“I’m sorry, Margo! I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you! You needed to tell me! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?! – he screamed on the floor, but only silence followed.
“Answer me, Margo, I BEG YOU!”
But she wasn’t there anymore. He stood up and looked out of the window searching for that poster, but it was no longer there. The crowd got pushed back and most of them were leaving, still chanting in the distance. Looking out of the window, maniacally searching for her photo, he left the house immediately and as he did Atlas woke up, wondering what happened, and got up running immediately after him, but he wasn’t able to get out of the house as Smith closed it just before he got to it and ran to the crowd in the distance – he saw her and the person holding her, who was was leaving with the group weirdly never turning around and chanting with others. He ran towards her, as Josephine appeared close to him as he was running through the field, towards the picture that got closer and closer. Josephine ran after him and as he got to the poster, smashed into it, and fell onto the ground, crying. But the crowd didn’t stop and kept moving away, still chanting as the person holding it didn’t even budge. As Josephine came closer, there he was – sitting on the dirty field, looking at the poster and just bawling. She slowly touches his shoulder thinking that he’ll calm down, but he jumped up very quick and ran as fast as he could towards the forest, totally dismissing her.
Chapter 10
The last hope
“Why did we stop here?” – Margo asked, looking at them, turning her head away from the window.
The Sun softly shines in the forest as the woman in front signals with her head. Gilbert turned around and looked at Margo with a sad expression.
“What’s going on?!” – she asked, slightly disturbed but at the same time feeling a strong wave of exhaustion.
…
“Check all the rooms, find any clues you can. There should be an opening where they hid.” – Feline screamed throughout the house.
“Yes, already on it.” – Alex shouted back roaming other rooms.
After 15 minutes of roaming the house, they all stood downstairs by the stairs.
“I don’t know, I can’t really find anything. This house is just empty without any clues.” – Isaac stated, coming downstairs just a few seconds ago.
“There’s always something to be found, Isaac. Too many clues for nothing to be in this house, do you not remember those bricks upstairs?” – she said looking around the hallway and through the balcony of the white room with a determined look.
“Maybe it’s not in the house. What is they made a place somewhere under the house from the outside?” – Alex said.
“Might be. Let’s go check the premises.” – Feline said and they went outside. As they went outside, a police car came near fast and stopped at the house. They all stood there and looked at the officer get out of the car. He was overweight, somewhere about 50-55 years of age, with long grey hair which was carefully put back. Feline noticed he had a notebook in his hands and looked quite exhausted but hid it well. He walked in their direction with the other officer sitting in the car – he was younger, somewhere 30 years of age with black hair.
“He’s shady
.” – Isaac thought to himself.
Officer walked through the gate and shouted:
“What are you three doing here?” – he asked quite aggressively, all of a sudden.
“I’m detective Feline Marcel, hired by this region’s police to investigate the murder of Margaret, the hero-pilot who saved the lives of a lot of people. And these gentlemen are…” – she didn’t finish her sentence as he interrupted.
“Nothing is to be found here, lady. You all can leave.”
She stood shocked at his callous approach.
“Wait, what?” – she questioned.
“Yes, please, leave the premises immediately. Order of the city’s police.”
He had a calm demeanor, sure of the fact that they two have an advantage. Feline looked at his partner who now was standing outside, leaning on the car with his hand on the belt.
“No, we’re not leaving. Region’s police …”
“Please, we don’t need to make this difficult.” – he interrupted again and opened his jacket’s front where a gun’s handle showed. Feline looked at him and said:
“Fine, let’s go guys.”
They slowly left the premises and walking by the guy leaning on the car Alex spat on the ground before him.
“Fucking sellout!” – he said in fury.
The guy drew his gun out and kept looking at him.
“What are you going to do, shoot me?!” – he exclaimed.
She grabbed his arm to calm him down.
“Relax, we’ll figure this out.” – Isaac said.
They got in the car and drove away.
…
“Leave me! Stop it, where are you carrying me? Stop, please.”
Margaret was crying, beating him on his back but he didn’t feel anything and just kept moving forward.
“Gilbert, please! Please…”
“I’m sorry, Margo.” – he said, with a tear running down his face and continued. – “I follow the orders.”
They kept moving into the depths of the forest as Margaret slowly stopped beating on his back and fell asleep, not being able to resist the exhaustion that came out of nowhere. Gilbert started quivering seeing that she stopped resisting.
…
“You’re ready for whatever comes, sis?”
“Yes.” – a strong statement sounded – “No matter what happens to me, by that point I’ll already finish what I needed to do.”
…
Smith emerged by the east side of the forest, near the site. He came closer and lay down near the hole and stared at the sky in silence. The birds could be heard in the distance, and they came closer and closer.
“Is that you, Margo?” – he whispered. He didn’t get an answer and continued. – “I know, I know… I’m sorry.”
He closed his eyes and lay in the complete silence of the forest.
“Hey, Smith.”
“Yeah…” – he answered calmly.
“Look to your right.” – Margo said.
His face turned wry while he turned his head to the right, towards the hole. She was lying next to him, staring at him. He jumped up as he didn’t expect it but his foot tripped and he fell into the hole. Panicking, he started climbing from different sides of the hole, but without any success.
“What I’m going to do?”
– he thought to himself.
He stood in the middle of the hole as he saw people above throwing down mud with shovels, slowly burying him.
“WOW, WOW, STOP IT! STOP, I’M HERE!” – Smith shouted repeatedly.
They looked at him but none of them had a face. The mud kept falling in the hole with even more intensity.
“STOP IT, I’M NOT DEAD! PLEASE!”
Stopping after Smith was shouting for a while, one of them replied:
“It would’ve been better if you died with her… You think you deserve to live now that she’s gone?”
They resumed, but this time Smith backed up, standing still and lay down in the middle. He closed his eyes as mud kept landing on his face, almost burying him under. After a minute only his lips showed from under the mud.
“Smith! What are you doing?!” – Josephine shouted from above. He opened his eyes as Atlas jumped in the hole and started dragging him, trying to get him out of the hole.
“How did you get here, buddy?” – Smith asked looking at Atlas, still in shock.
“You locked him in the house, and I needed to get him out, he’s your best friend after all!” – she exclaimed looking down.
Smith looked around and saw that there was no dirt on him and people above as he looked up had disappeared. He petted Atlas so that he stops dragging him and sits down.
“Yes, he’s my best friend.”
The dog was sadly howling and sat down, looking at Smith.
“Smith, I got to tell you…”
“Yes, I know, I know, there’s no need… I’m losing my mind.”
After a moment of silence, she said:
“Did you take your medicine today?”
“No, I will.”
“OK, come on.” – she said and put her hand forward. – “We need to go. Let’s go drink some tea or have a beer outside.”
Smith glanced at her and slightly smiled.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Josey smiled back. The forest fell silent, everyone went back to the city, packing to leave for once and for all.
…
“How do we even get in that house now?” – Alex asked, driving the car, glancing at the mirror above.
“Come one, think about it.” – Isaac answered. – “We go there at night. We don’t need to search the inside, only near the house.”
Feline shook her head in agreement.
“Oh, yeah? You think they’re so dumb to leave us alone and think that we won’t find a way to get back in?” – he queried.
“Yeah, I think they thought that we’re some frail weak detectives who came from rich areas and that we’ll be scared shitless seeing that they had guns! So, maybe they will leave us alone.”
“I don’t want to depend on theories, I need something stable!”
“Okay, okay.” – Feline intervened. – “We’ll go at night. We need to try that out. If we can’t do that, we’ll figure something out.”
The ride back was silent.
…
“Get out, it’s dark.” – Isaac said and they all got out of the car. Slowly crouching to the garden through the back, they looked around.
“I told no one was here, they don’t give a damn. Probably at home sleeping or something.” – Alex said.
“Okay, stop it!”
After searching the garden and surroundings, Feline said frustrated:
“There’s nothing here. What even is this house?!”
“Where are they?” – Alex asked.
“Guys, I think we tried our best. There is enough evidence for police to believe us and search for them on their own.” – Isaac said, turning back towards the car.
Feline was standing near the glass door separating the balcony and the white room and was looking around, lost. Alex turned with Isaac. Feline kept looking at the couch with a vacant expression.
“It would be easier if it was like in a game, if someone gave us some clues, a whistle or something.” – Alex commented.
Her eyes widened and glared as she murmured:
“A whistle! Guys, open this door. Fast!”
“Are you sure?” – Isaac asked.
“Yes! Yes! I’m sure! Faster!”
He jumped and opened the glass door with force, nearly breaking it as Feline slowly went inside behind Isaac who walked in first to check the room.
“It’s clear.”
She strolled to the couch.
“Hey, help me with this.” – she said, grabbing one end of the couch. Picking it up and putting it aside slowly, with dust flying all over the place, they saw a door on the ground – a box-shaped small door which was closed with a key.
…
“…Today, at 2 a.m. detective Feline Marcel from the regional department of police with help of gentlemen from the search group found bodies of two people who were in an unrecognizable state, but as it was stated by a pathologist – it’s a male and a female and the murder happened at the start of June. We’ll continue to monitor this developing story and bring you updates as they become available. Be sure to tune in next time. I’m Karen Matthews, and this has been a special report from News Now. Stay safe and informed.”
The news reporter stopped as the lights turned off slightly – the live report was over, and she grabbed her cup of coffee. She stood up and started walking backstage.
“Good job today, Karen! As always.”
“Thank you, dear.” – she answered and smiled caringly.
Sitting down on the chair, she started talking to her partner on the right.
“This case is insane, Clare, were you invested in what’s going to happen too?”
“Yes, was watching every day, of course between giving food to kids and all the other things at home.”
“Doesn’t that seem weird, though?” – Karen murmured and stopped.
“What does?”
“I mean, why would two people taking part in the search get killed in that house?”
“Interesting. What are you implying? You think there’s something that we don’t see?”
“There’s always something that we don’t know, don’t you think?”
They sat in silence for a moment; Karen was still in thought.
“I get you. Don’t think too much of it, you had a long day, go home, and relax.”
Karen sighed.
“Yeah… you’re right. Have a good night.” – she said and stood up.
“Have a good one.”
…
Would you ever dare to be your own biggest supporter?
I guess when people depend on you, you need to make sacrifices.
Even sacrifice lives of those who you love…
And of those who work against you.
“Are you happy, Margo?”
“I’m content.”
“How do you feel that your beloved Smith and Josephine are dead?”
A moment of silence arose.
…
The weather over the bay was rainy. The Sun was hidden somewhere under the clouds as two people walked up to the edge. They stood there in silence, looking at the water absorbing the drops relentlessly falling on its surface. Sometimes one of them would grab a rock and chuck it in the sea as the dog kept running laps around them. Even though the rain was quite heavy, the bay was busy, people kept passing them by, all going their ways – some with kids, some with their partners, some of them alone. The man, standing at the edge felt alone this day, even though he had a woman and a dog around him. That man was Smith, wearing a dark green coat while she wore a smooth violet one.
“What are you thinking?” – Josephine broke the silence. But he decided not to and remained silent gazing at the sea and the rocks splashing on its surface which were thrown by the kid standing on the left. The rain got heavier, and people started slowly leaving the bay.
“What was she thinking?” – he uttered looking at the sea.
She kept looking at the horizon.
“Did you know her very well, Smith?”
He suddenly glowered, looking at her with outrage.
“Yes, of course I knew her very well! More than I knew anyone ever.”
“What if we’re missing something?” – she asked.
“What are you saying?! We’ve been together for two years!”
She stood silent for a moment then proceeded:
“Forget about it, I guess I’m just tired. Didn’t get a good rest for a long time.”
The rain intensified and as Smith looked at the sky, there were no birds flying around. But, as he gazed to the left, there was one bird – a black one just looking at him.
“Margo?”
– he said to himself. The bird remained there.
“
Come on, I’m losing it again. Thinking that a bird is her reincarnation. She’s gone. Long-long gone.”
…
“I don’t know… I d