The Lasting Days Of Samantha Piper

6- In Those Who Seek Salvation

Since it took me more than a week to update, I guess another chapter would do some good! I hope you'll understand how weirdly busy I am (with roller coasters of life and a mournful lack of internet) but still, like always... I'm begging you to forgive me haha.

"All those who try to unveil the mysteries always have tragic lives. At the end they are always punished."
-- Anais Nin

TROY's POV

The police station has a really odd looking prison, complete with chipped up wall paint and yellow stained cubicles. The guards opened the cell and guided me, Carlo, and Michael to the hallway with their hands clasped to our backs. Somewhere from the intersecting hall, another guard emerged, holding Shantelle, who seem to find the situation irritating. You can see it by the way she rolled her eyes.

As we head down to the main office, I saw my parents as well as my friend's parents sitting on a still bench. Their faces share the same I'm disappointed with you look.

My friends and I gone back home without any goodbyes with each other- our heads bowed down so we won't have any awkward glances with other people. I understand now the feeling, how ashamed I am from exiting a police station with my parents ushering me in the middle of the night. Still, I pressed my palms hard to the piece of paper we found under the poster. Samantha, I won't fail you.

I recall the night to my parents (which was complete with typical teenage lies, revisions, and subtraction of the story). I told them I just want to see Sam's belongings because I miss her and how we were trapped by the police, greeting us at the backdoor, but I did not dare mention anything about the clues or the mission.

"Son, it's good to remind yourself of the one you lost. But it doesn't mean you have to sneak to their house just to go through their stuffs- that's still trespassing." My mother complained, her one hand rubbing the surface of her forehead.

"I know mom, it's just that-"

Dad, glancing at me in the rear view mirror, then back to the road he was driving, cut me off, "Then you should've known better Trojan."

At home, I locked myself in my room, again. I changed into pajamas and head straight to my bed, looking out the window and seeing Samantha's face smiling at me through the stars. Is this normal? Seeing the dead wherever you go?

I opened the small folded paper from recently and thrust it up in front of my face. There, written in curvy lines was one all capped statement.

Dear Trevor,

If there something I arbitrarily learned from wanting you, it was definitely this:

WHERE OUR ENDS MEET, OUR CENTER ALWAYS BEGINS.

I finally got tired of thinking what the sentence means. Where do ends meet? What center is she talking about? Will this lead me to another clue? I surrendered, feeling my consciousness slip back to the void of slumber... in fact it has been a very long night.

Waking up with sound of Summer Paradise in my ringtone, I sat on my bed and neatly fold the bed sheets. Looking at my very own hands, the sharp tugging came back again. My eyes begun to wet, my lips pressed out of pain. With the aching realization of what comes off to be a fact, tears fell down my cheeks and into my palms. It's another day with Samantha gone forever. Last night was like something else, I assume I was okay when we fled to the Piper mansion. Now, I'm not so sure why but the sadness crept back again- the beautiful memories, the priceless laughter, her touch, her stare, all vanished in the world. How will I ever be going to move on? It is like a stone throwing itself into my skull and then disappearing and then hitting again. The process of grief was a twisted and ugly process.