4 Years Later
A/N: Ok, so sometime what I envision in my mind doesn't always translate that well in writing and this is an example of that. It's not that this is a bad chapter, it just didn't turn out as smooth as I would have liked it. I also am not a fan of flashbacks and don't do many so that was fairly new to me as well, but to tell the story the way I want to I accepted that I needed to do a flashback (possibly more to come). So, I thought I could either spend the next few days revising this chapter and then post it or post it now and possibly make some minor changes to it later. So, obviously I chose to do the later, mainly because I want to move on to the next chapters. QUICK PREVIEW: (Chapter 4: Aria) (Chapter 5: Spencer)(Chapter 6: Toby)….I may changeup the order but those should be the next few chapters if I don't change my mind lol. Anyway, Enjoy.
Hanna
The wind was sweeping cold air around Hanna's body as she wrapped her coat around her more tightly to protect herself from the wind that was growing more furious. As the wind howled and the tree limbs whipped back and forth, Hanna looked to the grey sky above. As a child she learned, like most children, all loved ones that pass away end up somewhere in that sky that was now sprinkling rain lightly falling upon her blond hair. She looked away from the watery sky to focus her attention to the tombstone that was placed just a couple feet in front of her. The tombstone she was looking over was placed near the black iron fence that was positioned around the graveyard. Hanna was standing under an old, rather large tree that was just barely shielding her from the falling rain. She thought about the amount of people she knew who would be spending the rest of eternity in this graveyard, and it brought a tear to her eye. However, no death she had experience could compare to the death that happen four years ago today. Today was the anniversary of the death that turned her world up-side down. Hanna stood there in the rain, staring at the tombstone, thinking about how she lost the one person who had always been there for her.
It was a Friday night and Hanna had made plans with Emily and Paige to have dinner with her and Caleb. After that night at the lake house, Paige and Caleb became good friends and if Emily and Hanna hadn't already been closer than sisters, they were now. Whenever Aria was busy with Ezra or Spencer was either studying or with Toby, the four would get together and talk about everything and absolutely nothing. Often, it would be Paige and Caleb watching whatever sports game or action movie that was on and Hanna and Emily endlessly making fun of said game or movie. Usually, they would have dinner at Hanna's house considering her mom often worked late and didn't get home until after ten most nights. On that night Emily had shown up with Paige and the three girls were waiting for Caleb. This tardiness was not unexpected; Caleb had been working at a computer store for a few months now and was often asked to close up. By now the four girls pretty much relied on Caleb to do the cooking and if they couldn't convince him to cook, ordering pizza was their last resort. While waiting for Caleb the girls sat and talked about school and other topics that were light, steering away from more serious topics. Hanna's phone buzzed and she looked down and her heart sank as she saw the text from "A."
Hanna's eyes welled up with tears as she stared at the phone, nearly crippled by the words she read across the screen. She let out a small gasp before coving her mouth to prevent anything much louder from escaping. Emily and Paige exchanged worried looks as Hanna appeared to be in a state of panic. "Hanna, what's wrong?" Paige asked but before Hanna could collect herself to answer that question, Emily had gently taken the phone out of Hanna's tight grip and started to read. "Someone you love knows too much, and unlike you Pretty little bitch's our secrets don't get out. Come to the lake if you want to see that person one last time." –A.
"Paige, call Caleb and keep calling him until he picks up!" Emily said seriously. Paige did as she was told without uttering a word. Emily stood up from the couch helping an almost catatonic Hannah up from her seat, while taking her phone out of her jean pocket with the other arm.
"Who are you calling?" Hanna asked speaking for the first time directing her attention at Emily who was holding her by the arm to keep her steady. Hanna couldn't think of anyone but Caleb that would need to be called. "A" knew she loved him so much and he always seemed to be a target in "A's" game for that reason.
"Aria and Spencer and anyone else I can think of," Emily said urgently pulling Hanna towards the door. Paige got up ready the follow the two girls to the car when she was stopped by Emily's hand on her shoulder.
Emily had now let go of Hanna and was holding on to both of Paige's shoulders looking into her eyes. "Paige, I need you to stay here, get a hold of Caleb and then call the police." Emily said determined not to let her go with them, she knew Paige was as much of a target as Caleb was and she didn't want to risk Paige getting caught up in another "A" disaster.
Paige was shaking her head, with her phone still held to her ear, not wanting to have Emily anywhere near "A" without her, however, deep down she knew this battle was lost. With tears in her eyes fearing the worst, Paige nodded her head toward the door saying "Go" to Emily quickly, knowing valuable time was being lost. She just hoped this would not be the last words they spoke to each other.
Emily ran out the door with Hanna, now alert enough to follow without having to be dragged. Hanna jumped into the passenger's seat of Emily's car as quick as she could. Emily backed out of the driveway nearly hitting a trash bin placed on the curb. Hanna stared out of the window feeling helpless as all she could do was wait to find out how "A" was going hurt her. Emily was going well beyond the speed limit and the lake still seemed like a century away. With every passing minute Hanna's heart began to race faster and faster. Emily looked over at Hanna, who had tears streaming down her face and was breathing extremely heavy, she grabbed on to Hanna's hand letting her hold on as tightly as she needed to. Emily said nothing to Hanna and Hanna said nothing to Emily, because there was honestly nothing they could say that would help any. Knowing of her impending doom, Hanna had never felt so much fear in her life.
They were half way to the lake and Hanna nearly jumped out of her skin when Emily's phone rang. Emily grabbed the phone with one hand and continued to steer with the other.
"It's Paige" Emily said to Hanna. Hanna didn't now weather to be relieved or even more terrified than she already was. Did this mean she got a hold of Caleb or that she found out something devastating?
Emily nodded her head and the faintest hint of a smile appeared across her face. Hanna's heart lightened a bit, but she still didn't know what to make out of this. This could mean Caleb was alive but someone else she loved was in danger.
"Thank Paige, ok love you, bye." Emily said quickly hanging up the phone. Hanna looked over to Emily needing any kind of answer, even if it was bad news.
"Caleb's battery on his phone died, he showed up at your house and now both Paige and Caleb are on their way to the lake."Hanna released a sigh of relief. However, a new thought of dread entered her mind as they approached the lake.
"Mom…." Hanna gasped thinking of the only person that she loved more than Caleb.
"What?!" Emily asked as she slowed the car down to a complete halt reaching the west side of the lake.
"We never called my mom, she's the only person it could be Em." Hanna said in panic through more tears than she thought she had.
The two girls saw the lights at the same time, they were flashing on the other side of the lake. They both jumped out of the car and started running towards the flashing lights without a word. As they neared closer they could make out three police cars and an ambulance. It wasn't until they reached a police officer who was holding a megaphone looking upward, did they realize what was going on.
On the bridge about fifteen feet above the lake were two figures. It was dark outside but the moonlight and the police car lights were just enough to make out the first figure. Ashley Marin had duct tape covering her mouth and both her arms and legs were tied with rope. She was struggling against the person behind her who was holding her tightly by the shoulders.
Both Hanna and Emily's phones buzzed as they stared in shock at the bridge. "Welcome to the party ladies, this would be no fun without you."-A
"Do something, that's my mom up there!" Hanna yelled at the police officer who was holding the megaphone talking calmly and slowly to the figure behind Ashley.
The man looked away from the bridge to Hanna. "Ma'am, we are doing everything we can do to help your mother, just let us do our job." He said quickly before returning to the megaphone that he continued to talk into.
The second figure on the bridge was just slightly taller than the women the figure was holding. Wearing a black hoodie and possibly a mask, it was near impossible to identify the figure. The black figure on the bridge attention never turned to the police officer that was calmly but urgently speaking in clichés. "You don't want to do this" "We can figure everything out" "There's no need for violence" "Everything will be okay, just do the right thing." The man continued to recycle these phrases but Hanna knew they were useless. This was not some teenage crush gone wrong or some bully victim out for revenge, this was more than that, this was "A". Hanna needed to do something or she knew how this would end. It took everything she had to move from the spot she was in; Emily held her back but Hanna's desperate struggle was too much for her. Hanna dodged people left and right trying to stop her from nearing the bridge. As she got closer and closer to the bridge Hanna noticed the figure holding her mother was shaking almost as much as she was. There were two police officer standing just in front of the bridge blocking Hanna from her mother.
"Mom! I'm here; it's going to be okay." As the words escaped Hanna's mouth she realized how much she sounded like the police officer with the megaphone.
"Just let her go, this has nothing to do with her." Hanna said to the shaking figure knowing that couldn't be further from the truth. This had to do with everyone Hanna loved and if they knew something they shouldn't it just made them a bigger target.
For a split second Hanna saw the figure stop shaking and she thought for just an intent that the figure was going to turn its head. A generic ring tone filled the quiet air and at first Hanna thought it was her phone until the figure put one of its long arms around her mother's neck, freeing up the other arm to reach for the cell phone in its back pocket.
The figure said nothing into the phone; only a nod was visible from where Hanna was standing. Hanna felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped in fear, she turned around and Caleb was facing her.
Caleb barely gave Hanna a glance before looking up at the two police officers. "What are you doing? Why aren't you doing anything?!" Caleb shouted at the officers.
The taller officer shook his head, "We've got snipers surrounding the lake, if he does anything stupid were taking him down," said the officer smugly.
"And what about my mom?!" Hanna cried out, tears streaming down her face.
"Right now, were doing everything we can for your mom," The shorter officer said in a sympathetic tone.
The figure put the cell phone back in its pocket, hands still shaking. The figure then pulled out an unidentifiable object out of the pocket of the hoodie. As the moonlight shined on the figures hand, Hanna now saw that that object was a 6 inch syringe and needle. A gasp escaped from Hanna, and she fought as hard as she could against the police officers to get to her mother. She expected to held back by Caleb until she realized her was fighting to get passed their barrier as well. However, several other police officers came up behind Hanna and Caleb pulling them backward.
"Don't do this, Please!" Hanna begged as she was being pulled back.
Hanna didn't know if it was her imagination but she could have sworn she heard a man's voice say, "I'm already dead"
And it was quick, within milliseconds there was a collective gasps from the crowd that had formed, a loud splash followed by a gun shot. Hanna's screams echoed and were to overbearing to contain. Caleb was holding her up from falling on the ground and through her watery eyes she saw her friends nearing her, their faces horrified.
The large crowd was about 20 feet to their left and Hanna hadn't notice them until she saw they were all pointing down at the same thing. There was a large rock sitting in the lake, half above water, half under water, and on top of this rock was a man getting ready to dive into the water. What was this? Hanna asked herself, was someone actually trying to save her mother, had they not lost hope like she had? Then Hanna's heart that was just lifted fell to the ground as gun shots far beyond the tree line went off and a pool of blood collected in the water by the rock where the man once stood.
Hanna was awoken out of her memory of that horrible night by a black umbrella appearing over her head. Caleb wrapped his other arm around Hanna's waist. He looked at her with his loving eyes and then looked down at tombstone. That night no one ever came out of that water alive. The figure on the bridge was shot in the neck but survived; he was arrested and is serving two consecutive life sentences. The man who dove in the water to save Ashley Marin's life, in turn losing his own, was not revealed to Hanna until three days later when they drained the lake. The person who shot that man disappeared into the forest but was caught by police while running out of the forest. The "A" team unraveled that night, but so did Hanna's life.
Hanna looked up at the sky that was now clear, the rain had stopped and Hanna laughed. Caleb chuckled as he folded up the umbrella that he had just got and smiled at the women he loved.
"Maybe there will be a rainbow," Caleb said looking down at Hanna as they both looked up at the sky.
"Yeah, I think mom would like that," Hanna said as she thought of how colorful and loving her mother was. Hanna then looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and lightly touched it with her other hand. Oh how she wished her mother could be here to see her get married.