Read Online The Trial (The Tree House) by Shay Lynam - Free Book Online
Authors: Shay Lynam
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old man spends the entire time trying to catch this big fish and in the end, he does, showing everyone that he's still got it. Way to go old man. At least I think that’s what happened. I never finished it.
I lost track of time and before I knew it, the sky was black and Aly still wasn't home from work. Even though it had only been a couple of days, something in the pit of my stomach told me she should have been home by now.
When I got into the kitchen, Ben was up pacing nervously and looking out the window every time he made it around the table.
“Aly isn't home yet,” I muttered.
“Ya think, Sherlock?” he spat in reply.
“I thought you were Sherlock.”
Ben shot me a look that had me backing into the wall. “Do you think something happened to her?” I asked after he had rounded the table a few more times.
My brother pushed his fingers up into his hair. “I don't know,” he sighed anxiously. “I hope not. God, I really hope not.”
My brother's anxiety grew as the hours slowly ticked by. I tried my best to keep myself distracted, flipping through Aly’s old books. Ben, on the other hand, was switching between pacing around the table and sitting down, taking apart Dad's gun and putting it back together repeatedly.
Finally, I couldn't take the constant clicking of his shoes on the tiled floor and the constant clicking of the gun as he released the clip then slid it back into place. I could hear it all the way from down the hall and it was beginning to get into my head.
I snapped whatever book I was pretending to read shut and headed for the kitchen. Ben had his head down on the table and his hands were mechanically working the magazine in and out of the grip. I made my way around him to Aly's liquor cupboard. “Drink?” I asked as I grabbed two bottles down.
Ben didn't reply so I took it as a yes and set one down in front of him. He finally sat up and stared at the bottle with bloodshot eyes. “No thanks,” he muttered.
“You need it,” I replied and unscrewed the cap.
He sat there for a moment working his jaw as he stared at it. Maybe he was debating on whether or not we should go through with the plan. Maybe he wanted to leave that night. For a second , panic washed through me, but then he brought the bottle up to his mouth, tipped it back and took a couple deep drinks. I felt my body relax a bit. We were staying put. At least for now.
Two o' clock rolled around but sleep never entered either of our minds as we sat drinking in silence. I'm sure we were both thinking the same thing : if they'd gotten to Aly, they were probably coming after us next.
“How soon are we leaving?” I asked after a quarter of my bottle was gone. I was having a hard time controlling my tongue so my words came out slurred.
Ben just shrugged and traced the raised letters on the side of his own bottle. “I don't know if we can,” he finally said.
“Why not?”
He took another drink. “Because there's been a car sitting outside for the past four hours and I'm pretty sure they’re here for us.”
Trying to keep my balance, I got up quickly and looked out the window over the sink. It was pretty dark but I could still make out the outline of a car parked on the street below us. “That car has been there at least since yesterday,” I slurred falling back into my seat.
My brother swore and put his head back down on the table. “This is a nightmare,” he muttered. “I'm sorry I dragged you into this.”
“You didn't,” I said and took another drink. This caused Ben to sit back up.
“What do you mean?” he asked narrowing his eyes at me.
I swiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Aly told me both of our names are on a list. She didn't want me to tell you but I guess it doesn't really matter now.”
“Why would you be on a list?” Ben asked more to himself than to me.
I shrugged and he fell silent again.
Ben finally passed out around four and I soon followed.
* * *
I was rudely awakened
I lost track of time and before I knew it, the sky was black and Aly still wasn't home from work. Even though it had only been a couple of days, something in the pit of my stomach told me she should have been home by now.
When I got into the kitchen, Ben was up pacing nervously and looking out the window every time he made it around the table.
“Aly isn't home yet,” I muttered.
“Ya think, Sherlock?” he spat in reply.
“I thought you were Sherlock.”
Ben shot me a look that had me backing into the wall. “Do you think something happened to her?” I asked after he had rounded the table a few more times.
My brother pushed his fingers up into his hair. “I don't know,” he sighed anxiously. “I hope not. God, I really hope not.”
My brother's anxiety grew as the hours slowly ticked by. I tried my best to keep myself distracted, flipping through Aly’s old books. Ben, on the other hand, was switching between pacing around the table and sitting down, taking apart Dad's gun and putting it back together repeatedly.
Finally, I couldn't take the constant clicking of his shoes on the tiled floor and the constant clicking of the gun as he released the clip then slid it back into place. I could hear it all the way from down the hall and it was beginning to get into my head.
I snapped whatever book I was pretending to read shut and headed for the kitchen. Ben had his head down on the table and his hands were mechanically working the magazine in and out of the grip. I made my way around him to Aly's liquor cupboard. “Drink?” I asked as I grabbed two bottles down.
Ben didn't reply so I took it as a yes and set one down in front of him. He finally sat up and stared at the bottle with bloodshot eyes. “No thanks,” he muttered.
“You need it,” I replied and unscrewed the cap.
He sat there for a moment working his jaw as he stared at it. Maybe he was debating on whether or not we should go through with the plan. Maybe he wanted to leave that night. For a second , panic washed through me, but then he brought the bottle up to his mouth, tipped it back and took a couple deep drinks. I felt my body relax a bit. We were staying put. At least for now.
Two o' clock rolled around but sleep never entered either of our minds as we sat drinking in silence. I'm sure we were both thinking the same thing : if they'd gotten to Aly, they were probably coming after us next.
“How soon are we leaving?” I asked after a quarter of my bottle was gone. I was having a hard time controlling my tongue so my words came out slurred.
Ben just shrugged and traced the raised letters on the side of his own bottle. “I don't know if we can,” he finally said.
“Why not?”
He took another drink. “Because there's been a car sitting outside for the past four hours and I'm pretty sure they’re here for us.”
Trying to keep my balance, I got up quickly and looked out the window over the sink. It was pretty dark but I could still make out the outline of a car parked on the street below us. “That car has been there at least since yesterday,” I slurred falling back into my seat.
My brother swore and put his head back down on the table. “This is a nightmare,” he muttered. “I'm sorry I dragged you into this.”
“You didn't,” I said and took another drink. This caused Ben to sit back up.
“What do you mean?” he asked narrowing his eyes at me.
I swiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Aly told me both of our names are on a list. She didn't want me to tell you but I guess it doesn't really matter now.”
“Why would you be on a list?” Ben asked more to himself than to me.
I shrugged and he fell silent again.
Ben finally passed out around four and I soon followed.
* * *
I was rudely awakened
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