Poisoned Minds

5. Crime Scene

I arrive at school the next day five minutes late, but in a very good mood. There was no strange nightmare last night. No waking up, shivering in my own sweat. That's my I was late - I've stopped using my alarm clock so there was nothing to wake me up.

"Sorry, miss," I say as I scuttle sheepishly into my form room.

Kira gives me a questioning look. I'm never late.

"Overslept," I whisper to her.

***

The rest of the school day goes well, without any mishaps or interruptions. Kira spends a large portion of the day talking my ear off about her theatre rehearsals, so much that I probably know the play even better than her by now. By the time school finishes I'm glad for the relative peace and quiet I get on the bus. Mum usually picks me up in the car, but she has to go to the doctor's talk to them about my symptoms.

Last night I tried my absolute hardest to convince her that I didn't need any medical treatment, but anything I did was a waste of time. She wasn't going to be swayed. Mum's always been the kind if person who really overreacts - once when I was two, I fell off the sofa and she took me to A&E. No wonder the hospitals don't have enough space, with all the parents acting like that.

***

I walk down my road at a comfortable pace, not rushing. It strikes me how different it was yesterday when I was doing the exact same thing, only in a completely different mood. I don't really want to dwell on it.

When I reach the front door, I knock. I can't be bothered to get out my keys.

I wait about 10 seconds with no answer before knocking again. When I still don't get a response, I shrug off my backpack to get out the key. The "I love NY" keychain that hangs on it takes me back to the amazing holiday Mum and I took a few years ago, when I had no worries but the homework that I hadn't done yet.

As soon as I step into the house, however, I notice something's off. A funny smell lingers in the hallway. I recognise it, but I'm not sure quite what it is. I cautiously slide my blazer off and hang it on the coat rack, not making a sound. The rest of the house is silent.

When I walk back into the hallway, it suddenly hits me what the smell is.

Blood.

I suddenly feel like I'm about to puke.

In a complete state of panic, I fling open the kitchen door and see the one thing that I absolutely do not want to see. My whole body goes cold and my heart misses several beats.

Mum lies on the floor. Unmoving. Dead.

A patch of deep crimson blood permeates the front of her dress and spills a little onto the kitchen tiles.

The world feels as though it's gone into slow motion as I reach for the phone and dial 999. I have no idea what I'm going to say. That I came home to find my mum dead? I suppose so. But it's not just that. I saw it happen. A premonition. I knew it was going to happen but I did nothing to stop it.

Of course that's stupid, how was I going to know that my hallucination was going to come true? But I know that I'll forever blame myself. Even if I do find whoever killed her, I'll still feel responsible.

***

3 hours later, the ambulance has come to take me and the... body to the hospital. Needless to say, there's nothing they can do to save her. I don't really know what happens to the bodies before they're buried, and personally, I don't want to find out.

I don't think the fact that Mum is dead has really hit me yet - I've just been sitting still and not speaking to anyone. I'm sure I'll cry later.

The police left an hour ago, after trying to ask me questions about it but not getting any helpful answers.

My aunt is supposed to be picking me up although she hasn't come yet. Traffic I guess.

I just have to wait here for her. I have my phone with me, but I can't take any interest in it.

The thing I want is to go home and have dinner with Mum. But I can't. Because Mum is dead, and the police have cordoned off the house as a crime scene.

That's when the first tears do come.