O.MY.GOD. I let out a huge gasp and I hear Matt whisper, "Crap."
John just stands there, head hanging in shame.
Good. He should be ashamed!
A very awkward silence fills the small crawl space. I feel like I'm suffocating, that's how tangible the silence was.
All of sudden I feel the need to speak. Words just start tumbling out of my mouth. "Well, this doesn't change anything except for the fact not only Maria's dead, but so is her unborn child. We can't dwell on this. We need to move on and keep searching. I think the key that was in Maria's journal unlocks that desk."
I walk over to the wooden roll-top desk and creaky chair. This is where Maria snuck away to. This is where she could write and plan without being caught. This is so crazy.
I pull Maria's notebook out of my jean pocket and open take out the key that I had put in between the pages.
I put the rusty key into the slot on the desk, turn it, and hear a quiet click. I roll back the top of desk. I am overwhelmed by what I see. Papers and newspapers are strewn about everywhere and there are bright pink (her favorite color) stickynotes on some of the pages. I hear Matt walk up behind me. He puts his arm around my shoulder.
"Chris, this is gonna take some time to look through. Are you sure that this isn't just her personal stuff?"
"I have a feeling, Matt. It's like Maria wants me to find something here. It's important."
"Okay, if you say so, then I believe you."
I suddenly wanted to be alone in Maria's special place. I didn't want to look for clues. I wanted to forget about everything that was going on and just sit in the same chair Maria sat in and think about her.
With my voice cracking I said, "Can I just be alone right now?"
Matt and John both walk out of the crawl space.
I sit down in Maria's chair and stare at the mish mosh of papers, articles, and pink squares on the desk surface.
Her familiar handwriting is all over the place. I see her favorite magazine and her awesome pen with a flower on it. It's all so familiar. But there is one thing that stands out. A tip of a creamy white envelope sticks out from under the mess of papers and pink stickynotes. I slowly reached out and slid it out from under the pile without disturbing anything else. When I saw the name on the front, I almost cried.
On the front of the envelope, the name Christina Lynnette Andrews is written in Maria's handwriting.
Slowly but surely I open the envelope and pull out a single sheet of paper.
"Matt!" I call loudly. He comes crashing through the door with a worried look on his face.
"What?!? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah." I hold up the sheet of paper for him to see.
"I think we might have more answers."
A/N: sorry this chapter is shorter than the ones ive been recently posting, im tired ;) anyways, what did you think? what did Maria write in her letter to Christina? and what was she researching in that crawl space? answers coming up soon! ;D so please VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! you guys are incredible, I have 400 reads. to me, that's incredibly awesome!
I love you all! Youre the best readers a writer could ever ask for!!!!! -marierosa13 **Isaiah 40:8**