Chapter 7

Valentina spent time with the dog, whom everyone looked surprised that they were playing together. Even though the dog was huge, it was still shockingly just a big baby. Like a fluffy teddy bear.

She loved him already. She couldn't fathom how or why they didn't get along before.

Ellen met her outside. Then together they walked back inside the house.

"Remy dropped this off."

She said as she pointed to a small satchel on the coffee table.

"What is it?"

She asked and Ellen showed her.

"Your phone. The police found it at the scene where your body was. They kept it with them since they opened up an investigation. But since you're awake now they handed it back to me."

Was that where Remy had gone to in the morning?

To pick up her phone?

She looked at the phone. Even with the scratches on it, it looked fairly new.

"So this is my phone?!"

She asked and Ellen nodded.

"Yes. It's fairly new. Remy got it right before you got married."

She picked up the satchel and opened it, removing the phone in it.

She tried to put it on. It didn't work.

"I think you should plug it in first."

Ellen said and she agreed, handing it over to Ellen.

Her phone.

Good. Maybe that would give her some insight as to who she was. And whatever was going on.

She watched Ellen plug in the phone and took a seat on the sofa next to it.

"It should come on now."

Ellen murmured as she handed her the plugged phone.

She smiled.

"Thank you."

"I saw you outside with Mr Chops. I couldn't believe my eyes!!"

"Isaac said we didn't get along."

Ellen nodded.

"You didn't! At all. You would scream when he got close and he wouldn't stop barking. We had to stop letting him in the house because of you."

"Woaaah."

She murmured.

"And I remember you saying you had allergies. But you still managed to pet him. Do you feel alright?"

Ellen sounded mildly concerned and Valentina stretched out her hands and checked her arms. She looked fine, she also felt fine.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"Oh thank God then! Remy would have thrown a fit if he knew the two of you got close and something happened to you."

Valentina smiled uneasily and Ellen left her with her phone.

The phone came on, and fortunately, there was no need for a security password, the phone unlocked with her face.

She quickly went through the phone. There wasn't much to see. Almost zero contacts, expect for Remy's contact saved as Remington and Ellen's contact.

The call log was interesting to look at. At least five different unknown contacts on the last day with calls spanning over a minute.

That was the day she had supposedly died. Who were the people she was talking to?!

She left the call log and moved, then found out the only social media app she had installed was Instagram.

She rushed over to check and found out it was a page for her art that she had started a little over three months ago.

With about almost five thousand followers.

"People like this kind of stuff?!"

She murmured as she looked at the grim art she had been posting that had people following her.

She had thought getting her phone would give her answers to the questions she was asking, but it only left her more confused.

Nothing so far that was meant to help her had helped her.

She looked at the phone again and noticed that there were unanswered messages in her inbox.

She opened one.

It was just four words.

*I'm coming for you.*

What?!

Her heart skipped a beat.

She opened another.

There was nothing but a picture of some indecipherable scribbling.

What did that mean?

And there was one. Just one conversation that caught her eye.

*When will you leave him?! - A

The contact name was saved with just the letter A. Nothing else.

She had answered with just one word.

*Soon.*

She had replied with.

And the person had sent another text.

*You know what will happen if you don't - A

*I know. - Valentina

The conversation was a week ago. And there had been contact since then. She wondered if the person that was being talked about was Remy. Could it be him?

Who else would it be?

During that very moment she heard his voice. He was back.

He walked into the living room and saw her phone in her hands.

"I see you got your phone."

"I did."

She answered sharply. He barely flinched.

"Not even a thank you?"

He asked and she ignored him.

Clearly something was going on between her and Remy, before she ran away. It would be wise for her to heed the warning signs.

What if she was running away from Remy?! Her husband?! What if he did something to her that made her run away from him?!

And now he was taking advantage of her memory loss to pretend that all was well between them.

"I know that look. What are you plotting?"

He asked and she jumped a little.

She had forgotten he was there.

She had simply forgotten he was there....

"Nothing."

She murmured as she left.

It was Goldie Parson's funeral. The whole town was going to be attending. Calloway had not seen the Parsons since the day she died. He felt horribly bad. He had promised to see them after but work had prevented him, he wished he has taken time out to see them.

It was a dull and dreary day, despite it being early noon the weather was dull and the clouds were dark. Everyone had gathered at the cemetery, including the Parsons who were accompanied with Goldie's grandmother from her mother's side. He paid his respects and sat two rows behind them. Shortly after, a guy in a brown coat sat next to him. He wasn't familiar and Calloway knew almost everyone in town. He had dark blond hair and golden skin, the kind that suggested that he spent a lot of time in the sun.

"Hello."

The guy murmured, there was an handkerchief in his hand, he quickly dabbed at his eyes.

Dr Calloway turned and saw that his eyes were swollen, probably from crying. He felt pity for him.

"Friend of the deceased?"

He asked and the young man nodded.

"She was my childhood friend. I just found out late last night."

"My condolences."

Calloway murmured as he patted his shoulder.

"I'm Colin. Colin Lockwood."

He stretched out his hand and Calloway took it.

"Dr Calloway."

Cold hand, the doctor pulled away quickly.

"I learnt about the others too... I missed their funeral..."

Ah yes. The other people who died. Calloway wasn't exactly sure why Goldie's funeral had taken place so late, on a Saturday of all day. It was also a closed casket, not that he was worried about that but most people in the town opted for open casket funerals.

The priest must have had a stressful week too. Four funerals in a week, so he heard. Four funerals of four friends.

The Parsons had also mostly kept to themselves, he couldn't imagine what they would be feeling. His wife had given him a blueberry pie to hand over to Mrs Parson after the funeral gathering, but Calloway wasn't sure he was up for it.

"The Parsons. They must be devastated."

Colin finally said.

"They are. She was their only child."

Colin nodded.

"And she was full of so much life and sunshine."

There was a small smile on his face and Calloway wondered if they had ever been more than friends.

"Are you leaving after the funeral?"

He asked the young man in an attempt to make conversation. The young man shook his head.

"I'm not. This town, although it's been a long time, it has its memories. I'll stay with the Parsons for a bit. I think it'll be nice if they have a friendly face around."

Calloway was a bit relieved that the young man would be staying with the Parsons. If he would be able to bring some comfort to the Parsons then that would be nice.

"That's good. I'll see you around Colin Lockwood."

Colin nodded and smiled.

"You too. Dr Calloway."

She had laid in bed. Just for a moment. Just to get a moment's rest and had been sucked into a nightmare.

She was in the woods.

The dead of the forests. She could hear the birds chirping and the sudden sense of foreboding, like something was calling to her.

She stood up.

Her arms felt wobbly. Like they were not hers.

She heard the leaves rustling and she turned towards it, suddenly feeling a strange urge to follow the sound.

Dead leaves crunched beneath her bare feet as she followed it, her teeth chattered with the growing cold and she wrapped her arms around herself as she followed the rustling of leaves.

The increased her pace to keep up and she only paused when the sound stopped.

She stopped at an opening.

It was a lake.

A vast calm pool of blatant darkness. It looked frightening in the dark.

She stopped in front of it and saw the water ripple slowly.

She peered at her reflection in the lake.

And another face stared back at her.

Shocked, she jolted backwards and looked around. There was no one around but her, who's face was staring at her?!

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

Startled, she turned back and saw the same face.

A girl, with long curly blond hair and vivid green eyes. There was a long cut on her cheeks and the more she looked at her, the more she felt she was being drained. of all her energy.

The girl grabbed her shoulders, her wide green eyes frantic, her mouth open and Valentina screamed.