Storm Warning

Good Cop. Bad Cop.

            It was several hours later that I woke up with my head bent at an angle and my back spasming as a result of falling asleep hunched over a journal at a kitchen table. I had finished reading it, but found myself with a bunch of new and old questions with no answers. I had been staring at that book for hours before I laid my head down to rest my eyes... just for a minute.

            Just as I blink the sleep out of my eyes, Maddie and Derek walk in to the kitchen. “There you are! Have you been here all night?”

            I stare at her with no comprehension.

            She laughs. “Here as in the kitchen. Not here as in Derek’s place.”

            I nod and shake my head. “Oh um… yeah. I guess I fell asleep after the last entry in the journal.” Staring down at the last entry I read, I close the journal and look back up to my friends’ faces, who have now sat down across from me. “I am apparently a science experiment who can control the weather. Sarah, also known as, Jenny Griffin was my mentor, or maybe a better term is handler. She monitored me and my vitals. There were fifty subjects at any given time, but things started going wrong. They killed the subjects with only six surviving the m******e—including me. Our handlers contrived a plan and got us out just in time.” Not knowing what else I can say, I gulp in air.

            Maddie and Derek look at me as their mouths flap in wind in seriously comical ways. Unable to bear it any longer, Maddie bursts out with “That… that is absurd and sounds like something from a book.”

            I nod. “I know how it sounds.” Shaking my head, “Trust me. I do. I know it sounds absolutely crazy. I considered all the possibilities from a story plot to being kidn*pped as a child by a psych patient to the possibility that this is the truth and is the beginning of my story… the story I am unable to remember. I’m still not quite sure that I believe it. Sarah has never lied to me before. Well, I guess… omission of things may count such as this. If it is not real, why go to such elaborate lengths? If it is a scheme, does that mean that she is not dead? Was the house and her death staged? BUT no, that cannot be. She is dead. I felt the sticky wetness of her blood on my hands. I saw the blank stare in her gaze and the disaster zone that is now our home. I smelt the copper of her blood. I tasted the fear on my tongue from her message. I heard the killers return, heard that they came back for the girl. In my heart, I know she is gone. I feel the ache and a hollowness in my chest at her loss. So, for my sake, let’s assume that the only family I have ever known did not lie to me. Let’s assume what she wrote is true. What do I…?” As I attempt to express my concern, there is a strong knock on the front door. Letting the question drift off with a soft “… do?”, we look at each other as a deep and penetrating voice drifts through the house as the visitor announces himself. “This is Detective Marks with the Meridian Police Department.”

            Derek motions me to stay put as he goes to answer the door. Maddie stays with me.

            Shaking my head in my attempt to convey that we should just wait for him to leave, Derek pushes through the swinging kitchen door. Within seconds, we hear the door open with squeaky hinges and says, “Good Evening, Officer.” I stand near the kitchen door with the intention of eavesdropping… not so much concerned with being found. “What can I do for you?”

            “We were made aware of your past relationship with Arielle Chapman, who has yet to be found for questioning.” Looking to Maddie, I feel a tightness between my eyebrows… the only indication that my face may be showing my true fear as I mouth ‘questioning’. Inching closer, she shakes her head and puts her hands up in a “calm down” motion as she mouths “Don’t PANIC”. Patting my shoulder, we continue to listen. “We were just at Maddie Swartz’ house, but were told that she has not been around for the last two nights. Her mom suggested we look over here for her.”

            Maddie looks to me with concern as Derek responds. Hoping she doesn’t panic because I was in no shape to comfort her, I turn my ear back to the conversation at the front of the house. “Oh! Yeah, she has been here with me the last couple of days! Arielle and I broke up; so, she came over here to see what had happened. She has been consoling me.”

            “Interesting that she would not be with Arielle in her time of need, but instead, came over here to console the best friend’s ex. Don’t you think?”

            Derek starts to falter in his responses. “Um. Yeah. Well, she is a mutual friend. Why shouldn’t I be able to confide in my friend as well?”

            The officer’s response comes with a smug tone, “And just where is Maddie right now? And your parents?”

            Shaking her head, Maddie barges through the swinging door. “Derek, who is at the …”. Her voice drifts off as she sees the officer at the door. A clever trick to fool the officer into thinking she wasn’t eavesdropping seconds earlier. She quick footfalls indicate her rush to the front door as she shouts. “It’s you! Did you find her?” Not waiting for a response, Maddie continues, “Derek, this is the cop I saw at Arielle’s house.” From my place with my ear up against the wall of the kitchen, I can hear the hitch in her voice. I can’t help by smile at my friend, the unsung actress.

            “No. No word of her whereabouts yet.” Another throat clearing. The officer seems to have lost some of his confidence in Maddie’s concerned appearance. “As I was asking Derek, where are his parents?”

            This is where I am no longer able to truly imagine what they are doing with their bodies, but I hear confusion in Maddie’s voice. Playing along with the question, “Oh. They are out of town on a cruise. It is their 24th anniversary, and they wanted to celebrate with no kids around. Why do you ask?”

            “Just wondering how parents will allow you to spend two nights with a boy? Do they know?”

            “Well, my parents don’t care, and his provide condoms if that is what you are trying to say.”

            The cop didn’t say anything for a few minutes. When they finally did, it was to ask the awkward question. “Um, how long have you two been seeing each other?”

            Laughing, Maddie shakes her head. “Dating? Hardly. It’s just sex.” My eyes bulge in surprise. I really need to bring this back up with her later.

            When the officer finally decided to respond, it was to change the subject. “Have you seen Arielle recently?”

            I can hear Maddie say “I wish” as Derek replies with a “No”. In the next instance, the cop’s walkie came to life and blew everything… not that things were going all that well to begin with. “Mike, the girl is in the kitchen…”. Surprised, I whirl to see a cop looking in through the small window above the sink. I find myself thinking that that was rude and beyond creepy. But I quickly found my body freezing as I meet his eyes, I am unable to move as the cop from the front of the house hits me in the back with the door and enters the kitchen through the door I was just pressed up against as the one at the back walks into the house.

            Backing away, I ask, “Do you have a warrant?”

            He smiles, “I don’t need one. I heard a girl in distress.” He looks to his partner, who just nods.

         I turn to Marks as he approaches and sighs. “Believe it or not, we are not here to hurt you. You are not in trouble if you come with us. We have to take you in for questioning. If you run, you look guilty.”

            Side-stepping as he continues to approach, I shake my head. “You already made up your mind. That’s why you are willing to say you heard someone in distress.”

            He nods. “Maybe not the best approach, but I doubted these guys would let me get this far inside if I waited for permission. I was kind of operating on impulse.”

            Narrowing my eyes, I shake my head. “I didn’t hurt her. I found her.”

            Halting his slow circling, he nods. “Questioning is the wrong word. It is really more like a statement telling us what you saw to help piece together the events.”

            Defeated, I look to him and say the truth. “I don’t have the pieces. Not the ones that help you find the guys anyway.”

            He looks at me. “The guys?” He nods. “Listen, if you saw them, then, you may be in danger. You are a witness. They won’t risk you identifying them. Come down to the station, and we will take your statement there. It is a safer location while we try to figure out the motives behind the crime.”

            I nod but say nothing. Minutes later, I am sitting in the back of the squad car, I hear the muffled voice of Maddie as she demands to know why I am in the back of the car only to be told that with there being two officers – both of which get the front seats, the only other option was in the backseat. Switching tactics, I once again hear her muffled voice as she asks if she can give me a ride to the station. Unsurprisingly, the officer had an answer for that too. I could just barely make it out… but it doesn’t take a genius to know they don’t trust me to get there on my own – what with not coming forward the last couple of nights. They also have no reason to trust Maddie or Derek to get me there since they tried to cover for me.

            Within 30 minutes, I was sitting across from the cops in an interrogation room. They were looking at me, and I was looking at them. With him looking at me, he leans forward and interlocks his fingers on the table. The lead officer, Detective Marks, finally says “Tell me what happened.”

            I sigh and look down at the cool silver of the metal table that provides a barrier between me and the cops. “Where do I even begin?” They watch me but say nothing as they allow me to work through it myself. “Um. Let’s start slightly before everything. I turned 18, and my friend, Maddie, threw me a party at a club. It was fun, but does not mean much to either of you. I left the party with Derek, and we broke up. After that, it was just me for the rest of the night. I cut through the park.” I listen to the sound of scribbling as the cop makes his notes before continuing. “When I got home, the door was open. I was trying to make myself believe Sarah just fell asleep with it open but I knew better. I turned on the living room light and saw the decorations she was putting up. It was a surprise. Maddie was supposed to keep me away and keep it secret, but I knew something was coming. Sarah wanted to celebrate this birthday with me alone. I walked past the table of gifts and into the kitchen. The light was off. When trying to get to the light switch, I tripped and fell to my hands and knees. I remember…”. Shaking my head and clearing my throat, I focus on a spot to the left of Officer Marks. “It was wet, which was weird. I got up, turned on the light, and I saw him…”. Staring at the tabletop, I continue. “He was laying facedown and had a broken chair leg sticking out of his neck.”

            Detective Marks looked up quickly and stared at me. I could feel his eyes on me until I looked up. “There was a man dead too?”

            I nod. “Yes, Maddie said you were asking if Sarah had a boyfriend. It was because you found him too, right?”

            He shakes his head. “No. The neighbor reported a man coming to visit a little before the yelling. There was no man in the house.”

            My hands start to shake, and I rub them to keep them still. “But he was there. Check the report. You have to check the report.”

            He places his hand on mine. “We will. We are still waiting on the coroner report to get to us. It could take two to five days due to only one coroner on staff.” I nod as I move my hands until my legs to still the shaking. “Please continue.”

            I pull in a shaky breath. “The man… was on top of her. I could tell that he was not directly on the floor; so, I rolled him over. I knew I shouldn’t have if one assumes what you see on television is true, but I had this terrible feeling.” I stare at the table as I gently rock back and forth as I relive that night. “She was lying in a pool of her own blood on the ground. Chairs were broken, tossed, and strewn about. The table was on its side. Her throat was cut, and there were several holes in her shirt. I think she was stabbed a lot. I went upstairs, and the place looked ransacked. Going upstairs was a hunch. I have been getting a bunch of those recently. I thought they might have been looking for something because drawers were open and papers were littered haphazardly on the floor. When I went back to Sarah… I mean, her body, I saw the word ‘run’ written in her blood. Then, I heard voices that said they need to find the girl. So, I ran.” Looking in the eyes of Officer Marks, I see pity, which I hate… but understand. More so, I now know that he truly does not suspect me for her death. The officer behind his shoulder was a different matter. There was no pity… just a slow burning anger.

            He finishes writing his notes and looks up to me. “And … you heard them say that they need to find the girl?” I nod. “Is that girl you?” I shrug. “Why do they want you?” I shrug again. “Did you know the man that you found?” I shake my head.

            Barely containing his anger, the younger cop speaks, “You CANNOT believe her? She fled the scene, and she seems smart enough to know there is no way to determine if she tells the truth. Especially if we are missing a body.”

            Officer Marks turns to his co-worker with strained patience. “Exactly. It’s hard to prove they returned to the scene; so, why lie about it?”

            “To cover her own a*s!”

            Officer Marks rises from his chair. “This girl has gone through a lot in the last couple of days. She is shocked, traumatized, and scared. I get that you are a new cop, but I should not have to tell you that there is a time and place to air your concerns. AND this is NOT the time NOR the place.”

            The new cop moves fast and tries to get around Detective Marks. Detective Marks slams the younger cop back into the wall as the young cop wails. “YOU DID THIS!!!!”

            “Get out and do not come back unless you get your s**t together”. The other officer storms out. “Sorry about him. Rookies mean well, but are too damn eager to prove themselves. Being young and stubborn can be a burden in our line of work.” Clasping his hands in front of himself, he sighs. “Now, Arielle, you know we need to check your alibi but I am under strict orders to put you in a cell until it is verified to avoid you leaving. This does a couple things for us: one, it keeps you here in case we have more questions; and two, it will keep you safe from harm in a station full of police. Besides, rookies are not allowed near the cells because they are inexperienced and are not yet trained in dealing with jail breaks.”

            I nod even though I find it very odd that I am about to be put in a cell as a witness and not as a criminal. “I don’t like it, but I am tired and understand your point. For what it is worth, I am sorry it took so long but I couldn’t make myself.”

            At a loss for words, he offers an ending to the thought. “… come to terms with your loss.” He nods. “I know.” He stands, and I follow suit. “Now, let’s go; so. I can get this done and get you out of here.”

            He walked me to the one cell in this small precinct… a cell that already has three residents. Looking at me, the officer shrugs regretfully as the catcalling begins.

            “Hey, sexy girl!”

            “Well, aren’t you precious? How about I help you learn a thing or two about the world? A pretty little thing like you could fetch a pretty penny. My man will like you.”

            The third guy simply ignores my presence, which I prefer to the other two. The officer opens the metal cell door and gestures me in with the swing of his arm. “I’ll try to be quick about it; so, you’re not in this cell for long.”

            I nod and watch as he walks away before turning to take in the cell. The cell is a silver square with two metal and uncomfortable looking benches on the walls to the left and right of the cell door. Then, there is the third bench pressed up to the back of the cell. The guy to the left houses a middle-aged man with a gray ponytail and beard who reeks of drugs and beer in his unkempt sweats. He is currently occupying the whole bench as he sleeps off his intoxicated state. His arm lays across his eyes to block out the light as he continues to ignore my presence. So, that bench is not option. The bench to the right has been claimed by a middle-aged p********e in her pink cheetah print b*a and a denim short skirt. Her blond curls are teased in a lion’s mane. She pats the seat next to her. On the other side of the same bench is a middle-age man who winks at me and making lewd gestures at me. What a charming bunch? Not liking any of the options, I stay near the cell door and hope for Officer Mark’s quick return. I stand there for one hour before I start pacing to work out the kinks in my legs. Another hour later, the drunk guy starts moving around. The moment he does, I wish he had stayed asleep. Rubbing his blood-shot eyes, he blinks away the blurriness. When his beady brown eyes land on me, he smiles. With jerky but deliberate movements, he walks over to me. I can’t help but watch and dread his approach. There was nowhere else to go. “Well. Well. Fresh meat. Not often they throw in fresh meat with us repeat offenders. I could teach you things about the world… things you won’t learn in any book.” Backed up to the barred wall of the cell, he leans against the wall while I am overtaken by a serious case of body odor.

            I am surprised when the man reaches out and takes a lock of my hair in his hands. I glare at his hand and push him away as he tries to get closer. He yelps while rubbing his chest. “What the hell did you do?” The man rushes at me and grabs my own only to snatch his hand away with another yelp. “You b***h! You burnt me.” He eyes bulged. “How did you get matches in here?” He takes a step toward me in anger.

            “Everything okay in here?” We turn to look at the officer, who was with Detective Marks earlier. Warning bells begin to ring in my ears as I recall that rookies are not allowed near the cells. The other guy backs away from me while mumbling unintelligibly. I look back to the officer. “Arielle, you’ve been cleared.” He said so blandly that you could tell that he wasn’t happy about it. I had this feeling that I shouldn’t go with him, but I spent way too long in this cell, and I just wanted out.

            Shaking my head to clear the warning bells, I follow the cop and brush up against his chest with my shoulder as I move past him. He starts leading me down the hall directly across from the door of the cell. He leads me past the room where my statement was taken. The hall to the front of the precinct was a little past that and to the right. Yet, the cop continued to walk past it. “Where are we going?” I stare at the back of his head, and he says nothing. Warning bells get louder as I walk behind him. He just opens another door and gesture with his arm that I need to go inside. “I thought I was free to go.”

            He nods. “We just need you to sign your statement before you go.”

            I nod, and I stop in front of the open doorway and stare into the room as he puts his palm between my shoulder blades and shoves me inside hard enough to send me flying into the edge of the metal table. I jog to the other side of the room so that the table is between us, and I am facing him. He shuts the door, and I can’t help but tremble with fear as he faces me. His face shows no expression, but that’s not what I focus on. I focus on the black barrel in his hand… the one pointed at me. There is some kind of cylindrical object on the end, making the barrel seem longer.

            We look at each other for just a few seconds. “You were a mistake. You must be eliminated.” I watch him squeeze the trigger. I stare at the barrel of the g*n in fear, but I could just barely notice that everything seems to happen in slow motion. My hands come up in a defensive stance of their own accord as a stream of blue erupted from my hands, melting the bullet as it flew toward me and striking the man in between his pecs. The man flew back into the door as the blue light disappeared. It was the sound that started things moving at normal speed.

            I ran around the table and looked at him briefly. His eyes were wide and staring. His shirt was singed where the blast hit, and his skin was red, blistered, and charred. I run out of the room and back the way we came when I realize no one is rushing this way. They must not have heard. I slow to a stop, calm my breathing, and walk into the mayhem of the police station. No one notices me as the yelling starts about an officer down.

            Good luck explaining why he had a g*n, why I am no longer in a cell, and why he is currently burnt. I knew I should stay and talk to Detective Marks, but I couldn’t be sure he’d believe me. Why would he believe some random girl that his partner tried to kill me? Why would he believe I had powers? Why would he believe I am being … hunted? Besides, too many people could get hurt.

            I walk out the front door as every other person rushes toward the voice. Fighting the tide of officers running in the opposite direction, I walk out to find myself blinking and shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand. Surprised, I find Derek’s truck. Heading to the truck, I open the door and hop in to find two startled faces staring at me. “Don’t ask. Just drive, and don’t go back to your house. We need a private and safe location.” They look at me confused and shrug.

            This is where my world truly started to change. My world is no longer safe. I’ve changed, and I have killed a man. I don’t need them to tell me that I seem different. I already know. I can feel it. I am tired, but determined. I also believe Sar.. err, Jenny’s message… MORE SO, than I did before. I am not scared because I don’t have time to be, and I am ready to do what must be done to protect myself from those that would see me dead. Just one problem… I really don’t know where to start.