20 Reasons to Let Go

[ Reason Eleven ] - Losing Hope

That night was like no other, with the girls quaking in fear as they waited for their secret to be exposed. Side by side, they shivered for what was to come.

Kendal had slid under the covers of Cady's bed, too afraid to sleep on her own. She lay her head on Cady's stomach, comforted by her steady breathing. Her eyes stung with the effort to stay awake.

Outside the window, an owl settled lightly on a branch. Whoo, whoo.

Cady stirred, and sat up. "Did you hear that?"

"Of course I did. It was an owl, silly." Kendal waved dismissively with her hand, aggravated that she had lost her comfortable position.

"Not that." Cady insisted, "That."

Kendal strained her ears.

Whoo, whoo.

"I don't hear anything." She said after a moment, turning back to Cady and arching one eyebrow.

Cady flopped back onto her pillow and heaved a heavy sigh, "Maybe I'm going crazy."

Kendal crossed her legs and inched closer, "No, tell me what you heard. I'm listening." She cupped her head in her hands and looked at her friend expectantly.

Suddenly bashful, Cady shook her head violently, "No, no, it was just a trick of the mind. It doesn't matter."

Beside her, Kendal shrugged, "If you say so."

Just then, the door opened, and Cady's parents hurried in with wide eyes. "Cady, Kendal!" Her mother shrieked, "We heard what happened." Tears brimmed at her eyes when she noticed that massive amount of bandages across their faces and the bruises that marked their bodies.

Her father remained still, a solemn expression written in the knitted line of his lips. He glanced back and forth between the two girls, then shook his head.

"Kendal, your parents are on their way. They might be a while." Cady's mom comforted, kneeling beside the bed to take Kendal's hand.

Mr. Somber crossed his arms, "I think it's about time they told us what's going on." He paused, "And this time, the truth, please."

"We ran after the man." Kendal said, looking down.

"We're well aware of what you did. What we'd like to know, is why."

Cady and Kendal exchanged glances, then fell silent.

"Cady!" Her father shouted suddenly, seething with rage, "This is a serious matter, you could face charges for this! You assaulted an innocent man on the street! Who does that?!"

A nurse peeked in through the door, "Excuse me, sir, but the girls are recovering, shouting is strongly prohibited."

Mr. Somber shot her a nasty look, and she immediately shut the door. When he looked back over at the girls, Cady was crying.

"He wasn't innocent." She whispered.

"What? Speak up!" Her father boomed.

Cady screamed, launching a large, white pillow and her father, "He wasn't innocent!"

Cady's mom looked up, utter shock and alarm flashing in her eyes. Beside her, Kendal buried her head in her hands.

It was all over.

Everything they had worked so hard to keep concealed, everything they had done to save themselves, was all for naught. Nothing could save them now.

Nothing, except perhaps, for the truth.

But before Kendal could speak, Cady interjected, "He wasn't innocent. We think he had something to do with the murder."