All Alone

Chapter One

My eyes slowly opened and closed adjusting to the bright light hanging above. My head is immediately filled with annoying beeps. I try to move but pain quickly shoots through my muscles. I wince and readjust to my previous position. I manage to open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I see a wavy blue couch with a familiar face sitting on it.
"H-hello?" I asked quietly.

"What? Oh my gosh, you're up!" The woman I recognize to be my dad's older sister, Aunt Peg. "Nurse! Nurse Mary!" she yells again. An older looking woman with navy blue scrubs rushes in.

"Miss Hunter! You're awake!" she exclaims. She grabs something from her pocket and shines a light in my eyes. I wince and turn my head.

"I'm what?"

She ignores my question and takes my arm slowly pulling a couple of needles out of my arm. I never even noticed they were there.
"Where am I exactly?!" My voice frantic of what she might say.

The nurse didn't reply at again. She just keeps shushing me and pushing buttons on the moniter above me. I asked again my voice more demanding. When
"Rory W. Hospital." The nurse replied. "Listen, I need you to be really still."

"Where are my parents? And my brother?" I try to get up again but I'm suddenly pushed back down again.

"Miss Hunter you need to lie down and rest for awhile longer."

"Where are they?" I demand.

"Miss Hunter, please calm down." I look over at my aunt who seems to be on the verge of tears. I struggle to get out of my hospital bed but am pushed back down on the verge of tears myself.

"MUM! DAD!" My aunt rushes over to me in attempt to help calm me down. "Where are they?! Where's Ben?" I screech. "Ben..." I mumble to myself. Oh god, not Ben... A series of memories attack my head and a picture of my dead brother happens to be among them. My chest constricts and and lump forms in my throat.
I flailed my arms around like a mad woman, trying to get someone to speak up. I wince at the small prick in my back and feel my eyes droop a bit. I felt like crying, sobbing, drowning in tears, so that's what I did. I sunk back into the hospital cot bringing my knees up to my chest. Wrapping my hands around my legs, I cry myself to sleep. The pain of my sudden movement is unbearable, but the pain inside me is much worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week later...

One thing I have learned from living in Chicago while in the month of December, is that it is colder than any other freaking state I have ever had a reason to visit.

I moved here from California. Warm, California. I came with a couple of jeans and sweat shirts expecting it to be enough for the winter. I knew I was going to have to go shopping really soon. Moving boxes helped a little bit, but not much. I looked over to my Uncle Steve. "Why is it so cold here?" I asked.

"If you think this is cold then you're in for a rude awakening, little jelly bean."

I fake a smile in attempt to lighten the mood. "I hate jelly beans..."

"Oh don't worry, you will." he says smiling. He walks ahead with a box and my smile drops from my face. I knew that keeping up the whole 'I'm okay' act was going to be tiring, especially at school, but the last thing I needed was more counseling or therapy sessions.

"Come on, you two!" Aunt Peg shouts from the house. "We have more boxes to carry!"

I walked to the back of the rusted teal pick-up truck to carry more boxes. After carrying in a few more boxes, I lifted the last box. Not remembering what was inside I opened it to find pictures of me and my family. One in particular caught my eye. It was a picture of Ben and me. My brother was my only friend. I never really talked to anyone else before because I was scared of what I was going to say. Alot of people thought I was insensitive and was 'incapable of feelings', but most of that wasn't true. I was kind of an awkward child, but that didn't mean I didn't have feelings. I just always have had this awful habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, which made the situation entirely awkward all together. Not to mention I was pretty clumsy, the embarrassing kind of clumsy. I caressed my thumb over the picture wanting him to be here.
"Hey, sweetie, you okay?" My Aunt Peg asked. I looked up and wiped away some non-existent tears and looked back down.
"Yeah I'm fine, just looking at some pictures."
"Okay..."
"Aunt Peg?"
"Yes, darling?" I felt tears stinging my eyes and my bottom lip began to quiver. I tried to look away but she said those three words that seem to appear over and over again.
"Are you okay?"
I broke down.
I crumpled to my knees and Aunt Peg followed wrapping her arms around my shoulders whispering comforting words in my ears.
"I miss them so much..." I cried my voice cracking.
"I do too, darling, I know..." She said fighting tears back her self
She stroked my back while I cried into her shoulder.
"HEY! Your husband has successfully made panca-oh, uh you guys are, uh, crying. I'll just-uh put them in something. Like a-I don't know..." He stumbled as he walked back in the house closing the door behind him.
"Don't mind him," Aunt Peg said as I sniffed. "He doesn't get that we have feelings." She said pulling away and wiping the tears off my cheeks. I laughed a little at that. "Chief Lestrade called." She said her face blank, waiting for my reaction.
"What does he want?" I scoffed, disgust clear in my tone. Her expression turned into one of exhaustion as she stood me up by my elbows.
"He's re-opening the case to look over some things that might have been missed. Maybe question some more people. They just want to make sure of everything."
I scoffed and narrowed my eyes in disbelief.
"Why does he think my parents were murdered? They were good people. We didn't have any problems with anyone. We were normal" I said more quietly, looking down.
"Are you sure because the accountant said that-"
"Okay. One payment that was two days late. The money was on its way in the mail. That's no reason to kill anyone."
"I know it sounds ridiculous, just try to keep an open mind. Chief Lestrade is just trying to look out for you." I sighed knowing I was going to lose this argument.
"Will I have to be taken in for questioning again?"
"I don't know." She said shaking her head. I nodded and picked up the picture of Ben and I, and placed it with the others in the box. With a sigh and a fake smile I walked back into the house with almost forgotten memories.