Quiet Enlightenment

Part 1, Chapter 14 - Beckoning of an Angel

Friday, July 4, 2014

"Yo, chief."

"What have I told you about using slang in the office?"

"Do it when I have doughnuts?"

"Ha ha. Very funny. What do you have for me?"

"Well, there's been a development in the William Spears case."

"Oh, I'm all ears."

"The boy who confessed to doing the deed, Elias Connor, was found dead in his home last night."

"...What?"

Hayes' Residence

"Breaking news. Right to your TV. Oregon News."

"Baby, turn it up."

Kenton turned up the television as they ate breakfast in the living room.

"Tragedy has struck our city once again. A child has been found dead due to a series of events started by a freak electrical accident."

The news, in the greatest act of dignity and tact, showed paramedics wheeling a gurney with a sheet-covered lump and placing it into the ambulance.

"It's... just... something that you don't expect every day. Elias was the kind of kid that would make sure to take the proper precautions..." a neighbor said to the field reporter. Kenton did a double take. Surely, they couldn't have meant...

"Did... they just say..."

"The coroner has indeed confirmed that the boy found is named Elias Conner. Connor, thirteen, resided in the house with his parents."

"...Oh, my God." Charmaine said as she raised her hands to her mouth.

"No... NO. NO." Kenton shouted out as he saw more interviews and a statement from the local fire chief.

"Kenton... baby..." Charmaine said, trying to help her son process the fact that his best friend was now dead.

"No! This isn't real!" Kenton yelled as he shook off the hand on his shoulder. He walked into his room and slammed the door.

Charmaine didn't know what to do. She could only keep her hands to her mouth and weep silently.

Three hours later, Kenton found himself walking around the town. He walked down the street where Elias once lived. Just like Mia, he was never invited inside. It was almost as if Elias was trying to shield him from something.

The front of the house was surrounded by yellow tape as several squad cars were parked in the driveway and on the street in front of the house. On the opposite corner from where Kenton stood was Olivia, sitting on her bike.

"Olivia!" he shouted as he ran over to her.

"You heard?"

"Yeah..."

"Are you okay?" she said as she wrapped her arms around him. As the two friends shared a quick hug, Kenton didn't have an answer.

"What was he doing when it happened?"

Olivia could only shrug.

"...How's she doing?"

"I can't find her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's not home. Her parents didn't know until I told them. It's almost like the whole park incident made them... well, indifferent to whatever could happen to him."