Sunflower

The Murder

I took a sip of my non-alcoholic drink, never thought there’d be one here, as I glanced at Gerald and the woman sitting beside me. The woman had stopped mid-story; a break, she said, and despite my insistence to leave just now, I was getting curious of the rest of the story. Coughing slightly, I grabbed the attentions of the two adults beside me.

“So… Are you the girl in the story?”

The woman looked deeply at me for a moment before smiling mysteriously, “Well, that’s for you to find out.”

#

Almost there. The girl could even smell the smell of smoke that always came from the other side. Wide smile was painted across her small and pretty but dirty face. Never mind that she didn’t bring anything but only the dress on her body. But on that split second, when she was just about to leave halfway the bridge, shouts of names reached her ears. Closing her eyes tightly, she kept running as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Reaching her hand out as to grab on something, someone yanked her from the back and stop her escape.

“What are you doing here?! Did you not hear me call your name?” A harsh familiar voice sounded.

“Let go of me!” The girl pressed on every words.

“Your mother’s dead! Are you still going to leave?!” The butcher’s voice echoed on the wind. The girl stopped struggling and looked at the man holding her.

“W-what did you just say, uncle?”

The butcher sighed harshly and released his hold on her. He crouched down and stared at her, unsure of her reaction. Sure, the girl’s mother never acted like a mother, but still… it’s her family after all. “The wound on her head is especially severe this time. Your mother…fainted and lost a lot of blood. The doctor couldn’t save her…”

The girl stared blankly at him before opening her mouth to ask something. The butcher raised his hand to stop her. He picked the malnourished girl, to small to be twelve years old, and rushed back to the district.

“W-what about that man?” The little girl asked as they moved along.

“Who?”

“That scum of a father!”

“…He is being detained now. I don’t know if he can go out of this this time.” Even though their part of the town wasn’t a good and safe area, murder still couldn’t escape the grasp of the officials.

 Arriving at her apartment block, the little girl looked at the people surrounding the area.

“…the wound on her head…very deep…lots of blood…”

“…Hannah found her…maybe no one will know…pitiful…”

“…true, I don’t think…escape punishment this time…”

“…poor them…”

The girl walked through without minding them, relishing in the momentarily silence that washed through the area as they saw her. Entering their room, she watched as police took pictures of her mother who was still laying ominously in the place she left. She wondered; if she didn’t just leave as her mother told her and instead called someone, didn’t only throw her some painkillers…

Or was it that she gave her the wrong medicine?

Was it her fault?

God. She can’t stay here any longer.

The girl felt nauseous as the thought of, it might be her fault oh my god, and quickly left the room. Before she could leave far away, she stumbled into a police man who quickly steadied her small body.

“I’m sorry, but we need to ask some questions. Please follow me.” The policeman, accompanied by the butcher, said to the girl. The girl trembled, biting her own lips; a habit which showed up when she was nervous. The butcher smiled in assurance and nodded encouragingly towards her.

Going into a deserted alley just beside the apartment building, the policeman crouched down and pulled out a small black box; which the little girl didn’t know the function of.

“Girl…I need you to tell the truth to what Uncle will ask you, can you do that?”

Not trusting her voice, the little girl anxiously nodded her head.

“Okay,” the policeman sighed and pressed a button on the box, “Crime of Murder. Victim, Elizabeth Nott. Witness Number Three. Are you the child of the victim?”

“Y-yes, I am.”

“Where were you when the crime happened?”

The girl was silent for a moment before finally opened her mouth. “A-at home.”

The policeman tensed. “Are you there to witness the crime scene?”

The girl stared at the ground hard. “No. I was standing in front of Mama’s room, but the d-door was closed. All I can hear is that m-man shouting and Mama’s s-screaming.”

“Did you father often hits your mother?”

“Y-yes, he did. A lot.”

“When did your father leave?”

“I have no idea. I left the house when it was time for Auntie that sell the vegetables to close her stall. I-I left immediately after that man left.” The girl avoided the policeman’s eyes.

“…Did you immediately left, without looking at your mother even once?”

“…Yes.”

The policeman stared inquiringly at her eyes, “And you didn’t give any medicine to your mother?”

The girl closed her eyes before answering, “Yes, I didn’t.”

The policeman stopped questioning the little girl before pressing at the box button. He patted the little girl’s head and said, “Okay, you may leave now. Thank you for your time.”

The little girl only reached the corner before she tensed hearing the policeman’s words.

“Witness Number Three reaction to the last questions indicated lies of leaving immediately. She might be the one giving the medicine.”

Run.

Running away quickly from that place, the little girl went past the adults that were trying to talk to her. Gossipers; she sneered. She reached the only place that she could go now, entering without knocking. Slamming into the owner, she took in the familiar smell and couldn’t hold her tears anymore.

Sobbing without restraint, she held the older woman and babbled unclearly. “I-I was so afraid. She was dead! God, what about me Auntie? What do I do now? I am only twelve!”

The older woman hugged her softly and patted her back; not saying anything until the trembling and tears stopped. She sighed softly.

God, what do you want this little girl to do?