Placebo Effect: [Zane X Reader]

Six- Beastly Beauty

I never really imagined myself as claustrophobic. Small spaces had often been my friend when I was little. Let me tell you, I was the bomb at hide and seek. Julien and I used to play all the time, actually. I would always find myself in the smallest places imaginable, often times in little nooks and crannies that 6 year olds totally shouldn't be able to fit into. The tiniest of cupboards, the tv stand, under countless couches and smashed between it and the wall. Julie could never find me. I always had to give hints like making sounds or opening drawers. It would take him forever, but after our hide and seek game turning into "hot or cold" he would usually find me.

Something about being in a crammed space always comforted me. It's like a hug. Maybe it had something to do with being crammed in the womb, too. Being swaddled as a baby. I'm not too sure on the exact science, but small spaces were comforting. I'd say still to this day they are.

Or at least they were.
Until now.

I found myself in an interrogation room. I honestly felt like a prisoner. The room was harsh and cold and completely slate gray. Like boring and empty could scare me into talking.

I'm not sure if it was working, but that was mostly because I hadn't done anything. I didn't have anything to talk about.

Before me on the opposite wall a mirror. I stared down my sorry reflection as if she was the one who had something awful. My eyes were red and bloodshot, looking like I'd done copious amounts of crack in the last two seconds. My hair was an absolute mess and my face five shades paler than usual. To put it short and sweet I looked like the living dead.

Which was fair considering it had just been a few days since I discovered my dad was dead. Murdered, actually.

I snapped out of my stare down with myself when the door to my left opened with a squeal. I glanced, then diverted my gaze. Sheriff Plandiv settled down before me, gently setting a small Manila envelope before him.

I had known this guy for as long as I lived here. So, my entire life. Plandiv was a tall, lanky man. He had a deep southern drawl and after was seen with a sweet tea or a cup of black coffee. He was always kind to me and my dad, often times going fishing with my old man. He was not as... partial to my twin as he had been with my dad and I. I was grateful that he wasn't quick to judge me based upon some rash decision Dani had made.

"Hey kid. How you holding up?" He asked, southern dancing off every word.

I shrugged, as if it was that simple. It wasn't. "I've been better."

Plandiv just nodded, not wanting to press into my wounded and aching heart. Mad respect.

He opened the file before shaking his head and closing it again. I knew full well what was in that envelope. I didn't have the heart or stomach to look at crime scene pictures a second time. I swallowed back tears as the questions began.

"Do you know of anyone who would have wanted to hurt your dad?"

There it was. The million dollar question that I had running around in my head. Rampant, and without anything to silence it, the thought had held me captive over the past few days. I had no answer to the "who?"

So I simply shook my head. "No. No one ever threatened him or seemed aggressive towards him." I gave a small shrug. "Not that I knew of, of course."

Plandiv nodded. He glanced over his shoulder at the mirror, quick and sharp before plowing on. "Of course." He repeated what I said and I squirmed in my seat. "Was your dad planning on going out the day of his death?"

He danced around the final word as if it was a bomb. I should have given the man a tutu with the way he pranced around the word death.

I shook my head. "No. He was gonna stay home with me and help me do inventory in the shop. When he was gone in the morning, I assumed he had gone out for groceries or breakfast or something. It's not unusual for him to do that. I just thought..." I trailed off and my eyes dropped to the metal desk, tears spilling from my eyes. "I though he would come home..." I whispered, the words barely audible.