TITLE:FAYETTEVILLE
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That night, Kathrine went home to her mom.
The anxiety had finally started to let go of
her. Her hands weren't shaking as much. Her
voice wasn't trembling as much. She ran into
her arms. She needed a hug to actually feel
safe for the first time in hours. They cried
together. They worried together. But at least
they were with each other. Kathrine was off
to a rough start here in Fayetteville, and she
wanted to go back to Florida... but there were
bigger problems there.
By morning, everyone in Fayetteville would
know some version of what happened that
night. Genni's parents were terrified and
posting on Facebook, hoping that someone
would know something. And when the police
told them what they discovered, they didn't
think to look at their phones which were
blowing up with notifications. People were
trying to be there for them, but it wasn't
enough.
The "story" was everywhere... including the
morning news. Genni's face was all over
social media and television screens right
under the word "MISSING" in big, dark letters.
But this "story" wasn't the story. None of the
details were out. Nobody knew about the
blood. Nobody knew about the terror she felt.
Nobody saw Kathrine's trauma of knowing
something happened but not knowing what
happened. It's like watching a car crash
about to happen, but looking away before the
cars hit, but you didn't hear the sounds of
broken glass and crushing metal. You know
it must have happened, right? That horrible
thing happened... but you didn't see it. No
proof. Just a feeling.
"Am I a crazy person?" Kathrine said looking
into her bathroom mirror. "Why am I so
mad? Why did I run from her?... Why did I
run?"
Kathrine knew she was alive because she
ran. She didn't stick around and wait to die
the way people do in scary movies, but she
wished she had stayed. She wanted to know
the truth about what happened to Genni. Was
she alive somewhere out there? Did she run,
too? Kathrine just knew it wasn't good. And
she wasn't ready for the questioning... she
was the last person to see her. She also
wasn't ready for the questions and looks she
would get every day in town. Everyone is
going to want to be her friend... not for her,
but for what she experienced.
---
Natalie and Derrick were eating breakfast on
the square. They were used to the smell of
grease and the sizzling and popping of the
food on the grill because they had breakfast
there almost every morning.
"I can't believe Genni is missing," Natalie said.
"I'm sure they'll find her," Derrick said as he
clinked his fork onto his plate.
Natalie looked at him as he stared down at
his food. She wasn't smiling...
"I can't make it to your family dinner," he told
her, finally looking up.
"Why?" she asked, cold faced.
"I'm gonna be busy I think."
"Okay," she said. She wanted to know more,
but she wasn't going to dig for information.
He was her boyfriend, and she wanted him to
put in an effort. But he wasn't going to open
up right now, and she wasn't going to cave in.
"Well, I need to head out of here," she said
as she stood up from the wooden table.
---
Zach and Evelyn sat in their living room after
cleaning the entire house. They were about to
throw a Christmas party for the friend group
tonight, and they wanted the first gathering at
the new house to be a perfect one.
"Who all is coming?" Evelyn asked.
Zach stood up from the fluffy couch and
turned the fake fireplace on. "Jasper, Natalie,
Derrick."
"What about Kathrine? She has really gone
through a lot and could use a good group of
friends."
"Yeah, I'm good with that," Zach told her.
---
"This will be a good night, baby," Kathrine's
mom told her. She took one hand off the
steering wheel and reached over to grab
Kathrine's hand. She was secretly worried
about tonight, but she knew her daughter
needed it.
"I know. Thank you for letting me go." She
turned away from the window. "I'm going to
be safe, Mom. I know how to handle myself,
so I don't want you to worry."
Her mom nodded, "I'm going to worry. But, I
love you."
"I love you, too."
---
Kathrine walked up the brick steps to knock
on the front door. Evelyn jumped from the
couch, smiling. She opened the door, letting
the light shape to Kathrine's face. The smell
of the mint candles and the sound of
laughter seeped from the inside.
"Come in!" Evelyn chirped.
Kathrine walked onto the carpet and looked
up. The first person she made eye contact
with was Derrick. He was holding Natalie's
hand, but all of his attention was on Kathrine.
