The Peculiar Case of the Red Tide

by Constance Barker

  “You are damaged through no fault of your own,” Agnes said soothingly, seeming to speak the words Isabella couldn’t voice. “You’re a wonderful young man, and you deserve nothing of this foul experience that you’ve undergone. I wish there was some way I could help you. Take comfort in the fact that my associate here, Robert, will be seeing the lake drained to ensure no one else ingests the incomplete formula. You may have saved more lives than you know.”

  Ethan smiled a bit, turning to face his father once more. He reached up to trace the lines of the older man’s face, his expression thoughtful as his fingers dipped at every gaunt point of the scientist’s face.

  “I appreciate that, but it’s alright. I don’t expect to get better any time soon... if ever,” he chuckled. “It’s enough that my dad is here with me now. I know you blame yourself, dad, but I know what you were trying to do. I was dying before you tried to help me, and though my mind may be fading, I appreciate how hard you tried to help me,” Ethan said soothingly, wrapping his arms around the scientist.

  “You don’t have to worry about staying in this place anymore. The rest of your life will be lived in whatever way you see fit. I’ll use what’s left of my savings, and we can see the world. I’ll take you to all the places you wanted to see as a boy, when I was too busy to give you the attention you deserved. I’m checking you out of this place right away, and we’re going to be a family again. This time I’ll do it right. I promise you that,” the scientist asserted. Ethan laughed, a genuinely cheerful sound, and I couldn’t help smiling. I glanced up, noticing that Agnes and Isabella were conspicuously missing from the room. I looked curiously at Robert, who was watching the father and son with a rather troubled expression of his own. I shuffled over to him, trying not to draw attention to the two of us, only to stop short as Ethan cleared his throat.

  “Tell Izzie I said thanks. I understand how she feels with... all we’ve been through. I can only hope she’ll find the peace that this situation has brought me,” he said quietly, glancing towards the door. I hesitated, stepping towards the bed and offering the young man my hand.

  “I never expected to see you so calm,” I admitted, regretting the words as soon as they escaped my mouth. Ethan didn’t seem offended however, only tossing his head back with a laugh.

  “Me either! It’s been some time. It was nice to meet you... all of you. I hope you find what you’re looking for, whatever it may be,” he said warmly. I smiled, squeezing his hand before taking a step back. I looked at Robert, who was staring curiously at the door that led to the hallway. “You two should probably go check in,” Ethan offered, and I jolted a bit before nodding gratefully, striding out the door. I expected to see Agnes and Isabella as soon as we stepped out of the room, but they were nowhere to be seen. Robert guided me towards the exit of the building, his expression pensive as he walked.

  “You’re still not going to tell me what all of this is about, are you? Something is seriously bothering my best friend, and I deserve to know what it is,” I muttered.

  “As much as I agree with that notion, don’t you suppose it’s a bit entitled?” Robert replied, pausing just before exiting the building and turning to face me. “Do you expect to be able to rip the scab off of every festering wound? Do you anticipate being able to heal it through good intentions alone? I respect you a lot, Abigail, and you seem like a sensible girl. I also realize that you’re unhappy with being left in the dark; both in regards to Miss Isabella and what purpose Agnes has in looking for these journal pages. I’m in no place to give advice, but you deserve a good effort,” he murmured. I felt taken aback, wanting to bite back a scathing remark before realizing how right he was. As much as I wanted to help, perhaps I was being too curious for my own good. I was confident that in spite of being kept in the dark, Isabella would tell me her life story when it came time. Just the same, I was pretty sure Agnes would reveal her reasons for our grand adventures when I’d proven myself reliable.

  “It just hurts, caring so much about them and being unable to help. I don’t know how to solve their problems if they won’t even tell me what’s troubling them,” I whispered. Robert clapped a comforting hand on my shoulder, drawing me in for a surprising but not altogether unwelcome hug.

  “That’s just the thing, Miss Bean. It is not your responsibility to solve all of their problems. In the case of Isabella at least, you must understand that her life isn’t a puzzle for you to solve. She’s an actual person with actual problems, who is worth our understanding,” he said quietly, rubbing my back gently. In spite of how long I’d been sure Robert planned to murder me somehow, I felt somehow comforted in his embrace. I could only imagine he had been in a place much like my own, once many years ago—or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Either way, it was nice to have a friend who understood what I was going through. I was sure I’d still be envious of his close friendship with Agnes for some time, but there was little to be done for that. I would earn my place with the older woman in due time.

  “Thank you, Robert. I know I haven’t been terribly friendly to you,” I said nervously. He chuckled, guiding me out the door of the asylum.

  “It’s quite alright. It seems that a lot of our little group has trouble being friendly with strangers. I hope to train it out of you ruffians in due time,” he teased, tipping his bowler hat and winking. I barked out a laugh, and side by side we descended the steps that led to the entry of the asylum. I still had not spotted Agnes and Isabella, but I could only assume they needed a moment to themselves.

  At least, that’s what I assumed until I saw the two of them in the parking lot, Isabella tightly gripped in Agnes’ arms as the two cried in earnest. My heart hammered in my ribcage, and qas much as I knew I should give them privacy, I couldn’t simply stand by.

  “Go to them, then,” Robert suggested with a smile.

  I did.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Agnes and Isabella didn’t break apart even as I approached them, and I was a bit disconcerted as Isabella buried her face in the other woman’s hair. Agnes was the first to notice my presence, and though she wiped her eyes, she made no effort to disengage from Isabella. She muttered something I couldn’t quite make out, and Isabella grumbled a bit before releasing Agnes and taking a step back. She turned to face me, her expression more than vaguely bitter, but I wasn’t about to be turned away this time. I approached her, taking in her wary expression with faint amusement. Spreading my arms, I smiled and tried to make myself seem as approachable as possible.

  “Ugh, not more sympathy,” Isabella mumbled, drawing me into her arms and resting her chin on my shoulder. I could only chuckle, relieved that she was at least well enough to be her snarky and sarcastic self.

  “What’s going on, Izzie? You’ve been acting strangely before we even came on this trip. I understand being upset by Ethan’s circumstances, but it seems to run deeper than that. I understand if you don’t want to tell me, but—,” I cut myself off as Isabella pulled away, brushing her hair away from her eyes. Agnes loosely gripped her hand, trying to appear comforting as the dark haired woman struggled with herself.

  “You don’t have to explain anything,” Agnes said in hushed tones, but Izzie shook her head, laughing humorlessly.

  “Little Bean deserves to know just as much as anyone else does. Moreso than most, I’d say,” Isabella murmured, glancing towards Agnes with a faint smile. “Thanks for the backup though, momma bear,” she teased, rubbing her eyes. She seemed to be annoyed at herself for how much she’d been crying, but if I knew Izzie as well as I thought I did, I knew she wouldn’t shed a tear for no reason. ...Even if that reason was running out of chocolate chip cookies. “I just don’t know where to start,” Isabella mumbled. “Can we go back to the cabin first? Being here still kinda gives me the willies. I’d rather be somewhere a bit more comfortable,” she added as a bit of an afterthought, and I nodded, trailing behind the other women of our trio as we made our way back to my car. Robert seemed content to drive
back alone, and the three of us didn’t particularly want to be separated from each other in the time being. I allowed Isabella to slump in the front seat, rubbing her shoulder from my position behind her. She relaxed into my touch, and I felt somewhat reassured in the fact that she wasn’t completely tense in my presence. At least she’d felt as if I deserved to know the whole story, even if it was a bit belated.

  “So... Ethan is his name? How did you find that out?” I mused aloud, and Isabella glanced over her shoulder at me with a faint smile.

  “He got sick of me calling him ‘kid’, so he told me his name. He seemed pretty lucid after Robert and I brought some baked goods to cheer him up a bit. Robert suspected we might have to get approval to bring something like that in the facility, but it was so lax...,” she trailed off, shaking her head and sighing. “I’m just glad the kid is getting out of there. As rough as I was on his dad, at least he came back... eventually,” she muttered. I nodded quietly, tracing through every conversation we’d had over the last little while. I wondered what could be dragging Isabella through the dirt so utterly and completely, but at least she seemed somewhat at ease when we pulled up to the cabin. She slid out of the car, exhaling a sigh as she looked upon the decrepit building. “Never thought I’d be happy to see this place,” she muttered, walking ahead. Agnes waved for me to follow, though I paused for a moment as Robert pulled into the yard as well. He gestured for me to go ahead, and needing no further urging, I jogged to catch up with Agnes and Isabella. Isabella was already in the kitchen, as I might have guessed, rummaging through the cabinets for something sweet. Agnes grabbed a large chocolate and caramel candy bar from her purse, tossing it on the counter for Isabella.

  “I know, I know, I’m a saint,” Agnes murmured as Isabella smiled brightly. “Now, come settle in the living room. I know the sofa isn’t the most comfortable in the world, but you could do to get off of your feet for a while,” she said, worrying over the taller and younger woman.

  “So could the two of you. Alright, let’s get all nice and cozy before I spill my guts all over the hardwood floor,” Izzie said agreeably, striding confidently into the living room. It was pretty clear that the confidence was a farce, but neither Agnes nor myself were going to call her out on it. She slumped into the easy chair that sat across from the lumpy couch, smiling and gesturing for us to sit. Agnes sat as primly as possible considering the springs digging into our rear ends. I was a bit less classy, sitting awkwardly to avoid the jabbing as much as possible. It was a fruitless task, but I felt better for having tried just the same. Robert strode through the door just as Isabella parted her lips to speak, and she paused. “You care to join the pity party Rob?” She teased. He chuckled, rolling his eyes and shuffling towards the kitchen.

  “How about I make a cake for the party instead? Chocolate with fudge frosting? Does that sound alright?” He called back, not bothering to wait for a response. Isabella was probably even more starry eyed than he expected over the prospect, and she leaned in as if divulging some big secret.

  “He bakes the tastiest treats. It’s like some kind of superpower, I swear to God,” she whispered. I smiled gently, nodding my head and watching as she took a moment to settle in her own chair. It didn’t seem any more comfortable than the sofa Agnes and I were sprawled across—in fact, from the looks of it, it was even less so. I made to offer my seat, but Isabella held a finger to her lips and winked as she shushed me. “Don’t you want to hear my tragic tale? It’s the story about how my mom left me in the forest and allowed me to be raised by wolves. There’s a lot of tension,” she snorted.

  “Oh, come now. Be serious. You can let your guard down with Abigail and myself, Isabella. We would never judge you harshly, at least, speaking for myself,” Agnes sighed, glancing to me from the corner of her eye.

  “You’re my best friend, Izzie. I wouldn’t make fun of your tragic backstory,” I offered. She averted her eyes, smiling to herself and looking as if she were having to fight tears. “Take your time, though. I’m willing to wait as long as you may need,” I continued, smiling and folding my hands in my lap. Isabella nodded to herself, drawing her lip between her teeth and chewing on it for a moment. Then, with a sigh of resignation, she looked towards the two of us again.

  “Aggie already knows most of the story, or at least, the important parts. I appreciate you sticking around for the moral support though,” Isabella grinned. The smile Agnes offered in turn was equal parts warm and sad, and it was obvious to see how much sorrow she felt for Isabella’s story. It made me both excited and afraid to hear the tale for myself. “So, you know my mom died some time ago. Left me that old car I pawned off in Naples. I guess it’s pretty self explanatory that it left me with my dad, and someone I never mentioned. I uh,” Isabella paused, rubbing the back of her neck. “I had a brother. A big brother,” she mumbled. I felt my face droop at the noticeable past tense used, and Agnes reached out to rest a hand on my knee. “See, the thing is, my dad has always been a bit of a jerk. I was never the kind of daughter he wanted, and my brother... well, he always stood up for me. It was dysfunctional, but it was how our family worked. As I got older, I noticed that the fights between my dad and brother were getting more and more violent. They didn’t just scream at each other anymore, they would try to knock each other’s lights out,” Isabella laughed a bit, shaking her head. “Leo was always super protective of me. He kept the brunt of dad’s blows off of me, but... y’know. There is only so much a teenager can do to protect his kid sister,” she mumbled.

  “Did your dad...,” I began, not really wanting to finish the thought. Isabella averted her eyes, clearing her throat.

  “He wasn’t a particularly nice or... good, guy. I don’t really want to go too deeply into details, but... he'd started taking out his frustrations on me after my brother left. He’d gone off to college, and he kinda thought things would get better when he was gone. As if it would make dad a better person,” she chuckled a bit, wiping a tear from her eyes. “Maybe my brother thought that my dad's violent outbursts were because of him, but t hings only got worse from there. Leo noticed how I began to flinch every time he tried to hug me, or kiss my cheek or do the sorts of affectionate things that brothers and sisters do. He was on summer break when he realized what had been going on...,” Isabella paused, her gaze distant. For a long moment, she was silent, and I looked over to see a furious expression on the elder woman of our trio. Apparently she hadn’t heard that particular tidbit yet, though I could see why it would be hard for Isabella to share. I wasn’t sure how the story could get any worse from there, but Isabella’s voice shook as she began to speak again. “He flipped out. I’d never seen my brother so angry. He wasn’t just angry... he was devastated, like his heart had been ripped out. He blamed himself for leaving me behind, and even if I never saw it that way, I couldn’t convince him otherwise. At the same time, he couldn’t convince me to go to the cops about dad. I wasn’t sure where I would go without our family home to fall back on. He decided there was only one solution,” Isabella said grimly.

  “He didn’t kill him... did he?” I asked incredulously, shivers going down my spine as Isabella turned a bitter smile towards me.

  “Oh, yes. He did. It wasn’t quick, and it wasn’t easy. When the cops found my brother, uhm... well, it was to such an extent that they decided that Leo couldn’t be in his right mind. There had to be some disconnect in his mind that could push him so far over the edge to do what he did to my dad. I guess that disconnect was... me. In any case, there was a short trial, but my brother got off on insanity charges, and he was tossed in the local asylum. That’s kinda how I knew how to react to Ethan’s fit, Leo got to that point after being in seclusion for so long. All we had at that point was each other but... one day, he just decided he didn’t want to see me anymore. Told me that he could see a glimmer of dad in my eyes, something he couldn’t stand. I tried to argue with him, but he attacked me, and I realized... he wasn’t my brother anymore. At least, not the br
other I’d known. I left that day, and when I tried to pay another visit to make things right, I was informed that I had been taken off of his visitor’s list. He didn’t want to see me anymore. That, was apparently, that. That was around four years ago. A while before I met the two of you,” she turned a watery smile to the two of us, rubbing her eyes a bit as she spoke. “Things got better when I met you guys. I’d just sorta been struggling through life and I had no purpose. I have a purpose now. I sent a letter to my brother, informing him that I was leaving, and that I forgave him for everything. I told him that I hoped he could forgive me, someday. I don’t know if he ever got it. All I know is that I received correspondence from the facility a few days before this trip. He’d hung himself with his bedsheets. Leo was dead... is dead,” she sputtered, as if she could barely believe her own words.

  “Isabella darling, I’m so sorry... I’m so—,” Agnes began, cut short as Isabella buried her face in her hands.

  “For all I know, he died thinking I hated him. For all I know, I’m the reason he killed himself. They’re having him cremated, not even giving him a funeral. I’m still not allowed to fly out and go through his things. They’re being destroyed, just like every other trace of him,” she whispered. I lurched to my feet, rushing over to her and sweeping her into my arms. Agnes was swift to join us, and the two of us simply held Isabella as she sobbed her heart out. She shook from the ferocity of her tears, and it was all I could do to keep from screaming about how unfair the whole thing was.