𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬; #2 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 - #1 - 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.
After the tragic death of both parents, Sutton and Jaime are sent to live with their aunt in Emmett for a fresh new start. But things take a dark turn for the worse when...
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S U N D A Y
"Good evening. I'm Michael Dahmer with the 6 o'clock news. I am standing in the town of Newport where residents are still grieving the loss of two well-known people. Charles Kennedy was sentenced to life in prison this evening for the brutal double murder of local Newport residents and council members, Jessica and Mitchell Johnson. Investigators say the two were murdered in their very own bed the night of October 30th. Charles killed the pair in their sleep and fled once their oldest daughter walked in at the scene of the crime. Though the town is grateful for their two children making it out alive, the death of their parents will leave a tragic mark on this once quiet town—"
As the news went on about the tragic story that was Sutton's life, she sat in front of the coffee table in the small living room of her aunt's apartment complex. Drawing in her sketch book. Every now and again she would glance up at the TV screen and roll her eyes whenever a person would appear sobbing as if someone had physical harmed them. Had taken something away from them. Wishing they could have done something. Declaring their "love" and "compassion" for the family. But in actuality, all they wanted was their fifteen minutes of fame.
Each time Sutton would mentally scoff to herself as she wondered; if any of that were true, if they really did care as much as they said they did, then why had she never seen them before in her life?
Why hadn't they ever came over for dinner once in awhile? Or tried to help when her family nearly went bankrupt?
How come they were all strangers to her?
Sutton was no fool. She knew the majority of the time when someone said they were sorry, they weren't really sorry. And that aggrieved her. Feigned compassion and empty apologies. She hated fake people.
But she tried not to dwell on it too much. She didn't need some strangers telling her—reminding her—what she already knew.
It wasn't really something someone could easily forget.
All that blood . . .
The front door opened and in came her Aunt Carol, the only family she and Jaime had left.
"Hey, kiddo," Carol chimed as she dropped her keys in the bowl and slipped her jacket off. She instantly regretted it, though, when Sutton kept her back to her and continued drawing.
The screen went black for a split second as it changed to commercial. In the dark reflection, Sutton saw the silhouette of Carol standing at the living room entrance. She turned and closed her sketching pad.
Carol was young. In her mid-twenties. The great age difference between Carol and Sutton's mother made it all the more explainable why the two were never close. They were so estranged that Jaime and Sutton never even knew about Carol up until a few weeks ago. When child services told them they would be living with her—given their young ages.
