Dirty Blonde

~Dirty Blonde~

I pulled open the door, the strong and familiar scent of home flooded out. It was a mixture of floral sweetness and bleach. She always loved to keep the house spotless. It was a weird mixture, but you get used to it and eventually learn to love it as you grow up with it. "Hello?"

"In the kitchen, dear!" I tossed my keys onto the door side table before making my way into the kitchen. "How was work, Aaron?" I sighed when I seen her, she had always been my comfort.

"It was a long day. We're still looking for that Lisa Ravey. Her family is all over the place freaking out, driving the department crazy." I leaned against the counter and massaged my temples.

"Well that's understandable. I'd be freaking out too if a family member went missing."

I nodded, "I know, and I understand their frustration. It just makes the job harder when you have to keep telling the family not to worry." My mother looked up at me for a moment, holding the mop still.

"You're a good detective, you'll find her."

I nodded again, looking away from my mother. I really hoped that was true. A cloud of exhaustion suddenly draped over me as a result from the long day. My eyes settled on something unfamiliar- something out of place. There was never anything out of place in this house. It was dirty blonde and peeking out from under the pantry door. I tilted my head just slightly, remembering what else was dirty blonde. I thought of the missing women. Lisa Ravey had dirty blonde hair.

I took a few steps toward the door, my mothers voice was nothing but a mumble- an echo. My fingers wrapped around the cold knob, slowly twisting it. A loud bang and a sharp pain suddenly rang through my head. I fell to the ground, everything growing dark and becoming heavy. My mother stood over me with a cast iron pan. She had a grin applied to her face, the corners of her lips pulling up only slightly.

~

I sat up quickly, confusion flooding in. I pushed the scratchy hospital blanket off and climbed out of the bed. The table next to the bed was filled with cards, at least a dozen. 'Get well soon' I read off one of them. Get well soon? I scrunched my brows with uncertainty. This didn't make sense.

"He's awake!" A nurse came rushing in, attempting to explain everything.

"Did they ever find that women?" The nurse was confused to say the least. "L-Lisa Ravey! Did they find her?"

"Oh, no, they never found her." The nurse said quickly, still confused. My head was pounding, spinning and whirling all at the same time.

"I have to go." I pushed past the nurses, ignoring their calls after me. I pushed open the door, determined to get to my mother and expose the killer she was.

I pulled open the door, viciously making my way into the kitchen. I reamed the pantry door open. She was gone. "Where is she?" I pointed down at the pantry floor. Tears stung my eyes as I yelled at my mother who was cleaning once again.

"Darling! I didn't know you woke up! It's been a long two weeks without you!"

"Where's Lisa?" My voice was unsteady as I yelled at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you did something to her!"

"Honey, why don't you go out to the car? I'll take you back to the hospital. You're talking non-sense."

"You killed that women, didn't you?" She stopped at my words, her face going still. The corners of her lips turned upward. It was that same smile I seen just before blacking out. "You killed Lisa Ravey. Didn't you?" I spoke slowly, defining each word and keeping my voice low. The corners of her lips turned upward. It was that same smile I had seen just before blacking out.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Her smile grew before she spoke again. "Who do you think they'd believe? The sweet old neighborhood lady, or the pathetic detective with a head injury? Sure, I might have killed her, but they're not going to believe you. To everyone but you, Lisa Ravey is still missing. Maybe she ran away." She smiled again before continuing. "They're only going off what you claimed to have seen. You have no proof of me being the murderer." That same grin appeared again, but his time, on my face. I watched her face drop as I pulled the voice recorder out and into view.

"Here is my proof."

She looked at it for a moment, panic strung through her expression. Her face suddenly softened. "Oh darling, you're such a pathetic detective." Confused, I said nothing. She smiled again. "You didn't turn it on." I flipped the recorder around to face me. Panic set over me and I quickly pressed it on. "Too late." She mouthed, that eerie grin still plastered on her face.

~

I sat up quickly, breathing heavily. I pulled the scratchy hospital blanket off. My breath caught at the sight of my mother. She sat silently on the small couch next to the hospital window. "Oh, darling! You're awake! You've been in a coma for two weeks!" She quickly pressed the little red button by my bed to call in the nurses before embracing me in a hug. My mother sat back, grinning sweetly. Confusion swept over me as I turned to see at least a dozen 'get well soon' cards on the bedside table. Had it all been a dream?

"Is this the second coma I've been in?" My mother looked confused. She shook her head slowly.

"No, dear. This is the only coma you've ever been in." A look of doubt fell across my face.

"Twenty-three year old Lisa Ravey is still missing. If you have any information-" My eyes darted up to the small hospital Tv. The name caught my attention. The nurses flooded in, blocking out the sound of the Tv. I quickly searched for my mother knowing exactly where she was headed. An eerie smile hung in the door way for only a moment before scurrying away, causing my heart to drop once more...

~The end~