Tainted

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Casey's P.O.V

I awoke to a heavy, darkened storm. The house was empty, again. Everything around me seemed dulled. The rain pounded on the roof making the whole house echo with its deafening sound. The only thing stopping me from heading down to the kitchen was the text that I just received on my phone. I jumped out of bed and rushed across my room to grab my jacket, car keys, and slip-on's. I sprinted down the stairs, locked up the house, and hopped into my beat up '94 Chevy Beretta. I needed to get away from the house, and fast. So many memories rushed through my mind. 

I reversed out of the pebbled driveway and made my way towards the winding cliffside.

When I arrived, my aunt was waiting for me next to the broken guard rail. I slowly took in the scene as I walked over. "Aunt Sandra." I yelled, holding back the tears. She embraced me in a hug. "Honey, the detectives have confirmed that it is their bodies." There was a long silence. "I'm so sorry baby girl. I have the detectives working on contacting their families now." She placed her hands from an embracing hug to pull my face up to look at her. Worried eyed stared back at me.

I pulled away from her embrace and took a few more steps towards the broken guard rail. As I took in what I could, down at the bottom of the rocky cliff was Lizzie's Black 2011 GrandTurismo. Broken, crumpled, and upside down, it sat with a large rock coming through the under side of the cars engine. There was an even larger one sticking out through the middle of her car.  I let out a small wimper, and fell down to my knees. I let the tears roll down my face. In an attempt to control myself, I grasped at the wet grass I sat on, to try to calm my anxiety down.

My aunt walked over to me and pulled me up, off the soft, wet grass. I didn't care that I was drenched from the falling rain of the night or freezing cold. That didn't matter anymore. I only cared about my best friends. All three of them. Gone. Just like that. I stood trying to numb my emotions and watched as three of our small town ambulances drove out from the bottom of the cliffs up to top.

My aunt pulled me away from the cliffs edge and lead me over to my Beretta. "I'll call your father sweetie." Aunt Sandra whispered softly to me as she ushered me to the passenger side of my car.

"Hey Brian, could you drive Casey home. I'll be there soon to pick you back up." My aunt called over to one of her detectives. I glanced over at Brian finishing his conversation with another Detective, his short chestnut brown hair soaking from the pouring rain.

Brian looked over at me, meeting my gaze with his emerald eyes, and then responded to her, "Of course Chief." He walked to the driver side of my car and drove me home. We didn't talk at all on the way home.

With what felt like forever, I was back home. 

As I was getting ready to get out of my car, Brian spoke to me. "Hey, Casey." I looked at him. "You know, if you need anybody to talk to, I'm always here. Even on the hectic days." He gave me a small smile. I looked down to the floor board, then back at him. I tried my best to give him a smile.

Brian was a year ahead of me in school. He graduated this past year and has been trying to work his way up in the police academy. I've known Brian since I was little, he has always been around to help my dad and my aunt with things the older he got. Of course, he lived right down the street so I guess it helped give him something to do.

"Yeah, Thanks." I murmured to him. I closed my car door and walked up the steps to my family home and unlocked the front door. Brian walked in behind me and slipped off his shoes at the door. "Let me know if you need anything. I assume it'll be more than a few minutes before your aunt is able to come home." I paused at the first few steps that lead up to the second floor. "Ok. Help yourself to whatever. You know where everything is."

After Brian thanked me, I walked up the steps to my room and collapsed onto my bed. I didn't care that I was still soaking wet. I would eventually dry off, and so would my bed. Some time passed afterwards. I heard the front door open and close, and faint voices were coming from down stairs. Everything after that was a haze, and suddenly I drifted into darkness.