Story One(Unfinished)

Rose walks onto the porch of her childhood home, the one her family was murdered in.

“Today is the day! I know I can do this! I’m home and I’m going to find the person who murdered my family!” She tells herself.

A little boy walks over to her and stops in front of her with his little hand out.

“Hi, you must be my new neighbor. I’m Luke. What’s your name?”

“My name is Rose, nice to meet you. Yes, I am your new neighbor. I have to go inside now. See you later, okay?” Rose walked inside and noticed that everything looks the same as it did before her parents were murdered. She says to herself, “I don’t think I can do this. I don’t know if I want to know who killed them.” She sat down on her little brother’s, Zaidens’ old bed and started to cry. She had been crying for about an hour, (she couldn’t tell how long it was, but that’s how long it felt like) when she heard a knock on her door. She got up to go answer it and when she opened it, she was shocked to see who it was.

“Hi, we’re your neighbors.” Rose looked around all of the people and saw her old childhood friend, Alex.

“Hi. I’m Alex, and these are my parents. What’s your name?” Alex spoke up.

“I’m Rose, nice to meet you. Do you know what happened to the people who used to live here? I’ve heard some rumors.” She asked, trying to see if anyone had even remembered her family and how they were brutally murdered.

Alex’s mom says consolingly, “Oh, sweet-heart they’re not rumors. The people who used to live here were actually murdered.”

She looked at Alex to see if he remembered her, “Did you know the people who lived here?”

“Yes, I...I did, their daughter and I were best friends her name was Amelia.” He replied solemnly.

“I’m so sorry for your loss!” She exclaimed.

“Oh, she's not dead. She was put in foster care.” Rose put on a face of shock and thought, “He really remembers me?”

“I’m really sorry, but I’m tired would you mind coming back later?” She returned,

“Yes, we can see you later.” They leave and she goes to sit on her little brother’s bed again and starts crying. She thinks to herself, “Why did they take my family?” She fell asleep on Zaiden’s bed. She woke up to a pounding on the door. She got up and opened the door.

“Alex, what are you doing here?” She asked him. He just shoved her inside the house and shut the door.

“Really? Amelia. Why would I be at your house? You change your name, then come home and not tell anyone. What the heck were you thinking? We’ve all been worried sick about you.” He starts in on her.

“My name’s, not Amelia, it’s Rose, and I don’t know who you’re talking about.” She told him, about to lose it because he called her Amelia, and that’s not her name anymore.

“Amelia, stop playing games with me! I know it’s you, why didn’t you tell me that you were okay?! I’ve been worried sick about you! Why would you do this to me? I love you! Amelia, I could’ve helped you!” He started to raise his voice.

“FOR THE LAST TIME MY NAME IS NOT AMELIA, IT’S ROSE!! And I didn’t do anything to you! This has nothing to do with you! It has to do with my family, and you’re not my family. My family is dead!!” She screamed, trying to get him to understand that I don’t want anything to do with the past her, Amelia.

“You do have a family, you were adopted!” He tried to reason with her.

“Yeah, I was adopted, but they only did it for the money. As soon as they finished the paperwork, they kicked me out! I’ve been living alone since I was 16 with no help. I do not have a family and thanks for reminding me that I don’t, I’m here for a reason and no one can know it’s me!” Rose told him in a raised whisper.

“Why can’t people know that you’re home??” He asked her, confused.

“Because I’m here to find out who murdered my parents! Okay?! I can’t live knowing that I survived and they didn’t!!” She finally told him, even though she didn’t really want to.

“Why? You didn’t get hurt.” He gave her a blank stare; even more, confused than he already is.

“Yes I did,” She pulled up her shirt and there were deep scars on her stomach that looked years old, “I did get hurt. It’s just that my caseworker didn’t want anyone to know because I was only four, and it would cause much more drama and more stress on me!” She told him harshly because she didn’t want anyone else to know about her scars.

“Okay, but how do you think you can find who murdered your parents? You’re only 19?!?!” He exclaimed skeptically.

“I saw the person. I just can’t remember what the person looks like.” She whispered in an urgent tone.

“What do you mean you saw them you were four there’s no possible way you can remember what they look like after all this time!!” Alex exclaimed in a high pitched tone.

“God damn it Alex I have to remember! What if he’s still out there?! He could try to kill me to make sure I don’t know anything.” She exclaimed in an urgent yet scared tone of voice.

“Wait what’d you just say,” Alex said in a really excited tone.

“I said the person is probably still out there?!?” She said really confused about what Alex was talking about.

“No that’s not what you said you said it was a he!!” Alex exclaimed.

“Wait I did?!?! How do I know it’s a he?!?! Oh my God, I remembered something!!!” Rose exclaimed, turning around so she wasn’t looking at her when she started to cry.

“You know what I’m going to help you figure this out no matter the cost; I’m here for you Amelia!” Alex said showing a lot of empathy in her tone of voice.

She snapped her head around as fast as she could with tears still streaming down her face and she yelled, “For God's sake my name is Rose, not Amelia!! Please please please stop calling me that name the person you knew as Amelia is gone, she’s been gone since her parents were murdered in front of her. I was supposed to die that night but for some reason, I didn’t and I hate myself for it. I don’t deserve to be here I’ve done nothing worth living for! My whole life is ruined because someone murdered my parents and didn’t do the job well enough to make sure I was dead. So please never call me Amelia, it hurts to hear that name please Alex.”

“I’m sorry ROSE I didn’t know you felt this way but please never say that you hate yourself you’re a beautiful woman,” Alex says in a stern yet sympathetic tone.

“Thank you. I’m going to have to ask you to leave, here’s my number, text me whenever.” Rose says as she takes her phone and puts her phone number on it.

“I’ll text you later so you have my number to also can you be my plus-one for my family’s BBQ tomorrow? I’ll text you the address you have to go because the whole town will be there,” Alex says as if she didn’t have a choice.

“Okay fine I’ll go, but only if you promise not to tell anyone that I’m here,” Rose said in a very, very worried, yet serious tone.