I peeked my head over everyone walking around in the hallway during passing period because I was looking for someone; Emily. Emily was the girl who now lived in my childhood home. I felt bad, constantly bugging her about the same thing, but I felt like I was running out of time. Once I spotted her, I called out, "Emily, wait up!"

When she saw me, it looked like she tried to ignore me, but I made my way over to her anyway. She sighed, "Hi...River."

"Have you thought about what I said?" I asked.

She shook her head, "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't help you anymore. I tried doing what you asked, but my mom got suspicious of why I was trying to get everyone away from the house. So, I told her the truth, and she said no. She said if you tried to set foot on our property, she'd press charges."

"Wait, you told your mom!? Why would you do that? That was supposed to be a secret, Emily", I snapped.

She took a step back, "Yes, I told my mom the truth. It's our house, now. You've been pestering me for a month now about letting you come over and dig up something from our backyard. At first, I was willing to help, in any way that I could. But this is becoming ridiculous now. You're acting crazy. I'm starting to regret even finding that box for you all those months ago."

I knew I couldn't be mad at her. She did everything that she could to try to help and I had asked for a crazy request. It had been a month and some days since I had asked her to help me with going over there. But school and life got in the way. Any time I saw her, I would ask her if she knew when her family would be away from the house so that I could just get whatever my parents had buried behind the shed. I knew she was annoyed, I could see it on her face every time. But I just needed to do that one thing, and she'd never hear from me again.

I sighed, "Emily, I'm sorry. I know I'm asking for the impossible, here. But if you can do this for me, if you could get them to take you and your siblings out for a couple of hours, I promise I'll be in and out and I'll never bother you again about anything. Please, just try again."

She gave me a serious look before rolling her eyes at me, "You're unbelievable; I'll do it. I'll dig it up for you and bring it to you when I can. But I don't know how long that's gonna take and I don't want you bothering me every day about it either. Once I get it, you'll get it. Until then, lay off; seriously."

I nodded, "Thank you." I looked around me and quickly realized that our conversation had made me late for physics. I took off running and made my way inside and everyone's attention fell on me. I tried putting my head down, but Ms. Kentri did not let that slide.

She cleared her throat, "River, can you explain to me why you're late to my class?"

I sighed, "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom after I got out of history."

She looked like she didn't believe me, but didn't press the issue further. So I took my seat and paid attention to the lesson. We didn't do much in class except watch a couple of videos and work on any homework we hadn't completed yet. Once class was dismissed, me and Kat met up with each other and she began driving me home.

She looked over at me, concerned, "Hey, you okay?"

I gave her a confused look, "Yeah, why?"

"Because you look like you've seen a ghost or something. Did anything happen in class today?" She probed.

I sighed, "No, it happened before class. But I know you won't want to hear it, so it's okay."

She smacked her lips, "What do you mean, I won't want to hear it? You're my best friend, you can talk to me about anything."

"Well it's about my parents", I said analyzing her expressions.

After the things she had said to me about the whole situation, I hadn't mentioned anything new about it to her. I didn't tell her that Tristen and I went to the storage unit, I had only told her that I let him know about all the clues and everything. She didn't know about Mary or how I visited her grave. So nearly two months had gone by and my best friend knew nothing because I knew deep down that she didn't want to hear about it.

She let out a soft sigh, "Oh...you're still doing that? I thought it was over."

I turned my body so that it was facing the window but still responded, "Yeah, Kat. I'm still looking for clues. But I'm being safer, now. And I'm doing it less often because I'm trying to stay focused on school and everything."

She gripped the wheel, "I just still feel like there's something you're not telling me. What happened after I dropped you off at the bookstore?"

I looked at her, "I told you already. I left with Tristen and we ended up going to the lake and talking for a bit. That's when I told him about my parents and everything because I felt like I could trust him."

She shook her head, "What was in the book though? Your mom told you to read a specific page. What did it say? Did it lead you to your next clue? Did Tristen take you and you're just not telling me?"

"Woah, where is this coming from?" I asked.

"You know, I thought the lying was only reserved for your family, but I guess you enjoy lying to me too. Why haven't you been telling me anything? Do you not trust me anymore? Do you think that I just don't care? I was there from the beginning, yet you're telling Tristen everything and not me", she finished.

"Kat, of course, I trust you! I trust you with my life. I haven't been telling you anything because I know how you feel about it. It's dangerous and you don't want me getting hurt looking for answers, but you also know that I can't just stop. I didn't want to upset you, so I just laid off on the whole 'adventure' talk. I'm sorry that I've hurt you and that you feel left out because that wasn't my intention. I was afraid that if I kept telling you things, you'd eventually end up hating me!" I responded.

She turned into my driveway and kept her hands on the wheel with her eyes facing forward, "I'm not a little kid that you need to shelter or protect. I can make my own decisions about how I feel. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

I did a deep sigh before getting out of the car and heading inside my house. I stormed off to my room and jumped on my bed. Kat was mad at me for not telling her anything, but when I did tell her about it, she was still mad! I couldn't win with her. I knew that she was allowed to feel a certain way about everything. I also knew that I shouldn't have deprived her of that choice, but sometimes it just wasn't worth the strain in our relationship. I really was just trying to consider her feelings. She always talked about being "normal" and doing "normal teenage things" when I would talk about looking for clues. Bringing up how I found more of those would've just sent her over the edge.

But I guess my feelings didn't matter either, right? It was okay for everyone else to feel how they felt, but chasing after this made me "crazy." No one knew how it felt. No one knew about my depression and my nightmares to its extremity. I was suffering for years. Getting that box and finding the book my parents used to read to me made me feel alive again. Like my parents had never really left.

I missed them so much. I was young when it happened, but I never forgot. They were my world for the first six years of my life. I depended on them for everything. They weren't only my parents, they were my first friends. I told them everything; even nonsense. I missed how my dad would help me with my homework. I missed how my mom would kiss my forehead each night before sending me off to bed. I missed my parents and no one seemed to understand that.

They were taken away from me, in just one night. I was too young to do anything. It always ate away at me of why I was left alive. I always asked why couldn't they have just taken me right along with my parents. At least then, we'd all still be together. But that didn't happen. In reality, I was left all alone. And now I had a chance to figure out what really happened. And I wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of that.

~*~

A few days later...

"Wait, so your choir teacher got a DUI over the weekend and you guys didn't have to do anything in class today?" Tristen asked me.

I shook my head, "Nope! And we were supposed to go compete out of state so that just messed everything up. They're so not gonna let us perform anywhere else."

He took a bite of his sandwich, "Man, you guys are lucky. My calculus teacher never misses a day. She even came to class sick one time. She was throwing up and everything, but according to her, the show must go on."

I laughed, taking a sip of my drink, "Well I know that no one at this school gets paid enough to go that far."

"Hey, I'm right there with you", he said.

I looked over at Kat and tapped her shoulder, "Yo, are you good?"

She snapped out of whatever mood she was in, "What? Oh yeah, I'm just stressing about the algebra test I have after lunch. I didn't do so well on my last one and my mom grilled me for it, so I've been studying extra hard for this one. I should be good, but I still worry."

Tristen encouraged her, "You're gonna knock it out of the water, Kat."

I agreed, "Yeah, and once she hands you your test back with the highest score in the class, you'll realize that you were worried for nothing."

She smiled, "Well, thanks; both of you. I just still get nervous sometimes, you know?"

Since it had been a couple of days, Kat and I were back on good terms. I told her the truth about everything and she was very understanding of why I hadn't said anything to her before. I didn't want our friendship to be weird and filled with lies, so it was important for me to let her in on everything. She reassured me that she didn't hate me and things went back to normal. She was always there for me, so I needed to be there for her too.

I nodded, "Trust me, I get it. Sometimes I-"

I was interrupted by a silver box being thrown at the center of the lunch table, which caused Tristen, Kat, and I to turn our heads and see that it was Emily who had done it. She crossed her arms, "Here's your stupid box. I hope whatever's in there is worth it." She stormed off and we all turned back around.

Kat shot a mean glare, "Geez, she could've just handed it to you. Now there's dirt all over the table."

"Yeah, my sandwich's completely ruined now", Tristen said trying to wipe the dirt off of it.

I grabbed the box and held it tightly to my chest. I wasn't sure if I should've opened it then or just waited until I got home. I wanted to wait, but my curiosity was going to get the better of me. Tristen saw me trapped in thought and placed his hand on mine, "What are you thinking?"

I looked at them both, "I think I want to open it right now. Why wait?"

They both nodded in agreement and I placed the box in front of me. Just like my mother had said there'd be, it was a key attached to the side of it. I took it off, unlocked it, and once I opened the box, I found an envelope inside. When I went to pick it up, I noticed that it was a little heavy. I carefully opened the envelope and inside of it was a stack of money. My eyes widened and I shut the box in response.

Kat and Tristen had both already seen that money was inside, but I was more concerned if anyone else had seen it. I didn't want a huge target on my back because someone random had seen all the money that was on me. I slowly opened the box again because I had noticed that there was a note underneath the money. I picked it up and it read: Here's 10k. You should keep a low profile and stop searching for answers. I need you safe. It's over, love mom and dad.

I had read the note aloud to my friends and when I looked up they both had different expressions. Tristen seemed sad for me, like he pitied me almost, while Kat seemed...relieved. Glad that it was finally over. But me? I was crushed. It couldn't be over, it just couldn't be. Not after everything. These clues were supposed to lead to something. This wasn't the end; I wouldn't let it be.

Kat placed her hand on my shoulder, "River, I know what you're thinking, but this is a good thing! Your parents left you ten thousand dollars to take care of yourself. They cared about you and wanted to keep you safe, I hope you know that. Don't look at this as a punishment, think of it as a blessing!  You're no longer in danger, none of us are. This is great."

I almost couldn't hear a word she had said. I was too focused on the words I read on the note: it's over. There was just no way. If Mary hadn't died, I would've gotten another clue. I would've still been out there searching for answers. I would've finally found out the truth. It was over? I couldn't understand that.

Tristen rubbed my back, "Hey, I know it's hard right now, but you'll get through this; we'll get through this. You know your parents loved you and if they felt like it was too dangerous for you to continue, especially with everything that's happened, then I think this is the best thing for right now. And it doesn't have to be over forever. Maybe there's another way you can find out what happened. But right now, I need you to just listen to them and lay low. It's what's best for everyone, here."

I didn't want to hear what anyone had to say about it. I needed to be left alone. So I got up from the lunch table with the box in my hand and left. They called after me but I ignored them and made my way outside of the school. I took a seat on one of the benches and stared out into the distance. I looked up at the clouds and tears began pouring out of my eyes.

"Why? Why am I being punished? What did I do to deserve this?" I cried out.

It wasn't fair. Someone out there knew the truth of that night. Someone out there knew what really happened and they were trying to cover it up. I kept asking over and over again what my parents did to deserve this. But when everything started coming together, I started to question my parents. I mean, who were they, really? What did they do and who did they know that could've caused all of this? I was determined to find out.

To avoid getting marked absent, I finished out the school day and ended up finding Tilly and riding home with her, Thomas, and Trisha. I had the box hiding in my backpack so they wouldn't know about it and when I got home, I went down to the basement so I could be by myself.

I had gathered everything together, along with the original box I had with everything in it. I emptied it onto the floor and observed the items. There was still my mom's necklace, my dad's watch, their work badges, some Polaroids of me as a kid, and of course, the red book. I intended to find something that I could use.

There was just no way that it was all over. I understood that my parents wanted to keep me safe, but I couldn't get over the fact that I was supposed to know something else before Mary was murdered. I had to find a connection with the remaining items in the box. I remembered how they had all worked together, so I grabbed my parent's old work badges. I inspected them, but they looked real. I had no reason to doubt that they didn't work there. But, it was the only thing that had caught my attention, so I looked into it further.

I looked up Stonehenge Enterprises and called the number listed on the website. If someone knew of a previous employee, it'd be them for sure. It took a few rings before someone finally picked up, "Stonehenge Enterprises, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I was wondering if you could look up an employee for me? I'm...their current employer, but we don't have a record of their previous job history, so I was calling to see if you could help me out with that", I said, changing my voice to sound older.

"Oh yes, I can help you out with that. What's the name of the employee?" She asked eagerly.

"Vivian Ashton", I responded.

There was an uncomfortable silence after I said the name and I was about to say it again, but she finally spoke up, "Sorry, ma'am, I have no record of anyone with that name who used to work here. Was there anything else I could help you with?"

"Hold on, could you search up Richard Ashton as well?" I knew it was probably stupid to ask for both of them when I had only mentioned one initially, but I needed to confirm my suspicions.

Again, she was quiet for a bit but then spoke up, "Ma'am, I've checked the records for both. Neither a Richard nor Vivian Ashton has ever worked here before. I checked back five, ten, and fifteen years, but there's no record. I'm sorry that I can't help you any further. Would I be able to assist you with anything else?"

I sighed, defeated, "Uh, no. Thank you for your help."

"Alright, well have a good day. And ma'am? It'd be in your best interest to stop asking questions", she finished while hanging up the phone.

"Wait, what?" I said in response.

I was confused for two reasons: one, because of what she had said. And two, because it sounded like a completely different voice that said it. Was our conversation being monitored? Had she gotten in trouble and someone heard the call and interrupted us? But now it all started to make sense. My parents never really did work there. So the new question was, if they didn't work at an office job, what did they really do for work? And did I even want to know?

For now, I would leave it alone. I didn't know how much this changed things, but I knew that it did. I knew that my parents just wanted to protect me, and I appreciated that, but they didn't get to just end it for me. They didn't get to decide what I did with my life. They did this to me and I was going to get to the bottom of it. No matter the cost...

~*~

The next day...

Tristen walked with me to my locker so I could store my books from government and history inside of it. He pointed, "You know, you should decorate your locker. It looks so sad compared to everyone else's."

I laughed, "Who cares? I'm not spending money to put arts and crafts on my locker. And besides, I barely see this thing anyway. We're almost in a new semester, so these lockers aren't even gonna be ours anymore."

"True, true, I didn't even think about that. Well, it was worth a shot", he said.

I opened my locker and a sheet of paper fell out. I picked it up and read: stop looking if you know what's best for you. I immediately crumpled the paper in my hand and stuffed it into my pocket. Tristen didn't see anything, but he saw that I looked nervous. He paid attention to me, "Are you okay? You look pale."

I nodded excessively, "Me? Yeah, I'm fine! I just didn't realize how messy my locker was. Sorry I made you walk over here with me, you should get to class."

"You know I don't mind. But yeah, I'll get to class. Did you still want to hang out later?"

I nodded, "Of course."

He smiled and waved, "Alright, catch you later."

I placed my books into my locker and shut it and made my way into the girl's bathroom. I went to a random stall and took out the paper again to read it. I tried to see if I would recognize the handwriting, but I had no idea who could've written that note to me. It was obviously someone I went to school with. Who else would know that this was my locker? I figured it was just some stupid kid trying to play a prank on me, so I flushed the crumpled paper down the toilet and got out of the stall.

But a small part of me didn't believe that. What if it was someone my parents knew who somehow found out where I went to school and wrote that to me as a warning? A threat? What if it was the woman I had spoken to on the phone at Stonehenge? I wanted to know who did this, but I was pretty sure our school didn't have any cameras.

Speaking of cameras...there was something that was pushing me to go back to Icy Treats. The owner had been working there every single day for decades. If I had access to that place's security footage on the day my parents died, it could show me if there was something off or strange that happened around us. Maybe the killer or killers were in there watching us the entire time and we had no clue. With that in mind, I had planned to stop by after I got out of school. It was a long shot, but I was lost after discovering that their work badges were fake.

I knew I needed to do this alone because neither Kat nor Tristen would support me in going out and continuing my search. Deep down, I knew it was wrong too, but I was still going to do it. My mind was already made up and I had said a thousand times that I wasn't going to back down; not from this.

Once school finished, I got a ride from Trisha because I didn't want to bother my friends. She seemed like she was in a particularly good mood, so I felt it was the right time to ask her if she could take me to get ice cream. I gave an innocent look, "Hey, Trisha, I was doing some thinking and I noticed that we don't hang out. I know that's mainly my fault, but if you were cool with it, did you want to maybe stop at Icy Treats and get us something from there?"

She instantly lit up with excitement, "You mean it?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I want to spend some time with you."

She smiled while making her way to the ice cream shop, "I'm so glad to hear that. I've been wanting some one-on-one time with you for a long while now."

I unintentionally stayed silent after she'd said that because I started to feel bad. I didn't actually want to spend time with her, I had a completely different motive. But she didn't let me go out anywhere during the week, and if I had waited until the weekend to go, I would either have to go with Kat or Tristen, and they'd both figure out what I was really up to. So this was the only time I could do this and get away with it. I just had to figure out how I was going to pull it off.

She pulled up to the shop and we walked in together and stood there waiting in line. It wasn't too busy, but there was a decent amount of people inside. I just needed a few minutes alone with Jimmy, the owner, so I could get what I needed.

We were next in line and Jimmy greeted us, asking us what we wanted. Trisha ordered the brownie fudge sundae and I got the cookies and cream dream boat. We watched them make it in front of us and then took our seats. I picked a spot that was further from the front counter so that when I got up to talk to the owner, Trisha wouldn't be able to hear our conversation.

She took a bite of her ice cream and looked at me, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

I shrugged, "Uh...whatever you'd like."

She nodded, "Okay, uh, tell me about school. How's everything been going for you?"

I started eating my ice cream, "Yeah, it's going good. I'm passing all of my classes right now. I've just been studying a lot more and trying to figure out what I want to do when I graduate."

"Well, at least you have another break coming up, so you'll have time to relax. Christmas will be here in two weeks, are you excited to see your cousins in Ohio?" She asked.

Right, my cousins. The only people that treated me worse than Thomas and Tammy. They were Trisha's family, so I wasn't surprised that they were terrible, but I didn't know why they didn't like me. I only ever saw them, like, twice out of the year. I guess they had never really considered me to be their real cousin and hated the fact that Trisha always tried to force that on them.

I sighed, "Oh, I didn't know we were going to Ohio this year."

She frowned, "What do you mean you didn't know? We visit them every year for the holidays."

"No, I know, it's just...I was kind of planning to spend time with my friend. He doesn't really have anyone to spend the holidays with and I just wanted to-"

"Invite him! He's more than welcome to join. I'd love to meet your friend. I think all of us would", she interjected.

Normally, Trisha would flip at the mere mention of a boy, but ever since she'd come back from her Bible retreat, it was like she was a completely different person. It was almost scary. I blinked in confusion, "Wait, are you sure? I don't want to cause any trouble or anything."

She swatted the air in front of her, "Oh, please, you're not causing any trouble. Was this the friend you brought a plate to on Thanksgiving?"

I blushed in embarrassment, "You knew?"

She shrugged, "Well, Tim figured it out, but yeah, I knew. And I just want you to be careful. I told you that you can trust me. I don't want you to feel like you have to lie or avoid telling me things just so I'll agree to something. And if I say no to things, it doesn't make me the bad guy. It makes me a parent. You should know that I only have your best interest at heart. I have a lot of making up to do for my actions, the way I've treated you, and the way I've allowed others in our life to treat you. So when you asked me to hang out today...that was the happiest I've been in a long time. So thank you for giving me another chance."

It was weird hearing these words come from her, but it was much needed. For years, I'd felt alienated and like a stranger in my own home. Never really felt like I belonged no matter how hard they tried to make me. Hearing Trisha basically tell me that she regretted the way she treated me was the closure I never knew I needed; not from her anyway. I was appreciative. Our relationship was going to need time to heal for sure, but if she was willing to right her wrongs and work on it, then I'd do the same.

The moment I was about to give her a response, I noticed that Jimmy was heading out of the front door. My eyes widened and I shot up out of my seat. Trisha gave me a concerned look, "Woah, River, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, can you just give me a second? I have to do something", I said running out of the front door. I spotted him walking to his car and called out, "Jimmy?"

He turned around, confused, but waved anyway, "Hi there."

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you. I know you're probably in a rush to get home. I just have a couple of questions", I admitted.

He looked down at his watch, "Do you know how long it's going to take?"

I put my hands out, "Not long at all, I swear. Ten years ago, I came here with my parents. Vivian and Richard Ashton were their names. They were murdered that same day, but it happened hours later. I know you wouldn't just remember some random people from a decade ago, but their murder was one of the biggest scandals in our town. Everyone's heard of it before. Would you guys happen to still have the security footage from that day?"

His eyes scanned me, he seemed troubled by the information I had given him, but his eyes lit up, "I remember you. I remember that day."

I lit up with excitement, "Yes! Do you still have that footage by any chance?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, miss, but after that tragedy happened, the police came by and they took the footage. So I'm afraid it's gone forever."

My eyes twitched in confusion, "Wait, what? The police took security footage from an ice cream shop? But why? What sense does that even make? Do you remember anything else about that day? Was there anyone suspicious? Someone in there that probably didn't buy anything?"

He shook his head, "Sorry, kid, that's all I know. I'm sorry I can't help you any further."

"But, sir, there has to be-"

"River!" I heard a loud voice yell from afar. I turned around and saw that it was Trisha. I threw my head back and let out a loud sigh. Now just really wasn't the time for this. I needed to know more information.

I turned back to Jimmy who was halfway in his car, "Sir, please, just take my number down. I'll get in contact with you later when I have more time. I have to go but this is not over!" I wrote down my number on a sheet of paper and stuffed it into his pockets before making my way across the street and back to where Trisha was standing.

"What were you doing over there? Was that old man messing with you? Do I need to call the police?" She questioned.

"Nothing, no, and definitely not. The police are shady here", I said, answering all of her questions.

"What was that?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. Can we go now? I gotta get started on some homework."

She seemed disappointed, "We barely got to talk, though. And you've been working super hard, you deserve a little break. Come on, let's finish our ice cream."

I sighed, "Trisha, I'd like to go home, please. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just tired."

She didn't say anything, but I knew she was upset. It was written all over her face. I did feel bad about cutting our time short, but what I had just discovered put a damper on my mood. To find out that the police were somehow involved in concealing evidence of what happened on the day my parents were murdered was not an easy pill to swallow. They were supposed to be the ones who you trusted to protect you. Clearly, there was way more to the story than I had imagined.

Trisha drove us home in silence and the first thing I did was race to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. I needed to clear my head. Why would the police take some random security footage of my parents and me getting ice cream that day? Was someone in there that shouldn't have been? Were they trying to get rid of any trace of my parent's existence? What in the world was going on?

I stayed in the shower for quite some time because, by the time I got out, it was already dark outside. I noticed that Tim, Trisha, and Tammy were all in the living room watching TV together. I was about to just ignore it until I saw a familiar scene. They were watching the news and the reporter was talking about some crime that had just been committed not too long ago. I curiously entered the room and began watching.

"So right now, we're in front of the beloved ice cream parlor, Icy Treats. Just an hour ago, three masked men entered the building with loaded weapons, demanding all the money from the registers and safes. Once the employees complied and gave them everything they had, the gunmen zip-tied everyone, including all of the witnesses, or customers, and shattered the windows with gunfire before ultimately just leaving the place. It was also later discovered that Jimmy Wakefield, long-time owner of Icy Treats, was reportedly shot to death in his home tonight. Kevin is with Mrs. Wakefield right now and she has a few words of her own. Kevin?"

My ears perked up at the sound of what I had just heard. I couldn't believe it. There was no way that this was a coincidence. Was he dead...because of me? My stomach started turning and I felt myself about to pass out. I guess everyone heard how hard I was breathing because they all turned their heads at the same time. Trisha stood up, "River?"

Tim raced over to me and grabbed my arm, helping me stay balanced. He turned my face to his, "Sweetie, you okay? What's wrong with you?"

I couldn't breathe now. I felt like the walls were collapsing onto me. Even Tammy looked concerned. I clenched my fist and held it to my chest, "I-I need to go lie down. I-I can't...I can't."

Tim helped me to my room and made sure that I was okay. He made me a glass of water, but I wasn't thirsty. He felt my forehead and told me that I could have a fever, but it wasn't that. I didn't exactly know what was wrong with me, but I knew that I was troubled.

As much as I wanted to believe that what happened was an isolated incident, I knew deep down that just wasn't true. Why would someone have killed Jimmy? Was someone listening in on our conversation earlier? There wasn't even anyone around. I thought to myself...what if it was the same people that put that note inside of my locker at school? If so, I had just added a whole new list of worries to my life. And with everything slowly falling apart, I began to ask myself if it was even worth it anymore...