No Forwarding Address" - Contest winner Short Mystery Story"

No Forwarding Address - Contest winner Short Mystery Story

Once she was sure her parents were asleep, Sadie slid the window up and stole down the trellis. With a glance up at the droopy eyes of the house, she hopped on her bike and cycled off into the night. After half a minute, she clicked her torch on and plopped it into the basket. The streets were empty at this time of night, save for the high school kids.

It didn’t take her long to reach Lisa’s house. Google Maps told her it was an 11-minute journey, but she always raced to beat the time. She usually made it in seven minutes or less. Her parents had installed a tracking app a few months back.

Sadie left the blasted thing plugged in on her nightstand. Should they check in the morning, it’d seem she’d slept the night through. As far as they were aware, they’d succeeded in their attempts to curb their daughter’s night time excursions. She flashed her light at Lisa’s window.

“I thought you were joking about tonight, Sadie. Lisa groaned. Sadie shone the light across Lisa’s form. “Evil never sleeps, Lisa!” Sadie grinned.

Lisa had not yet gotten into her pink pyjamas. After a spell, the front door of the Brown’s house opened and closed. Lisa wrapped her cardigan around her and shivered. “Mr Moore is dead?”.

“Well, not dead…”

Lisa threw her head back and growled. We should ensure the foul beast does not find any more prey. Lisa watched her breath float away.

“All I can smell is your bul—”

Lisa’s shoulders slumped. It’s a school night. Sadie nodded, hand over her heart. Lisa rolled her eyes.

“Don’t know why I’ve gotta be the one to store all this crap. “Maybe there’s a reason your parents search your room, Sade. Lisa took a deep breath. “You gotta grow up at some point, Sade.

We don’t wanna be labelled as the weird girls.

“And did we not put an end to such ghastly choruses?”

Lisa chuckled. I don’t wanna go trudging through dirty streams full of broken glass and needles again. “I don’t like this, Sade. “An oath that you made up.

“An oath is an oath, my fellow guardian.

“But have we not sworn an oath to brave the creeps of this world?”

Lisa hesitated. “So you admit that there is something out here tonight? You feel it too!” She clenched a fist. Lisa frowned. “Sometimes, Sade, you get so wrapped up in your theatrics that you make no goddamn sense.

Sadie shrugged. “We draw near to the crypts, my sweet, poor, innocent, Lisa. “Oh, I hate this place,” said Lisa. Her voice rustled like the leaves beneath their feet.

“Fear not, young padawan, for I am here to guide you through tonight’s gauntlet. Lisa stopped a few steps short of the labyrinth. “Ten minutes. That’s all you get, Sade.

Ten minutes, and then we’re back out and heading home.

“But we only just got here!”

I wanna be back at home. Lisa eyed the first row sepulchres and chewed her lip. “Ten minutes, Sade. Sadie thrust the stake forward.

“Okay, Sade. Let’s stay another minute. They’d not found anything out of place, much to Lisa’s prediction and to Sadie’s chagrin. “Sadie.

” Lisa’s voice hardened. It startled Sadie. They weren’t little kids any more, and her heart ached to see her childhood now in the rearview mirror. Lisa smiled.

“Thanks, Sade.

“We’d be doing the local law enforcement fools a favour — ridding them of one more vermin!”

“I don’t think that’s how they’d see it, Sade. A smile that Lisa knew all too well. Lisa loosed a noise of exasperation and then followed her friend. ” The wet leaves squelched and squidged beneath her converse.

“Because somebody’s gotta make sure you don’t get yourself killed. Sadie nodded. Who defends the defender?” She pushed the door open. Lisa grunted.

She was about to say that the only thing Sadie’d defended anyone from was a night of peaceful sleep. ” Lisa’s eyes were wide and wild. Her heart bounced from side to side in her ribcage.

“Yeah? No shi—”

“Dead. Lend me yours, Sade. A hiccough in the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of her heart. “I left it at home.