Forsaken Below The Tracks

Chapter Ten: Murderer

"Who would have sent that?" I sat on Erik's bed just staring at the phone. I was utterly shaken and yet completely frozen.

Erik sat on the floor in front of, his hand still holding the wound on my leg, it was bleeding through the gauze so he sat patiently applying pressure trying to get the blood to cease from pouring.

"The question babe, isn't who, but how. Her phone was in her purse, and her purse was annihilated like... It was totally demolished in the accident. The cops found it, babe. They found it all, that's how they were able to ID her."

"So how is that even possible? None of this makes any sense. Someone is fucking with me. Making me think that I was somehow involved... am somehow to blame... It's not fair. This isn't right. We need to go the cops, Erik."

"Jenn, the cops are looking for you. Liam made a statement that you pushed her in front of the train and they're after you, as we speak, for questioning your involvement. We can't go to the cops until we figure out what the hell is going on. They'll pin your ass for this, Jenn. You and I know you had nothing to do with her death, but they are going to want to put the blame on someone, and it sure as hell won't be pretty boy, Liam."

I laid down backward, staring up at his ceiling. When we first started going out, I bought him those little glow in the dark stars to put around his room. He had bounced from place to place since then, but he always packed them up and took them with him wherever he went. This place was no exception, even after all these years, there they hung. I was utterly lost in them at that moment. Wishing that none of this was real. That Morgan and Liam were simply just playing a mean joke on me and Erik was somehow involved too. Morgan was too kind to do something like that. She would never want to hurt me. This was real. This was happening.

"The bleeding is starting to stop. I'm going to run to the drug store really quick. That's going to start hurting like a bitch and we'll need some more booze and bandages. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

"Please don't leave me, Erik. I don't know what's happening right now, I can't process any of this, I can't be alone right now, please. Please don't go."

"Jenn, it's right around the corner. I'll be back in like 10 minutes. You'll be fine."

"Are your room-mates here?"

"Nope. Mike's out of town for work, and Sean is at his girlfriend's. Just stay in my room, keep the door shut, turn your phone off and try and get some rest. I'll be right back."

He tossed his favorite, ratty blanket over top of my midsection, my legs still dangled off the side of the bed. I couldn't move, didn't want to. He started walking out the door when I called out to him.

"Erik?"

"What's up, babe?"

"Can you throw on some music? Please?"

He nodded, concerned, but followed my request. Plugging in his record player he put on my favorite band, Bad Religion. I sighed a sense of somewhat relief that the sheer silence I was experiencing would soon be soothed by the voice of Greg Graffin.

"You good?"

I nodded. He walked over, soothed my hair and leaned in to kiss my forehead as if I was a child, "I'll be back in 5."

He quietly walked out, shutting the door behind him and leaving me in the darkened room.