Wind and rain swirled together outside Riley’s window as thunder filled the air. Nestling herself closer to Sally, she tried to block out the sounds. There was no reason for her to be afraid. Storms had never frightened her before. But Riley knew why she was scared. Riley had only within the last few months learned what true safety and security felt like. She had become used to those comforting feelings. Now that Lisa was gone, her little world felt delicate and fragile.
Where was Lisa now? She had been gone for several days. When would she come back? Riley sat up. Sleep wasn’t going to come to her anytime soon. The sound of Jorden pacing through the halls could be heard, though it was much softer than the thunder. Riley strained her ears. He seemed to be muttering something to himself. But Riley couldn’t make out the words.
There was another sharp clap of thunder from outside. Riley flinched. This fear wouldn’t be here if Lisa were with her. Lisa always seemed to know when she or Sally were frightened, and she always knew what to do to make them feel better. Riley’s stomach let out a soft growl. Well, that was something she could take care of. She might not be able to fix the fear, but Riley knew exactly how to fix the hunger. Riley left the room as quietly as she could so as not to wake her sister. A kitchen full of midnight snacks was calling her by name. The thought of food helped Riley distract herself from the storm outside.
“Riley, is that you?” Jorden called. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
“Nope. I was already awake.”
“Trouble sleeping?”
“Yup. Can I get something to eat?”
“Of course. Let’s go down to the kitchen. What would you like to eat?” Riley decided at last on a classic PBJ.
“Thank you. I might be able to sleep after this,” she said through a mouthful of food. Jorden laughed.
“I hope so. I know a thing or two about insomnia. Maybe I should make myself one,” he said. Riley smiled. The fear was beginning to fade. For a moment, the storm seemed to relax. The wind didn’t sound nearly as harsh as it had a moment ago.
“Maybe that’s why the storm is so loud. It’s struggling to sleep and it’s getting upset,” said Riley. She knew how silly that sounded. She also knew that the storm wasn’t alive. But it still was interesting to imagine. If the storm was alive, what would it be like? Would it have a personality?
“Hm, maybe. Many things in nature have some way of expressing pain and frustration. Do you think we should make a sandwich for the storm as well?” Jorden asked. Riley laughed.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Maybe.” A loud ringing filled the house. Riley flinched. Jorden frowned. That was the doorbell.
“Who could that be?” Riley whispered.
“Riley, go back upstairs.” A sharpness had entered Jorden’s tone. Riley didn’t wait to be told twice. She flew up the stairs as the doorbell was rung again and again. After reaching the top of the stairs, Riley paused. What was happening? She had to know. Riley pressed herself into the shadows and strained her ears for any sound.
“Hang on, hang on, I’m coming,” Jorden was muttering. He sounded annoyed, but there was also a note of fear in his voice. Riley’s heart was racing now. She could hear him opening the door. Then there was silence.
“Oh! It’s you! W-what happened? Oh, my goodness. Are you alright? Come inside!” he was saying now. The wind rose up suddenly, drowning out the other person’s reply.
“How is that possible?” Jorden said. “I-if I had known… I wouldn’t have sent you there. I-I don’t know what to say. This makes no sense!”
“Jorden, it’s not your fault.” Riley’s heart leaped with joy. That was Lisa’s voice. She had to tell Sally. Sally was still soundly asleep when Riley came back. For a moment, Sally just sat there and glared at the excited Riley with a look of sleepiness on her face. But at the mention of Lisa’s name, her eyes lit up. The girls flew down the stairs.
“Lisa! You’re back! You’re back! I missed you so much! I…” Riley trailed off. Lisa stood in the main hall. She was soaking wet, and her face was covered with blood. Her clothes were ripped and stained. A soft gasp escaped Sally. Riley could make out a few wounds on Lisa’s arms. Riley frowned. Were those bite marks? How had this happened? Who had done this? Rage filled Riley’s soul. A weak smile appeared on Lisa’s face.
“Hello there, girls. I missed you too.” She opened her arms to the sisters. Sally leaped into Lisa’s hug without any hesitation. For a moment, Riley held herself still. She couldn’t do anything but feel the anger as it rose up in her.
“What happened? Did the Formas catch you?” Riley demanded.
“No, the humans did,” said Lisa. What? “I think they were just very scared of me. That’s why they reacted with violence.” Humans had done this. Shock and anger swirled together in Riley’s mind. She could see that Lisa was trembling slightly. Jorden reached out to steady her. Instantly, Lisa flinched away from him. A look of terror shot across her face and she raised her hands as if she was shielding herself from something. The fear on her face faded as quickly as it had come.
"I-I'm sorry," Lisa whispered.
"I'll get you something to eat," Jorden said gently.
“Why? What? They did this to you!” Riley knew there was no point in asking. The answer would stay the same.
“Do I not get a hug from you, Riley? I thought you said that you missed me.” Lisa laughed softly. Riley didn’t know what to say. She could only stumble over to Lisa and accept her hug. Riley hadn’t known that humans could be so aggressive. Why hadn’t they seen how harmless and kind Lisa was? Why hadn’t they seen how gentle and genuine she was? Lisa would never do anything to hurt anyone.
But they had torn her to bits like this. Angry tears filled Riley’s eyes, and she turned away so that Lisa wouldn’t see her crying. None of this made sense. Why had the humans been so cruel to Lisa? Riley relaxed as she felt Lisa gently running her fingers through her hair. Well, at least she had Lisa back now. No matter what she had been through, Lisa was back, and she was safe.