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“Nellie?“
Only shallow breaths can be heard on the other side.
“Nellie is that you?“
Breathing gets faster and deeper.
“Are you okay?“
That’s dumb fuckin question Theodora. When was a last time Nellie was okay?
“Theo... “Nellie finally whispers, her words weak and interrupted by sobs.
“I'm here. “
“I thought you wouldn't answer. “
“Off course answered Nell, I'm your sister.“
Theo was getting more worried by the second. Her sensitive sister sounding like this, that meant nothing good. Worry grew into real fear after Nell spoke next.
“I'm at the house.”
No need to ask which house. Theo never stopped thinking about hill house, none of them did. She as much as any of them (even Steve and Shirley though they refused to admit it), knew how dangerous that place was. In that moment, she didn’t think about what she saw, or didn’t see, what she believed or didn’t believe. Her sister was in that place, that cold hostile place that took their mother from them. Nothing more mattered.
Theo didn’t even notice she left the gloves behind, when she hurriedly picked her car keys and ran out.
“Why would you go there?“ She asked, trying to sound calm while rushing for her car.
“I don't know. My therapist he said that I should. Mum is there.. and Arthur.“
“Arthur?“
“The house took Arthur from me. And mum. Bent-neck lady in the house. She is the house. They are all the house. I need to go there. But it’s okay, it’s just a carcass in the woods.“
She sounded crazy, but what was worse: Nell stopped crying, instead starting to sound almost determined. That was not a good thing.
“Hey, hey, hey… Nellie. Nellie listen, I got an idea. How did you get there? You got the car? “
“Ye-yes I’m in a car.. Why do…?“
“That’s great Nell, perfect. Why don't you drive to a hotel, buy a room there and wait?“
“I already got a room…“ Nell murmured as if it was the most important thing in the world.
“Great, awesome Nell “ Theo said with forced cheeriness “So just go there and wait for me.“
It was silent for a moment. Theo had no time to analyze that, speeding way over the limit, trying not to crash her car, only years of training in psychology keeping her hands steady.
“Time to come home…“, Nellie whispers, now sounding adoringly.
“What are you talking about?“
“Remember what mum used to say. When the porchlight's on, it's time to come home.“
Over the noise of highway around her, Theo could hear unmistakable click of car door opening.
“What the hell are you doing Eleanor?“ This time she couldn't keep fear and frustration out of her voice.
“I‘m going home. The porchlight’s on, so it's almost time for dinner. Mummy said not to be late.“
It still sounded as if Nell was crying, but now she had that tone, that goddamn dreamy faraway tone she used while talking about cups with stars on them, tea parties in middle of the woods she had with Luke and Arthur, when he was alive.
“You are making no freaking sense!“ Theo yelled. Right away she knew it was a mistake.
“I knew you would say that. You never believed us, not really. You stood up for us but you didn’t really believe.“
She had no reply for that. She should have though. At least it was silent on Nell’s end too. She wasn't moving.
It took Theo too long to come up with a thing to say:
“You wait for me there.“
“I have to-"
“You got to wait for me, I am going to be really late for dinner. It would be less bad if we came together. We could make up some excuse like when we were kids. Isn’t that right Nell?“
“Yeah…“ her sister said hesitantly.
“I don't want to make mum mad. You can't go there alone, it would be so awkward if it was just you and mum. We need to make her happy, don’t we?
Nell hummed something, Theo decided to take it as a sign of agreement.
“So I’ll tell you what we’ll do: you’ll go to your hotel, wait for me there Nell. Then we call Dad, he doesn't live that far away, does he?“
When her sister says nothing, Theo continues.
“Yeah he doesn't. So we call Dad, we go visit mum together, three of us. She will be thrilled. Then we call Steve, Shirl and Luke and we all visit. Whole family again. That will be great, won’t it Nell?“
“Yeah, that… that be great.“ Nell’s sobs are keep getting weaker and weaker.
Psychology rule no 1: Don't lie to your patients and NEVER validate their illusions. Whoever wrote that rule never had younger sister in shock about to do something extremely crazy.
“So now get in that car, drive to the hotel and wait there… Please” Theo adds, deciding she was sounding too harsh.
“I love you.“ Nell says weakly.
“I love you too Nell. We all love you, but please get in that car.“
Theo holds her breath as she hears gravel, crunching under Nell’s feet.
Go to the car. Get in the freakin’ car Eleanor.
Then finally, click of door closing. Theo exhales deeply.
“Great job Nell.” She whispers.
It’s not as hard, but also not easy after that.
Theo spends next two hours talking with Nell, who swears she is in the hotel room. Theo is not even sure what are they talking about. Probably about those times before the house, when they were just normal happy family. Sharing stories, some real, some probably be made up.
Theo feels like crying most of those two hours, but she doesn’t. She doesn’t cry even when her phone dies. She curses, she yells, she throws the phone against passage window (that doesn’t even give her a satisfaction of breaking), but she doesn’t cry.
It takes Theo half an hour more to get to the hotel Nell talked about. She doesn’t even notice that it’s same shitty motel they stayed at after running from Hill house as kids, she only sees room number 7, Nell’s room.
Theo runs, barely stopping to open the door.
Here is Nell, looking so small and skinny, glassy-eyed, staring at the door like she probably did since Theo last talked to her.
“I waited.” Nell murmurs.
Theo doesn’t even care she left the gloves at home. This is her sister and she is okay, she is alive. So she hugs her.
It’s like a flood: she is instantly filled by it, inside out. Screaming, fear, pain, Bent-neck lady, distress, regret, mum, dead, alive, dad, Luke, her, Shirl and Steve, the house. Hill house is like dead center of it all, spreading darkness all around.
Theo want nothing more than to scream and run away, but she holds still. Because Nellie had to live with this for all these years, so she can survive it for a few moments.
Theo finally cries. And she believes.