A Dark Message - 6

Without quite knowing why, Jenny chose to follow the advice of the young stranger. Her stomach felt like one giant knot. This was a new sensation; a cross between caution and fear. The girl had seemed nice enough, but something about her was dark... cryptic. But regardless of her feelings, Jenny knew she had to listen to the girl.
She found herself now standing in front of Alex's newly laid headstone. It wasn't a good night to be out here. The air was bitter cold and the wind was picking up, howling through the trees, ripping through her light jacket as if it wasn't even there. Jenny glanced around furtively, feeling a strange sense of unease. The moon cast flickering shadows through the waving tree branches, covering everything in dancing minions.
One shadow wasn't moving; it was blacker than the night and still as stone. When it finally did move, it moved slowly, toward her. Jenny backed up a step, feeling the panic flood through her body. Her limbs felt like jelly. The shadow moved faster now, coming toward her at a swift pace. Running would do her no good; there was nowhere to hide in this miserable graveyard. The only thing she could do was gape in absolute terror as the shadow grew in height, coming swiftly closer. It stopped no less than a foot from her body. The being towered above her. In the dark she could only discern that the shadow had the shape of a man, but the man was too large to be human. Before she knew what was happening, a giant hand snatched hers up, laying something cold and heavy in her palm. "When you're ready, look at what I've given you," a voice whispered. The voice didn't match the body. It was too soft, too quiet. "But don't look unless you know you can handle the truth. For if you can't, this will destroy you, as it destroyed Alex."
Jenny's hand instinctively curled around the object, but her eyes never left the huge bulk in front of her. She nodded briskly, not trusting her voice. The shadow receded, melting back into the dancing minions. Jenny stared after it, rooted to the spot by terror and uncertainty. Her mind was a jumble of a million questions, none of which she knew the answer to. The object in her hand was cold, like steel. Trembling, she finally turned and ran to her car, locking the doors and starting the engine almost simultaneously. One thought shouted in her mind. "Get the hell out of this place. Leave the secrets behind!" Another thought, much smaller but growing in gravity, whispered a different message. "Look at the object, learn the secrets."

Help Comes Unexpectedly - 5

Jenny walked slowly up the street, toward Alicia's home. Since Alex's murder, Jenny had been staying with Alicia; staying in the apartment where Alex had been killed was just too painful. She sighed, glancing up the street. It was painful staying with Alicia too. She knew her friend was trying to be helpful, to comfort her, but Alex, despite all his failures, had loved her. She knew he had. He was always trying to make her laugh, to help her see the good in everything. She felt so alone with him gone.
She sank onto the steps outside the apartment, not caring that the cold of the concrete seeped through her clothing. Alex had been killed a month ago and the police had made no headway on solving his murder. When she asked for updates, the only response she got was a patient "No dear, we don't know anything yet." They treated her like they would a child. The kind cop was the exception to this rule. He always treated her wonderfully, but he could never tell her anything. Sometimes it felt to Jenny like they weren't even trying.
Jenny sighed heavily, "Alex," she cried, "What do I do? I'm scared. I feel so alone." She wrapped her arms around her chest. "You wouldn't just sit here. You would do something. Anything! You were always the strong one. I can't do it," she muttered, "I can't do anything."
"Yes you can."
Jenny looked up, startled. A young woman stood in front of the steps. Wide eyes in a thin face were framed by short, black hair that spiked in every direction. Her eyes darted around nervously before coming to rest on Jenny's face. "There's always something you can do," she said urgently.
Jenny stiffened, "You don't know that," she snapped. "You don't even know what I'm dealing with."
"I know more than you think." The response was cryptic. The girl glanced up and down the street, then took a step closer to Jenny. "Your answer lies with Alex," she said urgently. "Go to him."
Jenny stared at her, wide-eyed. "But Alex... he's dead."
The girl nodded, "Go to him," she whispered again then she darted down the street and was gone.

Questions - 4

Jenny sat alone at the police station. The old police officer had gone to get her some water, leaving her alone in her grief. She had one hand pressed tightly to her stomach, feeling somehow that the baby inside her was the only link she had now to Alex. Somehow the thought was comforting, knowing that a part of him lived on in her. The officer returned and set a bottle of water on the table in front of her. "Here you go," he said. A kind smile crinkled around his eyes. Jenny tried to smile back, "Thanks," she mumbled.
"The detective is coming to interview you. He'll be here in just a minute."
"Thanks," she whispered.
The old cop took her small hand in his and patted it softly, "Are you going to be okay?"
Jenny shrugged, "I'll get through it. I have to." But she didn't look like she could get through it, not to the cop. She looked frail and worn, like she might break at any moment.
There was a loud rap on the door and a moment later the detective entered. To Jenny's surprise it was a woman, a young woman wearing a sharp outfit, heels that clicked loudly on the concrete floor, and a scowl on her tight features. Jenny's automatic response was to shrink away from her.
The detective set a file on the table and sat down in front of Jenny. "I understand you're..." she paused, glancing at the file, "Mrs. Harper?"
"Yes."
"Do you know of anybody that may have wanted Mr. Harper dead?"
"No."
"Where were you, when he was killed?"
"I was at my friend's. We... Alex was late and I left," Jenny's voice faltered, "I was so mad at him... I should have stayed." A tear dropped onto the table, "I should have stayed," she whispered again.
The detective shuffled through the file, "It says here that Alex was out of work. Could he have gotten involved in anything illegal?"
"I...I don't know. He didn't talk about work after he got fired."
"How did you get by after he lost his job?"
"Savings. I got a job."
"I see." The detective stood abruptly, "Thank you for your help Mrs. Harper. We'll call you if we need anything else." She nodded at the kind cop next to Jenny, "She can go."
Jenny stood, confused, "Can you tell me who killed Alex?"
"No. We don't know."
"What do I do now?"
The detective stared at her, "Nothing. We'll solve the case."
The old cop took Jenny gently by the arm and guided her toward the door, "You just take the time to get through this," he told Jenny quietly, "I'll keep you updated, and I'll check on you to make sure you're okay."
This time Jenny's small smile was genuine, "Thank you, for all of your help."
The old cops eyes crinkled again. He would be Jenny's rock through the coming months, he knew it as well as she.

The Pain of Discovery - 3

"Jenny, I think you need to see this." Alicia said as she rushed into the room. She flipped the channels on the TV, stopping on a news station. "Isn't that your apartment complex?"
"Was. It was my apartment complex. Not anymore." Jenny said, glancing momentarily at the TV and away again. "Not anymore." She whispered, so low Alicia couldn't hear. The thought left a lummp in her throat. She missed Alex, even after all the stupid things he'd done, she missed him.
"Jenny are you seeing this?" Alicia's voice was shrill, panicked.
"What happened?" She whispered after a long silence.
Jenny jerked toward the Tv. Alicia's words made her feel uneasy. What she saw made her sick. Her apartment complex surrounded by flashing red and blue lights. Policemen everywhere. The news reporter was saying something about a murder. Before she was even fully aware what she was doing, Jenny was rushing from the room, running back to her apartment in the same state of panic she had been in when she left. For some reason she couldn't explain, she knew something was wrong. She felt it in her gut. "He's fine." She told herself. "Stop panicking yourself. Alex is fine." But no matter what she told herself, she couldn't bring her mind to believe the words. She raced around the corner and ran up to the police barrier. "Please!" She sobbed, "Please, I have to get in. I have to know!"
The policeman gave her a blank stare. "Lady, you can't go in."
"I have to!" She shrieked. She ducked under the yellow tape and bolted past the policeman, who had probably had one to many donuts in his life and was unable to stop her. She felt somebody try to grab her on her way into the building but she shoved them away, feeling nothing but raw panic. She burst through the door of her apartment, searching for some sign of Alex. The room was full of strangers. "No." she sobbed. She grabbed the arm of the person closest to her. "Was it Alex?" She whispered.
The man stared at her for a moment then looked away, unable to face her pain.
"Don't!" She shrieked, "Tell me! Where is he?"
The man swallowed noisily and pointed to the other room. He blinked rapidly through eyes filled with tears.
Jenny raced into the room then stopped, closing her eyes, unable to face it yet. When she opened them she found the room was empty. It hadn't been empty only seconds before, but it was empty now. Empty except for Alex's still body lying on the floor. His eyes were closed and she would have thought he was asleep, but she couldn't help but notice the blood staining the carpet. It was pooled around his head. "Alex." She whispered, "I'm so sorry. I never should have gone."
She knelt next to him and threw herself on his body. Sobs racked her small figure. Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, clinging to life, to a love she had thrown away. She frantically ran her hands along his chest, his face, through his hair, placing in her memory every curve of his body. "Alex, please don't." She sobbed, "Please. I was wrong. I can't live without you. The baby is yours." She pressed her lips to his, trying to breathe life into him. "You can't." She sobbed hysterically, "I need you. I've always needed you."
He lay still beneath her.
"Alex!" She screamed, "Don't leave me! I can't do this alone!"
She felt a pair of arms pull her away from him. "Leave me alone!" She shrieked, ripping from their grasp and dropping to the floor next to her husband. Her hand brushed the locket that had dropped from his graps. Instinctively, her fingers wrapped around the locket. She didn't know what it was or why she wanted it, but somehow she knew she couldn't leave it. "Please." She sobbed to the man standing next to her, the man who had tried to pull her from her love, "Please. I can't leave him yet. I can't." She whispered.
He knelt next to her and put his arm around your shoulders, pulling her into his chest. He smelled like old spice and cigars. The smell was comforting, it reminded her of her father. His rough hand stroked her hair. "I'm sorry miss. I'm so sorry." He held her while she sobbed against him, held her like a father holding his child. When her body stopped convulsing against him he spoke. "I know you want to stay, but right now we need to get you away from here. They have to investigate the scene." He pulled her away to look at her face. "I'll take you to the police station. They'll want to talk to you about this. Can you handle that?"
She nodded, feeling safe if he was there. "Will you be with me?"
He smiled and his eyes crinkled, "Yes. I'll be there."
"Thank you." She whispered.

Murder - 2

Alex slowly climbed the stairs to the apartment. He clutched a silver locket tightly in one hand, a small doll in the other. He was hoping for a girl. Jenny had wanted the locket he held since she had seen it in the vintage shop window. He'd made up his mind to give it to her for their third anniversary, which was in a week. He had made a small alteration to it, but she would know it was the one she'd seen. He couldn't help smiling in anticipation. Jenny would love it.
Alex turned down the hall toward his apartment and noticed the door was cracked open. Pale yellow light spilled into the dark hall. NO. He thought, NO! She left. I'm too late! He ran down the hall, nearly hysterical. Jenny couldn't have left, she couldn't! He shoved the door open. The apartment was empty, empty and cold without Jenny's warmth. His knees nearly buckled, but he raced through the door, hoping to see her. He'd promised Jenny he would get home in time for their first prenatal, but some idiot side-swiped his car on the way home. He had to wait nearly an hour for the police to show up and do their job.
The only light in the apartment came from a small lamp, which lit up the desk. Jenny's note lay on the desk.
Alex read it, wishing the words weren't for him. The paper was already stained with Jenny's tears. Now his tears mingled with hers. The gifts dropped to the floor as he fell to his knees, heartbroken.
He didn't see the dark figure slip from the bedroom, or feel the blow that took his life.

Flight - 1

Jenny stomped from the room, slamming the door behind her. She'd been waiting for Alex for too long. She was going to be late. Alex, of course, never came. This wasn't really a surprise to her. He never followed through with his promises. Apparently she didn't matter to him. She had hoped that he would listen when she threatened to leave him, but he didn't. She was alone, as always. She did leave him a note, in case he showed up three hours late.
Alex. I warned you I would leave if you didn't come. Don't come looking for me. You won't find me. I'm scared. I can't do this alone. I'm going to find someone who can support me. As far as I'm concerned this baby isn't yours. Stay out of my life. Jenny.
The note was written hastily. The words scrawled aross the page were barely legible. It didn't matter. Alex would be able to read it.
Jenny ran down the stairs of the rundown apartment complex. I can't do it anymore. She thought. I can't live here, in this life, with that man. I never should have married him. The tears ran unchecked down her cheeks, blinding her as she ran. She slammed into a stranger, nearly knocking him off the sidewalk, but she hardly noticed. Her only thought was that she had to escape the existence she was living in, and give this baby a better life than the one she had.