Trusted Family

 My sister Ashley had been a good person up until five years ago when our parents died. We were the only family the two of us had left. Then she started into drugs. It was always poor me I can't live without them. I got her counseling and supported her through our loss. It was a difficult time for the both of us. I find it amazing that the two of us only two years apart, growing up in the same household can turn out so differently.

No matter how hard I tried Ashley wouldn't leave the drugs alone. Her mood swings got worse and she acted like everyone was against her. One moment she was acting like she was miss popular and everything was right in the world and the next minute she was in her shell and treated everyone like crap. When our parents died she did have all kinds of friends. One by one they dropped out of her life. I don't blame them, she would barrow money from them and repay it. She would even throw temper tantrums with them if they wouldn't give her money.

Ashley had a a habit of disappearing for days. I always wondered if she would end up I a ditch somewhere. To my relief few she would always show back up. I made sure she had hot food and clean clothes to ware. Every time she came back and made progress she would go back into her old habits again.

I was able to get her to go to rehab. The 90 days it took for Ashley to get out seemed so long. I had so many plans for us to do together. I was looking forward to having my sister as a roommate again and to spend holidays with.

When I picked her up she was quiet. I kinda expected that. I knew she would have to find her feet again. I also knew it was going to be hard for to find friends and get back to work. I had a lot of patients and I was willing to use them.

It was nice to see her smile again and act.. well, normal again. She got a job and was helping around the apartment again. We did shopping together and I didn't have to worry if we would be questioned because she stuffed something into her purse without paying for it. I saw no more of these bad habits. It was so good to be back to a normal life again.

Things started to change a little. The so called honeymoon period ended, things couldn't be perfect forever. Ashley started hanging out with friends and having fun. No big deal right? You wouldn't think so. She never really mentioned who they were and she never introduced them to them either which I found strange.

I started to see some of the classic signs. Ashley started to miss work here and there and not coming home until I was in bed. She probably didn't want me to see what kind of state she was in. When I tried to catch up with her to see how things were going, she would kind of brush me off and say things were fine and there there was nothing to worry about. Sometimes I think she would make up things like I have to meet up with a friend to help them out or go to work just to avoid talking with me. When I mentioned that my jewelry was missing, she would say that I lost or misplaced them somewhere.

I started to leave pamphlets around about drug abuse and getting help just to find them in the trash later. It wasn't long after that she started to stay away for weeks at a time again. Ashley started to come by when I was at work to grab whatever food I had and leave again. One time she came back and slept for two days before disappearing again.

I started receiving phone calls from people saying that she owed money to them and I noticed ta 20 or a 50 missing from my stash. Things started to spiral and I wasn't for sure how I was going to convince her to go back into rehab.

The scariest night I had during all this was when a man showed up at my front door looking for her. He reeked like he hadn't showered for a month and his dark clothes were dirty. The teeth that he had left were stained and rotten. He said he was there to collect a debt from Ashley. When I explained to him that I didn't know what he was talking about he told me to ask my sister. He knew who I was! He said that he would be back the following night and he would get his money one way or the other.

I spent the next three hours driving around looking for my sister. I found her on the south side of town in one of her old hangouts. I could tell she was high by the look in her eyes. Her hair was all stringy and the black rings around her eyes showed she hadn't showered or slept in days. I got her to follow me outside so we could talk a little bit more privately. You can guess that our conversation got a little out of hand.

She ended up taking me off guard with a nasty right hook to my eye. It threw me off balance and she took off with my purse and car. It took me an hour to walk home that night. I couldn't believe that no one pulled over to offered me a ride once I got out of the bad part of town. Not that I would have accepted a ride from a stranger at night.

I had no choice but to call it in. Ashley had gone way too far and It was apparent that I could no longer trust her. My ATM card had been used for a cash withdrawal twice and my car was never found. I am sure that I will never see my car again it was probably sold to a chop shop.

The guy that stopped in and threatened me for the money was arrested the following night when he tried to collect. That night I moved in with a friend of mine. There was no way with my sister still out there causing me to be in danger that I would stay in that place.

It's been six months now since all that happened and I haven't seen or heard from Ashley. I want my old sister back so badly. I miss her so much and I still love her but I cannot take the chance of letter her back in again. I cannot allow her to stab me in the back or pull me down with her.