CHAPTER 3 Sophie

Chapter Three: Sophie

I woke up to the annoying ringing of my alarm clock. I blindly searched for the snooze button, but when I couldn't find it, I sighed and got out of bed. Naomi, who was at the foot of my bed, picked her head up and started wagging her tail.

"Good morning," I yawned, standing up from my bed. I went into my bathroom and brushed through my hair, then washed my face. As I dried my face, I heard something hitting the hardwood floor outside my room. Then, Naomi started growling.

I walked out of my bathroom and nervously glanced down the hallway. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Then I heard the front door close. No one was supposed to be home.

"Mom?" I called. "Are you home?"

I waited. No answer.

"Hello?"

Still no answer.

Naomi had stopped growling, but I couldn't shake the nervousness I felt. Just then, Zoey jumped into my room.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" she shouted.

"What the hell?" I shouted, startled. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Zoey laughed and Naomi jumped up, excited.

"How the hell did you get in?" I asked, feeling my heart thumping in my chest.

"Your front door was unlocked?" she said, leaning down to pet Naomi.

"Not it wasn't," I said, confused.

"Well then how did I get in?" she pointed out.

My mouth closed and I didn't respond. I could've sworn I locked it behind me last night.

"Whatever," I sighed. "Why are you here, anyway?"

O "Well, you never said bye to me before you left last night."

Guilt washed over me. "I know, I'm sorry. I was tired so I told Justin to tell you bye for me."

"Heft, Juliand I came out of the bathro and vou two were nowhere to be found. We up at me.

I gave her a blank stare, realizing what she was implying. "Seriously?"

She held up her hands defensively. "Hey, can you blame me? It's bound to happen sooner or later."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her, and finished getting ready for school. Zoey sat on my bed playing with Naomi while I put my makeup on.

"Well," Zoey said, standing after a few minutes. "I'll see you at school, okay?"

"Alright," I said, absently waving at her as she walked out the door. I pulled my shirt over my head and heard the front door slam shut. Once I was ready to go, I grabbed my book bag and keys, and headed out the door, making sure I locked the door this time.

When I got in the car, I turned on the radio and flipped through the stations. I heard the news, and it seemed to be a breaking news story, so I turned it up and listened.

"... the body of Kimberly Wilson was found late Wednesday night in her home. Officers state she was raped and killed by strangulation. They said a man, who is suspected to be the killer, called 911 to report the murder, but fled the scene shortly afterward. There are no suspects in custody, but they believe that it was a man between the ages of twenty-five to thirty. If you have any information please call..."

I shut the radio off as I pulled up to the school. Kimberly Wilson? Why did her name sound so familiar? I parked my car and shrugged it off. Chances were that I didn't know who she was anyway.

Manatee High School wasn't really famous for anything. We didn't have star football players signing to elite colleges or anyone becoming a famous celebrity. But today, there were news vans from every major news channel parked outside the school. I saw ladies speaking in front of a camera that I only saw on TV, and wondered what was going on. Police cars were parked outside the front of the school as well.

I saw Julia, who was walking into the school.

"Julia," I called. She stopped and turned, her face distraught. "What's going on? Why are all these people here?"

"Didn't you hear about Kim Wilson?" she asked, surprised. "It's like, everywhere."

"Yeah, I heard a little bit about it radio this morning," I told her, recalling the reporter on the radio. "But who's Kimberly Wilson?"

"She's a senior here, like us. She was on the varsity cheerleading team," Julia said. My eyes widened, and she continued. "They found her late Wednesday night. They said she'd been raped, beaten, and then strangled to death."

"Oh my God," I whispered, covering my mouth.

"Yeah," Julia said. "Her dad was on a business trip when it happened."

We walked down the hallway, which was already starting to become crowded. I saw a group of girls huddled in a group, crying. Almost everyone's face was downcast, grieving Kim.

"What else did they say?" I asked Julia.

"They said she put up one hell of a fight. My dad told me she hadn't been to school for days, so they think he was keeping her confined in her own house," she told me.

"How does your dad know?" I said.

"He's been assigned to the case. He told me last night," she said.

I thought for a moment, then said, "Wasn't there a similar murder a few weeks ago? Some girl from Bayshore?"

"Yeah. They looked alike, too. High school senior, dark hair, tall. They don't think it was the same guy, though. They think alcohol was involved in that murder."

Just as I was about to ask her another question, the bell rang. She waved goodbye and walked in the other direction. I walked to my anatomy class, thinking about Kim Wilson. When I walked in, everyone was quiet. Even Mr. Garret, my teacher, was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking distraught. The final bell rang, and everyone took their seats.

Mr. Garret stood up, and everyone looked at him.

He sighed, as if not wanting to speak.

"I'm sure you all know about Kim Wilson," he started, taking a breath. "And she will be missed. She was one of my top students, and her memory will not be forgotten."

Some of the girls who I saw in the hallway sat together near the back. I heard one of them crying. I felt sad myself, even though I didn't know her.

"That being said," he continued, "there will be an assembly in the auditorium next period for all seniors. It's mandatory, so don't think about skipping out on it. I'm granting a free period today, so do whatever you like."

Usually, there would be excitement filling the room when a teacher said 'free period'. But today, Mr. Garret was answered with silence. He sat down and started reading something on his computer. Then the whispering started.

"You think maybe she was part of a gang? A drug- deal-gone-wrong or something?" one of the jocks in the back whispered. The girl who had been crving in the corner of the classroom glared at him. But he didn't notice.

"I bet it was her own father. That business trip stuff could've been a total lie," one of his friends added.

I gaped, staring at them. I couldn't believe they were talking like that. Her own father? Were they serious?

I turned back around and started reading my book, ignoring the pointless rumors that were going around. Even if they weren't true, they were going to spread like wildfire, and everyone knew it. Most will probably believe the lies, and yet no one would know the truth about what actually happened. It was sad how society was these days. 5

Before I knew it, the bell was ringing to dismiss the classes. I gathered my things and headed to the auditorium. We were all seated quickly by the administration. Five or six cops were seated on the edge of the stage, including the campus officer. It wasn't loud like it usually was, yet it wasn't quiet either. Whispers traveled all around, but I stayed quiet.

"Please quiet down." Mr. Greene, the principal, stood on the stage with a microphone, patiently "Please quiet down." Mr. Greene, the principal, stood on the stage with a microphone, patiently waiting. The whispering stopped, and everyone was looking at Mr. Greene now.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, I'm sure you all know why you're here. Kimberly Wilson's death was a tragedy. And since they haven't found the person who has done this yet, they are issuing a city-wide curfew for the time being."

A few groans echoed throughout the auditorium, but no one spoke out.

"These police officers are here to tell you more about it," he said, finishing. He handed the microphone off to one of the officers, who stood up.

"Hi, I'm Officer Kent. I'm a police officer at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. What my fellow officers and I are about to tell you was requested upon the school board. Whether you want to choose to listen or to ignore it is up to you.

"I'm going to start today by informing you about why we're issuing this curfew. The other victims have been around your age, some younger, some a little bit older. It's a very small chance he is still in the area since it seems he jumps around, but the "Please quiet down." Mr. Greene, the principal, stood on the stage with a microphone, patiently waiting. The whispering stopped, and everyone was looking at Mr. Greene now.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, I'm sure you all know why you're here. Kimberly Wilson's death was a tragedy. And since they haven't found the person who has done this yet, they are issuing a city-wide curfew for the time being."

A few groans echoed throughout the auditorium, but no one spoke out.

"These police officers are here to tell you more about it," he said, finishing. He handed the microphone off to one of the officers, who stood up.

"Hi, I'm Officer Kent. I'm a police officer at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. What my fellow officers and I are about to tell you was requested upon the school board. Whether you want to choose to listen or to ignore it is up to you.

"I'm going to start today by informing you about why we're issuing this curfew. The other victims have been around your age, some younger, some a little bit older. It's a very small chance he is still in the area since it seems he jumps around, but the school board wanted us to inform you of what you should do if something ever were to happen.

"As you know, most of the victims have been females. We can't disclose too much information, but we want you to be safe. The curfew will be enforced until this investigation comes to an end."

He paused briefly, looking around, then continued.

"This guy isn't an amateur, and we want to make sure you're somewhat able to protect yourself. Police activity will be higher, and you will almost always see police patrolling the neighborhoods until we catch this man, that is if he is still in this area. The FBI is working with us closely. They've been trying to catch this man for months, which tells you how dangerous the situation is."

The lecture continued for about an hour and a half. Officer Kent told us about how to protect ourselves from an attacker, what to do when we were home alone, and even where to hide if we suspected someone has broken into our house. Part of me wanted to believe this would never happen to me, especially since I lived in a generally good area. But more than once, Officer Kent made it clear that it was possible that it could happen to anyone, so I took the lecture seriously.

After the principal dismissed us, I headed to my next class. The day went by faster than expected, but I didn't mind at all. It was Friday, so I was happy to be out of school.

I was on my way to the parking lot when I heard my name.

"Sophie!"

I stopped and turned to see Justin catching up to me.

"Hey Justin," I said.

"Glad I caught up to you," he said, panting slightly. "Want to do something tonight?"

I raised my eyebrows, a little surprised. Justin had never asked me that before. At least not like that.

"Umm, sure, you can come over if you want to. We can watch a movie or something," I said, a little surprised.

"That'd be cool," he said. "My folks are out of town. They went to a wedding this weekend in California. And being home alone gets boring."

"Well Naomi misses you," I said, giving him a half-smile.

He laughed. "It's obvious she wants me," he joked.

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night," I laughed.

"Well, I have to wait for Tyler. His car broke down so I said I'd drive him home," Justin said.

"Bet you loved volunteering for that."

He smiled then asked, "What time should I come over?"

"Seven is fine," I said. I hoped on taking a nap before he came over.

"Seven it is," he said. "See you later, Soph."

He walked in the direction of the back parking lot, leaving me alone once again. I made my way to the student parking lot, found my car, and pulled out of the school.

The drive home started off as normal, but when I looked in my rearview mirror, I noticed a black car with tinted windows following close behind me. They made every turn I did and always stayed behind me. At first, I thought it was a coincidence. Then I turned into my neighborhood and they continued following me. I started getting nervous and almost turned down the wrong street to see if it was really someone following me. Then, the car slowed and turned down another street. I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

Stupid, I thought to myself. Why the hell would someone follow me of all people? I rolled my eyes at my sudden paranoia. I pulled into my driveway and went into my house, locking it behind me.

Naomi greeted me, like always, and then laid down on the couch. I walked into my room and kicked my shoes off, threw my jacket on my desk chair, then laid down onto my bed. For some reason, I was exhausted, and I just wanted to sleep. Within minutes of closing my eyes, I was already falling asleep. The last thing I remembered was thinking about the black car with tinted windows. It almost scared me thinking about if it would've been the guy they were looking for. Then, I fell asleep, pushing all the thoughts out of my mind.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***