One
Memories Never Fade
The sun blazed down on me, and I smiled as I felt my body tingle with the heat. That’s how I knew my bottle of Banana Boat tanning oil, or what my aunt calls “cooking oil “, was working. Breathing in the ocean air I readjust my body on the beach towel, trying to make myself more comfortable on the sand. I could feel the sun beating through my aviators as my eyes began to hurt even though they were closed. I sighed and open my eyes, to see my best friend Jaye straddling me with a sand bucket in her hands.
Staring at her in suspicion I ask her, “What the hell are you—“.
I was cut off when I the cold water splashed all over my body, hitting me like a thousand needles. Gasping aloud I stood up quickly and try to shake all the water off of me. I snapped my head up towards Jaye. She stood there in her pink and white striped bikini, doubled over laughing at me. I glared at her through the lenses of my sunglasses, a growl starting to rumble in the back of my throat.
Her laughter came to an abrupt stop as she looked up at me and said, “Oh sh—“.
She didn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence because I was already in mid sprint heading directly towards her. Spinning back on her heels she took off towards the ocean, but I was right on her tail. The water was just reached the middle of my thighs before I tackled her, she let out a scream just before we both hit the water. She came up gasping for air.
This time I was the one who was laughing, and surprisingly she joined in. “Damn Anna, I forgot how short your temper was.”
A smirk spread across my face as I said, “Yeah, I’m a bomb with a very short fuse.”
She laughed as she wrung out her long dirty blonde hair, trying to get as much water out of it as possible.
I looked into her ice blue eyes and said, “Come on let’s go and dry off and get back to the hotel.”
She nodded with a small smile as we make our way up to the beach. We walk in silence and I look around taking in the scenery of Miami. Right now we are on summer vacation and have been saving up our money for a good six months to pay for this trip. Even though we could have easily paid for it without waiting but we found it quite fun. We stopped at our towels that are spread out over the sand. A groan escapes my lips when I looked down.
“Jaye you ruined my only copy of Vampire Academy!” I said practically screaming at her.
She looked at me with the weirdest expression on her face, “Come on Annabell, you must have read that book at least a hundred times.” She said with an amused smile on her face.
“You know-- it’s a good thing you’re my best friend. But you’re still buying me a new book. “I said the last part with triumph. She grunted and I let out a quiet giggle, knowing that I had won the battle.
As we followed the cement path that led to the lobby of the hotel I began to think of how long it’s been since Jaye and I knew each other. Our parents had become friends when she moved here in ninth grade, back when she was a little angel before I corrupted her. Now we are the troublesome duo, it’s quite funny to see what we can do when we put our minds to it.
I flipped my shoulder length black hair over my left shoulder when we took a step into the hotel. Her sandals squeaked down the tiled hallway. Digging through my purse I found the room key before walking into the elevator. I pressed the shiny number eight button and smiled as it lit up.
“So we should really figure out what we are going to do for the rest of the day after we shower.” Jaye says softly as the people in the elevator grew silent.
I sighed and said, “I already know what we are doing. We are going to find a book store, then going out and eat dinner.”
She started to scowl at me and I laughed again. She always hated going into book stores, especially with me. But it was something she has learned to deal with over the past few years, just like I have dealt with her dragging me to the mall. The pointless hours of her asking me how each outfit looked on her, and if they make her butt look weird or too small.
I shifted my weight nervously while tapping my nails on the metal railing. I have always felt uncomfortable when I’m in an elevator. Almost as if I have become more paranoid than I already am. I looked up at the screen above the sliding doors and it says level five. I watched it as it slowly progresses to level six. As I stood there waiting I remembered a fact that I read somewhere.
Did you know that thirty people a year die from elevator related accidents? I didn’t either, and I sure as hell don’t want to be one of those people and that is why I try and get in and out of an elevator as quickly as possible.
I heard the loud ding that snapped me out of my thoughts. The doors began to open and the people start filling out. Quickly Jaye and I followed behind them and make our way down another long hallway.
I cleared my throat before I spoke, “So are you all packed for the flight tomorrow?” She looked at me and tried to put an innocent smile on her face. “Ugh,” I groaned before finishing my sentence, “you better not be up all night packing again. I’d actually like to get some sleep before our flight.”
She rolled her eyes at me as we stop in front of our door and I slid the key into the black slot. The light turned green and I twisted the handle and opened the door in one swift motion.
Yawning I placed my purse on the dresser, silently wishing we didn’t have to leave tomorrow. I didn’t want to go back to Arizona, but it wasn’t a choice I had to make. My aunt Martha had wanted us to be home sooner than a week and a half, but of course I asked her for more time. She hesitantly agreed and has been worried about me ever since. I haven’t left Arizona since I was seven.
“Then again I haven’t done a lot of things since then.” I say to myself as I made my way over to the night stand by my bed.
I took the picture off of it and ran my thumb over the faces of my mother and father. Closing my eyes for a few seconds I remembered the day when the picture was taken, just like it was yesterday. It was only a few days before my parents met their infamous fate, but it was one I would never forget.
Suddenly the memory consumed me way to fast, I didn’t have time to push it away. It was like I was seven all over again. I was in my room that was decorated in princesses, I had bright pink walls. I saw myself sitting by my little white doll house with the biggest smile on my face. I had Ken in one hand and Barbie in the other. They were all dressed up and were about to get married. That was until I hear a high pitch scream. I drop the dolls and my hands fly up to cover my ears as it continues.
“Momma!” I yelled taking my hands off my ears.
Pushing myself up, I walk over to my door in my little white sun dress. Turning the knob I opened the door. I continued to walk over to the stair way to see my mom holding her stomach as blood seeped through the slits between her fingers.
“Sweetie, go back in your room and stay somewhere safe. Please honey, listen to me.” She said to me, her voice frantic.
I ran over to her instead and touched her stomach saying. “Hurt mommy. You’re hurt. “
She winced as my little hand touched her stomach and said, “I know ba--”. Her words where cut off when we heard a gunshot. I turned my head to the stairs to see my dad’s limp body covered in blood.
The next thing I remember was that my throat had a terrible ache. That was until I realized I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I stared at my dad and his eyes pierced into mine.
I yelled for him as I ran down the stairs, “Daddy!!” Tears streamed down my face as he coughed up more blood. My feet moved as fast as they could down the stairs and I fell to my knees next to my father.
Blood stains cover his hand as he stroked my cheek and said to me quietly, “Don’t… cry honey bun. I lo—“.
I watched as my father coughs again and his eye lids slowly shut. His hand finally slipped down my face, and fell to the floor. I cried as I place my small hands on his chest and shake him.
“Daddy! Wake up! Please daddy, wake up!” I screamed at him and began to shake him harder. “Daddy…” I whisper again quietly.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and my mom whisper, “Annabell, please. “I shook her hand off and curled up next to my dad. I cried to myself while I clutched his hand in mine. Slowly I nestled my head into his neck and shut my eyes tight.
I didn’t open them until a little while later when I heard people coming through the door.
I heard a man shout “Arizona Police Department is anyone in the house? “ The shuffling of shoes filled the house as I heard more men shout “clear “and doors would shut. Finally a man walked into the living room where I laid with my father and he said, “Guys we got something.”
I jumped, startled, as a hand was gripping mine pulling me out of my frightening memory.
I turned my head towards Jaye and looked into her eyes. They showed sympathy and sadness. I immediately tore my eyes away from hers. I didn’t realize I was breathing quickly and clutching the picture of my parents to my chest. Closing my eyes tightly I felt a tear escape from my eyes and run down my cheek, only to be wiped away by Jaye’s soft fingers. I opened my eyes again and tried to give her a small smile, but I knew I had failed at the attempt.
We had tried to talk about my memories before. About what happened that night. But it just got too much for me to handle and I would end up breaking down and would refuse to talk about it for weeks on end.
The weird thing is Jaye understood that she shouldn’t push for more an-swers. She was always left clueless on the mysteries in my parent’s murder, and why the case went cold after three years of investigation. The truth was I am right there with her trying to figuring out the mysteries.
