Little Red House

Chapter 11 - A Deadly Message

        I stepped back and slumped onto my bed. I stared in horror at the apples on my drawer. I didn’t know what to think but i felt swirls of fear, excitement, horror and wonder. I felt the weight lowering on the mattress as Colin sat next to me. We stared at the apples, the dark apples. They glared back with a gleam reflected by the sunlight coming from the window. I blinked dumbly unknowing how to react but Colin stood, picked as much apples as he can hold in his arms and walked out.

“Where are you going?” I followed him to the kitchen. He silently took out a kitchen knife and began to cut a dark apple in half. At the core center, instead of seeds there was small tablet.

“Oh my gosh, what is that? Drugs?” Was Shadow leaving drugs in his apples? Why would he leave them where I can find them? Nothing made sense and I had begun to confuse myself. Colin shook his head,

“No. These are the kind of tablets you put in hot water. They expand as a sponge-like material into a shape.”

“What? Like one of those toys from Dollar Tree?”

“I think it’s a message.”

Colin and I filled the sink with steaming hot water and placed the tablet in the water. The material popped out of the plastic shell and expanded into a shape.

“It’s a letter,” I stated, “ It’s an E. We need to cut up the rest of the apples.” There must of been more tablets with more letters. 

Soon we had sponge material floating in the sink. Seven letters; E, two R’s, C, D, K, I. Colin placed the letters on the kitchen table and we made words. 

“Kider.”

“Direc- no, that won’t work.”

“Cider! No there’s extra letters…”

“Rick’s name makes out but there’s more letters.”

“Derrick?” Colin placed his hand on his chin.

“What did you say?”

“Look, it perfectly spells Derrick. The name, but that isn’t relavent to us. It doesn’t make sense why would Shadow -”

“Wait!” I felt the color drain from my face, my lips trembled. Colin reached for me just in time as my legs gave in and I almost fell over. He helped my get to a chair and handed me a glass of water.

“Emma, do you know any Derrick?”

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Colin… Derrick is Ricky’s full name. Ricky is Derrick. Derrick is Ricky,” I spoke quickly my eyes widened in disbelief, “What does this mean? What is going to happen?”

“Where is Ricky now?” Colin’s blue eyes sharpened and he grabbed my car keys.

“I-I don’t know. The theater, maybe? His house. I don’t know!” Panick tickled my stomach as I followed Colin to my truck. 

"What does your gut tell you?" Colin yelled as he sat behind the stirring wheel.

"The theater," I felt dizzy. Colin drove smoothly in high speed. We drove up to the theater faster than I expected. We jumped out of the truck and ran to the building. I opened the door and without looking back to see of Colin followed, ran into the backstage area. I quickly scanned the room. It was empty except for a bunch of garbage and stage crops. Colin breathed behind me, 

"He's not here."

"The roof!" I took the stairway two at a time and shoved myself through the opened door. I came to a halt as I stared before me. Ricky's guitar was laying on the cement floor. He was slumped in a camping chair. I took in a sharp breath of cold air. I stared at Ricky's unmoving body. His eyes were in a dull gaze to nowhere in particular. His mouth was slightly opened in a scream. The red spot at his chest spread as the blood soaked his Tshirt. 

"Ricky," my moan sent an echo of terror into the air.The panic came slowly at first, then in a flood of "Oh my God, oh my God! Ricky!" Tears streamed down my pale cheeks and my lips trembled. I stumbled away from Ricky's body and jerked my head away. I couldn't look at him, his body, I couldn't completely embrace the situation. Thoughts slowly sunk into my head and burned my brain cells. My best friend was dead. 

I backed away and dropped to the floor. I numbly raised my hands to my hair and pulled. I felt dizzy, vomit gathered at my throat. I closed my eyes. Colin said something but I couldn't hear him. The world spun in one big blur. The image of Ricky's dead body lingered at the corners of my mind. I suddenly bent forward and vomited, all my insides squirmed and squeezed. Gasping for air, I sobbed. My best friend was dead.

I didn't understand. Who would do this? Who would be so cruel? I choked on the dryness in my throat. Tears stung my puffed eyes and my vision became blurred. I saw fuzzy images people in white placing Ricky on a carrier. The world tilted, the sounds become dull and I felt myself lose conscience. I hoped this was all a nightmare as I drowned into shock of darkness.