Crazy Enough...

Chapter 15

An hour after the shadow incident, we walked as a small posse-like group towards the police station. Once we were there, Makenzie and Vincent said they would stay in the waiting room, but I insisted that they come in with me.

We waited in Detective Myanna's office, for not even five minutes before my parents arrived. The meeting was nothing like I had expected. There was no running to wards the long-lost parents, no big reunion hug. None of the things that happened in the movies. We just stared ta each other, taking it all in.

My mother was about my height, and had the same jet-black hair as me. Hers was is perfect condition though, as was silky straight like Cecei's. Grey hairs sprinkled around her hairline, like grains of salt in a pepper shaker. Her face was long, and her lips were full. Her eyes were a murky blue like mine, only describable as dirty dish water.

My father was tall, probably around six feet two. His hair was more salt and pepper than my mothers, but was deep brown rather than black. He had untidy hair that looked like he had tried to tidy it. His eyes were sunken in and an odd green. His face was heart shaped, with a widow's peak at the top. His jawline was square, and well defined.

I wondered what they were thinking about me. Did I look like who they thought I'd look like?

"Ardene," My mother breathed, as if she expected me to say yes. I stood staring at her though.

"Say something to them," Vincent whispered in my ear.

"Ummm, Hi?" I said, I had never done this before and was unsure of what proper protocol for conversation starters was.

"Who are they?" My father asked, looking at Makenzie and Vincent.

"My friends, Vincent and Makenzie," I said, motioning to them one at a time.

"Boyfriend?" my father asked, and my mother elbowed him, then mumbled something I couldn't hear.

The rest of the meetup was awkward but by the end got more comfortable. They didn't rent a hotel, and stayed at my house. It was like a weird sleepover, only we didn't sleep. Once we were comfortable, we told storied of our lives, so that we felt like we knew each other. I didn't know how they'd ever know me though, because I didn't even know me.

It was odd to be called Ardene, but I got used to it, and I finally got used to calling them Mom and Dad. By morning light everything seemed normal. We had an arrangement, where they would stay here for a week, so that we could get everything sorted. Between paperwork, packing and saying goodbye, it would definitely take longer than a week.

Though I had just gotten to Wickerby a moth prior, a and wanted to get out as quickly as possible, I was compelled to stay. Like my soul had attached itself to this dark town, and the people in it. There was something there that I couldn't leave. Maybe it was Toby, or Vincent, or maybe it was the unsolved mysteries of the serial killer. Something happened in this town that I could never leave behind.

The next six days passed painfully, I wanted to leave so badly and, yet I wanted to stay. My true home was across the country, and as much as I knew I was going, I still had a feeling that I would be staying in Wickerby longer than anticipated.

We were packing up the house, and mostly everything was in boxes. Most of the house was being donated or sold, because they had a fully furnished cottage like house. I had seen pictures, and it was a beach property, over an acre in land, that ended on the ocean. It was like a dream cottage, but it was my home. It was only my personal possessions such as clothing, books, and jewelry that we were taking with us. I was stressed about the move. Maybe because even though I had done it before, this was going to be the last time, hopefully.