Innocence Forsaken

Ch 21. Gem

It had been a long night, meeting Myra again, and seeing a glimpse of the little operation they had going. Maybe that was why Eve-Anne had the feeling that a bowling ball was going to drop on her at any moment. She was just exhausted, explaining the nagging pain drilling into her head, and the weights pulling on her eyelids. Or maybe it was that woman, Det, who freaked her out so much. There was something about her. She didn't care about the money, her thoughts could tell you just that, but something else, something far worse, perhaps? 
Eve-Anne dragged herself down the street, whipping her head back every now and then to ground herself in her wavering feeling of security. 
The whispers bombarded her senses, attacking her at every second. It was belittling, reminding her of… something she couldn't remember. 
Eve-Anne carried on, a deep, throbbing pain creeping its way up her brain. The further she went, the more one of the whispers turned into a monsterous howl. The howl of what sounded like a demon hound drowning in holy water. 
"Lost?" A deep, somewhat booming voice said, aided by the echoey nature of that certain alley way. 
Finnigan and its alleys were something of a spectacle, there were so many, yet they all seemed to wind to the same place, at least most of the time. 
At that time, there was a misty display swirling elegantly, encapsulating the event taking place within. 
"Dad?" There was a slam, and then a strained sound, probably a cry. The voice sounded familiar, but no one was there. There was no energy. 
"Dad!" The same voice yelled. 
Eve-Anne swatted away heaps of mist, only for it to race back behind her. She rubbed her arm, fighting at the little pricks of cold eating at her skin. 
"Somebody help!"  
She knew who that was. It was obvious. Even she knew it before the clouds of cold mist scuttled away. Even before the shots sounded. 
"Oh no." Eve-Anne muttered, before turning back to leave, but an invisible tie seemed to pull her back. 
Why she had to watch the brains spill out of her father again and the bloodbath that ensued, she'd never know. But she did anyway. 
The unseaming of someone was never pleasant, it never had been, especially when it was from many angles of the body. 
It was an accident, really. Mainly. A little bit. 
Eve-Anne gritted her teeth, unusually. Her eyes squinting a little in what little disgust rippled along her chest. 
Then she noticed something, something she hadn't picked out in the dozens of times she'd replayed the scene in her mind. A small glow from the back of the violin case she'd discarded roughly against a bin. It was from a second hand shop somewhere. The engravings and the unique shine from the gem was fascinating, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. 
A gust of wind blew the mist into the scene, obscuring it into whatever it was. 
That was something, the glow that shimmered ominously in the thick mist as it swayed from side to side. 
She'd have to investigate. 

Corley House, Attic

Eve-Anne rubbed the piles of sticky, and tangled spiderwebs away. The dust caught in the webs layered over her hair, and discoloured her black socks. The attic's chipboard floor creaked, and spread dust into the polluted air with every step Eve-Anne took. She frowned. Dust assaulted her, leaving her to rub her watering eyes. 
She ran her hand over a box, catching the thick matter sitting on top on her pale skin. 
Catching the small jewel in her hand, she pulled it out of its slot carefully. 
After quickly admiring it, she slipped it into her jumpers pocket. 
The old clips on the case were still sitting, untouched after nearly two years, solemnly. The clouded silver stared at Eve-Anne as she tapped her fingers against the case. She flicked the clips open, sending a wave of dust over the attic. 
The wooden bow sat in a crevice in the lid, strapped in by black elastic. It was slipped out delicately, the synthetic hair was still strong after all that time, but one couldn't be too careful. 
Next came the violin, itself, moved to rest on Eve-Anne shoulder. She moved her head so it was slightly under her chin. The bow came against the violin, and screeched, leading Eve-Anne to cringe. It was horribly out of tune, and the last time she'd played was before she lost her finger. 
She tried again, this time leading the path to a mediocre tune. She shut her eyes, ignoring the revitalised sense of serenity flowing through her. 
"What are you doing up here?" A voice said from behind her, it was Jessica, pushing her way through the little hatch to the loft.
Eve-Anne jumped a little, juggling the violin bow slightly. 
"Playing." She said quietly, opening one eye. 
"In the loft?" She paused, "Nevermind. I've been looking for you all day."
"That's nice." 
"The police want to talk with you." Jessica said, ducking away from a spider looming around.