Afraid

Prologue

I guess third times the charm? Hopefully.
Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!

Read, Enjoy, Vote, Comment

****

Violet

9 years ago

I was currently at the police station, sitting on one of the many uncomfortable plastic chairs they have in their waiting room. I could see the same policeman who picked me up from my house a while ago. He was talking to my aunt in a hushed tone, across the room, away from where I was sitting, but not far away enough where I couldn't hear them altogether.

But they didn't need to know that.

I had to hear what they were saying. I had to know what was going on.

When the policeman, badge number 213, first picked me up from home, I didn't understand why. I didn't understand why he wouldn't just tell me why I had to go with him. I may be 8 years old but I'm not stupid. But instead, he just said I had to go with him and spent the entire drive to the station avoiding eye contact with me. But I could see it, the sadness in his eyes every time I asked him why he was taking me to the station. Every time I asked him if my mom and brother were there. Not once did he answer my questions.

When we arrived at the station, he sat me in the waiting room, placed his policeman jacket over my scrawny shoulders, and told me to wait here while he called my aunt.

I didn't understand why he needed to call my Aunt Jade. Why couldn't he call my mom?

I wanted to ask him all of this but he was already walking away, going into another room.

And when Aunt Jade did arrive, still no one would tell me what was going on. The policeman simply escorted her to the receptions desk to sign in and that's where they've been ever since, murmuring quietly to each other.

I listened in, surreptitiously, waiting for the answers I deserved.

"We found them...they didn't make it."

They? Who's they? Who did they find?

I could hear my aunt start to cry, holding one of her hands over her mouth, in an attempt to quiet her sobs but it was no use.
I could hear it.
I could hear everything they were saying to each other.

"Did they suffer?....I mean...," Aunt Jade lets out another heartfelt sob, "how did they...?"

Aunt Jade glances over at me from the corner of her eye, making sure I wasn't listening.
I look away on time, pretending to be fascinated by the bland walls of this police station.

I wait until they start talking again before I glance over at them again, listening tentatively.

The policeman, starts, "The crash was a fatal hit. The woman, your sister, seemed to have died instantly. But the boy, he was still hanging on when paramedics arrived at the scene. However, there was too much blood and he bled out at the scene before they could even transport him to the ambulance."

Wait, sister? But my mom's her sister.
Where's mom? Noah? They can't be dead.

They're not dead.

Aunt Jade's harrowing cries break the silence once more.

"I'm so sorry for your loss", the policeman continues.

"The...T-the man, what about the guy who crashed into them? Did you find him?"

"We were able to ID him based on a red light he ran as he fled the scene of the crime but we haven't found him yet".

Aunt Jade wipes the tears from her eyes, furiously.

"Who is he?", She demands, "tell me".

"It was your brother in law. Nikolai Emery".

And just like that my world collapsed.