For the first time in a long time, I was happy. I turned to hug my sister, a smile on my face and so much love in my eyes. Her face was full of pain. Confused for a moment, I looked down to see the sword protruding from her belly, her blood spilling from her body.

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Marcy opened her eyes slowly. She felt weird, her body felt weird and she was in pain. Opening her eyes didn’t help the situation. She was upside down, still in her seat belt, but the car was upside down. The windshield was smashed in and there was glass all over the car. Marcy realized she had been in the car for quite a while and was probably dehydrated as well as suffering internal injuries.

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“You did what to the porter?!” Alex almost screamed the question at Marcy.
Marcy giggled and staggered a little.
“I pretended like I tripped and showed him my ass as I fell down.”
She laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.
Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
“Did you have panties on?” He growled into her face.
Marcy, realizing he was truly angry, shook her head slowly from side to side.

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Minding my manners, I carefully dabbed at the corners of my mouth with the fine linen napkin. My stomach was churning so fast, it was a miracle I could keep anything down. I glanced at Stephen. He smiled warmly at me. I felt encouraged so I looked down the table at his mother, the Matriarch of the family. She looked from Stephen to me and glowered. She mouthed the word “NO” at me and slightly shook her head as if to tell me Stephen would never be mine. The fight was on.

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“Foreign Substances.”
She looked askance at him and quirked an eyebrow.
“Foreign Substances?”
He frowned and glared at her.
“Yes, Foreign Substances.” He said it as if he thought her an idiot. “What else would you call it, Ms. Flint?”
She grinned and placed a sassy hand on her hip.
“Well, I’d call it dog shit, Earl. But that’s just me.”

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I entered the deserted home and flicked on the entry lights as I shut the door behind me. Laying my briefcase and keys on the kitchen counter, I walked through the house turning on lights. My client would arrive soon and I wanted to make sure things looked inviting and smelled pleasant after the house had been shut up for so long.

Entering the master bedroom, I noticed the doorknob was loose. Bending to take a look at the issue, I heard a creak behind me and turned quickly. Seeing nothing and no one in the room with me, I turned back to the doorknob. There it was again. Closer this time. I stood up slowly and looked over my shoulder. As I turned, a cold wind blew past and through me, taking my breath away.

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I knew I was awake, but I couldn’t see a thing. My eyes were open but everything was black. I lay perfectly still, testing my body to see if I could move. I could wiggle my toes and lift my legs. Every movement hurt. I raised an arm to feel my face. I touch something soft and spongy. Bandages. My face was completely covered in bandages.

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She scowled as her adviser talked. Thoughts ran through her head, unhindered.

“You’re the moron. I’m not stupid. I know what I know.”

She never should have told him about the voices she hears when no one else hears them. The people who talk to her that no one else can hear or see. She should have kept that to herself.

“Know what, Mr. Peterson?” She blurted out in the middle of his monologue, “I think I’m cured.”

Grabbing her book bag, Karen flounced out of the office without so much as a ‘Good Day.’

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Weary from a long day of no leads, I was hardly in the mood to take Mark’s suggestion, but I had a few of my own.

I quirked an eyebrow at him and said, “So?”

“So? What do you mean, so?”

“I mean ‘So’, Mark. So what? So he had a gun. So he had no alibi. So he had a flimsy motive. So fucking what. I’m telling you, he’s NOT THE GUY.” I slammed my palm onto the desk for emphasis.

Mark, unimpressed, said, “I’m bringing him in.”

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I don’t know where the time went. One minute, I was sitting in the waiting room and the next minute I was walking out to my car. It was hot outside, but I wore a long jacket and a sweater. I didn’t remember wearing that to the office. The sun was high in the afternoon sky. I blinked, realizing my sunglasses were gone. Stopping by my car, I realized I had no idea what had happened in that office. I had no memory of the appointment or the outcome. A chill ran down my spine and I turned to look at the building. I saw a curtain move in the upstairs window and a pale hand disappear from view.

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