I can’t dream the same as when I was a kid, every time I close my eyes I see her, the trailer home, it’s always of her crying, whenever I run towards her she ends up being a distance away until she disappears, I wish I was there, maybe if I was there I could’ve done something but before I knew it, the trailer room had blood lying on the floor with her parents lifeless bodies, it reeked of cheap beer and cigarettes that haven’t been fully put out. I can hear the faded police sirens in the background even though we’re both late to the party. I want to wake up, I know it’s just a really bad dream but I can never wake myself up, I don’t know why I’m being haunted, I wasn’t there, I couldn’t do anything even if I tried, I was never able to do anything no matter how many times this has replayed in my dreams, after all I was just a kid, at this point it’s just a bad joke that I never thought was funny, wait..those police sirens don’t sound normal..they’re..beeping? Oh I get it, I’m waking up…

Waking up with the sunlight hitting my eyes as if my alarm wasn’t enough I realized that I never want to have a dream like that again, but here I am still living with it. I looked towards my clock and noticed it was getting late, I already had my favorite nightmare so really how bad can this day be. I do still wonder if I’ll ever find her unless she’s really gone, well there’s no use in thinking too hard. I just want to get this day over with. After some time I arrived at the police department doing paperwork. Woman: “ Cole, they have a case about a murder scene on 14th street in an alley, the chief is sending you over.” Cole: “ I’m busy doing paperwork, can’t the chief send anyone else besides me Donna?” Donna: “ We already sent out the rest on other cases, if we could send someone else we would but unfortunately you’re the only one, I don’t understand why you don’t want to do a case when you’re a detective, why did you even choose this line of work if you’re gonna moan about it? Besides, all I ever see you do is paperwork or work on an old case that was finalized long before you even worked here.” Cole: “ It’s not like I had a choice, this life picked me and I somehow got wrapped up into it plus, this case still has a mystery to it, the female victim was never seen again, as if she disappeared without a trace.” Donna: “ That case has been like that for years, everyone searched for her, even you since you have some history with her. After all these years she was never found so the case closed.” Cole: “ Still, there could be a chance where she’s alive and maybe can’t be found, I know it’s been a while but I feel like there’s more to this. ” Donna: “ Give me a break Cole, you’re just chasing a dead lead, it’s over and you need to move on to the next part of your life, cases like these happen all the time and we can’t do anything once it’s over, I’ll tell you what, if you’re willing to stop chasing ghosts I’ll let you take me out to dinner, so hurry up and get to the case or else.” Cole: “ Hah, I don’t have time for that kind of thing but I appreciate the gesture, I understand what you mean though so I’ll keep that in mind, I’ll head out now.” After the lull ride to the crime scene I noticed I was the only one there, I guess I arrived a little late because I was chatting with Donna, it’s weird though, how did she know I had a relationship with the girl in the case the case was closed before she was hired into the department, I guess it must’ve been the talk of the town or I’m just thinking too hard into it, either way I’m here, I walk into the alleyway and see the yellow tapes, and the dried blood, really there’s not much for me to see here. Man: “ Excuse me! Are you detective Smith?” Cole: “ I am, and you are?” Hutton: “ I’m investigator Hutton, I work on the other side of town but got a call to come in and check around, they told me later on about you coming by but we already have it covered, we have the body being processed and the evidence being taken into inventory, the murder victim was an elder lady but the killer didn’t take anything, it’s a bit weird but no weirder than usual so we’ll be handling it from here, the cleaning crew is coming by soon but really there’s nothing left, you’re free to look around though.” Cole: “ Thanks, I wish they told me before I made the trip but I’m guessing they just wanted me out of the office for once, I’ll take a look around at least then head back, nice meeting you.” After the investigator left I did check around the area but there really was nothing left behind, as I’m walking back to leave I noticed a shimmer of light underneath a trash can, I bent over and reached underneath to find out it’s a gold watch, I assumed the killer would’ve at least taken this, it’s not a bad looking watch except for the weird stick man figure in red on a gold watch, wait..the stick man figure turned green? That’s weird, I should probably turn this in for evidence but I wonder if it does belong to the victim, I’ll take it to a horology shop to see if they know more about it, and there’s a bag inside the trash here with the logo for the shop, I guess there was a few things left behind. This store isn’t actually far, alright let’s see where this takes me. As I’m heading to the store I have a feeling of uncertainty, I’m not sure exactly what doing this will help prove, maybe I’m just selfish and don’t want to go back to the office yet, or maybe doing this helps me feel like I’m accomplishing something that I wasn’t able to do in my past because of my mistakes, but if it does prove to be hers then I’ll just hand it over for evidence. Maybe that will give me something happy to dream about today.

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