Two souls One Heart

Chapter 4

Life is short, death is forever.

Safe to say Athena didn't sleep at all that night, The words kept repeating over and over in her mind. She tossed and turned all night and that stupid tree in front of the apartment complex was scraping against the window all night, the beauty of living on the third floor, just in the reach of the tree. The alarm clock on her bedside table reads: 4:15 when she finally threw the blankets off and got up, giving sleep up for a bad job. She put on her gym clothes and made her way out the apartment with her air pods already blasting music threw her ears, classical as usual. It felt like hours as she jogged down the streets and made her way to the park, even if it was still early the city was always busy, never a dull moment in NY. Athena stops at the park taking deep breaths as her hands rest on her knees. The thought of that message didn't disappear, so she jogged further on. Finally, around 7:45 Athena went back to her apartment to get ready for work. She took a quick shower before changing into a cream sleeve sweater, and a green plaid dress along with dark brown boots. She let her hair loose as their natural curl kicked in before throwing a maroon bonnet into the mix. She clipped her bracelet on, her necklace already around her neck since she never takes it off. Athena grabs her bag before locking up the apartment and heading towards the studio.

The sound of sirens passed by her in a blur as she stopped to look at the three police cars driving past her. She frowned, not thinking much of it and kept walking. It wasn't until she came near the building when she saw the police cars standing there busy pushing bystanders away from the building. Athena walked faster now pushing past the bodies so she could stand in the front. The police officer had his hand stretched out so no one could pass him and another one was standing on the other side.

"What's going on here?" Athena asks the officer as he looks towards her.

"A body was found in the studio upstairs ma'am."

"That's impossible." Athena mumbled, finally catching Lily standing inside the shop talking with an officer. She looked outside and motioned towards Athena who was waving towards her. The officer turned towards Athena before stopping outside.

"Let her pass." he said pointing right at her. Athena walked past the officer and made her way to Lily.

"What's happening? The officer outside said they found a body in my studio?" she asked Lily as she nodded her head.

"Yeah, Ryan found Brent's body in the studio this morning. He saw your door open slightly and thought you came in early. When he went to take your coffee up, he discovered Brent."

"That's not possible. He followed me last night. How can he be dead?" Athena mumbled the last part to herself.

"When was the last time you saw Mr. Williams?" the officer asked, and Athena looked towards him for the first time. He wasn't an officer at all but a detective, with black hair and blue eyes, dressed in a suit and his gun strap to his side peaking ever so slightly from the jacket and his badge clipped to his belt.

"Uhm yesterday afternoon. And maybe last night, I don't know." she said as he frowned, writing it down.

"How don't you know?"

"I don't know if it was him who followed me to the station or not." Athena said, looking towards him. "I went to file a restraining order against him last night after he cornered me in my studio for the third time."

"He's been stalking her for weeks now." Lily said, coming to her defense as he looked towards her.

"You knew and yet you let him work here?" he asked as Lily looked guilty for a moment, not really answering the question. "Alright just stay here, some officer will take your details for further questioning if needed." Athena and Lily nod as he walks away telling his officers to take down their personal info. He walked up the stairs towards the studio, the door already opened but it was taped off. He lowered his head walking under the tape before standing near the door. The body of Brent was laying right in the middle of the room, on his stomach right in his own blood.