“Why would you take me in? You and Katie might be in danger from my being here,” I said.
She lifted her eyebrow with a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I’ve seen you do martial arts, kid. I’m not worried. Plus, we have Derrick on our side. But more importantly, it’s what my sister would’ve wanted. Your mother cared for her; that much was clear.”
“But she never told you what happened to her,” I said.
“No, she didn’t,” Susan said. “But she did give me closure. I knew the moment I looked into your mother’s eyes that my sister was gone. Somehow, I also knew that there was nothing I could do about it. It’s strange to look back on.”
Susan was distant, lost somewhere in a memory. A fresh wave of energy came over me as my pulse quickened. I could finally do something for her.
“I’ll find out what happened to her,” I said, my fist tightening. “And to my mom.”
She gave me an amused smirk. “You know, I kind of believe you. Just… take care of yourself, Anna.”
I leaned against her shoulder. “Thank you, Susan. For everything.”
I stared at my closet:worn-out hoodies and long-sleeved shirts with the little holes for my thumb; my sneakers were so formed to my feet I hadn’t retied the knots for years.
It was bad enough that I was leaving my home, but not being able to take my hoodies was like abandoning my identity.
And The Squelching Mink? Seriously? What kind of name was that? Besides, there was nothing off Winding River Road except trees. The ground was too low and often flooded by a decent rain. I grabbed my phone. I need to talk to Eiryn. Somehow, he always made things make sense. I texted:
Hey… I have some news. Looks like I’m heading out of town for a bit. Derrick got me into a cool study abroad program. It’s where my mom went.
As he always did, Eiryn’s ellipse started flashing as soon as it said read.
What? That’s AMAZING!!!! Where is it? When do you leave?
Apparently tonight… It’s in Norway. Crazy, huh?
Uh, Norway? WTF? And tonight? That’s insane. I’m coming over.
Figured. See you in a bit.
Be there in 10.
I dropped my phone on the covers. What was I going to tell him? Okay, see ya, I’m off to The Squealing Goat or something.
I fell back onto my bed. This whole thing sounded like a joke. Was Derrick fucking with me? I groaned, pressing my hands to my temples.
Hearing a car door slam outside my window, I pulled a few of the slats in the blinds, saw Eiryn in the driveway, and released them so they snapped into place.
I took the stairs quickly and met him at the door.
Shock lined his face, his hands in the air, questioning me.
“Tonight?”
I shrugged as he walked in and shut the door behind him.
“You can’t be seriously considering this,” he asked, pacing around the living room.
I pressed my lips together. “Derrick said this is where my mom went. I think the only way to figure out what happened that night is to figure out why we were hiding in the first place. If she went to this place to study, it’s the only clue I have to her past.”
Eiryn sat down on the couch. “Anna, I know it’s been hard for you with what happened to you. But I’m scared for you. I’m scared of what pursuing this might do to you.”
I shut my eyes, my throat tight as I swallowed. “I’m scared too. But I’m more afraid of living my whole life never knowing. I’d rather risk everything than accept what happened to my family.”
Katie came around the corner, sharing a silent look with Eiryn, and sat down beside me.
