The train was advancing towards Glenville. I thought I'd reach by 1.45 pm.
The magazine in my hand was left unread and unseen, while I blatantly took a sip out of my ice-cold coffee and coughed.
The white sweater hugging my body did not give me any support. I got cough yesterday, as I was so worried I took a bath in the cold water instead of warming it up and laying down on my heaven.
Calling my mom two days ago, I asked her if the Reunion at school was happening. Her reply was negative, and then she asked me when I was coming back. It had been ten years already.
"In a few days, mama. Your little girl is still the same," I giggled.
"But things here aren't. Sasha Mason died. She hung herself. People miss her, and some of them even tagged this suicide as a homicide. I mean, what for?" She asked.
"I have heard about that, yes. It's crazy. I mean, as far as I heard about Sasha, she was happy," I stated.
"And now Jake has isolated himself from the surroundings. It's just the hard truth, he needs to accept it. Anyways.. Come back. We are missing you," she changed the topic immediately enough.
Mom was never comfortable with death. And I completely understood that. Because, it just meant sadness, and mama already had too much sadness to handle more.
The whirl of cool air hit my reddened cheeks. I was making a decision and going to Glenville. But I hoped nothing happened. I would just go and look into the case. That's all. Because if it was anything related to you, I'd find it out. I don't know how, but I would.
The nightmares haven't stopped. There's this same girl saying the same thing repeatedly. And the scream. I didn't understand.
Searching up whatever she said, I found the lines to be of a nursery rhyme.
Rock-a-bye baby
On the tree tops,
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall,
and down will come baby,
Cradle and all.
Why did the girl repeat this over and over again? It sounded foreign to me.
Nursery rhymes have deep roots and dark meanings. Does this have a different meaning to it too? Why is there a baby and why will it fall down?
Shaking the rhyme out of my head, I focused on all the little houses passing by. Glenville was a beautiful town, and especially a perfect haven for calm-lovers. The people used to crave for peace, and there was a deep rooting for each other there.
It has been ten years. A chilling nostalgia hit me, as I sighed to myself. People have changed. Kids have grown up. New neighbours, maybe. And that was partially a reason I didn't want to come back after five years of staying away. New people trying to be close to you scared the shit out of me.
Things weren't completely the same anymore. New houses, a few new people. There were way more shops than required. Boutiques opened here and there. People were getting "modernized".
The train soon came to a halt and I was hit by the same nostalgic smell of cookies and cakes. It was soon going to be Christmas. People were getting prepared quite fast. I remember the times when my sisters and brother and I used to go around the town, playing around. Life was so much better then. There were no expectations, no worries. Just small bits of homework and happiness.
Strangely enough, I did not miss anything. Settling down at Manhattan, I wasn't deprived of anything in particular. Maybe love, but no one got time for that complex indefinite word.
Devoid of eagerness, I got into a cab and it drove me to my old house. The houses beside had changed. A few of them, like Jake's two blocks away was the same. There was an unnatural pain in the wind.
I got out of the car and my boots dropped down into the thick wet pile of snow. Struggling to walk, I rung the bell. Mama opened.
Her face was wrinkled, but she was still beautiful with strawberry blonde hair. She gave me a warm smile and pulled me into a hug. Inside, Emma looked up from the kitchen table and ran towards me to give me a big hug. Her features had sharpened. She was the prettiest, taking after mom.
"Nick? Where's he?" I asked.
"He's living at Newark. He didn't meet up with you?" Emily asked.
"No he didn't. He's staying alone?" I furrowed my eyebrows.
"He got married last year, Mike. We called you up. You said you didn't give two shits, if I remember precisely," Emma said.
I didn't remember saying that. Maybe I was on my periods.
Mom came into the kitchen with quite little cups of cherry syrup. She handed us one each.
The syrup tasted thick but sweet in my now foreign tongue. It was supposed to be poured over cakes or waffles and pancakes, but drinking small bits alone as a welcome was outer tradition as far as I can remember.
Cherry was available all through the year, and the redness of the heavenly drink was wondrous in its own rights.
Moving ahead to my room, I saw everything just as I left it. The same bed, the same wardrobe. The same full-length mirror I purchased from Etsy. It even had the same carpet, new as ever. Looked like home, but felt distant somehow. The room was devoid of life and soul.
Popping on the bed, I opened my laptop. There were mails from work and colleagues. But then, a different kind of mail popped in.
debbiedexter34@gmail.com : Hey, heard you're coming to Glenville. News spreads fast here, you know. I want to see how you turned out. Hustle Hill, 9 o'clock? Wanted to tell you a few things.
Debbie Dexter was my childhood friend. We used to be close. And then, we drifted apart. She got married, I moved out.
I immediately texted back.
mikaelawhit5@gmail.com : Hey Debbie. What's up? 9 o'clock won't be possible for me tonight, I guess. Have to meet a few others before setting out to reunite. Btw, what was it you're gonna tell me?
The reply came quickly enough.
debbiedexter34@gmail.com : I have a feeling that Sasha's death was a complete case of homicide.
As if I didn't guess that already.
debbiedexter34@gmail.com : A person was outside my house that morning with blood on the coat and I didn't recognize at first, but looking closer I did. Don't want to type it in here. Pretty sure I'm right. Maybe meet tomorrow at 10 o'clock at my house?
mikaelawhit5@gmail.com : Who is that person? And it might not have been blood. Maybe you saw wrong. And why does a random person have any connection with Sasha's death? It was a suicide.
debbiedexter34@gmail.com : You don't understand. I am completely sure. I know who killed her. And why she did so.
____________
♡
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Hidden Whispers
Misteri / Thriller[ OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2019 SHORTLISTED ] [ FEATURED ON MYSTERY ] Mikaela didn't want anything to do with her past. Her life already changed to a drastic extent when she had to be the sole witness of an "accident". 10 years later, a new accident pul...
