CHAPTER SIX
"Brittany!" Melissa rushed over to her friend and kneeled beside her. No wonder she didn't show up at the house, Melissa thought. She looked around the street. Nobody was there. And Melissa knew that she couldn't run inside from what Brittany had told her earlier.
What should she do? She couldn't leave Brittany here. What if the man came back?
There was only one thing to do. Melissa heaved Brittany's motionless body onto her shoulders and walked along the road. She felt something cold on her nose. Snow! Quickly, Melissa rushed into her house and shouted, "Mom! Dad!"
"What? What is it?" Melissa's parents ran down the stairs with Josie, Erica, Rachel, and Callie behind them. Melissa's family stopped short when they saw Brittany.
"I'll call an ambulance. Set her down in the living room for the time being." Mrs. Crochet ran to the phone while Melissa sat by her friend's side. Tears welled in her eyes.
"What's wrong with her?" a voice asked. Melissa looked up to see Rachel, Josie, and Erica standing above her. Melissa realized that Rachel had spoken. Rachel, of all people!
"I-I don't know. She called earlier and asked to stay for a few weeks because her parents were fighting, and I said yes. But when she didn't show up, I went up to her house and found her lying in the snow." Melissa was really crying now. She couldn't believe it. First her sister, now Brittany!
"The ambulance is on its way," Mrs. Crochet announced, coming into the room. Suddenly, she motioned for Melissa to come over to her. Before Mrs. Crochet could open her mouth, Callie pointed to Brittany and asked, "Who's she?"
Melissa gaped at her sister and asked, "Don't you remember, Callie? That's Brittany, your friend."
Callie shook her head.
"That's what I need to speak to you about," Mrs. Crochet said sadly, "Melissa, Dr. Morris spoke to your father and said that every night Callie loses her memory again. There's no use introducing yourself or teaching her things because the next day, she'll forget all about it."
"But it's not the next day," Melissa said. "It's five o' clock in the morning."
"Obviously, her memory already got wiped out," Mrs. Crochet said. She looked at her daughter and said, "I'm sorry, Melissa."
"The ambulance is here!" Josie announced.
"Mom, can I ride in the ambulance with Brittany?" Melissa asked. Mrs. Crochet nodded, and soon Melissa was in the back of the ambulance with Brittany and a couple of doctors. But soon Melissa wished she hadn't asked to come along. The doctors did gross tests and drew some blood. She was relieved when She was sitting in the hospital room with Brittany in the bed next to her chair.
Soon, the rest of Melissa's family arrived. Melissa held Brittany's hand and talked to her, just like she had done with Callie. Within three hours, Dr. Morris said that Brittany was murdered and had been hurt in the arm. Melissa knew whom the killer was-the same person who had hurt Callie. It just had to be.
"Brittany!" Melissa rushed over to her friend and kneeled beside her. No wonder she didn't show up at the house, Melissa thought. She looked around the street. Nobody was there. And Melissa knew that she couldn't run inside from what Brittany had told her earlier.
What should she do? She couldn't leave Brittany here. What if the man came back?
There was only one thing to do. Melissa heaved Brittany's motionless body onto her shoulders and walked along the road. She felt something cold on her nose. Snow! Quickly, Melissa rushed into her house and shouted, "Mom! Dad!"
"What? What is it?" Melissa's parents ran down the stairs with Josie, Erica, Rachel, and Callie behind them. Melissa's family stopped short when they saw Brittany.
"I'll call an ambulance. Set her down in the living room for the time being." Mrs. Crochet ran to the phone while Melissa sat by her friend's side. Tears welled in her eyes.
"What's wrong with her?" a voice asked. Melissa looked up to see Rachel, Josie, and Erica standing above her. Melissa realized that Rachel had spoken. Rachel, of all people!
"I-I don't know. She called earlier and asked to stay for a few weeks because her parents were fighting, and I said yes. But when she didn't show up, I went up to her house and found her lying in the snow." Melissa was really crying now. She couldn't believe it. First her sister, now Brittany!
"The ambulance is on its way," Mrs. Crochet announced, coming into the room. Suddenly, she motioned for Melissa to come over to her. Before Mrs. Crochet could open her mouth, Callie pointed to Brittany and asked, "Who's she?"
Melissa gaped at her sister and asked, "Don't you remember, Callie? That's Brittany, your friend."
Callie shook her head.
"That's what I need to speak to you about," Mrs. Crochet said sadly, "Melissa, Dr. Morris spoke to your father and said that every night Callie loses her memory again. There's no use introducing yourself or teaching her things because the next day, she'll forget all about it."
"But it's not the next day," Melissa said. "It's five o' clock in the morning."
"Obviously, her memory already got wiped out," Mrs. Crochet said. She looked at her daughter and said, "I'm sorry, Melissa."
"The ambulance is here!" Josie announced.
"Mom, can I ride in the ambulance with Brittany?" Melissa asked. Mrs. Crochet nodded, and soon Melissa was in the back of the ambulance with Brittany and a couple of doctors. But soon Melissa wished she hadn't asked to come along. The doctors did gross tests and drew some blood. She was relieved when She was sitting in the hospital room with Brittany in the bed next to her chair.
Soon, the rest of Melissa's family arrived. Melissa held Brittany's hand and talked to her, just like she had done with Callie. Within three hours, Dr. Morris said that Brittany was murdered and had been hurt in the arm. Melissa knew whom the killer was-the same person who had hurt Callie. It just had to be.