Magic Before Dusk
Chapter 1
"It doesn't look good for him," he heard as he slept a peaceful slumber. So at ease in his surroundings. It felt familiar and warm with a coziness that only one place could possess. It was a sense of him being at home. The feeling surrounded his body and made it seem as if it he weren't dream. Then his mind started going to work. 'It doesn't look good for him,' kept flashing in his memory. It was familiar. He remembered hearing it at the trial by someone. But he couldn't place the face and now he could. Though if it was her, how would it be possible for her to be here as he slept in his cell? Had he had an early morning visitor and at some point during his sobs he'd dozed off? Brady rolled over and then processed the fact he hadn't fell of his small prison cot.
Opening his eyes he stared shock. He jumped to a position and stared at where he was. Looking he saw Chloe and Mimi staring wide eyed at his outburst.
Brady swept the room in worried expression. He made it to Chloe and stopped. She was wearing the same dress she wore the day she moved into his place. A sequin deep powder blue dress with spaghetti straps. "Your alive" was the first thing that escaped his mouth as he got up from the bed and began to walk over to Chloe when he noted the amused expression on her face. She blushed a high pink as she tried to get something out.
"Wow, Brady, now I know why Chloe puts a little pep in her step," Mimi laughed out as Chloe slyly punched her. Brady glanced down and jumped for the sheets.
"Sorry," he said embarrassed and sweetly. Chloe spoke up again and smiled that smile. That smile to let him know it was okay, but he couldn't hear her. He didn't want to hear here at the moment he just wanted to see her. It was so much better of an image instead of having found her the way he did. Decorated in her own red blood and not in the sun ray's glow as she was with the penetrating sun cascading into Brady's room.
Brady awakened from his moment when he noticed Chloe was following Mimi as they exited his room. Millions of questions swirled his mind but all went back to one possible answer. A dream. He was simply dreaming but then he spoke up from his dream. "Where are you going?"
Chloe looked at him confused. She had noticed his estranged expression when he found her in his room earlier but now she was becoming worried. Brady never slept this late and he carried a vibe of mixed emotion with him. The fact he got up from his bed the way he did was a mystery. How could he not remember sleeping like that? Realizing he was still staring like a lost child, she answered him, "I'm going to finish helping the others move my stuff into the loft…"
And then it all faded out for Brady. She was just NOW moving in! She hadn't move in some days ago, she was moving in today with the same outfit she wore the day she did move it. He stopped listening and started caring as to if he was dreaming why did things feel this real? The embarrassment, the chill of air that hit his penis, and the feelings of warmth he felt from his bed…
"BRADY!" Chloe shouted loudly. "Get it together, your losing it."
"I'm sorry," Brady said so softly. He felt so bad, he remembered last night. He remembered his wish and realized if it came true this was his second chance. His second chance to solve the case of her death. But there was something strange that made him think…
A kiss was placed on his left cheek, at some point Chloe walked over to him and held him. "Brady what's wrong? You seem so out of it. Are you still worried about the last hospital visit?"
Brady was jolted by the touch of her tender lips. He had longed for them the minute her death set and the day he watched her body being lowered in a casket as a police officer kept a helpful eye on his as he mourned. Even then his mourning was watched, nothing about him was private once news spread of her death. The depictions of her body changed from each paper. And the accounts of false witnesses coming forth to these reporters about the deal with their relationship. No one knew of their relationship really. Not until they wanted certain people to know. One supporter they got that they never figured was Phillip. He stood behind them and then one day he was killed in a tragic car accident. The only one who died. Mimi took over for what Phillip was doing, she and him had been dating. But something about their relationships spelled out an unseen unhappiness by Phillip. He didn't seem to be into being with Mimi.
"Brady," Chloe whispered into his ear again. She had began snuggling against his shoulder. Swaying her head to the melody of his heart. Caressing his back side to set him to ease. And humming a melody that always calmed his nerves and helped him to relax. Holding his one hand gently and making small circles with he thumb lightly. She smooth away the bad and showed anew good for each swirl. "I love you so much," she spoke into the air that sailed to his ear wistfully.
A tear wanted to penetrate his eyes. Brady knew he was going to alter the past. He had already done so the minute he woke up so late. He just hoped that it wouldn't keep the killer from trying to make their move. Because when they did so would he.
"I love you too, Chloe," Drawing her into an air tight hug, "God, I love you so much Chloe… I want you to always remember that. Just you, only you…" too late, tears escaladed as he spoke of his feelings. It once was so difficult but he had to make up for what he couldn't say once Chloe was in the ground. The memory kept racking his mind. But now things had changed and he'd changed in a way. Chloe moved under his arms. At first she settled in and got comfortable then he felt the familiar breathing pattern of her sleep. Her chest fell and rose against him as she rested from all the moving. She was tired.
Brady smoothed down her raven locks and cherished this moment. 'I won't lose you again Chloe… I won't' he dictated to himself repeatedly. He'd made the mistake the first time but this time he would figure out what his mind couldn't remember. Moving Chloe gently he placed her head on a pillow and covered up her body with a white satin blanket. This time he exited the bed knowing his bareness and hadn't minded.
Stepping into the bathroom, he decided on taking a shower to wake Brady up a bit more to what his first action should be. The first thing he wanted to do is bring forth the questions that needed answering. Like, why was it that somehow his wish was granted why it was he was brought back to this day? He could have been transferred back to the day of Chloe's murder but he'd been place almost a week back. Did something occur this day that he hadn't paid attention to the first time around? Why was it that Mimi's voice taunted him that day in court? And why was it that his mind slipped to the memory of when Phillip died?
He knew that any thoughts he had were a buildup to the key. But one question Brady knew he would never fully be able to answer was what happened that day when he showed up? What was it that he saw? Something happened besides seeing Chloe's bodies down on the ground of his loft dead. It was something that he forced himself not to remember and whatever it was, it would be solved today…
*******
By the time Brady came out of the shower Chloe had awakened from her short nap and in her lap lay her diary. Then there lay another notebook that was skillfully crafted and decorated. She was writing into it when Brady found her on his bed. He walked over to her in is towel and reached down to place a kiss on her head. "Have a good rest?"
Chloe kept her hand moving, having unanswered Brady question. She kept scribbling ferociously as if there was something important on her mind that she needed to write down before she forgot.
"Chloe?" Brady spoke once more. And when he didn't get an answer he walked back over to her this time with a pair of jogging pants on. Her hair moved with her as she swung to each new line. Swaying and the sight of it made his heart start moving rapidly through no fault of his on. A quenching from his stomach and aching in his torso scared him. For each new step he made to her he felt a surge of pain. There was something about Chloe's diary. A secret.
Brady remembered when the prosecutor gave her closing argument, '…Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we have present you with a motive, the gun with his finger prints, and the most important thing. In death the girl speaks from the grave, hear her voice and hear the pleads she screamed in blood that night he shot her. Did you hear her? If you hadn't, you heard from her thoughts before the accident. An in depth look at something as personal as her diary. The descriptions of her every movement and daily life of him in it…'. He remember precisely that part of her argument. Had there been something in her diary that did account for Brady everyday? And what was it about the other notebook that didn't seem right?
The churning of his belly began tumbling in overdrive. "Chloe," Brady whispered…, "Chloe"
"YOU KILLED ME BRADY!," A deathly Chloe answered back. Her face decayed and parts of it chipped off to show through her bone. And then that's when Brady realized that the satin blanket had a blood stain on it. Soaked in blood with the diary soaked in it as well. Except the notebook which was open.
Tears of blood trailed down her face as she cried soaking her diary. Her diary, her diary, her diary…
Brady walked over to her and wanted to reach to touch her but something caught his eye. The other notebook was opened and flipped to a page. Brady read from a backwards angle which had written on the first line, "Journal." Picking it up the book each line outlined what Chloe did, everyday. Him and her and what they would do that day. It began to make sense in Brady's head. It wasn't the diary that was found, it was her notebook. As terrified as he felt at that moment he continued on and Chloe looked past him, she was staring at something, screaming at it. But it wasn't his Chloe.
Brady reached for her diary and picked it up. The first thing he noted was the first line that read, "Mimi's been acting strange lately."
Brady continued on as it entrapped his eyes, " So strange and I worry about her. She keeps putting on this face that everything is alright but inside she's terrified of something, I don't know. I have a hint as to what it might be but it's been so long since she's uttered those words. For a minute I even thought he might still be alive. Day in and day out for months Mimi had these feelings, feelings as if Phillip really wasn't dead…"
Everything else was drenched in blood he noted. That was the only part meant to be seen. As Brady was about to continue further something in the book caught his eye, something he'd never knew of and then came a blood curdling scream. Looking up he followed Chloe's trail of sight. He watched amazed, there was Mimi and Chloe handling a gun. Fighting over it, when all of a sudden things blacked out and all Brady could hear ringing in his head was Chloe's screaming, the sight of Mimi with a dimpled grin, and her diary…her diary, her diary…
Brady awakened this time. No longer in a dream world of his mind. He was back in his prison cell and it still was night outside. Drenched in his own sweat Brady looked down to the floor of cell. And by the bar was a package. Confused as to how it got there he got up from the bed in lagged steps and reached down to the brown paper bag. He unraveled the package and looked at it. It seemed familiar but before he gave his mind a chance to catch up to his actions he opened the book to see the title page outline why it was so familiar. In bold it read: Property of Chloe Lane…
*****
Standing outside of the Illinois prison a man spoke into the night winds, "Black you better know what to do with that. Because if you don't figure it out soon you will actually lose Chloe and your life at that…"
Chapter 1
"It doesn't look good for him," he heard as he slept a peaceful slumber. So at ease in his surroundings. It felt familiar and warm with a coziness that only one place could possess. It was a sense of him being at home. The feeling surrounded his body and made it seem as if it he weren't dream. Then his mind started going to work. 'It doesn't look good for him,' kept flashing in his memory. It was familiar. He remembered hearing it at the trial by someone. But he couldn't place the face and now he could. Though if it was her, how would it be possible for her to be here as he slept in his cell? Had he had an early morning visitor and at some point during his sobs he'd dozed off? Brady rolled over and then processed the fact he hadn't fell of his small prison cot.
Opening his eyes he stared shock. He jumped to a position and stared at where he was. Looking he saw Chloe and Mimi staring wide eyed at his outburst.
Brady swept the room in worried expression. He made it to Chloe and stopped. She was wearing the same dress she wore the day she moved into his place. A sequin deep powder blue dress with spaghetti straps. "Your alive" was the first thing that escaped his mouth as he got up from the bed and began to walk over to Chloe when he noted the amused expression on her face. She blushed a high pink as she tried to get something out.
"Wow, Brady, now I know why Chloe puts a little pep in her step," Mimi laughed out as Chloe slyly punched her. Brady glanced down and jumped for the sheets.
"Sorry," he said embarrassed and sweetly. Chloe spoke up again and smiled that smile. That smile to let him know it was okay, but he couldn't hear her. He didn't want to hear here at the moment he just wanted to see her. It was so much better of an image instead of having found her the way he did. Decorated in her own red blood and not in the sun ray's glow as she was with the penetrating sun cascading into Brady's room.
Brady awakened from his moment when he noticed Chloe was following Mimi as they exited his room. Millions of questions swirled his mind but all went back to one possible answer. A dream. He was simply dreaming but then he spoke up from his dream. "Where are you going?"
Chloe looked at him confused. She had noticed his estranged expression when he found her in his room earlier but now she was becoming worried. Brady never slept this late and he carried a vibe of mixed emotion with him. The fact he got up from his bed the way he did was a mystery. How could he not remember sleeping like that? Realizing he was still staring like a lost child, she answered him, "I'm going to finish helping the others move my stuff into the loft…"
And then it all faded out for Brady. She was just NOW moving in! She hadn't move in some days ago, she was moving in today with the same outfit she wore the day she did move it. He stopped listening and started caring as to if he was dreaming why did things feel this real? The embarrassment, the chill of air that hit his penis, and the feelings of warmth he felt from his bed…
"BRADY!" Chloe shouted loudly. "Get it together, your losing it."
"I'm sorry," Brady said so softly. He felt so bad, he remembered last night. He remembered his wish and realized if it came true this was his second chance. His second chance to solve the case of her death. But there was something strange that made him think…
A kiss was placed on his left cheek, at some point Chloe walked over to him and held him. "Brady what's wrong? You seem so out of it. Are you still worried about the last hospital visit?"
Brady was jolted by the touch of her tender lips. He had longed for them the minute her death set and the day he watched her body being lowered in a casket as a police officer kept a helpful eye on his as he mourned. Even then his mourning was watched, nothing about him was private once news spread of her death. The depictions of her body changed from each paper. And the accounts of false witnesses coming forth to these reporters about the deal with their relationship. No one knew of their relationship really. Not until they wanted certain people to know. One supporter they got that they never figured was Phillip. He stood behind them and then one day he was killed in a tragic car accident. The only one who died. Mimi took over for what Phillip was doing, she and him had been dating. But something about their relationships spelled out an unseen unhappiness by Phillip. He didn't seem to be into being with Mimi.
"Brady," Chloe whispered into his ear again. She had began snuggling against his shoulder. Swaying her head to the melody of his heart. Caressing his back side to set him to ease. And humming a melody that always calmed his nerves and helped him to relax. Holding his one hand gently and making small circles with he thumb lightly. She smooth away the bad and showed anew good for each swirl. "I love you so much," she spoke into the air that sailed to his ear wistfully.
A tear wanted to penetrate his eyes. Brady knew he was going to alter the past. He had already done so the minute he woke up so late. He just hoped that it wouldn't keep the killer from trying to make their move. Because when they did so would he.
"I love you too, Chloe," Drawing her into an air tight hug, "God, I love you so much Chloe… I want you to always remember that. Just you, only you…" too late, tears escaladed as he spoke of his feelings. It once was so difficult but he had to make up for what he couldn't say once Chloe was in the ground. The memory kept racking his mind. But now things had changed and he'd changed in a way. Chloe moved under his arms. At first she settled in and got comfortable then he felt the familiar breathing pattern of her sleep. Her chest fell and rose against him as she rested from all the moving. She was tired.
Brady smoothed down her raven locks and cherished this moment. 'I won't lose you again Chloe… I won't' he dictated to himself repeatedly. He'd made the mistake the first time but this time he would figure out what his mind couldn't remember. Moving Chloe gently he placed her head on a pillow and covered up her body with a white satin blanket. This time he exited the bed knowing his bareness and hadn't minded.
Stepping into the bathroom, he decided on taking a shower to wake Brady up a bit more to what his first action should be. The first thing he wanted to do is bring forth the questions that needed answering. Like, why was it that somehow his wish was granted why it was he was brought back to this day? He could have been transferred back to the day of Chloe's murder but he'd been place almost a week back. Did something occur this day that he hadn't paid attention to the first time around? Why was it that Mimi's voice taunted him that day in court? And why was it that his mind slipped to the memory of when Phillip died?
He knew that any thoughts he had were a buildup to the key. But one question Brady knew he would never fully be able to answer was what happened that day when he showed up? What was it that he saw? Something happened besides seeing Chloe's bodies down on the ground of his loft dead. It was something that he forced himself not to remember and whatever it was, it would be solved today…
*******
By the time Brady came out of the shower Chloe had awakened from her short nap and in her lap lay her diary. Then there lay another notebook that was skillfully crafted and decorated. She was writing into it when Brady found her on his bed. He walked over to her in is towel and reached down to place a kiss on her head. "Have a good rest?"
Chloe kept her hand moving, having unanswered Brady question. She kept scribbling ferociously as if there was something important on her mind that she needed to write down before she forgot.
"Chloe?" Brady spoke once more. And when he didn't get an answer he walked back over to her this time with a pair of jogging pants on. Her hair moved with her as she swung to each new line. Swaying and the sight of it made his heart start moving rapidly through no fault of his on. A quenching from his stomach and aching in his torso scared him. For each new step he made to her he felt a surge of pain. There was something about Chloe's diary. A secret.
Brady remembered when the prosecutor gave her closing argument, '…Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we have present you with a motive, the gun with his finger prints, and the most important thing. In death the girl speaks from the grave, hear her voice and hear the pleads she screamed in blood that night he shot her. Did you hear her? If you hadn't, you heard from her thoughts before the accident. An in depth look at something as personal as her diary. The descriptions of her every movement and daily life of him in it…'. He remember precisely that part of her argument. Had there been something in her diary that did account for Brady everyday? And what was it about the other notebook that didn't seem right?
The churning of his belly began tumbling in overdrive. "Chloe," Brady whispered…, "Chloe"
"YOU KILLED ME BRADY!," A deathly Chloe answered back. Her face decayed and parts of it chipped off to show through her bone. And then that's when Brady realized that the satin blanket had a blood stain on it. Soaked in blood with the diary soaked in it as well. Except the notebook which was open.
Tears of blood trailed down her face as she cried soaking her diary. Her diary, her diary, her diary…
Brady walked over to her and wanted to reach to touch her but something caught his eye. The other notebook was opened and flipped to a page. Brady read from a backwards angle which had written on the first line, "Journal." Picking it up the book each line outlined what Chloe did, everyday. Him and her and what they would do that day. It began to make sense in Brady's head. It wasn't the diary that was found, it was her notebook. As terrified as he felt at that moment he continued on and Chloe looked past him, she was staring at something, screaming at it. But it wasn't his Chloe.
Brady reached for her diary and picked it up. The first thing he noted was the first line that read, "Mimi's been acting strange lately."
Brady continued on as it entrapped his eyes, " So strange and I worry about her. She keeps putting on this face that everything is alright but inside she's terrified of something, I don't know. I have a hint as to what it might be but it's been so long since she's uttered those words. For a minute I even thought he might still be alive. Day in and day out for months Mimi had these feelings, feelings as if Phillip really wasn't dead…"
Everything else was drenched in blood he noted. That was the only part meant to be seen. As Brady was about to continue further something in the book caught his eye, something he'd never knew of and then came a blood curdling scream. Looking up he followed Chloe's trail of sight. He watched amazed, there was Mimi and Chloe handling a gun. Fighting over it, when all of a sudden things blacked out and all Brady could hear ringing in his head was Chloe's screaming, the sight of Mimi with a dimpled grin, and her diary…her diary, her diary…
Brady awakened this time. No longer in a dream world of his mind. He was back in his prison cell and it still was night outside. Drenched in his own sweat Brady looked down to the floor of cell. And by the bar was a package. Confused as to how it got there he got up from the bed in lagged steps and reached down to the brown paper bag. He unraveled the package and looked at it. It seemed familiar but before he gave his mind a chance to catch up to his actions he opened the book to see the title page outline why it was so familiar. In bold it read: Property of Chloe Lane…
*****
Standing outside of the Illinois prison a man spoke into the night winds, "Black you better know what to do with that. Because if you don't figure it out soon you will actually lose Chloe and your life at that…"
