Chapter 2

It had been two years since her friend’s death, the dreaded memories had never once left her mind.

With every dream she would see blood, see his disturbing face as it screamed in agony.

Just looking at where the scene had took place sent shivers down her spine, bile occasionally rose to her throat.

Threatening to make her throw up from the traumatising scene she witnessed.

At times she wanted to push those images, the sounds she heard from her mind.

To claw at the memories in hopes of scraping them out of her mind, but alas Chloe knew it would never go and no amounts of washing would ever help her feel clean ever again.

His blood would always remain on her no matter what.

Not that she could ever escape the scenes either, mostly thanks to the long hours at the police station only to be released due to the lack of evidence.

The media on the other hand always hounded at either her home, school or anywhere that she would decide to go.

Demanding answers to what happened that dreaded night, trying to find ways in order to sniff out a new version of the story in order to satisfy them and their viewers.

Not caring at how much this would affect her one bit.

As a result people started calling her names, making speculations and spreading rumours on what could have happened.

For example they mentioned about her dead friend being a crazy boyfriend, who had then suddenly killed himself in her house to make her feel guilty.

Another theory spoke about ugly fights that broke out that night in the house before he died.

Reporters had even went as far as to comment about how she had threatened her parents to keep quiet or else she’d kill them as well.

They even made tales or claimed to have received tips saying that her parents were at home to begin with, even though Chloe and her parents knew that it was false.

Unfortunately for Chloe the accusations spurred the police and the courts to get involved in order to search the house for the ‘evidence’ and tips.

This left the police doubting that Chloe was even innocent and had in fact threatened her parents.

It had also gotten to the point that they soon assumed that it was planned from the very start.

Hearing this though disgusted Chloe enough to the point that it left her having a mental break down, wondering what she had done to deserve such hateful lies.

She would never want to hurt her friend, the thought never once did cross her mind and what made her upset was that it all started because he tried to kiss her.

As expected, the alibis of Chloe’s parents had checked out, it had hardly made much of a difference to anyone in the area.

In the end the police and courts could not find anything that would bring them a step closer to the truth, but that still didn’t stop the rousing suspicion that grew every day.

Not even the autopsy report of her deceased friend who had died in such a painful horrific manner could shed any other details, no push indents on the clothes or injuries that could have been made by a person were present.

Only that he hit the glass table, but no one could not fully understand why his face was so disfigured.

Especially since there were no items in the house that contained any blood on them, only that contained spot in the living room.

What also frustrated them was that there was no blood at the doorstep or on the door or on any of the floors at all except for the spot he had been seen lying dead on.

The police even tried to find out possible ways and had begun to interrogate Chloe, who was shaking half to death thanks to their attitude towards her.

They had even tried to threaten or bribe her but still her story never changed leaving more frustration on all sides.

Sadly her statement didn’t satisfy anyone in the slightest leaving her and her family ridiculed and mocked for the incident.

Even though Chloe had wanted nothing more than to forget about the incident and move on since there was no way to fix things nor bring her friend back to life.

Despite the fact that she wanted answers as to why he had done what he did, they had been friends right?

Sure he was a bad boy who at times got into trouble but he was slowly maturing and becoming a better person, so why?

Why did things end up the way they did?

Why did she have to lose someone she cared about in such a horrific manner?

And without a warning either, this left Chloe wondering about who would also suffer next if she ever did get close to anyone else.

Harry had been her only true friend in this cruel world.

A friend who had been there for her and actually made an effort to be her friend.

There was no pretence, he didn’t use her or anything nor did he have any friends himself.

Instead they only had each other, it was them against the whole world and that was how she liked it even if people were against it for various reasons.

However now it was just her and at times Chloe was not even sure if she could cope without him anymore.

Even now Chloe had wanted to confess what happened but if her family, the people or the media.

Telling them that she was hearing whispered voices the night he died.

Voices that only she could only hear.

The distressed girl was sure they would no doubt just throw her in the nuthouse if she were to ever breathe a word about what truly happened.

Even her parents had ordered for her to see a counsellor and began distancing themselves from her at times once they moved to a new area.

Sadly thanks to the media, the police and gossip this only resulted in her moving into three different areas since new or old problems would keep arising, whether they wanted them to or not.

Everywhere was the same no matter where they went- they knew who she was and would often make comments about her even if she was in the room.

Most students even distanced themselves while adding crude speculated comments about what could have happened that night, each more appalling than the last.

While at the same time the rest of the students and the teachers would just avoid her like the plague since they didn’t want to be targeted.

Not that she would want them to suffer any ill but there was nothing she could do.

The worst part was that she could not stop them no matter what, even at one point she had stood up for herself and tried to declare her innocence.

This sadly was in vain since no one wanted to hear her point of view.

Unfortunately those who tried to listen to her honestly either were ridiculed and treated badly, causing them to avoid her to save themselves.

Not that she could ever blame them for it.

Unfortunately there was so much Chloe could tolerate and was slowly starting to get sick and tired of their cold words, so instead of allowing them to bother her.

Chloe would often put her large headphones on in order to drown out the noise.

Hoping to find some peace and quiet from the cruel world that wanted her to suffer for whatever reason.

Sadly that would hardly happen for the hushed voices would often still find their way into her ears despite turning the volume of her headphones to high.

However to thanks to the fact that her headphones were soundproof, it allowed her to enjoy her music at any level without upsetting anyone nearby.

Chloe at times often suppressed a shiver here and there thanks to the voices and how they managed to bother and invade her private space.

Just like the media who no doubt were often outside her house right now.

Now a days Chloe wore mostly black or dark colours, keeping to herself because according to the outside world- she was a monster.

A freak who had somehow killed her friend and somehow was able to cover up or ruined any evidence tied to the incident.

It was thanks to those words that encouraged Chloe’s parents to ban her from ever going near sharp objects.

Thus left Chloe feeling completely invalid and isolated, powerless.

In truth she hated it but there was nothing she could do, even her parents were starting to resent her for all this trouble that was being made over that one night.

Not that she could argue her case for they wouldn’t believe her, nor would they care anymore as it completely got to them.

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