Now for some saddening news. Nine-year-old Sarah Hawkins has been pronounced dead. Her locket was delivered to her parents early this morning. The mother of Sarah, however, is thanking the person who found her baby. CCTV cameras have been searched but no footage of the person was captured due to a power surge last night that left many homes without power. Her body is yet to be found. Over to you, Roy.
Mya sniffed, her bottom lip quivering. The mother sighed. Another life lost.
"Mya, get ready for school." She watched her daughter sullenly slink off the couch and walk towards her room. She then turned to her son who was quietly eating his cereal. He looked less like a brave twelve year old, and more like a scared eight year old.
"Sweetie..." she started. "I was too late," he mumbled. "This isn't your fault-" "YES IT IS!" he slammed his fists onto the countertop. "If I had stopped taking those drugs just a few days earlier-" "Excuse me? Stop taking your medicine? Sweetie, that's to help you-" "THAT DIDN'T HELP HER! THAT ONLY ENSURED SHE'D PERISH!" His mother stared at him helplessly. He exhaled forcefully. "I only did it for a night. I went out and-" he paused, forcing the emotion he was feeling to subside. "And I found her burial place." His mother gasped. "She had been dead for a long time," he bowed his head. His mother walked to his side and stooped to his level. "You did what you could," she pulled him into a hug. "Don't beat yourself up about it," she rubbed his back. Miko gingerly hugged back.
"I overheard your conversation with mom." Miko glanced at his sister. Her head was bowed and her lips were set neutrally. "How much?" "All of it." He sighed. "Eavesdropping is a crime you know." "So is unauthorized excavation of a grave." "I was looking for her." "Doesn't matter! You shouldn't have!" she was on the verge of tears. "Why does this bother you?" he was perplexed by her behavior. She sniffed. "Don't you know it's bad to disturb the dead? What if her spirt comes back to haunt us!" her eyes sparkled with fear.
"You watch too many movies," he turned his eye back to the sidewalk. She pouted. "When her spirit comes to haunt you then you'll know."
Some seconds of silence passed. "Did she look in pain?" he nodded. "Her body looked weird. Her eyes...there was nothing inside them." she shuttered. "Must have been a bear." He rolled his eyes. "Hasn't been an attack in Oregon since 1988." "Meanie!"
"Hey freak." Mya growled to herself. Miko stiffened visibly. They had just entered the premises and already had attracted attention.
A burly figure came into view. He had shaggy brown hair and small crazy eyes. There was a tooth missing from his upper jaw which was visible thanks to his smirking lips. "Guess who was featured in the six o'clock obituary. Did the voices give you the silent treatment? Didn't see your shadow friends?" His goons laughed scandalously. Miko stayed silent. "What's the matter? Death got your tongue?"
As they laughed, Mya stepped forward. "Back off Andrew." The bullies 'oohed'. "You're pretty brave, doll. Hey Miko! Don't you see how pathetic you are? Needing a girl to protect you." He grabbed Mya's arm and tossed her to the ground. Miko rushed forward to protect his sister but was stopped by two of Andrew's goons. "Now shrimp, you're gonna take your punishment nicely or your bratty, genderbent clone gets it. And we know how easily she bruises..." Miko slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Good boy."
He limped towards the nurse's office, Mya supporting him. As he entered the cramped room, a chubby woman peered up from her desk. "Sugar, it's a bit too early so can you come back later?" He momentarily smiled then fell to his knees.
"Oh my gosh! Baby, are you okay?" She asked as she hastened to his side, his sister struggling to lift him up. Gently, she placed him on the examination table while his sister watched. His eyes were barely open. "Hello? You still here?" She snapped her fingers, waking him from his stupor. "How many fingers do you see?" He squinted at her hand. "Seven?" "Not even close. Here." Something cool pressed against his skin. He instinctively wished to keep it there. "That'll alleviate the bruises. Andrew did this, huh?" Mya nodded in confirmation. "Honey, you need to tell your parents so they can take appropriate action, which I strongly suggest, is to they pull you out of this hellhole," she said as she retrieved some pain killers from a nearby cupboard. He only grunted. The woman eyed him then poured some red pills into her palm. "Take this." she pressed them into his hand and shoved a glass of water against his arm. He took the medicine.
"Thanks again Miss Rodgers." he muttered as he jumped down from the cold surface. Mya tried to stop him but he only pushed her aside. "Ayo, where you think you're going? I'm not done." She saw him pout. "Fix your face, young man." He reluctantly did so. "Come here." He did. "Sit." He obeyed. "He hit you anywhere else?" she lifted up his shirt. "No." "Mhm." she hummed shrewdly at the visible bruises on his stomach and hips. Mya gasped in horror. "Do me a favor and cancel all your skinny dipping plans."
He left the office, feeling much better. His teacher glances at him briefly before continuing the lesson, his relief that his student had come to class evident. He plopped onto his seat and turned his attention to outside. The tall redwoods stood guard on the school grounds, fencing in the rest of the forest which stretched on into the distance. A bird flew over the treetops. He yawned, snapping out of his sightseeing. He was mighty tired from his beatdown and treatment. With the droning on from his teacher acting as a lullaby, he was lolled into a needed nap.