Dear Edward - Heather Parsons (smart books to read .TXT) 📗

one another about what's happened, caused a smile to appear on her face. But Ella couldn't help the tears that flooded her eyes, being alone in the house with her memories. She swore that if you listened closely enough you could hear Brianna's voice, feel your tears being wiped away by her soft gentle touch. And no matter what, there's no relief for a mother who can't protect her own.
Ella found herself once again in Brianna's room, looking at the pictures and touching lightly everything within reach. Falling as her tears fell, on the floor and clutching her daughter's pillow in her grasp just to be closer to her. It's a nightly ritual for her. Feeling closer to her daughter this way, being able to smell her faint scent but she'd never tell Christopher she did this. The pain it would cause would be too much.
And then there's the box that sits in the corner of her room, unopened. The one that Ella didn't know where to put at the time Mr. Thomas gave her Brianna's things from school. On the day he brought it she couldn't bare to face what secrets it held inside it. And it took until six months ago when she finally was able to open it and look inside. Sorting through the letters that Brianna wrote soldiers overseas, the letters she wrote to Ella. There were so many of them that Ella found herself sitting down, by candlelight and reading through all of them. The letters Brianna wrote to soldiers, Ella mailed but the one's she'd written to her, Ella held them close to her heart. But again no one knows this but her.
Standing up and walking to the door, Ella had to lean against the frame just to whisper words they'd always said to each other before walking out the door, “all our hearts and souls combined, together, forever. I love you, Brianna. My sweet precious angel.” And the tears return before the last words left her mouth.
Now she's sitting up in her own bed, wondering if Christopher will ever come home. It's been hours since he walked out the door and here she sits and waits. Pondering over what happened to cause him to stay away so long. Did you make him leave? All your crying and muttering around cause he to leave?
Hating herself she wiped the tears away and picked up the phone. Slowly and precisely she dialed the local police department and waited while closing her eyes and hoped with everything left inside her that nothing bad happened. Whispering prays that she hoped would be answered in some way.
“Woodland Police Department. How many I direct your call?”
“Sgt. Edding?” Her voice shook and broke while her body trembled with fear. “Please, I really need to speak with him.”
“I'm sorry, Sgt. Edding is responding to a call. Is there someone else I can direct you too?”
“My husband, Christopher, left the house on foot hours ago and I haven't seen him since. I know something's happened, I can feel it. Please you have to help me.” The phone shook in her hand that it took holding it in both so she could hear what the other person was saying.
“Ma'am normally we have to wait-”
“Listen to me carefully,” Ella spoke through gritted teeth, “my daughter, Brianna, we just buried her body after it was missing for two years so don't tell me what you normally do!”
“Ma'am, please cal-”
“Don't you dare tell me to be calm. I am calm dammit!” Ella yelled.
The phone sounded like she'd dropped it and then there was someone else on the other line. “Ella? What's wrong?” Officer Scott asked. He remembered going with his Sgt. over to their house to tell them about their daughter. That he would do whatever it took to get her back. It was and still is the biggest case this town ever had and that's something he'll never forget.
“It's Christopher, he left a long time ago and hasn't come home. I'm worried.” She sighed, finally getting someone who knew her on the phone.
“Ella, Christopher's fine. He called a few minutes ago and Sgt. Edding went out to see what it was. I'll radio him now and tell him to have Christopher call you.” He said a little irritated. He couldn't believe Christopher didn't call his wife and tell her, anything.
“Thank you.” Ella hung up, relieved. He was okay, thank God.
At the exact minute she hung the phone up there was a knock at the front door. Rushing to get it she grabbed her light jacket just encase and opened the door. There on the other side stood Adam wide eyed and out of breath.
“I came as fast as I could. Christopher told me to come and stay with you.” Adam took a deep breath, regretting what he was supposed to say next.
“What do you mean stay with me? What's going on?” She eyed him carefully. “Adam what's happened?”
“I-”
“You stay right there and I'll be back.” Ella pointed to the couch, watching Adam walk inside and sit before she headed for the phone to answer it.
“Hello,” she answered in a rather calm tone.
“Babe, I'm sorry. I should have called you first but-” Christopher's hand covered the phone to argue with someone else, “Ella I need you to stay there. Don't let anyone inside the house, Sgt. Edding is on his way to get you.”
Ella laughed nervously, he couldn't be serious. “What's going on?”
“We'll explain when we get there. Just make sure to lock the doors and windows and don't let anyone in.” Christopher waited for her to say something. “Are you listening to me?”
“Adam's here. He just walked in a few minutes ago, said you sent him here. Christopher did you? Send him here?”
Christopher cursed loudly on the phone and yelled to Sgt. Edding, “He's there! We have to go NOW!”
Ella's hands trembled, the phone falling out of her hands and to the floor where she stood staring at it. What to do now? Run? Hide? Scream? But for who and would they hear her.
“Mrs. Sampson! What's wrong?” Adam voice shook, “who was on the phone?”
“Ch...Chris...Christopher,” she stumbled over his name. Trying to think through the fog that now surrounded her mind.
“Oh God I'm so sorry. He told you and I thought he'd wait until he was here. Would you like to talk about it?” Adam wiped a tear away. He still couldn't believe after all this time they'd found her car and finally have evidence to who took her. The bloody hand print on the window, but was it her's? Man, he didn't want to think about it. His heart tightened, felt like someone had a hold of it and was squeezing it tight.
“Ella I think you should sit down, you don't look well.” He ushered her to the couch and sat down beside her. Rubbing her back and watched as she fell to pieces.
Her legs felt like jello, barely able to hold her up as she walked side by side with Adam to the couch. Staring down at her hands, she didn't think she could look him in the eye and know he was the one that took her daughter. Killed her.
Sgt. Edding and Christopher raced back to the house with sirens blaring. Scared to death with what his wife was going through. Would Adam leave her alone? Take her away like he did Brianna?
With the note firmly in his hand, Christopher slammed his hand on the dashboard, swearing. “That damn little son of a-” he slammed his hand down again. “I'll kill him if he has laid one hand on her.”
Guilt hit him the hardest and his eyes skimmed over the note one more time while tears flooded his eyes.
Confessions of the Heart (was written off center)
I was sitting outside in the parking lot of the college, parked two spaces away from where Brianna's car sat and I waited. Knowing that she'd be coming out soon and when she did I made sure to be inside my own car, trying to get it started. When the engine turned over for the third time Brianna came over and asked, “Adam you want a ride?”
I laughed, I couldn't help it but said, “sure that would be great” and grabbed my stuff out of the back and put it all in her car, and climbed in the passenger side. We talked about all sorts of things and then she asked, “do you know where we are supposed to meet everyone?”. I said I did and would show her the way.
When the dirt road come into view I told her to turn left and she laughed saying,, “she would have never found the place without me”. And I said, “I wouldn't have either if I hadn't called everyone and found out beforehand”.
Then at the top of the hill there's a little dirt road that veers off and she needed to take it because the parking area was at the end. When we arrived and she had parked she asked, “where everyone else was?”. I said “when I'd called they said they were all running late and would be there as soon as possible”.
I was excited that I'd finally been able to get Brianna alone and thought of all the many things I wanted to do with her. When she leaned back to relax, I reached into my back pocket and took out the switch blade I kept close. Pulling it out and turning towards her, I smiled and flicked the blade. The look in her eyes made me more excited. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and said in a shaky voice, “Adam why?”
And I laughed because she didn't know, didn't know I loved her and this was the only way I could be with her. “No more questions. Lean over slowly, put your hand on the door handle and open it. Don't do anything stupid.” She did as I asked, “now get out.”
But she didn't believe me so I showed her, cutting my palm with my own blade and placing my hand print on the window. “Move NOW, Brianna!” She was pissing me off but I think she's finally seeing the real picture here. If she