Coffin Scent: A Testimony

Chapter Six - Arrested

ARRESTED
On the sixth count, I figured the scam.
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"How are you feeling, father? Are you happy to know that I'm still alive?"

"Adrianne, come out, please."

"Did you know that while you got married and had a child, I was stuck in these woods, hunting for prey to survive? Do you know how many times I was assaulted and had to fight for my life?"

"Adrianne... I didn't know; I'm sorry."

"Did you know that once I turned 18, I was stopped a couple of times as I followed you? I never went to school after. I was alone. You left me all alone."

"Adrianne, please..."

"And you know what? That would've been fine. All I wanted for you was to be happy, but no! Do you want to see what I stumbled upon the other day?"

Instead of replying, I ask, "where's Haze?"

"He's unstable. I'm scared." Out of nowhere, Laura's voice floats to me.

"Do you have a way to prove it? A medical report, maybe?" says a foreign voice. I listen tentatively. "Not anything recent. But I know that he turns into a completely different person at night. As soon as he falls asleep, it's like another person wakes up! I have video records to prove it, too. He stares at me for a while before getting out of bed and going somewhere. He doesn't come back until dawn. Then, he goes back to sleep and only wakes up after I leave for work. When I come back, he's normal, but I'm too scared to be around him anymore. I never know which Alan will be waiting for me."

My heart starts to beat faster. "I can't take this anymore. I haven't been able to sleep whenever he's around," says Laura. "Well, here's everything we need to file for divorce. Perhaps you should talk to Mr. Marshall first, however. If you can agree to the terms, the process would be much easier."

After that, silence encompasses the room. "She was about to give you in," says Adrianne. "She never loved you in the first place."

Bile rises in my throat. "You're lying," I say, struggling between two sets of truths. "That's not true. We were happy." Somewhere inside me, I know that Laura had been avoiding me, but I cannot comprehend her reasons. "I've been nothing but nice to her. I loved her, and she loved me. She wouldn't say something like that without talking to me." At this, blood rushes to my face and I stomp down. "Just because you are lonely does not mean you can trick me into being the same. I followed your clues so far! Give me back my daughter!"

Adrianne does not say anything in return. The faint buzz that accompanied her voice in the speakers fades. I know that she must be close to transmit the audio; there was no service around here for anything long distance. I run out to search for her: at the graveyard, at the tree. I look for anything resembling wires, but to no avail. I decide to go back and restart my search from the house, but as I get there, I see police cars and officers surrounding the house. I crouch down behind the bushes, unable to go closer. They seem to be looking for me. Suddenly, I lose focus and, the next thing I know, I am crouching in a dark and tight space.