AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Two
Niko
I dropthe magazine back in the box. I went back the day after Aislin found it under the cushion and dug it out of our makeshift trash can. I don’t know why I went back for it. It wasn’t because I was particularly interested in what was inside although I did look at it several more times. No, I think it was because I knew things were going to change between me and her. And they did.
Aislin and I may have known the basics of sex, but we were still innocent. I was still a kid, and my body had just started becoming unfamiliar to me, so my view of Aislin stayed the same; innocent and brotherly. It wasn’t until years later that I started looking at Aislin differently, in more of a sexual light, but from that day forward, I often found myself wondering what she would look like when she was older.
Aislin also changed. We didn’t have many mutual friends, but any time I was around girls, she would watch us closely, wearing a curious yet concerned expression on her face. At the time, I didn’t know what she was looking for or if she ever found it, but I got the sense she dreaded the answer to whatever it was.
I get up from the couch, throwing the lid back on top of the box that carries many other mementos I’ve collected as a child in connection to Aislin. I’ve kept them all these years as a reminder of what we were as kids. Of course, even if I didn’t have the items, I still wouldn’t forget the bond she and I shared. It was as strong as any piece of steel.
Walking to the kitchen, I get a glass of water from the tap and chug it down. I turn around and face the rest of the room. Looking over the bar that separates the living room from the kitchen, I see several boxes in the corner that I still need to unpack. Even more are placed throughout the rest of the house. I’ve been here a week, and I’ve hardly unpacked anything except for the essentials I need to live.
I set my glass in the sink and go to the window that faces the neighboring house. As soon as I left the morgue after seeing Aislin’s mutilated form two months ago, I went straight to my boss and put in a transfer to Westbridge, my hometown. Knowing that Aislin’s body was found in the same town as our childhood, and therefore, she was probably here the whole time, under my nose, almost had me going into a destructive rage.
I moved away seven years ago to Brighton, a small town near Pittsburgh. The resources were better than in Westbridge, and it was only two hours away, so if I needed to come back for some reason, it wouldn’t be a problem.
My parents, who have both held the same job for the past twenty-five years, finally decided to retire and move to Florida. When they offered me the house, I knew right away it was where I was meant to be. It seemed fitting to live in the same neighborhood where my heartache began. To be in the same house when I exact my vengeance on the bastard who took and tortured my Aislin.
My gaze drifts across the side yard to the abandoned house next door that holds so many memories. It’s never been in the best condition, but it’s a true eyesore now. Especially with the neighborhood’s inhabitants changing over the years and the area being cleaned up. It’s not the gang ridden wasteland it once was. The houses are clean, the yards mowed, the people are nice, and the crime rate is almost nonexistent. The house next door, though… The grass is knee high, parts of the siding is falling off, the porch is sagging, and several of the windows are busted out.
About five years ago, Aislin’s mom just up and left, leaving most of her belongings behind. The place was left in such terrible shape that the owners of the house never attempted to repair it and just put it on the market instead. With the condition it is in, there’s been no interest in the house, and it’s just sitting there abandoned. I have an appointment with the realtor tomorrow. My memories of her place aren’t that great, but it’s still a connection to her that I need.
My phone ringing on the bar pulls my attention from the house next door, and I walk over and grab it.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer tiredly.
“Hey, sweetie. You sound tired. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s good. Just getting settled in. You know how it is moving.”
I walk over to the leather couch and take a seat. My hand moves to my chest, and I rub the spot that always aches when I think about Aislin.
“How did the closing on the house go?” I ask.
“Your father and I are now the proud owners of a small bungalow on the beach!” Mom says excitedly.
I smile at her happiness. My parents worked their asses off their whole adult life to provide the best life they could for me and my brother and sister. I’m glad they are finally in a place where they can relax and enjoy life. They deserve it and so much more.
“That’s great, Mom.”
After a couple of minutes of silence, Mom says, “Now, tell me how you’re really doing?”
“Mom, I’m fine. Really. I’m just…”
“Niko, I may be old, but I’m not senile yet. I know my kids, and I can hear it in your voice. How are you reallydoing?”
I lean my head back against the couch and release a tired breath. She’s right. Mom’s not stupid, and she knows how hard these past couple of months have been. She knows part of the reason I came back to Westbridge. I haven’t told her of my need for revenge, just that I need to be close to where Aislin’s body was found.
“I’m buying her house.”
She’s quiet at first but then says softly, “Are you sure that’s smart, sweetie?”
“Yes,” I tell her without hesitation. “I’m not sure what I’ll do with it, but it’s something I need to do. I’ll fix it up and decide once it’s done.”
The silence is heavy between us until she once again speaks.
“I’m so sorry, Niko.”
