Guilty

Chapter One: The Tornado

        I heard the knock first. It's not like they were quiet, they were the police after all they don't have to be decent.

        I didn't move until I heard my sisters footsteps coming up the stairs, I already knew why they were here.

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        This was supposed to be a week long relaxing vacation. I was to come back home to Nebraska, and stay at my sisters house in our hometown Lincoln. My plans went awry the second I stepped into the rather large two story house.

        It was cold.

        No family pictures on the walls.

        No flowers on the end tables.

        My sister loves flowers.

        "Abby! Hello! It's Emily!" I have been here before and she told me she might not be home, since my flight was early. That's why I helped myself to the key under the mat. "Abby?"

        I heard some shuffling from upstairs and figured that Abby might be trying to put my nephew Tristan down to sleep, so I quietly climbed the stairs.

        But when I reached the top landing everything got weird. When I reached the first door, which seemed to be an office I grew worried. The desk was overturned, and papers were all scattered about the floor.

        The wall was wet and smelt of bourbon. Almost as if someone threw a glass full of alcohol towards it. My theory was proven correct as there was a pile of shattered glass on the floor underneath the moist stain.

        I heard running water and quickly ran to where the noise was coming from.

        "Abby, Abby! Is that you?" Walking into what I'm assuming was the master bedroom, I had to stop myself from gasping out loud.

        The wreckage was even worse.

        Her four poster bed was missing two posts, while the sheets lay scattered across the floor. As I look around I count exactly eight holes in the wall, and notice that the closet doors are hanging off their hinges.

        Not meaning to speak out loud I say, "What the hell happened here?" It looks like a freaking tornado came through here.

        I heard a broken sob coming from the bathroom, "Abby?" I was afraid to talk any louder than a whisper. However it must have been loud enough for whoever was in the bathroom because the door slammed shut abruptly.

        "Um... I'll be out in a minute Emy. I'm just getting out of the shower. Can you go check on Tristan for me?"

        She sounded fine, "Yeah, sure but hurry up." I need to find out whet the heck happened here!

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        Tristan was awake, but he looked like he has been awake for the past seven days.

        "Hello Tristy! How is my little baby boy today?"

        I picked him up and he immediately clung to me. "Aww I missed you too little guy!" And I really did miss this little curly headed kid. After all I had only seen him three times since he's been born. And not at all in the last year. The fact that he remembers me has my eyes temporarily misting up, because it feels good to know that someone in this damned house was missing me.

        As I was rocking him on my hip Abby came in and she looked like shit.  What wierded me out was that Tristan didn't reach for his Mommy like I expected him to. And she didn't look at him for any more than three seconds before she turned away and started nervously fidgeting with his toys. Which I might add were far and few between.

        "Abby what happened here?" I whispered because Tristan was slowly falling back asleep.

        "Nothing Emy. So how's mom?"

        "Don't tell me nothing happened here Abby, I'm not freakin blind! But okay let's change the subject. And I'm only allowing it because I don't want to talk about whatever-" I gestured to the walls around me with my free hand. "All this is in front of Tristan."

         Whatever was going on here was bad I just knew that much. And it wasn't only affecting Abby, but Tristan too.

        "Please Emy just let it go." I swear I have never heard my sister sound so desperate before.