Taste of Honey

Sunrise Sorrow

    Honey takes two steps forward, but collapses. She begins to dream of one of her most vivid memories, the night her parents were found, murdered. 

     "Heyyyy Hon.... do me a quick favor and come pick me and Heidi up from Kace's house pleaseeee" Sadie's voice calls through the phone, loud music blares in the background. Honey picks up her purse and heads out the door. Mona follows behind, on Honey's heels. 

     "Mona you probably don't wanna come with me. I'm headed to go pick up Sadie and Heidi from Kace's." Honey warns her fragile sister. Mona dismisses her. They drive, and it starts to rain. Mona sits in the back seat re-reading The Great Gatsby and drinking a cup of tea by flashlight. Honey turns on some music, and they drive in the rain in peace. They pull up to Kace's house, and it is obvious that a massive party is going on. Cars back out into the street, and it looks like every light in the house is on. 'Hollaback Girl' plays from inside. 

     "I'll stay in the car" Mona stated, and quickly got back to reading her book . Honey pushes her way through the party, trying to find her sister. She passes Heidi, sitting on the couch with half the soccer team, swim team, and band. 

    "Hey Heidi, sorry to ruin the party, but its time to go home. Where is Sadie?" Honey asks her sister. She points to the kitchen, and turns back toward the crowd. Honey marches for the kitchen, where clouds of smoke drift out. With an eye roll steps into the kitchen, where she sees about 12 kids smoking and drinking. She sees Sadie, not smoking nor drinking, just playing with a lighter. 

    "This party's boring. Where's Heidi?" Asks Sadie as she clicks the lighter on. Infuriated, Honey grabs her sister's wrist, and drags her to the lounge. 

     "Heidi, LETS GO" Barks Honey. Grabbing both of her sisters wrists in each hand, she pulls them to the car. She shoves Heidi into the backseat and Sadie into the front seat. Honey backs out of the driveway,  fuming. Thunder rolls in the distance, and silver bolts of lighting ballet across the horizon. When they near their house, Honey drives past. 

     "Ummm, Honey, you just missed the turn" Sadie comments as she examines her nails. Honey hits the steering wheel with frustration.

     "I know that lil miss smokes a lot. What would you did if Mom and Dad found out you two went to a party tonight? Do you know how disappointed they would be?" Honey says in desperation. Sadie and Heidi lower their heads, Mona looks out the window, tracing the gentle paths of rain drops that roll down the window slowly. 

     "Kace said it was only goin to be a few people, Honey. I'm sorry" Sadie replies, looking over to Honey for redemption. Honey shakes her head and keeps driving. Time passes, and the rain gradually changed into a light drizzle. Eventually Honey pulls into a parking lot, on top of a hill which overlooked the bay. She lay her head back, in exhaustion and sadness. 

     "Why do you hate us?" Sadie asks quietly, knowing as soon as she said it, that it was a mistake. Tears begin to leak down Honey's face, and she runs her fingers through her hair. Across the bay an echoing rumble of thunder calls out, as if a final battlecry. 

   Softly, almost inaudible Honey replies, "I don't hate you.. I love you. If I hated you I would have taken you straight home for mom and dad to see you both wasted and ratted you out. If I hated you I would not have went and picked you up. Can't you see? It's all because I care about both of you. And even though you make so so many mistakes, I could never hate you. Sadie, Heidi, Mona, you three are the most perfect sisters I could ever ask for.". 

     Honey looks back out the window. The luminous stars slowly fade away, marking the dawn of a new day. Beautiful dancing colors begin to paint the sky. At first a dark navy, then transforming into a lavender purple. The purple turns into a salmon pink. "I don't think I have ever said thank you." whispered Heidi from the backseat. 

    "Thank you, Honey" Heidi and Sadie seem to say in unison. With a nod, Honey pulls out of the parking lot and heads home. As soon as they approach the house, Mona sticks her head up from her book.

     "Somethings wrong... Honey... Something is WRONG" Mona says shaking Honey's shoulder. Heidi nods her head, agreeing. 

    "I feel that too, Mona.." Heidi says grabbing her sister, and pulling her into a tight hug. Honey stops the car and gets out. Their front door, slightly ajar creaks as the morning fog creeps eerily in. Mona rushes up to the door, and a gust of wind seems to whisk out. Sadie pushes her aside flings the door open even more. Books are flung of the shelf, as if someone was looking for something. A hissing sound comes from behind the couch. The family cat, Casper, is balled up hissing with his claws out. Honey reaches her hand to soothe the cat, but she touches something wet on the couch. Lifting her hand up, a drop of red drips off the end of her finger. She gasps, and runs into their parents bedroom. The victorian style house, which normally full of noises of laughter is filled with a spine-chilling, blood-curdling, deafening silence.

     In the bedroom, Mona sits, sobbing, over her mother. Their bodies lay on opposite walls, as if they were flung like dolls out of their bed. Honey covers her mouth. "HEIDI CALL THE POLICE!" Sadie shouts from the bedroom door. 

    Within half an hour multiple police cars and an ambulance is at the Bailey Estate. Roman and Ester Bailey are declared dead on the scene. Mona sits, wrapped in a blanket in Sadie's arms as the police interview her. 

    They report no fingerprints or evidence DNA found at the scene, and no tire tracks in the mud from the get away car. 

     The only thing found at the scene, which Sadie found but didn't report, was a pendant, with the Aether element symbol engraved on the front, and a name on the back. "Rosemari".