And Then The Murders Began

Chapter Twenty-Three: Not Shocking

They're gonna fry me? I'm gonna get the chair oh hell oh hell oh hell oh hell I don't wanna go out like this... and here's to think that I was thinking that this whole thing was just going by lackadaisically... so plain... dispute, well, you know, the fact that kids keep getting fucking slain, because, well, you know that that'a not entirely great... I need to find some town records, something, anything so that way I can prove my freaking case because I don't want to die I'm almost nineteen... if things keep going the way that they do I'll get the biggest shock of my life on what would be my nineteenth birthday... no thanks I'd rather live...at least a little longer please and thank you oh so very very very very much...

...and if I wanna live that gives me not all that long to be able to prove my case and track someone who knows more about this I wanna know I wanna know what's going on and I also- well, I don't want to be a fried wolf... and now I'm imagining getting all charred up as a picture in the back of my mind and ugh, no, ew ew ew ew ew...

"So, um, Amy, where exactly are we going, anyways?" I ask, just trying to put my thoughts to rest and my mind at ease for even just a little bit...

-something, anything... otherwise, well I know me, I'll have a fucking panic attack... not fun...

"Amy?" I ask as the road passes by, we haven't been on the road all that long but the sun is already creeping its past the horizon, "did you love my mom?"

She stomps the brakes and I'm thankful that there wasn't anyone behind us because we'd be waiting for an ambulance by now... and oh ow, ow, ow that hurt that's one hell of a yanked shoulder... never mind that my arms are still killing me...

-and then she shakes her head and we're going in and why is she shaking her head...?

"Y- y- I mean, yes I had a crush on her, is that weird Electra? I mean- gods you don't need to answer me, I know that it's weird as hell... a jackal loving a wolf? And two women at that? How scandalous, le gasp... please don't judge I did I did, I'm not trying to step in place of your dad or-"

"Amy, my Dad- my mother's first husband? He's been dead for years," I interrupt, "and her second is- was- found strung up in the trees just a few days ago you don't need to worry about that.... And seriously, you know I'm queer too, who the fucking hell am I to judge... and you have to promise you won't tell anyone else but I know that my mom had one hell of a crush on you too... I- I wish- I wish they- I wish they'd tell me what had happened to her, shit this isn't fair Amy..."

"No it's not, Electra," she nods, taking a paw off the wheel and placing it ever so gently atop my left shoulder. "We're here for each other, right?" she asks, glimpsing my way, and I nod.

"If you're here for me I'm here for you... we'll see this thing through, right?"

I hope I don't sound like I'm pleading, like I'm desperate, because heaven knows that's weak and wolves aren't weak, we're strong, we keep the face up... mask up mask up mask up Electra, Canadian woman this world ain't no good to you...

"Amy, where are we going?" I ask again. I don't know what I'm feeling, unease, nerves, just plain anxiety? I don't freaking know... I'm still on edge from everything that happened earlier and all of this is just getting to the point that it's gonna overwhelm me sooner rather than later and I don't want to find myself ending up there and breathe breathe breathe Electra Juliana, you know, oxygen, kinda useful, you really need it to survive...

"Electra, I think I remember you mentioning to me that Ms. Arabela had mentioned to you that there had, um, been a previous incident of a similar variety, right, and that it was Lylah's relative of a sort who had committed the acts?" Amy asks, and I nod, still trying to figure out where she's going with this...