Chapter 1:
Hello! I haven't written anything for a very long time and don't even know if other people still read WR fic but I would love some feedback. This is chapter is more of a preamble and I hate writing preamble. Erin is my own character - she's fifteen and in Year 10, couldn't work out how to get that into the chapter! Enjoy :)
Erin took out her earphones at the sound of her mum's voice calling her. Opening her bedroom door, she cautiously replied,
"Yes, Mum?"
"I'm off out, there's spaghetti bolognese in the fridge to heat up." Erin sighed.
"Do you know when you'll be -" Her voice was cut off by the slamming of the sliding back door. Looking out of her bedroom window and watching her mum get into a taxi, Erin flopped onto her bed, abandoning the English homework at her desk. Although her mother's behaviour was not new to her, still Erin was troubled by the frequent disappearances and nights alone. She put her earphones back in and lay on her bed for a while before going downstairs to heat her tea and watch TV. A normal night for Erin, particularly since her mum lost her job four months ago. Knowing it was unlikely her mum would appear until the early hours, Erin decided to head for an early night and watch some Netflix in bed.
The next morning, Erin awoke to make her mum's strong black coffee and bring her paracetamol, her usual morning routine. The house seemed quiet, she thought to herself, as she carried the hot, steaming coffee upstairs to her mum's bedroom. She knocked twice before entering.
"Morning, Mum, I've got your coffee?" Erin stopped. The bed was empty. She placed the coffee on the bedside table and went to look in the bathroom. Empty. This was unusual, Erin thought, but she didn't think it inconceivable that her mum had stayed with a friend. She quickly tapped out a text asking her mum to let her know where she was. Their relationship was rocky, with Erin having to care for her most of the time, but she still cared. After showering and getting ready for the day, Erin decided to keep busy and focus on catching up with her Easter holiday homework.
A knock on the door later in the evening interrupted her studies. Erin presumed this was her mum, having lost her keys again.
"Coming!" called Erin. She knew it was best to stay on her mum's good side, as she learnt a while ago that passing judgement and showing disapproval of her behaviour got her nowhere. Erin took the key from the small plate on the table and unlocked the door. To her surprise, it was not her mum standing at the door.
"Hi. Erin?" Two police officers, one male and one female, stood in the doorway. "I'm D.I. Jessica Dixon, and this is D.I. Colin Hardy. Can we come in?" Erin stuttered,
"Um, yes? Is everything okay?" The officers sat on the sofa, and Erin sat on the one opposite. "What's going on?"
"Erin, is anyone else here at the moment?" D.I. Dixon asked.
"Er, no, no they went out for the evening, I stayed in to do some homework." Erin lied.
"Okay. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. This morning, a body was found on the beach by a dog walker. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but we believe it to be that of your mum." Erin felt her heart stop beating. She didn't know how to process this. She stared at a crumb on the table, focusing on it with all the strength she had, wishing for the words not to be true.
"Erin Finch?" D.I. Hardy's voice made her snap out of her daze. "I know this is incredibly hard to process. We'll do everything we can to make this easier for you and your family. Do you know if they'll be back soon?"
"Um, yeah, they've just gone out for something to eat. They'll be back in an hour or so I expect."
"Would you like us to stay with you until then?" D.I. Dixon suggested.
"No! No, it's okay, I want to tell them myself. I want some time to deal with this." stammered Erin.
"Okay. Obviously, there's things you're not going to want to think about dealing with now, funerals and things." D.I. Dixon handed Erin a business card. "Give us a call when you're ready. Take your time." The officers stood and prepared themselves to leave. "Take care, Erin." the female officer said.
As the door closed, Erin allowed herself to crumble. She let herself break, tears dripping into her lap. She moved to her mother's spot on the sofa, and cried into the cushion, and lay there until morning.
