Boots sinking into the grace, Amanda walked through the small iron gates, stepping unto the brick pathway. A few birds chimed in a nearby tree, their melodious chirps were unfit for such a sad place. Amanda had expected crows pecking at the gravestones, while above, dark somber clouds would gather around for this grim commemoration.
Instead, the day was bright and the wind wisped a few strands of her black hair over her face. She shrugged it away, focusing on her destination.
It had been approximately ten days since Austin's suicide. The local news didn't pick up the story, which came as a shock to Amanda, given they still wrote about Skye's murder to this day.
Amanda remained confined in her room for days, not even coming out to eat as she'd asked for her meals to be brought to her room. Her parents respected her wish for space although they closely watched her. Sheryl had been pretty shaken, so she knew it was best not to push her daughter. Amanda appreciated her discretion.
Although she'd given it some thought, the morning when she went out to the store and purchased all the necessities for a dye job, the decision was of a more impulsive nature. Red hair didn't seem to fit her anymore.
When she got out of the shower after rinsing her hair, she took a moment to stare at the girl in the mirror.
It never occurred to her that Skye and she looked alike. Evidenced by every picture of her she could find, Skye was into colorful eye shadow and cherry lip gloss, while the most Amanda would opt for would be mascara, eyeliner, and clear lip gloss.
Looking at herself with her natural hair color, she could now see what Austin saw in her. For the first time since witnessing the horrific incident, Amanda cried. She cried until she fell asleep, plagued by the haunting memory of his body hitting the floor and Skye's chilling words in the back of her mind.
Stepping closer to the fresh pile of dirt, Amanda stood dismayed at the lack of ceremonial arrangements. The man hadn't even been worthy of a proper funeral. As she focused on that fact, clutching the bouquet of wildflowers in her hands, Amanda noted that the notion tugged on the strings of her heart. Coming here, she expected to be one of a few here to pay their respect, an urge she simply couldn't contain for some unknown reason. So she got dressed, choosing a black turtle neck shirt with ash black skinny jeans, and her combat boots.
Cora would highly disapprove of the biker chick energy she conjured, but for once, Amanda was glad she didn't own many colorful clothes.
Staring at the patch of dirt for a little while longer, Amanda then wandered off to the grave of the girl that shared her mind.
"Here lies Skye Ballum, loving sister, and devoted artist. You were too good for this world, and taken far too soon."
Amanda's hands trembled as he read the engraving, her eyes then moving up to the small framed photo. Skye was smiling at the camera, wearing a turquoise blue dress with pink heels. Her hair was loose around her face, hands were planted on her hips in a sassy pose.
Amanda was always taken aback when she saw her as she was, all bright smiles that hid a dark truth. The Skye she was used to only wore a hospital gown and had muddy feet. Her skin was pasty and pale, dry blood outlining one side of her face. Her eyes weren't radiant green, but rather dull, dim, and lost.
"They used to be her favorites."
Amanda jerked her head around, stunned to find a woman standing there.
"Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," said the tall blonde as she offered her an apologetic smile.
Her teeth were crooked and not just slightly. However, it all seemed to match her sharp features and long face, framed by her short bob.
Amanda shook her head dismissively, "It's fine. I just didn't hear you coming."
The woman only nodded.
"My bad. I was talking about the flowers," she said, pointing at the swamp milkweed scattered on the ground.
"You knew her?" Amanda queried.
The woman looked to be in her mid to late thirties, around the same age Skye would've been today so it didn't come as a surprise when she nodded.
Amanda stepped aside as the woman crouched in front of the grave. She caressed the picture with gentle stocks, her lips curled in a pensive grin before she rose to her feet again.
"We went to Milton High together. A sweet girl she was, but she surrounded herself with the wrong crowd. That's actually what caused us to drift apart a little."
Amanda took in that information.
"Was Austin Welhaven the reason for that?" she asked and the woman sneakered.
"Oh no. Austin was one of those goody-two-shoes, rich kids, with some charm and a nice ride."
She paused for an instant, reconsidering.
"Well, how much charm do you need really when everyone knows your family is loaded?" she said, giving Amanda a knowing look.
It seemed it wasn't only the Welhavens who believed Skye didn't have the best intentions.
"So you think she was with him for the money?" Amanda simply blurted out, only realizing what a horrible question that was to ask when the woman glared at her and squared her shoulder before crossing her arms over her chest.
"You ask a lot of questions."
Amanda felt her face flush under the intensity of her stare.
"I'm sorry. I recently started looking into the town's history and read about Skye's case. What happened to her was horrible."
For a few seconds, she watched her suspiciously. Finally, she gave a small nod and swallowed hard.
"She wasn't in it for the money. People assumed that but I knew her well enough to tell you she really loved him, and he loved her."
Amanda frowned, taken aback but intrigued by this woman's assessment.
She noticed Amanda's puzzled expression and raised her large sunglasses, bringing them to sit above her head.
"This whole story is a lot darker than you think. If you read the newspapers of that time, you probably think Austin did it."
Amanda nodded once, affirming her statement.
"Well, I think his family got rid of her," she said with conviction.
Amanda's frown deepened as she listened.
"I know that look. You don't believe me," she said with a small laugh.
Amanda opened her mouth to protest with a lie, but she cut her off before she got a word in.
"The police didn't believe me either, and why would they? They had enough witness statements about them being absolutely horrible to her. Yet, they got away with a double homicide. I'm willing to bet even the police were in on it. All of them deserve to be put behind bars."
The woman ran a frustrated hand through her hair, making the glasses fall to the ground. Amanda bent down to pick them up, only then realizing what she said.
"Did you say it was a double homicide?"
Her pale blue eyes were red-rimmed at this point. Both hands covered her mouth and nose as the tears began to spill.
"Excuse me," she said, before she all but ran the opposite way, leaving Amanda to ponder the implication of her words.
"A double homicide?" she wondered out loud.
From where she stood, she noticed a familiar dark green honda civic, driven by the same blonde, zooming past the cemetery.
Amanda looked back at the gravestone, perplexed by the recent conversation. She'd gone to Whisper Wood seeking answers but instead had witnessed a man in his final hour. Had she been the trigger for his outburst? A wave of guilt drenched her in self-loathing. Her thoughts went back to that memory. That rainy day when the girl was sick and Austin drove away. Had Skye been pregnant? And if she was, was that the reason she was murdered? Austin might have not wanted the child, but would he have actually killed her to keep that secret, or had it been someone else's job to erase all proof of their indiscretions?
Gray clouds had now gathered in the sky.
Amanda looked down at the pair of shades left in her hand.
If she wanted her questions answered, she needed to find this woman. For once she was sure of that fact and knew just where to begin her search.
~Thank you for reading this chapter.~
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