Haunt Me

The sunlight made the maroon walls of her living room seem more purple. She set the envelope on the black coffee table and boiled some water for tea. She took a sip and sat down on her brown love seat to open the letter.



Peyton folded the letter and placed it on the couch cushion adjacent to her. She crossed her legs and hugged a pillow to her chest, allowing the leaf pattern to temporarily mark her arms. She checked the envelope for anything else to fine a pressed flower- a daffodil- her mother's favorite.

Seasons of Love, from Rent played at full volume from Peyton's pocket. Angela Hernway's, Peyton's best friend from college, picture glowed on the cellphone screen. "Hello?" Peyton's voice came out raspy because of her nerves.

"Hey,Peyton. Want me to come over?" It didn't really matter how she found out, Peyton was just grateful. By the time the hour was over, Angela was on the front porch. During their time at college, the two discovered that they'd grown up only a few towns apart. She let herself in and immediately went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of tea. "How are you holding up?" That's what Peyton respected most about Angela, she always cut to the chase.

The two sat down at the kitchen table. "I'm alright, considering. Who told you?" She shifted in her seat, unable to become comfortable.

"I was driving back from work last night, to avoid traffic I took the back roads. I saw the police. I thought I'd give you a day, though, to settle down before I came over for you. I know how you like to be alone, sometimes." Peyton didn't even bother to ask how she deduced murder from just the police cars. Angela had double majored in forensic science and criminal justice, and graduated top of her class.

"She was shot, Angela. Somebody killed my mother." Her hands were shaking; She had to set her cup down. Angela squeezed her hand and offered a small smile.

"Will you tell me about her?"

For hours, Peyton told Angela all about Layla Emmerson

--

For a split second Peyton panicked when a knock at the front door woke her. She shook Angela awake before realizing that her brother was probably here. Without thinking about it, Peyton stuffed her anonymous letter into the drawer of the coffee table. Angela glared at her sleepily from the love seat, where she'd fallen asleep the night before.

Darien knocked, again. "Hey there, Brother." He wrapped her in a big hug the moment the door opened.

She welcomed him inside, got him settled in the spare room, and introduced him to Angela. "Where's Maria?" Maria was Darien's girlfriend of two years. They'd met on the first day of college in their music theory class.

"We broke up last week." He shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal, so Peyton assumed that he was the one who broke it off. "Where's Kenneth?" Kenneth, not Kenny. Darien never warmed up to him. Kenny had never directly done anything to offend him, it was just one of those things.

"We got into a fight yesterday morning." There was another knock at the door, making Peyton's heart race. "That's probably him now." Her limbs seemed heavy while she walked to the front door. She could hear Angela and Darien's chatter coming from the kitchen, but hoped they wouldn't hear her tell Kenny yo go home, again. She was still mad at him for being so insensitive

No one was standing behind the door, but once again, an envelope sat on her welcome mat. Payton ran out the door to the sidewalk and looked frantically around. Only the neighbor kids were on the street, riding their bikes and chalking their driveways without a care. One of them waved at her and smiled, her blue eyes shining with genuine happiness, and a hole where her front teeth should be. Peyton waved back and snatched the letter off the porch. It didn't have anything written on the outside, this time.

Darien and Angela weren't talking when she came back to the kitchen. A pot of coffee was brewing, filing the room with a homey smell. The two looked at Peyton, waiting for an explanation. She tossed the letter on the counter top. "I need your help."

"With what," Both looked more than a little confused. "opening the mail?"

Peyton ran to the living room and retrieved yesterday's letter. She had them read it, not wanting all the weight to be on her shoulders. Darien's face turned a deeper shade of red with every line her read. He ran his fingers through his hair, like he always did when he was feeling stressed, narrowing his small brown eyes. "Have you told the police?"

"No. I've only had it for a day.Plus, I don't think it would help. He's too smart to get caught, right?"

Angela poured each of them a cup of coffee, handing Payton her favorite mug. Her mother had crafted and given it to her as a gift a few years back for Christmas. "He can't be too smart. He initialed the bottom."

She was right. Peyton hadn't notice it before, but in the bottom right corner SLK was scrawled in the same cramped handwriting.

"Peyton, from this letter the police would have all the information they need to catch this guy." She knew Angela was right.