay. Much to Ellie’s surprise, Chris delicately took hold of her hand, his own little way of telling her that he is there for her too. When they arrived at Brian’s house, Josh unbuckled them both and got out with her and he brought her into the house with Jackie, Chris, and Q following close behind them.
“Laney is on his way over here with the tape,” Q announced as he gently gathered Ellie into his arms and hugged her close to him and Ellie slid her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as she held onto him with the death grip. “Do you have a first aid kit Jackie?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna go get it now” Jackie informed and then she walked off to where she knows her son keeps it. Q kissed Ellie’s forehead softly and sat on the couch with her.
“I’m so sorry sweetheart, I tried to get there as fast as I could without breaking every law in the book I swear to you,” he told her and Ellie silently snuggled closer to him. She doesn’t care if he took forever getting there, all she cares about, is that he eventually was. “Lan told me everything that I missed while I was trying to get to you. He said you were really brave,” He told her as Jackie came back with the first aid kit. “He and I are very proud of you for the way you took care of yourself,” he praised as she handed it to him and while he began to clean her up, Jackie got on the phone and called up everybody – Kevin and Ann and Jerald.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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