The ride back to the house was nice and quiet, it gave me time to reflect on everything that I had overcome and all of the obstacles that I would have to face. A bunch of flashing lights broke me out of my train of thoughts. Looking around I noticed that they were lights from a police car. I realized that we had stopped moving and Sindy had pulled the car over to the side of the road. I looked out my side mirror and saw an officer approaching my side of the car. Rolling down my window, I looked up at the police officer and realized it was Larry. Larry was the one who had saved my life right before Wilma made her move; he appeared out of nowhere and stopped her.
“How are you feeling Sapphire?” Larry asked as leaned his head in the window just a tad bit.
“I’m feeling better than what I should be thanks to you being good at your job.” I replied with a faint smile.
“Well take care of yourselves and call if you need anything.” he replied as he tapped the top of the car and then walked away.
“So how are you really feeling, honest answers only?” Sindy asked as she pulled back on to the road and continued the drive home.
“Honestly, I’m fine. I'm ready to try and move forward with life.”
“No to bring back bad memories, but what happened to Wilma?”
“I don't know, that’s a question that Larry and the police department has the answer to.” I replied, glancing out the window.
We rode in silence the rest of the way home, I sat in the passenger seat thinking about how I could no longer live the life I was used to all because of one psychotic person. When people warned me about working for Wilma I should have listened to them but because I didn’t my life is forever changed. Pulling into the driveway, Sindy turned off the car and hit the unlock button. I gathered all my thoughts and prepared myself for the walk from the car into the house.
“You’ve got this, it's just a couple of small steps, you’ve walked this path a thousand times before nothing new.” I thought to myself even though there was something different. Now I’m walking on prosthetic legs, instead of the ones I was born with.
“Hey, are you alright? Do you want me to help you?” I heard Sindy asking in the background.
“Yes I am fine, no I don't need any help. Just taking everything in, ya know.” I replied as I shifted my legs outside of the car.
Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I used the car to pull myself up. Sindy and I walked side by side all the way to the front door. Once in the house I went straight to my room and grabbed an outfit that wasn't hospital issued. Then I went into my bathroom and ran myself a nice warm bath. I had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever. I missed my tub, my bathroom, my room and most importantly I missed Markus. As I sat in the tub and soaked I thought about how lucky I was to still be alive considering the fact that Markus was not. Markus with his infectious laughter and room lighting grin, Markus my Markus was dead and there was nothing that I could do about it. A knock at my bathroom door pulled me out of the downward spiral I felt myself going down.
“Sapphire, you have some mail out here and dinners’ almost ready.” Sindy said through the other side of the door.
“Okay, I’ll be out in just a minute.” I called back as I let the water out of the tub.
I pulled myself out of the tub, dried off and got dressed. I slowly made my way into the living room and was greeted by stacks of mail that were placed in a tote. On top of the stack of mail was a box addressed to me, curiosity got the best of me so I decided to open that up first. The only two items in the box was a video tape with no words on it and a knife. I pulled the tape out of the box, walked over to the VCR, popped it in and pressed play. At first it was just a blank screen. I was about to press the eject button when Wilma’s image popped up on the tv screen, along with Markus and myself. I silently stared at the screen as the video showed Wilma butchering Markus like a pig in a slaughterhouse. I watched as Markus’s blood splattered everywhere, including my face. I wanted to stop watching, I wanted to press the stop button but I was frozen in place, I'm not sure if I was frozen by the shock of the video or from the fear that ran through my body. I continued to watch as Wilma walked over to me and sliced my right cheek with her knife. In the video I began to stagger backwards trying to get away from her but I tripped and fell to the floor. Wilma took her knife and repeatedly stabbed me in both of legs as I tried to fight her off. Lifting the knife above her head she then began to drive the knife into my chest but a single shot rang out in the distance. The knife fell out of Wilma’s hands and Larry had come into view and tackled her to the ground, after that the screen went black.
I grabbed the box off of the table and looked for a return address but there wasn't one, the knife that was in the box made a clunking sound as it hit our hardwood floor.
“Sindy!” I yelled as I threw the box onto the floor.
“Why are you yelling? I'm right in the kitchen.” Sindy replied, coming to stand next to me.
“Who sent that box?” I asked, pointing at the box that was now on the floor at my feet.
“I don't know who sent it, what’s the matter.”
“This is what's the matter,” I replied as I hit the rewind button and started the tape over for my sister to watch.
“What sick person would keep this and send it to you?” Sindy asked, turning off the tv.
“There is only one person that would have had this sent to me. I’m going to call Officer Larry, maybe there are fingerprints on it.” I replied as I picked up my cell phone and dialing Officer Larrys’ cell number.
The phone rang about four times before Larry picked up “Hello Sapphire, what’s going on?”
“Hey Larry, are you able to come over and check something out for me? Somebody sent me a video but the box doesn't have a return address on it and there is no note either.
“Give me about thirty minutes and I’ll be on my way.”
“Okay, see you in thirty minutes,” I replied and then hit the call end button.
As I waited for Officer Larry to arrive, I continued to go through the rest of the mail that was in the tote. Most of the envelopes had a get well card in them twenty minutes had gone by and the doorbell had rang. I got up off the couch and slowly made my way to the front door. I unlocked it and then pulled it open expecting to see Officer Larry on the other side.
“Didn’t expect to see me again did you? Did you like the video I sent you?” Wilma asked as she entered my house with a grinch sized smile on her face.
All of the air left my lungs and all of a sudden I felt like I had a bad case of cottonmouth. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out, Wilma inched closer to me and I tried to back away but I stepped on something and felt my prosthetics give way. My arms flailed aimlessly trying to grab a hold of something, so I wouldn't fall but it was pointless. My back crashed into the bottom of the staircase.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to ask Wilma as I looked up at her.
“Finishing what I started of course, why else would I be here?” she replied with the stupid grin still on her face.
“Leave my sister alone and get out of our house before I call the police.” Sindy yelled at Wilma as she ran into the little hallway.
Wilma’s smile seemed to grow wider and I could’ve sworn I saw some teeth begin to show. Sindy stood in front of me with her fist balled up ready to fight.
“I’m afraid your fist will be no match against my knife.” Wilma said with a slight chuckle as she pulled a knife out of the back of her pants.
“I’m only going to say this one more time, get out.” Sidney yelled again.
Wilma charged at Sindy and smacked her across the face with the end of her knife. The blow to the side of her head made Sindy fall against the railing of the stairs.
“Don’t touch my sister!” I yelled trying to pull myself up
“Say goodbye to your sister Sapphire.” Wilma replied as she raised her knife above her head the same way she had done when she had almost killed me.
I couldn't do anything but cover my eyes as she lowered the knife above Sidneys’ torso. Three gunshots ran off from the direction of the front door and I heard the knife fall to the floor. I slowly opened my eyes to see Officer Larry standing in the doorway with his gun still in his hand. I looked around the room and saw Sindy still cowering on the floor, a couple feet in front of her was the lifeless body of Wilma.
“Are you guys okay?” Officer Larry asked as he stepped all the way into the house.
“I'm a little shaken up but I’ll be fine.” I replied pulling myself onto the bottom stair.
“Yeah I’m good, it feels like I just got hit by a rock though.” Sindy said as she rubbed the side of her head.
“Back up and the paramedics are on the way, let's get you two checked out at the hospital though.” Officer Larry replied, holding his hand out so I could grab it.
