Unwritten Pages

Chapter One: Absent

     “It started with a single 'absent' on the attendance list.”

     No one pays attention to the name “Winter” being called.

     No one pays attention when the teacher repeats her full name. “Winterlyn Evaline Lawly!” The chatter continues to fill up the room until it threatens to swallow everyone up. That's when the teacher shouts: “Quiet!”

     The volume lowers until it's barely above a whisper. The teacher continues on with the attendance, marking 'absent' beside Winterlyn's name. The teacher continues the attendance and then starts the class.

     A classroom full of at least twenty students, and no one notices.

     No one at all.

     No one.

     The police looks up expectantly from the notepad which he is marking my words on with a pen. I had paused. Now I need to continue or he will get restless and annoyed.

     “Yes?”

     I take a breath and try not to get sucked in my memories. This is my...alibi. I guess. Kind of. Not exactly. I was not being framed...yet. Hopefully I will not be framed.

     “No one noticed Winter missing,” I say carefully.

     “Do you have anything to do with it?” The officer cuts the chase.

     “What—no! No... I...” I trail off for the lack of anything to say. Me? Causing Winter's...being gone? Impossible! If anything, I prevented it.

     The officer gives me a look and I take another breath. I can't overreact. Even though she has left me traumatized. I cannot overreact. No matter what toll this is taking on me.

     “Then continue your story,” the officer says simply. He looks tired and worn-out. I wonder briefly what has made him like this, but I don't ask.

     “Winter... She had no bullies,” I said, thinking hard. She had no bullies, right? There was barely anyone who taunted her. No one at all. She did nothing to anyone. She didn't hurt anyone. She never spoke poorly of anyone. She barely swore or drew attention.

     That was why no one had paid attention when she was absent from school for one day.

     “Cut the chase, talk about the last time you saw her,” the officer says. I nod and rack my brain for that day.

     How can I forget it?

     “She was crying,” I state bluntly. The officer jerks his head up and seems interested for one moment. Maybe I have finally given them a lead.

     “Do you know why...?”

     I shrug. Honestly, I'm not sure.

     “Continue.”

     “So I was coming home from school. It was pouring, hard. If you were driving, it would be one of those times where you couldn't see anything on the windows. Most cars were pulled over, they were waiting for the rain to stop. Luckily, I had an umbrella, and I didn't have to wait on school ground until the rain stopped.

     “My shoes were getting wet though. I kept my eyes on the ground while running. I hated wet shoes. So I was trying to get home as quick as possible. I wasn't watching what was going on in front of me, so I crashed straight into Winter.

     “The sheer weight of me left her sprawled on the ground. She was wearing jeans and a shirt with a teddy bear picture on it. Weren't those the clothes she was found in? Anyway, I helped her up. She was dripping wet and she didn't have an umbrella. I offered to walk her home.