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Chapter 8
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Over the edge Chapter 9
‘We just found another body.’ The only sentence that kept echoing in her mind. The only thing she could think of. Gone was the little happiness she had felt moments ago. Trepidation now coursed through her body. She knew ‘56th Avenue. She lived in that same neighborhood. She knew the driver kept peering at her from the mirror.‘Take me to the 56th Avenue instead.’ She said to the driver. Her heart thundered beneath her sternum. Her boss hadn’t said anything to suggest that it was murder. Or that it had a connection to her case. But still, she couldn’t brush off that nagging that this was another murder just to get her riled up.She caught her reflection on the glass. Her skin had turned a pasty white, her tan, nowhere to be found. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she contemplated calling Marley but decided against it. This was her problem and she would handle it as such. She knew when they arrived the 56th. The steep rise of the road and quiet of the area told her so. But un
Over the edge Chapter 10
What happens when we cross the point between life and death?Do we make the choice to keep living or do we relinquish all control to a greater entity?The continuous beep-beep assaulted her senses. It made her unable to concentrate on her environment. Her mind was whirling with lots of unfocused thoughts. It all didn’t make sense. All of it. And that annoying beeping. She wished it would stop.Where was she? And, how did it get to be so dark? Why was her throat parched? And what the hell was that pricking sensation on her arm? Why couldn’t she move her arm? Why did it seem everything was suddenly moving a mile a minute?Something was wrong with her, but she couldn’t tell exactly what it was. It seemed her body had been separated from her subconscious.She struggled to make her brain wake up from the dizzy haze it was caught in. she forced her body to obey her mind. she frantically kicked and pulled and pushed but it didn’t seem to be getting her anywhere. Soon, she felt another prick.
Over the edge Chapter 11
Clarissa woke up with a jerk. She took in her surrounding. The monitor was still beeping and the cannula was still connected to her wrist. She carefully detached the monitor from her body and the beep-beep sound stopped echoing round the room. She looked round. Someone’s coat hung on the seat. Takeout bags lay, scattered on the floor. It seemed someone had been camping by her bedside for a while. She looked at herself. The hospital gown looked absurd on her. The last time she’d had one on, she had been fourteen. Unlike the last time she was in the hospital, she remembered what had happened this time. And Flynn definitely had lots of explaining to do.Just as soon as she had thought that, Flynn breezed into the hospital room, his cologne engulfing the whole space in the smell of cheddar and sandalwood. She zeroed in on him, wondering if he would act in any weird manner. It would help confirm her suspicion.‘Hey. How do you feel?’ he asked, concern etched on his face.
Over the edge Chapter 12
Clarissa pushed the door open and stepped inside Marley’s apartment. Thanksgiving had passed in a blur without her spending time with her brother, thanks to someone who decided that a 100 milligram of fentanyl would be of greater use in her system. She had said a firm No when Marley had offered to drive her home. She just needed some time alone to herself. Peering through the window, she leaned down to stare at the street below. It was hard not to believe Flynn’s story about the cologne. But she couldn’t stop thinking what if. What if Flynn had been the killer all along. What if he had played to be all nice to get close to her. if memory served her right, after the night she had met him, the murder cases started pouring in. it was just so hard to ignore all the telltale signs. But what if she was wrong? She thought. What if it wasn’t him? what if It was just really a ploy to get her to suspect Flynn, while the real killer ran amok. She sighed deeply. All these things were slowly beg
Over the edge Chapter 13
Sydney buzzed herself in. They did it all the time at their apartments. She slung the heavy duffel bag on her shoulder down on the floor and rushed to the kitchen. Clarissa and Sydney sat around the kitchen island, eating fortune cookies when she barged in on them. she eyed the two of them.‘Already having fun without me?’ she asked, heading towards one of the white cabinets and Clarissa rolled her eyes.‘Top right.’ Claire said with a stuffed mouth.Sydney opened the cabinet and took out a bottle of whiskey. Not bothering with a glass cup, she uncorked the bottle and took a swig directly from it. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down. Heat spread from her stomach to other parts of her body. She squished up her face at the bitter taste of the whiskey. She slammed the bottle down on the counter and faced her friends.‘I needed that. Damn, it’s freezing outside.’ Sydney grabbed a fortune cookie from the pile and unfolded the piece of paper. ‘Sometimes, the truth is better left un
Over the edge Chapter 14
She had noticed how Claire and Sydney had been trying to avoid talking to themselves. They couldn’t even meet her stare. It was weird because it was the first time something like that was happening and worse, she couldn’t place what had happened. She didn’t try to get them to talk or tell her what had happened. It wasn’t her fort. That would be Sydney’s. So, a cold, foreign silence settled between them while they all had breakfast that morning. She ate hers as fast as she could and then kissed the two of them goodbye before heading to work. The snow had let up and the sun peeked from behind thin, grey clouds. Not that winter was ending any time soon, just the start of what seemed like a less gloomy day. She still hadn’t called Marley ever since she left his apartment, something she was going to rectify that day. She still had to document Maddie’s exam; another thing last week’s hospitalization had robbed her of. And, Penelope.She had completely forgotten about the gir
Over the edge Chapter 15
Shitty days came once in a while, often when she was less ready for them. That day had been one of those days. She had slapped Amanda Griffin for calling her a whore. She hadn’t meant to do it but she was glad she did. They had always had it out for each other. Both of them, head turning beauties, and sassy. But Amanda always took their scuffles too far. A guy, Ryan what’s-his-name, had gone full on flirting with her as she rang up his orders. She had flirted with him though because she couldn’t not flirt back. Truth be told, Ryan what’s-his-name was handsome and every bit her spec. But add his overinflated ego to the mix, and you’re suddenly wondering how God could create such a bastard. Guys like that make good pawns though. Massage their egos and your desires get satisfied almost immediately. Apparently, Ryan hadn’t looked once at Amanda and that had infuriated her. So, when the two of them had somehow, found themselves at the locker room at the same time. Amanda had
Over the edge Chapter 16
Clarissa trudged up the stairs of her apartment, weariness written all over her features. She barely made it inside her room before succumbing to the tiredness and slumping on her bed without taking any of her clothing. Her bags had been left right in front of the door. Sleep soon claimed her and she fell into a dreamless sleep.Or not.The night was sultry and balmy. The leaves in the trees didn’t move either because the night was so still. Even the nocturnal insects were incredibly quiet that night, crickets and all. A girl sat crossed leg just beside a little shrubbery, staring out into nothingness. Her brown hair fell down her back in waves. The little girl was eleven. She wondered how she could tell the girl’s exact age. Leaning back on her arms, she watched the clear sky. Mosquitoes bit into her skin, drawing blood and leaving bumps in their wake. She didn’t swat them away though. A door creaked open and the girl’s eyes snapped towards the direction of the sound. A man's burly
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Over the edge Epilogue
The wind whipped her hair into her eyes.Her skirt wrapped round her legs and she clutched the lilies in her grasp tighter, wishing she didn’t have to place them on his grave. The weeks leading to his funeral, she had locked herself up, refusing contact with anyone. She didn’t even speak his name anymore.She wouldn’t even let her mind think of what they had. They were all memories too sacred and painful to be remembered.Her eyes roamed across the headstone searching, pinning for answers. Why did it have to be him? Wiping the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek, she muttered ‘Traitor.’ The damn tears never knew when to stop, she thought. The flowers fell to the grave with a plop and she crunched down to arrange them.Cincinnati, she mused, would make a nice place for a new start.With that thought, she backed away from Flynn’s grave and made her way to the Chevrolet she’d rented. It was going to be a whole era for her, hopefully.…If the darkness doesn’t follow
Over the edge Chapter 25
Silence…Nerve wracking silence filled the shed. Counting numbers had become her way of passing time. Outside, the macaws had stopped cawing and the trees stood eerily still. A shudder ran down her body. She had to get away from here. She had this gnawing doubt that no one knew where she was and if they managed to locate her, it might already be too late. And it in no way helped matters that Barry acted in a very volatile manner. Something might get him triggered and who knew what he would do. And Flynn…She wondered if he had already put two and two together. She wished she had taken Marley’s advice and invested in some of those security devices or taken those self-defense classes he had suggested. The neon light casted shadows on the bales of hay making them look bigger than they were. Marley and Serena…She wondered where they wanted to have their wedding. She might not even be alive to attend. The thought of that made her eyes burn. Somehow in the space of a few days, th
Over the edge Chapter 24
She felt something gnawing at her toes, a quick nibble here and there. As she cracked her eyes open, her first observation was how dim wherever she was. her skull throbbed painfully and when she tried to move her hands, she realized that they were bound behind her. And, she was sprawled face down with her legs spread too wide, and her right ankle twisted to an unusual angle. When she tried to move that ankle, pain shot up her leg. She heard the scurrying feet of rodents across what sounded like metal. Metal.That was when she felt the cold seeping into her skin from the flimsy clothing she had on. With her mind still processing information in 2G, she drew herself up with her left leg acting as her primary support. She blinked a couple of times to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Her hair lay matted to the side of her head and her whole body ached like hell. How had she ended up in this Godforsaken place?Just then, it all came rushing back to her.Claire drugging he
Over the edge Chapter 23
While the old couple sat in front of the TV - the lady knitting as the man tuned his radio- a news anchor broadcast the news of another missing young lady and advised the public to report any suspicious activity in their vicinity to the police. ‘We should probably call in that break in we witnessed yesterday Rupert.’ The old lady with her croaky voice said to the Old man without pausing her knitting. ‘The gunshot too. It could be nothing worth checking out, you know huh?’ Rupert argued. ‘Stop arguing and get the phone because now, I have the strongest urge to call it in.’ Without spitting another word, he walked to the telephone hanging on the wall by the bookshelf and called 911 to report what they had witnessed the day before. ******************** For Clarissa, the world had suddenly come to a standstill. It didn’t help matters that even after a day had past, they were yet to hear from Syd. There was nothing worse than a missing body. The sheriff, Sheriff Emmett, had already
Over the edge Chapter 22
It was December and it was drizzling. She didn’t run to find shelter because the rain had always settled her spirits. She hailed a yellow cab and it screeched to a stop right in front of her. Behind her, Flynn watched in his car, as she walked into the cab and it zoomed off, with him right on their tail. Her mind was racing with unlikely thoughts and her heart was beating too slow to be considered normal. It was something that always signaled the onset of a panic attack. She didn’t want that, she wanted to keep a straight head. So, she focused on her breathing. In, out. In, out. In, out. She did that till her head stopped feeling like it held more thoughts than the body mass of the heaviest man on earth and a semblance of normalcy engulfed her. She reached for her phone again. Still nothing from Sydney. Heaving a loud sigh, she turned to stare out the window. The buildings raced by in a blur. The skies had turned dark already, courtesy of the awful winter. The drizzling rain ha
Over the edge Chapter 21
The door slammed as Clarissa rushed out of the car and into the shabby looking apartment complex. Very aware that the ten-floored building had a very non-functional elevator, she took the stairs two at a time, Flynn right at her heels. It was well past ten minutes so she knew Sydney had to be in her apartment, waiting already. Pushing the people crowding the staircase aside, they frantically ran up the stairs not minding the weird look people threw their way. She couldn’t tell the exact moment the feeling of impending doom crept onto her, latching onto her with its suckers. Her heart plunged into her stomach robbing her of breath for a second or two. Her head swarm, the stairs swirled. Her steps faltered and she staggered backwards. Flynn’s hands shot out to break her fall but she caught herself just In time.‘Are you alright?’ A concerned Flynn asked, grasping her elbow.‘I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a bit lightheaded. I’m okay.’ She assured. ‘I can’t seem to shake off the feelin
Over the edge Chapter 20
she glanced down at her phone and then at the house number plastered on the sign post in front of the house, a bungalow. The text on her screen and the shiny black ink on the sign read the same number, 42. She had been spooked from the very moment the text had popped up on her screen. A text from her anonymous online friend who had introduced himself as a hacker. Backtrack to the day she had met him. Not met him literally. More like met him online. Just a random pop-up notification on her Facebook app and suddenly, they were close acquaintances. Well, what was the use of having a hacker friend if they couldn’t do one or two favors for her, she thought. She had sent him the mystery guy’s pictures and seconds later, he turned up lots of information on him. when she had asked how exactly he had been able to gather that info on the guy at such a short time, he responded with, ‘We have our ways.’She had come to know the Mystery guy as Kennedy Macaulay. But her mind often referre
Over the edge Chapter 19
The moment she stepped out of the kitchen to answer that call, it sent off the wrong signals in his mind. she was hiding something.He quickly pulled out his phone from his jacket and called Agent Sawyer.‘I need you to trace a call. Clarissa’s making a really secretive call. I need to know who it is and the exact location. I’ll meet you at the station in twenty.’ He said, picking his jacket and stomped across the kitchen in all seriousness.Maybe it was jealousy or some other emotion that he couldn’t just name, but something churned in his gut. Unable to stand still in the now empty kitchen, he walked out into the dining area, past the living room and out of the door, into the chilling cold.With Veronica, it had been all sweet and fun. He couldn’t really remember them ever arguing, veronica with her mellow voice and tactfulness made it pretty easy. With Clarissa, it was just a whirlwind of emotions, highs and lows. He gritted his teeth as he crossed the road and made his way to
Over the edge Chapter 18
He still reeled from the kiss he had seen Clarissa and Flynn share the night before. The thought of it had him kicking an empty can by the curb. Why the hell would she let him desecrate those lush lips? He thought. The skies didn’t look as gloomy as it did the day before and the snow came down in gentle flurries. The sun hid behind the low hanging clouds. Hands In his pocket, he strolled down the bustling street of 58th avenue. He eyed Clarissa’s apartment as he walked by, taking notice of the black, tinted vehicles sitting beside the curb. FBI agents. He glared at them. he needed to do something about the amount of rage in him before he did something as stupid as barging into Clarissa’s house and blowing his cover. Another empty can flew into the air as he kicked it and the helpless can landed a few meters from him. It wasn’t unusual for him to get that much pent-up rage. But often, he’d had ways of controlling them. Now? Not so much. The police were on high alert and the slight
