Monster by Abigail Livinghouse (chromebook ebook reader .txt) 📕

 Not . . . Not possible. Lisa and Kristen couldn't be dead. She had just seen them in homeroom yesterday. They had made plans to go out, Ana had even gotten dressed and they all were texting arranging a place to meet. But that's all she could recall . . . she couldn't remember actually seeing the girls last night. For all the good her memory was doing her right now, she might as well have been comatose for the past ten hours. Who's to say she wasn't? Obviously not Ana.

 Oh God . . . their bodies had been found in the dumpster she had been curled up against. They were right there . . . Ana had to take a deep breath and clamp her mouth shut to keep from throwing up again. This could not be happening.

 The only way she would find out more would be to turn the volume back on the TV and listen to the rest of the news report. If Lisa and Kristen were dead and their bodies had been found a few hours ago, then Ana had taken much longer to get home than she thought.

 Reluctantly, she took the remote and pressed the mute button, the volume returning.

 "The body of Ana Walcott has not yet been discovered. Police are searching for her, and have not determined whether she is alive or dead."

 The image on the screen shifted from the man to a dark street Ana immediately recognized as Fifth Avenue. Police tape had been put up sectioning off the alley from the rest of the street and bystanders were gathered around. A blonde woman reporter was standing with a microphone next to a squat woman Ana also knew as Megan, a bartender at one of the nearby clubs.

 "I'm here with eye witness Megan Larch who says she saw the girls leaving a dance club near her own restaurant with a man just a few hours before their bodies were recovered."

 The blonde said into the camera, then put the microphone up to Megan.

 "I saw the two blondes and a brunette leave with an attractive fella I'd never seen before. The girls sometimes came into my place for a drink or something, but they had never been with him."

 Megan provided.

 "Could you tell us what the man looked like?"

 The blonde reporter pressed for info. Megan was more than eager to keep going.

 "He was tall, thin, and with real dark hair. I didn't see too much of his face but he was a good looking guy."

 Ana couldn't help thinking that the reporter and Megan were discussing the person that Lisa and Kristen were last seen alive with as if it was someone who's shoes they had liked when they walked by. These are their lives you're talking about, how can you have such little respect?! Ana seethed silently, paying attention again once the screen went back to the anchorman.

 "Who the mystery man the girls were seen with is unknown. Police are digging for as much information as they can find. As for Ana Walcott, family and police force are scouring the area looking for her. Everyone has high hopes for a safe return. If you have seen her, or know of someone who has, please call this number . . ."

 A phone number was listed at the bottom of the screen, but that was all Ana needed to hear. She shut off the TV and immediately went to the phone. She knew that she was alone in this house, because her whole family believed she was dead or close to it. She was a missing person.

 Ana called her mother's cell first. Her mom answered on the first ring.  

"If you're calling to harass me more about my daughter's disappearance I would advise against it. I am currently with law enforcement and will not hesitate to-"

 "Mom?" Ana interrupted. Her mother obviously had not recognized their home phone number. She couldn't blame her. With how much her hands were shaking Ana was just glad she had dialed the correct number.

 There was silence over the phone for a few seconds. Until a shocked whisper could be heard.

 "Ana baby? Is that really you?" Her mother murmured.

 Tears were already threatening, and now they had begun to run down her face. Ana sniffled, feeling everything that had happened, all the confusion and her friends' apparent deaths come rushing out in one wrenching sob.

 "Yes Mom, it's me." Ana choked out.

 "It's Ana!" Her mom shouted to someone in the background. It was loud enough to hurt her ears, but at that moment Ana really didn't care. Just to hear her mother's voice after tonight was a wonderful thing.

 "Oh my gosh Ana, what happened to you darling? Oh my baby, my poor baby." Her mom was crying now too. Ana's sobs were loud enough to fill the whole house. She wiped her nose, answering her mother's question the best she could.

 "I don't know."

When the police arrived at the house with her parents, Ana was a quivering mess of snot and tears lying on the couch. She was curled up in a ball, still in her bloody clothes, and her mother and father rushed in, taking her in an immediate hug.

 "Ana, oh my God." Her father said in astonishment, his face buried in her hair.

 "We were so worried." Her mother murmured, her face in the hollow of Ana's neck.

 Ana was still sobbing. Her eyes were red and burning, the blue of her eyes outlined severely because of how bloodshot they were. Her nose was dripping, and she was hoarse from all the crying. When her parents finally pulled back, it was because the police made them.

 "We have to get her to a hospital and have her checked out immediately." One of the officers, a big muscular black man with a tremendously deep voice instructed sternly.

 Even though Ana wanted nothing more than to get changed, take a hot bath, and sleep for the next few months until all of this was over, she knew that she would have to be seen by a doctor. Who knew what kind of injuries she had that could have resulted in so much blood.

 Her parents also understood. Her mother and father straightened up, her mom using her dad's handkerchief to wipe her nose and eyes. Her dad pulled another from his pocket and offered it to her. Ana took it and without reservation blew her nose.

 "Should she go by ambulance or car?" The officer asked her parents.

 "Car." Her mother and Ana said at the same time.

 "There's been enough fuss about all of this and we don't need the press following us to the ER." Her mom said before sniffling loudly. Ana agreed completely.

 When she was younger she had broken her arm and had been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. She was perfectly capable of being driven then, and the EMT's from the ambulance although polite obviously had better things to do than tend to an eight year old's broken arm. No, Ana would go by car.

 "Very well." The officer said looking to his pale by comparison partner. "We'll accompany you if that's alright," He requested.

 Ana's father nodded. "Of course."

 Once at St. Mary's hospital, Ana was thoroughly checked out and only found to have a cut on the back of her head, which had caused the trickle down her neck. Her clothes were taken away by a nurse and she was provided with a hospital gown. She got her own room and an IV plugged into her while they performed routine diagnostics. Making sure she had no brain damage, no internal bleeding, no broken bones, that kind of stuff.

 She sat quietly throughout the whole process, trying with all her might not to think about Lisa and Kristen. Lisa, with her long golden blonde hair Ana always envied. Her bright green eyes, and bubbly laugh that just made everyone else around her want to join in.

 Then there was Kristen. Her gorgeous auburn hair that she hated for how straight it was, but Ana always assured her anyone would kill for Kristen's hair. She didn't realize the horror in that memory now until she recalled it. She quickly pushed it away.

Kristen had the warmest brown eyes, and her skin was perfection. Ana always begged her for her secret to her flawless skin, but Kristen swore to high heaven that it was completely natural.

 Thinking about her deceased friends brought tears to Ana's eyes, which she fought to hold back. The black detective she now knew as Detective Morris made his way into the hospital room with Detective Gillian, his smaller white partner.

 Detective Morris stood at the side of Ana's bed, his eyes stern but approaching. She had seen enough movies about police to know that he was here to interview her.

 "We just want to ask you a few questions, Ana." Detective Morris said calmly. She nodded.

 "Where was the last place you and your friend were together?" He asked.

 It should've been an easy question, but the only thing Ana could remember was when they were at school.

 "School. We were together in homeroom." She answered honestly.

 Morris cocked an eyebrow and shared a conspiratorial glance with Detective Gillian. Ana got the sickly feeling that they didn't believe her.

 "We have eye witness accounts that you, Miss McCain, and Miss Kelleher were seen together last night at around nine p.m. Could you recall where you all went?" He tried again, with a bit less warmth this time.

 Ana swallowed. They were getting angry with her, but she couldn't help it. She honestly only remembered being in class with them yesterday. She didn't even know how she had gotten into the alley where Lisa and Kristen's bodies had been found. She attributed her memory loss to being in shock, but she knew that wasn't the answer the police were looking for.

 "I don't know. I don't even remember going out last night." Ana admitted in despair.

 Detective Morris turned back to Gillian and murmured something before he nodded down at Ana.

 "We'll come back after you've had some rest."

 The two detectives left her room, but not before she could catch what they were whispering in the hall.

 "If she doesn't confess or give us a solid alibi, we're going to have to charge her with the homicides."

 All the blood drained from Ana's face. She was frozen, unable to move from shock. They believed that she killed Lisa and Kristen? She loved the two girls like sisters, how dare those detectives accuse her of their murders? There had to be some mistake.

 No mistake Ana.

 Someone contradicted from inside the room. The person didn't sound like they were trying to argue with her, in fact the voice appeared oddly calm and rational.

 But her pulse raced, because from what she could see there was no one else in there with her. She was alone.

 "Nurse?" She called. Perhaps it was