Search Party
Family's New Shrink Ray
chapter 76
by
copier
· original author:
penslayer5
Derek couldn't believe Nicole actually snuck out. "Of all the irresponsible-"
"Now's not the time." Lisa cut him off. "Let's just find her get back to the motel."
Derek sighed as she closed the door behind him. "Are you sure she'd come back home?"
"The front door was unlocked, and the emergency keys gone. She's here." Lisa reasoned.
"Or someone else." The he argued as he grabbed an umbrella from the vase by the door. Lisa looked at him for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "Just in case."
"Just stay close to me." She frowned but was immediately drawn to a light coming from the kitchen. She and her brother slowly crept over and found the space completely empty. "Well, at least we know someone's been here. The microwave is still warm and smells like Mac & cheese."
"So, either Nicole's been here or some bum who got hungry." Derek commented. "Wonderful."
Lisa shook her head. "Let's just check upstairs."
______
Nicole was currently taking cover under her parent's bed as the sound of footsteps entered the hallway. Already she was regretting her decision to come back home. What if the army or cops were looking for her? What would her family do if she got caught?
"Nicole? Are you up here?" A familiar voice whispered into the darkness.
"Nikki? It's Lisa and Derek." Another voice whispered.
Nicole's eyes widened as she crawled from under the bed. "Lisa? Derek?"
The lights in the room immediately flicked on and the youngest of the Jordan family was left stunned to see her big brother and sister had come looking for her. The two looked justifiably annoyed before dropping to their knees and brining her into a warm embrace.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again, you here me." Lisa scolded.
"I-I'm sorry." Nicole nearly cried. "I just... I just wanted to come home."
"I know Nikki, I know." Derek ruffled her hair.
Nicole frowned. "Is dad here too?"
Derek began to rub the back of his head nervously. "Well... we kind of, sort of-"
"Left without telling him." Lisa finished.
Nicole's eyes widened. "You guys snuck out too!"
"Of course we did." Lisa continued. "We weren't about to leave you out here in the jungle all by yourself when we probably have cops, the government, and two giants running around."
That finally did it for Nicole as she began to cry.
"But why now? You both didn't want anything to do with me before!"
Both Derek and Lisa winced.
Ever since Erica's first rampage and their mother turning herself in, the family had been fractured. Derek distanced himself and partially blamed their father for what happened, Lisa also distanced herself and their father drowned himself in his work at the lab. Nicole was all alone in the house and none of them noticed.
"I'm so sorry I brushed you off." Lisa began to tear up. "I never want you to think that I want nothing to do with you. I just... I wanted to find answers."
"And I shouldn't have pushed everyone away." Derek cut in. "I blamed dad for what happened and when the weight of everything became too much, I put up walls. I'm sorry I haven't been a better big brother."
"We love you, Nikki. Even if we don't always say it." Lisa whispered.
Now everyone was crying.
"Now's not the time." Lisa cut him off. "Let's just find her get back to the motel."
Derek sighed as she closed the door behind him. "Are you sure she'd come back home?"
"The front door was unlocked, and the emergency keys gone. She's here." Lisa reasoned.
"Or someone else." The he argued as he grabbed an umbrella from the vase by the door. Lisa looked at him for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "Just in case."
"Just stay close to me." She frowned but was immediately drawn to a light coming from the kitchen. She and her brother slowly crept over and found the space completely empty. "Well, at least we know someone's been here. The microwave is still warm and smells like Mac & cheese."
"So, either Nicole's been here or some bum who got hungry." Derek commented. "Wonderful."
Lisa shook her head. "Let's just check upstairs."
______
Nicole was currently taking cover under her parent's bed as the sound of footsteps entered the hallway. Already she was regretting her decision to come back home. What if the army or cops were looking for her? What would her family do if she got caught?
"Nicole? Are you up here?" A familiar voice whispered into the darkness.
"Nikki? It's Lisa and Derek." Another voice whispered.
Nicole's eyes widened as she crawled from under the bed. "Lisa? Derek?"
The lights in the room immediately flicked on and the youngest of the Jordan family was left stunned to see her big brother and sister had come looking for her. The two looked justifiably annoyed before dropping to their knees and brining her into a warm embrace.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again, you here me." Lisa scolded.
"I-I'm sorry." Nicole nearly cried. "I just... I just wanted to come home."
"I know Nikki, I know." Derek ruffled her hair.
Nicole frowned. "Is dad here too?"
Derek began to rub the back of his head nervously. "Well... we kind of, sort of-"
"Left without telling him." Lisa finished.
Nicole's eyes widened. "You guys snuck out too!"
"Of course we did." Lisa continued. "We weren't about to leave you out here in the jungle all by yourself when we probably have cops, the government, and two giants running around."
That finally did it for Nicole as she began to cry.
"But why now? You both didn't want anything to do with me before!"
Both Derek and Lisa winced.
Ever since Erica's first rampage and their mother turning herself in, the family had been fractured. Derek distanced himself and partially blamed their father for what happened, Lisa also distanced herself and their father drowned himself in his work at the lab. Nicole was all alone in the house and none of them noticed.
"I'm so sorry I brushed you off." Lisa began to tear up. "I never want you to think that I want nothing to do with you. I just... I wanted to find answers."
"And I shouldn't have pushed everyone away." Derek cut in. "I blamed dad for what happened and when the weight of everything became too much, I put up walls. I'm sorry I haven't been a better big brother."
"We love you, Nikki. Even if we don't always say it." Lisa whispered.
Now everyone was crying.
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November 12
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