Sleep With One Eye Open

Chapter Twenty-Two- It Was Written In Blood

As if right on cue, my dad walked through the door. The four of us froze, waiting for some kind of reaction from him. In a weird manner, my father closed the door behind him. He wasn’t calm, yet he wasn’t freaking out, either. He held one plastic bag in his hand, quickly putting it on the coffee table. His hands were shaking.

            “Dad?” I whispered, watching his every movement.

            “Y-yes honey?” He manages to look me in the eye as he stands beside me, crossing his arms over his chest.

            “What did is look like? The scene at the mall.” Seeing his shocked reaction, I added, “I mean, you did pass by it right?”

            He looks away. Everyone tuned in as he spoke, “Yeah, I did see it . . . It was the worst thing I have ever seen. All of those mutilated bodies . . . scattered . . . I was just simply going to get a couple books to read, when I saw it. It had just happened, too.” Then my father hesitated.

            “Dad? What is it that you’re not telling us?” I say, starting to be more demanding. I needed the answers. I don’t know why, I just did. For a massacre to happen here is very rare. Especially when they’re just a bunch of innocent people.

            My dad looks me back in the eye, a tear forming. “Honey, on a wall by the Gift store, your and Oliver’s name were written in the victims’ blood.”

            “Holy shit.” Oliver whispered. I had the same words stuck in my head, repeating over and over. What did we have to do with anything?

            I met everyone’s gazes around the room. Marian and Lee were both confused, as well as shocked. I looked at Oliver. He was just as confused as I was. “Maybe . . .” I mumbled.

            “What? Maybe what, Jane?” Oliver asks in a hushed tone.

            “Maybe this has something to do with the kidnapping back in America.” I finish, looking at everyone’s reaction, especially my father’s and Oliver’s.

            “But Richard was locked up! There’s no way. It can’t be possible.” Oliver said, throwing his arms up in the air. He then put both of his arms around me in a secure but comforting way. I smashed my head against his chest in a frustrated manner.

            “Maybe it can . . .” I whisper. Everyone looks at me. “Maybe Richard has a partner or something that isn’t in prison.”

            Everyone is frozen, deep in thought.

            Marian breaks the silence, “I’m gonna go cut myself now.” She says, standing up with a bored, but freaked out expression on her face.

            All of us stare at her.

            “I kid!” She laughs briefly. Realizing we weren’t in a good mood, she just shrugs it off and walks upstairs.

            I sigh loudly, wishing this wasn’t happening to me.

            ~~

            Hours pass as Oli and I wait to sneak out and check out the scene. Dad and Lee were spending some father and son time, playing a video game in Lee’s room, while Marian was in Oliver’s old room doing who knows what.

            Oli and I decided to check out the murder scene minutes after everyone else deiced to disappear out of the family room. Hopefully, no one notices us gone. My day would freak out if he knew I had just casually walked into the pit of danger.