A Week with Katherine

Two Days After

Hikers had discovered Katherine's body around 5:30 am that Tuesday morning. And, by 7:30 nearly everyone in town had heard about it.

Everyone except me.

I had just about finished getting ready for school when I walked downstairs. My mom had taken away my phone as punishment for my behavior the past week so I had been completely disconnected from our town's quickly trending news.

When I entered the living room I was surprised to see my mom still home and in her pajamas watching the tv. She quickly turned off the television as she noticed me.

"We need to talk, bunny." My mom said softly using a childhood nickname I hadn't heard in years.

But I barely paid attention to her, my mind was too excited with the thought of seeing Kat again.

"What's up?" I asked as I put my math textbook into my backpack.

"Your friend, Katherine..." my mom paused.

"I know you don't like her but she's actually really nice, mom. You just need to give her a chance." I said finally looking at my mom ready to defend my friendship.

My mom sighed.

"Bunny, Katherine is dead. She was found in the creek earlier this morning. It's all over the news." My mom had said.

I didn't believe her. I couldn't believe her.

That day and hearing that news is the hardest to remember. It's like my mind is still trying to block it out.

I vaguely remember running out of my house and through the pathway in the woods, the same path that I had last seen Katherine walking.

I hadn't planned to go there, but by the time I made it to Katherine's house my chest was on fire and I couldn't breathe. I don't know if that was from the running or the shock.

There were news vans outside her house and a shrine of stuff forming along the fence of their front yard.

I think I might have seen Sara Park there putting a stuffed animal down but that could have been from a different day or even not happened at all.

Everything after was like a hazy nightmare.

I don't remember running back home, but eventually, I must have.

And, I definitely don't remember when I started crying but my mom says that I already was when I walked back through the front door.

I just kept saying "it's not fair,".

My mom hugged me and I felt just like a little kid again.

"I don't know what she was to you, but she must have been special." My mom said as she held me.

And, she was right. Katherine had been special. But, I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. I just started crying harder.

Just like Katherine's death, it didn't take long for details of how she was found to start leaking.

Katherine had been laying face down by the creek. Her feet were actually in the water.

The hikers that found her said that at first they thought maybe she had been sunbathing or sleeping but as they got closer they realized something was wrong.

The entire back side of her skull had been crushed in.

The police would later say they believed Katherine had hit her head while in the water before drowning but that never did explain why they never found water in her lungs.