Chapter 1- An Unlikely Assassin Chapter 3- Opportunity Appears
She had just graduated from school and was on her way home to see her family. Sitting in the coach as it brought her down the road, nearing the house, her face had lit up into a big smile, so glad to finally be coming home. She couldn't wait to see her mischevious younger twin sisters, and her handsome older brother. Most of all she was so anxious to see her parents again. As the coach drew up to her house she coudn't help but notice that there was noone to meet her and although she felt concern at first, she lit into a smile again. Maybe everyone was inside, waiting to greet her! When the coach had come to a stop she leapt out of it and hurried towards the mansion, smiling widely. Reaching the door she was stopped short by the sheriff of the town on their doorstep and as he happened to be a family friend so she wasn't overly surprised to see him there. His back was turned to her as she came up.
"Hi Quinton! What're you doing out here? Arriving a little late are we?" She had given him a sly smile as he turned towards her. His face held a haunted look to it, his eyes peering sadly at her. Her smile quickly fell as she looked at his face.
"Miss Emerald..." His voice had been quiet and he had choked on his words as he didn't have the heart to go on, knowing what he had to tell her was going to break hers.
"Quinton, what's going on? What's wrong?" She looked at him with concern, putting her hand on his shoulder, "It's not someone in my family is it?" Unable to find the words to reply to her he had turned away from her, which gave her the opportunity to bolt past him and in the doorway.
"No! Miss Emerald, don't go in there!" He had tried to give chase to her, but knew she would get there before him. Her footsteps echoed in the empty hall as she raced up the front hall steps towards her parents bedrooms.
"Mother! Father!" She had called desperately, hoping for an answer. Not hearing one she opened the door to their bedroom and stopped in the doorway as she took in the sight. Her mouth fell open as she saw the grisly scene. Blood was all over her parents bed, no one was in it anymore, but she could see what had generally happened. Whoever had come in had come over to her mother's side of the bed first and killed her quickly, then going over to her fathers side to kill him. It looked like her father had awoken and tried to fight the intruder but was unsuccessful, with blood trailing from the royal blue sheets to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood in shock. Quinton had come behind her and put his hand gently on her back. She blinked back the tears and ran for her older brothers room.
"Aquias!" Once again she had called out at the door to her brothers room, and once again hearing no answer she entered it. From the blood patterns on the wall in his room it was easy to see that Aquias had tried to fight back but just like their father had failed and become victim to whoever had broken in. Tears continued to flood her eyes as she turned and ran to her twin sisters room. For a moment she had stood outside their door, her hand on the door handle and her head leaned up against it. She had drawn in a shaky breath.
"Pearl? Ruby?" Her voice was weak this time, and she didn't really wait for a reply. She turned the door handle and entered the twins' room. Her eyes scanned it, taking in the blood spattered walls. It had looked like both girls had tried to escape out the windows in their bedroom, but been caught before they had the chance. Their killer had been ruthless. She fell to her knees and began to sob. Quietly from behind her came Quinton, as he stood behind her.
"Miss Emerald..." His soft voice had come, penetrating barely through her fog of despair.
"Quinton...are they...dead?" Her voice had broken between each word, dreading the answer. She scrunched her eyes shut as she waited for him to answer, hoping desperately in her heart that it was a no, but knowing deep down the real answer.
"Y-yes, Emerald they are..." Quinton's voice broke as he answered, coming to kneel beside her and put his arms around her.
"No...nooo..." She moaned, as she felt her heart break. She had then opened her eyes and stared at her hands, just then noticing the blood that covered the hand she had opened the door with. The killer had been wounded and it was his blood she had on her hand, she knew it...but seeing that blood covering her hand was the final thing she could take. After staring at the blood for a moment that seemed to take forever, she had fainted away. As she had passed into unconciousness Quinton caught her and held her close a moment before lifting her up and exiting the sorrow filled home.
Later on, she had awoken in a strange bed, unsure of where she was or what was going on. She blinked and sat up, putting her head in her hands, right before remembering the blood. Quickly lifting her head she gazed at her hand again, looking for any sign of the blood from earlier. Her hand was clean, nothing showing from what had been on it before. A slight smile graced her lips as she turned her head to look at the doorway.
"A dream...no, a nightmare?" She had whispered. Just then Quinton entered the room silently and sat down beside her. She blinked quickly again looked at him questioningly, and saw the same haunted look on his face.
"No, it couldn't have been real...Quinton...why am I here?" She put her hand again on his shoulder, staring intently at him. There was a touch of panic in her voice. Quinton closed his eyes and sighed.
"Miss Emerald, it was real..." His voice started to break again, but continued, "Your entire family is gone...last night someone broke into your home and...killed them all. It looks like they had miscalculated your night of return, you were lucky, they were trying to wipe out everyone in your family..." She made a choking sound, and collapsed crying.
"Why? Why would they do this?" Her sobbing wracked her body as she pushed her face into the pillow, fists clenching the sides of it. Quinton's eyes held tears in them as well as he watched the young woman, his hand moving to softly rest on her back, sort of a silent comfort as he didn't know what to say. Emerald's grief stabbed him deep, almost as much as the pain he had felt when discovering the bodies of his dear friends and their children. She would continue crying for a few moments before she lifted her face from the pillow, her blue eyes sparkling with anger as she wiped the tears from her face and looked to Quinton. Even with her eyes red and puffy from crying she still appeared quite vicious with the anger shining in her eyes, so much so that Quinton was shocked.
"Who did it Quinton? Have you found that out? Have you found anything out?" Her voice demanded answers from him as she sat on the bed beside the older man. Unfortunately he had no answer for her, and it made him feel horrible, as he had dropped his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry Emerald...we have nothing. We don't know who did it, we have no suspects thus far as your family has always been so well liked by everyone. The one and only thing that we know about is the fact that your brother was able to wound the perpetrator at least on his hand, and that's why there was blood on the doorknob of your sisters bedroom. We also haven't found anyone with an injured hand however, " Shaking his head Quinton explained to Emerald all that him and his deputies had been able to find out. But it had not seemed enough for Emerald, which of course he understood. If it had been his family that had been killed he wouldn't be satisfied with just the bit he had given her, he would want to have the killer found and brought to justice. At first she seemed as if she was going to say something angry to him, but after a second she dropped her eyes and looked away as her shoulders slumped forward.
"Alright...I know you're doing your best Quinton. I hope you catch whoever is responsible for this...Can I be alone now?" Her sad voice dropped low as tears had slid softly down her cheeks. With a nod and a final touch to her shoulder he would stand and exit the room silently, closing the door gently behind him. When he was gone Emerald dropped back down on the bed and curled up into ball with her head on the pillow. Although she still cried gently, her mind was also on how much she wanted revenge against whoever had done this to her...
"Hi Quinton! What're you doing out here? Arriving a little late are we?" She had given him a sly smile as he turned towards her. His face held a haunted look to it, his eyes peering sadly at her. Her smile quickly fell as she looked at his face.
"Miss Emerald..." His voice had been quiet and he had choked on his words as he didn't have the heart to go on, knowing what he had to tell her was going to break hers.
"Quinton, what's going on? What's wrong?" She looked at him with concern, putting her hand on his shoulder, "It's not someone in my family is it?" Unable to find the words to reply to her he had turned away from her, which gave her the opportunity to bolt past him and in the doorway.
"No! Miss Emerald, don't go in there!" He had tried to give chase to her, but knew she would get there before him. Her footsteps echoed in the empty hall as she raced up the front hall steps towards her parents bedrooms.
"Mother! Father!" She had called desperately, hoping for an answer. Not hearing one she opened the door to their bedroom and stopped in the doorway as she took in the sight. Her mouth fell open as she saw the grisly scene. Blood was all over her parents bed, no one was in it anymore, but she could see what had generally happened. Whoever had come in had come over to her mother's side of the bed first and killed her quickly, then going over to her fathers side to kill him. It looked like her father had awoken and tried to fight the intruder but was unsuccessful, with blood trailing from the royal blue sheets to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood in shock. Quinton had come behind her and put his hand gently on her back. She blinked back the tears and ran for her older brothers room.
"Aquias!" Once again she had called out at the door to her brothers room, and once again hearing no answer she entered it. From the blood patterns on the wall in his room it was easy to see that Aquias had tried to fight back but just like their father had failed and become victim to whoever had broken in. Tears continued to flood her eyes as she turned and ran to her twin sisters room. For a moment she had stood outside their door, her hand on the door handle and her head leaned up against it. She had drawn in a shaky breath.
"Pearl? Ruby?" Her voice was weak this time, and she didn't really wait for a reply. She turned the door handle and entered the twins' room. Her eyes scanned it, taking in the blood spattered walls. It had looked like both girls had tried to escape out the windows in their bedroom, but been caught before they had the chance. Their killer had been ruthless. She fell to her knees and began to sob. Quietly from behind her came Quinton, as he stood behind her.
"Miss Emerald..." His soft voice had come, penetrating barely through her fog of despair.
"Quinton...are they...dead?" Her voice had broken between each word, dreading the answer. She scrunched her eyes shut as she waited for him to answer, hoping desperately in her heart that it was a no, but knowing deep down the real answer.
"Y-yes, Emerald they are..." Quinton's voice broke as he answered, coming to kneel beside her and put his arms around her.
"No...nooo..." She moaned, as she felt her heart break. She had then opened her eyes and stared at her hands, just then noticing the blood that covered the hand she had opened the door with. The killer had been wounded and it was his blood she had on her hand, she knew it...but seeing that blood covering her hand was the final thing she could take. After staring at the blood for a moment that seemed to take forever, she had fainted away. As she had passed into unconciousness Quinton caught her and held her close a moment before lifting her up and exiting the sorrow filled home.
Later on, she had awoken in a strange bed, unsure of where she was or what was going on. She blinked and sat up, putting her head in her hands, right before remembering the blood. Quickly lifting her head she gazed at her hand again, looking for any sign of the blood from earlier. Her hand was clean, nothing showing from what had been on it before. A slight smile graced her lips as she turned her head to look at the doorway.
"A dream...no, a nightmare?" She had whispered. Just then Quinton entered the room silently and sat down beside her. She blinked quickly again looked at him questioningly, and saw the same haunted look on his face.
"No, it couldn't have been real...Quinton...why am I here?" She put her hand again on his shoulder, staring intently at him. There was a touch of panic in her voice. Quinton closed his eyes and sighed.
"Miss Emerald, it was real..." His voice started to break again, but continued, "Your entire family is gone...last night someone broke into your home and...killed them all. It looks like they had miscalculated your night of return, you were lucky, they were trying to wipe out everyone in your family..." She made a choking sound, and collapsed crying.
"Why? Why would they do this?" Her sobbing wracked her body as she pushed her face into the pillow, fists clenching the sides of it. Quinton's eyes held tears in them as well as he watched the young woman, his hand moving to softly rest on her back, sort of a silent comfort as he didn't know what to say. Emerald's grief stabbed him deep, almost as much as the pain he had felt when discovering the bodies of his dear friends and their children. She would continue crying for a few moments before she lifted her face from the pillow, her blue eyes sparkling with anger as she wiped the tears from her face and looked to Quinton. Even with her eyes red and puffy from crying she still appeared quite vicious with the anger shining in her eyes, so much so that Quinton was shocked.
"Who did it Quinton? Have you found that out? Have you found anything out?" Her voice demanded answers from him as she sat on the bed beside the older man. Unfortunately he had no answer for her, and it made him feel horrible, as he had dropped his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry Emerald...we have nothing. We don't know who did it, we have no suspects thus far as your family has always been so well liked by everyone. The one and only thing that we know about is the fact that your brother was able to wound the perpetrator at least on his hand, and that's why there was blood on the doorknob of your sisters bedroom. We also haven't found anyone with an injured hand however, " Shaking his head Quinton explained to Emerald all that him and his deputies had been able to find out. But it had not seemed enough for Emerald, which of course he understood. If it had been his family that had been killed he wouldn't be satisfied with just the bit he had given her, he would want to have the killer found and brought to justice. At first she seemed as if she was going to say something angry to him, but after a second she dropped her eyes and looked away as her shoulders slumped forward.
"Alright...I know you're doing your best Quinton. I hope you catch whoever is responsible for this...Can I be alone now?" Her sad voice dropped low as tears had slid softly down her cheeks. With a nod and a final touch to her shoulder he would stand and exit the room silently, closing the door gently behind him. When he was gone Emerald dropped back down on the bed and curled up into ball with her head on the pillow. Although she still cried gently, her mind was also on how much she wanted revenge against whoever had done this to her...
Chapter 1- An Unlikely Assassin Chapter 3- Opportunity Appears
