Welcome to this shot, it's pretty long so get comfy.
Legal: I own nothing but the idea
Important things to know before reading:
*Well there actually isn't much as it's pretty much explained in the shot and I don't want to give away anything because what I changed is pertinent to the story.
*This is all in Clare's pov and that's it really.
Enjoy!
Darkness My Old Friend
Thirteen Years Old, Grade 8
Walking home with my sister after school had recently become the thing I dreaded most about my day. Not only did I enjoy school and excel above my classmates but all Darcy could talk about lately on the walk home was her internet fame. To raise money for her cheerleading squad Darcy had let a boy at school take some fairly revealing pictures of her and post them online, viewable for a couple of dollars. Darcy was actually proud of these pictures! Granted, they didn't show everything but at most she has a mini-skirt and tube top on, in some of the pictures no more than a string bikini. I couldn't even imagine baring that much skin for my boyfriend (not that I have or want one) let alone posting them somewhere that anyone with a couple of dollars could see. I can't believe my older sister could be so stupid, if our parents saw them I could only imagine the punishments they'd give her. Although our mother was not very computer savvy and I hoped Dad would never even think of going to such a site.
"I've single-handedly raised so much money for the squad I think I'll leave the pictures up. I could use some extra spending money, I'll have enough for the senior trip next year in no time," Darcy says with a prideful smile on her face.
"Darcy you can't leave the pictures up," I argue with her.
"Sure I can, I c…" she begins but a man steps out of the shadows and stops right in front of us. He's a little overweight, chubby and round including his face, messy brown hair and beard scruff, glasses, he's in his late twenties I think. If my heart wasn't pounding and the hairs at the back of my neck not standing up I might think he looks like a teddy bear.
"Hi Darcy, it's me," he says and his voice makes me shiver.
"Clare go inside," Darcy asserts to me in a stern voice.
"Darcy…"
"Clare go," she cuts me off in a sharp voice and with a sharp look.
I don't feel right leaving her with this man I want Darcy to come inside but she's not going to move. Without realizing it my feet begin to run and I'm inside, I go straight to my room and call 911. I tell the woman that a strange man is outside with my sister and I'm afraid he's going to hurt her. She tells me officers are on the way and I go to the window, Darcy looks scared, she's talking quietly to the man and I can't quite hear what they're saying. I stand on our tiny balcony and with a deep breath summon the strongest and loudest voice that I can.
"You'd better go, I called the cops," I call down to him.
The man turns to look at me, no longer resembling a teddy bear in the least he just looks menacing and malicious. He looks back to Darcy, says something and then just as I begin hearing sirens approach he runs off, disappearing into the shadows down the block. I run out to Darcy just as the officers show up, Darcy is shaking a little and the officers take us inside. They take down our names and ages, and then while one officer talks to Darcy in the living room another officer takes me up to my room. I sit on my bed and hug my teddy bear to my chest, then remembering how the man reminded me a bit of a teddy bear I shiver and set the bear back on my bed.
"Hello Clare my name is Reggie Turner, I have a son your age, Dave," the officer tells me in a soft and caring voice that makes me relax a little. "Clare, just tell me in your own words what happened this afternoon."
"Darcy picked me up from school as she always does," I say looking at my hands and then look into Officer Turner's eyes, "I go to a private school because I'm so smart." Officer Turner smiles and I smile back nervously, I realize that was rambling and not important to the events of the afternoon.
"Go on Clare," he says in a soft but encouraging voice.
"He stepped out of the shadows, just in front of the house, something about him put me on edge. Even though he looked a little like a teddy bear," I comment and glance over at my teddy bear briefly, "he scared me. He knew my sister's name, he said "Darcy it's me" and my sister was scared. She told me to go inside but I was worried about leaving her. She demanded I go inside and I ran in without even realizing it. I called 911 and when I hung up I went to the little balcony and called down that the cops were on their way. He said something else to Darcy and then he ran."
"You were very brave Clare, and by calling 911 you probably saved your sister's life," he tells me and I smile.
"What is going on? I get a call at work that the cops are at the house," Mom's shrill voice carries all the way upstairs.
"That's my mom."
"The officers downstairs will calm her down."
"I don't think anything can calm her down," I shake my head and Officer Turner chuckles.
Officer Turner starts asking me questions about school and my favorite subjects and I begin to relax. I don't even hear Dad get home, though he is generally quieter than Mom. I talk with Officer Turner for a very long time, another officer comes in and puts the computer Darcy and I use in a box. When Officer Turner leaves Darcy, Mom and Dad begin arguing. It's very loud, they're all yelling and I lie on my bed, squeezing a pillow over my head to block out the noise and I cry myself to sleep.
After that night things just got worse.
Darcy and our parents fought nearly every day. Darcy was angry. I thought she must be different at school because even though she was grounded for the next three months she managed to start dating Peter. I doubted very much that Peter would like her so much if she was always angry at school, but at home or anywhere with me or our parents she was very angry. I tried to talk to her, tried to be there for my sister but she shut me out. When she was home, and not sneaking out to see Peter, she wouldn't talk to me and when she did speak to my parents it was always in an angry tone and through clenched teeth. She was changing, not just the anger she was changing and my parents, in their anger, seemed to be blind to it.
Though the police seized our computer they were unable to trace the man's account and he remained out there somewhere. He knew where we lived, he knew my sister's face, and mine, and he was out there somewhere.
The anger and tension in the household continued for months, unbearable months where I threw myself into academics to the point of that I did almost nothing else.
My mom was angry that Darcy would do something so stupid, and reminded Darcy of that every day. However, as soon as the cops told us the case was going cold she put it out of her mind. In Mom's mind the whole thing never happened, that way she didn't have to deal with it. She began working longer hours and spending a lot of time at church but her relationship with my sister never healed. And my relationship with both of them suffered.
Dad took the opposite approach, he was home as often as he could be. After that first night he didn't fight with Darcy, didn't yell at her, but he tried to keep tight reigns on her. He made her curfew eight on school nights, ten on weekends. Even after her grounding had been lifted she wasn't allowed to have friends over past dinner time. When we got a new computer it was kept in the living room and only dad had the code to unlock it, so we could only use it when he was home. It didn't bother me because I mainly used the computers at school, and since things were so tense at home I was staying longer hours at school. By the time Dad picked me up after work I had all my homework done.
Darcy resented both Mom's approach of forgetting the incident and Dad's approach of trying to control. Worst of all she remained angry, and I'm sure also scared because he remained free and the police had no leads. Darcy began acting out, getting detention, her grades slipping and her relationship deteriorating with each day.
So, it's no surprise that when Darcy disappeared one winter day she was listed as a runaway. The police took the report, told my parents she was sure to turn up in a few days and that was it! In their minds the problems at home forced Darcy to run. It wasn't just the police everyone thought so. And then we got the first letter, it was left in the mailbox, no return address, in Darcy's handwriting but all it said was that Darcy was safe. Though the police took the letter for processing nothing was found on it except for Darcy's DNA. It was back to the runaway theory and the assumption Darcy had left the letter hoping we would stop looking. Painful as it was to admit even I thought she'd run to get away from the house and from us.
Then one day after school the phone rang and I answered. "Hello?"
"Clare." It wasn't a question he knows it's me. A shiver runs its way up my spine. It was him, I knew that voice but I hoped I was wrong.
"Yes? Who is this?"
"I have your sister. We are one now."
"Let her go. Let her come back to her family," I plead tears running down my cheeks. I hear a breath from him and then a dial tone.
My hands shake, I can't stop crying, I can't see the keys to dial the phone. I wipe my eyes and blink enough to call 911 and then chaos again. Mom and Dad come home, the police come to the house, they tap the phone and subpoena our phone records. A cop even stays the night, but nothing else happened that day. Two days later however he calls again, this time the police are here and recording, trying to trace the call. Mom answers and he asks for me. Pulling a steely breath into my lungs, to fortify myself to be able to speak, I take the phone.
"This is Clare." My voice trembles so much I'm not sure I made words.
"Darcy is at peace." The phone goes dead.
I start shaking and sobbing, I drop the phone.
The call wasn't long enough to be traced, still no leads, no Darcy and after that no more phone calls.
Two weeks later Darcy's body was found by hikers in Crothers Woods.
Fifteen Years Old, Grade Ten
"Got plans for Halloween yet?" Adam asks sitting down at his desk.
"Handing out candy to the kids, or hiding in my room," I shrug.
"Why don't you come with me and Eli," Adam offers.
"Because I promised to give him space, he may not want me there," I comment. My flirtations with Eli having been stopped when I found out he wasn't over his dead ex-girlfriend.
"He does Clare, anyway I'll be there it won't be a date," Adam says.
"I'll think about it, thanks Adam," I smile and he grins back. Eli comes in setting his book on his desk and giving me that smirk that makes my knees shake. There are days when I curse my hormones for what they do around boys like Eli.
"I invited Clare to come with us on Halloween," Adam tells him.
"Cool, we're going as classic movie monsters. I'm Dracula of course and Adam is the Wolfman."
"Of course you would pick Dracula," I laugh.
Miss Dawes begins class and Adam turns around to pay attention. When class let's out I walk out with Adam, we wave to Eli and go to science class. My lab partner for the year is Alli, she's great at science so I don't even mind that she never stops talking about her and Drew.
"My parents can be so strict it drives me crazy," Alli complains when we leave class for lunch. "Because Halloween is a school night I can either come to the lame school dance or stay home to hand out candy."
"You can spend the night at my place, my brother and I are going to watch scary movies," Jenna offers.
"What about you Clare?"
"Well, I'm…" I begin and then freeze looking at my sister's memorial. It's not the memorial that made me freeze, I see that every day. It's just her school picture enlarged to 8X10, in a black frame with her name and the day her body was found. Surrounding her picture are lots of articles about internet predators and internet safety. Every year the faculty uses Darcy's story to scare kids into being careful online, and it seems that every year the faculty adds articles around Darcy's picture about girls being kidnapped from Ontario and/or found dead in the area. I get what they're trying to do but I hate that my sister's death has become this lesson and that they're trying to scare kids into behaving. I doubt it's working anyway most kids just walk straight past this part of the hallway without even so much as darting their eyes to look. The reason I froze is that Darcy's picture is gone, I know they didn't take the memorial down because all the articles are still up.
"Come on Clare we'll go tell Simpson," Alli says putting an arm around me.
We walk to the office and tell the secretary about the picture missing. After lunch I see Simpson talking with an officer just before I get into class. Just after the bell rings and we're sitting in class the theft of Darcy's picture is announced over the intercom. Simpson says if the guilty party returns it by tomorrow morning there will be no punishment but if the picture is not returned they will be facing suspension. By the end of the day no one has returned the picture and I spend the rest of the day with a bad feeling in my stomach.
Darcy's missing picture puts her death in the back of my mind. After her funeral we all tried to move on, move forward and get on with our lives. Mom took a bit more interest in my life and Dad a little less. For a few months they would barely let me out of their sight, but when they seemed to realize that I wasn't going to run away, and no one was going to take me they stepped back and things got back to relatively normal. Although after the funeral Darcy was hardly ever mentioned, her stuff was moved out of our room, it was like they were trying to forget she even existed. Yet they enrolled me in her old school when I started high school, according to them it was to help me get over Darcy's death. It was also free and last year when I started they had a gifted program, but my parents still insisted it was to help me feel closer to Darcy which was supposed to get me over her death. By the time I started at DeGrassi I was over her death as much as I thought I could possibly get.
"You want to go to The Dot and work on our project?" Adam questions while we're putting books in our lockers at the end of the day. "I have to wait for Drew to get out of football practice and The Dot sounds more appealing than the school right now."
"Yeah, The Dot sounds good," I nod.
"No word about your sister's picture?" Adam questions as we begin walking.
"No, I don't know why anyone would take the picture."
"Teenage guys, and girls, can do some pretty stupid things. Someone probably took it as dare or a guy trying to prove something to his friends or show off for a girl he likes. Don't worry about it. Have you thought about Halloween?"
"Not really, we've never really done much for Halloween."
"Come on it'll be fun, we're going to a party in Mississauga, Eli went last year he says it's awesome."
"And how many female classic movie monsters are there? And don't say the bride of Frankenstein, we'd need someone to be Frankenstein's Monster for that to work."
"Well there's always Vampira."
"Who?"
"I'll show you," Adam replies with a laugh.
We enter the café, wait in line and order before sitting down and Adam pulls up some videos on his phone. I don't think I could pull off Vampira she's way too skinny but I'm sure there were other classic female monsters, she can't possibly be the only one. Adam and I spend two hours doing homework at The Dot, when Drew comes in we put our books away.
"I'll show you some costume options tomorrow," Adam comments as we walk out of the café.
"Thanks Adam but I'm st…" I freeze with a gasp when a car drives by. It's not the car that scares me it's the driver, it's him! The guy that stalked Darcy, that followed her home. The guy who called, who probably killed her.
"Clare what's wrong?" Adam questions in a concerned voice putting a hand on my arm.
"I saw…I thought I saw…" my sentence drifts off twice as my mind begins to question whether I really saw him. Was he actually there or did my mind dredge up something from the past because Darcy's picture was taken? "Do you think I could come over and stay for dinner?" I ask Adam. Whether I saw him or not the thought of going home and being there alone seems terrifying.
I watch Adam exchange a look with Drew and then Adam nods. "Sure Clare, I'm sure Mom won't mind."
Adam puts his arm around me and I walk home with them. Audra says I can stay for dinner and I leave a message for my parents that I'm having dinner at Adam's. Drew still has homework but Adam and I are done, we still sit on the sofa watching TV while Drew does his homework and occasionally helping Drew.
"What did you think you saw?" Adam questions while Drew is in the washroom.
"Something from the past, probably just on my mind because Darcy's picture was missing."
Adam gives me a compassionate look and puts his hand on my arm. Drew comes out of the washroom and gives us a look but he doesn't ask. No one mentions Darcy's picture at dinner and after dinner Dad picks me up to bring me home. My parents say nothing of Darcy's picture so I'm sure they don't know and I'm not going to tell them. I don't sleep well at all and have dreams about that day, and the phone calls afterwards, all night. I drag myself out of bed the next day, a part of me is dreading the day but nothing happens. I don't see (or think I see) him again, Darcy's picture isn't returned and Simpson is pissed and begins searching lockers, but aside from that it's just another day. I walk home after school and begin on my homework, getting through most of it before the phone rings.
"Hello?"
"You've grown to be a lovely young woman Clare, just like your sister."
I hang up instinctually, I know the voice was his and I'm petrified with fear. Tears begin racing down my face, I'm shaking and suddenly terrified of being alone. I grab my cell phone and begin racing around the downstairs to make sure the doors and windows are locked. I didn't even realize what speed dial contact I pressed on my phone until the voice answers.
"Hey Clare," Adam's cheery voice carries through the phone and offers a sense of relief.
"Adam, can you come over? I don't want to be alone," I request through a trembling voice.
"Clare what's wrong?"
"Please Adam just come over," I beg.
"I'll be right over," Adam assures me.
We hang up and I spend the longest three minutes of my life pacing around the house. At the sound of the bell I nearly jump out of my skin. I look through the door to see not only Adam but Drew and Owen, glancing at the clock on the microwave I realize they must have come from the school after football practice. I open the door relieved to not be alone anymore.
"Clare what happened?" Adam asks hugging me tightly.
"He called," I tell them wiping my tears.
"Who?" Drew inquires.
"The man that killed my sister."
"What?" Owen questions.
In a panicked voice, and wiping the tears as they continue to flow, I tell them how Darcy disappeared and how he began calling. How he called and specifically wanted to talk to me. "He called a few minutes ago, I know it was him I'll never forget that voice."
"Alright, calm down Clare he won't get to you not with us here. What did he say?" Owen asks.
"He said I had grown into a lovely young woman like Darcy and then I hung up."
"Then you did see him yesterday," Adam remarks and now I'm trembling even harder.
"Is that what scared you outside The Dot?" Drew questions and I manage to nod.
"I didn't think it was him, it's been almost two years."
"We should call the cops," Owen says and then gets out his phone. I've had about all I can take and collapse trembling on the sofa. Adam and Drew sit on either side of me. "I think they thought it was a prank call," Owen remarks with a growl as he stuffs his phone back into his pocket.
"Dave's Dad, he'll come. He spoke to me when the guy first came to the house," I tell Adam.
"I'll call Dave," Adam nods. He gets out his phone and goes to the stairwell, I can only hear his muffled conversation and he returns to the sofa after a moment. "Dave and his dad are coming over," Adam tells me and I nod with relief. A few moments later the doorbell rings again, this time it doesn't scare me quite as much which I attribute to Adam, Drew and Owen being here. Owen opens the door, Dave walks in followed by his Dad, he's not in uniform so it must be his day off.
"Tell me what happened Clare," Mr. Turner says in a soft voice.
"He's here, he's back, he called me."
"Slow down Clare when did you first see him?"
"Yesterday as I was leaving The Dot, only for a moment though driving past in a car. I didn't really think it was him, Darcy's picture was taken from the school and I just thought that thinking of what happened my mind was playing tricks. But then he called the house phone a little while ago, the ID said unknown number and I answered and it was him. I know it was the same man, the one who killed Darcy I'll never forget that voice."
"Okay Clare I'm going to try and get a trace on the call that was placed, they may not allow it. I'm also going call your parents can you write down their numbers for me?" Mr. Turner asks and I nod.
He gets on his cell phone and I write down my parent's cell and work numbers. Turner says they'll look into the call and get the phone records from the phone company, but he wasn't able to get permission to tap our line and trace incoming calls. Mom rushes home and Dad isn't far behind, they don't even seem to notice or mind all the boys in the house and Mom hugs me tightly. Mr. Turner assures them they'll look into the call and to notify him right away if we receive another call or see the guy again. Now that my parents are here and Mr. Turner is done taking the report the others leave as well, Adam says to call him if I need to.
Mom orders dinner but none of us eat very much, or even says much. I don't know about my parents but my mind has traveled back to those days two years ago. Days of anger, fear and sorrow, days that I've been trying to forget since the day we buried Darcy. After dinner I shower and try to finish my homework but my mind keeps wandering. I watch TV for hours and eventually fall asleep to the TV, only to have my sleep disturbed by awful nightmares.
"Maybe you should stay home from school today," Mom comments when she sees me the next morning.
"No, I don't want to be here alone and I'd rather be around my friends," I assert.
"Alright Honey just be careful, your father will take you to school," Mom volunteers him as he comes down the stairs.
"Of course," Dad nods.
"I'll get ready for school."
After washing my face and getting dressed I put a lot of makeup under my eyes attempting to hide the lack of sleep. Mom leaves for work before I go back downstairs. I skip breakfast, I'm not hungry anyway. Dad drives me to school letting me out at the steps. School is wonderfully mundane and Adam comes over to do homework at my house after school. I'm extremely happy for the company but when the house phone rings my heart stops.
"Hello?" Adam answers the phone while I remain frozen. "You have the wrong number," Adam tells the caller but I see his face. Adam hangs up, his face is stricken with worry and fear and my heart begins to pound.
"It was him wasn't it?" I question.
"I'm calling Officer Turner," Adam says getting out his cell phone but that's all the confirmation I need. Instinctually I begin shaking, tears crowd my eyes and I can't stop. I don't even hear Adam call Turner but I do hear him tell me that Officer Turner is on his way. A short time later Officer Turner arrives, Adam lets him in.
"You were the only one to speak to him this time is that right Adam?"
"Yeah, he asked to speak to Clare and I told him he had the wrong number. He said he knew it was the right number and he wanted Clare, that he would be with her like he had Darcy and then he hung up. His voice was very…malign and determined."
"Why did he stay away for almost two years and then show up all of a sudden and why does he want to talk to me?" I question, my voice strained with anxiety.
"I can only assume he was running, came back when he thought it was safe. I think he's now focused on you Clare. He wanted to talk to you after Darcy disappeared, he may have begun focusing on you that day he came to the house for Darcy. Or after she disappeared, there were pictures of your family in the paper, he no longer had Darcy but turned his attention to you. I can't say for sure but don't worry we'll keep you safe. This second call should be enough for a trap and trace, since he's focusing purely on you I'll get extra patrols at the house and post officers at the school. I'm going to call the station, I'll be right outside and if he calls back come and get me," Officer Turner tells me.
"Adam I'm really scared," I confess to my best friend once Turner has stepped outside.
Adam doesn't say anything, even if he did try to assure me that nothing would happen to me I'm not sure I'd believe him. He hugs me tightly, it's all he can do but it is comforting, at least a little. When Turner comes back in he says other officers will be here shortly and he called my parents. It isn't long before the house is full of people, five other officers, my parents, and at some point Adam must have alerted Drew because he and Owen show up after football practice.
Mom is close to hysterics and ranting that it's happening all over again, Dad is trying to calm her down, the officers are doing things in the house. All I can do is sit on the sofa and look at my hands, Adam still has his arm around me. Drew and Owen are doing their best to be reassuring, I don't know that it's helping but I think it's sweet that they're trying.
"Alright we've got extra patrols on the house and the phone is tapped, any incoming calls will be recorded. If it's him we'll begin tracing, one officer will be here to trace the call, we'll trade shifts every four hours. I also talked to Principal Simpson and two officers will be posted at the school. You're safe Clare I promise," Officer Turner says and I nod. Considering all the police presence I do feel safe finally.
"Your mother is asleep, I'll order some pizza for dinner are you kids staying?" Dad asks when all but one of the officers leave.
"Yeah, I'll call Mom I'm sure she'll let us stay," Adam nods.
"I'll stay," Owen says.
Dad orders a pizza, Drew and Owen eat most of it, Dad doesn't eat anything and I only manage half a slice. After dinner Audra comes to pick up Drew and Adam, she tells us to call if we need anything. Adam hugs me goodbye and they're gone. I expect Owen to leave right after they do but he stays.
"If it's okay with you I'd like to stay, I'll sleep on the sofa," Owen requests to my dad.
"You're welcome to stay but I think the officer is sleeping on the sofa. We can make you bed upstairs on the floor of my office," Dad replies.
"That'll be fine," Owen says.
I help Dad make a bed on the floor of the office for Owen while he runs home to get some things. He returns less than twenty minutes later so I know he lives close. I show Owen where he'll be sleeping and the washroom when he returns, Dad stays up talking to the officer staying the night so I go to my room just after getting ready for bed but I don't go to sleep. I begin to read but my mind wanders and when I realize I've been on the same page for at least twenty minutes (and remember nothing of what I did read) I set the book down. I start to turn off the light but then I burst into tears and I can't seem to stop. I hear a soft knocking on my door but even then I can't seem to stop, or even take a breath to call come in. It doesn't matter though, Owen comes in and sits on the side of my bed. He hugs me close and I have to admit it's very comforting. He doesn't say anything just holds me and eventually the tears stop. He hands me a tissue from the box on my nightstand and I wipe the rest of my tears, blow my nose and toss the tissue.
"Why did you stay?" I ask him. I probably should have asked earlier but my mind was more caught up in the fact that the man who killed my sister was back and apparently after me now. With that knowledge I was just happy to have someone else in the house. It hadn't occurred to me that Owen and I have hardly said anything to each other, or even glanced at each other before now.
"Honestly?" Owen asks darting his eyes away and scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Yes."
"I'm not even sure myself. A combination of things I suppose. I was a freshman when Darcy went missing and was found dead. I didn't know her but I'd seen her around, when she was found dead I just remember feeling so awful for your family. I had nightmares about me or my brother ending up dead for weeks after that. When Darcy's picture went missing the other day I saw how it affected you, it made me think of when she went missing and I felt awful for you again," Owen stops for a deep breath and looks at his hands. "And in a way I guess I'm trying to make amends for treating Adam the way I did when it was revealed he was trans. It's the biggest regret I have, and believe me that's not a short list."
I smile at Owen, not for his words but because he's being so incredibly honest. He's trusting me enough to show a side I know he doesn't show at school. "I didn't think you noticed me at all, you've never even looked my way before."
"Just because you've never seen me look your way doesn't mean I haven't," he says and again I smile.
"Whatever the reason I'm glad you stayed."
Now he smiles, he really has a nice smile when he does it genuinely. "You should try and sleep," he asserts.
"I'm not sure I can, even when I do I'm plagued by nightmares."
Owen grabs my laptop and turns it on, after I put in my password he types a few keys and a movie begins playing. It's an old movie, one I've never seen before but I settle in to watch the movie. Surprisingly, Owen stays with me to watch. The old movie about a detective and in the film noir style is cute, fun and a welcome distraction to the real-life nightmare I'm currently in. My mind begins to relax and I fall asleep before the hero inevitably catches the villain during the climatic chase. Waking to my alarm the next morning I find that Owen returned to the office and shut down the laptop. I get up and go into the washroom to pee and begin getting ready for school. When I leave the washroom Owen is waiting, he grins at me and goes into the washroom with a small bag. When we're ready for school I ride with Owen, oddly Mom seems to feel better that I'm riding with Owen and that he stayed. I thought she would flip that a boy had spent the night.
"We'll be here all-day Miss Edwards," one of the posted officers at the front door tells me as Owen and I walk inside.
"Thanks," I smile walking in to be greeted by Principal Simpson. He looks a bit confused as to why I'm walking in with Owen, so Owen nods to me and walks off.
"Your teachers have been advised of the situation, at least one of the officers will be posted at the front door and one will patrol. If you need to go home an officer will escort you."
"Thanks Principal Simpson, I wish this wasn't necessary," I sigh.
"All I care about is your safety," he says with a kind smile putting a hand on my shoulder.
I give him as much of a smile as I can at the moment and walk to my locker. Adam is at his locker and he hugs me but doesn't say anything. While we're putting books away Eli approaches.
"Simpson is taking this picture theft way too seriously, I mean officers posted at the door?" Eli comments shaking his head.
"They aren't here because of the picture," I tell him closing my locker, "they're here to protect me."
"What? Protect you from what?"
"The man that killed my sister, he's back. He's called me twice now, they're worried he focused his attention on me." Eli just stands frozen at my news.
"Wait Clare," Adam speaks up, "the picture went missing just before the first phone call and there weren't officers posted at that time."
With Adam's revelation I feel all the blood drain from my face. I start to sink back against the lockers and both boys catch me by the arms.
"He was in the school, he's been here," I exhale what little breath is left in my lungs. "He took Darcy's picture," I say weakly as the world begins to go black. Next thing I know I'm on the floor cradled against Eli, he and Adam are looking at me with worried expressions.
"Welcome back," Eli says, "I think you should go home."
"No, he knows where I live and there's officers at the school, one of them will patrol. I'm okay, it was just the thought of him being in my school without anyone knowing," I assure them. Despite my assurances to them I stay on the floor another couple of minutes and feel quite woozy when I am upright.
"Eli can you take her to class I'll get her some water," Adam comments.
"Yeah, come on Edwards let's get you to class," Eli says and with an arm securely around my waist we begin walking to class.
I sit at my desk and Adam brings me water a few minutes later. After sitting a few moments and drinking the water I feel better, but they still give me worried looks all through class. Aside from my fainting spell, and the underlying fear that he's been in my school without anyone noticing, it's just another day at school. Well, besides the officers at the door and patrolling the school. Thankfully, no one finds out the officers are there for me, that doesn't already know that is.
"Eli's taking us to my house to do homework, your parents can pick you up after work," Adam tells me when we leave fourth period.
"Thanks Adam."
We walk out to the front to wait for Eli. I tell the officers I'm going to Adam's and when Eli comes out we all squeeze into Morty. I text my parents on the drive to Adam's. There's an officer at the house in case he calls back, I could have gone home but I feel better being at Adam's with him and Eli, and Mrs. Torres there. I spend a couple hours doing homework with Adam and Eli, Drew gets home from football practice just before Mom picks me up. When we get home the officer says he didn't call today, the officer joins us for dinner, which seems a bit odd to me but he is a guest in our home. No calls that night, it's fairly peaceful, and if I could relax enough to sleep without nightmares it would have been a good night. I wake late the next morning, it's Saturday so I didn't have to wake for school, and when I get downstairs the only one here is the officer. I say good morning and get some breakfast eating at the table, my parents left a note saying they're out doing errands but I already knew that. After I eat I rinse my dishes and nearly drop them in the sink when the house phone rings.
"You can answer it's recording," the officer tells me.
With a shaking hand I pick up the phone, "Hello?"
"Hello Clare." The voice sends a cold chill along my spine. "You look nothing like your sister but you're just as lovely."
"Keep him talking, engage him," the officer whispers. I nod and search for something to say to keep him talking.
"You knew my sister?" Amazingly my voice doesn't shake.
"Darcy was beautiful. She wanted me and we were together in the end," he tells me. His voice is low, there's lust in his voice yet he's talking like it's a fond memory. The way I would speak of getting a kitten for my fifth birthday. Knowing that he's talking this way and that he killed my sister something inside me snaps.
"You killed her! Why did you kill her? Why did you take her?"
"She wanted to be with me," he says and then the line goes dead.
I sink to the floor in tears and the officer starts talking a lot but he's not talking to me he's on a radio or cell phone. I wrap my arms around my legs and sob, I can't stop shaking and though I hear voices they all sound like they're underwater. It's not until I feel a hand brushing a curl behind my hear and then gently resting on my arm that I come out of it. I look up to see Owen gazing at me with deep concern in his eyes.
"They traced the call, a bunch of officers are on the way. I called Adam, well I called Drew because I don't have Adam's number, but they're on their way," Owen informs me. He sits down next to me and puts an arm around me.
"How did you know?" I ask Owen lying my head on his shoulder because frankly it's too hard to hold my head up right now.
"Actually, I came by to see how you were and found you crying on the floor. Officer Kwanten there told me about the traced call," Owen enlightens me.
"I'm glad you came," I say quietly. Now that I'm not crying my head is beginning to pound.
"Where's your aspirin or Ibuprofen?" Owen questions.
"There's some in the medicine cabinet in the washroom upstairs."
Owen gets up and goes to the stairs, as he starts ascending the stairs the front door opens and Adam comes in followed by Drew. Adam sits down and hugs me, Drew finds the glasses and gets me a glass of water. I take a couple sips and Owen comes back down the stairs giving me two pills which I swallow and then lean against Adam.
"He killed her, he took her and he killed her and he said she wanted him to," I tell them and then I burst into tears again. I cry myself to sleep on Adam's shoulder and when I wake I'm on my bed, Adam isn't here but Owen is sitting on the side of my bed.
"We didn't want to wake you. I told Adam you'd call when you woke up. The police arrested him, William Adams. He's a trucker, lives with his mom a few miles from here."
I nod, I don't know what to say, I feel a bit lightheaded and part of me thinks this may be a dream. After taking a few sips from the water bottle by my bed I send a text to Adam that I'm awake and he can come over. I hear a lot of voices downstairs but they're all adults, my parents and the cops I'm sure. Owen starts to get up, I think he's trying to leave quietly but I grab his wrist.
"Please stay." It comes out as far more of a desperate plea than I intended but Owen smiles and sits back down.
"I'll stay as long as you want me."
Seventeenth Birthday, Grade 11
"Happy Birthday," Owen says greeting me with a kiss.
"Thanks," I smile at my boyfriend. He grins and takes my hand as we begin driving to the school.
We've been together just over a year now. He was there for me during the second worst time of my life, I found a comfort in him and he was very sweet. He waited to ask me out until Halloween. After all that happened I didn't feel like doing anything for Halloween and was surprised when Owen asked me out. I spent my Halloween with Owen in his rec room watching old movies in his arms, it was very sweet. He asked me to be his girlfriend when he brought me home that night. Eli and I are still friends, it took a while but even he admits Owen and I are good together.
The man who killed my sister was found guilty and connected by DNA evidence, he was linked to the disappearance and murder of four other girls in the Ontario area. He was sentenced to life, he's considered a danger to society and it isn't likely he'll ever be free again which just fine by me. He's also being investigated for several unsolved disappearances and murders in the states. If they can link him he'll be extradited to the states to stand trial. His trial for the murder of my sister lasted three weeks, my parents attended most of the trial but I couldn't stomach it, I only went on the days when I had to testify. After that I never wanted to see him again and I haven't. For the most part I don't even think about him, except three times a year when he finds his way to my mind.
Every year as Halloween approaches I get anxious, I can't help it. The day Darcy first disappeared and the day her body was found I get very sad, I cry a lot. I suppose as more time passes from the events it will get better but Owen, my friends and my parents understand.
Though my parents were another measure of pain themselves for a while. Last year near March Break they got divorced, I felt like it was sudden but apparently Dad had been having an affair since shortly after Darcy's death. I thought his intentional distance was because he missed Darcy not because he had a relationship with another woman. I was very angry when I found out; Owen, Adam and Eli were the ones to help me through it more than anyone. Mom kept the house and began dating Glen Martin, I knew Glen and his son Jake because we used to go to a cabin near theirs in the summers. Mom and Glen are going to be married this summer and Glen and Jake have already moved into the house. Jake and I get along pretty well and it's kind of nice to have a brother.
"So, dinner with the fam tonight and your party on Saturday," Owen remarks parking at the school.
"Yep, and a belated birthday breakfast with my dad Saturday," I remind him.
"That too," Owen grins.
He puts his arm around me and we walk into school. My friends all greet me with birthday wishes, Alli and Jenna decorated my locker and Adam gives me a birthday crown. Before going to class I stop at Darcy's memorial, her picture was replaced and the article of her killers capture is prominently placed.
"You alright?" Owen asks sliding his arm around my shoulders.
"I am," I smile turning to kiss my boyfriend softly, "more than alright. There was a time I never thought I'd be able to say that." Owen smiles and putting an arm around my lower back, he lifts me up slightly. I loop my arms around his neck and our lips join together in a blissful kiss.
That does it for this shot, hope you all enjoyed. Next updated is Salvaged & Saved.