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Chapter 2
Wishes never come true. This was reality therefore:
1. There were no such things as genies in a bottle.
2. A pumpkin will never become a golden carriage.
3. There is no knight in shining armor.
4. I was not done with the “mess” I made.
I wiped the tears off my face and slowly stood up again—my legs were stiff from kneeling. I had no idea how long I was on the ground but it couldn’t have been long because Michael still faced me but was now joined by a policeman. The policeman was round and had a burly moustache with specks of crumbs tangled in it. His cheeks were rosy red so you would think that he would have a smile too but his face was in a confused frown.
“Well, good afternoon.” He paused as if he was not sure what to say next.
“I’m Mr. Lauren. What is your name, please?” He looked at me as if anxious to get the conversation over with. Michael muttered something under his breath realizing he forgot to ask one of the most simple of questions. He should of known better.
“Aubrey, sir.” I fumbled at my answer. In small towns, everyone knew everybody’s name. Highland doesn’t have its own police force so all our police come from the neighboring areas. Since this was the first time I had to talk to the police, it was not often that I had to be asked.
“Well, Aubrey, come with me. All we want to do is ask you some questions to figure out what’s going on.”
What is going on? I thought. It was an accident. It was an accident. It was just an accident. I thought it over and over again. Closing my eyes harder and harder each time to make it come true. It was true, right?
Mr. Lauren and Michael already were several feet ahead of me before I started to walk forward. Was this the way I was supposed to be treated? No hugs of reassurance, no friendly pats on the back or even just a smile. Even just a smile.
I followed the two men down Glimmer Parkway, my home road. We departed from the side of my house, jumped over my fence, and walked along the long winding pavement. Glimmer Parkway got its name from all the trees that lined it or at least because of one special day. It is told that one night, right before dawn, the morning dew on all the trees glimmered so brightly that the whole road was lit. All the townsfolk were so amazed at the sight that they renamed the street, Glimmer. Of course, now, no one truly believed in the ol’ folklore of Highland but whenever I walked down Glimmer Parkway, I felt magic running through my bare feet. As if something was telling me that one day I was going to shine so brightly to light up the whole world. Though this time around, I didn’t feel anything. Only the cold, the agony, and the fear. Where was I going? Where’s Mamma? Surely, the police would have contacted her before now. Then again, they didn’t even know my name. I broke from my reminiscent trance to see where Mr. Lauren and Michael were. I needed them to contact Mamma.
They were walking a considerable distance ahead of me. I felt my legs bolt into a full run to catch up. I could feel the wind blowing through my brown frizzy auburn hair as it lifted it up off of my neck. Though after awhile, I could feel my bare feet starting to sting from the hard pavement. Finally, the men were coming into arms distance. Michael was the first to look behind him—to look at me.
He smiled. It was the first sign of human emotion, I had seen out of him. Though it was a quick smile; his face became serious again soon afterwards.
I slowed down to walk besides Mr. Lauren.
“I need to talk—“
I cut myself off. Glimmer Parkway stopped right where we were standing. Police cars, and huge fire trucks lined Freeway Street. It seemed like a hundred men and women were involved in the beginning of what would be known as the Aubrey case. They were all departing the scene also, getting into their fire trucks and other assorted cars. There was a lone ambulance at the end of Freeway. But most importantly, there was a black police car parked in front of us. I never took into consideration that I would have to go to the police station.
“Before we start the interrogation, we need the consent of your parents” Mr. Lauren turned towards me obviously waiting for a quick answer.
But that was part of the exact problem I needed to solve.
“She doesn’t know where her mom is, Sir.” Michael proudly reported to Mr. Lauren. His eyes shone brighter than any star in the sky. I understood Michael after that. He was one of those people who are obsessed with their career, pleasing their boss, and overall success. I used to be one of them.
Mr. Lauren looked at Michael and then at me. He then finally figured out what to say.
“Where’s your Dad?” It was an ingenious question if I wasn’t raised by a single mother for the majority of my life.
“I don’t know.” I felt the blood drain from my face. “He left when I was little.” It was not a fact I like to be reminded of. The little memories that I have of Daddy are small but they tell a story of a man that loved his little girl. Those memories are wrong.
I looked up hopelessly at the two men. I wanted to talk to Mamma even though it meant saying I destroyed all of our treasures. I wanted to talk to her for comfort.
That’s when it hit me.
The policeman had other ideas in store for contacting Mamma. He said that we needed to start an interrogation. Interrogations aren’t like what Michael did, asking me a few harmless questions. Interrogations are hard-core; they’re for suspects—for suspected criminals.
I wasn’t a criminal, was I? No. Don’t panic, Aubrey. Don’t panic.
“Do you need a phone?” Mr. Lauren’s voice was softer this time. My fear must have been evident to them.
“Yes.” Yes, I desperately needed a phone.
My hand reached out, expecting to be given a cell phone of some kind. Mine was in my room. Now, gone.
I felt nothing in my palm.
“Before, we allow you to contact anyone else, we need to go over a few things.” Mr. Lauren said, and then pointed to Michael.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?” Michael recited the Miranda rights perfectly just like we learned in school. Though I never thought I would ever have to be given them. I thought I was good for life.
The words blew one by one over my head, I didn’t understand until something caught my eye. A man had come out of the lone ambulance and started to walk towards us. He was tall, and had a white lab coat on. But, it wasn’t what he was wearing that was interesting. It was what he was holding. The tall man with the lab coat carried a small plastic baggy containing what looked like ash. But it wasn’t the type of regular ash you see at a fire. This was chunky ash. Big black with specks of a red substance ash. The man was nearing the police car that Mr. Lauren, Michael, and I were standing next to. Mr. Lauren looked behind him, now also looking at the tall man.
“Its human.” The tall man made his way to Mr. Lauren and whispered those two words in his ear.
Mr. Lauren nodded gravely. The sight would plague me for years to come.
Can she not control herself? It sounds like a higher force is compelling her to run.
