Prophecy

I gazed blindly at the windshield.

I dropped my head back on the car seat and closed my eyes. I inhaled deeply before letting out a heavy sigh.

I rolled my head around to face Thorn and slowly opened my eyes. Concern marred his features. I smiled weakly as I smoothed out the worry lines above his brow with my fingers.

“You shouldn’t frown. Don’t want to start developing premature wrinkles.” I joked.

He took my hand and folded it into his. “I’m not worried about getting wrinkles. I’m more concerned about you,” he replied still serious.

“You don’t have to. I’m fine . . . really.” I added as he raised an eyebrow at me. “I’ll admit that the whole detective issue makes me a little . . . uneasy, but I can deal with it. I’m not going to have a full mental breakdown and die on you.” I joked stiffly.

“That’s not funny Summer,” he said as the crease marks started to reform over his brows.

“I know. But I’ll be fine.” I said stretching over placing a kiss on his lips, which were tightly pressed together and unresponsive at first but he slowly gave in after a while. “Well, that is more like it. I was beginning to think that I was kissing a rock.” he smiled.

“I just don’t like seeing you unhappy,” he said soberly, but I was glad that the worried look he was earlier hadn’t come back. “We should probably go inside now. I bet your family’s wondering why you haven’t come inside as yet.” he smiled.

“Somehow I don’t think that they are, since they’re wondering how I manage to pull myself away from you when I have to come home from school.” he chuckled softly.

“They are huh,” he said more thoughtfully as he grabbed the bags from the backseat. He handed me mine, before getting out to open the door for me.

“Thank you,” I replied gingerly as I swung my knapsack over my shoulder.

“You’re welcome,” he said closing the door before boldly putting his arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him and smiled as I wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder, as we walked up to the house.

Since Thorn got back from Tir na n-Óg, he carried me home from school every day. Today he also picked me up as Caleb decided to skip school to finish some project he hadn’t started and was due tomorrow.

He’d used the excuse that he wanted me to explain the notes that he’d missed while he was out, which I didn’t buy, because other than the fact that he was a fricking genius, I knew that he had understood everything first time I explained. I loved the fact that we were spending more time together. But I’ve been sensing that there was something more. When he was around me, he always seemed so . . . vigilant?

Thorn stepped behind me to allow me to enter the house. As I stepped through the door, the first thing I noticed was the quiet enveloping the house. Something was not right. With both Aunt Liz and Caleb being home, the place was just too still.

“Thorn listen,” I said after he’d closed the door and joined me in the living room.

He stood silently for a moment and then he dropped his stare to my face. “What is it? I don’t hear anything?” he said sounding puzzled.

“That is the problem,” I whispered. “The place is too quiet.” I dropped my bag on the nearby sofa and moved into the kitchen. “Everyone should be at home, the cars are still parked outside. It is almost six and Aunt Liz hasn’t started dinner . . . . It’s all too eerie.” Hints of fright had already started creeping up in my voice.

I held tightly onto his hand as we quietly searched the rest of the rooms downstairs. They were all empty. We meandered back to the foyer and stood at the base of the stairs.

“You should let me go up first, to have a look around,” he said quietly and started climbing the stairs.

“I’m coming with you,” I said holding his hand tighter.

“No Summer, it’s best you wait here. We don’t know what could be up there,” he said pulling his hand from mine and started climbing again.

“We don’t know what could be waiting for me down here either,” I said defensively and stepped beside him.

He stared at me, his face hard as granite. “Fine,” he said rigidly, as he seemed to accept my line of logic. “But you have to stay behind me at all times.” he continued.

I nodded nervously.

I’d been in this position before, the stillness, the body, the attack . . . It was all a matter of time. . . My stomach kicked and my heart galloped faster.

“I’ll go and check my room. You can check Caleb’s.” I said trying to hide my anxiety. He nodded silently and we each went to the two rooms at opposite ends of the corridor.

I turned the doorknob slowly. The door creaked as I pushed it open. I held my breath as I stepped into the room. Everything was as I left them this morning.

More confident now, I searched my closets and under my bed. Nothing there. I got up quickly and turned quickly to face the door.

“Frick!” I said breathing in sharply. “You scared me silly,” I said to Thorn who had suddenly appeared behind me.

“Sorry,”

“Anything in Caleb’s room?” I asked.

“No,” he replied blankly.

“Good,” I exhaled. “Well let’s go and check my aunt’s room,” I said starting to push past him.

“Wait,” he said grabbing my hand. I stopped and turned to face him. “I’d already checked that side.”

“That was quick. Is everything okay on that side?” I asked turning fully to him.

He didn’t answer. His body was rigid and his face seemed tense. I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed it from the moment he’d stepped into the room.

“Thorn everything is fine on the other side . . . right?” I asked becoming nervous again.

“No Summer. Things aren’t . . . fine,” he said after an extended pause.

“What happened? What is it? Please tell me. Is it my aunt, Caleb, Frank?” my voice started to crack. He didn’t answer.

I swiftly pushed past him, but he overtook me and planted himself in front of my aunt’s room door. “Summer you, you probably shouldn’t go in there right now,” he said sounding a bit shaky.

“What is it?” A frown crossed his face. “If you’re not going to tell me, then let me pass,” I said shoving him out of the way. The action was a bit too easy to do, so I knew that he was the one who allowed me to move him like that.

I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open with more force than was really needed.

My heart froze.

I sudden wave of vertigo rushed over me.

“I’ve already called dad and your mother. They are coming. The police and ambulance will also be here.” he said while leading me out of the room.

“Thorn, I don’t feel so good,” I whispered. All my muscles, except my heart, which pounded painfully against my chest, went limp. I then felt my lungs tighten and I sharply drew in a breath, but my chest stabbed sharply in protest.

“Summer, Summer . . .” Thorn I wanted to say, but my body had other ideas. My eyes rolled back, darkness and a glacial frigidity overcame my entire being.

I leaned weakly on Thorn’s shoulder as we sat on the lawn outside my house. He hummed a slight tune as he smoothed my hair back. Night had fallen and the orange and neon lights of the city blanketed the plains.

It was cold, but it was nothing compared to the bone-deep chill emanating from my being. I shuddered. Thorn stopped the humming and looked down on my face.

“Cold?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, but mostly on the inside.” he pulled me in closer and ran his hand along my arm, but he didn’t respond.

“The both of you were the first on the scene?” asked a tall officer, dressed in uniform.

“Yes we were,” said Thorn looking up at the man.

“Well could you follow me, Detective Adams would like to speak with you and get a statement,” he said soberly.

“Detective Adams,” I didn’t expect that I would be seeing him again for some time. “Sure, no problem.” I nodded. Thorn stood first and helped me up. I brushed the wetness away from my skirt as I followed the officer.

The blue and red lights of the police cars blinked on and off, as they were reflected from the white walls of the house. The ambulance had left earlier, so the blaring sound of the siren was all in my head. I stepped inside.

The whole of the upstairs area had been marked off by yellow tape and the foyer of the house buzzed with activity as investigators ran up and down the stairs.

As we walked into the living room, mom walked over to us. Her expression was sad, but it didn’t look like she’d been crying. I’ve never seen my mother cry. She was always the strong one, the rock of our family.

“Are you ok honey?” she said pulling me to her.

“I’m doing as well as can be expected,” I said bending so that I could lean on her shoulder.

“I’m just so sorry that you had to see that you two had to walk in on that,” she said addressing both Thorn and me.

“I’m sorry about that too,” I said pulling away from her. She placed her hand gently on my cheek and smiled weakly.

“Ms Dayse, I don’t know if you remember me from earlier today?”

“Yes, Detective Adams,” I said acknowledging the man.

“Do you mind if you and your friend . . . er, what is your name?” he said looking at Thorn.

“Thorn Rose,” said Thorn holding out his hand for him to shake.

“Mr. Rose,” he said as they engaged in a brief handshake. “Could you two step this way, so that I can take your statements,” he said leading us towards the large sofa.

I nodded and then moved towards the chair. I sat in the middle of the chair, with Thorn and my mother on either side. Seidon was also there, but he’d remained standing nearby.

“I take it that you two are the parents,” said Adams pointing to both Seidon and mom.

“Yes we are. I am Thorn’s father and Sonya’s Summer’s mother,” said Seidon as he perched on the arm of the sofa.

“Well it is good that you are here for this.” he paused slightly as he took out a pen and a clipboard covered with paper from a black folder, the same one I’d seen him with this afternoon. “Ms Dayse, can you tell me about the events leading up to the discovery, starting from this morning,” he said sitting on the coffee table in front of us. I bet if Aunt Liz were here, she’d have something to say about that. I sighed.

“Well, we started off the day just like any other. Get up, bathe, get ready for school, eat breakfast and then leave. Every morning Caleb, my cousin,” I added as he seemed unsure of whom I was speaking about. He nodded and his features relaxed as I continued. “He would carry me to school, but Thorn was the one who picked me up this morning. . . .”

“And why was that?” he cut in.

“I’d asked him to last night because Caleb said that he was going to stay home to finish his project which was due tomorrow.”

“So Mr. Rose, do you always perform favours for Ms Dayse here?” he said looking up from the clipboard.

“I don’t understand your question,” said Thorn smoothly.

“I mean, that I’d noticed the two of you this afternoon while I was leaving Campion. I take it that you are close?” he asked suggestively.

“Well if you are asking if we are dating, the answer is yes we are. And yes I do sometimes perform favours for her. We do things for each other. I think that is a key component of any healthy relationship.”

“Yes, yes it is,” he said clearing his throat while making jottings. “So I take it that you approve of this relationship?” he said addressing our parents.

“Yes we do. Seidon and I have known each other for a number of years, and well, we are delighted by the fact that our children get along as they do. We have no problem with their relationship, as we trust them implicitly, as we know that we have raised them with enough discipline to know right from wrong.” she paused. “But I don’t see how them being together affects the situation at hand.”

“Just standard procedure to examine every possible angle Mrs. Dayse,” he answered coyly, before turning back to me. “Ms Dayse you may continue,” he said crossing his legs.

I looked at my mother, who seemed highly perplexed, and then back at the detective. “Well, umm” I stammered. “Thorn picked me up and we went to our classes, then I was called from my C.S. class to come and speak with you. School was over soon after that. I wasn’t feeling too well, so we skipped our extra-curriculars and drove home early.”

“Sorry for cutting in again, but at what time did you leave school and when did you arrive here?” he said, his voice clawing at my eardrums.

“School was over at three, we left at around three-fifteen, three twenty,” I said furrowing my brows and looking at Thorn for confirmation. He nodded in agreement. “Traffic wasn’t too heavy at that time, so we probably got home at four-thirty, four-forty-five. But we didn’t go inside until about a quarter to six.”

“That leaves a whole hour, what were you two doing during that time?”

“Talking,” said Thorn, almost hissing. He looked up as Seidon placed his hand on his shoulder and then back at the detective. “Summer was upset about the news about Beth being missing and we were discussing it in the car. It was starting to get dark out that was when we went inside,” he replied more evenly.

“Then what happened after?” he said holding a steady gaze at Thorn.

“We stepped inside, I didn’t notice anything, but Summer sensed that something was wrong, as the house was too quiet, considering the fact that everyone was supposed to be home.

“We started searching the house. Downstairs was empty, so we went upstairs. We decided to split up. Summer searched her room and I, the rest of the house. That’s when I came upon the . . . scene.” I grimaced and shuddered at the memory.

“I then went back to Summer’s room. She’d asked me if I’d found anything. I didn’t answer at first. She then went to look for herself. I tried to stop her, but when she opened the door, she fainted away. By that time I’d already called my dad and her mother. I phoned the police after.”

“When you got to the room, what exactly did you see?” he said holding the pen at his lips, which were tightly pinched together.

“Could we not . . .?” I said starting to get pale again.

“Everything was left the same until you arrived,” replied Thorn. He was about to ask something else before mom cut him off.

“Detective, could we continue this later as these kids have been through a lot today, more than anyone their age should have to suffer through.”

“I could; for now.” he frowned forming wavy ridges in his dry, pallid skin, which seemed like it was going to crack any moment now. “But I still have just one more question before you leave Ms Dayse.”

“Yes?” I said waiting.

“Do you know if your aunt had any enemies? I’m ruling out robbery as a motive, as nothing is missing. But the nature of this incident, would indicate that it was a crime of passion; like someone carried out a personal vendetta against your family.”

I knew of one, but she was very dead . . . although she’d warned that there would be others looking for us when she was gone. I frowned slightly.

“Ms Dayse?” said the detective as my mind had wandered off.

“Yes, sorry. I was just trying to remember.” I paused again. “I can’t seem to come up with anyone. I’m sorry.” I bit my lower lip. “Mom, I’m going to go outside to get some air. It’s getting a bit hot in here.” I said wiping the sweat that beaded my face and getting up. I could feel the beady eyes of the detective following me as I moved.

“Okay dear,” she said holding my hand and squeezing it briefly.

“I’ll follow her outside,” said Thorn coming behind me.

“What about you Mrs. Dayse, do you know of anyone?” I heard him ask my mother from in the living room.

I didn’t hear her response. I didn’t hear anything. It was like someone had pressed the mute button on the universal remote controller, as the whole world had become silent.