Echoes of regret
849 Words
Elle could still feel the heaviness of Juliana Bray’s confession resting on her chest as she walked beside Adrian in silence. The memory of that small child peeking from behind the door, the tears in Juliana’s eyes, the trembling words she had finally spoken—it haunted her. Yet, in that haunting, something stirred: clarity. Dora hadn’t been just a name on a forgotten school record. She had been real. Loved. Bullied. Broken.
And someone had watched it all happen.
They reached the edge of the woods behind the school, the place where they had often escaped to think. The sky was turning a soft orange, melting into a dusky lavender. Adrian sat on a fallen log, his head down. Elle joined him, brushing a stick away from her seat.
“Do you think she told us everything?” she asked quietly.
Adrian didn’t look up. “No. But I think she told us everything she could.”
A pause lingered between them before he finally turned to her.
“You know… after Dora died, my brother changed.”
Elle blinked. “Jason?”
Adrian nodded slowly. “He was never the same. You already know they dated—briefly. But I never told you what happened after.”
Elle leaned in.
“He disappeared for a while,” Adrian began. “I don’t mean he ran away. I mean… emotionally. He withdrew from everyone. He dropped out of college for a semester, stopped talking to my parents, barely spoke to me. He just… vanished into himself.”
“Did he say why?” Elle asked.
Adrian shook his head. “Only once. I remember him sitting in the garage with a bottle of whiskey. He looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Sometimes, love isn’t enough to save someone.’”
Elle felt her breath catch.
Adrian continued, “He never talked about Dora again. But every year, on the anniversary of her death, he goes somewhere. Disappears for the day. Comes back like nothing happened.”
“Do you think he blames himself?”
Adrian hesitated. “I used to think so. But now? I’m not sure if it’s guilt or fear.”
“Fear?”
“Yeah,” Adrian whispered. “Sometimes I wonder if he saw something too. Or knew something. Maybe even more than he let on.”
Elle wrapped her arms around her knees. “Juliana said the killer wore a hoodie. That she didn’t see their face. But what if Jason… what if he did?”
Adrian exhaled sharply, rubbing his palms together. “Then he’s been protecting a secret for thirteen years.”
The wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the soft whistle of a distant bird. The silence after felt too loud.
“Have you ever asked him directly?” Elle asked.
“I did,” Adrian said, voice low. “Two years ago. It was late at night, and we were watching an old movie. I just blurted out, ‘Did you know what happened to Dora?’”
“What did he say?”
Adrian looked at her with hollow eyes. “He laughed. Not because it was funny, but because he was deflecting. He said, ‘Everyone knew. But no one cared.’ Then he went to bed.”
Elle clenched her fists. “Why would someone say that unless they were hiding something?”
“I’ve asked myself the same thing a hundred times,” Adrian murmured.
Elle stood, pacing in front of the log. “Okay. Juliana gave us part of the truth. But Jason… Jason might be the key to unlocking the rest. Maybe he’s not the killer. But what if he saw who it was? What if he’s been scared to tell anyone?”
Adrian stood too, his eyes sharpening with resolve. “Then we need to talk to him. Face to face.”
“Will he even agree?”
“I’ll make sure he does.”
As they walked back toward the main road, the final light of day stretched shadows across the path. Elle looked up at Adrian.
“Do you think Dora would’ve wanted this? For us to dig this deep?”
Adrian gave a soft smile. “I think she wanted someone to care. Someone to remember.”
Elle nodded. “Then let’s not stop. Not until we bring every piece of the truth to light.”
---
That night, Adrian texted his brother. The message was simple: “We need to talk. It’s about Dora.”
Jason didn’t reply immediately. But around midnight, a response came through.
Jason: “Meet me at the garage tomorrow. 6 p.m. Come alone.”
Adrian read the message twice before showing it to Elle.
“I’m not letting you go alone,” she said firmly.
“I know,” Adrian replied. “But let’s do this smart. We go together. Quiet. We listen. We don’t accuse. Not yet.”
Elle nodded.
Whatever secrets Jason had buried, tomorrow, they would start digging.
And this time, no one was running from the truth.
- Writer
