Five Words

Chapter 22

~Ace

Two years earlier...

Immense pain. Immense pain is what I am feeling. My whole body feels sore. My limbs are numb like I am on some kind of drugs. Intense waves of washes over me. My brain is pounding against my skull. Hungover. A hangover is what I think this is.

I try to open my eyes but the blinding light forces them back shut. I am trying to move my body, but it is really hard. I try to slowly open my eyes bit by bit. The light penetrates my eyes, intensifying the pounding in my head but I force them to stay open. Why am I hungover? What has happened to me? I am too confused to recognize where I am or what happened to me.

Seconds after I can completely open my eyes, Police officers barge into the room, their hands holding guns and every single one of them is pointed at me. I am trying to remember what has happened. I'm trying to understand what is happening. Nothing. Nothing is coming back to me. I can hardly remember what I did last night. Why can't I remember?

One of the police officers pulls me up harshly and yells at me. He is telling me to put my pants on but I don't understand what he means. I look down and I'm naked from the waist down. I frown as I try to remember what happened.

What is going on?

The officer pushes me again and yells at me to pull my pants up and I bend down to grab them. My eyes scan the room.

I'm at my house. Sarah's surprise birthday party. I see blood on the floor and torn blue fabric pieces are scattered across the floor. Sarah's dress.

"Where's Sarah?" I ask them.

But the officer yells at me again to pull up my pants and I do. I ask him again where is she. He doesn't answer me. However, he bends me over the arm of the couch and pulls both my hands behind my back, cuffing me.

I ask him again where she is. He doesn't tell me.

Instead, he states, "You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law."

My heart is thrumming against my chest. My heartbeat is all I can hear. Why is he arresting me? And where the fuck is Sarah? I have to see her or I'll go crazy. My mind is already swarming with unpleasant thoughts and I'm hoping they're all false.

"Where is Sarah?" I am shaking frantically now.

As he pushes me outside, I hear it. The ambulance's siren. Sarah. The blood. Her torn dress.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes, but I don't let them. Maybe there is some other kind of explanation.

"Where is she?" I yell as I fight against the person holding me.

He quickly responds by pushing me against a police car, and one of his hands makes its way to my neck pressing my face against the car. My cheek slams against the dashboard harshly and I moan in pain.

"Listen, kid, you fight me one more time, I'll beat the shit out of you."

"Just tell me where she is." I beg, "Please."

"Don't play dumb with me, kid. You raped her."

"I need to see her." I scream as I try to free myself. "Let go of me."

His words bring my fear to life-crushing the slightest hope I have for her to be okay. The tears pour down my face. My heart is breaking in every possible way. The pain overtakes my heart then slowly it spreads through my whole body.

I couldn't have done it. It can't be me. I didn't do it. I shake my head.

"I didn't do it. Let me go, please." I whisper while he holds me down for a few moments.