*1st news report*
At six pm on Monday, there was a hit and run just outside the Split-River High-School. Josephine Finnes was killed by a hit and run, while crossing the street to get to her car, after her after school book club. Josephine was seven...
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"Funny how true colours shine in darkness and in secrecy" -Hozier-
Claire gripped the steering wheel of the car, her knuckles slowly turned whiter and whiter. The sheriff was ranting, going on and on about covering up more shit. Truth was, she didn't want to be in this car. Didn't want to get behind the wheel of any car ever again. Yet here she was, shrinking internally as a man bellowed into her ear. It was stupid, that night that her and Xavier had. How things for the past year could go from bad to worst she couldn't comprehend. From Maddie to now this, life was getting harder and harder to cope with. Despite this, heavy weighted feeling inside her chest, her shoulders were squared, her chin was high and motive strong.
The eyes of the dead were no longer on Claire, but Jo. As a shrivel scream threatened to leave her throat at any point. They could see it, in her eyes, the overwhelming force of fear consuming her slowly. "Hey, we are gonna figure this out okay?" Maddie said quickly, putting a hand on Jo's arm. "If we can figure out what happened to me, we can figure out what happened to you" "This makes no sense, the car we saw hit Jo, wasn't Claire's or Xavier's truck" Rhonda, blunt as ever stated. Wally's grip tightened, eyes slamming shut from the sight he saw and wished he could wipe it clean from his mind. "Listen just, slow down you guys" He raised a hand to them, "Just one step at a time, we all know from past experiences that nothing can be taken for face value espcially when it's said in the dead of night, in a car park"
Jo felt herself shrink, skin burning, insides frozen. A hand encricled around her wrist, she doesnt see them. A voice speaks gently but she cant hear them. Her small hand reached out, seeing a dent on the drivers side that she's just noticed. It's more of a dimple, simpliar to the one in her own smile. UNder the street light that bared down from above them, she saw paint chips, black. Someone was attempting to move her back but her hand touched the car. Hot metal from the day's sun and it seeped through her fingers. "Josephine" She remembered the sounds of the crickets, the sprinklers. Waving goodbye to her friends as one by one they left the car park. "Josephine" The third phonecall to her brothers, as she walked up and down the lawn. Grumpying and groaning as she did, hating the dark. She cursed him, built an argument to have with him once she got in the car. "Jo!" The voicemail from Joseph, telling her he's left his friend's place and was on his way. Tucking her phone away, she heads off in the direction of the bus stop. "Josephine" Two speeding lights, surging like the red eyes of a moster crawling from under her bed. Ready to take and devour her. The loud screetch of tires, the brakes squealing in protest, smoke rising from the road. "Gizmo" A hand touches her face, cold fingers gently running through her hair. Tears that had fell unnoticed are swiped away by the same cool hand. Then and only then when the scent of gentle citrus shampoo rises and his face comes into veiw. "The pain" Jo finally spoke, both of her hands flying to the base of her skull. Her voice, often soft was now so hard to hear and to take in that the wind could pick it up and lift it away, Her throat felt like barbwire, coarse no matter how much she tried to swallow her emotions. "Look at me, Gizmo" Wally's tone lulled her eyes to him and away from the dent on the car. The warm, dark eyes pooled with love poured themself into every little piece of her. "Let's walk, somewhere quiet?" His hands left her face and pealed her hands away from where preasured against her temple. With nothing but a tearsticken nodd, they walked away together. - The other three looked between themselves, feeling separately all devastated for their newest member of the their party. "Best thing we can do for Jo is get to the bottom of this mess" Maddie said, turning back to the window, the sheriff seemed to have calmed from his early rage fest. Claire however hadn't really shifted or moved. Her hands were still crippling the steering wheel. "We don't know that" Rhonda began. "We don't know shit about how she feels about all this" "Clearly not great" Charley nodded, but his hands remained on the window, noting the conversation. "Think about Rhonda, it helped all of us to know what really happened to us-?" "Did it?" She interrupted. "Have you seen any of us move on lately? Listen cherry pop, this isn't another case for you to solve, this is Jo's choice. Now I'm not saying don't take in what these two crazies are shovelling out. But unless she wants to know, don't dig" Rhonda gave them both a pointed look. "Let the chick, rest in peace" with a smirk, she tipped her hat to them and walked off with her hands in her pockets. Charley shook his head. "She's always got a one liner under her sleeve" Maddie crossed her arms, her boot tapping a few times in thought, turning suddenly she asked. "What have they been saying?" Charley adjusted his glasses, lips turning inward. "It's a mess, just a mess" He sighed, pausing for a second, he lowered his eyes in thought before bringing them back to Maddie. "Claire and Xavier were drunk driving" "God" Maddie breathed out, body now facing the window and frowning. "And They hit her?" "They hit something, if it turns out to be Jo then that's another crime the Sheriff covered up" Charley faced the window too now. "Sensing a theme here" - (play song here)
