KILLED

Chapter One

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is look out my window. Today is no different.
Snow weighs down the trees branches outside my window, and the sky is robin egg blue, cloudless and beautiful.
My phone rings just then, and I turn away from the view, slightly annoyed that my ritual has been interrupted, reaching over a pillow to pick up the device from the nightstand.
My eyes are too tired to read the caller ID, but I still click on the green phone symbol to pick up the call.
"Hello?", I drawl sleepily, laying my head back on my pillow and pulling the covers back up to neck.
"Tess, it's me", my best friend's voice says, her usually calm voice is frantic and panting.
"Sara, are you okay?", I ask, throwing the blankets off in one quick movement and sitting up.
"I need you. To get. To. Tree house. Now. Hurry."
"Why?"
"I messed up. Messed up bad."
"What so you mean?"
Sara doesn't reply, and the next thing I know the call has ended and I'm up changing into warm sweatpants and a soft hoodie before grabbing my phone and leaving my bedroom.
I clamber down the stairs, each step I take making a quiet thump against the cold wood steps.
"Tess? You up?", my mom calls from the kitchen. "Breakfast is almost ready. We can eat, and then we'll open presents."
"Rain check, Mom", I call back, taking my puffy blue winter jacket off of its hook by the back door and sliding it on in one quick move. "Sara called and asked me to meet her at the tree house. It sounded important but it shouldn't take long."
"You have your phone, right?" She pokes her head out the door, her brown eyes looking me over while a few strands of red hair hang loosely down, framing her face while the rest of her long hair is tied up in a messy bun.
My own bright hair is still braided back like it usually is when I wake up in the morning, as I haven't had time to pull it back.
"Yah, Mom." I lean on the wall for support as I tug on my left winter boot.
"Alright then. Have fun."
"Bye, I'll be back soon." I open the back door and step into the winter wonderland.
I run across my back yard, the cold wind stinging my nose and ears, turning the skin a slight pink shade.
I enter the woods and zigzag through the trees until I see the wooden structure built into the evergreen tree.
"Sara?", I call, my footsteps echoing as the soles of my boots slap against the wooden steps.
There is no reply, and I can't help wondering if I somehow managed to beat my best friend here.
Not likely, I think. Sara's too fast to not beat me here.
I open the door, my hands flying up to my mouth and a scream escapes my lips, filling the freezing air with the piercing, high pitched sound.
My best friend's body lies on the wooden floor, her head help up by the rope that is tied around her slender neck, which is secured to the ceiling. Blood still pools out of a wound in her abdomen, creating a vivid red puddle on the cedar planks.
Sara's gray eyes are wide open and glazed over slightly, her light hair pulled into a messy side ponytail.
When my brain fully registers these details, my hands drop away from my face, I turn on my heel, and then I burst into an adrenaline-filled sprint out the door.
I take the steps two at a time, and when my feet hit the snow covered earth, I take off again, running and running as fast as I can, feeling not free, but full of unfamiliar fear.
When I tear into the house, I find my mom sitting on the couch, staring at our Christmas tree with a soft smile on her face and a cup of coffee in her left hand, steam swirling up into the air in an intricate and beautiful pattern that only I can see.
"Tess? Are you alright?" She's at my side the instant she sees my face, the coffee mug crashing to the floor and shattering to a million pieces, the shards representing my heart.
"Call 911", I manage, my shoulders shaking. "Sara's dead."
»»»»-------------»
When the police cruiser arrives, I am curled up on the big armchair, now in warm pajamas and a cup of peppermint tea in my hand.
My mother's way of calming me down when something rattles me.
She gets up from the couch, lightly setting her warm hand on my cheek for a moment before leaving to answer the door.
Three men, two in suits, one in jeans and a t-shirt, enter my living room, their eyes meeting mine for a moment.
"Please, sit down", Mom says, gesturing to the sofa.
"Thank you ma'am", one in a suit says. His eyes are dark brown, almost black, and by looking at him I can tell that he has no idea that they aren't. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The man in the t-shirt holds up a hand before anyone can say anything else, his green eyes back on my face.
"You found the body, correct?", his voice is lighter than the other, but kind and showing intelligence.
I nod a little, burying my face in my knees.
"I think before we ask any questions, we should get all the information we can from the body", he says. To me and my mother, he adds, "Tyler Roberts, forensic analyst."
"Detective Sam Patrick", the other says. "And this is Detective Ren McCormick."
"Chloe Furlen", Mom replies. "This is my daughter, Tess."
"And where is the victim?"
This time I speak up and answer, "At the tree house."
"And that is?", McCormick asks, his voice a smooth baritone.
"In the forest. I can show you." I get up slowly, setting the coffee mug gently on the side table before moving slowly towards the door and picking up my coat from where I left it on the floor.
When my boots are on, the adults follow me outside, even though I could have told them to follow my footprints.
It just feels better to be doing something than to let Sara's death slowly sink in.