The Rose Murders | Original Story

ONE

The sound of birds chirping drifted in from my open window on this warm March afternoon. Today was the first day of spring which meant my parents were at their yearly business conference leaving Evangeline in charge until late tonight when they returned. My parents believed it was a good thing to keep up appearance even if that meant leaving the devil in charge to run the household.

I don't even know where to begin with my older sister Evangeline. She's a total airhead, a cheerleader with the only hope of being a reality house wife to save her from total oblivion. She was a tyrant to say the least. By tyrant I mean everything goes according to her or we all suffered with it for months.

Evangeline wasn't my favorite person even in the slightest. You know how people say siblings get alone great? Well they obviously have never met Evangeline and myself.

I'm sorry you're probably wondering who I am. My name is Elena Kathleen Rose. Yes as in the second oldest daughter of Richard and Elaine Rose the third, but try to not hold that against me.

"Elena, you're taking the brats to the park so I can be alone with Lucas." Evangeline announced, barging in and ruining a perfectly nice afternoon.

She was dressed in a mini skirt and a floral crop top, her blonde hair curled perfectly. It was an outfit not even ladies of the night would be caught dead in.

Evangeline got the looks which made her the favorite of our parents. Blue eyes and blonde hair Hitler's superior race at its finest as the news papers would put it.

"Elena, did you hear me!"

I looked up, rolling my eyes. "Yeah I heard you., Evan" I got up from the bed and crossed to my dresser. "Just let me take a shower first and I will."

Evangeline considered this for a second before responding with another snappy command. "Fine, but be out of here in thirty because I don't want Elliot messing up me day again. Also my name is Evangeline, I'm not some boy!" With the newest demand, Evangeline strutted from the room.

Elliot was by far my favorite sibling-except for Evie who could barely talk.

Elliot was six and by far the purest of any of us. He didn't care about our stand in politics or society. He didn't care what people thought, and definitely didn't have a list of things to remember at functions. He was just there and people adored him for his cuteness.

Showers were one of the best things about life; to me showers fixed anything. But today it felt nothing but stressful. I was trying to hurry before Evangeline got so ticked off that I spent the next month being her personal servant. All of which led me to slipping in the shower and cutting open my leg on something.

"Crap" I whispered, reaching for a washcloth to try to stop the bleeding.

When the door creaked open moments later I knew I was dead. "I know. I know." I sighed. "I'm getting out and will be gone in a moment." I reached for my towel. "Could you at least get Evie's diaper bag ready?"

There was no reply so I figured Evangeline was pretending not to hear me-one of her favorite tricks. "Evan, I asked if you would ge-" The words died as I looked up to find that it wasn't my sister standing there but a boy.

A boy barely older than me stood in the middle of the bathroom, his face was smeared with fresh blood. Upon further examinations, I found that his clothes and long wicked looking knife were also coated in blood.

"W-who are you?" I asked cautiously, one hand reaching for my phone while keeping my eyes on the blade.

He looked almost scared. "Don't touch that." He sounded more nervous then I was at the moment which was hard to believe.

+ + +

"Do you think Dad will care that we already ate dinner?" Elliot pondered.

I shifted Evie a little. "I don't think so, kiddo, besides I doubt they're even home yet." I answered. "They normally take forever to get back from the trip."

Esme rolled her eyes. "God I don't see why I had to come anyway!" She sighed dramatically.

Esme was my fourteen-year-old little sister. She was also a mini Evangeline in every way. Esme asked for a makeup kit for her sixth birthday because she believed it was important to look her best. Her role model in life was Evangeline (I know big shocker). She wanted to be just like her "successful" sister.

"Because Evan wanted you out of the house?" I said sarcastically.

Esme laughed. "She wanted the fake sibling out of the house." She said harshly.

I hated that nickname. The fake sibling. It was something the media had called me my because of my coloring and dark hair. The name hurt, but Evan and Esme still used it often. I hoped when Elliot and Evie got older they wouldn't fall into the blonde trap that all America seemed to have fallen in.

As we got closer to the house, the distinct sound of sirens became increasing louder until they reached their peak right in front of our house.

Firetrucks, police cars, news reporters, and ambulances crowded the street and driveway to the house. The medical examiner wagon seemed to be what spooked Esme most.

"What happened?!" Esme raced for the house without another thought.

Dumb blonde.

Elliot looked around before smiling and chasing after her. "Cool real policemen!" He was awestruck by the whole scene, but he's only six so the seriousness of the matter wouldn't hit him for a while.

"Oh thank God!" My mother exclaimed, pulling me tightly to her body. "I was afraid that they had done something to you four."

"They who, Mom?" I asked curiously. "What's going on?"

"Evangeline has been murdered." Father answered. "We found her in the kitchen stripped of all clothing and stabbed at least twenty times." Mother began to sob again at the recounting of the scene.

"Elena, please take Evie upstairs to bed." Father dismissed me with a wave. "Your mother can't be bothered with her at the moment.

He made it sound as if Evie were merely an annoying fly instead of a toddler.

A policeman in his mid-forties entered the entry hall from the kitchen. "Actually, if I could, Mr. Rose, I would like to speak to the children."

"Tomorrow." Mother replied. "They've just found out their sister is dead." She dismissed me with those words.

Elliot sat on the stairs, he didn't seem so exciting about all the fuss now. "Lena, can I sleep with you tonight?" He asked quietly.

"of course, kid, go get ready for bed." I ruffled his hair.

+ + +

I had barely reentered my room from laying Evie down when Esme came in.

"Your cardigan." She pointed out.

"Hm?" I turned to face the younger blonde.

"There's blood on the sleeve of your cardigan." Esme observed accusingly, pointing to a dime sized stain of blood on my beige cardigan. "You killed Evangeline, didn't you? That's why we got dinner out."

"I cut my leg in the shower this afternoon and some blood must have gotten onto my sleeve." I explained. "Don't be so paranoid, Esme."

She didn't give up. "Blood from your leg got on your sleeve?" She questioned further like the idea was ridiculous.

"Yep." I tossed the cardigan down on the bed.

"You've always been jealous of Evangeline." Esme stated falsely. "I don't believe Lucas did this, and I will prove it was you."

"Cool, you do that, sis." I gently pushed her out of the room, locking the door. "Annoying child!"