Twisted Roads – Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Today’s story is brought to life by the following prompt…

This is my submission for Kevin’s No Theme Thursday.

She Hides in the Window

Ruth runs her hand gently across the photo, allowing her fingers to peer far deeper into the depths of the photograph than her eyes ever could. She lets out a stuttered gasp and clutches her necklace’s pendant tightly. Then, with a trembling scowl, her brow furrows, and she turns to the others, nodding sorrowfully as she does.

Cleveland’s face burns a bright red, and his nose scrunches up as he sneers. “NO!” he spits as he thrusts himself to his feet, throwing a furious glance towards Captain Renault. “I refuse to believe this is what we’re going to do! This is what we’re going to hinge our whole investigation on!” he bellows, gesturing wildly towards Ruth. “No offence,” he says with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

Ruth smiles awkwardly and shakes her head in a slightly eccentric way. “None taken.”

“Where else do we have left to go? Who else can you speak to? What else can you find out when there’s nothing left to see?” Renault asks calmly as he leans back in his leather seat, readjusting himself as he does. “The mayor is a personal friend of Katherine’s, and she’s asked him to personally make sure her son is found, alive—or, if he’s not, that the bastard responsible pays!”

“But this, sir!” Cleveland shouts, gesturing towards Ruth once again. “This ain’t going to help any! She’ll only make it worse, like she did the last three times!” he says, thrusting his thumb over his shoulder.

Renault lets out an exhausted sigh, rolls his eyes slightly, and props himself up in his seat by his elbows. “You’re right, I know it, she knows it, even the mayor knows it. But they don’t care about that, not right now, because the only question that matters is, did the cases end up being solved?”

Cleveland screws his face up again and chews hungrily on his bottom lip.

“Lieutenant?” Renault presses, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows.

Cleveland nods and stuffs his hands into his trouser pockets. “Yeah, the cases got solved.”

“Then,” Renault says, turning his attention back to Ruth, “are you sure?”

“I-I-I’m—” Ruth stammers nervously as she turns back to the photograph. “I’m sure, and if you take me to the store where this photo was taken, I can help you find their bodies.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll—” His words catch in his throat as a wave of nausea and sweat wash over him. “T-T-Their b-b-bodies?” Cleveland stammers with nervous surprise.

Ruth turns to him with a matter-of-fact look, places her hands together in front of her, and nods firmly. “Yes, bodies, more than one, less than eight, that’s what she’s telling me.”

“S-She?”

“Yes, the girl in the picture.”

“R-Ruth, there’s no girl in the photo, it’s just a photo of Riky’s bike outside the store.”

“Not that photo, Cleveland, the photo on your desk,” she says, with a slight tilt of her head. “She’s been there for a long time, waiting, knowing that you’d be the one to find her, that you’d be the one to stop him.”

“W-W-Who is she, Ruth? Who’s the girl in the picture? T-T-Tell me her name!” Cleveland grunts, grabbing Ruth by the arms and shaking her aggressively.

“LIEUTENANT!” Renault cries out as he leaps to his feet.

“TELL ME!” Cleveland shouts as Renault tries to pull Ruth free of his grip, but Cleveland drives a knee into Renault’s groin, sending him to the floor in nauseating pain. Cleveland thrusts Ruth against the wall, pressing his arm against her throat, pinning her. “TELL ME! TELL ME HER NAME, GOD DAMN IT, AND DON’T YOU FUCKING LIE!” he spits.

A tear runs down Ruth’s cheek, and she gasps for air. “I-I-I’m so sorry, C-Cleveland, i-i-it’s Annabelle, i-i-it’s your sister.”