A Complete Family

What Was Inside The Safe

I calmed down and looked at the safe underneath the bed.

“We need to open that safe, no matter what.”

I took a look around the room and so did Shannon.

“Hailey? Is this Aunt Carmen, your mother?” Shannon asked as she pointed at a picture frame up on the wall. I just nodded.

Suddenly, the frame fell and broke into shards on the floor.

“Oh my! I’m sorry, Hailey,” she said as she turned to me.

SHANNON’S POINT OF VIEW

~I can’t believe I broke that picture frame. How stupid of you, Shannon Blake!~

I looked at Hailey and I swear she was about to explode. Well, I thought she was until she said, “What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

She pointed at the broken frame. I looked down and found what she was trying to figure out. There was something behind the frame – a piece of paper that had blood on it. I picked it up and gave it to Hailey who was now standing beside me. She opened it and smiled.

“I think you just found the combination to the safe, Shannon.”

My eyes widened as I got the paper from her.

~Maybe she’s right. Maybe this is really the combination to the safe.~

Hailey walked towards the bed and got the safe from underneath the bed.

“What’s the combination, Shannon?”

I looked at the piece of paper once more and read it out aloud, “7-2-7-2-4”

As I finished reading it, Hailey pressed the keys. She turned the knob and voila, it opened. I ran to Hailey who was now very excited to open the safe and to know what the contents were. We started with the pieces of paper which turned out to be letters to my mother, Sarah. They looked like love letters to me, only they were from Hailey’s father, I mean Mr Adams.

“He was courting her, Shannon, right before she met your father,” Hailey said.

I suddenly caught a glimpse of a photo album. When I opened it, I found four children laughing in a picture. I looked at the caption and read, “Childhood Friends: Carter Blake, Sarah Mason, Theodore Adams and Carmen Mason”

“They were friends right from the start?” Hailey asked.

I turned to the next page and there was my mother and Mr Adams, holding hands. The caption read, “Best Friends Forever”

The next page showed Carmen and my father. The caption, then, read, “Childhood Sweethearts”

The next few pages were teenage versions of these adults. Nothing changed between these guys, except Carmen wasn’t in the picture. I saw Theodore far away from Sarah and Carter.

A several pages later, it was only Sarah and Carter, holding hands. They were adults now. I also caught a glimpse of a ring that looked like an engagement ring on my mother’s finger. The caption also read, “Just Got Engaged”. Beside the picture was a note from Sarah: Carmen, I did what you asked of me. I took care of Carter while you were in the academy. He did fall in love with me, like you’ve guessed. I promise to make him feel the best. I ask for your blessings, dear sister. We’re getting married on the 6th of January, 1980. I wish to see you the night before. I miss you, Carmen.

On the next page was a picture of my parents on the day they got married. Their families were there, too. Carmen was nowhere to be seen, but I could feel her pain that day, when she imagined the man she loved marry her own sister.

When I opened the last page, I found a letter from my mother to Carmen. It said,

“My Dearest Carmen,

Why haven’t I seen you at the wedding day? I was so worried about you. You could have at least told me you were leaving. I miss you, Carmen. Why don’t you write me back after you read this? I will be waiting, Carmen.

By the way, I compiled all those pictures you saw a while ago. I hope you love it. It took me a hard time to choose those pictures. I hope you visit us on the holidays. I love you, my dear sister.

Sincerely Yours,

Sarah”                                 

I let out a sigh. Hailey took a package wrapped in brown paper. She ripped the brown paper and found tapes.  She stood up and played the tapes one by one.

“Meet me at Sarah’s tombstone on the 16th or you won’t be able to see Hailey Grace alive ever again.”

It sounded like Mr Adams. Hailey played another one.

“What are you doing?” the woman screamed.

“I did everything I could for Sarah to love me but she chose Carter over me,” it was Mr Adams.

“Theo, whatever Sarah did, it’s all over now. She’s already dead.”

“She may be dead, but you’re still here.”

“What does that mean, Theo?”

“You’re going to have to replace your sister’s duty to love me.”

He laughed sinisterly.

“Still don’t get it, Carmen? I killed your precious sister! I shot her with this gun.”

Carmen screamed in pain.

Hailey looked at me who was still sitting beside the safe. My eyes now wet from tears.

“How could you kill Sarah?” Carmen yelled.

“I had enough of the pain. She was killing me. It was time I did the same.”

Carmen kept on crying.

“Theo, what are you going to do? Untie me from this chair, you psychopath!”

“I’m going to hit you with this wooden club so you can forget who you are. So you can be my Sarah.”

He laughed sinisterly once more.

Then, we heard countless banging. Hailey squatted on the floor as she covered her mouth with her palm. Her tears were streaming from her eyes now.

The banging suddenly stopped.

“There. That should do it. If you still remember who you are, I’d go mental.”

The tape turned to a stop. It was already dark outside.