All Fun & Games...

Chapter 9

"Care to explain?!" Detective Drake yells.

"I-don't know where that came from! I swear! It could have come from the party!" I exclaim. Liam mutters under his breath and detective drakes obviously doesn't catch it but I do. A muffled damn it. Hold on- did he do this?! No thats...thats impossible....he was with me the whole time...right? Maybe I'm hearing him wrong? 

"D-did you do this?" I ask slowly turning to him. I didn't want to believe him but there's no other explanation. 

"What? No,  of course not! I was with you the whole night!" He exclaims standing up offended. 

"DON'T MOVE!" Detective Drake yells, now pointing the gun straight at Liam. 

"Stephanie?" He whispers. The look of betrayal  washing over his face. 

"Y-You murdered my mother..."I say taking a step back. Not Liam....I finally let the douche bag  into my life and this is how he responds... Is this why he was late for school this morning too...? 

"Stephanie, are you sure he murdered your mother?" Detective Drakes asks slowly but not loosing sight of Liam. 

"I-I don't know...there was a small period of time we were apart...when I went outside...."I say trailing off. This can't be real. I let someone get close to me....just for them to hurt someone else I love? 

"That's enough for me. We'll put  the jacket through to see if it's your mothers blood. For now you two need to go home. I'll drive you back. Lock your doors and stay safe. We'll call you tomorrow with results."  Detective Drake states lowering her gun slowly. At this, the other person hurry's out of the room with Liam's jacket. 

We exit the station and Liam taps my shoulder. I shrug him off and pick up speed towards the car. 

"Stephanie-  We need to talk-" 

"No we don't. If you care, you'll leave me alone." I hiss back. Detective Drake unlocks the car doors and I immediately slide in one side and slam the door. Liam stares at me through the window for a moment before we walks around to the other side. He opens the other door and slides in slowly. Thankfully he keeps his distance.  Detective Drake peals out of the parking lot and then we're racing down the road. 

Looking out the window at the blur of trees, I can't help but wonder what the point of all this was? I'm never going to get  a call tonight  with results... because  by morning, no one will remember her. The jacket won't need to be inspected, Liam will be released, and her murder will be forgotten. All of this will be pointless....Unless someone does something. I can still do that. I can miss school. It doesn't have to be at a party, my mothers death confirmed that. However Liam can't come with me...he's not trustworthy right now. Besides I won't have to wait long, it's almost 3AM...wow. Looks like that interview and cat chase took longer than expected. 

Soon enough we pull into my driveway. I look out the window to the tree in our front yard. The murder tree. My mothers body has been removed....but her blood has stained the branch, something to linger as a reminder of its new lable, the murder tree.  

"Get some rest you two...it's been a long night." Detective Drakes says from the front. I nod slowly. I slide out my seat, and Liam does the same. I head towards my front door and we cross paths as he heads for his house. His eyes look empty, like they've been drained of its colour. The look of guilt? As he should. Detective Drake pulls out of the driveway and heads down the road. 

The lights of the living room are on and I can see my fathers silhouette in the window. The slow rise and fall of him tells me he's asleep. I hear the slam of Liam shutting the door to his house. 

I turn to open my front door but I'm stopped at the sound of a meow. I slowly turn around to see this small black cat right behind me... 

"Yeah no, not today." I say turning around to go for my door again but I'm stopped when instead of a meow I hear a- laugh? A human laugh? I turn around again but no ones there, just the cat. I look down at it and it laughs again. Hold on- the CAT laughed?! How is that possible?! I rub my eyes. Exhaustion must really be taking an effect on my senses. 

The cat flashes a white smile and its poisonous green eyes at me and a flashback hits me from this morning. Of the person watching me from across the road. Those exact greens eyes...thats not possible though. A human can't become a cat. That would need magic and that kind of magic doesn't exist. Only the magician kind of magic which isn't even real magic, its just deceptions. This isn't a deception though, this is a real breathing cat. The same one that lead me to my others murder spot. Why is it still here? It doesn't have a collar...it's definitely a stray. 

"Hey little guy...shew!  You need to leave. I have to go inside before I get in trouble." I say swatting it away. It doesn't leave. Instead it just laughs again. 

Then theres the sudden sound of cracking bones and the squishing of blood. It's enough to make me want to puke. A gleam in the cats eyes before it starts to- grow? Slowly it gets taller...and taller.... until it morphs into- a human!? A moment ago there was a cat in front of me and now theres this boy...and older boy though. Maybe even a Young adult? His eyes are still familiar...from earlier this morning...he was the guy that cut my car tire! His wicked white smile makes a reappearance, as his longish black hair sways with the wind, and that haunting glint in his eye again. I turn for my door but just as my finger grazes the handle I'm pulled back by his strong grip. Really strong actually...it kinda hurts. I attempt to scream for help, hoping my dad will hear me- anyone really, but his hand covers my mouth before they can. I kick and swat back but his hold is too strong. 

"Oh calm down Stephanie, we can't have you going down just like your mother did now can we?" He whispers. Tears fill my eyes. Is this it? Is this how I'm going to die? How dare he bring up my mother! Is he the one that killed her?!

"Liam wouldn't like that very much now would he?"

 I continue to kick and squirm but it's no use, he's not going to let go. Before I know it, something cold covers my mouth instead of his hand. So quick I don't even have time to scream. 

"You know, it's sad...you guys were getting so close and we could have had a proper introduction you and me you know....if only my-" but thats the last thing I hear before darkness consumes me and my mind runs blank.