Chapter 6: Gone
1072 Words
It had been almost a year since Kendra reclaimed her life and stepped fully into her destiny. Every corner of the Winchester Enterprises now echoed her presence. She didn't just walk into rooms, she owned them.
Gone were the days of doubt and submission. She had become a woman people respected, and sometimes, feared.
That afternoon, her office hummed with productivity. Her desk was stacked with documents, contracts, and reports that demanded her attention. Her pen moved swiftly across the pages, each signature, each scribbled note carrying weight.
Kendra worked with the intensity of someone who knew that her place at the top had been earned through fire.
Once done, she stood, adjusted her blazer, and walked confidently into the boardroom for a scheduled meeting with two foreign investors. Their proposals were promising, and she was prepared to push the negotiations in her favour. As they discussed figures and projections, Kendra was calm and articulate.
She was in control. Nothing else existed at that moment except the numbers in front of her and the future they represented.
Then, the door creaked open. Her assistant stepped in, looking visibly unsettled.
"Ma, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but there's a call you need to take. It's urgent."
Kendra raised an eyebrow slightly. She didn't appreciate interruptions during meetings-especially not with high-level investors.
"Please let them know I'll return the call. I'm currently in the middle of something important."
"Yes, ma, I told him. But he insisted. He said... it's really important. Please."
The shift in her assistant's voice made her pause. Kendra glanced at the investors. "Gentlemen, pardon me for just a few minutes," she said, offering them a polite nod before stepping out.
Back in her office, she picked up the landline. "Hello? Kendra Winchester speaking."
"Good afternoon, ma'am. This is Detective Hardlife. I'm calling from the Central Police Division."
She blinked, confused. "Okay... how can I help you?"
"There's been an accident. A very serious one. We have two unidentified victims, and we believe they may be related to you."
Kendra furrowed her brows, the tone of the conversation beginning to unsettle her. Still, she wasn't one to lose focus easily. "Detective, I'm very busy right now. I'm not sure how that has anything to do with me-"
"They might be your parents, ma'am," the detective cut in gently. "We're not certain yet, but we need someone to come identify the bodies."
For a few seconds, everything froze.
The air in her lungs disappeared. Her knees buckled and she fell hard into her chair, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open.
The phone slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor, hitting a glass paperweight that shattered immediately.
Outside, her assistant heard the sharp sound and rushed in. "Ma'am! What happened?"
Kendra didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on nothing. Her lips parted but no words came. After a moment, she slowly raised her hand; a silent plea for space.
Her assistant paused, then bowed slightly and left.
Kendra sat still, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Three days ago. Just three days ago, her parents had travelled to Japan. A business associate, Mr. Takeda, was celebrating his 60th birthday. They had sent her photos from the airport, smiling and full of life.
Her father had even joked about bringing back some rare Japanese tea. They had promised to return today. She had even cleared a slot in her schedule to pick them up from the airport.
And now... she was being asked to come identify two dead bodies?
No. No, it couldn't be.
She shook her head, almost violently, as if she could push the thought out physically. Her heart kept hammering in her chest. This had to be a mistake. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe there had been a mix-up.
Still trembling, she grabbed her car keys. Stepping out, she told her assistant, "Cancel all my meetings for today."
"But ma-"
"Cancel everything." Her voice was low, but final. She walked past without waiting to hear more.
The drive to the morgue was painfully silent. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly, her mind racing. She thought of her father's last text, of her mother's voice on a video call just two days ago. They had looked so alive. So present.
She parked outside the facility, eyes scanning the building in front of her. It looked cold, distant-like a place built to hold finality. Detective Hardlife was waiting at the entrance. He gave her a solemn nod.
"Are you ready, ma'am?"
No, she wasn't. But she nodded.
They walked down the hallway, her heels echoing on the tiled floor. The walls were painted a dull grey. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic.
A doctor joined them and led the way to the back room. On the far end, two stretchers stood side by side. Both were covered in crisp white cloth.
Kendra's feet dragged as she stepped in. Her fingers shook uncontrollably. She clasped them together to steady herself.
The doctor gave her a look of gentle warning. "Are you sure you want to do this alone?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the stretchers.
The doctor reached forward and began to lift the white sheets, slowly, reverently.
First the face of a woman. Then the face of a man.
Kendra staggered backward, a piercing scream escaping her lips. Her hand flew to her mouth. The sound she made didn't feel like it came from her. It came from someplace deeper, where heartbreak is born.
Her parents.
It was them.
Their skin pale, lips parted slightly, eyes gently shut-like they had only just fallen asleep and refused to wake up.
"No... no... no..." she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking with the weight of grief.
She reached forward and touched her mother's hand. It was cold. Lifeless.
Everything inside her broke.
These were the same hands that used to stroke her hair when she was scared as a child. The same hands that held her through her darkest moments.
And now they lay still.
She dropped to her knees beside them, sobbing uncontrollably, the pain sharp and unforgiving.
The detective stood quietly at the door, head slightly bowed. The doctor remained silent, respectful.
Kendra stayed there for a long time, unable to look away. Her heart had just been shattered in a way no one could ever prepare her for.
Her parents were gone.
- Writer
