The Sunny Chronicles II: Resurrections: Chapter One

Sunny rushes into Bianca's living room and slams the front door behind her. Having ran the entire way from the falls, she pants for air, and has to pause a moment once inside to catch her breath.

"Bianca!" she calls. "Bianca, are you home?"

Maggie comes running in from the kitchen in response. She still wears her pajamas, and has her unkempt hair up in a ponytail. She looks at Sunny with a mixture of surprise and concern.

"Sunny? Are you all right?"

"What the ...?" starts Sunny. "How did you get here so fast?"

"What are you talking about?"

"And your clothes," says Sunny. "How did you change so fast?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Maggie asks again.

"Where's Bianca?"

"She went to pick up Miranda," Maggie explains. "Sunny, what's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What about Amber?" questions Sunny. "Is she still in town? Did she stay here?"

"She stayed here last night, but she left for San Diego about five minutes ago," Maggie tells her, folding her arms. "Why? Were you hoping the two of them would be here fighting over you when you finally decided to come home?"

"What? No," says Sunny. "Maggie, I saw you at the falls."

"What?" asks Maggie with a laugh. "What's up with you, Sunny? Have you been smoking Amber's weed?"

"This isn't funny," Sunny insists. "I saw you, Maggie. I know what you did."

"Ooo kay. .. what did I do?"

"Don't f*#k with me," she warns. "I was there. Down at the bottom; in the woods. I was watching. I saw you."

"Whoa, Sunny. Slow down. At the bottom of what? What woods? What the hell are you talking about?"

Sunny takes a deep breath and rolls her eyes. "At the falls. I saw you push Babe over the railing!"

"What?" exclaims Maggie. "Okay, now I know you're on drugs. Only, I'm starting to think it must be something a lot stronger than pot."

"Are you seriously going to stand there and deny the fact that you ..." she hushes her voice out of instinct to finish with, "... killed Babe?"

"Of course! Why would I admit to doing something like that?"

"But ... I saw you!"

"When?"

"Just now. This morning."

"Sunny, I've been home since I got back from the party last night. I haven't left the house!"

"You're lying!"

"Nooo ... I'm not," she promises. "Why don't you sit down and just tell me what happened?"

"No thanks, I think I'll stand," says Sunny, looking at her with distrust.

"Fine. Whatever. Just ... humor me by telling me exactly what it was you think you saw."

"But, you know what I saw!"

"Ugh! Sunny! Just ... pretend I don't, okay? Please?"

Sunny narrows her eyes, but says, "... All right. I went to Miller's Falls this morning to chill by myself for a while. And, I was sitting at the bottom of the falls smoking a cigarette when I heard a car door shut, up at the top ..."

"You heard a car door shut over the roar of the falls?"

"I've got cat ears," Sunny explains.

"All right. Sorry. Go on."

"Anyway, I look up and see Babe standing at the railing, and it looks like she's been crying. So, I hide behind some bushes so she won't see me ..."

"Why?"

"Because, she's the one who called Amber, and I ... will you stop interrupting me?"

"Sorry. Go on."

"Anyway, I hid behind some bushes and watched to see when she would leave, when suddenly I see someone crouched behind her like they're trying to sneak up on her. Only, I can't see their face. Then, they jump up and push Babe over the railing!"

"And you think that person was me?"

"I told you, Maggie, I saw you. After you pushed her over, you came to look over the railing, and I saw your face."

"Sunny, I'm telling you ... It wasn't me! I swear to you on Bianca's life," she says. "Now, is Babe hurt? Did you call anyone for help?"

"Maggie, Babe is dead."

"What? How can you be so sure?"

"She fell over fifty feet down! Into rocks! No one could have survived that," Sunny explains. "And, I didn't call anyone because I wanted to tell Bianca first."

"You mean, you came here to tell Bianca that I killed Babe?"

"Well, yeah," says Sunny. "I didn't know what else to do. And, I thought maybe she could talk you into turning yourself in ... Things would be a lot easier on her if you did."

"But, I didn't do it," insists Maggie. "Sunny, look at me. Do I look like I've been out of the house? Does it even look like I've taken a shower?"

Sunny looks her over, taking special note of the fuzzy slippers she wears. "Well, no," she admits. "But ... I know it was you. I'm not on drugs, and I'm not going crazy either. I saw your face!"

"Maybe it was just someone who looked a lot like me. Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you."

Sunny shakes her head. "No, Maggie. It was you. I wouldn't lie about something so serious. I may not have liked Babe, but I still don't take murder lightly!"

"But, I was here," Maggie says again. "I promise you, Sunny. I talked to Bianca just a half hour ago in the kitchen; Amber just left five minutes before you got here. If you won't believe me, then ask them!"

"But, then, this doesn't make sense. If it wasn't you, then who did I see standing over that railing? I mean, unless you've got a ..." She stops her sentence short, and a strange look takes over her features.

"What? Unless I've got a what?"

"Bianca told me once that you had a twin who was murdered."

"Yeah ... I think the key word there is murdered. She's dead, Sunny."

"I get that," says Sunny. "But, I have to believe you when you say you didn't do it, right? Because you haven't left the house all morning. It couldn't have been you. But, I know what I saw with my own two eyes. I have twenty/twenty vision, and I'm not on any hallucinogens!"

"Fine, but, what are you trying to say? That my dead twin sister killed Babe? That's not any more possible than me doing it, Sunny. There's got to be another explanation."

"Like what, genius?"

"Well ... I don't know. But, I know that Frankie is dead. She was shot through the chest ... Bianca identified the body herself!"

"So what am I supposed to do? Huh?" asks Sunny with growing frustration. "You want me to tell the cops that I saw you push her, but that I believe you didn't do it? And, what then? Bianca and Amber will have to testify for you in court. And, even if the jury believes them, the trial will still be a three-ring circus, with Bianca right in the center ring!"

"We could try and solve it ourselves first," offers Maggie.

"Oh, okay. Just let me go and fetch my Nancy Drew detective set," says Sunny sarcastically.

"I'm serious," Maggie insists. "Look, Sunny, I realize that we don't get along very well ..."

"Ya' think?"

"But ... I'm really freaked out about this. Someone out there with my face has killed one of Bianca's closest friends, and we both know it wasn't me. You've got to help me here. Please. Just ... start by going back to the falls with me. You can show me where it happened, and I can look around for clues. If we don't find anything, then I promise we'll find another solution. Just ... please do this one thing for me."

Sunny considers it, then says, "Okay. But, if we don't find anything, I'm going to have to tell Bianca about this. I don't want to keep any more secrets from her."

"Agreed," says Maggie, with a sigh of relief.