Mecedes Hamilton

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Caleigh squealed as she pealed herself out of their aunts SUV, leaving Mercedes in the front seat chuckling to herself as she scrambled to get her seat belt off. The two girls had just spent a fun filled weekend with their aunt in New York City, seeing the everything the big apple had to offer, but they were both itching to see their parents to tell them everything that had happened.

Just as the brunette, sixteen year old placed her left foot on the platform of the Hamilton family home's wrap around porch, there was a blood curdling scream. Cayleighs's blood curdling scream. Mercedes paused. The smile on her softly featured face melted into curious worry. Unfreezing her feet, she ran in after her sister and immediately she saw it.

Splashes of red glittered the walls of the living room and formed a trail of browning red liquids into the dinning room. Her mouth instantly became dry as her feet dragged her into the room where the family had once happily enjoyed many a family dinner. Smears of blood traveled out toward the garage like someone had been dragged bleeding and most likely screaming. The door to the connected garage was ajar and just behind the crack of the open door, she saw the mangled lump of her mother's body laying in a bloody pool on the cold concrete floor.

There were more screams, but Mercedes didn't registered them as her eyes took in all the blood. There was so much blood. Too much blood. Her heart sunk further as it dawned on her...

Her father.

Why Mercedes couldn't have just turned around and ran out of their house right then, she could never know, but her feet continued forward toward the garage. Her hand reached out slowly, shakily, and opened the door to the garage.

The scene was just as gruesome as one might have expected. More blood. Her father's body was on the far side of the garage. His body was just as mangled and bloody as her mothers. The scene was unreal. Unimaginable. Mercedes felt more like she was floating in a haze. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Please, don't let this be real.

Someone pulled her way from the door and lead her out of the house. Her eyes were blank, her face was devoid of emotion, and her entire body was numb.

What was happening? What was going on?

It wouldn't register. It couldn't register.

As she stood on the porch of their family  home, Caleigh instantly hugged her older sister, sobbing on her shoulder. Instantly, the heat of her sister's body forced her to pull her arms around her in comfort. Her shoulder warming with the tears falling from her sister's face.

And yet, while she stood there is complete shock, not a single tear fell from her eyes. They couldn't. They wouldn't. Break.

Standing in the front of the Hamilton manner, holding her sister close as her aunt screamed on the phone for the police to come quick, Mercedes registered one thing:

Her parents were dead. They were gone and they weren't coming back. Ever.

-----------------------------------------

"Uh," Mercedes sighed as her eyes flashed open. Her heart was pounding as hard as the thunder outside her window.

Frozen in her bed, she willed the memories in her mind to black out. The flashes of red, the screams, the sinking feelings, the emptiness. It all clung heavy in her heart. Listening to the sounds of the rain pouring on their ceiling and the random rumbles of thunder, she sighed rolling over to her side. A tear rolling down her cheek.

It was six years later and still, Mercedes had nightmares of her parents murders. The fact that their killer had never been found haunted her beyond anything else in her life. They were gone. She had accepted it because there was nothing else she could do to fix that, but the idea that she may never have full closure on who did this to them weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Glancing at the illuminated numbers of her clock, she gave a heavy sigh. "7:21" glowed menacingly red at her through the dark. It was time to get up. Caleigh would be up soon and they both had class to attend to. There was no time to dwell on the past. Not today.

Pulling herself out of bed, brushing away the tears that were falling slowly from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she let it out and told herself she was not allowed to be sad today. And that was that as the brunette dressed herself in a simple pair of jeans and a sweat shirt.

Heading down the creaky, servants staircase into the kitchen, she started the coffee pot before getting started on breakfast. Clicking on the radio, she let the music wash away the empty echoing inside her heart and let her put on the usually easy smile she had on her face when Caleigh descended into the kitchen.

"Well, look who decided to join up, Mr. Fitzsimmons," Mercedes retorted in delight to the family cat. "It's sleeping beauty herself!" she chuckled to herself. "Morning, sleepy head," Cedes chirped as the thunder rolled outside.

Caleigh mumbled something inaudible as she scooped up a piece of butter toast her sister had just prepared.

"Did you sleep well, my seeester?" she continued in her bright tone.

But before Caleigh could answer, the door bell rang and there were three loud raps at the front door. Mercedes looked a little vexed by who would be visiting at this time in the morning, but Caleigh seemed to have a good idea as she dropped her toast on the counter once more and ran to the door.

Mercedes set down the spatula she was using to mix their scrambled eggs and followed her sister into the living room. And that's when she saw her standing there. A blond haired, brilliant eyed female soaked to the bone like a homeless kitten.

"Spencer?" she asked almost unsure that she was seeing her properly.

The dripping girl looked over at a grinning Caleigh, "You didn't tell her I was coming, did you?" she asked exasperatedly.