Red Herring ✔️

66. November 1st

The Day after Halloween

She dreamt of corpses crawling out of the grave, their thin fingers clawing at the dirt that buried them with their rotting flesh peeling from their bones. The disturbing thing was that she barely awoke in a sweat. As scary as it was, Mazie witnessed worse in person when she was the one digging up the corpses.

What was supposed to be an uneventful night of sleep turned into quite the opposite. After the hottest shower she had ever taken and nearly crying again from the sweetest text from Christian about their undeniable teamwork, Felecia woke up Mazie around eight in the morning with a desperate phone call from the last person she expected to hear from - Demi.

Through the tears, Demi begged obstinately for Mazie to be the one to spread the truth about what happened to Demi whether or not anyone chose to believe it. "Your aunt told me that you were sleeping. I'm so sorry, Mazie, for waking you. I know you were probably out very late with the police since everything...happened last night. I just...I don't think you've seen the news? Well, no you couldn't have. You were sleeping," she corrected herself with a humorless snort. "I don't know why but they're saying that I did it. The local TV station aired the news this morning that McCormick's body was discovered by a group of teens from Colonel Holden High. And then...and then they said I'm the prime suspect! The truth is all twisted of course, since they're saying I drugged myself into a violent stupor and went to kill Ms. McCormick out of jealousy. It's all out there...that Lonny was sleeping with Meredith and that he was cheating on me. I started abusing drugs apparently since I was so distraught about my boyfriend cheating on me with an older woman. How ridiculous, total BS!"

"Demi, you don't have to defend yourself to me. I know the truth," she reminded Demi in her hoarse morning voice. She wasn't even sure if she was dreaming this conversation or if it was real.

Demi sniffled. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just so angry! The news hasn't even mentioned Mary Anne! They haven't even said her name when we all know she's the one that murdered her mother in cold blood. I just can't wrap my mind around all the lies! I didn't have to feel these...things! I didn't feel emotions because it was all dull and lifeless, you know. I took those drugs willingly after awhile because then I didn't have to think or feel. I'm so enraged, Mazie, that they think I did it. This could ruin my reputation for life...forever!" Still collecting her thoughts, Mazie merely listened quietly, unable to offer any condolences. "I have no right to ask this of you, none whatsoever. You've done more for me than anyone in my entire life. I'll never be able to repay you for this, but I need your help, Mazie. My parents don't think it's a good idea for me to talk to any reports right now since I'm a prime suspect in the news. I'm asking you, as the last thing you'll ever have to do for me, to give the full truth to a journalist. Let them write the truth how they hear it from you. Whether or not the police sort all of this out, they don't have any vested interested in correcting the media. I can't be holed up in here and do nothing. Please, if you can," Demi pleaded, choking up with tears.

At the end of the call, Mazie stumbled out of bed in her favorite matching pajama set - the black ones with the spooky pumpkins printed on them. The kids were watching Saturday morning cartoons on the TV in the living room while Rob and Felecia shared a cup of coffee in the kitchen at the island. With little hesitation, Mazie declared, "Rob, I need a favor."

Her uncle took some convincing but in the end, he caved to her request. Probably because she looked like the walking dead.

With the gentlest guidance, Fe hugged Mazie with a loving delicateness and ushered her back up to bed to sleep until she renewed her energy. Fe even tucked her into bed, smoothing her clean hair back from her face and closing the blinds so that her room remained dark. This time around, Mazie dreamt that she was sitting in a cafe in Seattle, eating a warm chocolate croissant and sipping on a sweet latte. As the rain drizzled on the window, the door opened and a dreamy brooding male specimen with a beguiling smirk immediately found her tucked into the corner and greeted her with a kiss that tasted like peppermint - and Christian. It was a rather unremarkable dream, if not for the vivid detail with which she remembered it - so much so, that it felt entirely real. When Christian sat across from her at their little table, he licked the lips that she just kissed and gave her that reticent smile which he saved just for her. In her dream, he didn't say anything and neither did she. All the same, it was magical and heartwarming.