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Where's The Connection?

A/N

Amanda & Anna pictured above so you guys can picture them in your head.

*Reminder that this story is based on an article written by Rona Vaselaar from ThoughtCatalog.com

I give Rona Vaselaar FULL credit and props to writing/inspiring me to make it into a semi longer story with more details. It could even turn into somewhat of a series? With a possible second book.

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"Hey, Amanda, look at this!"

I glanced at Anna, terrified to look at the phone at all. I didn't want to play this game anymore.

"What?" I asked.

"All of the contacts are girls." She says while looking at me.

I looked up at her.

"So?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"So, the first girl, the one the phone belonged to, she had a boyfriend, right? Why isn't his number in here?" She exclaims.

Good point. I looked through the contacts.

All female.

I scrolled down to "my number." Pulling up the contact information, I saw that a name was listed next to it.

Janie Witthrow.

I grabbed Anna's computer.

"What are you doing?" She asks, standing up and walking towards me.

"Trying to find the connection." I said concentrating on the screen.

There had to be a reason all these girls had died, there had to be a reason that Janie died.

Something was connecting them.

I clicked on the first article that Google pulled up.

"MONROE TEEN FOUND DEAD ON SCHOOL GROUNDS"

The picture attached to the article was definitely Janie.

I continued reading.

"A recent tragedy has resulted in the death of Monroe teen Janie Witthrow. Janie's body was found on September 20th, 2012, next to the main building of Monroe Public High School. Although the police are continuing their investigation, the death appears to have been a suicide."

"Although it is unfortunate, it is not unheard of," Chief of Police Robert Mansfield reported on Friday afternoon. "When teenagers like Janie come under pressure, they tend to make poor decisions. It is a pity that Janie felt this was her only option."

Janie's parents were shocked by her decision.

"Janie was such a happy child," her mother explained tearfully to Channel 7 reporters. "She would never have done something like this."

Students and members of the community are welcome to attend a memorial service held for Janie on October 5th. The memorial service will be held in the Monroe Public High School gymnasium."

"Here, try this one," said Anna. "Hannah Kerns."

I punched it into Google and up popped the black-haired woman.

I skimmed the article this time. Found murdered outside of a bar downtown.

But there was something new here.

"Anna... this girl was sexually assaulted," I said.

"What?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Look." I sighed.

"That doesn't make sense." Anna frowned.

"The other girl committed suicide, this girl was raped and then murdered. Where's the connection?" She says getting quieter.

I shrugged.

We typed in the next name, and then the next.

Aside from Janie, all of the reports were the same.

Women murdered, presence of semen and pattern of wounds indicating sexual assault.

"This doesn't make any sense!" I slammed my fist on the table. Anna jumped.

My frustration was beginning to show.

These girls were all brutalized, all except for Janie. What makes her different?" I asked.

Anna was quiet for a moment. "Maybe she's the same," she said.

"What?" I asked, puzzled.

"Think about it. She killed herself for almost no reason at all. Maybe that's why she did it?" Anna breathed.

The pieces started to click together.

"But what about her boyfriend? And what about the boys in the pictures? They're all dead, too, but their names aren't saved."

That's right.

If whoever was doing this was raping and murdering these girls, then what about the boys?

Why did they die in the first place? And why didn't their deaths warrant saving?

Anna and I were still thinking over it when the phone lit up between us.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

I was starting to loathe that sound. I looked at it nervously.

"Put it on speaker," Anna suggested.

I took a deep breath and answered the phone, doing as Anna said and pressing the speakerphone option.

"Who is this?" I asked.