Page 54 of The Rhythm of their Souls

XOXO your Nora

I stare blankly at her words, feeling guilt build in the corners of my eyes. Nora was here, but where is she now? She doesn’t seem to hang out with anyone that I know of. My mind wanders momentarily, searching for answers I don’t have.

A warm hand gently rests on my shoulder, and I turn my head slightly to look up at Theo. He gives me a half-smile that doesn’t fully reach his eyes. I’m sure he can read the defeat written in bold letters all over my face. Theo clears his throat. “Is there anywhere else she might be?”

I shrug my shoulders, feeling helpless. What if she’s somewhere crying alone? Or worse, what if she’s hurt? Every worst-case scenario races through my mind.

I blow out a shaky breath. “I don’t know—” I freeze momentarily as an imaginary lightbulb flickers violently above my head. “Our mom’s,” I whisper, the words barely escaping my lips.

Somehow, Theo hears me, releases my shoulder, and quickly approaches his car. He then calls over his shoulder, “Tell me where to go, babe.”

Mom isn’t answering her phone, and it’s no surprise—it’s almost three in the morning. But that doesn’t matter; I need to see that Nora isn’t there. I motion for Theo to turn left into the neighborhood. Embarrassment washes over me, making my already flushed skin feel even warmer. I never intended for him to come here or potentially meet my mother.

What if she’s high or drunk? My thoughts drift back to when I stopped by her place a month ago; the yard and house were messy. I can only be thankful that it’s nighttime, and most things aren’t visible right now.

Instant relief floods through me when I spot Nora’s car parked in the driveway. It’s weird that she would come here instead of calling me. She knows she’s always welcome to stay with Danielle and me. But I don’t even care right now. I am just relieved that I found her. She probably just fell asleep after going to visit Jake.

But something in my gut tells me I need to make sure. We didn’t drive all the way here for nothing. I need to see her physically to ease this nagging gut feeling. I tell Theo to wait in the car while I knock on the door. I want to avoid him meeting my mom, especially since it is an unexpected visit in the middle of the night. Mainly because there is no telling what state Jewels is in right now.

It is pitch black, except for the headlights from Theo’s car. And there are no lights on in the house, which tells me that whoever is in there is asleep. I stop by Nora’s car, checking through the dark window—no Nora.

Once I reach the front door, I give a couple of light knocks, listening for footsteps on the other side of the door—nothing but silence. I knock again, but it’s more of an aggressive pound this time. I hear shuffling from inside the house, and the living room light flicks on shortly after. I see the blinds bend, someone peeking through. My patience is running thin.

Mom swings the door open. She’s wearing the rose-colored robe she’s had since Nora and I were kids. Her curly hair is pulled back into a messy bun, with sprigs sticking out in all directions. Confusion fills her tired eyes. “Olive, what in the hell are you doing here at this time of night?” she mutters. I swivel my head, glancing past her to see if I can spot Nora in the living room, but Mom quickly pulls the door shut behind her, blocking my view.

She must have a guy in there, probably some low-life piece of shit. I can’t believe I brought Theo here. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter at this point. I just need to know where the fuck my sister is! A wave of dread and panic washes over me again. My words come out strained. “Mom, is Nora in there?” I already know the answer, but I ask anyway.

Mom’s brows furrow together. “Why on earth would she be here? I can’t even get her on the phone when I try calling her—” Her voice trails off, becoming nothing more than a muffled noise in the distance.

The treehouse! Why didn’t I think of it before all of this? Ignoring Mom’s continued rambling, I turn on my heel and run as fast as possible to the backyard. My thoughts scream in my head while different voices yell at me. I can’t understand what they’re saying; some are cries, and many are outraged.

I swore I heard Theo’s voice yelling my name for a moment, but my legs wouldn’t stop if I wanted them to. Like a robot, I’ve been programmed to complete a task: get to the treehouse as quickly as possible.

I reach the grown-up trail leading to my destination. Darkness swallows it whole, leaving nothing but a faint gleam from the moon in the distance. I scramble for my phone in my sweats, unable to locate it in either pocket. Fuck, it must have fallen out while running back here. I take a deep breath, putting my arms out before me as I slowly move forward.

As I push through the blackened trail, twigs, vines, and briars slash at my arms and hands. I battle through it and even stumble a few times on stones and roots along the trail.

After being abused by nature, I finally see light at the trail’s end. The treehouse comes into sight. The moon shining all around it is strange at this time; usually, it has already moved. I sprint over to the wooden stairs leading up to the crooked door. I notice that it’s not latched but cracked open slightly.

As I climb up, I call out Nora’s name, praying to hear her voice. But I receive nothing but the repetitive sounds of the woods. Crickets chirp loudly while the light breeze rattles tree limbs throughout the dreary forest.

Once I reach the top of the ladder, a heaviness consumes my body, and an eerie feeling pricks at my battered skin. I slow my breathing, closing my eyes just for a second. Once I open them, I slowly push on the small door to the treehouse. “Nora, are you…” My words are cut short.

As the door creaks open, I see feet lying just a few steps away. Once it’s fully open, I find Nora lying on her side by the exposed window. The moon flickers its ghostly glow around her limp body.

No, no, no. I dive through the small door, crawling on my hands and knees to her. This can’t be happening. Once I reach her side, I catch a glance at her phone lying near her, and the screen lights up. Mom’s number flashes across the screen, and there is a long list of missed calls and texts from Michelle and me. The time shows 3:03 a.m.

My breathing becomes deranged as I take in what’s in front of me. Nora lies on her side, one arm pinned underneath her. Her left arm rests beside her, and I notice a foil-like object in her lax hand. Flashbacks of our mother unconscious in the bathtub flood my mind. No, Olive, focus; we have to be quick! Nora’s voice and urgent words hit me like a bag of bricks.

I begin greedily taking deep breaths while searching my surroundings. Nora’s bag sits underneath the window of the treehouse. I quickly retrieve it, dumping out the items inside.

Not caring about what I touch, I sift through the items, scattering them on the wooden floor of the treehouse, all while focusing on what I’m looking for. Damn it. It’s not here…where the hell is the Narcan?! My heart pounds against my chest.

I glance back at Nora nervously. She looks so peaceful. Her head lies flat, her lips slightly parted, and her curly hair spreads around her head like blossoming wildflowers taking over a forbidden garden.

Seeing her like this fills my eyes with tears. I quickly reached for her phone to call 911 but realize it is locked with a password. My hands tremble as I attempt to guess it, but nothing works. Then it hits me—her password is probably Jake’s birthday! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Just as I’m about to enter it, the screen locks again, leaving me with a one-minute timeout. Fuck!

Frustration floods over me, and in a moment of panic, I toss her phone against the wall, the sound of shattering glass echoing around us. I lean closer to her still form, grasping her shoulders and shaking gently. “Nora! Please, wake up!” I plead, my voice a mix of desperation and hope.