Black

Part 24- Hello Baby Sister

Amber sneaked inside her house's backyard and struggled climbing the rain- drainage pipe; missing her step and almost falling down but immediately held her grip on the pipe. She took deep breaths shuddering against the chillness of air that nipped her bare legs and climbed up to ledge of her window. She balanced herself on the ledge and slid up the pane of window jumping inside her room. Amber had taken a great risk of coming to her own house but she knew that it's the last place police would search for her, for police she's least expected to be found at her place. She immediately stripped out of the nurse uniform and took a quick shower to cleanse the sweat and grime off her body; the smell of medicines and antiseptics that had made her nauseous and upset her stomach. Amber tried her best not to get her stitches wet and dressed her cuts after drying her burning arm. The girl put on fresh pair of blue jeans, grey top and black loose sweater. Amber absentmindedly brushed the white bandages on her arm, when she heard sirens of police cars and rushed to hide behind the curtains. She leered outside at the road through the curtains to see if they had passed the house. She released a sigh of relief and grabbed her cell phone, checking the 24 missed calls from her mother and Jennifer. She tucked her mobile in her  pocket and made a mental note to call back later after she would figure the things with Maria. The girl, Amber thought, could be the one who holds the key to her answers. Besides, the police hunting for her could listen to their conversation and track her down within matter of few minutes.  She pulled over black hooded jacket and caught glimpse of pendant on the dresser. Amber took the chain in her hand and examined  broken pendant that had been given to Marina by their grandmother. She had removed the pendant from Marina's neck at her funeral. Amber locked the chain around her neck and put pendant inside her jacket.

Amber turned off the burglar alarm and came outside of the house. The dawn was about to break as black started to fade from the sky. She dropped the hood lower on her face and took the back route in the woods to Maria's house. She felt sudden pang in her chest at recalling her name; the girl Amber thought to be someone who could finally understand her turned out to be the biggest mistake of her life. Amber snickered remembering her sister's words that she hadn't been good in reading people.

Amber's aching legs took her to Maria's house and she caught her breath for a minute before pushing the gate. The gate was already open, for some reason, as if Maria had been awaiting her presence at her place. Amber made her way inside, standing at the doorstep and raised her hand to ring the bell that had been out of order. She rapped the door with her knuckles and realized that the front door was open. She pushed through the door and entered the house. The soft, melodious sound of piano that was coming from the basement met her ears. She left the door ajar and followed the sound descending the stairs to the basement room. She heard a cackle of laughter and blood drained off her face at the dreadful sight before her eyes.

"Forgive me, Amber." Maria whispered and Amber stood there frozen in morbid horror staring at the hanging mutilated body of Fria in the basement. She covered her mouth, muffling her choke and turned to leave from there before Maria could acknowledge her presence.

"Amber?" Maria asked getting up from the stool and noticed the girl's eyes on the body past her shoulder.

"Look I can explain." Maria took cautious steps towards the girl and Amber's body reacted on flight mode, as she shook her head frantically and sprinted back from there.
"Amber!" Maria shouted and chased the girl out of the basement grabbing handful of her hair from behind. Amber shrieked haltering in her steps and tried to free herself from Maria's grip on her hair.

"I said, I can explain!" Maria seethed through her gritted teeth and tugged at her hair making Amber yelp. Amber blinked back the tears as she felt betrayed for her trust towards the black haired girl.