Listen Before You Speak

Chapter 22

"Freeze!" a female voice shouted from the kitchen door, and suddenly there was light everywhere.

My eyes were still locked on Blake, hoping that he might still be breathing. Hoping that my death would save his life. That the police and the ambulance would be fast enough to save at least him, even if I was dead. But I was wrong. They were there. Ready to save us both.

I could hear people running around me. I could see the feet stepping past Blake in my father's direction, and still I stood frozen, just like the command that was given.

I felt hands on my shoulders. A voice asking me if I was okay. If I had any injuries.

"Blake... He's dying... He needs help..." I said, still not taking my eyes of him.

Within seconds the woman yelled something and minutes later I watched, still frozen in place how Blake was taken away on a stretcher by two men.

"Honey, can you come with me please?"

A woman's voice. Her hands were on my shoulders again.

"My mom's upstairs. She knew. She knew all along," I said quietly as I felt warm tears streaking down my face, warming small parts of my cold cheeks.

"Another suspect upstairs. Female," the woman said out loud and then; "Come with me. Let's go inside."

"There's another body. Under the roses. Andy Wilson. He babysat me when I was ten," I whispered, slowing lifting my eyes to look toward the rose bushes which was blooming beautifully, showing off red blooms that I had always associated with death and blood. Never with love.

"Okay. We will see to that later. Now come with me," she said and finally I looked up. In the blue uniform she could just have been another cop, but to me she looked different than the others. Like this wasn't just a job. That she actually cared. Maybe it was the blonde hair that made her look friendlier than any other cop I had ever seen.

"Are you going to lock me up as well?" I asked with the voice of a small boy, my bottom lip trembling uncontrollably.

"No honey. Just come with me. I'm sure that nobody will be locking you up," she said as she steered me by the shoulders over the lawn, through the kitchen, over the blood that was everywhere, and out the front door.

I could see Kevin in the crowd. It was like the whole street came to see what was going on. Probably fifty people standing behind a yellow police tape, whispering behind their hands. I must have been quite the show, smeared in blood that has mixed with tears over my face.

"Hey! Elijah!" Kevin yelled.

I looked up to see him standing there. Tears streaking his face as well. I tried to smile at it, but it was if as the muscles in my face just didn't want to move. I needed to thank him for calling the police, but I couldn't.

Before I knew it I was in the backseat of a car and being driven away from the place that would never be home to me again. No matter how much it would be washed, I would always see the blood all over the floor.

"Are both my ...mom and ...dad going to jail?" I asked Vanessa.

So far she had been really nice. She allowed me to take a shower right there in the police station and gave me shorts and a t-shirt that I guess was hers, since it actually fit me, and was a bright pink with a kitten on the front of the shirt.

"Let's talk about that later okay? Why don't you tell me what happened tonight?" she said with a smile, putting her hands around the paper cup with coffee she got herself when she stepped out to get me a soda.