Parker Wood stared up at her white padded ceiling. Each passing second she counted while she waited for her psychiatrist to come back. She brushed her fingers through her brown hair while her green eyes were glued on the door.
When the door opened, Parker straightened up. She brushed her hair out of her face while she hugged her knees close to her chest. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Monroe, stepped in, her blonde hair tied into its usual bun with her clipboard in hand and a friendly smile on her face.
"Parker," Dr. Monroe spoke softly, "I have good news. Your big sister is here to take you home."
"I don't have a sister."
Dr. Monroe smiled. "Yes, you do, sweetheart. Her name is Jade Finch. She's six years older than you. You both are half sisters. You share the same mother."
"Dead mother," Parker corrected her.
"Yes, forgive me, deceased mother." Dr. Monroe apologized. "But Ms. Finch will be taking you in and will be responsible for you. She has everything signed for you, and is waiting for you outside."
"So I'm supposed to go with someone who I don't even know?"
"I know it will be hard," Dr. Monroe sighed, "but Ms. Finch will take care of you. Please, just change and follow me." Dr. Monroe handed her a change of clothes.
Parker sighed but took the clothes. "Alright, give me a few minutes." Dr. Monroe nodded and left the room.
Parker changed into a simple pair of jean shorts, a white t-shirt, black tennis shoes over a pair of socks, and a black hoodie. Parker stepped out of the room with her with her old clothes folded on her bed.
"I'm dressed."
"Come with me."
Parker followed Dr. Monroe to the front desk where an older woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in worn out leather clothes stood impatiently.
Dr. Monroe placed her hand reassuringly on Parker's shoulder. "It's okay, you have nothing to worry about. We've already discussed everything with her."
Parker stared her supposed sister up and down. She wasn't scared of her, she wasn't really scared of anything anymore.
"Jade?" Parker spoke up. "Jade Finch?" When the woman looked over and relaxed her shoulders with a smile, Parker walked over. "You're Jade Finch? My sister?'
Jade smiled. "Yeah, come on." She placed her scarred hand on Parker's head. "Let's get you out of here?"
Parker obediently followed Jade out to her car. She sat in the passenger seat, buckling up, and then quietly placing her hands in her lap.
Jade got into the driver's seat and pulled out her phone. "Alright kid, I'm going to make a few phone calls, take you shopping, and then I'm taking you to a friend's place."
Parker simply nodded. She stared out the window of the car, looking at the mental hospital one last time. She sighed and turned her attention away, finding her gaze fixed on necklace with a cross hanging on the rear view mirror.
"Do you want it?" Jade asked. "You can have it if you want it. Doesn't have any value to me. I have plenty more and I'm not all that religious anyways."
"I'm good." Parker rejected the offer.
For some reason, it gave Parker a disgusting feeling that clawed and burned in every part of her body.
Jade pressed her lips tight together. She was doing her best to try and be a good sister to Parker, but she didn't even know anything about the kid except that they shared the same mother.
"Okay, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but I don't think this is the time or place, kid." Jade said as she started up the car and drove. "I have this friend, Dalton, he's great, and he'll help me take care of you."
Parker didn't question it, just stared out the window as Jade drove. The elder sister put on some music to break the silence so neither one of them would have to speak.
After around an hour long drive, Jade pulled into a small house outside of town. "We're here." Jade watched as her little sister unbuckled and stepped out of the car. "Just follow me."
Parker followed Jade into the small house. She looked around the, wine bottles placed neatly into the cabinets while a man with black hair, brown eyes, wearing black dress pants and shoes, a long white sleeve shirt under a black button up vest.
"Dalton, this is Parker. Parker, this is Dalton." Jade introduced the two. "So, interact or something."
Parker stared silently at the man. Dalton just smiled and knelt down to her height. "Nice to meet you kid." Dalton extended his hand out for her to shake. When she didn't move, he simply retreated his hand. "Not much of a talker I see. Well, I hope we can make your stay here as comfortable as possible."
"Thank you." Parker whispered.
"Not a problem, kid." Dalton brushed off. "Come with me. I'll show you your new bedroom."
Parker nodded and followed Dalton up the stairs to her bedroom. It was a simple bedroom, had its usual bed, a TV, and a dresser. Parker didn't complain.
Dalton ran his fingers through his black hair. "Sorry if it's small. It used to be the guest bedroom and we didn't have much time to get stuff for you besides what we already had. But I can take you shopping tomorrow if you want."
"Don't worry about it."
Dalton nodded at Parker's blunt response. "Okay, we'll let you get settled in. Just do us a favor and keep the windows salted."
Parker nodded, watching as Dalton closed the door behind him. Why had he told her to salt the windows. Was it just something that they did? It wasn't snow season that she was aware of.
Parker kicked off her shoes, placing them next to the door, and sat on the bed. She went back to doing her habit of what she did at the mental hospital, just staring at the ceiling and counting the seconds. She didn't turn on the television, didn't even give it a glance.
When the clock hit 9:30 PM, Parker buried herself in the blankets. That time was her usual bedtime in the hospital, and it was engraved into her habits.
As Parker shut her eyes to fall asleep. Her mind filled with flames that burned hotter each night. Each flame felt more real than the last.
Parker woke up with her eyes wide opened. She breathed heavily before coughing. She looked at her arm to see a burn mark scarring it. The nightmares were usual, they happened all the time.
She touched the burn before retreating away. How did she get an actual burn?
Footsteps ran up the stairs and Jade barged into the bedroom with a gun in hand. "What the hell happened!" Jade looked around the room to see everything in perfect place.
Parker looked at Jade and Dalton who walked in behind her. "What's with the gun?"
"You were screaming." Dalton yawned. "We thought someone broke in."
"I don't scream. I'm not scared of anything."
"You sounded like you were being murdered!" Jade groaned and put away her gun. She rubbed her eyelids. "What happened to your arm?"
"I don't know. I really don't."
Dalton walked away from the two and returned with some bandages with antibiotics. "Let me see the injury." Parker gave him her injured arm. Dalton put on some antibiotics and wrapping it with gauze. "Just keep these on, and don't scratch at it."
Parker nodded.
Jade paced around the room. "Okay, what happened before we came in?"
"I was sleeping and then I woke up this burn. But I think I smelt smoke."
Dalton and Jade looked at each other before sniffing around. "Uhm, Parker, there's no smoke." Dalton said and patted her back. "Try to go back to sleep. I'll keep an eye on you." He nodded at Jade.
"You don't have to do that." Parker said as she fidgeted with her shirt.
"I insist." Dalton smiled. "Just get some rest. I'll be right here if you need anything."
Parker lied back down under the covers, trying to fall back asleep. Dalton grabbed a spare blanket and pillow, keeping his phone out in case of emergency, watching the youngest one of the group for the night.
Why did she get burned?