Tales of Aridia

Murder In the shadows

Although my life had been absolute mayhem, I found comfort in the days I got to spend with Hope and Max. Lucy, not as much. We would sit on a wall that backed the forest by a small abandoned car park as if to shun our past. As the weeks flew by I saw less of Hope. She became distant and it seemed that Lucy was the only one that knew of her whereabouts. I thought my life would start to make sense... but that was a lie I couldn't trick myself into believing.

A pan rested on the stove and my mother stood making pancakes in the morning sun rise. Sluggishly,  I walked downstairs and kissed her on the cheek. "Lovely day," she commented, flipping a pancake. "Yeah...lovely," I said. My feet tip toes across the cold stone floor and I rested my head on the wall. I stared out the glass door at the grassland that seemed to never end. A collection of gold and brown coloured leaves had collected on the doorstep, amongst them was a rat that had been mauled and hidden under a mask of leaves.

I looked at it grimly, the blood reminding me of Hopes accident. "Are you okay dear?" My mother asked. I nodded still entranced with the blood. "Ah yes, the cat left that here this morning. I should get rid of it." My mother said smacking the body away with the bottom of a broomstick.

I dragged myself over to the living room where I positioned myself on the sofa. The news came on first and I was about to skip the channel before I saw the unexpected. A man in a black suit stood at the doors of a hospital. The hospital in question was one I remember visiting when I was little. It jumped to another man who stood at a crime scene surrounded by another hundred photographers. Only a glimpse of the body was caught, half wrapped in a body bag. Behind the man A girl stood nervously, staring at the camera. It was Hope.

I dashed around the sofa and reached for my shoes. I had become suddenly awake and sprang to life. "Where are you going?!" My mother shouted, but I was too far gone to reply.

Pushing past photographers and reporters I made my way into the hospital. It was flooded by newsagents and journalists. Each one prying for a story to write. Finally I found Hope. She had slithered away to the back of the wing. She was wearing a long white dress like she had been hospitalised. The girl I saw was Hope... but didn't look anything like her. The light in her eyes had dimmed and her skin and turned a pale white.

"Robyn!" She screamed. Hope ran over and hugged me. I could feel the fear vibrating through her body and how cold she was. She smelt of medicine and antibac. She wasn't wearing any shoes nor did she look like her usual self. "Robyn you have to see the body," she said darkly.  We stood there engulfing the sight. A body was sprawled across the ground circled in blood and gore. A body bag only partially covered it. You would have thought a rabid dog had killed the man with how distorted his face was. "I can't look at this anymore." Hope said . She sped down the hallway and around a corner, out of sight.

Hiding behind reporters I managed to get a good look at the victim.  Something was hanging out of his pocket. Unlike the rest of him this was clean and untouched, like he put it there while he was dying. Conveniently, I was able to swiftly reach over and take it from the body. In the corner of the room it was quiet, I took it there to inspect individually without prying eyes.

I opened up what appeared to be a note. It read, "you don't even know who you are" Of all the police and detectives there somehow nobody spotted the note but me. While everybody crowded around the body one lone policeman saw me through the vast majority. "Oi you!" The man shouted at my direction.

I subtly turned around disappearing into the crowd, meandering everywhere possible. Once I had lost him I used my powers to vanish somewhere else... to someone I needed to find.