Darkness Follows (22 page)

Ryanne
heard her mom call to her from the kitchen.

“Rina’s
outside. She wants to see you before she goes.”

Ryanne
lay in her bed for another moment before getting up and walking over to her
closet. She took out her favourite light beige scarf and went to the mirror
over her dresser.

Her
eyes were drawn immediately to the scar that began on her neck, under her ear,
and curved down finishing just below her clavicle.

She
remembered the night as if it happened recently instead of months ago. She
remembered the knife slicing into her own skin, and then driven deep into
Burrows’ chest. The physical pain Kal inflicted upon her was nothing compared
to the ache she felt when thinking back to that night.

Before
she let her eyes linger on the wound, she wrapped the scarf twice around her
neck and arranged it to flow down the middle of her chest over her tank top.
She then arranged her long black hair to cover the sides of her chest.

Ryanne
left her room, walking slowly down the hallway of her parents’ home and into
the kitchen where her mom stood at the sink, watching Aurina out the window.
She noticed her mom did a double take when she saw her walking from the kitchen
toward the front foyer. She could feel her watchful eyes, smiling as she opened
the front door.

“Rye,”
Aurina called to her as she hesitantly took a step out onto the pathway that
led to where Aurina had parked her car on the road. “Thank’s for seeing me
off.” Ryanne went down the path, and then stopped at the sidewalk where Aurina
met her. “How are you doing today?”

“I
wish you weren’t going.” Ryanne gave her sister a little smile, but Aurina
pursed her lips.

“I’m
sorry Rye.”

“It’s
okay. I’ll be fine.”

Aurina
was moving to Dersten. It was something Ryanne had known would happen, and yet
the knowledge didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye.

“I’ll
come back for Christmas. It’s only a few months away now.”

“Rina,
I’ll be fine.” Aurina nodded and glanced back at her car for a moment, before
looking back at their parent’s house.

“Could
you try to get out a little more? I think it would be really good for you.”
Aurina started and when Ryanne went to speak, she continued. “Mom and Dad are
worried.”

The
night she was rushed to the hospital in Camden, Aurina and Blake never left her
side until their parent’s came the morning after. Ryanne was told that Max had
tried to visit that night, but he wasn’t allowed in because visiting hours were
over. That morning she was also told that Burrows had passed away the night
before in ICU.

The
next week, on the day that their Parents took Aurina and Ryanne home, she
received flowers that Max had sent. She didn’t know why he hadn’t brought them
to her himself, but she was glad. She didn’t want to see anyone, and that was
how she felt since leaving Dersten.

They
had missed Burrows’ funeral. It had been organized for the weekend her body had
been taken back to Toronto. Ryanne wished she could have been there, but it was
over before she knew it was happening. Before she knew anything was happening.

Her
immediate x-rays, CT scans and MRI results came back clear for any
abnormalities due to injury. The subsequent tests she had taken in Toronto concluded
that there was no permanent neurological damage left from her concussion,
though initially she did suffer from some short term memory loss. She had
initially forgotten some of the details of that night, but they all came back
to her, and the memories left marks in her mind that she couldn’t erase.

In
the first weeks she was home, Aurina had stayed with her in their parent’s
house. Ryanne was put on bed rest, and had a hard time sleeping. Aurina would
stay awake with her late at night, as long as she could. They didn’t talk much,
and when Ryanne cried, Aurina would just lay there silently. Ryanne was
thankful. She couldn’t
bare
to be held, or touched,
and pity was worse.

Max
had tried to contact her at first through phone calls, and then e-mail but she
never answered. She hadn’t spoken to anyone besides her family, and the
therapist they insisted she see, since she got back to Toronto. As far as she
knew, Jake hadn't tried to reach her.

“I
told you I’ll be fine.”

“They
don’t think your therapist is helping.” Aurina said looking at the window where
Ryanne knew their mom was standing. “And when you dyed your hair black…”

“I
applied to school for this winter.”

“What?”

“I
enrolled in school. I’ll be living in Peterborough. I’m going to Fleming for Environmental
and Natural Resource Science.”

Aurina
smiled, and gave her a hug. “Rye that’s awesome. What made you pick that?”

“My
therapist actually suggested it...well, suggested I look at something I’m
passionate about.” Ryanne felt at her chest to make sure her scarf was still in
place. “I did some research online, and when I came across the program
description, it just sounded right. A good portion of the program is outdoors,
and I just need that calming influence in my life right now.”

“Sounds
like a good fit.” Aurina pulled her hair away from her face and behind her
ears. “Will you be living here, or?”

“I’m
going to live there in residence.”

“That’s
great Rye. I’m really happy for you. When are you going to tell them?” Aurina
looked back at the house.

“Soon.”

Aurina
looked over her shoulder to her car. “I better get going.”

Ryanne
followed her sister to her car and gave her a short hug.

“Call
me when you get there.” Ryanne took a step back onto the boulevard. “Tell Blake
I say hi.”

“I
will,” Aurina got into the car, and rolled her window down. “Love you Rye.”

“Love
you too.”

As
Aurina’s car pulled away from the sidewalk, Ryanne went back inside the house.

When
she got to her room she shut the door behind her, and went to the closet to put
her scarf back on its hook.

She
sat down at her desk on her computer chair, and turned her laptop on. She went
to her inbox and clicked reply on the last email she had received.

“Max:
I haven’t written you back because I’m having trouble talking.
To you.
To everyone.
I know you
hear things through the grapevine, but I wanted to tell you some things myself.

I
didn’t get to go to Burrows’ funeral, and I regret it every day, just as I
regret standing there as she was stabbed and doing nothing. I’ve been seeing a
therapist, and we talk about my survivor’s guilt. She has given me strategies
for coping, and she says I’m making progress. I guess she is right because here
I am finally writing back to you.

Jeremy
is awaiting trial, and Jones told Aurina he is sure he’s going to prison for
life. He sent me a letter. Jeremy sent me a letter. Actually he has tried to
send me many letters, but I haven’t read any, and his mail is now being
redirected back to the prison.

Aurina
is moving to Dersten. I’m sure you’ll be seeing her around soon. I’m going to
miss her. Could you watch out for her for me?

I’m
going to school in a couple of months. I found a program that I think I’ll do
well in. It’s a two year program, and I’ll be living on my own again. When I
get excited about it, because it is the only thing I actually feel excited
about, I feel guilty. My therapist says that it's natural, but that I shouldn’t
feel bad for living my life and enjoying it.
That it’s not
what Burrows would have wanted, and yaddayaddayadda.
I still feel
guilty.

I’m
really writing this to thank you Max.

Thank
you for the flowers at the hospital. If you’re feeling guilty for not bringing
them yourself, please don’t. I know you tried to come in person. Thank you for
what you did that night. Mostly, thank you for being there for me.

I
hope work is treating you well. I heard you got a promotion. Congratulations.
You deserve it.

Hope
to hear back from you,

Ryanne.

P.S:
That day, before everything happened, Burrows told me she thought you were a
great officer. She told me she would be proud to work with you.
Just thought you should know.”

After
Ryanne hit the send button, she closed her laptop and got back into bed. Small
steps, she told herself before she fell asleep.

He
sat in the car, watching as the lights in the windows went out. The wind
whipped golden leaves across the street, and he breathed deeply, inhaling the
smoky autumn fragrance.

The
wind was loud, cancelling out any other sound, and he closed his eyes.

Almost time to make things right.

He
slouched in his seat, bringing his face close to the window, and looked up at
the building in time to see a light turn on, illuminating three windows on the second
story. He rolled his window up, and stepped out of his car quietly, closing the
door softly behind him. When he crossed the street, he hurried to the nearest
shop alcove, and pressed himself into
it’s
corner. The
wind whirled past, and stirred something inside of him.

The second chance is mine to take.

He
stood still, waiting.  When he stepped toward the street, he remained in
the shadows. He looked up at the building again, and saw a figure walking past
window after window.  He watched until it disappeared from sight.

After
looking up and down the street, he crossed over to the parking lot
beside
the building, and walked alongside the chain-linked
fence, allowing the light of the moon to guide him.  

Nothing can stop me.

When
he saw the glow from above, he stopped to stand directly below the window where
the figure had been above.

One more piece to put in place.

When
the glow disappeared, only darkness remained.

And this time he’ll be first.

Acknowledgements

Thank
you to my family and friends for your overwhelming support.
To
my cover design by Vila Designs.
Thank you to my editor, Justin Wood,
for helping me to make this story everything I wanted it to be and more. This
journey would not have been the same without you, and I feel so lucky to have
shared this experience with you. Thank you to my husband, Aaron, for your love,
encouragement and support. I’m excited for what comes next with you by my side.
Thank you to you, the true-blue reader, for taking some time
to read my debut novel.
My hope is that it took you on a journey of your
own.

Finally,
thank you to everyone mentioned in this section for helping to make my dream
come true.

Coming in 2014

The sequel to
Darkness Follows

About the Author

Emerald O’Brien is
a Canadian author who grew up just east of Toronto, Ontario. Emerald studied
Television Broadcasting and Communications Media, and graduated from the
program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. Her debut novel,
Darkness
Follows,
is a New Adult Mystery novel.

When she is not
reading or writing, Emerald can be found with family, and friends. Watching
movies with her Husband and their two Beagles is one of her favorite ways to
spend an evening at home.

For more
information, please visit her website at
http://emeraldobrien.com/