Sticks And Stones

Chapter 1: Beth I

I stand in a tight fitting blazer and skirt, both black, tears streaming down my face, blissfully hidden by the lightly pattering rain. Our whole group and their families gathered around, none of us really cared for a shower when we were told that the nicest person who ever existed in our school, my best friend, Katherine Brown was murdered by someone wielding something sharp, but blunt at the same time, too sharp to be a cricket bat or a baseball bat, but not sharp enough to be a knife, they guess it has to have been a rock of some sort, but there was no fragments left in any of the wounds, which is what normally happens, as evidenced by the autopsy, but not only that, she was disemboweled, her organs strewn around her body. Police investigations naturally started as soon as her body was found.

She was walking home from a party, she left without anyone even knowing.

The last thing she said to me was "Gotta go relive myself, Elizabeth, darling, won't be a second." in her fake English accent that only she could get away with.

I just laughed and let her go, returning to the company of my boyfriend, Ethan. We got a little carried away with each other and didn't notice that she was gone until the next day.

Ethan, Jordan, Kyla, Brandon and me, apart from her immediate family, were the most affected, particularly Jordan and I.

"Babe, if you want to talk to me or anything, just spill your guts, I'll listen. Provided I'm coherent enough to do so." Ethan says, tears in his eyes, wrapping his arm around me and I manage to laugh, he can always make me laugh in the most unlikely of situations

"If there's anything I want to say, I will." I give him a peck on the lips and we smile, which leaves as soon as it came when we bring our eyes back to the coffin, the tears returning as well

A few hours pass and the service is almost over, Katherine's boyfriend, Jordan, her parents, and anyone else who wanted to say a few words has said their speeches. It didn't even feel like a few hours, I just let it wash over me, up until now, as we lower her coffin into the grave, I don't even bother to try to contain myself. I drop to my knees and let the tears flow. Ethan helps me up and I burrow my head into his shoulder and continue to sob until I have nothing left.

I look across to Katherine's family when I compose myself somewhat and the look of despair in both of their eyes is a look I'll never forget. Losing your 17 year old daughter just after it seemed like she was on the road to being set up for life is just...wrong, for her to be murdered too just adds insult to injury. Great grades, pursuing neurosurgery, nice boyfriend, and by the way they got on, they could have easily gotten married by next year. But now, Jordan stands, kneels rather, in a similar position to what I was, sobbing uncontrollably, just wishing that somehow, his soulmate isn't dead.

After that, the rest of the day went by in a heartbeat. We went to the wake, talked with the rest of the group, later I spent some time with Ethan, watching movies at his old, but cosy house that has a disproportionately expensive and large TV compared to what the rest of his house looks like.

I started crying again when we flicked past 13 Reasons Why. I know Katherine didn't kill herself but the whole plot makes me think of this situation. I ended up falling asleep on Ethan's shoulder watching American Horror Story. It's probably not the best show to watch in the state I'm in at the moment, but horror...it just takes me inside a whole new world, I just forget about everything else, I'd even stretch to say that I like being scared, Ethan's sort of the same, but not as much.

He ends up waking me at 10 pm "Come on, Babe, wake up, your parents'll freak if you're home late, I'll drive you."

I only manage to let out a "Mmmm...don't wanna go." And hug him around the chest

"Come on." he says, picking me up, carrying me to his car

"Taking Elizabeth home!" He calls to his parents and they yell something back in reply that I can't quite make out, probably 'meh, I'll see you soon, I guess'

He plops me down in the passenger seat of his metallic blue Hyundai and walks around to the driver's side to start the car and go for a 10 minute drive to my place.

For the first half, we sit in silence with me just staring out the window, watching the moonlit foliage fly past.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Ethan asks, patting my thigh, which brings me back to reality

I only shrug my shoulders and look back out the window, resting my head on the cool glass

"You know you can tell me anything, babe," He strokes my shoulder with his hand "I love you."

"I love you too," I smile and look at him, sighing "I don't know what to say, other than I'm feeling like shit, I mean, I-I'm never going to see my best friend again." At that, I start tearing up again, but I'm able to compose myself

"Sorry, I've just been crying so much today." I say, wiping my eyes

"Seriously? I'd be worried if you weren't. You know it's fine to cry in front of me."

I smile and close my eyes "Thanks, babe. I really do love y-"

"SHIT!" He screams, cutting me off, swerving the car out of the way of some guy jaywalking just in time

I look around in panic to see the guy barely flinch as the car goes past, in fact, a few metres after we pass him, a sense of fear wells up within me when I see the guy give a smile that seems way to big to fit on a human face, as if it'd been carved out of his cheeks and his eyes actually glowed, like cats' do when you put a light to them in the dark, his teeth glowed too and you couldn't see his nose or his ears or...any other facial feature normally present on a person.

"Did you fucking see that guy?!" I say to Ethan

"Yeah, he looked...deformed or something, I mean, his teeth and eyes, like, glowed and you couldn't see his nose or anything, he didn't even move when we nearly hit him." He speaks panicky

"I know, that's just...creepy, I mean, what was he doing out here at night? What if we'd hit him?"

Ethan sighs, shaking his head "I...I dunno. It's just good that we didn't, I guess."