THERE WILL BE BLOOD || DANIEL MATTHEWS ||

VII: THE SEARCH

After Obi's death, we decided to continue searching the house, looking for a way out or another trap. Half of my brain was kicked into high gear, determined to solve my way out of this thing, like how I solved my way through life, but the other was too focused on Daniel. He was scared, I could tell in his eyes, the wild sense of panic behind his eyes. He would never admit it, instead he would push down his feelings and make sure that I was okay. I grabbed his hand as we walked back to the main room.

The group separated on the first floor so that we could cover more ground. I helped Laura sit on the ground as she was really tired. Amanda started flipping things over in the main room and Daniel and I aided her in looking. As I searched the stairs for a loose floorboard, I was thinking about the first Jigsaw riddle, "numbers are on the back of your mind," I was close to figuring it out, I knew it.

"Wait, Amanda, why did he pick you?" Daniel asked.

"Because I was a fucking junkie. Funny thing is, I passed his little test." She said, smiling ironically.

"Wait, but then why are you with us?" I asked her, confused.

"If you passed your test, how did you end up back here?" He pointed out. He grabbed her hand as she walked away.

"I wasn't being very good to myself," she muttered.

"How long have you been-" Daniel started, looking at her elbow pit. It was red, and sore, you could tell it was from needle drugs. I took a step back, instinctively putting my hand to my mouth. I did that not because I was disgusted she used drugs, but because of needles. I was scared Amanda thought it was the former, so I put my hand down quickly and lightly smiled at her. "Sorry," I muttered.

"It's okay," she said sadly, "I started in jail."

"What were you in for?" I inquired.

"Possession," she took her arm back, grabbed some rope and walked to the stairs.

"Wait," I looked at her confused, "I thought you said you started-"

"Maybe you should ask the cop who arrested me," she said, going up the first flight of stairs. At the mention of cops I gave a knowing look at Daniel. He looked away.

"I'm guessing you've never been arrested before." She said to Daniel.

"No. I mean I've been in trouble a few times before." Daniel said, anxiously fiddling with his hair, "My dad's a real-" Amanda looked at him, curious. "He's a real hardass. You know," he chuckled, "He's probably got half the city looking for me just so he can kick my ass for disappearing on him."

"Oh most definitely," I snickered.

"What about you?" Amanda asked, turning to me.

"Me?" I said in disbelief.

"No, the couch behind you." She said sarcastically.

"Well," I paused to sit on the steps, "My dad wouldn't exactly win father of the year award."

"How so?" She inquired.

"Well, he's got a lot of faults, you know? Alcoholism, abuse, cheating. He's quite a guy." I smiled tightly, "Ever since I was younger, I was too scared to tell anyone, for fear what he'd do. Y'know I finally thought I was confident enough to tell the authorities what he did, what kind of monster he really is. And do you know what they did?" I turned and laughed to her, but the pain in my eyes and the breaking of my voice told a different story, "They closed my case. They closed my case because of false evidence and character testimony. Huh! Character testimony-" I trailed off. "Whatever happened to defending the young and innocent?"

~~~

I was in Elementary school then, probably no older than eight. My cheek was still bright red from my father's backhand the night before. I could swear I could still feel the tingle. I was used to showing up to school with bruises, cuts, and bandages, typically they were well hidden in my clothes, but it's hard to cover up a swollen lip and a cut on my face. My teacher, Mrs. Dantelle, gasped and let out a "Dear God" when she saw me. She immediately called the cops and as soon as they arrived they immediately escorted me to the principal's office.

"Hey Delilah," a really pretty detective lady said to me, curls spilling out of her ponytail, "My name is Detective Gomez. Here with me are my associates Officer Rigg and Detective Hoffman," she nodded to a black man wearing a police hat and a tall white guy, wearing a tie. "We are going to ask you a few questions if you don't mind." She smiled.

I nodded. But the truth was I did mind, I minded immensely. I clutched onto my comfort plushie, a stuffed lamb I named Varia after my favorite character from my favorite book, Varia and the Vampires of Vanishire. "Daddy isn't going to be happy," I remembered thinking. Few things made my father angrier than he usually was, messy house, a rotten attitude, and cops meddling where they don't belong. He often told me that nothing good happens when cops are around, and if they ever were around, to keep my mouth shut.

I watched my parents come in through the doors. My father with a veiled look of anger and my mom trailing behind him with a wounded expression on her face. "Mr. Archer? You wouldn't mind waiting in this room with Officer Rigg while I ask your wife a few questions would you?" Detective Hoffman asked. After my father consented, Hoffman led her into another room, while Rigg took my father into the principal's office.

Detective Gomez stayed with me. She told me her name was Evelyn and that she liked my lamb. She asked me what the name was and I told her. She said Varia was a lovely name and I said so was Evelyn. She said thank you and asked what I thought of my school. I could tell she was just trying to get me to open up to her. I may have been young, but I was smart. You have to be smart growing up in a situation like I did. I told her I liked my school fine. Every question she asked me, I would respond with as little words as possible, purposefully being as vague as I could be. I hoped that Daddy would praise me for it later. He didn't.

Eventually, Mom was brought back to me. She hugged me tightly, whispered "I'm so sorry" and then walked to the bathroom. Hoffman walked out of the office, with my dad behind her.

"Can I go home now?" I asked my father. Hoffman looked at Gomez, saw her give a nod and looked back at me.

Squatting down so he could reach my eye level he smiled, "You can go back to class now Sweetie."

I smiled at him, grabbed my backpack and started walking back to class. I heard shouts and yelling so I turned around and saw that Rigg had punched my father for something Daddy had said. My father was screaming at him, yelling about his lawyer.

I rushed back to class.

~~~

Addison's shouts drove me out of my memories from the past. "Hey, we found a door. Come on!"