Isolation: Chapter Five: Exposition

[Ema]

Amarantha kept her distance from Adrian even as she followed him into his house. As the door shut behind her, a woman's voice called. "Were you having car trouble, honey? I heard you pull up a few minutes ago."

Adrian shook his head, pulling off his shoes. "No, not car trouble." he answered. "Mom, come over here please?" He turned off the light he had used outside, which Amarantha could now see was coming from a small cell phone, and shoved the device into the pocket of his jeans.

A woman, with dark hair like Adrian, came down a hall towards them, stopping when she saw Amarantha. She looked from Amarantha to her son, obviously confused. "Adrian," she said slowly, as though she had to work to remain calm. "Who is this?"

Amarantha shrunk against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself. The panic was rising again, no matter how much she tried to push it back down, still it rose.

Adrian looked back at Amarantha with an expression she couldn't read. "Her name's Amarantha. She was sitting outside on the curb. I think she's lost, so I offered..." He sighed, shaking his head, "I should've asked first. Sorry."

His mother sighed back at him. "It's all right..." She murmured, moving towards Amarantha. Amarantha took a step back, putting her back against the door, her eyes wide.

"She's- she's scared, mom." Adrian said. The woman stopped, turning towards her son, and Amarantha breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't move from her place, feeling comfortable against the door. It made her feel a little safer, and safety was all she needed.

"I'm sorry," Adrian's mother said. "Are you hungry?"

It was the second time in ten minutes Amarantha had been asked that, and she was rather glad these people had their priorities in order. Though her thinking could be affected by how hungry she was... That did not matter, though, as she simply nodded, perhaps a bit frantically, at the very mention of food.

The woman smiled. "Come on, then." she said, "We have plenty of food." She turned back the way she had come, and Amarantha glanced at Adrian - apparently the more trustworthy of the two in her anxiety-ridden mind. He nodded, motioning for her to go ahead. She shook her head, though, waiting for him. There was no way she was leaving him to walk behind her. No way. Adrian sighed and headed down the hall in front of her. Amarantha waited a moment before following.

She still didn't quite know what she was doing here. She shouldn't - she couldn't - trust these people. But she didn't know what else to do. Her options were gone. She was alone.

Just that one thought was enough to make her stop for a second, her breath picking up again. Alone. It wasn't something she'd ever been before. Even when Mother had left her in the cabin, she wasn't really alone. Or at least, she hadn't felt alone. She had felt safe and secure, because she knew Mother would be back.

Now, she didn't even know where Mother was. And that...that scared her. It scared her so much she didn't know what to do with herself.

So the only real option she had was to trust Adrian and his mother - at least a little bit. At least until she could figure out where to go from here.

-/-/-/

Amarantha had never had a grilled cheese sandwich before. According to Adrian, that was "simply impossible" and she just had to try some. Amarantha didn't care all that much, as long as she got food.

Though when she actually tried the sandwich, she was pleasantly surprised. It was better than she had thought it would be. So. Much. Cheese.

Adrian's mother laughed at the girl's expression of wonder. "That's Adrian's favorite," she said. He loves it."

Adrian, leaning up against the kitchen counter a good three feet away from Amarantha, shrugged. "What can I say? It's delicious." Amarantha nodded enthusiastically, her mouth full of sandwich.

"Where are you from?" The woman asked. She too had made sure to keep her distance from where Amarantha sat at the small, square table. Amarantha appreciated it.

She swallowed, putting the remains of the sandwich down on the plate in front of her. "Up the mountain," she said simply, and was confused by the reaction.

Adrian lost his balance, nearly falling to the floor. His mother gasped, her hand raising to her mouth, and she stared at Amarantha with wide eyes. In fact, Adrian was looking at her the same way. Amarantha looked between them, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What?" was all she could think to say.

"You live in that cabin?" Adrian's mother asked. Adrian picked himself up off the floor, shutting his gaping mouth. His mother continued, "The one way up on the mountain?" Amarantha nodded slowly, unsure of what was going on.

"We thought you were a myth." Adrian said abruptly. "We didn't think anyone live up there. No one saw you, so..." he trailed off with a shrug.

Now Amarantha was the one staring at him open-mouthed and shocked. "What?" she asked, her voice suddenly very quiet. "How- why would you think that?"

"Like he said," the woman started, "No one ever saw you. There were just stories..." Adrian took up where she had trailed off, leaning back against the counter nonchalantly.

"Stories of this weird lady who lived way up on the mountain where no one could find her. They said she was a witch, and that she hated people. They said she had kidnapped a girl and was keeping her there. She was a ghost story, people told it to their kids so they would behave." He shrugged, "That's all it is." But when he looked at her, Amarantha could see the expression in his eyes, almost fearful. Though she didn't think he was afraid of her.

"Mother didn't kidnap me." Amarantha said. She crossed her arms, though she really wanted to pick up the sandwich again. But she didn't feel like now was the right time. "I know she didn't. She wouldn't."

Adrian's mother took a hesitant step forward, towards Amarantha. "I'm sure she didn't. It's just a story."

"But you do live up there." Adrian said. "So at least part of it is true. I wonder if the witch part is..." His mother reached over and smacked his arm, giving him a look. Adrian looked at Amarantha, who was staring at him. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Amarantha shook her head. "No, no, you may be right..." she said quietly, "She does have an uncanny skill with plants..." At that, Adrian's face lit up, and Amarantha couldn't help but wonder what she was getting in to.