Lost Lies

“Milk?”

“Uh huh,” I mumbled, half asleep on the kitchen island. I rested my head on the counter and fiddled with the glowing feather I kept around my neck. It was hidden from Chris under my shirt.

“You seem tired. I heard you get in the shower last night. Why?” Chris asked, placing a mug of hot chocolate besides me.

“I don’t know,” I yawned, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Winter!”

“I was dirty, I felt like I needed a shower to relax my nerves, and it was a rough day.” I blew out a sigh.

“Thought so. Winter?”

“Uh huh?”

“What’s that on your neck?” He lifted up my hair and pushed it to one side.

“A birthmark,” I replied, nearly dozing off.

“I’ve never seen it before.” He murmured, taking a closer look. “It’s shaped like a feather; I’ve never seen a birthmark like that before.”

“Uh huh.” I sat up, taking a sip from the mug of hot chocolate. I decided it would be wise to change the subject. “I wonder if it will snow this Christmas.”

“Something is off about you.” Chris said, taking a seat opposite me.

I looked up just in time to see a marshmallow flying my way; it hit me straight between the eyes.

“Uh huh,” I replied, flicking the marshmallow back.

“Winter, what’s wrong?” Chris asked. He moved round to my side and wrapped his arms around me, leaning his head on my shoulder.

I pondered on my answer; I need something that wasn’t a lie but, well, was. “I’m tired. I had a nightmare last night, that’s all. I need to take my mind off things right now.”

“I know what will take your mind off things: the fair. A fair opened up in Walkden, but it won’t be ready and prepared until tonight. A bit of fun will take your mind off things - for a bit, anyway.” Chris kissed my cheek and went off to get changed.

“It never hurt to try.” I muttered to myself and got up to get changed.

As I stood up, something caught my eye on the calendar. I turned to where the calendar hung on the wall and headed over to it. My birthday was circled in red and a note was pinned next to it. I picked up the note and read the writing scribbled on the torn paper - the same writing on the letter Chris found last night.

Go outside; there’s an early birthday present out back. Hope you like it.

I turned my head to look out the kitchen window, then to the pantry doors. It was broad daylight and the birds sang from the tree tops; there was nothing and no one there. I looked back at the note and gasped in shock; the note was different.

Sorry, I forgot to say: you may need a shovel and you may need to dig at the very back of the garden.

I dropped the note and looked towards the window and the pantry doors again: still nothing. I went to grab a pair of shoes and a coat - just because it was sunny; it never meant it would be warm. A winter’s day in England is like swimming in a freezing cold pond or stepping into a freezer.

Zipping up my coat, I picked up the pantry door and shed keys from the key bowl and headed into the kitchen. As I unlocked the pantry door, I glimpsed a sharp knife and Casper standing behind me, grinning.

I turned, fast, heart pounding, body shaking, to find nothing but an empty kitchen. I took a deep breath and turned to go into the back garden.

The cold winter’s air nipped at my skin and blew my hair about, slivering into the gaps in my clothes. I looked about, making sure there was no one around who would jump out and get me.

I unlocked the shed door and grabbed a shovel, only to come back again to find another note pinned to the door.

Dig up at the left side of the shed, in the middle area.

I looked around, saw no one around, and wondered who was placing these notes. As commanded, I went to the left side of the shed, in the middle area, and began to dig with what strength I had in my working arm.

After five minutes of digging and struggling, I heard a thud as the shovel hit something hard. I dropped the shovel and bent down besides the hole; a small, rotted wooden box was nestled in the ground. I slowly pulled it out and put it on the ground, afraid to open it.

Open it, open it, open it; you know you want to, Winter. Open it, open it.

The voice was in my head, chanting to me, taunting me; it could all be a figment of my imagination, yet I couldn’t help but do as it commanded.

A freshly bloodied knife rested in the box and Chris’ friendship ring sat beside it. I pulled out both objects, confused as to what was going on. I repeatedly looked back and forth at both the ring and the knife; this must be a clue to something terrifying...something involving Chris and me.

I looked up to Chris’ open bedroom window and called for him.

“Chris, get here right now. We have a problem.” There was no reply from him, so I called for him again. “Chris, come out here, please.”

Still no reply. Maybe he couldn’t hear me.

I dropped the knife back in the box and pocketed the ring. As I stood up, I shivered. Not from the cold; it felt like someone just walked across my grave. I began to walk back to the house when I felt a hot searing pain on my neck. I looked down to see the feather glowing bright. Evangelina’s voice echoed at the back of my mind.

Winter, I don’t want you to freak out, but there’s something wrong with Chris; he’s been stabbed.

I shook my head, not believing the voice one bit. I knew there was something wrong - the evidence was in my pocket and in the box. I looked up to Chris’ window, hoping this was just a big prank. Realizing I’m wasting my time stood there, I sprinted up to Chris’ room, only to find the door locked.

“Chris, open the door!” I shouted, banging on the door with the palm of my hand. “Chris, open the door; there’s something going on. I think someone is in the house!”

There was nothing but dead silence from his room.

I stepped a few inches back and angled my leg just right, ready to kick the door in. For a girl, I had powerful kicks and they really came in useful at times like this. I threw all my force into the kicks and repeatedly kicked at the door before it swung open, smashing into the wall.

“Chris!” I called, not finding him in the room.

I was about to walk out the door when a muffled groan came from the wardrobe. I edged over to it. The noise came again and I let out a startled scream. Laughing it off, I grew closer to the wardrobe and heard something splash under my feet. I looked down slowly and found a pool of blood staining the carpet, slowly seeping from the wardrobe. I quickly looked up when the groan came again.

I took a deep breath, wrapped my hands around the handles of the doors and flung them wide open, only to be crushed to the floor by Chris’ limp body. I let out an ear piercing scream and tried to scramble out from under his weight. I was pinned to the floor, covered in his blood.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs, and then Detective Hapsburg was by my side, pushing Chris’ body off me and folding me into his arms. I began to sob as he rang for Detective Hull and an ambulance.

-:- -:- -:-

It felt like a thousand years before the ambulance came and whisked Chris away to hospital. I was told he was in a critical state and trapped in a coma. My poor boyfriend was on the brink of death and I could do nothing to save him.

I was curled up in a ball in the armchair beside his bed when Detective Hull and Hapsburg entered with Danny, Casper and Alex behind them. All five came to my side and surrounded me.

“What?” I snapped, not in the mood to deal with anyone right now.

“We come to ask a few questions,” Detective Hull answered quietly; he took the chair from next to me and sat on it opposite me.

“We were passing by when we saw you pacing about in the waiting room. You ran right past us, so we followed you to see if you’re okay.” Alex sat on the arm of my chair and folded me into his arms.

I looked up to see a glint of pleasure in his eyes. I turned to look at Danny and Casper; both had the exact same glint in their eyes, yet all three of them maintained a stern, neutral expression. I felt terrified that they were around, yet safe and comforted by their presence. I felt the fear fade away as I rested my head on Alex’s knee, forgetting what I saw in the pantry door.

Wait - did I even see anything in the first place? I couldn’t remember; my mind was as clean as a freshly washed shirt.

“Who are you to this girl?” Detective Hapsburg asked, eyeing the three brothers.

“Friends,” they answered in unison. Detective Hull and Hapsburg nodded in reply and turned their attention to me.

Taking out a note book and pen, Detective Hull began to ask questions. “So, Winter, what happened?”

“Well, it all started off with me finding a note telling to go outside and dig, so I did,” I said, missing out the parts where the writing on the note kept changing and notes appeared out of nowhere.

“Where was Chris at this time?” asked Detective Hapsburg as Hunt scribbled down notes.

“He was upstairs in his room getting changed.”

“So, when you were digging the hole, did you find anything?” Detective Hull questioned.

“A rotting box, and when I opened it, I saw a freshly blooded knife and Chris’ friendship ring.” I could feel tears burning my eyes now, blurring my vision.

“Is this necessary? The girl is in shock; can’t you ask all the questions later?” Alex cut in, eyeing both detectives.

Detective Hull and Hapsburg looked at each other before shaking their heads.

“Sorry lads, but we are not leaving until we have a story of what happened.” Detective Hapsburg answered, looking at all three of them in turn.

“Leave.” Danny growled.

I turned my head to look at him and gasped in silent shock. His eyes were black orbs that neither reflected nor absorbed anything.

I looked at Casper, and he had the same expressionless look as Danny with black eyes. I gulped down a scream and looked up to see the same blank expression on Alex’s face, only with red eyes.

I closed my eyes and violently shook my head. It was a trick of the mind. They can’t be what Evangelina claimed they were; this was all just a big dream and when I opened my eyes, I would be tucked up in bed, Evangelina and Cara wouldn’t be missing, I wouldn’t have a broken arm...and Chris wouldn’t be in a critical state.