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

happened. “I was sitting next to her, trying to sooth her and the next thing I know I'm laying on the ground bleeding.” His hand brushed through his hair, feeling blood both dried and wet there.
“Where is she?” Christopher screamed.
“Man, I don't know.”
“What about this?” Christopher shoved the confession into his chest. Tears pooled around the edges of his eyes but he wouldn't let them fall. Determined not to break down again tonight.
“I don't know what this is.” Adam read it over and over, not believing a word written on it. Why would someone write his name on it? Who would do that?
“Brianna was my friend,” he whispered. “I'd never hurt her.”
“This states otherwise,” Christopher yelled, pointing at the very letter Adam held.
“It's not even my handwriting. Mr. Sampson you've got to believe me. I'd never do anything like this, ever.” Adam dropped his head into his hands and let the letter fall. His hands felt dirty holding it and reading it made him see things behind his eyelids. Horrible things he'd never do to anyone let alone a friend.
“Christopher,” Sgt. Edding warned. He'd been watching him and knew sooner than later that he'd loss his temper.
He was standing just outside the glass door, staring down at the drops of blood that didn't look like they belonged. Following with his eyes alone, he could see that they lead away from the house. Grabbing for his radio, Sgt. Edding called in and told his officers to come to the address he'd given and to bring everyone. There were on another man hunt and this time they'd not come home empty handed. Knowing Christopher would never survive if he lost someone else.
Reliving the last moments before he'd blacked out, Adam suddenly opened his eyes and blurted out, “someone was standing outside before the glass broke. I thought I'd imagined it but I saw him.”
“What?” Both Christopher and Sgt. Edding asked, turning and stared at him.
Sgt. Edding was the first to recover from the initial shock. “Do you know who?”
“He was just standing there...it was kind of creepy...then...” Adam trailed off, stuck in his thoughts again.

TWENTY-FIVE

Sgt. Edding didn't want to take the chance on losing out on the only evidence that was sure fire to point in one direction to go to waste.
Miss. Reed the only available sketch artist for miles arrived at the Sampson's residence to assist Adam in his recollection of the assailant. Laying out her supplies on the coffee table sitting in front of Adam, she pulled out her pad and started asking questions.
“Let's start out with the basic structure of his face.” Miss. Reed made the necessary points of reference for where the eyes, nose and mouth should be and set out next to Adam so he could see for himself what the results would look like. Whether he would want to change the shape of the eyes, the nose, the mouth or add depth to wherever.
“I don't know how much I remember.” Adam's shoulder's sagged. His head was throbbing, shooting pain up and down his side but he was determined to do this. If anything he wanted to prove he wasn't as useless as he once thought he was. Or still is.
“Just take your time, close your eyes and tell me what you do remember.” Miss. Reed set the pencil aside and waited. This procedure takes a lot of time and patience, good thing she has plenty of both.
Adam did as he was told and laid back on the couch, closing his eyes and turning back time. In slow painful whispers he started telling her what the man looked like. Reliving the terror in his mind and letting the image come out.
Christopher was pacing the living room, looking out the door at the officers that were collecting evidence then turned around to stare at the opposite wall. His wife's safety consuming his thoughts. Is she safe? Hurt? Where did she go? Will I find her? This thought choked him, lodging his heart in his throat, gasping for air.
“That's it!” Adam yelled, grabbing hold of his head and throwing himself forward. Launching off the couch while his stomach rolled. He wanted distance from the image, the further away the less his head hurt.
“This can't be right,” Christopher gasped. “He has always been with us, on searches, even tonight looking for anything that would help in finding what happened to Brianna.”
“Son are you positive, this is the man you saw?” Sgt. Edding asked.
“Y-y-yes.” Acid built up in Adam throat, threatening. He nodded slowly then turned away from everyone, grabbing hold of the wall for support. “I think I need to go to the hospital.”
His face was ashen and blood was still streaming down his forehead. Swaying slightly, Adam closed his eyes and lost consciousness.
“We need to get the picture out to the media. Everyone needs to know if they come across him to be cautious and call the police immediately.” Sgt. Edding advised his officers.

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~

She'd been trapped here for so long, all alone with memories of her past that when he finally brought someone else here she thought it would erase everything bad. That she would be able to have at least one friend and they could keep each other safe. But he was angry at her for reasons she didn't know and he took her away that very night. Never to be seen again.
Now hearing this other person in the room with her, scared her to death. She didn't want to make friends only to have them taken away. Scared to breathe, scared to move she sat curled up in the corner, wide eyed and watched this other person closely.
Her voice was soft reminding her of her own mother's but thinking this way only brought tears and he hated when she cried. So she weep silently to herself, from the inside.
“How long have you been here?” Ella whispered. She moved closer to where she thought the other girl was.
“Shh..” she shook her head.
The darkness in the room made it hard for Ella to see anything but she tried. Her motherly instincts told her she needed to protect this girl. Moving closer even so she could touch her to feel for herself that she was indeed real.
Just before Ella's hand touched the girls the door swung open. Bright light shone into the room, blinding Ella to the point of having to put her hand in front of her eyes for a shield.
“Are you unhappy about the way your being treated, Ella?” He sneered.
His voice she knew it from somewhere. If only she could see his face she'd know who it was but the light was to bright for her eyes to focus. And when she brought her hand down her eyes watered where she couldn't see anything at all.
He turned to the girl and smiled, “I told you I'd bring her, sweetheart. You should be happy to see her not hiding in the corner, away from her.” He took a step towards her and then another to see what she'd do and her reaction excited him.
“Brianna, if you're not going to play nice then I'll take her away just like I took the other one.” He smiled sweetly and bent down to her.
“Please don't. I'll behave.” She whispered.
“Brianna.” Ella gasped. “Is it really you?”
“Of course it's her. What did you think I'd kill her?” He sneered. “Everyday she came to my class I wanted to be with her but she never saw me as anyone other than her teacher. Oh but she sees me now.”
“John....” Ella sucked in a breath before he backhanded her across the face.
“You don't deserve to call me that. You haven't earned my respect yet.” He lifted his hand again to slap her.
“Please, please I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt her.” Brianna pleaded, standing beside him without touching. She knew better than to touch him without permission.
“Are you jealous?” John questioned.
“Y-yes. Don't touch her again, please.” Brianna's lower lip shook with the words she spoke. She could feel his eyes roaming her body, knew what he was wanting but didn't want her mother to have to go through it.
If she could occupy him for a few hours then maybe her mother could get away and be safe. And when John grabbed her arm and lead her away Brianna tried to tell her mother just that with only her eyes. Hoping that she would get the message before it was too late.
Ella rocked back on her heals in disbelief. Brianna was alive, she was alive. All a mother could ever dream of and here she was sitting back and not doing a damn thing about keeping it that way. She just let her daughter be taken away again by the same man that took her in the first place. Let her slip through her finger again.
Tears fell from Ella's eyes while she sat there and watched John grab Brianna's arm and pull her away. You should fight back. How many chances do you want? Her mind was screaming at her. Do something.
Brianna sat on the edge on the bed, knowing what would come next and tried to make herself not feel anything. Suck all her feelings, all what makes her her back inside herself so he only effects her body not her mind. But this time was different. She'd seen her own mother and it brought back all her feelings to the front making it impossible to hide away.
“Was it Mia that they buried in my place?” Brianna pulled her knees to her chest to shield herself in case the question was a wrong one to ask.
“You shouldn't worry about it.” John said soothing her with his hand, rubbing her back in comfort.
“It was, that's why she never came back.” She paused, “you promised.”
“Shut up!” He screamed grabbing her from behind and slamming her on the bed. Climbing on top to keep her in place, he grabbed her hands in one of his and held them above her head. “You