Withered.

9

I am sitting on a chair in a small dark room, lightened only by one light bulb which is above a metal table. There aren't many things in this room. Only the table, the chair I am sitting on, and the other chair where the cop is suppose to be. There is also a camera pointed at me. And a huge mirror on the whole wall in front of me. I know that it is actually a window and that some people are watching me from the other side, but the only thing I can do in this moment, is to stare at my own reflection, waiting for a cop to come in and interrogate me.

I look horrible. I haven't got the chance to look into a mirror today and I didn't realize that I still have mascara on. Now I am looking like an emo guy who puts way too much underline. My hair is a mess. It's looking like some birds made their home out of it. My lips are dry like I haven't hydrated myself properly for a several among of time. My skin is paler than ever. I look worse than a hungry vampire portrayed in a really bad supernatural show. I can feel my stomach gnawing and I remember that I haven't eaten anything since yesterday.

I don't think that any of these guys would be gentle enough to get me a sandwich.

The door opens after a while and a guy dressed in a suit comes in, holding some files. He sits down, in front of me. He gives me an odd look, maybe because of my appearance. However, I decide to ignore it. His impression of me is the last thing I care right now.

"Hi. My name is Scott Herald. You must be Aaliyah Wilson, is that right?" he asks me, checking up his files.

"Yes."I respond to him.

"Aaliyah. You have a pretty name." he smiles.

"Thank you. " I say confused.

'Does he compliment all the people that come here?'

"I am just going to ask you a few questions. It's nothing to be nervous about. Just tell me the truth and this is going to be over sooner than you expect."

'I doubt this would be over soon enough' I think to myself, but I nodd to him. I guess I can say he is pretty nice for a cop.

"Can you describe your family for me? Just a couple words."

I sigh. I don't really want to remember anything right now, but I tell him. I know I must.

"Well... It's not much to tell. My mother died a couple years ago in a car accident. So it was only the three of us. My brother and I get along very well. He is like my best friend. My father is always busy with his job. He doesn't really have time for us, so it's basically just me and Alec."

"I understand." he nods, looking down to his papers. "What was the relationship between your brother and your father?" he asks me, after he writes down my answer on one of his files.

"They did get along. My father wouldn't have really often a reason to be mad at him. Alec respects him enough to not make any reasons. He is a calm person. An introvert, I can say."

"And what was your relationship with your father?" he raises his glance to me, looking at me with a pair of very curious brown eyes.

"We don't talk much. Didn't talk much." I correct myself. "He was always gone as I said, because of his job... or other things I guess. He was punishing me a lot for silly reasons." I answer, after a moment of hesitation.

I don't know if I should tell him about his affair, or if I should keep it to myself and leave it coming to surface on it's own.

'But how will.it come to surface if nobody knows but me and Dylan?'

This thought began to lay on my chest. I could feel it heavier.

'I should tell them. Dylan is not going to be interogated for sure. He has nothing to do with this and he won't talk on his own.'

My chest starts to hurt while I watch the pen from his hand leaving marks on a piece of paper.

"And did that make you angry?"

I frown at him. I know that he needs to dig for answers wherever he can, but I still feel like he crosses the line somehow.

"I mean, yeah... I guess. I am a teenager and he is my parent. Was." I can't get used to this. "You can realize by yourself that at this age, relationships with parents aren't always honey and milk." I say to him, bitterly.

'God, it's so hot in here, I can barely breath.'

"Ok. And where were you this morning between 5:30 and 6:30 A.M.?" he asks, looking down at his papers.

I can feel my cheeks flushing. I start beating my leg on the floor quicker and I feel a lump in the throat. Only now I start to realize how this situation is making me look.

'How could I be so blind, for God's sake.'

Yes, I know, we didn't have the best relationship in the world, but they should realize that I am not that sick to kill my own father, shouldn't they?

''Are you actually accusing me for my father's murder?''

He raises his glance up to me, closing his folder. He is looking at me with exasperation. I assume there are plenty of people who said that and they were guilty in the end. I know he must be thinking of how annoying I am, and naïve, considering the question I have just asked.

Why didn't I realize that they are suspecting me from the moment I stepped into this room? They do have all the reasons in the world in order to do it. I wasn't in the house at the time of the murder, but I have no alibi for that, so they can assume whatever they want. They could put me in jail right now. They have everything they need.

''Miss Wilson, we need to explore all the resources we can get. At this moment, anyone can be a suspect, and according to our experience, the main suspects should be family and close friends. The fact that you disappeared exactly at the murder time isn't a very convenient thing to add up to your file.'' he says roughly to me.

I decide that he doesn't actually like me at all, considering his coldness towards me. ''So you can talk now, or you can spend the rest of your day in a cell. Or days, depending to your collaboration."

That is so unfair. Making me a suspect based on nothing but an absence. My toe starts beating on the floor faster and faster and I feel that I can't keep it in me anymore. If I don't tell them about the affair between Alison and my father they will keep on haunting me.

But I can't tell them. They will think it is another reason for me to kill him. However, the list of suspects grows and they will have to leave me alone for a little bit. Enough for me to clear my head.

My head is spinning around and I become more nervous with every second that passes. I start to remember Alison. How everything I thought our friendship was turned out to be a lie. I thought about my father and how he lied to us. My chest becomes heavier with every thought that crosses my mind. Suddenly, the idea that Alison is not going to be interogated goes through my mind and my anger grows inside of me making me explode.

I sit up from the chair, lean above the table so I can be closer to his face and I spill it all out.

"Instead of wasting time on me, why won't you go and ask Alison about this? I am sure she knows a lot of things, being my father's lover behind me and my brother's back! Maybe she can give you some more details! She surely spent a lot more time with him than me or Alec!" I yell to him.

I don't bother asking him if I can leave. Instead, I take my backpack and go straight to the door. I put my hand on the cold metal latch and open the door. As I try to go through, a police man steps right into the doorway, blocking my way out.

"You have no right to keep me here. You have no real evidence against me" I say, turning my face to Mr. Herald. I need to breath fresh air so desperately. I feel like all the blood is coming straight to my cheeks and my lungs feel heavier than they should.

"You can let her go. We're done for now." I hear Scott's voice behind and the cop that's in front of me moves to the side, making me confront Alec's disappointed face staring at me as he was siting up from the bench. The look he gives me makes me feel like I have just been hit by a brick. I truly never felt so bad. "I hope you don't actually think this is the end of it, miss Wilson. This is just the beginning." says the Mr. Herald, who is suddenly behind my back, smiling at me. "It was a pleasure meeting you, I'll see you soon."

I remain speechless, staring at him, as Alec comes to me and grabs my hand.

"Let's get out of here" says Alec grabbing me to the exit.