𝕤𝕚𝕩. 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖. 𝕗𝕠𝕦𝕣. 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖. 𝕥𝕨𝕠. 𝕠𝕟𝕖...

03 ~ The Anniversary

'Oh my god, yes. The group of girls a couple years below us, all of their second names begin with a G.' Mya said quietly, yet just loud enough for her friends to hear.

'Goldstein, Emma' Cassidy read from the yearbook before turning it to Dylan.

'Goerge, Samantha'

'Greengrass, Peggy'

After some more research on the young group of girls, Adam wrote a letter to the police station requesting some more information on Miss Goldstein's family:

Dear Mr. Jones,

We have handed your letter, with the request for more information on Miss Goldstein's case and the suspects, onto our boss. He said he will get back to you as soon as possible with his answer. If you wish to get in touch with him personally you can contact him through letter.
We -at the police department- send you our wishes that you will make good progress with this case(preferably before anymore murders).

Our best wishes,
Officers Parks & Evans

◇◇◇

One week later; Cassidy was sitting at her desk reading Alice in Wonderland, when their was a knock on the door. Running down the stairs two at a time, she opened the grey wood door to reveal her mother and her little brother.
'Mother... I didn't expect you today.' She said once she got over the I initial shock.

'Oh that's okay dear. I just wanted to pop by and see how you were coping with the investigation work.' Replied her mother as she walked past her daughter and straight into the living room, placing herself on the armchair closest to the fire.

'Excuse me! Who am I, the next door neighbour?' Alexander asked incredulously, following his mother.

'Lovely to see you too, little brother.'

'I've missed you Cass, it's been a bit difficult at home recently.' Alexander said from the couch, you could hear the pain in his voice.

Alexander was a fourteen year old boy who had been through so much. He had dark brown hair, which he inherited from his father, that he always wore gelled back. His caramel brown eyes were glistening with tears as the family of three continued speaking.
On the other hand; Augusta O'Connor was in her late forties. With tan skin and curly blonde hair, beautiful brown eyes and light pink cheeks. She was a tall woman who was in so much pain at this time.

Cassidy realising what her brother meant and why it was so silent, rested her hand on her mother's forearm and spoke quietly, 'I miss him too. But you know he would want is to move on, yes it's difficult however we can get past it.' After another minute of silence she continued, her tone a bit more firm this time, 'Come on guys. It has been seven years.'

However once Cassidy realised nobody else was going to talk she got in her car and drove her family back home, only stopping for ten minutes at her father's grave. The reason for this being on that day seven years ago, her father died. He was very ill and didn't have much time left.

James O'Connor was buried in the local graveyard, right beside Grandma Lucy and Uncle Jack. His grave was a glossy black, with the writing engraved in a calming rose-gold colour, reading out:

James O'Connor
Loving father, son, brother and uncle

Born on December 18th 1959
Died on July 25th 1991

"The adventure of life is to learn"

All around the gravestone were beautiful flowers, ranging from small daisies to stunning white roses.

The week surrounding the anniversary of James' death always put a damper mood on the residents of the O'Connor household. Augusta had taken to staying in her bed, crying over her husband's death instead of going out. Alexander, however was the complete opposite; he would be seen out of the house more often than in. Usually being out with his friends would help him keep his mind off of his dad and how much he missed them. Both of the O'connor's friends would help out as well, Jackie from Augusta's reading club would bake her fudge and cake while Alexander's friends just wouldn't mention James or anything to do with fathers or death.

Cassidy was perfectly fine during this time, mostly because she's was mature and got over her fathers death just three years after it happened. She was always the one to find happiness but knew to keep away from her family at this time.

◇◇◇

Blazing golden sunlight shone through the window of the Goldstein Manor, illuminating the front sitting room.

In said room, sat Mr and Mrs Goldstein on the black sofa closest to the window. Mr Goldstein was in his work attire, a plain black suit with a white shirt and blue tie; While Mrs Goldstein was sat in a mid-length pastel pink summer dress that had yellow and purple flowers scattered around the edge of the skirt.

Across the room, sat five very nervous young adults. One of which was getting impatient. 'I'm sorry...' Mya said, she was sat in between Callum and Dylan on a small, bright red sofa.

'Sorry for what my dear?' Mrs Goldstein was looking around her living room; trying so so hard to look anywhere but at short girl with brown hair and an look full of pity.

She didn't want pity.

Nobody ever wanted pity.

It was a look that made you want to rip through that thick layer of flesh, the hard bone of your ribs and tear your heart out.

It was absolutely awful.

And as Cassidy's gaze fell upon the couple who had just lost their one & only child. She understood, she knew. She had felt that rage before. That odd mix of emotions where you hate everybody who pity's you, you feel upset, you feel like you've been completely disconnected from that thin rope keeping you sane. Cassidy understood, because she felt like that when she lost her father.