Bone Roots

♛CHAPTER ONE♛

The television screen scratches with black and white stripes, the audio skipping every other word of the news report, ''Three accounts of murder have been reported to the Ackley Police Department this eerie morning.'' I freeze as I pause from painting the walls of my living room. My fingertips still dripping wine red, I chuckle, wiping them off on my cheeks before I cut off his next words, the screen fuzzes before finally blinking completely black as I slam down on the signal wires. My reflection is quite odd, my eyes hold the fire similar to a lightbulb burning a fly. My mind crashes as I fall to the floor, suddenly exhausted from all my hard work, my eyes flutter to the stained letters on the wall in front of me, R-Y-K-E-R covers the entire interior. With one last huff of breath, my body goes limp, my head rolling in the paint tray.

I awake to four thundering knocks on my front door, ''Amelia Rose! City police, open up!'' The voice sends goosebumps up my arms as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; like a class following the actions of their teacher. I slowly get to my feet, but confusion wins over me as I look around; this is not my loft.

My hands reach out to the stained couch that I stand before, the coffee rings on the baby wooden table brings utter disgust to my taste buds.

 ''I need to get out of here,'' my voice comes out like nails on a chalkboard, causing me to shutter. I crack my neck out of it's stiff position, groaning when my head feels as if it is a thousand pounds. I make my way to the splitting sound of the front door, reassuring myself that the wood is sturdy enough to keep me safe away from the brawny yelling coming from the other side of it.

    ''Amelia Rose, we have a warrant for your father!'' The outside voice shakes the walls of the house again, dust falling away from the burnt grass colored window frames, as the officer bangs his fists against the ramshackle door.  My eyes peaked through the side window, coming into my vision are two prodigious, uniformed men. A figure flashes in and out from behind them. My eyebrows furrow as he seems to be made of a curtain; almost as if he was, see through. I hear the yelling man gasp for another breath, his words bound to shake my bones yet again. I decide to take the wise choice of opening the door, I'm in their full eyesight, no sense of hiding now. However, I cannot help but to look for an escape path.

I could dart under the dresser, or I could find the kitchen and hide in the cabinets. My hand clenched tightly over the brass door knob, without knowing any better I would say I could break my own hand with such a harsh grip.

No, that's way too obvious. I shake my head over my stupidity, taking three deep breaths, but my inner conscious takes over my physical actions.

This is not your house, Amelia, think about it- if you open that door, you're doomed.

''Just like monstrous beast in the mist, sweetheart,'' this time the thoughts in my head didn't sound from inside my head, it was more of a demonic sound whispering in my ear. I feel if I turn my head I'll come face to face to the Spring-heeled Jack.

In the next moment, a chilling wind wraps around me, and just like that, the voice is gone, the feeling of being watched is rinsed away from my energy. My eyes level with the door again.

''If I open this door,'' I gulp down my shaky words, ''I-I'm, I'm doomed.''

 Before I can take my chance at bolting to find the kitchen, the door is busted down, the wood shattered as if it was made of clay, like a porcelain doll. The shards of wood that could not put up a fight against the officer's fist fall to my feet and it takes only that to make me bounce on my toes and take off before I can even process what I am running from.

''Amelia Rose!'' I ignore the dominant command from the man, but suddenly a ghostly figure appears in front of me, blocking my only exit. I raise my fist to pound my way through it, but I am stopped my ice cold metal clasping around my wrists, binding my strength. I fall to my knees as my breath comes out in puffs, blowing away the grime from the pair of steel toed boots that are leveled with my teary eyes.