A RED SUNSET

Chapter 4: Prisoner

Jane’s POV

How do you explain something so horrible and revolting? Why even try to explain it. The image played in my head. I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t think of sleep. Explaining had nothing to do with it. Danger and disgust had everything to do with it. My breath never slowed, my adrenaline kept high since the moment I saw, gasped, and ran. I wanted to throw up. I think I did throw up a while ago. I wasn’t certain how long had passed, I’d spent my time just trying to dispel the image of him lying over Alexis’s, the blood. I’d ran all the way home closed and locked every door and window, shut all my blinds, and curled up under my covers, shivering. It was a living nightmare. After what seemed like an age I peeked out of the covers. It was 4:30AM. I slid back under and clutched my chest to my knees. The tears that had held back by sheer shock and terror spilled out in a bout of hysteria, my jeans were soon soaked. Slowly and shakily coherent thoughts came back to me. Eric, it was Eric, who had brutally and horrifically murdered Alexis. My mind repelled the thought. NO! impossible, it can’t be that. No I must be dreaming. The phone rang and I let out a shrill shriek, took a breath and ran to the phone, ran back to the bed, and answered.

“Jane dear!” Juliet’s voice sang over the phone. I tried to control my voice.

“Juliet” I breathed shakily

“Jane? What’s wrong…don’t say nothing because I know that voice”

“Juliet” I repeated helplessly.

“Yes?”

“Eri..” I couldn’t finish.

“I’m coming over”

“No” I croaked, but the line had gone dead.

I curled back under the covers again and resumed shaking, trying to get a handle on my hysteria. A few minutes later the knock came on the door. I went and answered it against my will. Juliet took one look at my face and hers instantly mirrored what I imagined mine looked like.

“Jane, you tell me what happened” she said hastily.

“Juliet I…” I wasn’t past my hysteria. Clearly.

“Just tell me Janey” she cooed pulling me into a hug, and I broke into sobs. How could I begin to tell someone what he’d done? I barely knew if he had done it myself, and if he had… I looked up at her, her face blurred by my tears, as if she were behind a wall of water. This girl who had been with me through everything. How would I do this to her, and how would I do this without her.