Beast

Dad's Drawer

'Are you sure you don't want to come?' my mum asks, peering round my door. I groan, it's ten in the morning and I'm still in bed, I am awake but my bed is just too warm to leave.

'I'm sure mum, bye' I reply, she closes my bedroom door behind her, I listen to her footsteps descend the staircase followed by her and dad's voice as the front door slams shut, I sigh. Silence fills the house, the only sound is the faint ticking of my clock hanging on my bedroom wall. I reach out, into my night table drawer and pull out the letter I found yesterday when I discovered Rupert's body, of course I didn't leave it there, if the police saw it and went through my phone then they would assume that I killed him.

However, I know that I will be questioned about it, I was the last person to see Rupert and I discovered his body. I get out of bed and wrap my fluffy light blue night gown around myself, winter is nearly here, I prefer autumn.

After freshening up in the bathroom, I head downstairs to the kitchen to prepare my morning coffee, I cut  a slice of the raisin cake mum made yesterday, I'm not a huge fan of raisins, but I am hungry. I sit at the dining room, sipping and chewing and swallowing. My mind working away at the events that have occured over the past two days, who is this unknown number? Do I know the person? Have I ever seen them? Is it a stalker? Should I go to the police?

I furrow my eyebrows as I think back to the note, I will help you remember, remember what?

- Flashback -

'You know Anna, not everyone can remember everything about their childhood, some only remember snippets of their childhood...'

'But everyone can at least remember something, right? So why can't I?'

Rupert sighs, giving me a sympathetic smile, 'Everyone has different ways of remembering things, some people remember snippets of their childhood when they see a person who they haven't seen since they were young, other remember by hearing things like a song or listening to recording, others dig up memories that their parents have kept to help them remembering, you just haven't found the right way yet'

- End of Flashback -

Oh Rupert! I cannot help but feel as if his death is my fault, but it isn't right? I gasp as an idea comes to mind, I will help you remember, does this person know abut my past? My childhood? Will they be the key to help me remember? Do they have the answers to my questions?

There is only one way to find out, I must find this person! But they could be dangerous, they've already killed Rupert, who's to say that they won't kill anyone else? Who's to say that this person won't kill me? I wash the dishes before heading back upstairs, I pull my curtains open and open the window to let some fresh air in, a beep sounds behind me.

I pick my phone, Unknown Number; 'Desk drawer' what? Is this person alking about my desk drawer? Did they put something in here? I pull open the three drawers that are built into my desk, after a thorough rummage I don't find anything suspicious, nothings been taken and nothing's been added. What is this person talking about? Sometimes I wish I could text them back and ask them who they are but I cannot, it's an unknown number after all.

I think, the only other desk in the whole house is my father's, is that what the person is talking about? I walk down the hallway, opening the door to dad's office and flicking on the light, I've never been in here before, dad tells me not to but he's never told me why, but I always assumed it was business stuff.

I walk towards his desk and take a seat on the large leather chair, spinning around a couple of times before pulling open the first drawer, a document, I flick through but don't see anything unordinary, it has a list of clients and some business details. The second drawer holds dad's laptop and charger, the third and final drawer, I sigh as I open it.

I pull out the three pages that have been stapled together, I frown as a picture of a young girl is also stapled to the front. The girl looks around six with ginger/auburn hair similar to mine, it falls down her back in soft waves, her lips are small and pink and her eyes are the most beautiful blue also similar to mine, but from the baby photos that mum showed me, I know it can't be.

At the top of the page is a logo followed by a title in bold letters; WestTown Carehome. A carehome? I skim over the second page, it's details for the adoption and legal requirments, have my parents adopted before me? The last page has details about the girl in photo, I wonder where she is now.

Mr and Mrs Carter for the adoption of Annalise Miller - Carter aged 10. I gasp loudly dropping the stack onto dad's desk and push myself off the chair, the girl in the photo; it's me. I'm adopted, they're not my real parents? B-but...

My eyes widen as I stare at the picture of the young girl, I sink back down into the seat, I'm adopted. Is this the reason I can't remember anything from my past? Was I too young to remember, no it can't have been, I would still have remembered after they adopted me. Maybe I had an accident that caused me memory loss, it's a reasonable explanation.

But I'm turning seventeen in less than a week, when did they plan on telling me this? I can't believe it, growing up I've always noticed that I don't look like either of my parents but I aways shrugged it off thinking that I got my looks from other members of my family, I've also noticed how in most of my 'baby photos' you wouldn't properly be able to see my face, I now realise that it's because the baby in the picture is not me, they didn't want me to find out.

I hear dad's car pull up, I make sure everything is how he left it before closing the door behind me, did hte unknown number know about this? Is that what they wanted me to find out? I take a deep breath and try to act natural as the sound of the key turning in the lock catches my attention, I begin making my way downstairs, I'll wait until my birthday and if they don't say anything then, I will.

The picture she found >>^^ COMMENT&VOTE