Phoning It In

Participants:

delia3_icon.gif lucille3_icon.gif

Scene Title Phoning It In
Synopsis Lucille reaches out to Delia, but is it too little too late?
Date October 22, 2011

Cell Phone Lines


It's not long after the end of the Ferrymen’s meeting with Endgame to exchange information and plan for the upcoming raids that Lucille Ryans has slipped out and made her way to the roof of a non describe building. Her hands stuffed into the thick coat she brought with her from the island. Staying there more often and especially with the upcoming raids.

Cool blue-green eyes survey the disturbed cityscape that is her city, pulling her hand out from her coat pocket a simple black burner phone sits in her hand. Rattling off the number Lucille remembers that she could last reach her sister at she nervously bites the corner of her lip as she takes a seat on the roof, back against the wall holding a door that connects to the stairway leading down.

RING RING RING
RING RING RING

“Hello?”

The voice over the receiver is Delia.

At home in Eltingville, laying on her bed, the redhead is busy painting her toenails a garish shade of orange to match the gaudy jewelry she’s been outfitted with. Her tone is bored, she didn’t recognize the number so she’s not happy in answering, it could be anyone, but lately it’s some sort of phone scam. The last one was the IRS threatening to put her in jail for tax evasion if she didn’t buy $3,000 in Walmart gift cards to pay her back taxes. As if jail could be worse.

“Hello?” she repeats, in a bit more angered tone. “Listen, take me off your list. I’m not buying whatever it is you’re selling.”

The sound of her baby sister’s voice shocks the auburn haired woman momentarily. She can't help but snort a laugh though as she goes on her mini rant about not being bullied into buying anything.

“Whoa whoa D. Delia! It's me Lu.” A hand goes to pull at a few tendrils of hair. Staring up at the night sky she kicks her booted feet out in front of her and sighs. “Man is it good to hear your voice.”

She sounds tired but with the training she's been put through as well the few nights spent awake lately. She might sound fried. A good night's rest is in order tonight.

The phone clicks and there’s a long silence before a clatter, fumbling, and finally… “Lu?”

Nail polish stains the floor. At least it’s not a carpet so it can be carefully peeled off, later. “Oh my god, Lu, are you alright? Wh- No don’t. Don’t tell me anything. Does dad know you’re calling me?” He probably doesn’t. He wouldn’t approve. “You’re not dying are you? I can’t believe you’re wasting your death call on me.”

“What? No!”

The older sister sucks her teeth and shakes her head. “He’s not exactly happy with me right now.” She winces as she rubs her palm on the floor. “I'm doing something he doesn't approve of like always.” She grins weakly and closes her eyes imagining her sister just sitting right next to her and talking to her. “Are you okay? How is it in there?” Leaning forward and drawing her knees up to her chin, “I've heard just horror stories about it. Do they scan your eyelids are something for ID?”

“Uhh… it’s not Disneyworld.”

The dull reply is followed by a long sigh as Deli turns on her back and places her feet on the wall her bed is pushed up against. She stares at her half finished pedicure and then up at the ceiling, tracing invisible patterns with her eyes. “I wouldn’t be too worried about what dad does and doesn’t approve of though,” she continues on. “I mean, think of all the crap he’s done and hasn’t bothered letting us know about. At least he knows what you’re doing. Right?” A beat. “Could you imagine if he went out on one of his paper selling trips and never came home?”

Grinning, Lu shakes her head and rubs her temple. “They’re not like experimenting on you guys or anything right?” She doesn't think Delia would be somewhere with a phone if they were but it can't hurt to ask.

As the talk steers towards their father she sighs and closes her eyes. “Yea. I think about that a lot honestly. Sometimes it makes me so mad I..” She stops, picking at the nailbed of her index finger. “It can be so easy resenting him for not preparing us for this life. For this world.” Those are feelings Lucille does her best to not indulge in but she is human and so those emotions do seep through.

“Yea.. about that.. I'm going on a trip with Dad and our Aunt to make sure he comes back safely.”

”Not me..”

The whispered reply is very serious in tone, implying that yes there are experiments going on. Delia, satisfied that her toes have dried, rolls over onto her stomach, cradling the phone to her ear. “Lu.. you should listen to dad sometimes. He’s not as dumb as you look.” The barb makes her smile from ear to ear but it fades away in the silence that follows. “I just mean, he’s been around for a heck of a long time… I mean, remember when I used to think he rode a dinosaur to school? That’s pretty damned old. He could probably teach you how to do a thing or two, to keep you safe while you’re homeless and everything.” More digs at her sister, because that’s all she’s got at the moment. “Lu, I’m scared. They’re killing people here.”

“They better not be.” It's said with an edge her gaze going to match. The thought of the government doing things to Delia against her will in there makes her shiver. She wishes there was a way to get her out.

“I know.. I'm trying to learn from him. When he isn't so pissed at me that he can't speak. He's been giving the look.” Both girls reminiscing on old memories makes her smile. “Yea it's funny I look dumb when you believed dinosaurs until you were like 10.” And after a thought, “Nomad. Not homeless. Jeez Dirty Birdy.”

A beat passes and Lu grows silent as her sisters tone changes. “Del.. you have to stay safe. Keep your head down.. but if you see a chance to get out then fucking take it. Don't stay there. I have a bad feeling about that place.”

For obvious reasons.

”I still believe in dinosaurs because science, Lu.”

The redhead grins into her phone, thankful for a little levity, however brief it might be. Her legs swing behind her, crossing and uncrossing at the ankles as she listens to her sister’s warnings. Well duh, is the thought in her head as she’s lectured about so many things she’s heard before. Get out, blah blah blah, not safe, blah blah blah blah. Rolling her eyes, Delia lifts her free hand and makes a talking hand puppet gesture with it.

“I know Lu,” she says after Lucille is finished. “You’re not saying anything that hasn’t already been said before. I’ve got a tracker on my ankle, they would know wherever I am. Even if I did leave, Mister Logan, Sasha, and Tania would be in trouble. I’m not going to live with that on my conscience.”

“Okay but you know what I mean.”

Lu grins and snickers with a narrowing of her eyes. “Okay you're a big girl and a loyal friend got it. Just don't get cut up into a million pieces while you're there.” Albeit it should be Delia telling Lu to be careful if she only knew the things her father and sister were about to get into.

Pushing herself off the ground she still leans against the wall and tilts her head up to the sky. “When this is all over..” Lucille bites her lip. “I never take you anywhere.. why don't we go somewhere when this is all finished. I'll take you too…Amsterdam. The boys are hot and everyone is just so free and nice there.”

”Oh, they don’t cut you up…”

The tone of voice that comes through the cellphone is humorless, conveying the expression on its owner’s face quite well. Both the voice and the face are rigid, stern, and unwavering. “They hang you by a rope around your neck and tie the other end to a tree.” The memory is all too vivid for Delia, who still shivers at the thought of the blue faced woman. The one whose name she still doesn’t know, the one who made a slow spiral turn from her branch. The useless one. “It’s not just being a loyal friend, Lu, there’s a whole bunch of us in here. Sable, Delilah, the baby… Koshka is here too and Brian.”

“Shit Delia.” It's not often either sister calls the other her full name. What the redhead describes though makes Lucille tighten the grip on her phone. “I'm so sorry you had to see that.”

It's not that Luce feels her sister is weaker or cannot stomach the heavy stuff not by any means but there is a goodness (though she would never admit it) that just emanates from her sister. A light. And the sound of this place makes it seem like that light could be dimming. She doesn't fret outwardly as to not worry Delia.

“I'm gonna get you out of there. All of you. As soon as.. as soon as dad and I are done with this shit we’re coming to get you. Huruma also.” Lucille speaks for the other two but she would dare them to refuse her their help. “You shouldn't have to see that.”

”I… gotta go..”

What Delia isn’t saying is that their father washed his hands of her the moment she stepped into Eltingville. Needless to say, she’s not holding her breath for a rescue anytime soon. “Just.. before I go… I love you. I miss you.”

click


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