Voices

Voices

A Novella

Kayla Frederick

Chapter One

Lynn

LOONY LYNN! A kid on a bike screamed at the woman standing beside the curb.

No emotion flickered across her face, but she gripped her suitcase tighter.

Loony Lynn.

That was a nickname she hadn't heard in some time. Unpleasant nostalgia washed over her like a slap across the face, and she considered flagging down the cab that had brought her here. Would it be enough to go back? If only she had the power.

Lynn stared the boy down as he did a circle in the road, sticking his tongue out for effect. Lynn watched him, not responding, but also not looking away. She used to be sharper, and quick-witted. People who called her names before regretted it.

Before, she reminded herself of the keyword, watching the boy ride away.

A house with brown siding and a big wooden porch sat a few yards away. The screen door creaked open, and Lynn’s mother, Catherine, stepped onto the porch, hands on her hips to study the yard and the person responsible for destroying her peace.

When she caught sight of her daughter, she squealed and rushed to her, no regard for her lack of shoes or the array of pine needles scattered across the walkway. When she reached Lynn, she cupped her face in her hands, offering no hope for escape.

Sweet Pea! I’m so happy to see you, she said with an accent somewhere between Southern and none at all. I wasn’t expecting you until Saturday! Why didn’t you call?

Figured it’d be more of a surprise this way, Lynn said, pulling subtly out of her mother’s grip. I got the money together and thought there was no use in waiting.

Her mother beamed, but Lynn barely saw it. In the back of her mind flashed the giant red F that had been stamped on her midterms. Her first semester of college, she’d been a resounding failure, which came as an even bigger letdown considering all the work she’d put into being admitted. She’d counted her blessings for the opportunity, jumping through every hoop. Now, her second semester was turning out worse.

The wooden porch steps creaked under their weight, announcing their movements all the way to the door. Catherine had left it wide open, exposing the kitschy wallpaper and plain brown furniture inside. A giant potted fern sat to the right and an empty coat rack to the left. Lynn nearly knocked it over in her hurry to close the door, grateful to block out the nasty neighbor boy who leered from the road as he pedaled past the house again. He’d put in work to be here.

Hell, Michigan was an original place in every sense of the word. Officially, it wasn't a town since only about a hundred people resided there, but it had a store, diner, post office, and of course plenty of tourist attractions.

For the most part, the town was one big, running joke. The history behind the name always made Lynn laugh. Two rumors competed for acknowledgment. One - the town came about its name because the founder, when asked what he'd like to name his town, responded with You can call it Hell for all I care. The second rumor involved alcoholic husbands and catty wives.

Lynn liked to believe that both rumors held some weight. It was what gave the place its delightful charm as her mother called it.

Lynn could go either way. For such a large portion of her life, she’d dreamed of leaving her sleepy little town and traveling to the big city. She yearned for the hustle and bustle, to be swept up by it all and spit out a strong, successful woman.

Instead, you failed, a sharp biting thought penetrated her mind. She slapped the side of her head, trying to make it stop.

Catherine frowned, eyeing her with a look of careful concern that only mothers could ever perfect. Have you been taking your medication?

Of course. Not that it helps, Lynn replied, plucking the bottle from her pocket to show off the few remaining pills.

Catherine's expression tightened. If they're really not working, it might be time to visit Dr. Phillip again.

Lynn struggled to hold her tongue. So far Dr. Philip hadn't found a medication that really helped her and changing it again meant admitting defeat. She kept the thought to herself, knowing Catherine would get her way in the end.

She always did.

Go on and get unpacked. Amelia will be here tomorrow, Catherine said, eyes shining as if the thought of her nest being full again brought her nothing but joy. The expression dimmed slightly when Lynn's face didn't change. She's excited to see you, you know? She must've called fifty times this week to check up on you.

Lynn raised her eyebrows, surprised by the news. Logically, she should've figured out her sister would also want to visit, but the information still made her skin crawl. Amelia had always been the perfect daughter. Catherine had never called Lynn a failure outright, but she could see the unspoken words in her mother's eyes when she spoke of her favorite daughter.

Amelia's coming? Lynn asked, at last, feigning as much interest as she could.

Of course, Catherine said, a look of absolute adoration for her firstborn on her face.

Fantastic, Lynn murmured and grabbed the handle of her suitcase so tight it hurt.

Welcome to Hell.

Chapter Two

Jayden

THE BACKSEAT OF Kasey's car was always comfortable and clean. Too clean as if Kasey had committed some atrocity that required a thorough scrubbing to get rid of any and all evidence. Jayden dug the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw stars and slumped in the leather seat. He blinked them away and stared out the window. From the corner of his eye, he picked up a set of brown eyes peering at him in the rearview mirror.

That's some hefty sighing you're doing back there, man, Kasey said.

Kay, a twenty-two-year-old wallflower with a bright blonde bob craned her neck to look at him over the top of her seat. Everything okay?

Jayden's eyes volleyed between them. Kasey and Kay, his two best friends. Except things weren't so straightforward anymore. They were the cart he dangled from as the third wheel. Their relationship hadn't started long ago, a few weeks at most, and as a result, they were in the early stages of infatuation. The kind that leaves a person unable to get enough of their sweetheart. The kind of love that made Jayden feel like a creep for being in their vicinity.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little tired, but I mean it is noon already."

Look, Kasey said slowly, dramatically. If you don't want to go just say so. My feelings won't be hurt.

Jayden narrowed his eyes. Him tagging along might not hurt Kasey's feelings but to Jayden? The quick dismissal gutted him. He and his friends had lived in Michigan their entire lives and frequently heard the stories of the tourist pit of Hell, Michigan, but none of them had been able to go. Then Kasey had gotten the idea to go right before Halloween so they could say they spent Devil's Night in Hell with the devil.

In theory, it had been the perfect escape from classes and the drama of his parents forcing him to consider majors he wasn’t interested in. Jayden turned his face toward the window, hoping his hurt didn’t show. When he realized Kasey's eyes were still watching him, he painted on a smile full of fake enthusiasm. No, man. This is gonna be great. I mean who doesn't want to spend a weekend in Hell?

Kasey smiled. "Now that's the right attitude."

Kay frowned, full lips pushing out into the pout she used to get Kasey to bend to her whim. "Well, I don't know if I can spend the entire weekend there."

Jayden stared at the back of her head, sorting through conflicting feelings of the warmth their friendship used to hold and a new sense of loathing for her. He wasn't nearly as close to anyone else in the dorms as he was to these two, but suddenly he wondered if he'd have a better weekend staying home, playing with a Ouija board, and hooking up with a spooky girl.

If that's the case, it's probably better we take different cars, Jayden said. That way if anyone needs to leave, he paused long enough to pin the back of her head with a glare, we can.

But half the fun is the road trip! Kasey protested, side-eyeing Jayden the best he could. We can make terrible financial decisions on snacks that’ll make us sick in two hours. It’ll be great!

Kay tossed him a sideways glare that said, really?

A real bummer, Jayden thought, hardly able to resist curling his lip.

Kasey looked back to the road, but the glimpse of his face that Jayden could see told him the moment had left him at least mildly upset by the change in plans. The road passed in a blur as Kasey turned onto the street that led to their dorms, halting beside the curb.

Jayden made a move to hop out.

Wait! Kasey stopped him, pulling a notebook out of the glove box. He jotted something down and tore the paper free, handing it to Jayden. This is the name of the hotel. Meet us here when you make it, okay?

Jayden tucked the paper into his pocket, hardly glancing at the squiggly lines. Sure, he said. See you guys later.

He slammed the door, trudging up toward the dorm. When the car started to move, he glanced over his shoulder long enough to realize that neither of his friends stared after him. Pushing his way into the building, he could think of nothing better than a long nap.

Chapter Three

Lynn

IN THE ISOLATION of her dorm, Lynn had missed her family. Her mother in particular. She'd had a list of things she'd wanted to do when she eventually returned home, but now that she was back, she remembered all the reasons she’d wanted to escape in the first place.

Lynn unpacked the most needed of her belongings and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. When Amelia arrived early in the morning, Lynn was the first to know. Amelia could've had a fantastic career as a cat burglar with her quick steps and swift movements. She crept into Lynn's room, squeezing her into a bear hug without a fight from her still-sleeping sister.

The inside of Lynn's brain mushed with panic, and she tried to take in a deep breath, assuming the shadows in her room had reared up to suck the life out of her. When Amelia released her, she slunk backward, her silhouette illuminated by the early morning sun streaming in through the crack between the blinds and window sill. Even in the low light, Lynn could pick out the highlights in her hair and the healthy glow to her cheeks. College had been good to her.

Jesus! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Lynn cried.

Amelia's smile grew somehow wider as she plopped down beside Lynn. Nope. I’m excited to see my little sister again.

Why? Lynn asked, shoving her blanket toward Amelia to make some sort of divide between them. Last time we were here, we tortured each other. Tradition is still going strong it seems.

That's what siblings do. Don't gotta be so sensitive all the time, Amelia said, leaning in as if she were sharing some great secret.

Yeah, well, you don't gotta be so perfect all the time either, but here we are.

"Whatever. Mom loves us the same. And you know why? Because both of us are gonna take over the world one day."

Lynn looked