By the time I got home from school, there were crowds of cops surrounding my house. Confused, I approached the house to see two of them dragging Bailey out, her mouth was covered with something red... was that blood?

My eyes widened as I watched her, her hands were covered in blood as well. I parked my car on the street and began walking toward my sister.

"Bailey? What happened?" I shouted, fear filling my eyes as I watched them handcuff her.

"Ma'am, you can't pass here. This is a crime scene." A police officer stood in front of me, blocking my path and my view.

"That's my sister!" I shouted, frustrated as I tried to push past him, "what happened?" I asked.

"No information can be disclosed at this time. I would suggest you step back. We will contact you once we've reached the station."

I backed away, shocked as the sun blared. I was confused and frustrated as I heard an officer say, "you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." I watched them stuff her into the back of the police car and shut the door as several officers stood outside talking and writing on a clipboard. Another was speaking through a two-way radio.

"Please let me see my sister." I said in shock. "Why are you taking her to jail?" I screamed, receiving the attention of several officers.

One of them caught my eye as he walked up to me. His badge said "Sherif" on it.

"Yes ma'am, what's goin on here?" He placed his hands on his belt as he signaled for the other police officer to walk away.

"Why did you people surround my house and arrest my sister?? She's innocent! She's never done anything that would warrant arrest!" I exclaimed as he watched me variously.

"What's your name, kid?" He asked, his eyes suddenly full of compassion. I was suddenly afraid at what his next words would be.

"Amy Bloom."

"Well Miss Bloom, your sister Bailey Bloom is under arrest for the murder and abuse of the corpse. My dear, your sister killed Ethan Kowell and partook in the act of cannibalism. Both of which are crimes punishable by death." He said as I felt the air leave my body. It felt like I'd gotten punched in the gut.

No way. Now way in hell had Bailey done something like that. She wasn't capable.

As if on cue, police officers emerged from my house carrying a gurney which was covered by a black bag. The sunlight was bright enough to show that inside was a man of about six feet tall. I watched as they pushed it to the ambulance parked near the front door.

The lifted it up into the ambulance and a hand missing it's pinkie, which was still bloodied, slipped out. I screamed at the sight and saw the officers look of empathy before I puked on the officers foot. Flat out just splattered my entire lunch on that man's foot. I watched in disbelief as the area around my house cleared out. The cop car with Bailey in it was the last one to leave. I saw her staring the back of the cop's head and licking her lips. They had placed yellow tape all around my house, Crime scene. This was surreal.

The first person I called was Aaron. Yes, I know Tyler is my boyfriend, but he would never be able to comfort me through a situation like this. Aaron would know all the right things to say.

"Hey Ames." Aaron answered, his voice so calm on the phone. The chaos surrounding me dissipated as I walked back into my car. I took a few deep breaths, "Ames, are you these?"

"A... Aaron, B... Bailey, she's been arrested." It was getting hard to breathe as the heat in the car rose exponentially. It made me angry and sad and scared all at once. She couldn't have done something like that. Never. I know my sister. And when mom and dad find out, they will know she couldn't have. She had no motive to ever kill anyone. Yeah, that's what I'll tell the courts.

She didn't kill anyone. My sister would never kill anyone. The man in gurney wasn't real. The man in the gurney wasn't real.

The red on her wasn't blood. It was just food-colored water. Right, food colored water. Or he had tried to hurt her so she fought back. My sister isn't capable of something like that.

And even if she was, who the hell got her in this much trouble. No way. I don't believe it.

The cops are lying.

"Amy, you still there?" I heard Aaron's voice on the line. I knew my breath was shaky. I hadn't realized that I had been crying.

We'd get get out of this mess. My sister didn't deserve to rot in jail. She didn't do anything wrong.

"Can I come over?" I finally asked before it was Aaron's turn to take a long pause. I heard mumbling on his end of the line, anxious that I couldn't even sleep in my own home tonight because it was a crime scene.

Mom and Dad will be so disappointed when they find out what happened. It wasn't Baileys fault. It was whoever that man was. Ethan, I think his name was. He's to blame for being in our home.

"I'm at Violet's, you can come here Ames." Aaron said. I'd almost forgotten he was on the other line. I took a deep breath, hung up, and drove toward Violet's house. I'd only been there once before for our odd drinking game.

I contemplated telling Tyler about this entire situation. I couldn't bring myself to, the less people that knew, the better.

I was anxious and unsure of what to do next.

Parking in front of Violet's house, I looked at Aaron's green car. It looked like it had been folded into itself. I wondered what happened as I approached the front door of Violet's house and knocked.

"Hey." Aaron answered the door, the same knowing smirk on his face as he had always had. Where it has annoyed me before, now it brought me so much comfort as I rushed into his arms and hugged him. Just like old times, when we were together, but not really.

He hugged me silently as I shut my eyes into his chest, his freshly laundered scent and comforting smell surrounded me.

"What happened?" Aaron asked. I was shocked at the question honestly. He'd never cared enough about me before to ask that. He always just seemed to know. Maybe Violet has changed him for the better. He was nicer now, sweeter, more compassionate. I shut my eyes.

What happened exactly? What happened was that I showed up to my house and my sister was getting arrested for murdering and trying to eat a man. I felt like I could puke just thinking about it.

Aaron dramatically stepped back and I stared at him, confused. He was looking at me with shock all across his features.

"Have you called Tyler yet?" Aaron asked, still keeping his distance from me. I hadn't even answered his original question.

"No."

Aaron nodded in understanding. Really, who was this guy? The old Aaron would've told me to leave and go to Tyler probably.

"Aaron, you left your backpack in the sink!" Violet walked into the living room, holding Aaron's soaked backpack in her hand. "Oh hey Amy."

"Hi Violet." I said as she smiled at me and walked toward Aaron. He watched her like a hawk as she approached and placed his wet backpack into his hands, soaking the spot I had just hugged on his chest.

"Do you want to come in?" She smiled at me as Aaron watched her in disbelief. It was as though they had some sort of secret language or something.

"Yes." I barged in, sat on the couch, and started bawling.

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Read-Minds-ebook/dp/B08RYV11F2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=veronica+Soliman&qid=1609863783&sr=8-3

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)