Chapter 6: No Secrets

 

A coworker drove Kris home, and as she entered her apartment, she realized she was alone. “I wonder where he disappeared to?” she thought. After locking the door, she draped her jacket over the coat rack and walked towards her bedroom. She walked past her brother's room; she couldn't help but peek inside. A sigh escaped her lips, and her gaze then fell to a curious shoe box that was slightly visible from beneath the bed. Intrigued, she stepped in, pulled it out, and settled onto his bed. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to open it.

 Her gaze fell upon an unexpected sight. Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw dropped in disbelief. “No,” she murmured softly. Nestled within the shoebox was an assortment of small treasures, all belonging to women. A set of pink lace panties lay there, adorned with an embroidered name. "Lisa," Kris muttered. Scattered around were numerous articles detailing the rapes that had taken place over the last eighteen months. She was shocked and mortified. 

She hurriedly packed everything away and slid the shoebox back into its spot. After that, she hopped in the shower and then flopped down on the sofa. The television was silent when Tim walked in as Kris remained seated, gazing at him intently.

“Hey Kris, I figured you’d be fast asleep by now.”

She shook her head and asked, “Tim, where have you been?”  

He looked at her, confused, “Uh, I just stepped out for a bit,” he replied tersely. Kris's gaze fell on his sweatpants, where a small tear was visible on his leg. Her eyes narrowed, filled with suspicion. He caught her scrutinizing look.  

He smiled and said, “I think it’s time for us to get some rest.” He added with a chuckle, “By the way, I appreciate your concern for me and that you decided to stay awake.” Despite his lighthearted tone, Kris’s eyes remained steady. She gradually rose to her feet and made her way to bed. Tim had just gotten comfortable in his room when he realized the shoebox was slightly moved from its usual spot. His heart raced as he stood up and headed towards his sister’s room.

"Kris, are you up?” He pushed the door open, and she shot up in bed. 

"What do you want?" she replied, her voice laced with lingering hurt and anger. He studied her with a wary gaze.

"Did you look in that shoebox under my bed?" he asked, his brow furrowing. She let out an exasperated sigh and got to her feet, folding her arms tightly as she shot him a disapproving glare. The air was thick with tension until Kris broke the silence, asking, “What’s with all those things in that shoebox.”

She wasn’t intimidated by her brother; she held her position firmly. He swallowed hard and exhaled, “Kris, I just have a passion for collecting things and…”  

“And you’re the serial rapist, aren’t you?” Her voice escalated in volume. A heavy silence hung in the air until he finally spoke up. 

“Kris, this isn’t your concern. I need you to stay out of my room from now on,” he warned, making his way toward his bedroom. She let out an exasperated sigh and trailed behind him, positioning herself in the doorway of his room. 

“So, you never answered my question,” she said tightly with a tinge of sarcasm. His face turned red with fury. He would never harm his sister, yet he felt an overwhelming urge to shove her out of his room right there and then.

“Tim, you didn’t! If you get caught, I’ll lose you, and I’ll be left all alone,” she insisted fiercely, her eyes welling up with tears. Tim realized he had upset her, and she was anxious about the possibility of being abandoned if he faced the consequences of his actions.

He gave a nod and replied, “I’ll talk to you when I’m ready, okay but for now go to your room,” With that, he closed the door, leaving Kris feeling bewildered. She huffed and made her way back to her room, but sleep eluded her once more. With a final, weary sigh, she shut her eyes.

Tim lay on his bed, gazing at the ceiling above. The clash he had with Lori, known as Electra Woman, was thrilling, though she landed a few solid hits on him. A dull ache throbbed near his right rib. He exhaled in frustration and let his eyelids fall shut. The holiday season passed, and January was well on its way. For the past two weeks, Lori had been absent from class, which made Kris a bit anxious. She decided to reach out, and Lori picked up the phone.  

“Hey Lori, I noticed you haven’t been in class. How have you been?” 

Frank entered the room with a steaming cup of hot cocoa for Lori, setting it down on a coaster on the coffee table. 

“I’m okay, I just got caught up with some personal matters,” Lori said, taking a sip from her mug. She placed the drink on the table, carefully setting it on the coaster while grimacing slightly. The remnants of her recent fight with Tim were still evident, with bruises marring her skin. Although she had returned to work, the makeup she applied skillfully concealed the marks, and her choice of long sleeves helped keep her injuries hidden from prying eyes.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing you next week! Tim has been teaching me some cool new moves, and I can’t wait to share them with you,” Kris exclaimed. Lori lets out a sigh and looks over at Frank, who responds with a subtle nod before heading off to the kitchen. “I’ll be in class next week,” she replied to Kris. Kris beamed before they ended the call. Lori sensed that Kris might not have a lot of friends and could benefit from a positive female presence in her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like for Kris living with her brother.

 "Was that her?" Frank asked as he entered the room. Lori gave a nod in response. "That poor girl has no idea about him," he commented and added, “being trapped in ignorance means being limited by the boundaries of one’s own basic understanding and...”

"And she will learn the truth eventually," Lori replied, letting out a sigh and added, "I might have to quit the martial arts class soon; the time is approaching and when it happens, Tim will go to jail.” Frank looked at her intently and asked, "Do you have any thoughts on who attacked you a few weeks back in our front yard?"

 Lori sighed and responded, "I have my suspicions, but I can't be sure." Frank knew exactly who she was thinking about. Later that day, she dialed the number written on the back of the business card that Lady Lightning had given her.  

Lori introduced herself, "Hi, I’m Lori. Can I talk to..."  

Before she could complete her sentence, a man interjected, "Just a moment," and shouted, "Lady Lightning, you have a caller!" 

 The phone was handed over to Lady Lightning. "Lori, is that you?"  

"Yes, it’s me. I’d love to get together and talk," Lori responded.  

"Of course! I’ll give you the address, and we can meet at 8 PM."  

"Great, I’ll make a note of it," Lori replied, writing down the information on a notepad. Lori eagerly anticipates the moment she will meet the woman who came to her aid during the altercation with Tim. 

"Lady Lightning, I can't help but wonder what your true name is," she pondered as she looked at the business card. 

(Images used in this blog are for the reader's entertainment)

Chapter 5 

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