Little Sister

Chapter 8

My stomach twisted as we walked through the dreaded forest once again. My chest felt hollow, as if it had already given up on its efforts to alarm me.
However, this time we were safe.

The little girl walked right beside me, tugging on to my sweater.
Officer Lennant and two other officers walked ahead of us.

The air was still but the sky was still overcast. Nothing about the forest. It was still the same; filled with leaves that lay under hundreds of trees.

After several minutes of walking, we finally arrived.

At that moment, I knew. I knew that this would bring an end to this unorthodox journey that had ransacked my regular, old, boring life.

At first I did kind of love it. The suddenness! The mystery! It was all intriguing.
A random little girl approaching someone as dull and boring as I.
I still chuckle at the thought.

It was still so much fun. Breaking the rules for her, reading bed time stories and setting up a tent.

As we made a stop, I teared up at the memories... I still do as I write this, but that's besides the point.

Officer Lennant and one of his co-workers entered the dreaded house of horrors, while the third cop stood with us outside.

From the moment we had left the house, the little girl hadn't been as talkative as she usually was and that concerned me a bit.

While waiting, I turned back to see that she wasn't there.
I panicked, just like I did when I was about to search for her outside of school grounds.

Without the cop's permission, I scrambled around to look for the girl while constantly being reprimanded by the cop who was supposed to monitor us.

I checked by the pond, which was dampened with moss and mud. It looked more like a mini swamp than a pond. I could feel a bitter taste in my mouth at the realization that the little girl used to drink from that 'swamp'.

I then headed to the doors that led to the cellar.
Nothing. They were locked.

The only place left was the backyard and oh boy... Do I regret stumbling there.

My pace slowed down as I saw the little girl squatting down with her hands and knees all bloodied.

The leaves nearby were stained with droplets of crimson, and a bike rotten smell assaulted my nostrils.

Everything told me to run, but all I did was walk towards the little girl.

"Big brother..." She whimpered, her voice helpless and her eyes tearful.

Infront of her was a heap of flesh. A familiar heap of flesh.

"Fluffy is dead."

"Oh shit." Said the cop, who could mutter more words than me.

I squatted next to the girl, and wrapped her in my arms. Her blood stained hands held on to my body, but I didn't care.

"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" Boomed Officer Lennant's voice from the second story of the house.

"I SAID DROP IT!"
"YEAH, DROP THE WEAPON!" Backed his second in command.

The yelling didn't stop.

I instinctively hugged the girl tighter. Her right ear was pressed against my dark blue sweater and her left ear was covered by my hand.
She didn't have to hear what was going on. All she needed to know was that I'm there. Even if we're sitting in the dark, in space or even in the fires of hell... I just wanted her to know that I'm there for her. That I will always be there for her.

Not very long after, Officer Lennant emerged with the psychopath woman and the deranged man.

"Ma'am. Mister. You are both under arrest for drug use and attempted murder." Stated officer Lennant. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.”