Chapter Four
"I thought you said she was outside?" Alex scowled lightly, hurrying outside.
"It's where she said she'd be." Beatrice said, following closely behind. Edward and Nelly we're not left out in the rush.
"Anna!" Alex called.
"Yes dad?"
They turned to see the little girl racing towards them from the backyard.
"Sweetie, you said you'd be outside." Beatrice spoke first.
"I was outside mom, just not in front." She responded slowly, hugging her mother.
"At least that clears all doubts," Alex scoffed. "She didn't limp, she ran." Beatrice chipped in.
"I know what I saw." Edward maintained.
"I'm not so sure of what I saw, but I know what I see." Nelly said. "And that was certainly not limping. But of course, Eddy was probably drunk, that was always one thing he is surprisingly bad at."
"Totally agree with that." Alex added.
"Look guys, I'm not high okay? But sure the words I spoke don't rhyme with the current state of affairs, it'd be best if we left it for what it is; a trick of the eye, a stress induced illusion, a mirage.."
"A mirage? Oh he's high I tell you."
"Definitely."
"Alex, look at this." Beatrice called his attention, pointing at Anna's foot.
"What, the bandage?"
"Wasn't me," she said. "You?"
"I didn't even know we had a bandage."
"Well she isn't mute right?" Nelly hissed. So go ahead and ask her Trice."
"Baby?"
"Yes mother?"
"Who put this on you?" She gestured to the pink coloured bandage.
"A friend. Said he lived around and wanted to help, so I let him." She answered innocently.
Beatrice faced her husband.
"Are you making any sense out of this?"
"The Thompsons?"
"Why would your mean looking neighbors want to put a bandage on your daughter?" Edward threw at them. "Doesn't make any sense."
"Wouldn't hurt if we asked right?"
"If 'you' asked." Nelly snapped.
"Yeah, sure." Beatrice shrugged.
"In the mean time," Alex began, while taking the little one's hand. "We should head back inside, snacks are on table and we wouldn't them getting cold."
"Yeah right, like it ain't arctic in there."