by Willow Rose
Mr. Aran clapped his hands together excitedly. "Oh, yes."
"What did you do to her, you monster?"
He grimaced. "Now, there is no reason for name-calling. Besides, I think we both know who's the real monster here."
"What did you do to her?"
"Well, what could I do? After all you had done to me? After all the laws you had all broken. There was only one response to that."
Amy's heart stopped. She looked up at Mr. Aran, tears springing to her eyes. "Not Melanie. Please, tell me you're lying."
He tilted his head. "Nope. Do you want to know what she said the second before I took her down?"
Amy sunk down in the chair, feeling hope ooze out of her like water gathered between a child's hands. She couldn't hold back the tears and let them roll down her cheeks, not even caring that they dripped onto her legs.
Mr. Aran walked close to her, coming up from behind, then leaned forward and whispered.
"She told me to tell you she forgave you. That it wasn't your fault. Isn't that nice? Her being the bigger one even in death. She really was a better person than you, wasn't she?"
Amy was crying heavily now, her head hanging from between her shoulders, slumping onto her chest. She was too broken to even protest or yell at the man. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.
"W-what do you want from me?" she finally asked between sobs. "Just tell me what you want."
"I…" he paused and smiled. "I, my dear, want you to help me take everyone else down in that neighborhood of yours. If you do as I tell you, I will spare you and your family once this is over."
Amy felt her nostrils flaring. She knew her dragon would stay put as long as she was pumped with all the drugs they had injected her with before bringing her into the interrogation room. But right now, she felt like it; she really felt like turning dragon and ripping the head off this nasty spider, even if it might cost her life.
But instead, she sighed and nodded.
"And Kipp."
"What's that?"
"I want Kipp in on it too. The merboy. You know who he is."
"Ah, the boyfriend," he said, looking at his long fingernails briefly then back at Amy. "All right. He'll be spared. Do we have a deal?"
Amy nodded. "Yes."
"Excellent," he exclaimed, then leaned down by her ear again. "From now on, you're all mine."
Chapter Fifteen
The next morning, I got into my car with the intention of going to school; I really did. I had made coffee for myself and put it in a to-go cup and had my backpack with all my books and everything. It really was my plan to go there, but as I drove up in front of the school, I suddenly stopped. The car behind me honked loudly, and I looked at him in the rearview mirror, then turned left out of the line leading into the school parking lot.
I passed the school and kept driving till I was downtown instead. I knew it was a bad decision since I hadn't been to school in many days, but there was just something pressing that I had to do first. Something I felt couldn't wait, or maybe I couldn't wait.
I continued through downtown when I realized a car was following me. I decided it had to be Duncan's goons that probably had been watching me and decided I didn't care.
I parked the car in front of the Sheriff's Office and got out. With my coffee in hand, I rushed up the stairs and into the foyer, where I asked to see Jayden's dad.
"Robyn?" he said as the secretary let me into his office. He stood to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
I sat down with a sigh. He sat down in his chair across from me.
"You look upset; are you sure you're all right?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm tired, that's all," I said. "Haven't been sleeping much lately with all that has been going on."
"If you're here to ask for news about your dad, I am afraid we don't have much to give you."
"I'm not," I said. "That's not why I’m here."
He folded his hands on top of the desk with a bob of his head. "Okay. Then, what can I do for you?"
I took in a deep breath. "I need to talk to Ruelle."
He lifted an eyebrow. "Ruelle? Why?"
"I need to ask her something. It's important."
"But…"
"Isn't she allowed to have visitors?"
"No, no, of course, she is. That's not it," he said.
"Then what is it? I just want to talk to her; that's all."
Sheriff Smith rubbed his chin pensively, then smiled. "Geez, you are beginning to look like your mother. I never could say no to her either."
"I choose to take that as a compliment," I said without lying. Even though a remark like that would have made me scream just a few months ago, it didn't today. Not anymore.
"So, can I? See her?"
Sheriff Smith sighed, then nodded. "Yes, you may pay her a visit. I think she might enjoy seeing someone else for once. I have a feeling she's getting pretty tired of my old face and the same questions over and over again."
"She' still not giving you anything new?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I’m not allowed to tell you, but no. Her amnesia doesn’t seem to be clearing up at all, even though the doctors believed it would eventually. She simply doesn’t remember anything from the day she was on a date with Jayden, and they were attacked by Jazmine's mom." He sighed and rubbed his hair. "Anyway, let me take you to see her. It'll be a short visit, though."
I looked at him, then rose to my feet. "That's fine. I only need a few minutes with her."
He gave me a strange look, then chuckled. "Okay. Follow me."
Chapter Sixteen
Ruelle was brought to the other side of the glass window and sat down. She stared at me with wide-open eyes from behind the glass. We each grabbed the phone on the wall.
"Hi, Ruelle. I’m guessing you know who I am?"
She gaped at me, then smiled a helpless and confused smile. "Yes! I know who you are. You're Robyn, right? Jayden's Robyn."
I swallowed, then nodded. I was glad he had talked to her about me but felt bad that she would call me that when she was the one who had been dating him up until now. She was the one who was supposed to marry him. Yet I was Jayden's Robyn.
"I’ve seen your picture on his phone and at his house," she said with her cute French accent. "Jayden really cares about you."
I nodded and felt awful.
"How are you holding up?" I asked, looking into her fear-filled eyes.
She took in a deep breath, and I could tell she was fighting her tears. "I…I don't know. They keep telling me I did all these things, but I…I can't remember."
I felt terrible for her. If things were the way I suspected them to be, then I couldn't blame her for being scared and confused. It was terrible that she had to stay in here if she hadn't done anything. The worst part was that I could tell she was beginning actually to believe she had done these things.
"I think you might be innocent," I said.
Her eyes grew wide again. "You do?"
I nodded. "Yes. To be perfectly honest, I wanted you to be guilty. I wanted you to have to go to jail, and I wanted you out of Jayden's life, but I have recently come across some information that led me to believe you might actually be innocent. It's hard to explain in detail, but I’m trying to figure out who the real killer is. I believe he has my dad and I’m trying to save him. But if I’m right, then that means you're actually innocent."
Ruelle didn't say anything; she simply stared at me through the glass, her eyes big.
"R-really? You'd do that for me?"
I sighed. "Yes. Well, I’m mostly doing it for myself. For my family, but should you be acquitted in the process, then I am thinking it's a win for all of us."
"I…I can't believe this, Robyn. I thought you hated me."
"Yeah, well…I might have at some point, but to be honest, I never really knew you. And no one should go to jail for something they didn't do. That's just how I feel."
"So, what can I do to help, huh? Tell me?
"
"I need to know about when you woke up. You came out of that house, didn't you? The abandoned house on our street?"
She nodded. "I woke up in there, yes. I felt so confused; I didn't know where I was, so I walked outside and ran in front of that car. I don't even remember how I got there. I have no idea. Last thing I remember is seeing Jayden in the car before we were attacked."
"And a lot of time has passed since then," I said.
Just like Mr. Ward's story.
"Weeks at least," she said. "And I don't know anything about what happened in those weeks. It's terrifying, Robyn, imagining but not knowing what you have done or where you have been. That's why I almost started to believe some of the things they told me I had done. I've heard about people getting blackouts, or maybe I was under some spell or something. But now, you're talking about me being innocent." She sniffled and placed a hand on the glass. "You have no idea how grateful I am, Robyn. You have no idea."
"Well, don't thank me yet. I still need to prove all of this and find the real killer."
"Still, Robyn. You’re the first one who has believed me. Even my parents don't believe what I say. Do you know how that feels, Robyn, huh? To see the disappointment in their eyes?"
I nodded. "I have a pretty good feeling. But don't give up on them yet. There is more to parents than what meets the eye. One day, you might find yourself missing them and then they might not be here anymore."
Chapter Seventeen
Where are you, Amy, when I need you?
I felt terrible as I left the Sheriff's Office. I had so much I wanted to talk to Amy about and yet I couldn't. I didn't even know if she was dead or alive. The thought made me want to cry. Behind me, Duncan's goons were following me closely, not being very subtle about it.
I decided to ignore them. I didn't have to care what they told Duncan. I didn't have to care anything about him.
Looking into Ruelle's eyes had made me even more certain about her innocence. I wasn't sure I truly believed it until I had seen her, but now I did.
I drove to Sophie's Diner and had lunch there, sitting by myself, thinking about everything I had learned over the past few days. After finishing my burger, I drove up our street and stopped in front of the abandoned house. I sat for a few minutes, staring at it, then got out and walked up to the gate.
As always, I felt a chill go down my spine as I placed a hand on the gate. Carefully, I opened it and walked into the yard, the plants rustling, sounding like they were whispering behind my back.
I gasped and turned to look at them, thinking someone was standing behind me, but there was no one there. I turned to look at the old house again, then approached the front door. I had always hated this house, ever since I was a kid and we would make up stories about it. Amy would sometimes try and scare me by saying that she had seen Timmy Reynolds in its windows, walking back and forth inside the house. Those stories still made my blood freeze even when just thinking of them.
I stood in front of the old wooden door with all its carved figures, thinking about the last time I had been inside and gotten lost. I wasn't sure I even dared to go in there again, even if I could.
Still, I tried.
I reached over and grabbed the handle, then pushed it. The door swung open like I had hardly touched it. I gasped and took a step backward, staring into the great hall. A wind started to blow from behind me like the house was trying to suck me in, and I was almost certain I even heard it call my name, trying to lure me to walk in.
I didn't. I didn't dare to. I had a feeling, if I did, I would never be able to come back out again.
So instead, I took another step backward, still while staring into the hall, the forceful wind whispering my name.
I took yet another step backward, and suddenly the door slammed shut with a huge bang. The wind immediately stopped, and I almost fell forward.
Panting in agitation, I rushed back toward the gate, feeling like the plants were watching me, reaching out for me, then hurried to my car and got in. I drove off with my heart pounding in my chest.
As I parked the car in my own driveway and took a few seconds to calm myself down, I looked in the rearview mirror of the car and spotted a light being turned on in the old house. I was certain I saw a shadow in the light, pacing back and forth before the light was turned off again a few seconds later.
I shook my head, then stepped out of the car and walked up toward the door, but something jumped at me from the tree next to our front door. I screamed in shock as the cat meowed and clung to my shoulder. I pulled it off, then stared at Jazmine's cat, hissing in anger.
"You've got to stop this, BamBam. You're gonna give me a heart attack."
The cat stared at me with its big yellow eyes, then meowed loudly. I sighed. "What do you want from me, huh? Why do you keep coming to me like this? You want something to eat, huh? All right, then."
I sighed and picked the cat up, then brought it with me inside.
Chapter Eighteen
I found a bowl and poured some almond milk into it, then waited to see how it reacted. To my surprise, the cat enjoyed my mother's strange milk. I watched him drink it while wondering what was getting into the darn cat lately. This was the third time that it had attacked me.
Did it have something to do with Jazmine? She had a way with animals; I knew that much. Could she be trying to communicate with me through her cat? I shook my head. No, that was impossible. She was brain-dead, they had told us. A dead brain doesn’t communicate with anyone.
I sighed and grabbed my phone, then started to play a game I had just downloaded when there was a knock on my door. I walked out and opened it. As I suspected, it was Duncan. He was, after all, the only one who knew I was here and not in school.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I need to talk to you. It's important."
Our eyes met, and I could tell this was serious.
"Okay, come on in," I said and stepped aside.
Duncan followed me into the kitchen. "What's going on?"
"Are you seeing Jayden again?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
I gave him a look, not knowing exactly what to answer. Was I? I guess I was. "Duncan, I…I…"
His eyes met mine, and I could tell I was hurting him. "I guess I always knew deep down that I was going to lose you to him one day. I just always had that hope, you know? That if you'd just give me a chance, if you got to know me, if I treated you well and took care of your family, then maybe…you'd see how great I am and forget about him."
"I…I don't know what to tell you, Duncan. The thing is, I love him. I always have."
"Ouch," he said. "That was painful."
I tried to smile, but it came off as awkward. "I'm sorry."
He lifted his head. "Yeah, well, I think it’s a mistake. You belong to two different worlds that can never be combined. You can never give him what he needs, and he can never give you what you need. You'll only make each other unhappy."
I sighed, not knowing what to say to him. I cared for Duncan. I really, truly did. But I felt like I had to give it a shot with Jayden. Or I would never forgive myself. We don't always choose who we love, do we? I mean it would have been so much easier had I only been able to simply love Duncan and stay with him. If only I could love what he was, and what my parents wanted me to be. But I didn't. I didn't want to become something just because my parents had decided I would. I wanted the decision to be mine. I wanted the life I had chosen for myself, even if the pieces didn't fit properly, even if I made mistakes.
"No one ever regretted following their heart," were my grandmother's words. I was determined to prove her right.
"I have to at least try," I said with a whisper.
Duncan's eyes were turning flaming red as he looked at me. "Why? Why do you have to try?"
"I don't know. I can't explain it, Duncan, but I just know I have to do this. I need to follow my heart. You need to follow your heart too, Duncan, and I am not sure that'
s me."
Said the human to the vampire.
Duncan snorted. "And just what do you know about what I want and dream of?"
"I don't. And I am not sure you do yourself."
He shook his head aggressively. "No. No. You're making a mistake. Can't you see it? Can't you see that you're about to ruin your life?"
He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me as he spoke, not realizing how strong he was and how it hurt me. When he did see it, he let go of me and pulled back.
Then he pointed at me. He spoke through gritted teeth. "You're going to regret this. That guy is nothing but trouble. But don't come crying to me when you do. I won't be there. I am done being your puppet. Goodbye, Robyn."
And just like that, he turned around and darted out of the house so fast I didn't even see him go through the door. I stood for a few seconds, staring at the front entrance, realizing for the first time that I had made the right decision to get back with Jayden. Up until now, I had my doubts since I didn't want to lose Duncan, but not anymore.
Chapter Nineteen
The cat never left my side. It was uncanny how it followed me around for the rest of the day, staying so close to me I almost felt like it was smothering me, like it was scared of letting me go.
So, I decided to let it hang with me. I kind of enjoyed having it around. I had it on my lap when going on the computer and it sat on the counter staring at me while I ate the pizza I had ordered.
After dinner, my mom called to check in on me. As usual, she pretended like she was just on a business trip and asked about school and stuff. Then she told me to take good care of myself. As the call was about to end, she paused for a few seconds before she said:
"Make sure you lock the doors tonight, okay? Even the one in the back. You never know who is lurking around out there. And, Robyn?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"I love you."
The words fell like it was the most natural thing in the universe, like she had said it a million times before and I had heard it just as many. But that wasn't exactly the case.