The Morning After - Open Novella Contest 2019

Introduction

Marina shifted gently in bed, willing herself to go back to sleep again. It had been a relief to finally sleep through the night. Even though she had only met Emmett last night, something about him felt safe. Having him in bed next to her had kept at bay the demons that typically haunted her in the darkness.  For that, she was eternally grateful. Good sleep was crucial in Marina's line of work and she got very little of it.

Marina rolled over in bed, hoping the warmth from Emmett's body would be enough to lull her back to sleep. She found the other side of the bed was not only empty, but it was also cold.

"Weird." She thought to herself. "He must've gone to the bathroom or something."

    Marina shifted again and tried to find a comfortable spot. Tragically, without Emmett there to comfort her, she had no luck. Light flooded through her windows with full force now. She decided she had no choice but to get up and make Emmett breakfast. Marina lifted her head to search her tiny apartment for her guest. Despite her curiosity, she was met only by a sharp pounding on her front door.

Thud. Thud. THUD.

    Marina jumped out of bed. She was no stranger to loud and uninvited guests, unfortunately. She searched anxiously for clothes to throw on her naked frame. Thankfully, her eyes were drawn to a T-shirt and pair of sweatpants that were lying in a folded pile on a chair.

    "Wait, did I put those clothes out?" She wondered for a moment. "How drunk was I last night?" Despite her confusion, she tossed the clothes on. She didn't have time to retrace her steps from the night before.

    "If it's my damn landlord again..." She spat under her breath as she set off towards the door. She allowed herself to insult him in her mind only. After all, she did need a place to live.

    Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she looked through the peephole. Two uniformed police officers lumbered in her hallway like tall trees in a dark forest. Their foreboding figures consumed her field of view completely. Marina had never had a fear of police officers, but she had a strange feeling in her gut. She could see their serious composure even through her tiny peephole. She muttered a few curse words to herself and opened the door.

"Marina Davis?" One staunch officer asked.

"Yes, that's me." She had always hated it when people used her full name. She had grown to much prefer the various pet names her family and friends had given her. She despised being called Marina Davis, but she despised Miss Davis most of all.

"I'm Officer Johnson from the Spokane police department." Officer Johnson's eyes were as cold as steel, and his voice was even colder.

    "Do you know a man named Emmett Taylor?" Hearing Emmett's name from the officer's mouth surprised Marina. What could he have done that would bring the police here? Had he hurt himself? How did the police know he stayed here last night? Despite her own inner monologue, she responded.

    "I met a man named Emmett last night, but he must have left." She had determined by then that Emmett had either left or was hiding. No one in the apartment, or even the floors below her, would have been able to ignore the banging on the door.

    "Hi, I'm Officer Reynolds." The second officer stepped forward, attempting to use some sort of charm on Marina. He stretched a hand out towards her, anticipating it to be shook. Marina declined. His hand hovered in the air for an awkward moment before he retracted it. Officer Reynolds continued with his true intentions.

    "Would you mind if we took a look around?" His tone was so sweet she swore he could've attracted every fly in a ten-mile radius.

    "Oh, so we're playing 'bad cop, good cop' I see." Marina determined. He had no idea who he was messing with.