The Call

Vannessa

"Hey boss, can I leave? My daughter needs picked up from daycare. The school just called me. Apparently Scott forgot to pick up his own daughter! Can you believe that shit?" Shannon asked walking up to Vanessa.

She had been drying the same glass longer then normal just starring intently at it. She did not even look up at Shannon.

Shannon walked up behind Vanessa and tapped her on her shoulder, "Nessa?"

Vanessa jumped, and the glass tumbled out of her hand and hit the floor shattering.

"Whoa girl! I didn't mean to scare you...you all good?." Shannon said.

Vanessa turned facing Shannon, her face pale. She shook her head yes running her fingers through her hair.

"Yes...I'm...I'm fine! Sorry, my head has just been elsewhere. Something crazy happened last night and I just can't seem to shake it."

Shannon leaned up against the bar folding her arms across her chest. "Does it have to do with that sexy ass guy you took off with? Yes, I saw him and you. Tell me, was his dick big?"

"Shannon!" Vanessa smiled wipping her arm with the towel. "It wasn't like that...I mean, yes...but that's not the crazy part. But you need to go pick up your child."

Shannon smiled and gave Vanessa the kissy face. "Well yes, I should go. But I want to hear all about this sexy ass, crazy, hot, sex....I mean...night, you had. It must have been crazy to get you like this!"

"Oh my god, Shannon go! Just make sure to be back by 5pm. You know how crazy this place gets in the evening" Vanessa said laughing.

Shannon gave her a thumbs up, clocked out and headed out the door leaving Vanessa alone with only a few regular day drinkers.

She kept checking her phone feeling like a teen all over again, hoping she would get a text from Holden.

Vanessa did some light cleaning in the kitchen to pass time and then went back up front to the bar.

There was a women sitting at the very end of the bar.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I did not even hear the door bell go off!" Vanessa walked over to the women.

The women's blond hair was messy and hanging in her face.

The closer Vanessa got to the women, the more unsettled she felt. There was something familiar about this women.

"What can I..." Vanessa started.

The women looked up showing off her face.

No way! Vanessa thought to herself.

She knew exactly who this women was. She saw her last night bloodied and confused. She was wearing a clean white dress with a slight forced smile now, but it was her.

Vanessa tried to keep her composer as she asked the women what she wanted.

She made her a club soda and handed it to her.

"So I haven't seen you around here. Are you new in town?" Vanessa asked.

The women looked up at her and smiled again, "I'm actually in town...visiting. My sister...she...um...she actually was murdered here about 15 years ago. The killers haven't ever been caught. I'm visiting to...try and get...justice for her"

The women's story was just as unsettling as she looked.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!"

The women shook her head tipping the glass back and forth but not drinking the contents.

"I'm sure you have heard about it, she was actually the highlight of the town for along while. There has been photos of her plastered around town as well." she said glaring at her drink and not blinking.

The look on her face made Vanessa's stomach tighten.

"Oh? What was her name?"

"Harley Hanson."

Vanessa's heart skipped a beat. She knew all to well about little Harley missing....but nothing about her being murdered.

"I thought Harley was...."

"Missing?!" The women interrupted. She began squeezing her glass so tight her knuckles turned white.

'Yes that is what the killer wanted you to think. But trust me, she...you have no idea. It was awful what had been done to her. She was only five! I don't know how ANYONE can do that to such a sweet..."

The glass shattered in her hands, making Vanessa jump back in terror.

The young women's hands started to bleed.

"Oh my you are bleeding!...I can help you clean this up. I'm so sorry, this must have been an old glass or something." Vanessa tried to help the women but she pushed away from the bar and stood up quickly.

"No! It's fine, I'm fine!"

"Let me at least go get you a towel and the first aid kit." Before the women could tell her no, Vanessa headed into the kitchen.

Her whole body trembled in terror and confusion, instead of searching for the first aid kit, she started pacing back and forth.

Her chest tightened making it hard to breath.

Vanessa was in her early twenties when the Harley Hanson story came about. The news said nothing about Harley having a sister.

That women in there, her eyes....she'd recognize those eyes from anywhere.

The question of should she call the police or not ran through her head.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"That's not the first aid kit." A soft voice whispered in Vanessa's ear.

Before she could even turn around, the women shoved a cloth over her mouth and nose.

Vanessa struggled but the air from her lungs were stolen away. The sight of the kitchen blurred and slowly went black.