The story of Haven

Haven

"I'm so sorry Chan"

"No." I cried. "No no no."

The detective placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. Her name was Deidra and she seemed nice, but in this moment I hated her.

I snapped my head up. "You're wrong." I shook my head at her. "You have the wrong person." I was growing irritated. I felt like I was on strong drugs despite the fact I had never even smoked pot before. My surroundings seemed fuzzy and I had to focus on everything around me. I was in a police station. I was...Where was I before? Oh right, I was at work happy as can be. Then Deidra asked me to come with her. My coworkers seemed confused that I could have been involved in a crime somehow. She kept mum about what was going on and I was sitting in the backseat of an old crown Vic wondering if I was getting arrested. I wish I was. I wish she had thrown me in a cell while prisoners leered at me begging for my one phone call.

Deidra was giving me a pitying look. She probably heard this from every grieving family. She was probably used to the words of denial followed by blame and finally acceptance. "Chantelle, I am so sorry, we have already identified the body and we're sure it's her. I know how hard this is."

"How?" I snapped. She seemed perfect and well put together. Her makeup was simple and flawless. Not a hair on her head was out of place, yet she knew what sorrow I was going through.

"My mother..." She launched into a personal story about her family and I tuned her out. "Are you paying attention?" I took my eyes off the blue frayed carpet and looked up at her sad brown eyes.

"Can I go?" I didn't wait for her reply. I stood buttoning my coat and headed for the door at a brisk pace.

"Ma'am?" I kept walking intending to ignore the voice trying to grab my attention.

"Ma'am?" I looked behind me at the security guard safety sitting behind a glass wall. "Your items." She shoved a box full of things through a small slot in the window.

"Thanks." I wiped away my tears and gathered my keys and wallet from her. I was in such a catatonic state when I arrived I didn't even remember leaving them with her. I probably would have even walked an hour home to my apartment and maybe in a few days I would have thought about misplacing those items.

I hastily signed the paper without reading it and prepared myself for the winter storm that was brewing outside. How fitting.

"Hey mew." I scratched my tiny kitten behind her ear stepping inside my small apartment. I could afford a bigger apartment with the raise I received a few months ago, but this place was home. It was small and cozy and the security guards knew me by name. Haven was always emailing me pictures of apartment listings for a good deal, and I angrily ignored every one of them. It seemed petty now. I could have humored her and now I'll never....the tears started again and I threw myself down on my sofa letting it all out.

I had been sobbing like a child for a few hours now. The clock was reading that it was past midnight and Mew had left me to retire to her bed beside mine some time ago. I slowly picked myself up from the couch dreading going to sleep. Sleeping would mean peace for a few hours and then I would wake up thinking Haven was still alive and reality would sink in quick. Then this process would just repeat itself.

I grabbed the bottle of fancy wine from my counter considering drinking the entire bottle. I didn't even drink alcohol. I received the expensive bottle as a present at a Christmas party a few years ago and it had been sitting in the same spot ever since I brought it home that night.

I heard someone knocking on my door and froze in place. Who knocked on someone's door this late? It could either be an emergency or a murderer and I wasn't prepared to deal with either option. I grabbed a knife creeping towards the peephole on the door. It was my neighbor from a few doors down. I never caught his name but he was covered in tattoos and seemed like back news. I was friends with his neighbor Lilly, and she was constantly complaining about the smell of pot drifting in through her vents. From what I knew about him he was a trust fund kid who never worked a day in his life.

Finally the knocking stopped. I threw the knife in the sink and turned off the tv when I heard a knock again. "Ugh!" I groaned and went over to check the peephole again. He was really about to get a piece of my mind. There was no one standing there.

I opened the door without taking the chain off Incase a serial killer was hiding ready to attack. There was bag laying on the ground. I pulled the chain and picked it up glancing around the hallway. It was empty. I placed the bag on my dining table and opened it.

I heard you crying tonight. I'm sorry about whatever happened, I'm always here to talk.

-Adam room 308

I smiled a little bit and pulled out the box of chocolate that was in the bag. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all. Or maybe he thought he could get into my pants because I was just a heartbroken girl wanting to forget about my shitty boyfriend.