The walk to City Hall was quick, and I nodded to the receptionist before stepping into my father's office. I could see the park out his window. There were some dogs playing in the grass with their owners sitting on a bench and a family having a picnic, even though the storm had barely passed. My father sat behind his desk, one hand to his forehead and the other around a crumpled piece of paper.
I shut the door and he looked up. "Luna, thank God. I could really use your help."
"Is everything okay?" I asked, sitting in the seat before his desk.
"Not quite, I'm very stressed, as you can tell. I thought you might be able to help me go through some of these papers. They're about my campaign funding."
"Sure, no problem. Happy to help."
He handed me a stack of papers and I started going
The next few days passed painfully slowly. I avoided everyone, feeling like I was bursting at the seams with the secret my father had entrusted in me.I spoke to Eric only on the phone a few times and only for short intervals. I knew if I saw him in person I'd want to tell him everything, and I gave my father my word that I wouldn't. So I spent those few days staring at the blank pages of my journal and watching television, hoping my dad would decide to make his announcement soon.After five days, I decided to ask him about it. It was past ten o'clock at night, and he was in the kitchen, scooping vanilla ice cream into a bowl."Hi," I said and he turned, smiling at me."Hey," he said. "How was your day?"I sat at the kitchen table, resting my chin in my palm. "
Genevieve did not go out early the next morning like she usually did. Instead I walked downstairs at nine o'clock to find her stirring sugar into her coffee, the television on. She wore her hair in a French braid and light makeup around her eyes, a blank look upon her face.I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat across from her."Morning."Her gaze snapped over to me, her eyes focusing. "Luna. Good morning.""Are you alright?"She smiled. "Yes. In fact, I've done some thinking and I have figured out what we're all going to do about this campaign situation."I furrowed my brow. "What?""Your father isn't going to drop out of the election. He's going to lose it on purpose. That way he'll retain his credibility and reputation.""How a
I watched the snow fall for some time. It could have been a few minutes, or an hour, I don't know. A soft blanket of flurry graced itself upon the street and the houses, tickling the leaves of the trees and shrubs lining the manicured yards. The sky was grey and gloomy, a great contrast from the peaceful white continuum of the world below.My phone rang, shattering the peaceful silence I had created around myself. I slid my finger across the screen and answered."Didn't I tell you it would snow?"Eric's voice made my spirits soar and I sat up straighter, smiling. "How do you know? Are you home?""Yes, I got back about five minutes ago. I thought it was necessary to call you and say I told you so."The wind picked up outside, sending the steadily falling snow into a frenzy, swirlin
"I don't understand," I said to Eric on the phone later that night, my voice hushed as I watched fresh snow fall on the darkened backyard. "He didn't seem very happy about us being together.""He was mad you told me," Eric responded. I could tell he was writing from the hint of distraction and daze in his voice. "You didn't keep your word and that's why he was angry and said those things.""I don't know," I said. "He told me he hired you to tutor Nova, not to be with me.""Too bad," he replied. "I'm excellent at multitasking."I fought to hide a smile. "Be serious, please.""Alright, alright. Look, Luna, it's okay. It's not like we're sixteen and infatuated and I'm asking you to elope with me to the Bahamas," he said and I laughed lightly. "We're adults and I think we can handle o
Eric appeared between the trees, angst in his eyes and his breathing uneven. A hint of relief flashed through his features before urgency overtook them again and he spoke, his voice battling his loss of breath. "Luna, thank God. I thought I'd never find you."I furrowed my brow, walking over to him. "What's going on?"He was still out of breath. "Something's happened. You've got to come with me, quickly, you've got to get home now.""Why? What is it?" My heart pounded faster, my pulse hammering among my veins as if it wished to escape through my skin.Eric swallowed, eyes meeting mine. "It's your father."Fear sliced through me like a blade, and worst case scenarios began running through my brain like a teleprompter, each thought more terrifying than the next.
When I awoke I was somewhere unfamiliar and I heard a storm raging outside.It was too hot and I felt constricted, covered in blankets. I blinked to look around the dark room.I didn't recognize where I was and my senses were hazy, slowly coming back to me. The feeling of fabric of soft blankets covering me above soft clothes, warm flesh pressed against my own.Crash of thunder, flash of lightning. The room came into focus.Outlines of bookshelves against one wall. Dark windows. The unmistakable outline of evergreen trees outside. A warm body next to me, soft blankets, no bed frame.I sat up rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the darkness as everything came back to me, my father's death, someone had shot my father, my father is dead.My breathing wa
Later that day, sadness and anger washed away from me and was promptly replaced with a type of numbness I could only associate with the death of my mother. Now I associated it with the death of my father as well.I took a shower and got dressed and slowly brushed my hair, watching the ends curl up again after each stroke through the thick black colored strands.Eric made me coffee and I drank it slowly, staring at the trees outside the window. The coffee was too hot and I burned my tongue. It began to rain outside again and then stopped twenty minutes later, as if the sky had decided against it.At one thirty Eric softly suggested I go home."The police are going to be there," I said. "I don't want to go and face all of this.""I know," he said quietly. "But you have to."
The corridors of City Hall seemed empty and lifeless as the three of us walked through them, the photographs of the former mayors seeming haunting now that my father was among the deceased.The receptionist in the lobby had given me a sympathy soaked look as I walked by and I tried to ignore the way her eyes softened and her lips pressed together, her head shaking slightly.When I opened the doors to my father's former office I had to stop and catch my breath for a moment.It was eerie and foreign feeling looking around the uninhabited office because everything was untouched.The leather chair and mahogany desk, the pictures of our family framed on the bookshelves, the curtains on the large window tied neatly as they always were.It felt as if my father could walk in any minute and the prospe
I didn’t realize where I was going until I rammed into something -more like someone.- I looked over towards the person I slammed into as I quickly got back onto my feet again. It was Eric and his precious map of his torn in half, I’m assuming due to our collision. It looked like he had seen a ghost for a second before he quickly stood up and stepped towards me. “Luna,” he said breathlessly as he reached out for me to wrap his arms around me. I couldn’t. I chose this path, I couldn’t bring him down along with me. He had already gotten arrested because of his links with my father and my family in general. Even though I just met Eric not that long ago, I already felt so much love toward
~ three months later ~James. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but during the past three months since I’ve been held captive, I’ve found comfort in his words.He didn’t really try so hard to make me his, either.-It was like I saw the James that was underneath all the cockyness, and his rich entitlement.I would often ask about Nova and Eric...and if I was ever going to get out of here or not. He would only reply with how Nova was doing and would completely ignore my questions about Eric and myself leaving this Greenwood castle or not.James told me that Nova has become depressed since I’ve disappeared, and that he&rsq
I didn’t and couldn’t recognize the voice, or think of who that voice could belong to.But it for some reason sounded familiar, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.Before I had the chance to turn around, a cloth was placed over my mouth.I started to struggle to get away, but everything around me started to get hazy.The last thing I remember was James Greenwood’s vintage light blue car pulling up next to me.What was happening?I faded out of consciousness.-
-Three months later-“Do you know this man?” The police officer placed multiple pictures of the same man in various places in Madison.I looked at the pictures, shrugging and shaking my head no.“No, I don’t” I said looking back up at the cop.“Have you seen him around Madison lately?” The middle aged man pressed on.“No, I lived in Madison my whole life, I have not seen or met this man.” I looked at the pictures one more time before sliding them back over to the cop sitting across from me. “ He’s definitely not a local.”Based on the thin line tight lip facial expression, with his eyebrow raised, it didn’t seem like I
“The voices came from the black wood stained house...with the tall slightly dead hedges in the front.” Eric finally told me when he sipped his coffee as we sat in his car in an empty parking lot a few towns away from Madison. He had to stop for coffee, or he would’ve had struggles staying awake.I knew exactly which house he was talking about...that house belongs to Robert Killian. -even though I had complete utter shock painted all over my face as I processed these new findings. I wasn’t actually surprised by this outcome.Eric looked at me with a curious expression across his face, he sipped his coffee silently raising his eyebrows.“That house you just described belongs to Robert Killian.” he nearly choked on his coffee when I shared that information with him.
Nova.Where was Nova?That was the only thing that kept me awake while I lay soaking wet on the ground in a forgotten cemetery, unable to move my body.I prayed that Nova was safe. - not stuck out here, like I was. I’m so stupid.I don’t even know how long I’ve been out here in the storm; It felt like morning should come any minute now, it felt like I was out here for hours and hours. -but it could’ve been just seconds and minutes.I tried to get up, but my body ached so bad. -I knew I’d die out here if I didn’t get up right now.I still chose to get up even though my brain and body was telling me not to. The pins and needles feeling rushe
I could feel the blood pumping through my veins - My heart beated so loud in my ears. I could barely hear my own sobs.I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe what I've just heard.Yet Genevieve's voice was loud and clear even though she was lying ill in front of me.I still couldn't believe what she was admitting to me.All this time. Nine years later. After nine whole years.Genevieve eyes burned holes into my soul and all that I believed during the past nine years.My life was a lie.I was living a life made out of Genevieve's lies, and my father's secrets followed by his dishonesty."Luna, my daughter must not know any of this," she rushed out before she started coughing uncontrollably.
I paced across the room, everything coming together in my mind. Eric stood still, his mouth slightly agape in resonating shock. I tried my best to remember the days and weeks preceding my mother's passing. In my mind everything had been normal-I was ten, my mother wasn't working, my father was still mayor. Every Sunday morning my mother and I went to Corrie's bakery for breakfast. She died in the summer when I didn't have school. Before she got sick I would run up and down the streets of Madison with my childhood friends, feeling invincible. I would walk into the forest at my mother's heels, picking flowers for her. That was only the shiny exterior, I realized. What I saw was a façade. Behind it all was my father's infidelity. Had my mother known the whole time? If she hadn't, did she ever know at all? "Who would have poisoned your
I walked slowly down Main Street, one hand holding my phone to my ear and the other in my pocket. I had left Eric's just after he woke up about an hour after I awoke, and I told him I had to go out. Nova was still asleep. "Hello?" "Hey, Celia," I said, surprised that she had actually picked up so early-it was nearing eight o'clock. "Are you busy?" "Not really," she said. "I'm just about to run some errands for my mom. Is everything okay?" "I need a favor," I said. "It has to do with my father's case." There was a pause and when she spoke Celia's voice was lowered. "Alright…" Celia picked me up in her car. It was odd driving through Madison when my entire life I had just walked