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The next morning Cameron slowly woke on her wardrobe floor, stiff and aching. Outside birds were singing merrily and cars could be heard pottering along lazily in the distance. She tentatively moved each of her limbs one at a time, not daring to look at the damage. Her pyjamas were soaked through – she could feel the damp blood against her skin. She decided to assess the damage, telling herself she would more-than-likely need stitches and treatment for blood loss. She hesitantly raised her hands before her eyes, a little frightened by what she was about to find.
Nothing. The skin was intact. Cameron inspected the rest of her body, with the same findings. And the dampness she felt was not blood at all – it was a pool of sweat.
Cameron stood up amidst her hanging clothes and opened the door. The lights were on and her TV was murmuring in the background. Just the way she'd left it. There was no glass, no cuts, no blood, and no Isabelle.
The woman of science and fact was beginning to have doubts. 'It had felt so real' she thought to herself. 'I'm sure I'm not crazy. As sure as I know the sky's blue.'
Convinced she wasn't insane and something paranormal was going on, Cameron headed out to the kitchen. Her mind was still at unease, but her thoughts were a little clearer than before.
Only, when you think about it, the sky isn't really blue.
-----------HOUSE MD-----------
Her bare cupboards served as a reminder of her promise the day before. So after a refreshing shower Cameron set out for the corner shop on foot. It was only a couple of blocks away, and the fresh air would do her a world of good.
"Allison!" A middle-aged woman with striking red hair approached, tugging impatiently on a lead rope. At the reverse end of the rope a plump Labrador plodded along happily, wagging his tail contentedly. It was Nina, Cameron's neighbour and friend, who was also a regular patient.
"Come on Fred!" Nina growled. "How are you Allison?" she grinned, slightly out of breath.
"I'm well, how 'bout you?" Cameron answered, leaning in for a quick hug.
"I'm good actually, I- Fred!" Nina exclaimed mid-sentence. Cameron jumped back in fright.
Fred, who was usually good-natured and friendly, had turned on Cameron. His teeth were bared in a threatening growl and his hackles were stiff along his back. He began barking and snapping at Cameron, who continued to back away, eyes wide with terror. Worried the lead rope would snap under Fred's strength, she hurried over to the shop, giving the snarling dog and his red-faced owner a wide berth. She waved grimly to Nina, who grimaced apologetically and, with a colossal effort, dragged Fred away.
'What was that about?' Cameron wondered as a bell tinkled above her to signify her entering the shop. 'I've never had any problems with Fred. He's always happy to see me!' More than a little disturbed, Cameron picked up a basket and set about collecting some much-needed groceries.
A little while later Cameron passed the newspaper stand and froze. Her heart started thumping madly, and it felt as though she were suffocating. The floor was slipping away and she began to sink. Somewhere in the distance a jar broke, snapping her out of her reverie. She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Isabelle smiled up at her from the newspaper cover. Her portrait was placed under the heading "SEARCH FOR A COLDBLOODED KILLER- Police hunt for clues in baffling murder case." With her creamy complexion, soft golden hair and deep green eyes Isabelle was the picture of natural beauty and innocence. Cameron stood staring into the portrait for what felt like an eternity before she tucked the paper under her arm and headed for the counter.
'Did she know she was going to die?" Cameron wondered. 'Did she know she was never going to see her loved ones again? Who could be so cold as to take away her life? Why is she appearing to me? Does she want my help?' These were some of the many questions racing through Cameron's head as she made her way to the counter. Isabelle's face swam into view once more.
It's easier to die than to watch someone die.
Her own words echoed at the back of her mind. What unimaginable hell was Isabelle going through, wandering aimlessly between the realms of life and death, watching as those she knew, and was yet to meet, flitted by in an array of laughter, tears and love. Watching, as they died, unable to reach them, unable to unite with them once more.
This lost soul was crying out for help, and it seemed Cameron was the only one within reach. She had never been one to turn away from someone in need, and wasn't about to let a trivial thing like death prevent her from helping Isabelle.
'I'm going to do everything in my power to help this girl.' Cameron thought determinedly as she set the shopping basket down on the front counter. Science and fact were no longer important as she glanced once more at Isabelle's photo.
-----------HOUSE MD-----------
Back home, Cameron sat at her dining room table reading the newspaper for the third time. Beside her were her laptop and a few pages of scribbled notes. The most recent addition to these notes was a list titled 'Suspects'. So far there were only two: Lisa Fraser and Daniel Moore.
Lisa Fraser was Isabelle's twenty-five year old neighbour. There was a bit of bad blood between the Fraser and Watkins families, from what Cameron could gather from her print and Internet sources, and Lisa was the one who found Isabelle's body at the murder scene.
Daniel Moore was Isabelle's boyfriend. He was the main suspect in the case. Cameron had highlighted a paragraph on the newspaper that described him as 'a hot-tempered and sometimes abusive man who had been in and out of prison from the age of fifteen'. Cameron knew better than to put her complete trust in a newspaper article, but underlined Daniel's name nonetheless.
Isabelle's mother and stepfather were on the list from the beginning, but after some research Cameron had soon crossed their names out. Isabelle's mother had been dead for the past five years, and her stepfather was cleared by police, with a solid alibi. Her biological father left them when she was very young, and lost contact years ago.
'It's a start' Cameron thought as she looked over her meagre notes with a sigh. She was about to do another Internet search when the phone rang. Caller ID declared Chase was on the other end.
Cameron debated whether or not to answer. She knew he was ringing to check up on her, after her odd behaviour the past few days. In the end she figured he would be more concerned if she didn't pick up. So she held the receiver to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi Cameron, er, Allison. What's up?"
Cameron crinkled her nose. Since when did he call her Allison? "Nothing much. Just catching up on some sleep."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah…"
Silence.
"Well… I, er, just wanted to see how you were. You haven't been quite normal the past few days."
Cameron smiled. If there were such thing as a state-the-obvious contest, Chase would win hands down.
"I wasn't feeling well. I think it was indigestion. But I'm fine now." She said dismissively as she sifted through search results on her computer.
"Oh, that's good then."
"But I still enjoyed the movie last night." Cameron added reassuringly.
"You did? I'm glad to hear it." Chase sounded relieved. "It's a pity about your jacket, though."
Cameron groaned inwardly. She'd forgotten all about the bloody fingerprints. Although she had a fair idea who was behind it, she made a mental note to take it into the hospital and run some tests.
"Yeah, so am I. It was one of my favourite jackets."
"Could you get the stain out, you reckon?"
"Probably. It's not very big. I suppose I'll have to try."
"I know a good trick for getting bloodstains out. Working in a hospital you're bound to get a variety of stains and bodily fluids all over you, so it's good to be prepared, you know? Just don't tell anyone I told you that." Chase added quickly.
Cameron chuckled. "Okay then." At that moment there was a loud knock on her front door. "Listen, there's someone at my door, so I'd better go. See you on Monday, bye."
"Okay. Take care, bye."
Cameron hung up. She crept over to the door, puzzled as to who would be visiting her. She hesitated, before unlocking and opening the door.
Standing before her were two stony-faced men in smart clothes. They had a distinct air of authority about them.
"Good morning, Ms Cameron?" She nodded slowly. "I'm Detective Williams and this is my partner, Detective Graham. We're investigating the murder of Isabelle Watkins and would like to ask you a few questions."