Shadowood- H.S

four |4|

Song of the chapter:

Surrender- Digital Daggers (piano)

Enjoy

Xx Naomi

****

"A body was found," my mother tells me, a few tears spilling from her eyes as she says so. "It was a young girl, small. You weren't answering your phone. We thought it was you."

She hugs me tighter as she speaks. I feel one of her tears fall down onto my forehead. "What? Who was it?"

"I don't know, it was on the news about ten minutes ago. I'm just glad you're safe," she tells me, caressing my cheek softly.

"You don't know who it was? Do you think it could have been Auburn?"

"No, we called her parents to make sure, they said she was perfectly safe at home," dad tells me.

"Is it still on?" I break from the embrace and walk to the television, turning it on.

A lady appears on the T.V, talking into a microphone. "The victim's body is still said to be unknown. Forensic pathologists are working to identify the young girl's body while criminologists are searching for suspects, working with a total of zero witnesses. I'm Jennifer White, reporting to you live from Lakewood Park."

"Lakewood Park?" I question out loud. I was there just there an hour ago.

"Yes, why?" My mother questions. "You weren't over there were you? Who were you with?"

"No," I lie. I don't want to tell her I was just there. She'd never let me visit ever again. "I was in town square the whole time."

"Good," she says. She lets out a huge breath, one that seems like she's been holding in for ages. "I need to go to bed, my head hurts."

She walks towards me and hugs me one more time, kissing my forehead. "I'm so glad you're home and safe."

"Same," I whisper into her chest.

It could have easily been me.

-

After my parents are both asleep, I change in comfortable sleeping clothes and go downstairs. Brandon is sitting on the couch, watching T.V. "You lied, didn't you?" He asks without looking at me.

I sigh and nod my head slowly. "Mom would have dropped dead if she knew I was there right before a crime scene."

"Were you with someone?"

"Yeah, just a friend," I say, not elaborating any further.

He turns his head towards me and places a hand on my folded hands. His eyes stare into mine. "I'm glad you're safe Mel."

I give him a small smile. "Me too."

We spend the next hour watching an old movie from the nineties before Brandon finally falls asleep on the couch. His soft snores are just as quiet as the television which plays in the background.

I search the internet on my phone however, searching about the town's history. "It's strangely compelling," as Auburn described it.

Unfortunately the town is so small and unknown, there isn't much to find out about it. There are only maps and local schools, nothing too major. I put my phone down after a few minutes and give up. If I want to find out something about this town, I'll have to go to a local book store or the library again, and try to find a primary source.

I've never really been interested in this town before, but now there's something worth looking into.

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