Beckoned Through The Dark

24 // Lesego // New Findings

It was over.

My life was now officially screwed.

If I thought that the rules that my mother employed at home all my life were worse, then I have no idea how to describe this.

And after everything, I finally understood why she wanted to keep me away from the rest of the world. It was because this world we live in, is a cruel place.

I don't understand why anyone would want to do this to me. The footage showed clearly that I set the fire that killed all my friends and Mrs Martins at school, but the truth is, I was not there - I did not do it.

All these happened the day I went to visit Zack in prison with my friends, who are now dead too. And the worst part was that the detective says my case is tight because there were witnesses willing to testify against me.

To top it off, no one was on my side; everyone believed what they saw on the footage. I say one thing, they show me the footage, I say one thing, they show me the footage, and I'm just sick of it now.

I've been stuck in here for over a month and nothing makes sense anymore.

My mother hasn't come to see me, Clay just disappeared...not to mention Sihle. But they were the least of my worries, Cecilia was. As time went by, I became more convinced that she was the only person who could help me, but she was also MIA.

I was starting to believe that she was not real, that I never met her, but our meetings were so real, so surreal.

Whenever I tried to convince myself that she was not real, the more her words and face just became real. Sometimes I felt as if she was here, and we even have conversations, but people are starting to believe that I'm losing my mind.

I was just a girl who had nothing. There was nothing to envy about me, but now suddenly, I stood accused of murder and I was going to trial as of next week.

I have no one by my side, and I have lost hope. I have accepted my fate, and if this is meant to be, then so be it; I am tired of trying to defend myself.

I was ready to give up, when I suddenly remembered something. I asked to see Detective Daniels, and he was not so impressed when he met me in the interrogation room.

“This better be good, Miss Medupe.” He said as he sat down opposite me.

“I…could you please go over the details of the accident again?” I asked, and the detective pursed his lips. “Please. I just…I am innocent, and I can prove it. If you could just go over the details of the accident again, you would see that I’m telling you the truth.”

He pushed his chair back and stood up. “I can’t believe you called me here for this nonsense, again.” He shook his head and walked away.

“You said that my friends died in that fire, as well as Mrs Martins!” I shouted after him, and he stopped in his tracks. “I was not on campus when the fire went off; my friends and I left the school premises before 2p.m., we were here at the police station by 1p.m. to see Zack. My friends couldn’t have died in that fire, you can ask Zack. And Sihle! He saw me with Helen that day before he left.”

“Didn’t you hear?” The detective asked.

“Hear what?”

He smirked and leaned against the table. “Your boyfriend is here. He was arrested while you were in hospital. He was an accomplice.”

I knew the day you walked into my son's life that you were nothing but trouble, and now he is in prison because of you.

“No.” I shook my head in disbelief. “No.” I repeated. “That can’t be true.”

“Why not? Because you did it alone?” He prompted.

“NO! That’s not it, Sihle left Campus before us.”

“And how sure are you that he did not return after you left?” I opened my mouth and closed it like a fish. “He was caught on tape, Lesego.”

“What about the victims? How can you be so sure that they were my friends? I was with them, right here.”

“All of them?” He asked, and I looked up.

“Everyone except for Helena.” I said. “I mean Helen,” I quickly clarified. The detective gave me an expectant look. “And…and Clay.” I whispered and quickly covered my mouth with my palm. “Clay. Detective, where is Clay?” I asked. He stood back and crossed his arms, giving a long look as tears started streaming down my face. “Detective?” I said desperately.

“Clay Evans is dead. He died in the fire along with your friend, Helen, and other students; and amongst them, your lecturer, Mrs Martins.” He said.

“Mrs Martins?” I asked. “But I don’t understand.” I pulled on my hair. “I saw Mrs Martins a few days ago.”

“What?”

“She came to see me at the hospital.”

“But that’s impossible. According to the footage, the post-mortem report, and Sihle; Mrs Martins was on campus when the accident happened, and she died in the fire.” The detective said in disbelief.

“You can even ask my mother and the nurses, I saw her. The nurse that was in my house the other night, Abigail Daniels; she was there.” I said.

He watched me for a moment, his face concocting into different expressions. “Are you sure about this?” He asked.

“Positive.” He gave a firm nod and walked out of the room.