Days passed by, I was all alone. The cops had found nothing. Isabelle had been wondering where I was and why I hadn't been going to school. Ashley has been with me the whole time. Nothing could express how alone I felt. I had no one. The only person in the world I cared about was my mom and now she's gone. Ashley is all I have left.

"It's gonna be okay you know" Ashley said quietly holding me in his arms. I didn't say anything. I just let the tears travel down my face. He looked at me and wiped them away and hugged me tighter. "We're going to find who did this" he said but louder this time. I didn't say anything again. I just wanted to sleep for a long time in his arms but I couldn't every time I shut my eyes I saw a picture of my mom lying on her bed. What I hated the most is that I should have been there.

"If I was there maybe it wouldn't have happened" I said weakly. Ashley shook me and said

"No. If you were there they could have killed you too! And that would have killed me Jess, I don't know what I'd do without you" He said starting to cry. "There was nothing you could have done about it so please the last thing I want is for you to blame yourself. You know your mom wouldn't want you to blame yourself" He said wiping away my tears yet again.

"I have no one Ashley, I'm 16 and I have no parents, no uncles and aunties and no cousins" I said crying even louder. He tried to sit me up.

"You'll always have me, I won't leave you" He said hugging me.

"Why is this happening, what sick person would do this? What have I done for this to happen?" I asked him begging for an answer.

"Nothing, You have done nothing. No one deserves this Jess but you need to be strong ok?" Ashley said reassuringly.

"What if they come back for me?" I said burying my face in my hands.

"They won't. That's why you're staying at my house tonight. My mom and dad know everything. They'll do anything for you Jess" Ashley said holding my face and kissing my forehead.

It was 10pm. I was so tired but I couldn't sleep. I got my stuff together and went to Ashley's house. We rang the doorbell to see his mom crying and hugging me.

"Jessica darling, I'm so sorry for your loss" Ashley's mom said.

"Mom lay off, this is the last thing she needs" Ashley said holding my hand.

"Your right I'm sorry, do you know what? Whatever you want doesn't hesitate to ask, I'll get it for you ok my darling?" Ashley's mom said squeezing my arm.

"Thank you Mrs Doner" I said quietly. I forgot how hard it was to talk with a massive lump in your throat. Whenever I cry I struggle to talk, which makes me cry more. I hated it.

"Please just call me Kate darling" Kate said wiping away a tear from her face. I guess she was sad for me which I didn't mind. I understood.

Ashley and I made our way to his room.

"Sorry about that, she doesn't know when to stop talking" He said closing his door.

"It's okay, your mom is really nice anyway" I said trying to sound normal. "I need to sort myself out; I can't carry on like this." I said weeping.

"What do you mean?" He asked coming to sit next to me.

"I want to find out who killed her Ashley, my dad died with an unknown death and no one knew who or what it was which is really strange and now my mom has just been murdered, It doesn't make any sense" I replied. Everything was just so confusing.

"I know it doesn't. We can talk about this in the morning Jess, you need some sleep, You haven't slept for the past 2 days." Ashley said hugging me again.

"Fine yeah whatever, where am I sleeping?" I asked struggling to stand up.

"Well, I was thinking, as you feel alone I thought you wouldn't want to sleep alone."He said rubbing his neck.

"Oh right, so we're sharing a bed?" I asked almost starting to smile.

"Only if you want to" He said

"Yeah it's fine, but if you fidget I'm kicking you out" I said jokingly. When I was with Ashley I felt so much better and safer.

"Deal" He said coming over to where I was standing. He looked into my eyes and kissed me. My arms where around his neck and his hands where in the back pockets of my jeans. It was a rather long kiss I must say but I liked it. He made me feel so much better. After, we got into bed and just whispered about anything we wanted to. His arm was around me and my arm was on his chest. Then as we both stopped talking, we went to sleep.

I woke up to find myself in a grass field surrounded by blue sky. The sun was blazing down on me and I heard whispers as the tree's swayed side to side. "Where am I?" I asked myself.

"Jess?"

I recognised the voice so well, I looked around to find no one.

"Where are you?" I called out.

"Oh hunnie, not you too!" She cried.

Then I knew who it was.

"Mom? Is that you?" I asked starting to cry. Then I turned around to find her staring at me.

"Mom!" I shouted and ran to her. I was running and running but she was so far away.

"Mom! Come back! Stay there!" I screamed running out of breathe. She was running away from me.

I stopped running and just stood there. "Please come back mom" I whispered and shut my eyes. Then all I saw was darkness.

"Jess! Jess! Wake up!" I woke up to find Ashley shaking me. "You were shouting and crying" Ashley said pulling me into his arms.

"I just had a really bad dream that's all" I said wiping my eyes.

"What happened?" He asked looking very concerned.

"I don't want to talk about it" I replied. "What time is it?"

"It's 7am" He said getting up.

"Oh, well I'm going to get a drink of water. Be right back" I said getting up and going out of the door.

I went into the kitchen and got a cup of water and went back upstairs to find Ashley with duct tape around his mouth, hands and eyes. The palms of his hands looked like they were cut open and there was a piece of bloody paper in his hand.