Razorblade Charm
GateWoods Cemetry, Monroeville
* Ryan's Pov*
Two policeofficers are standing by the fireplace, next to Tinkerbell's mom and Richard. Her mom looks almost upset, but Richard is grinning slightly. I ball my hands in fists and take a deep breath.
" Are you a friend of Patricia Heart's?" one of the cops says to me. I nod quickly.
" When did you last see her?"
" Er......in the daytime. She came round to my house."
" Did she give anything away? Did she tell you anything that might give signs she was going to take off?"
" Errr...." I panic. " Not really. She...talked about a dead friend."
" Did she get upset?"
" Yes, she did. A little bit. She didn't say anything about running away."
" She keeps so much to herself," sighs Mrs Heart. " Never speaks. Just listens to her music all day."
" Is she happy?" asks the other officer, and that creepy Richard jumps in, laughing falsly.
" Of course she's happy! We care for her-"
I look across at Mrs Heart. Her eyes flicker slightly, and I spot a shadowy bruise on her face.
" Then how come she slit then?" I whisper. The police officers look at me oddly, and Richard gives another false laugh.
" What? No, not our Patricia-"
" She does!" I yell. " She does, you know she does! She misses her dad, her friend Peter. You didn't let her go to the funeral. You hurt her, and her mom!"
Richard's eyes flash dangerously.
" He doesn't know what he's talking about. Stupid child-"
" How come Mrs Heart is bruised then?" I say, and she closes her eyes and shakes her head.
" Mrs Heart? Is this true?"
" Yes. Yes, it is."
One police officer leads Richard away to the cop car and radios for any info on Tink. Nothing.
" Where would she go?" I say. " Her old town?"
" It's worth a look," her mom says. " But....the odds are she'll be at Peter's grave. He was buried in another town, his birth place. "
" Which town?"
" Monroeville."
Mom and Kate go back home and I go with Mrs Heart in another police car. They drive us down to Monroeville, to GateWoods Cemetery. The car prowls through the dark cemetery, a torch scanning graves. We get out and go searching in different directions. I stumble over headstones, trip on flowers. I see a bench with a person curled up on it and I run forward, yelling her name.
It's not Tinkerbell.
Two policeofficers are standing by the fireplace, next to Tinkerbell's mom and Richard. Her mom looks almost upset, but Richard is grinning slightly. I ball my hands in fists and take a deep breath.
" Are you a friend of Patricia Heart's?" one of the cops says to me. I nod quickly.
" When did you last see her?"
" Er......in the daytime. She came round to my house."
" Did she give anything away? Did she tell you anything that might give signs she was going to take off?"
" Errr...." I panic. " Not really. She...talked about a dead friend."
" Did she get upset?"
" Yes, she did. A little bit. She didn't say anything about running away."
" She keeps so much to herself," sighs Mrs Heart. " Never speaks. Just listens to her music all day."
" Is she happy?" asks the other officer, and that creepy Richard jumps in, laughing falsly.
" Of course she's happy! We care for her-"
I look across at Mrs Heart. Her eyes flicker slightly, and I spot a shadowy bruise on her face.
" Then how come she slit then?" I whisper. The police officers look at me oddly, and Richard gives another false laugh.
" What? No, not our Patricia-"
" She does!" I yell. " She does, you know she does! She misses her dad, her friend Peter. You didn't let her go to the funeral. You hurt her, and her mom!"
Richard's eyes flash dangerously.
" He doesn't know what he's talking about. Stupid child-"
" How come Mrs Heart is bruised then?" I say, and she closes her eyes and shakes her head.
" Mrs Heart? Is this true?"
" Yes. Yes, it is."
One police officer leads Richard away to the cop car and radios for any info on Tink. Nothing.
" Where would she go?" I say. " Her old town?"
" It's worth a look," her mom says. " But....the odds are she'll be at Peter's grave. He was buried in another town, his birth place. "
" Which town?"
" Monroeville."
Mom and Kate go back home and I go with Mrs Heart in another police car. They drive us down to Monroeville, to GateWoods Cemetery. The car prowls through the dark cemetery, a torch scanning graves. We get out and go searching in different directions. I stumble over headstones, trip on flowers. I see a bench with a person curled up on it and I run forward, yelling her name.
It's not Tinkerbell.