Photographic Evidence

Chapter Four- Freaking Out

I slowed down my running, as I had no choice. There was no way for me to get away now, it would be easier to just surrender. But nobody had ever heard of Karlie Blair giving up. Not to bullies, to tests, or even to trying to clean Kylla's room. I certainly wouldn't be giving up this time, no matter how chicken I actually was. The man chasing me had only been a few feet behind me, just outside grabbing distance, so when I slowed down, he easily caught me by the arm. I struggled a bit, but nothing futile. He had a tight grip that would be hard to escape from. He led me slowly back to my house, while my mother was still in the kitchen in her rope handcuffs. The man led me to his car, parked now on the side of my house instead of across the street.

"Now, missy." He said if a very gruff voice. "You're gonna give me that camera, or pay."

Idiotic as it was, I came up with a witty response for that, and it popped out before I could shut down my sarcastic side completely.

"Let me guess, even if I DO give you the camera, I'll have to pay anyways. If I don't, the punishment will be exactly the same."

He looked ready to pop, so that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. He gave me a glare that silenced the next sassy comment that was about to pop out, so I withered down a bit.

"Fine, fine, I'll take you to my camera. Its upstairs in my room." No, it was still securely in my pocket, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

He pushed me towards the stairs, not being very careful that I didn't hurt myself. I tripped at least five different times. When we reached the top of the staircase, I was tempted to get up from my last fall to the ground, and push him over down the stairs. But that probably wouldn't be the best idea, assuming he weighed as much as he looked like he did.

I led the way into my room, and headed straight for my camera case, which I knew was empty. I opened it slowly, and gave a little gasp, just for effect.

"Its gone!" I let out a little shriek to follow the gasp, purely out of fun.

"No kidding. Now tell me kid, Where. Is. That. Camera?"

"Well, I could tell you, but I think that would ruin the little distraction plan I've come up with."

He looked confused for a moment, then his face began to break out with anger. He raised his fist to punch me, but I dropped to the ground, rolled out of the way, and locked him in my room.

You see, when I was little, I would throw the worst temper tantrums ever. My mom had a lock installed on my door so she could lock me in when I was having a particularly bad one, until I calmed down. She's never gotten around to taking it off, and I'm glad for that right now. I raced down the stairs, hearing the banging noises of my door being yanked off of its hinges. It would only hold him for a minute.

My mother looked surprised to see me. "Karlie! Whats happened? Why is this happening?"

I didn't have time to explain right then, and I told her so. Instead, I just untied her wrists and ankles. She grabbed the car keys, and we took off in our black minivan. I didn't know where we were going, and I don't think she did either. My mother can get scared very easily, and I can just picture how scary this was for her. I mean, she was tied up and forced to make her own daughter go away with the same man that did that to her.

After we were a couple miles on the road, and luckily hadn't seen that black pickup truck behind us yet (we were both expecting it any minute now), my mother calmed down with a cou0ple of deep breaths, and turned to me.

"KARLIE ALYSSA BLAIR, TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT THIS INSTANT." She exploded.

I gulped. I knew this was coming. "Well you see, it all started with my new camera from Grandma," I began, as mom sighed in frustration, and muttered "of course" under her breath. I continued. " Kylla and I were off at the beach, and we stupidly decided to go into a pretty cove to take some pictures. There was a cave there, and we decided to go into it. As we were wandering through it, I saw this really pretty ray of light coming through a crack. It was so beautiful, that I wanted to take a picture of it. As I did, I got a picture of something else as well. Something, not so beautiful."

"And that is?"

"A murder. Or at least, thats what Kylla and I think it is."

Mom was practically shaking now, and muttering things, like "Yes, must go to police station," and "bad, very bad,".

I patted her shoulder, but my insides were churning as well. What do we do? We can't be on the run for the rest of my life! Since my mother was definitely out of sorts, I took matters into my own hands.

"We need to go to the police." I blurted out.

Mom thought a while, still muttering. "Brilliant, how brilliant, why did I not think of that?"

As we approached town, (we live a few miles out of the nearest one,) we saw the police station at the edge come closer and closer. Finally, we reached the parking lot and parked. We scrambled out of the car, and into the building, coming up to the receptionists desk.

"Do you have an appointment? The older lady behind it asked us, pushing her glasses up further on her face.

"No, but we need to talk to someone. "

"You ARE talking to someone" the lady said, in her strange accent.

I appreciated the wit, but we didn't have time for it. " We need to talk to a policeman, or someone in charge right away please."

She repeated her question. "Appointment?"

UGH I inwardly groaned. She was SO annoying! I decided to let the cat out of the bag. "I've got evidence for a murder!"

She looked unimpressed, but kept her eyes on us as she leaned forwards and talked into a microphone, an intercom, I guessed.

"Someone is here to see you, Mr. Lawn."

She gestured her head towards the elevator, and then at an intern delivering coffee to the offices. "Mr. Thomas will take you to Mr. Lawn, our head enforcer. Have a nice day."

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Okay guys, I have no idea how long to make this story. I can make it longer, or I can end it in just a couple of chapters. What do you guys think?