There are two endings available. This chapter and a #TeamAbriana ending, which you can find in the next chapter. Let me know which one you like best! 🖤
------------------------------------------
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Detective Lock
"A daughter, a friend, a sister," the priest said, cloaked in black with a crisp white collar, "She will be missed by everyone who ever knew this sweet child of God."
Scanning the cemetery, my eyes landed on hundreds of sobbing teenagers and their red-eyed parents. Funerals were a regular part of my job, but this had been the largest turnout I had ever seen before.
Hearing them cry tore my heart to pieces. They are not supposed to go first. No matter what they did or didn't do; they never deserve to go first.
As the priest went on about her childhood and how much her family would miss her, I stared at my shoes and thought about the second unsolved case involving the Vega girls. Her death had been ruled an accidental drowning. I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. Of course it wasn't an accident! I knew what happened out on Half Moon Lake, but I couldn't prove it. Plus, there weren't any witnesses, unless you count the perch, which most likely had a front row ticket to watch her drown. It didn't help that her lawyers wouldn't let her sister speak to me either. She's been through enough. Just let this family recover. They were protecting her at any cost and it didn't look like they were going to let down any time soon.
Glancing up, my eyes landed on Matías. He stood behind Mrs. Vega and wore a solemn expression. He was like a son to Victor and his wife. Shaking my head, I thought about everyone involved in the two cases. Easton Pierce was still clinging to life in the ICU, the girls' parents were emotional wrecks, and then came the Vega sister who paid the ultimate price. Her face looked so serene and peaceful. Almost like she had just fallen asleep in the white satin-lined casket.
Shoving my hands in my pocket, I averted my gaze back to my shoes. One day I will officially solve this case. Come hell or high water, I will solve this case.
THE END
ALTERNATE PARANORMAL ENDING!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Abriana
A crushing sensation settled on my chest as a scream escaped my lips.
"Abriana," came a familiar voice, "Abriana, it's okay."
My eyes fluttered open and immediately landed on a large man wearing a crisp white lab coat. "Detective Lock, is that you?"
"Abriana, we've gone over this," he pointed out patiently. "I'm not Detective Lock. I'm Doctor Lock."
"Doctor Lock?"
"Yes, Doctor Lock," he responded. "I'm here to look after you until you start feeling better."
I tried to sit up, but couldn't. My mouth went dry and panic wracked my body.
"Please don't struggle, Abriana," soothed Doctor Lock. "We had to restrain you in order to protect you from hurting yourself."
My jaw dropped open. "What?"
"You attacked one of our female staff," Doctor Lock explained, his expression grim.
Straining against the leather straps securing my arms and legs to the bed, I broke out into a cold sweat. "I didn't hurt anyone. It was Alexa! She was trying to kill me!"
Doctor Lock pressed his lips together, creating a thin line. "Abriana, we've been over this before... Alexa has been dead for over six months now."
"Dead for six months? What are you talking about? She just tried to kill me!" I screamed.
Doctor Lock nodded at one of the nurses. "Abriana, you killed your sister six months ago."
My head started to spin and my heart began to race. "What are you talking about?"
Doctor Lock inhaled and then slowly exhaled. "You and Alexa went to a party out at Hickory Farm together. You both were drinking. Toward the end of the night, when you found Alexa with Matías, you became very upset..." He trailed off for a moment before continuing, "You attacked her, and when Matías tried to pull you off, you knocked him unconscious. Then, you strangled your sister."
My eyes went wide and rage poured through my veins. "I did not! You're lying. You're LYING!" I shouted. Pulling violently against the restraints, I shook the small hospital bed.
"Hold her down," Doctor Lock instructed two orderlies in the corner of the room.
As they approached, I continued to struggle. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Nurse Porter," he instructed, "please prepare the Lorazapam."
I froze as my eyes landed upon the orderly with blond hair and gray eyes. No, no, no! It couldn't be. I quickly scanned his uniform and let out a high pitch scream when I read his nametag, Easton.
My head fell back against the pillow as I screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Abriana, I need you to calm down," said Doctor Lock. "Nurse Porter is going to give you something right now to help."
As the orderlies held my body down, Nurse Porter jabbed me with a sharp needle.
"There, there," she coaxed.
"Abriana, after you calm down, we'd like you to attend your therapy session," Doctor Lock said. "Does that sound like something you can do?"
"Go to HELL!" I shrieked.
"Okay then," he said, "I'll come back and check on you in just a bit. Hopefully, you'll change your mind."
I watched as he and the nurse left the room, deep in conversation. Both shook their head in agreement.
"Abriana," said Easton. "We're going to let go of you now."
My head began to swim from the medication and I stopped fighting against the leather restraints wrapped secured to both wrists and ankles.
Stepping away from my bed, Easton and the other orderly nodded to a small camera fixed to the corner of the room. A buzzer went off and the door to my room whooshed open. Both men walked out, the door closing only seconds later, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
This all has to be some kind of terrible mistake. I was just with Alexa and she tried to kill me, not the other way around!
As the medication coursed through my veins, a heavy fog settled around my head. Alexa is the crazy one, not me.
Without warning, the temperature in the room dropped significantly, causing goose bumps to erupt over my skin and the hair on arms to stand up straight.
Abbbbriiaaaannnnnaaaa, called a voice from the opposite side of the room. Abbbbriannnnnaaaa.
A sick feeling settled in my stomach. "Alexa, is that you?"
My sister stepped forward and strolled toward my bed.
I let out a loud gasp as she got closer. The bright lights above accented her pale skin and tattered white dress. "Alexa! What are you doing here? They think I killed you!"
Wrapping her fingers around the bedrails, she threw her head back and let out a cackle that sent shivers up my spine.
Bile crept up the back of my throat as my gaze landed on the dark purple marks around her neck.
"Oh, my God! What happened to you?"
Cracking her neck to the left and then the right, she curled her lips back and gave me a wicked smile.
Then, without moving her lips, she spoke to me. I always looked up to you, Abriana. You know that, don't you? I wanted to grow up and be just like my big sister. You had it all!
"Why aren't your lips moving?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Ignoring my question, she went on, When you threw Matías to the curb, he was crushed. That's when it happened; he realized he had feelings for me. We kept it secret, because neither of us wanted to hurt you. But the night of the party, you found us.
She paused and ran her finger down my arm, leaving a searing pain behind. "Stop it, Alexa!" I shrieked. "You're hurting me!"
You couldn't stand the fact that Matías wanted me instead of you, she sneered. So, you totally lost it. You attacked me and started pulling my hair. When Matías tried to stop you, you hit him in the head with a piece of wood. I tried to run away from you and scream for help, but the music was too loud... I tried to fight you off, but you were just too strong. You pinned me down and wrapped your fingers around my neck. It only took a few minutes and I was gone. You killed me, Abriana. You're a cold-blooded murder.
"No, no, no," I murmured. "That didn't happen. I could never kill you!"
Alexa shrugged as she dug her nails into her thighs. She kept eye contact as she raked them up slowly, leaving a trail of blood behind. Well, you did.
I closed my eyes and tried to remember the party. Nothing. I didn't remember a single thing.
Alexa took a step forward and let out a snarl. In one night, you managed kill me and ruin Mamá and Papá's life... As well as Matías'!"
I shook my head. "You're making this up. You're lying. Everyone is lying to me!" I shrieked.
My sister arched an eyebrow and held out her hand, motioning to the room we were in. Do you think this is a lie? You're in a psychiatric hospital, Abriana.
"It's all a bad dream. It's all a bad dream," I repeated. I looked over at the sterile room. With pale grey walls, the room was void of furniture or anything else that could be used as a weapon; it was also completely silent. How am I going to get out of here? Deciding it was my best bet, I directed my attention toward the door and screamed, "HELP ME! Please somebody help me!"
Alexa laughed again and tugged on the elastic band holding her hair into a ponytail. No one is going to hear you in here. They're soundproof... She spun around, letting her dark brown hair fan out and fall against her pale skin. It's not a dream, Abriana.
This is real.
My blood turned to ice as her thoughts hit me hard. I refused to believe it. I couldn't believe it. I shook my head in denial. "If it's real, then how can I see you right now?
A wicked smile tugged on the corners of Alexa's lips. I'm a shade...
"What the hell does that mean?" I asked in a quavering voice, not quite sure I wanted to know the answer. A part of what she was saying rang true. I closed my eyes briefly at the possibility, hoping at any moment, I would wake from this nightmare.
Stretching her arms above her head, she released a yawn. I'm a spirit form of my former self.
I tried to let the information sink in, but I couldn't. "If you're a spirit, then why are you here?"
Alexa licked her lips. You deserve to be punished.
My breath caught in my chest and a hot flash spread across my body. "P-p-punished," I stammered.
Yes, punished, snarled Alexa.
Fear mixed with a tingling sensation settled in my chest. "But you're dead," I whispered. As soon as the words spilled from my mouth, I knew with absolute certainly I spoke the truth.
That's not going to stop me, she snapped. Who do you think played with your mind for the last six months? Did you really think it was a coincidence that you thought you were kidnapped by Easton? Or that Doctor Lock was a detective?
Sweat dampened my brow and fear spread through my body like a flame devouring kindling. "You didn't," I whispered.
Oh, but I did, cackled Alexa. And it's only the beginning...
THE END
-----------------
Thank you for all of the love and support you've shown this novel! I appreciate each and every one of you! :)
Don't forget to stop by on Twitter (@KellyAnneBlount) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/kellyanneblount) and say, "Hi!"
:) Kelly Anne Blount