Found

I wasn’t worried about finding a body in my yard. I was worried about Jacey.

I’d heard a blood curdling scream that could only have come from my little sister. I ran from the house, nearing the end of the two hundred meter driveway faster than I’d ever gone before.

Jacey always asked why we had to live so far away from everyone. I could never tell her the truth. She wouldn’t understand.

The city was a big place, full of people. People who would never understand her. She wouldn’t understand that I was only trying to protect her.

I found Jacey near the fence staring at the ground, unable to say anything, however the look of shock of her face telling me enough. I got closer to her I could make out the shape of a body lying in the tall grass.

“She’s dead.” Jacey whimpered. “She’s on our land, and she’s dead. That makes her our problem Patrick!” She was crying now.

“Jacey…” I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We don’t even know why she was here.”

I looked over the body, trying to look for a cause of death, or anything mildly significant. There didn’t seem to be any injuries on her, and this girl looked pretty ordinary to me. That was until I looked down at her wrist, and the light flickered off the sliver bracelet. The relic would only seem like a family heirloom to anyone who didn’t recognise it. I reached down towards the girl when Jacey pulled my arms away.

“Don’t touch her!” She squealed.

“Why? She not going anywhere?” I teased.

Given the situation, I probably should have acted more serious, but it was hard to resist with Jacey. I crouched down next to the body and slipped the bracelet off her wrist. I stood back up again and held the bracelet out to Jacey.

“Put it on.” I stated.

Her face dropped. “I’m not taking a dead girls bracelet! Isn’t it still stealing even if someone’s dead?”

I loved Jacey, but god damn she was thick.

“Jacey, I’ll explain everything when we get back up to the house. But for now, put the bracelet on. This isn’t a choice.” I said harshly, so she would know I was serious. She huffed and snatched it away, slipping onto her wrist and crossing her arms.

If only she understood.