The Death of Jacob Track (Book One of the 33X Series)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

So there it was. April had finally spoken aloud the truth she'd hidden for almost a year. Her heart should have felt relieved and less stressed, but it was quite the opposite. She felt panic rising in her chest. She knew who killed Jacob. She saw the murderer's face. That murderer was a Misfit. As her pulse continued to rise, she knew she had to play it cool. Tell them she never saw the face. Play it cool, April, she thought to herself.

"Wh...what did you say?" Trina stuttered, her feet no longer worked and she stopped walking toward the Jeep.

"Murdered. I...I was there, sort of." April said quietly.

"You were there?" Trina screamed and ran back to April's side. "How were you there?" Trina's hands were on April's shoulders, shaking her, her eyes wild.

"Trina! Let her go!" Trevor came and split the girl's apart. "Chill the fuck out! April will explain herself. Won't you, April?"

"Yes. I will. I just want everyone to sit down and chill out. This isn't CSI." April focused on her breathing, trying not to panic. She waited until everyone was back sitting in a nearby swing or on the ground, looking up at her expectantly.

"It was by accident really. My parents were arguing, which they rarely do and it upset me. I just had to get out of the house. So I walked down to the tracks and just laid next to a tree for a bit. Trying to calm down and focus on the prettiness of nature. Well I guess I dozed off for a bit and woke up right after sunset. I sat up, grabbed my iPod and went to leave. It was getting cold, dark, and threatening to storm, so I needed to get out of there before I was soaked.

"I heard a scream as I turned to leave. Thinking someone was in trouble, I headed toward the sound." April was sweating. Her heart raced, her speech was quick. She couldn't face them now, staring at the dirt on the ground. She was playing it as cool as she could.

"And?!" Trevor asked. He was so confused. Jacob was murdered?

"Well I made it close to the bridge, and heard screaming again. I was scared now. I didn't know what was going on. Then I saw Jacob heading towards me, but he was still a ways off. I was going to call his name, but someone was chasing him. Then he fell and I heard another scream." April's eyes filled with tears. It was so hard to relive it. So hard to believe it even happened the first time.

"Then the ...person leaned over him. Stabbed him...I think." Her eyes still focused on the dirt below her feet.

"Then they pushed him over the bridge, I think, and he was gone." April said quietly. Tim was beside her, wrapped his arm around her. April welcomed the embrace and cried into his shoulder.

"You... you didn't see who it was?" Alicia asked loudly.

"N...No...nope. Just like a shadow. I...I couldn't tell. Think it was a girl."

"Oh..." Alicia said.

"So actually murdered! Wow... that makes so much sense!" Bobby said, scratching the scruff on his chin.

"Makes sense? What planet are you living on, Bob?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah, dude! Jacob wasn't suicidal! He was the happiest guy I ever met. He was emotionally sound, more than all of us. He would NEVER put his parents through that. He loved them too much."

"That is true. My gut always told me something was off about the whole thing. Never knew what though. Holy shit, man, it's crazy." Trevor nodded.

"You realize whoever did it... covered it up! That's some pretty sneaky shit!" Bobby gasped.

"I...just want to go home. Too much. Just too much." Trina shuddered and pulled on Alicia's sleeve.