After endless badgering from their guardians Ingrid and Marcelle exchanged phone numbers, which they both knew was a waste given that neither had any desire to interact outside of familial gatherings. That made Ingrid’s bewilderment even more baffling when she witnessed a text message appear on her phone while she was in the middle of class. If that wasn’t shocking enough, the real kicker was the message itself.

Help tanner in purse, train station

Was that supposed to be a joke? Marcelle was leaving today so maybe she was trying get under her skin one final time? The kneejerk response was to ignore it; however, her gut was imploring her to reconsider. Having never exchanged a single call or text why would Marcelle send a message like that so randomly? A message to help Tanner, with an associated location. To what benefit would Marcelle get from sending that? A message to help Tanner…  unless Marcelle wasn’t the one who sent it.

Ingrid’s deduction took a steep turn, pondering the possibility of someone else sending the text. A message so far out of left field coming from Marcelle didn’t make sense no matter how she tried spin it. That left her with the only one logical alternative, the only person it would benefit, Tanner. Under that premise there was a drastically different connotation, it wasn’t a barb sent by her bitchy cousin to rile her up, instead it was a distress message from her brother who needed her help URGENTLY.

Being a high achieving student spared her the hassle of having to explain beyond, “Something important came up.” To be excused from class. After taking some generous liberties of the road speed limits, she reached the train station in record time, with a single purpose on the itinerary.

“Ingrid what are you doing here!?” Ivory naturally inquired, expecting her daughter to still be in school at this hour.

“Where’s Marcelle?”

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Ivory questioned further.

“Where… is… Mar…celle?” Ingrid repeated slower.

“She’s in the bathroom-” Ivory had more to say, but Ingrid didn’t listen to another word after that and walked away.

“How the hell did she know?” That was the only thought circulating in Marcelle’s mind. She did not have the benefit of time to think her way through this as Ingrid inched closer. Be that as it may there was no reason to incriminate herself, it’s best to feign ignorance.

“Give you what-” Marcelle barely uttered the whole question before being slapped in the face producing a harrowing echo in the bathroom. She fell to a knee and touched her cheek in a daze trying to comprehend the throbbing pain in her face.

Having seen Marcelle’s purse slip off her shoulder onto the ground, Ingrid took the opportunity to pick it up and pluck through its contents in hopes of finding Tanner. If he was in there, she would expect him to make his presence known as soon as she opened it up, but even after rummaging through everything for good measure there was no sign of him. If it were anyone else, she probably would’ve considered them clear of suspicion, for Marcelle however she was only convinced that Tanner wasn’t in the purse.

“You fucking BITCH!” Marcelle sprung to her feet and cocked her arm back to retaliate with a strike of her own, but with sharp reflexes Ingrid grabbed her wrist and forced her backwards into the wall. For good measure she drove her forearm against Marcelle’s throat to ensure she wouldn’t attempt another sneak attack.

“Ack!”  Marcelle winced.

“Where is he?”

With her breathing restricted Marcelle’s voice came out labored and raspy. “What’s the matter…feeling lonely at school… without Tanner to feel superior to?” Without a word Ingrid replied with a fist right in Marcelle’s gut making a thud against the bathroom wall. 

“Oof!!” Marcelle hacked several times after having the breath expunged from her lungs, the only thing that stopped her from doubling over onto the floor was Ingrid grabbing the back of her shirt and leading her into a bathroom stall.

The brief instance when Ingrid’s back was turned to lock the stall door, Marcelle made another desperate attempt at blindsiding her with a reckless tackle, an effort that that the stronger Ingrid fended off with ease by shoving her back to the wall.

On wobbly legs from the collision Marcelle felt a handful of her hair being grabbed and then found herself being yanked over to the toilet bowl. Even in her weary state she knew what was coming and grabbed onto the edges of the toilet seat like her life depended on it; but it was clear that her strength was no match for Ingrid’s and was well on her way to being overpowered, having to watch haplessly as the bowl full of toilet water crept closer.

“HEL-!” In a last-ditch effort Marcelle attempted to scream out, hoping to get anyone’s attention and for her troubles earned a clubbing blow to the back that shut her up.

“Don’t scream.” Ingrid lowly growled. “Last chance, give him to me.”

“I don’t have hi- no!” Marcelle’s final plea of ignorance ended with a yelp followed by the splash of toilet water as Ingrid overwhelmed the last of her resistance to dunk her head into the toilet. For the entire duration she spastically flailed her limbs looking for anything to grab hold of for leverage to push herself out. If Ingrid had to bet, the bubbles on the surface were being formed from either Marcelle screaming or swearing up a storm.

After what was the longest thirty seconds of her life, Marcelle’s head was pulled out of the toilet and she began coughing up the excess water she inadvertently swallowed. Looking worse for wear she sported every bit of repulsion on her face after being submerged into a public restroom toilet. As if she wasn’t suffering enough already, it added an extra layer of shock that this deliverance of retribution was coming from Ingrid. Oh, how she enjoyed walking the thin line of that hothead’s patience, always being a step ahead, always getting her in trouble with the adults, always having an ace in the hole. And now? It was being made painfully clear that she had finally went too far.

 “…You’re …a fucking… maniac.” Marcelle spat between some heavy gasps of air.

“Ready for another dive?” The only reason Ingrid was holding off was to ensure Marcelle wouldn’t pass out on her.

Marcelle switched tones fast at the threat of another round of toilet snorkeling. “Ingrid…Ingrid… Please, you have to listen to me.” She coughed, whispering her anguished plea. “I swear to you, I swear. I don’t have Tanner.

Ingrid was unmoved. “Say that again and I’m dragging you to a stall that hasn’t been flushed.”

“Wait, just wait! What is it going to take to convince you? I’ll do anything!” At last Marcelle earned a reprieve, feeling the stranglehold released on her hair. Even if she had it in her for another attack, she wouldn’t dare lest she wanted to reignite Ingrid’s fury. Making no sudden moves Marcelle stood up and waited as her younger cousin stared at her in contemplation before speaking.

“Let me search you.”

Marcelle paused before answering. “You already looked through my purse.”

To anyone who wasn’t accustomed to living or dealing with someone the size of their pinky that excuse would’ve sufficed, but Ingrid wasn’t buying that coming from Marcelle. “That was just your purse, you could’ve hidden Tanner anywhere.”

“My bags are outside with Ivory-”

“You’re not that stupid.” Ingrid interrupted again, privy to the attempt at throwing her off. “You and I both know he’d get hurt if you were trudging him around in a suitcase. You’d keep him close by.”

 “…I suppose, that makes sense.” Marcelle’s response came slower realizing she was running out of rope and fast.

“You said you’d do anything to convince me.” Ingrid reminded.

If she wasn’t already wet from her toilet plunge, Marcelle would be sweating bullets right now. Ingrid was hanging her by her own words and continued resistance would only make her more suspicious. “…Right.”

“Then you should have nothing to worry about. That is unless, you DO have him.”

 “…” Marcelle had nothing to offer in response and she had every reason to suspect that Ingrid was about to explode in a fit of rage, but instead the reaction to her silence was even worse than that… a smile.

“You really enjoy fucking with him, don’t you?” Ingrid hummed, strumming her fingers along the top of Marcelle’s head. If she weren’t in enough peril already, the complete 180 in tone had the young lady near speechless.  

“It’s okay. I was like you once upon a time. Can you believe the principal of my elementary school called home to talk to Ivory about my aggressive behavior? Me of all people, aggressive.” Though Ingrid’s sarcasm was on full display, Marcelle was still flustered as to where this was heading.

“But holy crap did Tanner get the worst of it. It was like you said it made me feel so… what was it?” Ingrid snapped her fingers a few times.

“…Superior.” Marcelle weakly squeaked, even though Ingrid had been speaking in a low whisper to this point her voice managed to come out as even quieter than that.

“Exactly! I knew you’d get it. It just makes you feel so untouchable because he can’t do anything about it? It’s great isn’t it?”

After a dry audible swallow Marcelle responded. “Yes.”

“He’s your ‘favorite little cousin’ huh? Don't you remember when you used to treat me like that when we were kids? Those were the days.” Ingrid’s smile was gone and the levity in her tone shifted back to a grave seriousness. “What happened Marcelle, why don’t you ever try me anymore?”

“I-I don’t know…” Marcelle quivered.

“Really? Because I know what happened.” Ingrid stepped forward.

Trembling, Marcelle didn’t feel in control of her own body as she instinctively backed away and slipped on the wet floor, courtesy of her dripping hair. Anxiously, she scooted backwards until she reached the end of the stall. Being that the space was limited, Ingrid quickly closed the gap between them and cornered her cousin. Marcelle had half a mind to scramble back to her feet until she looked up and froze at the sight of Ingrid towering over her prone body, staring down at her with a cold disapproving disdain lodged in her eyes.

“We’re not kids anymore Marcelle. I’m taller, stronger, and bigger than you now. So, you know that means? From hereon you’re MY LITTLE COUSIN.”

Every word cut deep and Marcelle’s mouth hung agape as she sat paralyzed while Ingrid lifted her foot and pressed it to the side of her vulnerable cousin’s head, leaving it sandwiched between her shoe bottom and the hard wall. Despite it being painful Marcelle was too shaken to muster anything beyond a few mousey groans.

“You think Tanner’s size gives you the right to treat him however you want? Let me clue you in on the difference between you and him. Tanner is small in stature, you’re just a small person.”

At the end of her statement Ingrid removed her shoe from her cousin’s face and the two shared a gaze, the contrast between their demeanors couldn’t have been more evident. Whereas Ingrid continued to look down at Marcelle with a resolve that seemed forged with steel, it was anything but for the latter. Marcelle’s eyes and body waivered feeling the effects of every word burning into her psyche. In reality she was only 3 inches shorter than Ingrid, yet after everything said to her, the way she was being looked down at, and from her current vantage, she felt so … She couldn’t bring herself to think the entire thought. Even the instances when her eyes shut to blink; her mind flashed with images of herself being no larger than an ant by Ingrid’s massive shoe.

“Listen to your big cousin and give me Tanner, NOW.” Ingrid ordered.

Marcelle sat there motionless feeling what little remained of her will melting under Ingrid’s scrutiny. There was nothing more to say and in an act of sheer obedience she undid her pants to fish her captive out from her undergarments. Without any protest or resistance, she bridged out her hand to Ingrid’s and opened her palm to allow Tanner to stand up and cross over to his stepsister.

Though still on guard in case of any last-minute surprises, for the first time since arriving Ingrid’s posture relaxed and she smiled genuinely.  “I got your message.”

“Thank you, Ingrid.” For Tanner it was the ultimate weight off his back, he’d be lying to himself to act like he knew everything was going to work out. Although this whole ordeal lasted for a little over an hour, it felt like an eternity and was easily one of the most nerve wrecking experiences of his life. From the moment he was kidnapped he was a nervous mess of hysteria thinking the worst that he’d end up in Marcelle’s ownership without the faintest glimmer of hope to escape and be subjected to her will as she toyed with him until her heart’s content. And even from the moment he managed to send out his message for help, there wasn’t a single second where he wasn’t hoping for divine intervention in any form to help him out of this mess. To go from that to seeing his beloved stepsister come through for him as she’s done too many times in the past was enough to drive him over the brink and his eyes to well up.

As for Ingrid, it took an absurd amount of self-control on her part to see Tanner in tears after what Marcelle attempted to do and not break her jaw. Instead she dedicated her attention to her stepbrother who needed it the most and embraced him near her sternum. “It’s alright, I’m here. She won’t bother you anymore.” She consoled, but during the final sentiment set her steely sight on Marcelle one final time to communicate a nonverbal warning. A warning that if she even had the slightest inclination that she was making Tanner’s life difficult that there would be hell to pay. Given the reflexive flinch Marcelle gave in response, the message was received crystal clear.

After everything that had transpired without interruption the door opened and someone finally entered the bathroom. “Ingrid, Marcelle?” It was Ivory.

“You’re going to tell her everything.” Ingrid instructed to Marcelle who nodded without a word.

Ivory who initially entered after growing concerned by the prolonged absence of her daughter and niece went from concerned to baffled at seeing them exit out of the same stall. Of course, the cherry on top was when she spotted who Ingrid had in her hand.

“Tanner!? What’re you doing here?”

At this inquiry Marcelle stepped to the forefront to speak, but too browbeaten to look anyone in their face anymore. “He’s here because I took him.”

“You what-!? But, when!?” Ivory exclaimed reacting how anyone would expect.

“Right before we left, while you were outside starting up the car.”

For as large of a bombshell that was dropped on her, Ivory started connecting the dots. “S-so, that means Ingrid was here to-”

“To get Tanner.” Marcelle finished.

“But how did she know!?”

At this point Ingrid interjected. “Tanner managed to send a message using Marcelle’s phone, you were listed as a recipient too.”

“I saw it while you were pumping gas and deleted it.” Marcelle somberly added for further context.

Ivory stammered over and over again, simply trying to make sense of what was happening and only had a single question in mind. “But… why!? Why!? Why!?” She repeated, not for the purpose of receiving an answer because nothing would have made this any easier for her to process.

“My Tanner…My Tanner…” Ivory murmured a few times over.  “You tried to take him from me…” She went silent staring at the ground. The other parties did not have the foggiest idea what was going on through her mind.

Out of nowhere Ivory turned her back. “Ingrid, Tanner. We’re leaving, let’s go.”

Though still quite livid, Ingrid was now more perplexed at her mom’s behavior but nonetheless followed suit and walked behind her. Before exiting the door, Ivory turned to face her broken and downtrodden niece to deliver one message before exiting.

 “I never want to see you again.”