Page 57 of Locked

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Zelle

I did cry after they left. I had a good, long cry right there in the entryway.

I had felt alone before, sure. But Basil was always there, so I wasn't alone. Not really. I hadn't been this alone since I was five years old and Mother had locked me away up here.

Even back then, I'd had my Boo-Boo bear.

Now I had nothing.

No one.

Well, I didn't haveno one. I had plenty of someones, but they weren'therenow, and that was what hurt.

I cried for Basil. I knew he was just as upset about this as I was. I cried for everything I'd lost because of Mother.

I knew I was simply feeling sorry for myself and that wasn't going to help anyone, but everyone deserved to have a little 'woe is me' moment once in a while, right?

I felt like I'd been strong up until now. I deserved a good cry.

Once I had cried myself out, I got up and walked out to the sun room, looking up into the sky to check the time. Only about two hours had passed since I'd been out here earlier before breakfast. It was odd. So much had changed in such a small amount of time.

I realized just howquietit was in the apartment. Deathly quiet. Eerily quiet.

I didn't like it.

I ended up turning on some music and just setting my playlist to repeat/shuffle. Otherwise, I'd go nuts in the silence.

The apartment was still spotless from my nervous cleaning binge after Mother had left on Monday, so there was practically nothing for me to do.

Well, notnothing.

A more accurate statement would be that there was nothing Iwantedto do.

That dead chicken was in the fridge. Just waiting for a cremation.

I knew I needed to do it. To get it done. Kinden was right when he said that the sooner I got the ashes collected, the better.

Mother hadsaidshe wasn't coming back for an entire month. But I also knew how erratic she'd been lately. She could have a change of heart and try to return in two weeks like she always did.

And I'd need to have the ashes to show her.

Sighing heavily, I marched to the kitchen with purpose. With a weird, macabre purpose, but a purpose nonetheless.

I opened up the door and scanned the shelves. I spotted what must have been the chicken wrapped in some brown paper.

I didn't recognize the label, but upon closer inspection, I realized that it must be the Wix market in Kinden and Sorrel's neighborhood. There was a teeny picture of a broom with the words 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and TIME: For all your express spellweaving needs' printed below it. The initials P.S.R.T were stamped in numerous places all over the paper.

I smirked slightly. How cute.

As I pulled the brown paper package from the fridge, I unstuck the brown sticker on top, causing it to fall open.

I shrieked loudly, dropping the paper and its contents onto the floor. It hit the tiles with a loud slap. Almost like I'd dropped a whole ass onto my kitchen floor.

I brought my hand up to my chest, breathing heavily as I tried to calm down.

I closed my eyes and laughter bubbled up from my belly and out into the room.