Forgotten

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

   Jenna came home and flipped on the lights. She felt like she was being watched. Shaking her head she closed the door behind her and locked it. She walked into the lonely apartment and took a moment to regain her thoughts.

   Lena is dead, I took too long and now one victim is dead. How could this happen.

   She slid her shoes off and shuffled to the kitchen to make a warm cup of hot cocoa. As the milk got hot in the microwave, she watched outside and observed the grey clouds coming in. Matching her mood, thunder boomed in the distance. The beeping of the microwave sounded and she pulled the mug out, putting the pack of cocoa in the water. Walking over to the couch, she curled her feet under her and just sat, zoning out. She couldn’t stop thinking of the look on Lena’s face when Brandon lifted her head. She had seed a rectangle around her mouth as if tape had been there.

   Why did he take the tape off her mouth? Jenna pondered on this, remembering the attacker had been defined as a psychopath by Jeff, the criminal psychiatrist.

   She slowly sipped her hot cocoa and tears slipped from her eyes. She kept a straight face felling numb. She finished off the last of her cocoa but didn’t feel any better. The rain started to come down in a soothing rhythm. In one swift movement, she pulled her legs out from underneath her and hopped off the couch. She placed her mug in the sink and tuning around, she stopped and looked back. She really needed to get those dirty dishes in the washer. Pursing her lips, she waved a hand at them and moved to grab the phone. Dialing Mrs. Sander’s number, she sat on the armrest of the couch listening to the ringing on the other end.

   A woman’s voice answered on the third ring, “Hello?”

   “Hi Mrs. Sanders, its Jenna.” She paused, wondering what all she could tell her without telling her too much. She waited too long and Mrs. Sander’s voice came through the phone again.

   “Are you alright dear?” She sounded concerned and Jenna took a deep breath before answering.

   “Yes, I was just wondering…” she paused again, struggling to fight tears from falling.

   “Jenna, you are always welcome. Come on over dear.”

   Jenna was relieved and grateful for this woman. “I’ll be over in just a minute.”

   “The door is unlocked, just come on in.” The phone clicked and she set it back in the cradle. She quickly went to the back of the apartment and into her room. Slipping off her pale blue, knee-high dress that she still had on from church, she grabbed some black leggings and a baggy gray sweatshirt that went mid thigh. She put on some boots and a black rain jacket, grabbed her umbrella and locked the door behind her on the way out. She flipped up the umbrella and punched her other fist in her jacket pocket as she walked across the street to Mrs. Sander’s house.

   Jenna left the umbrella on the doorstep and walked in. The house was warm and welcoming. A soft glow came from the living room to her right. Walking down the hall, she looked at the pictures on the wall. There were black and white ones of her and her husband when they were teenagers and dating. Another one on their wedding day, and as she walked on, she started seeing pictures of their son and as he grew up.

   Mrs. Sander’s husband passed away three years ago when he had a stroke. Just as she has been there for Jenna, Jenna was always there for her. They had been very close ever since she started coming to Living Waters Baptist Church when she was 15.

   Jenna stuck her head in the living room and saw Mrs. Sanders on the couch with her glasses on and her Bible in her lap. She looked up and took off her glasses when Jenna entered the room. Patting the seat next to her she called Jenna over. Jenna poked her bottom lip out and lied down on the couch, resting her head on Mrs. Sander’s lap. As a mother would, she stroked Jenna’s hair and Jenna let the tears run free.