LOVE LETTERS: RED INK

YOU: 10

Your plan was set into motion.

You had already grabbed your cat and found sleeping on the floor. She was barely breathing and this time you really thought that she was going to die. After that, you stole Marion's phone from his pocket and slid his unconscious body into the bathroom. You gave his sleeping face one last long look and felt an odd emotion. Something like disappointment. Disappointed that this couldn't have ended better, perhaps.

It's not your fault, you reminded yourself as you finally shut the door and locked him inside.

You called the police and waited for them to come. You're still not sure why you didn't just leave, maybe you were just too tired.

You sat on the couch with your cat curled into your hip and Estelline's head on your lap. Everything was so quiet, the silence was almost loud. You saw Estelline shift a little. Her blonde hair was splayed across your legs, and her sleep seemed anything but peaceful. "Don't worry," you whisper out loud, "this'll all be over soon."

You said that more for your comfort than hers...

The police came within ten minutes and everything then was a blur.

Sirens, lights, yelling.

Estelline was carried onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. Two lady officers were trying to talk to you, but you couldn't focus on what they were saying. Everything was so overwhelming all at once.

Then there was Marion. The police found him, woke him up, and now he's groggily walking to the police car in restraints, two officers on either side of him. He seemed the same way that he did when you first saw him; arrogant, cruel and dangerous. He had an irritated grin on his face, like this was all one big inconvenience that he could get out of.

Then he saw you. You saw through his facade and noticed the hurt in his eyes.

"I-I- I'm so sorry I'm sorry please forgive me—"

"I love you..I love you.."

His words wormed themselves into your brain.

Then you saw him say something to you. Your eyes widened slightly. What does he..? You glance back over to the house and something clicks.

Before you can do anything, he's pushed into the car and your ushered away.

-------

It's been 6 months.

The whole town knows about Marion, or should you say Marion Mayle.

According to records and police, Marion came from an extremely abusive family and his mother was a suspect in a murderer case that went cold 30-ish years ago. His father died when Marion was 12 and he had two other sisters, one of them being a fairly successful carpenter and the other does acts of community service.

He was beat every day by his mother and was allegedly coerced into murdering highschool girl Danica Summers (aka Estelline's dead girlfriend.) He got away with it and got into a nice college.

Everything else is muddled, but that doesn't matter.

Marion is in prison now, and will be up for bail in 20 years (which was an absolute outrage but somehow still allowed.)

You're now living a very quiet life away from your old house. Currently, you're staying with Estelline until she's able to function properly. After the whole ordeal at Marion's, she went into a coma for a week. During that time, she had to have her leg amputated. It seems that Marion had hurt her far worse than you both assumed.

She wanted you to stay with her for a while, so now you live together, cooking and planting flowers in little pots and watching your cat try to fight ladybugs that flew over head.

Therapy has been helpful, but you and Estelline still suffer from awful nightmares and moments of PTSD. Especially when the mail comes around.

But now's not the time to be scared. You feel ready now. You have something you must do.

You kiss the top of your cat's head and walk out into the living room. Estelline is laying on the couch watching TV. "Hey I'm going out for a bit, I have to take care of some things," you say. Estelline nodded and gave a thumbs up. "I'll see you for dinner?" She asks.

"Yep, I'll be home by then."

"Okay have fun!"

You give her a lopsided smile and grab your keys before rushing into your car.

The drive takes a while and fills you with anxiety but you push through. You must push through.

Then you pull up to the curb and look out the window.

Marion's house. You dreaded coming back here, but he wanted you to find something and you couldn't let this incomplete feeling go. Like something is missing. Like the whole puzzle doesn't have a very specific piece.

There's no more police tape surrounding the house, and you're fairly certain it still belongs to Marion, but not completely sure. You walk up to the door way and look around. How do I get in..? You spot a little key in one of the potted plants next to the door. Oh wow, how original. Anyone could break in now. You take the key and insert it into the lock. There's a click and you walk into the house.

It's cold and dusty and there's a sick feeling in your stomach. You want to throw up, you shouldn't have come here..

You keep walking through the house until you find a room you've never been in. Hope this is it, you think as you open the door.

Marion's room is surprisingly clean, but dark and you struggle to find the lights before realizing that they don't turn on. You use your phone as a flashlight and start to look around. The wallpaper is a deep maroon color, and his bed is unmade.  There's a drawer nearby and you notice a large desk and comfortable chair near the crook where the window is.

The desk has a few things resting on top: various pens and ink, a pair of black gloves, a package of unopened envelopes, and finally, an envelope sitting right on top that was addressed for you. The envelope hadn't been shut yet; it must have been unfinished.

But this might just be what your looking for.

You sit on the chair and open up the very last letter that Marion needed you to see, but never wanted to send.