The clouds blocked the moon creating a dark shadow, everything felt pointless in that moment. She didn't know why she was walking to the factory, all she knew was there was no where left to go. The abandoned buildings on the street looked beautiful with the shadows dancing across them. They had uneven levels that created an artistic feel to them and the glass that littered their front lawns were like the loneliness that Arder felt.
She took a moment to sit on the curb next to one of them, and just watched. She could see the silhouettes of the few birds flying across the sky and a tipped over metal garbage can rustling back and forth. A woman wearing a bunched up jacket and only one glove looked up from behind it. A few gray hair strands peaked out from under the light blue hat she had over her head. Arder jumped up and continued to walk, not wanting to disturb her further. "Arder?" A voice asked, making her jump. She spun around to see Grey standing in the middle of the street.This had been enough to break the neutral expression she had concealed her emotions with. The first tear fell and landed before Grey reached the sidewalk. "I don't know what to do," Arder admitted, wiping the tears away with both hands. When she removed her hands, he was standing a lot closer. The wind pushed his hair back and forth making him look like one of the models from the photographs Lexie took in her photography classes. He wiped away her tears for the second time since they had met."I didn't want to tell you," he mumbled, letting his hand linger on her cheek. This made her realize just how close they were, inches apart. A crash behind them made her trip forward, stumbling into Grey's chest. She caught herself, with one hand on his heart and looked behind her. A stray walked out of the apartment behind them, its cream coloured fur looking torn and uneven."Sorry," Arder whispered. She could feel his steady beating heart pick up its pace, and looked up to meet his eyes once more. Arder knew it would be best to step back, though she didn't. She stayed completely still, his hand that had previously been on her cheek now in her hair. The gold in his eyes shone like the silver of moon escaping the clouds."For what?" he smiled.Arder shrugged a weird feeling overcoming her. She took an uneasy breath, noticing his face moving closer to hers. She noticed a small scar on the top of his forehead, much similar to the one Cyrus had. "Should we go inside?" Arder asked.Imitating Arder, he just shrugged before continuing to lean in closer. His soft lips gently brushed against her own and she felt her eyes slowly flutter shut. Forgetting everything else, she lost herself in the moment. After a few seconds Arder smiled and stepped back."I probably shouldn't have done that," he said."No, it's not that," Arder replied. "I should get back though, Lexie doesn't know where I went. Can we talk about this later?""Sure," he nodded. Arder started to feel slightly guilty for leaving her friend and knew she had to go back. "I'll see you soon," he said. She walked back down the street she came from, glancing over her shoulder to see him walking into the factory. Arder smiled at his retreating figure, she hadn't been expecting him to kiss her. "Oh, Arder?" He looked back onto the street calling to her."Yeah?" Arder called back. He lifted the side of his mouth into a half smile."You should try to talk to your mom again, don't give up," he encouraged. Arder nodded in agreement before watching him close the factory door. Don't give up, repeated throughout her mind all the way back to the cafe.The blinds were drawn at Cara's and she could tell they closed up long before she arrived. She flipped through her keychain stopping at the one she had labeled Sophie's with a green piece of masking tape. It had always been a hassle unlocking the front door, the lock was very old and the key was almost impossible to take out of the lock. "Arder is that you?" A soft voice spoke up as she struggled to retrieve her key."Yeah, Sophie?" Arder asked. Instead, Lexie appeared at her side, a steaming cup of tea in hand. Herbal tea was about all Lexie drank, though Arder detested it."Hey, you're back," she stated, taking a sip of her hot tea. "Sophie's in the kitchen." The lights had all been turned out except for a single lamp beside the couches. There sat one of the many books off the bookshelf left open and Lexie's phone."You waited for me?" Arder asked. She felt a lot more calm than she had before, as if the storm had ended for now."Of course I did," Lexie said, walking back inside the cafe. After finally getting her key back Arder followed her to the kitchen. Sophie sat on one of the tall bar stools at the sink, scrubbing at mugs and plates. The kitchen had become a mess since and Sophie had barely made a dent in the work load. A large coffee spill on the floor surrounded Sophie's seat yet she made no move to clean it."You're back," she smiled. "You girls can head upstairs, I'm just going to finish," Sophie said, turning back to her soap filled sink."No Soph, we're helping," Arder volunteered. She knew Lexie would have said the same so she walked to the sink and grabbed a soapy rag. "I got the coffee spill," she told Lexie, silently telling her to help Sophie with the dishes. Lexie nodded and started drying dishes while Arder soaked up the large spill.She had made a plan while cleaning up. She was going home the next day and she wasn't taking no for an answer. She wasn't going to give up.The weather the next day was like that single moment before it starts to rain. The window was fogged over from the small heater Sophie left in the guest room, and all Arder could see was the dark sky. "What time is it?" Lexie asked, turning over and covering her face with the blankets to block out the light. Arder smiled, thinking about how late they stayed up the previous night. "It's almost nine-thirty. We should go help Sophie," she replied. She walked away from the window, an odd feeling that she couldn't quite decipher overcoming her. She shook it off and walked into the bathroom to get changed. Choosing dark green jeans with patches over the knees and a plain white shirt to wear under her leather jacket, she yelled, "Are you up yet?" over her shoulder.Arder could smell the scent of fresh coffee wafting up from the cafe, and she quickly ushered the other girl into the bathroom to change next. "Okay, just give me a minute," Lexie said."I'll meet you downstairs." The smell of
Arder felt like she was drifting through a dream and that she would wake up at any moment. Sophie was yelling, but it was all background noise. And then the sirens came, slowly getting louder and louder, waking her up to the reality of what happened. Her mind was screaming, and her fist clenched around the knife. This was what killed my best friend. The phrase ran through her mind at a million miles per hour, and it destroyed her. "What do I do?" she asked Sophie. The flashing lights of the police cars were fast approaching, and Arder was the one holding the murder weapon.Sophie shook her head. "Just give it to me," she instructed. She snatched the knife from the redhead's hand and ran out the back door, only to return moments later. "There was no knife. You never saw it," she said, eyes wide and hands shaking. They were committing a crime, and they both knew it. Arder nodded from her seat on the floor. The image of Lexie's broken body just steps away was the worst she could think
Arder hadn't left Sophie's guest room in four days. The colour that was once in her life was gone. She had never woken up during the night because she was never asleep. Everything seemed pointless: every breath, every word, every blink of the eye. She couldn't even rely on Grey, who had never returned her call. "Arder, I'm going downstairs," Sophie called through the door.Arder didn't reply. She just sat silently, staring out the window. The sky was a light blue, and it seemed like a perfect day to be outside. At least, it was for everyone else-- not a single part of her wanted to leave the room. "Your mother's coming over today," Sophie said. Arder looked behind her at the closed door."Why?" she asked. There was no answer for a few moments, making her believe that the other girl had already left. She turned her attention to the phone on the desk in front of her. No one had called, not even Lexie's other friends."She said she wanted to check on you," Sophie finally responded. Ar
"Why?" Arder asked. His question confused her in ways she didn't want to admit. Nevertheless, everything became uncertain the second she saw her best friend lying cold and bloody in that bathroom.He shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought that if I were you, I'd feel better knowing the person who did it was locked up." The girl hesitated, her hand feeling heavy in his. She told herself that there was no need to ask anymore questions, that she could trust him. "Well, hopefully they will soon. They might have some of the killer's DNA, actually," she said. She carefully watched his expression for any signs of fear, but if he knew anything, he certainly didn't show it. His expression stayed stone cold, almost angry. He stared straight ahead. "That's good." "Where were you all this time?" she blurted out. The question had been nagging at the back of her mind for every second of those four days. It had caused suspicion, and she hated it. Arder looked down, seeing her hands shake. He to
Arder walked to the nearby street in a daze. She felt like she could no longer trust herself; what she had seen was impossible. She thought about what she could do, going through every possible option, but the only one that made sense was heading home. Maybe I've been asleep all this time, her mind suggested. But it wasn't true and she knew that. The wings had been right before her eyes, stretching out towards the sky almost like a crow's. "Dark and mysterious, like a reflection of himself," she scoffed, referring to Grey. The road back home looked cracked and jagged now that she was on foot. Arder hadn't even noticed the many potholes when she was in her mother's car, but it was hard not to now that she was walking. With the hot sun beating down on her, she started her long trek. The bright road ahead made her feel like the day was mocking her. It was perfectly sunny, the fully bloomed flowers on the side of the pavement looking lush and beautiful. Turning onto her street, she t
Waking up gasping for breath, Arder fell to the floor with a thump. The dream was still fresh in her mind, the sounds and colors as vivid as the scarlet of her hair.Was that really just a dream or a memory? her mind whispered.She remembered that day, except the way she remembered it was much different. As she recalled, her grandmother had asked her if she was okay with her mom going out with Adam. That was a day she regretted more than Aubrey knew. "Arder?" her mother called from up on the bed. With one hand on the elbow that had first hit the floor, Arder got into an upright position. "Yeah, Mom?" she asked. The closest window to the bed was left open, and the silk curtains billowed in the wind. She wondered what time it was and how long they'd been asleep. It was now dark outside, but she knew that if it was that late Adam would have come upstairs.Her mother shuffled on the bed, making it creak under her weight. "What was that noise?" she asked.Arder twisted her arm to check
“You’re going to school,” Sophie said. “I’m not going to be responsible for your bad grades.” “I thought you said we’d figure it out.” She had been in disbelief when Sophie said that the night before; now she knew that she was rightly so. Arder didn’t resent her for it, though. It wasn’t exactly something Sophie could take her word for.“We will,” the other girl promised, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to school. Maybe if you just talk to him you can get some answers.”Arder sighed in protest and climbed off the mattress. “We need to find out what happened to Lexie. What if he knows something?” she pleaded. Erasing that constant feeling of guilt inside her mind was all she could think of, and if Grey knew something, she was determined to find out what it was.“Arder,” Sophie murmured, voice soft. “Is that what this is about? You’re trying to find out who killed her?”The redhead silently pushed past her into the living room and plopped down onto the couch. The knife, still hidd
In an attempt to escape his hold, Arder pulled her arm backwards. Though he still held on and dragged her down the hallways. "Let me go," Arder demanded. She was not afraid of him, but she did want to get as far away as possible. Grey just continued to ignore her and pulled her outside the building. Arder wondered why none of the students were even glancing their way, it was if they no longer cared. Before they all had been staring at her without even caring if she caught them. "What do you want?"Now outside the school, the gold in Grey's eyes gleamed. The corners of his mouth were turned down into a frown, and he sighed. "Look, I can explain it if you want? I doubt you'll believe me though," Grey said. He then released her arm and took a step back. "Which is why-""Cyrus?" Arder gasped. For all this time she had been wondering what had happened to him and how he had died, but now there he was. The pink scar running across his face with jagged markings was still present, and after al