Every part of my body hurts and I feel like I've been fighting in a war.
I'm lying on my bed and I struggle to open my eye lids that feel so heavy now.
Mom's here and her lips are pursed so tightly like she fears that words will slip out of her mouth unintentionally .
"Tell me what happened" I yelled.
"Sweetheart" she said weakly.
"You passed out." dad finally spoke.
"I know" I shout "Because of her. She kept re-playing the song and----" I try to take my breath "And she said he was dead. She killed him" I yelled.
"Killed who?!" Lux cried
"I don't know " I shouted at her and she cried harder.
"Lux, get out." Mom ordered her.
At about 2 o'clock , the time when I would have returned from school, I received dozens of missed calls from Becky, Nina and Jessie.
I called Jessie.
"Hey" she said and before I could even reply ,she carried on "Why da hell didn't you come today?!" she exclaimed .
"I was at my aunt's and I woke up late" I lied .
"Are you crying?" she asked.
I didn't reply.
"What is it?"
I didn't reply again. It's the first time in my life to obscure something as big as that and specially when it comes to Jessie.
She always proved to be trustworthy but this time not even Jessie can help with that.
I have to search, investigate and work on my own.
"People die everyday, Ashley. I even woke up today listening to dad talking about a guy found dead " she said.
"Really?!" I asked genuinely interested.
"Yes. He was found dead in a poor slum and the cops are still there. People die everyday. That's what I wanted to say so, Sasha is not the first one to die nor the last one." she explained.
"Do you know anything about that man? I mean, did they mention his job, his age , his residence or anything?" I ask.
"No!!" she answered.
"Ok" I hang up.
I put on my sunglasses, black shoes, blouse and pants in attempt not to look like me but I'm sure, whoever this person is , she knows me too well.
I open my window and half sit on it then I jump with my hands still hanging on the edge of the window till I feel my feet touching the ground then I let go.
I fall on the ground and I wait for a minute to get over the pain and carry on.
I walk just like the last time I've been wandering the road but this time I know where I'm going.
On my way, I text mom that I'm out for a walk so she doesn't feel worried.
I finally arrive to the place and it's still the way it was but this time there are about 6 or 7 cops in an area, the area where the man got killed, I find an old man standing few feet away from me. He was talking to the cops
I overheard a conversation learning that the man was throttled and they found his dead body early this morning.
I walked away before I lose it in front of people.
She killed him to deliver me a message, to tell me that she knows every step I take and everything I see.
But did she have to kill that man? I know that he is not innocent and he might be a thief but why did she kill him?
She could have done anything else.
She meant him when she said "He's dead". What does she want? I walk back home filled with anger and sympathy.
If I haven't watched him, she wouldn't have killed him.
******************
After I have finished my lunch , I was about to head to my bedroom but I heard mom and Lux arguing. "You promised me" said Lux loudly.
"What's going on?'' I ask her.
"She promised to buy me chocolate and she broke her promise" she said pointing to mom.
"Talk properly" mom said to her with her sharply serious look so Lux pushed herself towards me and hugged my leg.
"It's alright" I tell her. "Can we go out and buy her chocolate?" I asked mom. She looked at us for a while then she nodded and smiled.
"Yay" Lux shouted bouncing on the sofa.
Mom and dad showers Lux with all kinds of sweets that I didn't dream of when I was her age but she just keeps thinking that when I buy her sweets that means they are special.
I even remember her sitting in the middle of a great circle with expensive sweets all around her, I felt embarrassed holding that little silly lollipop that I bought her but she just got excited about it more than anything.
"Ash bought me lollipop. I love Ash" she kept shouting at mom and dad with her sweet voice.
I always sing to her before she goes to bed and we watch Disney movies together.
Mom used to joke about Lux thinking that mom and me were both her mothers.
I put on my shoes and hold her hands walking to the nearby shop and she kept smiling at me from time to time until we both giggled but then I heard a voice, the same cold voice, she's after me.
She kept saying my name. The sound was moving and when it approached me it said 'Lux' and now the voice was going towards Lux.
I was sure that she would harm her I hustle Lux off the pavement and cover my eyes then something pushed me towards the floor , I kept covering my eyes but I heard screams and footsteps rushing.
I thought I was imagining but then I opened my eyes and see people gathering around in a circle.
Author's note: Please, leave your comment. :) Don't forget to vote, it means a lot :)
YOU ARE READING
Hidden Investigations (#Wattys2015)
Mystery / Thriller"Do what's right" my mother always said... A normal girl goes to high school ready for her usual classes until it's announced that another student was murdered in a mysteriously. That's when her life is turned upside down
