Jessie's Nightmare by Catherine Holland (each kindness read aloud TXT) 📕

Jessie’s Nightmare

Prologue


Walking home from work on a crisp and sunny afternoon, Jessie is blissfully aware of everything around her, her music blasting through the earphones from her MP3, the wind blowing strands of her long dark brown hair in front of her hazel eyes, and the wind swaying in the wind.
As Jessie cut across a large playing field, which was also used for regular dog walking, a new song started playing and for a moment she stopped, feeling as though someone was watching her. She shook herself mentally but still looked around the empty field unable to repress a shudder, taking a deep breath of warm clear air Jessie continued on her way home, not knowing that everything was about to change.
Ten minutes later Jessie found herself walking down the quiet street to her home where her mother and two brothers were no doubt arguing over a games console. When Jessie walked up the driveway and to her front door everything was quiet, there were no raised voices to be heard, only the low thrumming of Malcolm’s club land music.
Jessie hesitated for the space of a heartbeat then opened the front door and stepped inside, she expected to hear her collie bark and then run and jump up at her, tail wagging. Or to see her cat come slinking out the lounge, and mewl for attention whilst hissing at the dog.
But none of that happened, Jessie closed the front door and walked a few steps down the short hallway, poking her head round her mums door saying “Hey mum, how are you-.” Jessie cut herself off, her mum Crystal wasn’t there, but her laptop was still running on her bed. She then looked into her brothers’ room, and yet again they weren’t there.
It was then that Jessie noticed the smell, it smelt sort of coppery and there was a familiar odour mixed in that kind of burnt at her nostrils. It was the smell of blood and urine, Lots of blood and urine. Jessie walked into the lounge and gagged, her mum, two brothers, cat and collie had been slaughtered like animals.
There was blood spray all over the walls and furniture, all over her books and numerous shelves of DVD’s. Her family had been tied and gagged together in the middle of the floor; her animals had been crushed to a pulp, their soft and silky fur matted with blood and gaping holes all over their bodies.
Her mum and brothers had looks of pure terror and recognition on their faces, did they know their killer? If they did it was a secret they’d take with them to their graves. Jessie was backing away from the lounge door, when she almost out of sight of the bloodbath that had been her family, a large spot of red caught her eye and she looked up assuming it was more blood splatter, she was wrong, it was words written in blood.

Poor Jessie, you’re all alone
but not for long.
I promise you’re next! See you soon.

Jessie screamed and screamed, running from the house. Once outside on the warm hard grass she collapsed onto her knees, gave one final scream of agony and grief then started crying.


Chapter One


Things moved quickly after that, yet Jessie had no memory of calling the police, nor did she remember how she ended up sitting in the passenger seat of a police car with a blanket wrapped round her smoking a cigarette.
Yellow police tape was blocking off the driveway and people in white suits with large professional briefcases were walking in and out of her home. She was vaguely aware of someone trying to get her attention and the feel of someone’s hand removing something from her arm.
Jessie looked up and flinched, a man wearing a green uniform was knelt down, so that his blue eyes were level with hers. He gave her a comforting smile and then Jessie tried to block out the sound of his voice, with little success. “Can you tell me your name?” The man asked, as Jessie finally started paying attention she saw concern etched all over the man’s face, he was patiently waiting for a reply to his question.
“Jessie, my name is Jessie.” She replied her voice hoarse and cracked from screaming and crying. The man smiled briefly, “OK Jessie, my name is Dan and I’m a paramedic, now I want to perform a few tests and ask a few questions, if that’s OK?” Jessie nodded; Dan took a pin from out of a fresh packet and started applying a small amount of pressure to the inside of one of her fingers.
“Can you feel that?” He asked, Jessie nodded and Dan smiled again. “Can you tell me today’s date?” Jessie replied, “Its 5th September.” Dan nodded, “I’m going to take your blood pressure OK?” Jessie nodded and briefly closed her eyes, instantly regretting it as she saw the lounge and her family dead all over again.
Two fresh tears leaked down her already tear stained face, a crumpled tissue in her hand she used it to wipe away the tears. Dan seemed satisfied with the results and said “I’ll be back in just a moment; I just have to speak to the offices.” Jessie nodded again, too numb to think or want to say anything. She looked up and saw the paramedic talking to a tall man with a shaved head.
He was wearing black shoes, trousers and a white shirt underneath a black stab-proof vest, a radio on the vest was flashing and crackling. Jessie made out some of the words the two men were saying, “She’s fine within herself but in shock after the trauma, I’d recommend a strong cup of black coffee, and then you’ll just have to wait for her to heal.” Dan said.
The officer nodded then replied “Will she be able to answer questions down at the station?” Dan thought about that for a moment then said “She should be able to answer the questions, just go easy on her.” The two men shook hands and Dan came back over to where Jessie still sat. “OK Jessie, I’m going to leave you in the capable hands of these officers, take care of yourself now.”
Jessie took a deep breath, “Thanks, I’ll try.” Dan nodded then stood up and walked back over to the ambulance, he got in and shut the door. As the officer walked over to where Jessie was sat, a black van pulled up with the words ‘CORONER’ stencilled in white writing across the side. She stood up and watched as two men got out and walked to the back of the van where they took out a gurney with a black body-bag on it.
The officer stood by her side and together they silently watched as the bodies of her family were slowly wheeled one by one out of the house. Eventually all five body bags were removed, Jessie watched as the two men closed the van doors walked to the front of the van, got in and drove away with her family.
The officer waited until the van was out of sight before he turned his grey eyes on Jessie, evaluating her condition, Jessie went into her bag and pulled out her pack of cigarettes, and she took one out from the pack and fumbled with her lighter. She didn’t realise how cold she felt until the thick blanket was once again draped over her shoulders.
After Jessie had smoked half of her cigarette, she said “What happens now?” The officer stared hard at her then glanced away “Miss Werner, I’d like for you to accompany me down to the station to answer some questions, and we’ll go from there.” Jessie nodded, she finished her cigarette and stubbed it out on the ground before getting into the backseat of the police car where the officer sat next to her, and another two officers got in the front of the car.
As they were driving away Jessie looked back at the house, she put one hand on the glass pane and said “I’m sorry mum, I’m so sorry.” Before dissolving into tears again.


Chapter Two


Sat in the interview room with a Styrofoam cup of hot black coffee in front of her, Jessie looked around; she could see the two-way mirror and a make-shift shelving unit full of paperwork, the metal table in front of her had a tape player on it, and two straight-backed wooden chairs on the other side.
The carpet was a maroon colour, it was thin and had worn away in places, the woodchip wallpaper was peeling in places and mould was starting to creep up the walls. The chair next to her was empty, she couldn’t recall how long she’d been sat here for, but thought it couldn’t be that long as the cheap coffee was still hot.
The door to the interview room opened with a loud click and Jessie jumped. Two police officers walked into the room followed by a chubby woman in a skirt suit carrying a briefcase. Her short blonde hair hung evenly to her shoulders and her walk rang of authority, she had a slightly nasal voice that also rang of authority.
The woman sat in the chair next to Jessie and said “Miss Werner my name is Dora McAide, I’ll be your solicitor for the duration of this interview. Now as you may well know the police officers haven’t charged you with anything but I don’t recommend you answer their questions without taking me through today’s events first.”
Jessie sat in silence, her mind going into over-drive; haven’t been charged? With what I didn’t do anything? Today’s events, was she crazy or just a cold bitch? Jessie took a deep breath and looked at the woman beside her. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are but I was asked to come here, I was not arrested! You want to go through today’s events? Is that all my family are to you? An event? And what do you mean ‘don’t answer any questions’? Are you crazy? I want the bastard caught! Whoever the hell murdered my family; I want that bastard to pay! Now, if you’ll take your smarmy ass out of my face and out of this room I will call a proper solicitor, not someone who thinks they know everything about my situation when you don’t.”
The woman looked offended but stood up and walked out of the room, closing it behind her. The two officers who’d accompanied her into the room shared a stunned glance then left the room. Jessie glared at the now cold coffee and threw it across the room, she then stood up and walked to a corner of the room and sank to her knees where she cried.
Jessie wasn’t sure how long she sat there crying, but a gentle knock on the door made her look up, the door opened and in walked a young man wearing an expensive suit and an aura of kindness. His face showed nothing but compassion, and his pale blue eyes scanned the room before spotting Jessie huddled in the corner, hugging her knees and crying.
The man closed the door and slowly walked over to where Jessie sat, “Miss