Elle walked along a partly hidden path following Angelie at a distanbsp; Lucid beyond what she wao be, Elle khat she was dreaming of her ex-girlfriend that was saying nothing, but making motions.
-Dreams mean so many things, Elle. What is this one a goodbye, perhaps?-
Aware of the dream or not, she still couldn’t trol the overall oute. Elle khat she could wake up and end it at any time but not trol when or where the misty thoughts would take her. Following Angelie sted a few seds then the se washed over with a white cloud and a blink of aer, Elle was standing in her living room watg the television.
‘Terrorist Atta tral Virginia. el 14 News is here t you the test updates with the ongoing atta a long-standing business.’
“This is about a year ago, just before…”
-Knock, knock, knock- “Special Agent Miller? We have a warrant to search the premises.”
Recalling how the initial sequence went, Elle had been sitting on the sofa looking at the live feed in shocked silenbsp; Knowing that the initial result ended with every warrant issued ultimately being tossed out for teicalities, Elle let herself answer a little better than what actually happened. “e on in fels, I know the warrant says to seargie’s stuff. That would be the room on the right after the living room. Stay out of everything else.”
Appearing to go just as she lived it, Elle settled on the sofa and thought about the colle that Homend Security gathered. They boxed up a majority of her military uniforms, all of her strategy manuals, pressured leadership books, and the few beauty things like her brush for DNA. Uned about the past, Elle turned up the television to see if there was something being said that she’d not paid attention to.
“Agent Miller.” A man with bck hair turo face the sofa. “I am Agent Bke Moss, and I have the unfortuy to pce you under arrest at this time.”
Slowly getting to her feet, Elle raised one slender eyebrow. “This isn’t how it goes, Agent Moss.”
Curling his fio indicate that he wanted Elle clent Moss stared at Elle and pointed into Angelie’s room. “ you possibly expin what we are looking at, Agent Miller?”
Once Elle looked into the room she knew immediately what the was. The room was covered in blood with some of it still dripping down from the ceiling and f tiny pools in the beige carpet. tered in the room, Angelie Kino’s body y half mangled and half eaten, with twin holes all over the body. “This is all wrong, I don’t know a thing about this.” Elle poio the massacre in the room before starting to dry heave.
Bke looked around the room as Elle’s posure slowly returned. “I see the color in your face again, that is good.” He pced a set of handcuffs loosely around her wrists a her ba the sofa before turning to another of his helpers. “Call Forensio one else gets access to this room before their sweep is done.” Agent Moss walked over to the sofa and sat down with Elle. “You know fession is good for the soul. You cooperate and I keep this in Virginia’s jurisdi, where there is h penalty.”
“What? You think I did this? I just finished saying that everything's wrong. You were only supposed to pick up her brushes, make-up, books on military and…that sort of thing.” Elle frantically ran through the events to make sure she was not going crazy.
“Uh, Agent Moss? There is more you should see. Put on a suit first.” Bke motioned for two ents, “Kindly watch Agent Miller while I check this out.” The two nodded and took secure positions watg Elle without so much as blinking.
Still aware that her situation was pletely illusionary and a dream of an alternate reality, Elle decided to take a deeper look into the background and what was being said. By ce, Elle looked down and noticed that the living room carpet had bee a pin apple red in color. “I hate the color red.” Elle sighed. “What does it all mean?”
Before she could puzzle out where the dream was headed, Bke returned holding his work phone. “How do you expin the crucifix in the closet, Elle?” He handed her the phone a her look at the evidence.
“Wow, handing you the iigation on a ptter. o chey sources or DNA, or fingerprints. You have the mountain of vis right there.” Elle huffed, “Obviously I am the cross-killer.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, when have you ever had all the evidence you wanted?” Whe Moss shrugged, Elle tinued. “This has been fun guys, but I have to go now.”
Closing her eyes and fog on her fluffy pillows, Elle felt the dream dissipate and she startled herself awake, then sat up panting.
-The overwhelming pattern was some shade of red.-
Elle ran the line in her head a few times before scrubbing the sleep from the ers of her eyes and scratg her short hair. “Ugh, waking up like that always stinks.” Elle slouched over as though she was going to go back to sleep when she heard a knock at her front door. “I’ll be right there, give me a couple minutes!” She g the digital red numbered clock that was steady showing the time 7:30 am
-Unreal.-
Grabbing a few items off the floor where she left them the night before, Elle pulled up a set of jeans and a grey athletic tee with the block letters ‘FBI’ imprinted on the front. She then brushed her hair a bit and tied it up in a ponytail. Satisfied that she at least looked partly human, Elle walked to the door and peered through the peephole. “Who is it?” She inquired briefly.
“I am Charles Sheppard, Doctor in anthropology for the local uy. I please e in?” The professor held up his faculty card as evidence. “I was told by Noah that you are looking inte things?”
Relutly opening the door, Elle looked around the hallway before letting Charles into her home. “Please e in, you got here rather early. I hadn’t even gotten up for work yet.” She paused and showed the doctor to the sofa. “Would you like some coffee while I che at work, let my boss know what’s going on?”
“Sure, coffee sounds nibsp; Just please don’t tell anyone I am here. I am trying to stay kinda hidden.” Charles looked frightened.
“No problem.” Elle reassured the balding professor and dialed Sarah’s cell. “...Deputy Director Powell, this is Agent Miller. I sent you my current leads that I am following up with today. Unless you need me to e to the main building, I was going to head back out to ial Heights and trace steps and take pictures.” She hit the red button to end the call just as the pot of water started to boil. “I love a quick boil pot.” Elle ughed, “What kind of coffee do you like? I have a hazelnut I was going to make, but I have about a hundred different fvors.”
“H-hazelnut sounds great.” The professot off the sofa and sat down in a chair where the back faced the bedrooms. “I just have a feeling like there is a target on my back, Agent Miller.”
