Memories Of A Witness

Chapter Four

"What? Are you serious?" she asked, her heart pounding fast. 

"Yes, definitely," Candice said with confidence. This time there weren't any noises in the background  and Megan felt relieved. "And? Are you in or out?" 

"I mean, yeah, I would love to go with you! But I can't..."

"OK, listen Megan. You have to tell me if your dad checks on you when you stay in your room."

"Yes. I'm in my room all day long and he comes maybe 2 times a day, if I don't make any sudden loud noises." She pondered for a moment. "Yep, 2 times a day. One when it's afternoon and the last one when I go to sleep. He actually just peeks through the door for a second and goes back to his bedroom." 

"You have cameras in your house?"

"I don't think so," she answered.

"Alright then. Make yourself ready after your dad did his usual check ups on you."

"Wait,wait, how do you want to fetch me? Police patrol around my neighborhood a lot. Also my window is bolted!"

"I know. Just trust me," Candice assured her. "Jesus Christ, if I get busted I will clearly become the lead suspect. We got to be careful, because your girl is too young to go jail."

"I understand."

"Good, we can do it. I have to hang up now."

The call went beep, and Megan just sat there confused. 

She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. Megan Maxwell, the survivor and witness of a killing, risks her life to club with her best friend. Did she want it? Unquestionably. Will her assailant finally get his revenge tonight? Probably. And she was scared and ashamed of herself. She should stay here and attempt to revive her memories to put the murderer of her mother behind bars. Her father was also slogging away to protect her, but she was throwing everything into a trash bin. Megan suddenly regretted about her impetuous decision and wanted to renege on their plan. But her hand didn't dial her number. In all likelihood, if she backed up now she would probably lose Candice for all. She would think she was not cool, she would think I didn't keep her word.

She looked at the clock. Twenty past eight. She went to bed when it was nine and that was when he made his way to her room. 

Instantaneously, epiphany hit her. Why would a friend persuade her to go to a party when she knew very well, that going outside was dangerous for her? How did she know about her window being locked? And what was her plan? This was beyond unorthodox. All her adulation for her 'best friend' combusted, and was now replaced by suspicion. Was she the murderer? Megan's hands trembled uncontrollably, her heart a cannon. 

I'm so stupid I'm so stupid I'm so stupid

She was scared but at the same time she felt a surge of triumph. She was handling the situation like her old self.  "The old Megan was like that all the time. She was always one step ahead of us. She was so clever and intelligent," her dad had said. She was becoming more and more like her! Now it was just a matter of time until I recover my memories. But didn't she find the killer already? Yes, she was doubting Candice's true intentions, but what if she was really just trying to have some innocent fun with her? 

Megan grabbed her hair in frustration and this time, she called her. She picked up on the first ring.

"It's Megan, I can't go out tonight," she told her immediately. Her voice was forbidding. She didn't care.

"What?" She sounded anticlimactic. "Why? Did something happen?"

She considered carefully what to say. She had to take precautions. "My dad suddenly wants to watch a movie with me." 

"I thought he banned you from using any devices."

"Uhm yes, but today's an exception... He said." She felt nervous, she bit on her nails. Crap, the lie sounded so unconvincing.

A long pause on the line. "It's fine, Megan. Maybe another time," she said softly. 

"Goodbye," she said harshly and the call ended. 

The young girl sat on the bed for a long time. Thinking. The only thing she was good at. The only thing that was killing her. Weird. Candice sounded like a good friend. She was understanding when she told her she didn't want to go. And Megan was acting like a scoundrel. While her only friend wanted to bring some happiness into her life, she had misjudged her. Now she lost her.

I'm so stupid I'm so stupid I'm so stupid

She felt trapped in my her thoughts. Another preposterous paranoia. 

Megan got up, disappointed with herself and looked at the time on her phone. It was exactly nine o'clock. Around this time, her dad would usually come.  So, she waited for him, a question on her mind. She collapsed onto her bed and played around with her shabby phone to avert her thoughts. The more she thought, the more she committed stupid mistakes. 

She was controlling a snake by pressing number pads. The goal was to eat the square and to keep it growing. Megan liked it. The rudimentary controls were simple and the game was pretty self-explanatory. Nothing too complicated. 

After a while of playing, she had had enough and stared at the time again. Thirty past nine. Now that was out of the ordinary. Her father would never let her sleep without checking if she was OK.

She stepped out of the bed, one leg before the other. She felt the cold floor under her bare feet as she strode steadily towards the door. She grabbed the handle, an uneasy feeling disseminating. But she ignored it. This time Megan was not going to depart into a fantasy world. She would stay rational, go to her dad and ask a question. She would see him drinking or doing his work as usual in his bedroom, because nothing happened to him. So why was she getting so agitated?

She stole through the doorway, charcoal darkness engulfing her. All was quiet. Her legs took her to his room while she passed numerous rooms. She felt  her back itching as if someone was staring at her from behind. 

When she arrived, she seized the knob, twisted it and opened the door. 

Megan saw her dad. 

His body was laying on the ground, blood flowing, thick and sluggish. 

She screamed.