Cornering Carmen by S. E. Smith Page A

understand and agree. “Please, I need to know you are safe and happy.”
    Carmen watched her big sister’s eyes fill with tears. “We promised we would always be there for each other, no matter what. I am going with you so just shut up and accept it,” she muttered.
    Carmen let out the breath she had been holding. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way of escaping,” Carmen said. “Do you have any ideas?” She asked looking down at her sister.
    “I’m not sure. I tried going out the window and almost killed myself,” Ariel said with a twisted grin. “Miss Grace, I am not. The ledge was too narrow for me to hold onto. I was going to work my way over to another room and sneak out through that room.”
    Carmen thought for a minute before she grinned. “What about if instead of going along the ledge we went down the side? We could rappel down to the balcony below us.”
    Ariel looked doubtful. “Do you have any rope?” She asked.
    “No, but I have curtains. We can tie them together like we used to do when we were kids,” Carmen said suddenly excited.
    “O… kay,” Ariel drew out. “What then?”
    “I’ve been watching shuttles lifting off not far outside the city. We make our way there and steal one of them. You said you thought you could fly one, didn’t you? Then, we program it to take us home,” Carmen said coming to kneel in front of Ariel and grasping her hand tightly.
    Ariel looked into Carmen’s eyes with worry. “What if we can’t find our way back?”
    “You can,” Carmen said earnestly. “I know you can, Ariel. I have to get away before…”
    Ariel squeezed Carmen’s hands. “Before what?”
    “Before he claims me,” Carmen said , a look of pleading in her eyes for her sister’s understanding. “If he bites me it will kill him for sure when I leave. I don’t want to hurt him. I need to leave before he does.”
    Ariel bit her lip in uncertainty. “Would it be such a bad thing, Carmen? You have a chance to let the past go, to start over. Can’t you give it a chance? Scott…” her voice faded as Carmen pulled away in anger.
    “Forget it,” Carmen said , standing up and turning away from Ariel. “I think it would be best if you left now.”
    Ariel stood up and gripped her little sister’s arm, turning her so she was forced to look at her. “No, I won’t forget it. I will help you but you have to listen to me first!” She said forcefully. “Scott would have never wanted you to do this. He would have wanted you to move on! He would not expect for you to take on some suicide mission to avenge him. Why can’t you let go? Why can’t you move on with your life?” Ariel demanded.
    Carmen’s face was frozen in an unemotional mask. “Because the bastard who murdered Scott also murdered our baby. I lost more than you can imagine that night. I won’t ask you to give up the man you love, Ariel. I know what it feels like to be loved and to love someone else with every fiber of your being. What do you expect me to do? Forget about them? Act like they never existed? I don’t want to ever fall in love again. I won’t take a chance of opening myself up like that again.”
    Ariel’s face softened as she saw the fear in Carmen’s eyes. “You care about Creon, don’t you?”
    Carmen tried to pull away from Ariel’s knowing look but her sister refused to let her go. “He makes me feel confused,” Carmen finally whispered. “When I look at him I feel things I never thought I would again. I try to annoy him but he just looks at me like he can see inside me.” Carmen looked at Ariel with a confused expression. “I’m scared, Ariel. I knew what to do back on Earth. I don’t know what to do here.”
    “Do you think running away will solve the feelings you are having,” Ariel asked with an understanding smile.
    “No,” Carmen replied with a small smile of her own. “But, it can’t hurt to at least try.”
    “You know we are probably going to get caught, don’t you?”