Eccedentesiast (Brandon Darrow)

#BodyFound

[#BodyFound]
I've had so many knives stuck into me, when they hand me a flower I can't quite make out what it is. It takes time.
–Charles Bukowski
*****

"What's going on?" I asked entering the bar with Rowan ahead of me. She ran up to Stinger and Elisia looked at me in question. I raised my eyebrow looking between her and Stinger.
"I know how to find Zoe," Rowan rushed out.
    "I already found Zoe," Stinger replied.
    "Well where is she? Why didn't you tell me?" Elisia asked.
   "She was killed last night, I was digging through some reports to see if I couldn't find anything else on Ash, and this caught my eye. A home invasion. She was strangled. Her whole place was ransacked. Warning these pictures are pretty harsh," Stinger said. He turned his laptop to let us get a better look. I gasped at the sight and turned away quickly. It was no use though the photo would be permanently burned into my mind.
     That was the second time I had seen a dead body, and I didn't ever want to see another one. That's when another thought occurred. "We were there, we touched her knives. Do they have any suspects?" I asked Stinger hurriedly.
     He shook his head saying, "They don't have any suspects but look at this. Says it's written in pigs blood." He flipped to another photo that showed writing on the wall that said 'Viles Brandu.'
     "What the hell does that mean?" I asked raising my eyebrows.
     "Viles Brandu?" Rowan muttered before shrugging.
     "Hey did you guys talk to Hailey?" Stinger asked.
    "Barely. She doesn't really want to talk. She told me not to talk to her about this stuff anymore. She seems different," Rowan answered looking down at the ground. I put a hand on her shoulder and she gave me a tight smile.
     "She's so scared and it's happening to me too. I can't stop looking over my shoulder. I'm terrified all the time. I saw another masked dude," Elisia said shaking her head.
    "Yeah I did too, at the library," Rowan said. I remember Rowan telling me about the book at the library that was checked out and the name of the book.
   "I hate this," Elisia murmured. Rowan brought an arm around her shoulder and held her tightly before looking at me. I sighed looking down at the ground. To much shit was happening and I was just so tired and scared.
    "Well I guess I better tell Trevor to tell Brandon that Zoe is dead," I said looking back up at the two. "I'm going to head home I'll talk to you guys later," I said waving goodbye. They nodded and I walked home. When I got home our parents were gone and Trevor was asleep. I needed something to take my mind off of everything, to make the world stop. I glanced into Trevor's room seeing him sound asleep before walking away.
    I knew Trevor had bottles of liquor stashed around the house so I searched before I finally found one behind the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. I walked to my room before climbing out the window and sitting on the roof. I unscrewed the cap before taking a swig. It burned my throat going down and I let out a few coughs. My eyes watered but I wanted to keep going.
    I wanted to get so drunk I didn't remember anything so I took another swig, and then another, and another until finally the bottle was empty and my mind was fuzzy. I was sitting on the roof singing a song at the top of my lungs. I wasn't even sure what the words that I was singing were anymore. "Aspen what the hell?" Trevor said bleary eyed looking between me and the bottle.
    "Brother!" I squeaked out and giggled as he raised his eyebrows.
    "What the hell are you doing?" He asked and I laid back on the roof looking at the stars.
    "Well I figured if I couldn't get rid of my thoughts myself maybe getting drunk would help," I slurred some of the words still staring at the sky.
    "Hey you need to come in you shouldn't be out here," Trevor said trying to coax me back in.
   "No thank you I'm fine right here," I laughed throwing my arms up toward the sky.
   "Alright I'm calling Brandon," he said ducking his head back into the house.
   "No wait don't do that," I said scrambling inside after him.
   "To late I called him as soon as I heard your awful singing," Trevor replied as I saw Brandon leaning against my door.
   "Thanks but I'm totally fine," I pouted, crossing my arms and turning away from them.
    "No you're not what's going on?" Brandon asked walking toward me.
   "Zoe's dead, she's dead," I said my eyes watering. I wasn't sure why I was crying but I was and I couldn't stop it.
   "What?" Brandon asked walking in front of me. I heard Trevor say something before walking out of the door.
   "Stinger, he found the report, her body, it's the second time I've seen a body. I don't want to see anymore bodies Brandon," I sniffed letting my hands wrap around him. My head wasn't clear but I did know one thing I didn't want Brandon to leave me.
   "Hey you're not going to I promise," Brandon said wrapping his own arms around me.
   "I'm so scared, how do I stop it?" I cried pushing my face into his shirt. He ran his hands through my hair and shushed me.
   "I don't know Aspen, I don't know," he answered resting his chin on my head. We stood like that in silence for awhile before I finally pulled away.
   "I'm sorry," I said turning my head and wiping the tears from my eyes.
   "Don't be sorry Aspen you're still human," Brandon said bringing my face to look at him. "You are a strong, amazing human who has been through shit and you don't deserve it," he said. I stepped away from him and looked at the ground.
    "This doesn't mean I trust you yet," I said.
    "I know, but I'm going to win your trust back I swear it," Brandon said walking toward me. "Because, because I love you aspen and I know you don't want to hear me say it and I know you might never feel that way for me, but I do, I love you," he said as I stood there mouth agape. He gave me a sad smile before walking out the door leaving me dumbfounded.

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