The Change

part 4

I take a deep breath to pull myself together refusing to cry anymore "I'm at the police station near Bakers road. They called my Aunt to pick me up. They said I have to live with her. Plus your folks hate dogs I cant give Lily up. She's all I have now. Wait doesn't your aunt live like on the other side of the world. And school just started, you can't go you're almost an adult there must be some way you can stay." I stay quite thinking as I tapped my foot worried about lily she's all I got left. "I think me moving away would be best Amy, I think a fresh start would be good for me." Before Amy can argue I tell her that the cops wanted to ask me some question and hung up.

"Hello Caitlin, I'm detective Stan I've been assigned to your case. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" more then glad to abandon the nasty cup of coffee I got up and let him lead the way to an office. I couldn't help but notice how in shape he was, I bet he works out a lot. He looks to be in his early twenties and the smell of shaving cream hung around him with a hint of coffee and something sweet. He held the door open of me and offered me a donut once I sat down. I shook my head to say no but my stomach rumbled loud giving me away. He chuckles and grabs one covered in white powder "you sure they're good" he says with his mouth full I couldn't help but smile and reach into the pink box picking the one with pink frosting on top. "Good choice those are good too." He finishes the rest of his donut and leans back against his chair.

He watched as I ate the donut and liked my fingers clean. He cleared his throat a sign he was ready to get this moving along. "So Caitlin lets talk about what happened. We don't think this was done by that dog officer Hunts shot. We found foot prints along with the dogs paw prints all over." He sighs when he realizes that what he was saying was going through one ear and out the other "I know this must be a hard time for you but its important for you to answer my question the best you can. You think you can do that?" I nodded my head trying to swallow the lump that formed in my throat as the image of my family being rolled away into the ambulance and all the blood "Can you tell me how the day started. What did you do this morning" he looked into his notepad, weird I didn't notice him take it out, "I hear that you just turned 17 and that you're a senior in high school, correct? That must exciting." He looked up at me waiting for me to respond or to read my reaction, either way I couldn't get myself to focus on what he is saying. All I can think about was my family...

Detective Stan sighs closing his notepad "how about we continue this another time. I'm sure your Aunt is here wanting to see you." He got up and held the door open for me "we will do the best we can to find who did this to your family Caitlin, I will be here if you remember anything that might be important." He hands me his card as I walked out. I was escorted back to the wait area where my aunt was waiting for me. She looked like she was in her mid twenties despite her being 45. She was my moms older sister but she was always the care free one of the two. My aunt was simply beautiful, she had hazel eyes with long amber hair and highlights that always reminded me of the leaves changing I the fall. She smiled a perfect heart stopping smile when she saw Detective Stan.

He cleared his throat as his cheeks took on a light blush color. I couldn't help but chuckle which made him turn even more red in the cheeks. "you must be Judy Ann Marie Cooper, Caitlin's aunt" she waved her hand in the air dismissively "just call me Judy. Did you find out what happened to my sister and my family? Are we done here I need to take Caitlin home so she can pack." He shook his head "nothing yet but we will keep searching. The house should be cleared out so you can get your belongings without any problems. It was nice to meet you Caitlin." He turned and left without another word leaving me with my aunt I haven't seen in years. "Jam jam...they're really gone" I choked as the water works began unable to be strong any longer "shhhh-shhhh its ok im here." She held me tight to the point it was hard to breath but I didn't get care.

We parked across the street from my now empty house. Detective Stan was right, there was no evidence of what happened here almost as if it never happened, but it did my family was dead. My aunt put her arms around me sensing I was about to cry. Once I got myself together and felt ready to go inside. Jam Jam squeezed my hand for reassurance and went inside to pack what was most important. It took me 20 minutes to build up the courage to go inside, and another 15 to pack all my clothes. I went back to my car placing all my stuff in the trunk. I went back into the empty house to see what was taking my aunt so long. "jam-jam?" I went into my parents room, where it was normally filled with laughter and singing, is now a cold unfamiliar room filled with meaningless things. I quietly closed the door and continued to search for her.

I started to hear rustling in the attic so I made way up a flight of stairs "Judy..." I slowly pushed the door open. It was so dark, I couldn't see what was in front of me. I heard rustling ahead of me, I hesitated before taking a step further into the darkness. Quick flashes from my dream crossed my mind making my heart begin to race, the room started to feel to small, I need air cant breath. Ok get a grip on yourself. "Caitlin?" I saw my aunt appear from the darkness "you shouldn't be up here. Are you packed and ready to go?" I nodded my head unable to speak. I turn to go back down when I noticed her holding a wooded box that was wrapped with a red silk blanket. "what's that jam-jam?" she moved the box out of my view "ill explain when we are home...and when you are ready"