Episode 4

It had become a routine between the two, one racing down the stairs with the other chasing after him.

"Reece please stop, I'm tired" Winter cried.

"Catch me if you can" he stuck his tongue out at her.

"You'd be late for school, I'm done with school" she reminded him and he stopped abruptly, she'd always play that card once she's exhausted.

"Got ya!" She smiled grabbing the little guy by his arm.

"Cause I let ya" he'd always say.

Not like she had this special duty of brushing his teeth and literally bathing him, it had become part of her, she had done the bathing part when he was younger but not now, still he enjoyed her company in the bathroom.

They'd tell stories and discuss like they were mates or something.

"I'd leave without you" Sophia would remind her brother everyday 

"Aunt Winter would take me to school" he would reply

"No I will not, hurry up so you can leave with your sister" Winter urged him and his face fell.

Soon, the kids were ready to zoom off after breakfast and all and so they did.

"I'll help clean up" winter said . Her aunt had memorized that line, she knew winter would always clean up but once she offers to help to do her own job, she wanted something.

The lady ran a mini Mart down the road but had a salesgirl already so she did not need to be present at all times. Winter wasn't her child but her brother's. Her brother and his wife had tragically died in a fire outbreak at their home which seemed rather plotted. She had gone visiting when she met with the unpleasant sight, she managed to get little Winter out but that was it, she couldn't help the whole family. Every night, Winter would cry over her dad and mom and elder sister but now she had come to accept this as her family not until sometime last year when word spread that her big sister might be alive somewhere. 

The little girl who was fifteen at that time managed to escape the fire but was found almost lifeless by the roadside the following morning. She was taken to the hospital but after little treatment, the girl escaped never to be seen or heard from again.

"I'm here" her aunt Mary announced and winter joined her. Winter was the same age with her first child and first son, Charles, who was in college. Winter claimed she didn't want to burden the family as they had seen her through middle school and high school, finding her sister was more important to her.  

"Aunt goodmorning" winter smiled sitting by her side, the woman could only nod, or so she had strength to do 

"Aunt" she began, "I don't think she has gone far from Boston, she still here, somewhere" she said 

"And I believe that" her aunt took over.

"She's definitely somewhere and we're doing our possible best to find her Winter, trust me ,I want to see her too, she must have felt so lonely all this years" she sighed pulling winter close

"How about you follow me to the Mart today, okay?" She said and Winter had to smile whether she was content with the response or not. She badly wanted to find her big sister, Sandy Adams.

***

Ellie's smile turned into gasp as her hand trembled causing her to spill wine on a customer. The man yelled and yelled but she heard nothing, she just stood at a spot staring widely at the television. She was serving drinks while partially listening to the news when she heard her sister's name being called out for a murder, she looked at the screen to see Clara being taken away from their building.

Tyler rushed out to her rescue immediately, calming the angry customer down as he left in anger but Tyler didn't care less about losing a customer, he held Ellie by the shoulder taking her to his office. He too had seen the news, she just didn't know it'd hit her this hard.

"Ellie? Ellie?!" He called but she stood transfixed

"Ellie? Hey?" He snapped his fingers across her face bringing her back, she looked up to meet his gaze but with tears in her eyes.

She wasn't about to cry for the fact her sister was taken away, she had already done the math of what was to come. She didn't earn much, she was crying for the fact, she was going to have to spend alot to get her sister out for something she didn't do. She knew Clara too well, murder wasn't something she'd commit even in the case of self defense, she was certain Clara didn't have the balls to insert a knife so deep to kill, that's if they'll be an insertion.

"I need you to calm down Ellie" Tyler began and she was dragged back to reality.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, it's not the end of the world" that was a very stupid line, but that was all that could come to his mind at that moment.

"We'll think this through, okay, and we'd sought it out" he said

"I need to go" those four words were all she said since five minutes ago she went mute.

"I want to see Clara , she must be so scared" she said but she was the one scared rather.

"I can drive you" Tyler offered ad this wasn't a time for rejection or play hard-to-get, she nodded in affirmation and he smiled. He had never believed this day would come, she said yes without having to think or him having to plead more.

"Let's go" he said grabbing his keys.

She followed him behing closely after picking her bag and he giving some instructions to some staff, they left.

On the way, she contemplated whether calling her aunt or not, but she decided against it, she'd first hit the station and know the status of things, if not for nothing, her aunt would ask for details before deciding on whether to help or not.

TBC....