by Jamie Gray
"What? Is everyone okay?"
The officer shook his head. "No. The poor couple burned alive inside, and their daughter died from the impact of the fall… while the other, I hear, disappeared." The man paused, shaking his head as he acknowledged how ridiculous it all sounded. "I assure you, we will do everything we can to catch the woman who did this," he added with an assured nod.
Lanie fell silent, shocked breathless. She glanced to her side, hearing distant murmuring from outside the ambulance. Her heart stopped as she saw Brooke's lifeless body. She laid flat on her back, her eyes shut, and her skin ice white. It made Lanies entire body tremble to see as the medics began to cover her with a black sheet, deeming her to truly be dead. She collapsed to her knees, her vocal cords erupting into a collection of piercing screams as she pressed her knees up against her stomach, her face buried in her palms as she wept. Adrian and Kadence, having taken notice, followed her gaze and dropped their joyous expressions. They were left powerless to move as their attention was held captive to watch every moment of Brooke's dead body being covered.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," the officer told them softly, nodding as he turned to leave.
They were too late.
A mournful sombre had spread across the neighbourhood as the dark cloud of the smoke cast the street in shadowy darkness. A mere memory of what could have been prevented that tragic afternoon.
Epilogue:
When Lexi opened her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness. The air smelt of sweat and sulphur. The floor beneath her was cold and rough against her back. There was no wind or stiff breeze, and yet her body felt hollow and numb. She tried to move her arms and legs, but it was no use. She couldn’t feel any of her limbs as she lay on the floor. She couldn’t even shift her head from side to side, not that she actually wanted to. She gasped as she spotted a boy sitting in the corner across from her. His hair was jet black and he had a large scar across his face. He felt familiar to her, like she should recognize him somehow, but it eluded her. He was awake, but he didn’t speak. He didn’t look at her, acting as though she wasn’t there. Her mind was foggy. Fragments of memories felt scattered in her mind. She had tried to recall where she was. Why she was there. Nothing came to mind. Her eyes were hot as tears streamed down the sides of her face. She could feel her sorrow press against her chest and twist her stomach inside out… but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.
Void
A Clarissa Lovett Novel
Jamie Gray
Coming Soon
Jamie Gray
is the author of the Clarissa Lovett series. She lives in Ontario, Canada where she works as influencer on multiple platforms, while attenting high school and spending time with family.
www.jamiegrayauthor.com
