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

will not say another word!”
He gritted his teeth and slapped her. Tears collected in her eyes from the impact and she shut her mouth. Fearing what would happen to her mother if she didn't.
“I should have known bringing your mother here would be a mistake.” Slap. “And I promise you wouldn't see again after tonight.” Slap.
“STOP!” Ella screamed, charging in the room and knocking him off Brianna.
The last thing she remembers is seeing Brianna laying on the bed, bleeding and unresponsive. John had bounced off the floor and rushed her, knocking her against the wall, releasing the air in her lungs and breaking a rib. Her body went limp in his arms a second afterward and all the lights went out.

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~

Woodland Police Department was flooded with news crews from all over. Everyone was gathered together in the conference room for a brief statement from the officer in charge of this investigation.
The mic was tapped twice to get everyone's attention. Captain Ross stood before ready to get the information to the public before anything else could happen. “Ladies and Gentlemen we have called everyone tonight to make a break in the kidnapping of Brianna Sampson. We have a sketch of the man responsible. Mr. John Thomas a college professor at our local college. He is our main suspect in now another kidnapping of Mrs. Ella Sampson. It happened earlier tonight at her home. Any information you can give us about him would be helpful. The tip hotline will be given to all the news stations.”
All the reports started throwing questions out, “How long has Mrs. Sampson been missing?”
“How do you know it's the same man?”
“Wasn't Brianna Sampson taken over two years ago?”
“Was that even Brianna's body we buried last week?”
The last question asked had everyone else quieted. A reporter in the back asked it, a young man that didn't look old enough to be there let alone ask.
Christopher sat alone on the sidelines, shaking all over but when he heard the question, he was steamed. “I was there, I saw for myself. You were even at her funeral, how could you ask a question like that?” His eyes stared down the reporter that asked it, daring him to say something else. Just a push over the edge of sanity.
Edward stood there as well, stock-still not believing what he was seeing. Could the man that was with them all afternoon until the police showed up be the one that started this all? Did he make everything, pass through life believing he'd never be found out? Just asking himself these questions made himself angry.
And now with the question still lingering in the air, was it really Brianna that he saw this whole time or someone that looked like her? And was she even dead?
All the officers involved in the case left the room together. Their hand held radios all replying the same message. “Someone has discovered a body and they need assistance now.”

TWENTY-SIX

Sitting in the back seat of the patrol car, Edward listened in to the conversation that was taking place up front. The voices he heard started to slur together, making him strain to hear but it wasn't exactly what they were saying that mattered. It was what he couldn't hear that did. For a town this size there should be more happening, even if they were in the middle of a man hunt, life didn't just cease to exist.
There were no residence on the streets or in the stores that lined them, no cars as far as the eye can see anywhere and more than that there were no sounds other than the patrol car and the whispers inside.
Goosebumps rose on his arms and down his spine, something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Turning his head to lay more comfortable on the headrest, Edward closed his eyes and tried to open his mind. A trick he'd learned long ago that he hoped he'd never have to experience again. But what was happening now or more like not happening now, confused and concerned him to do exactly this.
Hurry, Edward.

Hearing this loudly in his mind caused him to jump. He hadn't quiet opened his mind completely when her voice screamed this but he listened.
“You need to go faster, Sgt.” Edward demanded, his voice urgent and out of breath. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the driver and passenger. Trying to get his message out there without panicking.
They're coming back, hurry.

Now he was panicking. All his training in the military had gone out the window and there was no way to rein it back in. Would they make it there on time? Could he handle seeing another dead body? No, no, no, no!
“Edward we're going as fast as we can. We'll make it there, don't worry.” Sgt. Edding stated as he looked in his rear view mirror at the fear in Edward's eyes. His own fear and panic ebbed there way up his spine but seeing the look in his eyes, him screaming no from behind him made his foot push the gas petal harder.
“What happened? Why are you screaming no?” Christopher asked, shaking. He was on the verge of losing it completely and hearing Edward's pleads wasn't helping.
Edward couldn't talk, couldn't answer why he was panicking the way he was. The voice inside his head was now screaming so loud he couldn't hear anything beside it. Pounding inside him with fists of steel causing pain to sear throughout him.
Hurry! Hurry! Oh God NO!
Sgt. Edding jerked the steering wheel to the left and stopped suddenly. Opening his door as quickly as he could and then opening Edward's. He grabbed hold of him and tried with everything he had left to calm Edward. “What's wrong with you? What's going on?”
“Why did you stop? We have to hurry.” Edward asked. Confusion set forth, he couldn't figure out why he was now standing on solid ground when a moment ago he was sitting in the car and they were driving.
“What do you mean, why have we stopped? This is where the dispatcher said “the body” was. We have to search the area.” Sgt. Edding looked at him like he'd lost his mind. Dropping his hands to his sides, he took a step back and turned around.
Christopher was still seated inside the vehicle, trying to muster up the strength to get out and help. But for some reason he felt that this place wasn't right, something was off. Puzzled at the thought he opened his mouth to say something when he heard Edward speak.
“She's not here. Hurry we have to go help her!” Edward took a deep breath then added, “I know this sounds strange but please listen to me. I can hear her pleads, in here.” He tapped his forehead.
“Sure.”
“How do you think I found the cabin the first time? Since I've never been here before there's no way that you can tell me that I somehow managed to stumble across it.”
“Who do you hear?” Christopher asked as he stepped out his side. One arm was resting on the door while the other hung loose beside him.
“Does it matter, she's trying to help?” Edward looked exasperated.
“Are you saying Brianna's trying to help? You can hear her still?” Christohper's eyes spoke volumes of sadness.
“Christopher listen-” Edward started when he was cut off by more screams. No! You can't have her, I won't let you!

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~

Mia's faded image stood on the corner of the bedroom, looking at her sister longingly. Wishing there was something she could do to help her, to save her life, to make things right. She'd somehow connected with a man that could her hear pleads and hoped he'd make it there in time to save Brianna. That somehow she could live to tell the secrets of a life that no one knew. A secret that needed to be revealed.
When she first found out she had a sister, she was overjoyed. Pleading with John, wanting him to understand that all she wanted was to see her. Maybe talk to her and find out if they really did have anything in common.
She'd followed John to work a couple of times just to get a glimpse of Brianna, to see if there were the similarities there that John spoke highly of. And when she did see, she was shocked. Seeing Brianna standing a few feet away was like looking in the mirror. Everything from the way she stood to the way she talked was the same.
John had caught her that day and demanded to know what she was doing. But she had no answer, no explanation what-so-ever. He'd always been straight forward with her, telling her that he'd saved her life by taking her the way he had. Whatever way that was, he never said but she was always grateful.
He'd told her her mother died when she was born, that she had had a sister but she didn't live past her first birthday. He'd told her he loved her, took care of her.
But everything was a lie. The entire time she lived with him, he lied to her.
The last and final day she'd seen him, she kissed his cheek and walked out the door. Where she was headed was the school, she had to talk to Brianna, warn her about him. But she never got the chance. Never making it out of the forest that day and here she was back in the house she'd thought she escaped from. Back to the lies, the pain and heartbreak.
And seeing Brianna laying on the bed, unconscious caused tears to invade her eyes. She'd been crying every since she first saw John take Brianna away. Coming in at night when all was quite and talking to Brianna while she slept. Giving her information that would hopefully help her get out, safely.
Brianna, you have to get up. It's time to leave.
“Mm....” Brianna mumbled. She saw white lights when she opened her eyes and quickly closed them again. Raising her hands to rub her eyes she felt pain sear through her.
They're coming back, you have to leave now.
Hearing the voice