Jess
With mom and Abby gone I was able to disclose my suspicions to Rose.
Once in my room I am sure to close the door in case anyone comes back early, "Like the room." Rose admires as she sits on the edge of my unmade bed; "Thanks, so should we get to business"? I ask pulling out my desk chair to seat myself; I pull out my drawstring bag from the other day looking for the patch number I found.
"So I went to Homestead, and found something odd, "I begin still scrambling through the bag. Once I find it and pull it from the bag I toss the bag down and present the old gold number "2" to Rose. When she reached out to take the number I happened to notice a few little horizontal scars on her arm. "Are those..." I pause as I gesture my finger briefly pointing at the scars.
She draws back in a slightly shameful matter – "Uh, yea... long ago." She expressed pulling her sleeve down. "My sister just started doing the same." I inform, hoping it would let her know it was ok and I wasn't judging.
Leaning back in my seat I run my hands up from my chin through my hair releasing a stressful sigh. "Is it because what happened." Rose asked still examining the fabric. "I think so, she never tried to before." I advise, now leaning in towards her.
Rose holds the fabric up in the air as If some light would help her see anything more than what was there. "Look familiar"? I ask changing the subject, "Yea it's a number from the schools' sports team jackets. "She answers looking at me with the "duh" face. "I found it on the next lawn over from where you found Abby." I inform her, "I think it must have fallen from the culprits' jacket." I continue.
She nods in understanding "so, you're serious about this investigating thing huh"? She asks looking concerned. "Yes, some jerk scared my sister she hasn't been herself I want to help her and was hoping you'd join me." I pleaded giving her the puppy dog eyes.
It takes a second before she responds but with a good inhale exhale she nods yes. "I can be useful." She starts "the night I found your sister, she was trying to tell me something about a Rich." She continued
"At first I couldn't really understand what she meant, but at graduation the other day I overheard the jocks talking about a Richie and Margret at the party Abigail was at." She continued to examine the number patch.
"With this clue, I could only assume that Abigail was trying to tell me that Rich was Richie." I lean back in my computer seat. "So, we have a suspect then." I reply brushing my chin with my fingers.
"Yea and Margret." Rose added handing back the patch, "she just seemed suspicious." She finished, now standing up ready to leave.
I walk her to the door and we exchange numbers – "in case you come across anything else or vise versa." I said typing my number in her phone. I was now ready to start putting things together and find this scum bag.
Abigail
At the police station I've gotten so many quivers down my spine from all the crazy, cuffed creepy men eyeing my every step that I unconsciously grabbed my mom hand interlocked fingers and all. I had only realized because she held back and said "everything's ok honey." I don't know why but my mother being by my side and assuring my safety did make the tension ease.
I was like Tom and Jerry; I was a mouse these men the cat and mom the protective dog parent ensuring my safety. With a small exhale I relax my mind "its ok, they don't know you... they can't touch you." I whispered to myself, trying to relax my uncontrolled nerves, "Mrs. Swan, Ms. Swan"! a man shouted from inside a side office ahead of us.
He was a pretty tall African American man, had short cut curls and soft eyes. When he approached he brought along a giant smile, he kind of had that look your best friend gives you after she hasn't seen you in years. "Mr. Carter." Mom states reaching her hand out for a hand shake. "Hello, this must be Abigail." The officer returns the shake, "Yes, she is." Mom answered.
We were led into his office. The room was about 200 square feet, it had 4 large impact resistant glass windows that viewed the park across the street; he had a beautiful oak wood finished office table in the middle of the office – one main chair on the opposing side of the table facing the door, and 2 other pretty regular black swirly chair for guess .
Medals and certificates' were plastered on the walls and some family looking photos were on his desk along with some manila folders (case files) and a old school desk top computer with the big back.
"Please sit." He offers gesturing his towards the two seats in front of us.
Once we were all seated and the introductions completed – Office Carter asked if I could tell him the events of that night – " I know it's not something you want to recollect on but we need to know what happened that night so we can find better clues." He folds his hands properly onto of the desk.
"More so details of the culprit, anything that will help us put that person behind bars." He suggests leaning forward. "I can't really remember much," I start - truthfully though if I had the ability to erase minds I would clear mine out completely of that night. "I remember walking home.
It was dark so it was hard to see." I continue " I remember running into this weird man... he was tall he wore gloves and a long hood that created a shadow around his face." I close my eyes trying to picture the faceless man, trying my best to recall any detail that might stick out.
I tilt my head back on the rim of the chair staring at the ceiling, c'mon Abby think, I demand to myself. "He didn't speak, I remember..." I pause – suddenly flashes of that awful night came in more clearly, I started to remember a few minor details " I couldn't really see but his eyes were brown I believe." I recall trying my best, as I recall the things that took place that night my stomach churns.
"I remember the smell of the chlorine napkin he forced on my face, the blurry view of being dragged into the bushes. I can remember struggling to defend myself, the guy pinning me with one hand and a knee. The sound his belt made as he forced it off and unzipped his pants; the scariest moment was realizing that my attempts to fend for myself were useless and I would lose."
A single tear falls down my face as I recall the memories from that night, "is that what you wanted Officer, to know what it was like to be drugged and taken advantage of." I ask with a brittle voice. My leg has been uncontrollably shaking the entire time, "Abby, the man is just trying to help, and he means no harm." Mom chimes in trying to soothe me.
The officer doesn't respond. "Have you been able to interact with anyone from the party; did they say anything that could have been a clue"? He pesters on. "She hasn't been out the house since," Mom answered for me in a low tone, I roll my eyes and sigh in disbelief – I thought they had me come here for results not questions, "so you guys found absolutely nothing"? I pitch in before my mom could finish.
My voice now taut – I stand out my seat and push it in "I'm sorry, but I can't do this... this pervert is out there probably planning to do this to another innocent girl, and you guys are sitting on your ass." I claim leaving the office, this was a bad idea, I was just starting to get back to normal and now I want to encase myself in my room all over again.
I can hear my mom's heels trail behind me following me to the exit, she waits until we get to the elevator to address my behavior. "What was that"? She asks, hands placed on her hips.
" I'm just fed up with no results, I want this sucker locked up and stored somewhere in a jail cell where he can become someone else's bitch and see what it feels like to be helpless and alone." I respond still staring at the elevator, my eyes welt with frustration.
"Hey, they'll find him honey I promise... things like this take time is all," mom comforts placing her hand on my head and brushing my messy blonde hair back with her fingers. "How about I take you for some ice cream, huh it is summer after all." She offers, my mom has been trying to get me some sweets for a while now.
I felt kind of bad for always dissing her efforts, "sounds delicious." I answer as the elevator bell rings and we step aboard.
YOU ARE READING
Affliction
Teen FictionIt's the summer of 2016 in Colorado Springs, Co and things have took a turn for the worse, The Swan family find themselves in a situation they never thought they'd be in after their oldest daughter Abigail is attacked on her way home from a senior c...
