"You'll be able to go home tomorrow," Dr. Eric said. "Scans are looking good. I strongly believe you will heal better at home. Your blood work is okay. This infection though, we will make sure to send you home with enough antibiotics don't you worry." He smiled.

"Thank you," I said, no happiness nor hope in my voice.

***

Two days passed by, I was doing okay. No bleeding. Just exhaustion and dehydration. I called my mom to tell her the news. She didn't sound too convinced but she said she'd pick me up.

"Wait," she said. "That damn mist starts tomorrow. I'm going to pick you up early, so see if they can have your papers ready in the morning."

"Alright." I said. "Listen, if you want to do it the next day, that's fine. I don't want us to risk the ride and not being able to see. People can't drive here as it is."

"Hmmm," she lingered. "Up to you sweetheart."

"I think it's safer to wait. I'll be ready after tomorrow," I said. I didn't want to stay but I knew how bad the weather would get this week. Such a strange thing. Every year, lasting all day and all night until the next day. For many many days after, the town gets silent, expecting another to go missing in its icy hold.

"Okay, see you soon. Love you," she said, then hung up.

She hung up so fast. Usually she'd chat more and ask to visit but no. She sounded defeated. I didn't want to assume she was drinking this early in the afternoon, but it was possible. I hated the idea of going home to that, but hope she would find her way to stop if I came back. Dealing with Ollie by herself and no one to drive him to school and swimming practice, I'm sure it was extra work on top of her job.

***

Ollie texted me in the afternoon.

"I heard you get out tomorrow. You can meet my friend. She said she would come by." He said.

"I'm not coming tomorrow, but the day after. I don't want mom driving in that mist. And honestly, you both should reschedule. It's dangerous to be outside in that."

"She said she'll come to me."

"Haha and her parents are okay with that?" I asked.

"Guess so. It's no big deal. She lives close."

"Again, how would you know if you never met her."

"In one of the letters she said she lives close by and she even described our house and what I was doing outside once."

Okay that was alarming to hear. "Hey Ollie, can you wait until I come back before you meet this person? I really don't think it's a good idea to be talking to someone who you never met and know. Somehow they know where YOU live. Come on."

"I do know her. I know a lot about her. I have all her letters. She's cool, El. I know what I'm doing. It's harmless." He said.

"No, it's not. And if you don't wait for me I will tell mom."

"Not cool! I shouldn't have told either of you anything. You and mom always want me to talk about the things going on in my life but when I do, you two always want to shut it down."

I didn't feel like texting anymore. I decided to call him but he kept dodging my calls.

"Go run to our alcoholic mother and you tell her about my friend so she can take that away too." He texted using a heart emoji at the end.

I let out a huge annoyed sigh. "Listen, I won't tell. Just WAIT until I'm back and I will come with you to meet this girl. I'm just looking out for you. It's weird enough you haven't met her. But she wants to go outside during the mist? It's just crazy. Wait for me Ollie. I'll go with you."

No response back.

Being an older sister was a job I wish I didn't have to take on sometime. Ollie had a hard time making friends since dad passed. He developed this obsession with death afterwards and lost a lot of friendships in the process. They said he acted too gloomy and emo. The kids at school thought he was weird and made fun of his hair because he died it blue. It was pretty long so he often had kids make remarks about him being gay and looking like a girl. He wasn't doing good in school at all. I always had his back though, but he simply didn't care anymore. Not for friends or anything until now it seemed. He sounded so excited to meet this girl.

I'm just not too sure about this...mystery girl.