Chapter 2Bella's PoV

I went back into the house and called Vanessa my best friend, to tell her the good news, but of course like so many other times, I've reached her voicemail.

" Hi honey, it's me Bella, I know we meet in one hour but I've got super news, my mom won't be here till next Friday, she got this new guy and they spend the week at the lake, I still can't believe it, so when you come over just bring your stuff and stay here for the rest of the week, I guess I see ya pretty soon, bye." I hung up and took the phone with me and went back in my room to get ready for Halloween. This year I decided to be a witch, nothing spectacular, I actually just go because of Vanessa, she is the total party girl and convinced me, which I still don't know how, but well she did and now I have to go. And I definitely know she will be ostentatious, incredible and just overly herself like always, but hey that's her and we're being friends for the last 10 years or so.

After an hour I showered and got dressed, my costume was a long black shoulder free dress with prongs at the sleeves and hem, to that I wore black boots with high heels but my dress still reached the floor and threw a train then I walked. I made my makeup and somehow even my hair. I usually wear my hair in a ponytail or a messy bun like I love to call it, cause strands of hair hang out in curls around my neck. But today, I kept it in long curls hang around my shoulders with few black highlights, to show my witch image. I checked my watch and saw it's already 9:00 pm and wondered why Vanessa wasn't here already, she's never late, mostly even way to early, so she can fix me up the way she likes it, or so she says all the time.

I got my phone and called her number again and like before I reached her voicemail.

mmm weird I thought but wasn't concerned. I took one last look in the mirror and found myself satisfied, then I got my favorite black purse, my car keys and decided to drive to Vanessa instead of waiting here. When I came outside I stopped and looked up to the stars and took one deep breath. It was still warm, still nice to go without a jacket and the full moon among a cloudless sky enlightened the ground below. It looked so beautiful but at the same time creepy with all the shadows and dark corners, a shiver ran down my spine and I walked to my car, my heels clacked against the concrete and the sound seemed to echo along the silent street, when I closed the car-door I started the engine and took off. It's always amusing how many people actually live in the neighborhood, it's just 3 miles to Vanessas house and on normal days other than Halloween, you can't really see the people, they hide inside or something. In the morning you see some of them get in their cars and drive to work I guess or in the evening when they come back. And now you have hundreds of kids and adults lurking through the neighborhood in costumes and trying to get as much candy as they can.

Up ahead I saw Vanessas street coming up, I pulled over and parked right in front of the house which was all lighten. Why didn't she pick up the phone when she is here or maybe her family came back earlier from their vacation.

I took the 3 steps to the door in 3 strides and rang the bell and waited. After a few seconds and no sound coming from the house I tried it again,.... still no answer.

Ok so if that's a joke than I'm the one who thinks it's not funny at all, it's not nice to let people waiting.

I rang the bell one more time, but still everything was quiet, I turned around and walked to the suppose to be kitchen window, I glanced inside, but there was nobody to be seen then I went further around the house to see if they might be in the living room.... nothing.

Maybe I should just leave and wait until Vanessa decided that this suppose to be joke is not funny anymore and she's calling to apologize, because that she definitely has to do later.

I looked up to one of the windows and thought I saw a shadow behind it. That made me even angrier and walked back to the front door and turned the knob. The door wasn't locked which is nothing unusual, this neighborhood is safer than any prison. Here living so many curious neighbors they keep watching the windows, just to see if maybe someday something will happen. " Hey Vanessa, it's me Bella, you can come out now, I saw that somebody is here in the house and I think it's not very kind that you sneak around and try to scare me or something and also not calling me back. We are suppose to be at Jareds in 5 minutes, usually you hate to be late especially when it's Jared, so common now, or I drive back home, you know I just go because of you?!"

I waited minutes just standing in the foyer looking up to the second floor but nobody came, not even a sound. I took the steps in slow strides and with the carpet there was no sound of my footsteps. I slowed down when I reached the top just to listen but as before there was nothing. I turned right to go to Vanessas room and saw some dark red fluid coming from below the threshold, I stopped short, starring at the liquid coming in slow motion from the other side of the closed door. Alright this is the best faked blood I've ever seen....or so I try to convince myself "I'm coming in now" I kept on walking, but a shiver ran through my veins and the closer I came the colder it got. A prickle on my skin left me trembling in the hallway. I started to have a bad feeling in my gut, but curiosity kept me moving and I opened the door in one fast sway. A sudden smell of blood, salt and metal reached my nose and I needed all my strength not to vomit, the blood on the floor got worse and the trail drew along next to Vanessas bed. I swallowed when I saw a part of a foot" Va-ne-ssa?" Please don't let it be her, please don't let it be her, please don't let it be her

I more than dragged myself over to the bed and started screaming then I saw Vanessas naked body face down on the floor. Her body bruised and sliced open on her back. I swallowed hard and couldn't breath, tears running down my face, I kneeled down, I didn't care or think about the blood and turned her over. Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god. Her eyes were open, fear written in her features, her throat had two wounds on her neck, one shallow one gaping. It looked as though she'd dragged herself from the door to her bed while dying. Deep gashes on her breasts still pumping blood out of her smearing my fingers while I touched her. I kept on sobbing and swayed back and forth while putting my arms around me, to comfort myself. "That....can't....be...true..., that...can't....be....true...need....to....call....police." I sat there for I don't know how long, starring at my friend, her blood all over me until somebody came from behind and started yelling "Police, hands up where I can see them and turn around slowly!" I couldn't think, my mind was blank and empty, but I turned my head to face the police officer before my vision blackened and darkness claimed me.

When I woke up it was light outside and I was lying in my own bed the curtains drawn back from the windows. I sat up to check the time, my blanket slid over my lap, it was after 11am. I sighed in relief, holding my head in my hands "Oh my gosh, that was the worst dream I've ever had", but then I looked down and recognized my bloodied clothes and started screaming. My room-door opened and Micheal my mothers best friend who happened to be the sheriff of Phoenix came in "What is it? Are you alright?" I stopped screaming and began crying instead, I run to Michael and put my arms around him. He held me for minutes while I wept until my body was drained out before I could speak again. "So....so...it's....true then, it wasn't a nightmare after all? she's really dead isn't she?" Michael brushed my hair back from my face and looked me in the eyes. "Sweety I'm so sorry but I can't give you the answer you wish to hear, yes she is dead. One of the neighbors called 911, she told them that somebody walked around Vanessas house and went inside. So I was send over to check what's going on, I called out but I didn't get in answer and then I walked through the house until I heard someone crying, so I went upstairs and found you sitting on the floor, well I didn't recognize you right away with your hair and costume, so I yelled at you, but you didn't react at all, I had to come closer until you turned at least your head around and then fainted. I brought you home and put you to bed. Can you tell me what happened?"

I started trembling and shaking and slid out of Michaels arms and sat on the floor. My voice a mere whisper. "I....I..." Pictures of Vanessas body ran through my head before I started telling him everything what happened. When I finished I was ready to weep again but I hold myself together. Michael kissed my cheek and said " Alright, thanks Bella, usually I have to record everything, but I know it's hard and I give you some time before we do this interview again officially, would you like to talk to someone other than your mom? A psychologist maybe. It was an not everyday experience and I'm so very sorry that you have to live through this." He scratched his head and went back to the door, but turned around one last time. "Go and call you mom, I know she is on vacation but you need her now, I would rather stay here, but I have to go back to the office." I nodded and watched him go downstairs. Then I heard the engine start outside I walked to the bathroom. I took my clothes off and winced once at my own reflection in the mirror, my eyes were red and swollen and my skin resembled the death , I stepped into the shower and turned the water on hot, I stayed right under the spray and let my body steam under the hot water. It was hard to get all the dried blood out of my hair but after 1 hour and several shampooings later it was as good as always. When I got out I dried up and put my rope on, brushed my teeth and comped my hair. What am I suppose to do now? I don't wanna call my mom, it's unfair, but what am I gonna do if she calls? I can't lie and then she's definitely coming home and then? I don't know, fuck! Everything is a mess!

I rubbed my eyes and looked around my room as if it's the first time I saw it. Then my eyes stopped on my bed and I saw the red-stained sheets, obvious my clothes must've smudged it. I dragged myself over and more than ripped the linen off my bed. This is all a bad, bad dream I started yelling and screaming at no one but myself "damn it all to hell, why her, what did she do?" Still holding the sheets in my hand I ran down to the kitchen and threw them in the garbage, breathing heavily with a headache starting to pound in my skull. Fuck, as if I need that now? Where are the damn Aspirin? I looked through the kitchen cabinets and found what I was looking for in one of the drawers, I took 4 immediately and went over to the sink getting some water to swallow the pills. Not knowing what to do next, I went back upstairs to get some decent clothes, I chose long navy blue jeans, black panties and black bra and a red T-Shirt. Then I checked the time it said 3pm already, I walked to my window and looked outside, the sun was still up high, it seemed there was no wind at all, the clouds drew a picture of sheep in the light-blue sky, the mountains cast deep shadows and our neighborhood was quiet as always, everything appears to be the same, as if nothing has changed. Well but everything did, in just one night, I lost my best friend in the cruelest way imagine.

All of a sudden I felt dizzy and had to hold on to the curtains, I took deep, slow breaths in an out....in and out, what the hell is going on I feel like I'm drunk or something thenmy visions blurred and I heard the curtains rip from the rod as I fell unconscious to the floor.