3213 words (12 minute read)

CH 2 Among the Living

Chapter 2

Among the Living

Robby

“I’m gonna beat your ass!” Sophie snapped at Robby as she herded the scattered Legos into a pile on the coffee table.

Robby picked himself up off his knees and began to stumble around the sharp plastic pieces on the floor, realizing he had lost a shoe on his sprint back home. His body type has never allowed him to run terribly fast. As his chest tightened, he sprawled out on the floor under the T.V. to untangle his lungs and catch his breath.

“What the hell, man? Are you alright?” Sophie asked, as she took a knee next to him on the floor.

“You know… that girl… from the missing posters? London… or whatever?” Robby managed to choke out between breaths.

“Yea, why?” she replied, the concern rising in her voice.

“I saw her, under the bridge at the river.” He said as he sat up and his lungs began to forgive him.

The color drained from Sophies face, turning her a shade of green, wearing an expression akin to smelling sour milk. The lack of context and information draped Sophie like a frozen blanket. He hadn’t had time to think of how he could possibly explain what he had just seen. Robby wasn’t even sure if he believed himself. His buzz had vanished now, and the recognition of how absurd he was going to sound swelled his tongue.

“Robby.. I.. What the fuck? Are you okay?”

Robby rose to his feet and grabbed a beer from the now - five pack after dropping one at the river. He lowered himself onto the couch and hesitated, searching for a clear and concise way to explain what he saw, but how could he tell Sophie everything and dispel her doubt.

“She was like a zombie or something!” He blurted, as Sophie’s face went from worried to perplexed.

Yep, that isn’t right. Try Again.

“I mean, she was alive, but she looked like shit, or was wearing make-up, I’m not totally sure.” He added and took a breath.

“There were these purple flashes. They knocked me on my ass, and a homeless man was laying on the ground crying. It’s like she was using this magic or something to torture him, and that’s when I bolted.” He finished, taking a long swig of his beer.

Sophie joined him on the couch, she turned to him and placed her hand on his upper back. He looked up at her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

“We need to call the cops.” Sophie said collectedly.

Robby’s heart pounded as he looked down at the toe protruding out of his sock; reminding him that his other shoe was at the scene. His mind raced to construe an explanation for the 9-1-1 operator. A wave of heat rushed his face as he looked back up to Sophie. A calmness took over as he met her eyes. His heartbeat steadied, as his breath returned to him. His mind realigned, finally allowing him to think clearly, he dropped his shoulders releasing the tension in his neck. The blood that rushed back to his head warmed his face.

“You believe me?” Robby asked.

“I believe you saw something, I cannot quite picture what you are describing, but if it was the missing woman you saw, you need to report it. She could be in danger…or dangerous.” She explained softly. “Shouldn’t the police know that. C’mon, you’re like the crime show guy…”.

Robby nodded as he dug his cellphone out of his pocket. He tapped 9-1-1 on his screen and stared at the numbers for a moment, inhaled and tapped the green call button.

Teddy

Teddy stepped out of the shower. Skin tingling as the cool air dried the droplets of water from the maroon, eye shaped birthmark on her upper back. She stood for a moment on the bathmat and rang her hair out into a towel. Wrapped into her robe, she ambled to the kitchen. Steam rose from her mug as she poured coffee. She never bothered with cream and sugar anymore, just the hot black liquid to chase the sleep away. As she took a sip, she looked out her window to see an envelope clamped under the windshield wiper of her car.

Teddy walked outside and approached her driveway; the cool air caressed her damp skin. The envelope stated “Det. Ramsay” in jagged handwriting. Her stomach twisted as she opened her car door. She placed her knee on the driver’s seat and leaned over to the glove box and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. She removed the letter from the windshield and returned inside. At her kitchen table the knot in her stomach remained, as her steady hands opened the letter, allowing a lock of brunette hair to fall onto her table.

“Jesus Christ.” She said to herself.

Robby

Robby’s and Sophie’s eyes bounced back and forth at each other, then to the two uniformed men standing above them in his living room. One, a towering man with an apparent passion for fitness, the other, a short stalky man with a high and tight haircut. The chatter of their radios filled the silence as Gym Rat scribbled notes and Army Drop-out stalked the apartment, occasionally lifting objects, or grazing knick-knacks of horror movie memorabilia as he went. The follow up questions to every detail Robby provided were excruciating. While the scoffing is understandable, he felt condescended.

“Alright, what were you doing down there.” Gym Rat asked in a skeptical tone, looking up from his notepad.

“I was just going to the store to buy some beer, when I saw the flash under the bridge, I thought I would check it out.” Robby explained, attempting to clear any doubt.

“At three a.m.?” Asked Army Drop-out.

“People drink beer at 3 a.m.” Sophie snapped back.

The officers glared wide eyed at Sophie, while Robby began to feel they were pushing their luck. He had seen enough documentaries and read enough books to know they should really stop talking at this point, it was obvious they didn’t believe him. He knew that they had to investigate what he was saying. London’s disappearance was too high-profile to not check out every tip, but if they think a crime has been committed and Robby is the only link (and a possible liar or madman) …. Either way, he was staring down the barrel of an incredibly long night.

“Look sir, we work the closing shift at the River Theater, we sleep most of the day, and nighttime is our free time, and now is about the time we go to bed. Like not together… I mean… you know?” Robby stumbled on his words.

“You are playing this off, so cool.” Sophie whispered to him sarcastically.

Robby looked down as the heat flushed his face a shade of red. He stared at the one shoe on his foot and anticipated the next question coming his way.

“Where is your other shoe, buddy.” Army Drop-Out asked.

“I lost it when I started to run away.” He replied.

The officers looked at each other as the bulky one tilted his notepad to his partner. Robby hid his trembling hands between his legs. He could only imagine what the notes said.

“Well, you’re going to have to take us down there so we can have a look.” Gym Rat informed him.

Robby processed actually returning to the scene. The possibilities of what they would see terrified him. Nausea set into his stomach as the officer handed him his roommates’ pair of slippers from under the coffee table.

“Okay, you guys have your guns, right?” Robby asked, as Sophie sighed and grabbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

“I was thinking we could just leave them here?” Army Drop-Out replied sarcastically as he stared deadpan at Robby.

***

The police cruiser parked at the side of the bridge. Robby wished the car ride would have taken longer, anything to delay having to revisit the river. The officer opened his door to let him out of the car, the flashlight glared into his face. His feet met the ground, and he peered over the bridge at the now calm river beneath them. Robby was perplexed at the sounds of the gentle water flowing as he took in the scent of the wet stone.

Gym Rat held his hand up motioning Robby forward, “We’re right behind you, lead the way.”

Robby started toward the river. He rounded the stone pillar at the end of the bridge. He could barely feel his legs, unable to tell if it was because of the nerves, or from running earlier. With the river now calmer, he could hear the leaves crunching under his feet this time, paired with the chatter of police radios behind him. He made his way around and over the rocks again. To his relief, the scene was not as gruesome as he thought it would be, in fact, it was almost as if nothing had happened.

“About where did you see them?” Gym Rat asked.

Robby looked across the river, trying to remember precisely where she was standing over the man.

“About there, the man was lying between those two rocks to the right of where your partner is standing.” Robby pointed across the river with certainty.

“Take a look between the rocks to your right!” Gym Rat shouted to his partner across the river.

Robby anticipated what the officer was seeing. A part of him hoped he found something to prove to the them that he was not making this up. The other part of him feared he would find something, making the events real.

“Is this your shoe, Robby?” Gym Rat asked as he held up the dripping wet shoe.

Robby found the silver lining in not having to purchase a new pair of shoes.

“Yea, there it is.” Robby answered reaching for the shoe.

The officer pulled the shoe back, denying Robby’s attempt to take it.

“Don’t move, we’re going to hang on to this.” The officer stated firmly.

Robby’s stomach began doing back flips as he fought the urge to throw up. He should have known better than to answer that question.

“Did I just incriminate myself?”

The despair loomed over him like a saturated rain cloud about to burst. His shoe and a beer can from the six pack in his house is at the crime scene. It is circumstantial, but the irrationality of his story was not doing him any favors.

“I found some blood over here! I’m calling this in!” Army Drop-Out shouted across the river to the two of them.

This was not looking good; he watched Gym Rat, kneeling, and examining the dropped beer can. He rose to his feet and started toward Robby, looking like a Marine marching in formation. Robby wrestled with the irrational side of his brain which told him to run.

“Robby, we are going to need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions.” The officer stated as the color drained from Robby’s face.

“You are not under arrest.” Gym Rat assured him.

“You do have the opportunity to help us clear this up, to do the right thing.” Robby failed to latch on to the words being spoken to him. The fear of self-incrimination flooded his brain. He searched his head for that humming he had been hearing, but to no avail. Hell, maybe he might get his own documentary. People online debating whether he’s innocent. He snapped back to reality when he heard Sophie from the top of the bridge, as the officer’s large hand wrapped Robby’s arm like a football.

“YOU’RE ARRESTING HIM? ROBBY, YOU DON’T SAY SHIT! YOU HEAR ME? STOP TALKING! YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!” She shouted from the bridge by the police cruiser.

“Ma’am get back in your vehicle!” Army Drop-Out shouted from the ground below.

He had no idea that Sophie followed them, or if the cops even allowed that. He just wished that he had kept his mouth shut a while ago. The officer helped Robby over the rocks back on to the walkway and guided him to the cruiser. They arrived at the bridge and the humiliation of walking past Sophie to the back of a police cruiser almost made him cry.

“I am so sorry Robby, you were just trying to do the right thing, I’m going to call lawyers and do whatever I can. You are going to be okay. I promise.” She explained, her voice beginning to crack as she followed them.

“Ma’am wait here, please, we’re only taking him for questioning.” Gym Rat told Sophie as she stopped and looked on.

The officer lowered Robby’s head as he placed him in the backseat of his cruiser and shut the door. Robby looked out the window and saw Army Drop-Out talking into the radio on his shoulder. The driver’s side door opened, and the car dipped under the weight of Gym Rat. He started the car and began driving to the station.

To Robby this felt like an alien abduction. The fear of the unknown overwhelmed him. He couldn’t help but over-analyze everything he had already said to the police officers. He thought about Sophie. While it was comforting that she followed them to the river, he thought of the conflict she must feel towards him. Another part of him felt angry, knowing that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The officer looked in the rearview mirror, through the cage, and jerked Robby out of his thought process.

“She must really care about you, is she your girlfriend?” The officer asked as Robby remained silent.

“Well, either way man, everybody makes mistakes and accidents happen all the time. The best thing you can do for her, and yourself, is to just continue to co-operate and tell us everything that you know, and you can be on your way.” He continued as Robby battled the urge to retort. “Is he playing good cop now?”

Robby looked out the window, to see the bright lights of Reno contrast the early morning darkness. The casinos flashing “Locals Only” buffet deals, billboards of bands from the 80’s passing through on their second or third farewell tour, and under the blinding arch bellowing “Reno the biggest little city in the world!” These vibrant displays felt empty and meaningless to him as they proceeded through. Finally, they passed the River Theatre, forming a lump in his throat as he thought of Sophie, and his uncharacteristic desire to be back behind that concessions counter.

He fell into a state of envy watching the late-night crowd amble into cab’s, rideshares or simply stumble along the quiet main street.

“Heading home, why me?”

As they waited at the stoplight, he looked on as an older man persisted behind a group of young women. Obviously intoxicated and feeling confident, he grabbed at one of the women’s hands, prompting her to pull away as one of her friends gave him a forceful shove. As a security officer advanced to the scuffle, Gym Rat flicked his siren on for a moment, causing the drunken man to look down and shuffle away. The security guard nodded toward the police cruiser as Gym Rat gave a half-hearted wave and turned left, continuing down the street to the police station.

***

The officer opened Robby’s door and helped him out of the backseat. The sky began to turn grey as the air turned misty. His mind finally allowed the drowsiness to set in from the most intense all-nighter of his life.

Robby led the way through the door, with Gym Rat behind him as they passed the reception desk.

“Have a seat on the bench here, I’ll be with you in a moment.” The officer said as he motioned for Robby to sit.

Robby strained to hear what Gym Rat was saying to the young officer behind the reception desk. Resigning to his lack of control, he sat back on the bench and stared onward toward officers pouring coffee and making their way to what appeared to be a briefing room.

“Alright Robby you can come with me.” Gym Rat stated as he returned and motioned him down a hallway.

They continued. He peered into the offices and began to find comfort in the mundane as he watched the administration employees start their workday. They arrived at a door labeled “Interview room 3.” The officer opened the door revealing a white plastic table and three chairs.

“Have a seat. Someone will be with you in minute.” Gym Rat said as he finally parted ways with Robby.

By this point, Robby had lost perception of time, the room didn’t have a clock hanging on the wall, only a camera in the corner of the ceiling. His mind moved a million miles a minute as he kept replaying everything he had already said to the officers. He was timid to drink from the bottle of water that sat before him on the table. He did not want to allow a chance for his DNA to sneak away from him.

At last, the door opened and a black haired, trim looking man wearing a white-collar shirt with a slate blue tie entered. He took a seat and set his coffee mug and a manilla folder on the table before them.

“Robby, I’m Detective Clarke.” He said as he extended his hand to shake his.

The detective grabbed the seat of his chair and slid it closer to the table. He placed his ankle on his knee as he sat back and reached for the manilla folder, opening it up and skimming the pages.

“Alright, walk me through what happened.” The detective said looking down at the folder, running the cap of his pen through his shiny black hair.