Town Slayer

Jumping to Conclusions

  SUMMARY OF THE FIRST CHAPTER
Janet was abused by her husband, she later discovers him bleeding on the floor when she goes to check on him. She sends her little boy, Tommy to get help while she tries to stop his bleeding.
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Terrified, Janet runs towards the safety of the woods. She knows running from the law is probably the dumbest thing she can possibly do, but realizes if she sticks around any longer, she'll go down for a murder she didn't commit.

I have to find a safe place to hide. She reasons as she dashes through the forest. After running for what seems like forever, she notices an old abandoned cabin nestled deep in the woods.

She first notices the porch is condensed to mere slivers of decayed wood. She then realizes its roof is collapsing inward; thick hardy vines encompass the crumbled structure.

Throwing the door open, Janet plops down on the hardwood floor; dust particles scatter around her. Her chest burns and legs ache as she gasps for much-needed air. Random thoughts race through her mind as she tries to control her breathing.

She first remembers how happy she was on her wedding day, so full of love and hope for their bright future ahead. She then recalls how her wondrous bliss turned into terror. The countless times Bill left her bleeding on their cold tile floor. How his heavy hand sent her into premature labor, which caused her to lose their first baby. She then pictures Bill on their carpeted floor, blood gushing from his wound. She recalls how the cops dragged her across their yard in handcuffs, and the looks her neighbors gave her as she passed them by.

"What am I going to do, where am I going to go, how will I ever survive?" she cries in the darkness.

****

Rachel sees an officer holding the frightened preschooler when she walks across the lawn. Jeff has only been with the department for a few short months but shows a lot of potential. 

"I need to talk to him for a second if you don't mind," Rachel says, reaching for the young lad.

Timmy grabs a hold of Jeff tighter. "I don't wanna talk. I don't wanna, " the child sobs.

"Honey, I know this is hard for you, but I need to figure out what happened tonight, alright?"

"No, I don't want to talk about it. I don't. I don't," He buries his face in the officer's shoulder.

Jeff gently rubs the child's back."You need to tell this nice Detective what you told me, alright?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it. I want my mommy and daddy," The lad sobs. 

How would I get my baby sister to talk to me? Rachel, thinks,  picturing her sisters in her mind.  "Your mommy needs your help, and you can do that by telling us what happened tonight."

Timmy wipes the moisture from his tear-streaked face. "Mommy needs my help?" Timmy asks, wiping his face with his sleeve again. 

"She's counting on you, Timmy. So be a big boy and tell me what happened, alright?"

"I... I'll try." He hiccups. Timmy's face becomes sober, he glances into the distance and says, "Daddy came home and started yelling at mommy. I got scared, so I ran to my closet to hide. I always feel safer in there," he explains.

Rachel pulls a notebook from her pocket. "Then what happened, honey?"

"I heard mommy yelling my name. I didn't go to her at first cause I was afraid daddy would hit me too. He does that  sometimes when I've been bad." Raising his shirt, the lad shows her the bruises on his back.

Rachel gets a sorrowful look on her face. "What happened next, Honey?"

"I saw Mommy next to Daddy covered in blood. My bat was right beside her and it had blood on it too. " Shoving his face into Jeff's shoulders he starts to cry. "It's my fault daddy's dead. My fault that he died.  If I hadn't brought that stupid bat home none of this would've happened," he sobs.