The Missing Rykers Pt. 1
Raindrops tapped on the shingled roof slanted directly below, occasionally bouncing back up to the window directly above. A light fog grew during the rain, clouding the outstretched field of the Ryker's back yard. She watched in fascination was the fog rolled in, observing the scene carefully throughout the early morning. Raylin sat perched on the windowsill, chin propped up by her hands. It was the exact position Raylin spent most of her days in a pout from her situation. A month passed since Raylin last tasted freedom. A month ago she was out with her friends, watching scary movies on Halloween with the rest of the younger members of the coven. A month passed since her parents snapped and "grounded" her, or simply put magically contained her to her bedroom. At this point Linny is accustomed to this sort of treatment. While they had no reason to lock her away, she grew to expect it each time she left the house without her immediate family. At least she had her sister Amara to keep her company when she was home from work. Her parents never took her sisters from her. There was not a peep from Amara in the past month. Not a visit, not a note slipped under her door, not even an unwanted visit from her younger sister, Luna. The only time they banned her sisters from spending time with her was when Linny ran away back when Luna was named heir to the Ryker coven. Spending the night with friends was not severe enough to ban all contact. The more Linny thought about it, the more upset she became about the situation. While in complete isolation, she sat brooding on the subject for far too long. Luckily for Linny, this punishment would not continue. An unexpected click came from the handle; someone unlocked the door. Linny knew this meant her mother was working the overnight shift at the hospital, for whenever her mother was home and her father at work, her mother would let her out of the bedroom. Her mother could not remove the spell that kept her trapped inside their family home, but at the very least she could roam the house freely for a few hours. With the loneliness fresh in her mind, Linny rose from her seat. Maintaining an average speed, she left her bedroom and trailed after her mother. She found her washing dishes in the kitchen sink, presumably unaware Linny was standing behind her. Linny stood silently, watching her mother hum to herself and clean in a cherry mood. Was she that okay with leaving her middle daughter in solitary confinement for a full week? The thoughts fed Linny's anger. "Where's Amara?" Linny asked in a harsh tone. "Why was I alone for a month?" "Your father grounded you a week ago. No need to be so dramatic." Victoria looked over her shoulder in Linny's direction. Her cherry mood didn't skip a beat and she continued with the dish in her hand. "A few days?" Linny's eyebrows rose in confusion. She was now standing at the table in the center of the room with a firm grip on the back of one of the wooden chairs. "No way! It's been a whole month. And you didn't let me see my own sisters." "Raylin," her mother sighed in slight annoyance. She lowered the dish and sponge into the sink. "I know you're lonely, but your father and I are not having another child." "Ew! Don't have another kid," Linny's voice grew louder. "Luna is enough. But you could at least let me be grounded with my sisters." "Your friends are not your family, Raylin." Victoria went back to the dishes, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Having your friends visit defeats the point of being grounded." "What are you taking about?" The anger was quickly rising inside of her. She did not understand why this was so difficult for her mother to understand. "I want Amara, I'll even take Luna. Where are my sisters?" "Raylin." Victoria dropped the plate into the sink. Her anger showed through as she turned around to finally face her daughter. "You do not have a sister, and you are not getting one. End of discussion." Linny froze. Her anger faded and she saw the new problem at hand. Something out of the ordinary was off with her mother. "Mom… How many kids do you have?" She took a step closer and watched her mother carefully. "Three," Victoria rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Your two brothers and you. Are we done?" Victoria turned back to the sink to tell Linny to move on. But the young witch noticed something in her mother's eyes. Her face was blank as if she ran on autopilot and her eyes glazed over. It was a spell, Linny performed enough on her family to know that right away. "What did Dad do to you?" she asked, her thoughts immediately going to the dark witch. "It's low, even for him." Linny used her vampiric speed and made her way through their house, travelling to her father's shop which ran out of the first level. Linny had a soft spot for using magic against her mother and older sister and hated her father each time he did so. She barely gave her father time to realize she was there before she was on his case. "What did you do to Mom?" she asked, anger seeping in her voice. "What? Raylin, calm down," Derek, who was at the counter with a customer, hoped he did not scare off this customer with his daughter's sudden appearance. He remained calm and continued punching items into the store's register. "You put a spell on Mom, didn't you?" Linny grabbed the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning white. She was standing next to the poor customer who was now trying to finish his transaction and leave as soon as possible. "I have not seen your mother all day, Raylin." Derek gathered the customer's change and finished the transaction calmly. The moment the customer gathered his belongings and left the counter, Linny was in his spot and leaned over the counter. "Then what did you do to my sisters?" she asked and leaned closer. "Where are they?" "What are you talking about?" Derek replied with the same blank expression as her mother. "You're my only daughter." Linny took a step back. Something was terribly wrong if both parents were under a spell. She had no idea how long her sisters were gone or if anyone else in the city realized they disappeared. She needed to find them and fast.