𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑 | 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

The lighting was clinical and unforgivingly bright, carrying a static hum that crackled intermittently. Though its low drone was hardly noticeable in comparison to the perpetual rattling of the AC that hung overhead, letting out steady waves of chilled air that made their way down to nip at the nape of Lori's neck.

She twitched to the touch of cold against her dampened skin and a shiver rolled down her spine. As her body jerked the girl became aware of the silver clamped firmly around her wrists. She pulled at them in feeble attempt to free herself from the restraints - but no matter how hard she tugged they didn't budge, only leaving behind faint red marks of her failure.

 A sigh vibrated from her bottom lip and her arms dropped down onto the steel table with a thump and the discordant sound of squelching that came from the dampness held in the material of her striped sweater that clung tight to her arms.  

Then the door clicked. Her head raised. The handle bowed, and in stepped two men in matching blue uniforms. The one with a moustache cleared his throat as if he was about to speak, but it was the one with the hat who spoke up first,

"Lori Thompson, right?"

"No comment." She retorted, her tone flat and her dark gaze unblinking.

The man sighed, twisting to look at his colleague, and then back to Lori. "You can talk to us. This isn't an interrogation." 

She laughed dryly, her head twisting to the left wall where she was met with her reflection in a mirror that stretched the whole length of the room. Both the officers followed her eyeline and this time the other man spoke.

"We just want you to answer a few questions. You're not in trouble."

Silence hung thick in the air once he finished speaking, her reluctance to talk evidently taking a toll on them very quickly.

"Lori. Do you understand?" The hat-wearing officer tried again.

"No. Comment." Lori spoke slowly and looked back at them, watching as they took their seats across from her at the table. 

"This doesn't have to be difficult. We'll just ask a few questions and then you can go. We're not going to hold you here."

Jangling sounded as she raised her dripping arms from the table as far as the cuffs would allow her to move, then her brow arched at them, "Then why do I have these? They don't really match my outfit." 

The moustached man nipped at the bridge of his nose and exhaled softly, "Phil, get the keys."

"We shouldn't, protocol-" 

"Get the damn keys."

Lori remained silent as the man with the hat pushed back his chair, the legs scraping unpleasantly against the linoleum ground as he left the room without another word in protest. 

The moustached officer tapped his foot impatiently as he waited behind for his colleague, the clacks of his shoe almost in rhythm to the battering mechanics on the inside of the air conditioning, but after a small eternity without an exchange between the two left in the room he leaned forward and spoke. Though this time he was quieter than before and he was lacking the  conviction in his tone that he had held just moments ago:

"I hope you can understand we're not the bad guys. I know kids your age aren't fans of cops. I know I wasn't, but we just want to help. These things, these... strange things that are happening in our town, we can't explain them. But you can help us make a start." 

"I don't know anything."

He sighed, "Now you and I both know that's not true. Don't forget, lying to an officer is a crime."

Lori's brows drew together, furrowing into a knot that cast a dark shadow over her eyes, "Are you threatening me?" 

"I'm just letting you know that if you lie, we will know, and this will take longer than it has to." 

Phil returned with the keys and he handed them over before taking his seat at the table again, although the officer that held them wasn't quick to release her. Instead he spoke again,

"If you tell us about the red lights we can get you out of those cuffs." 

Lori's attention piqued, raising her sights to the man quickly and her eyes narrowed inquisitively, "Who told you about them?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Who else do you have here? What did they say?"

"We're asking the questions here, Lori. Not you. Just tell us what you know."

Her heart began to hammer against her chest, rattling her ribcage from the inside and soon her breathing became unsteady too, but still she pressed at the men. "Was it Eddie? Is Eddie here? Did you get to him?"

Phil tried to speak in a steady tone, his hands raising in a small surrender "Calm down. Okay. Lets just get through these questions and then we can answer some of yours."

"No. No, no, no." Lori's head sank deep into her shoulders as she continued to mutter the word to herself over and over. 

"Hey, you're okay. Just take a minute and we can-" 

"Where is he? I need to see him now!" The girl didn't allow him to finish, her burning rage scorching on the end of her tongue as she bellowed towards the two officers. 

Slowly they both rose from their seats, backing away from Lori with the key until their bodies pressed against the wall furthest from her. "We can't do that Lori. I'm sorry." 

Her voice lowered, and she spoke with a scratchy dissonance. "Don't be sorry, it wasn't a request."