Forty-seven: Pills

Temperance

I sit in the middle of my room with my clothes tucked away neatly into a backpack. I can at least look like I'm going along with this shit plan.

I am supposed to be picked up today by my buyer. My cousins are at school and my caretakers are at work, leaving me along with my wandering thoughts.

A loud ringing pierces my ears, causing me to jump in shock. Once my ears adjust to the sound I realize it's the house phone.

I thin my lips in question since no one ever calls the house phone.

I stay on my mattress for a second, waiting until the ringing comes to the end, bringing back the silence from the almost empty house.

With only a few seconds of silence in between, the wretched phone starts to ring again, stirring up my annoyance.

I curse under my breath, standing to my feet and leaving the room. The sound gets louder as I approach and stop in front of it.

It's an old white phone that sits on a coffee table beside Austin's recliner. I have never seen him use it before.

I look