Chereads / Amygdala / Chapter 3 - Indigo

Chapter 3 - Indigo

"His eyes were that color you can't see in the rainbow. Indigo"

-Rainbow Rowell

____________________________________________

The clock's hand pointed 8:00 and a loud noise awoken me. I turned off my alarm and I have realized I slept the entire night in my desk.

Photos and papers scattered everywhere. I stiff as I felt the sting in my freaking neck from the moment I straightened my head.

"Oh crap! This case is hell!". I groaned in annoyance.

I arranged my files and a picture dropped on the floor. 2 months has passed and my investigation advances in minimal progress. Above all the cases I have handled this one is a hard nut to crack.

The crime is a mystery itself but what's more mysterious is the person I am looking at now.

Avery Mercadejas, the lone survivor of the heinous crime I am currently assign with.

The informants found out that she grew up in a foster care which is now nothing but ashes and remnants of fire accident. No one has survived. It happened 5 years ago with no clear police record of what or who may have caused it.

From that foster home she had been jumping from one family to another. But the thing was, none of any members of the family she had been are also alive.

I sent out men to investigate what happened to those families. Reports came and her dark past was revealed.

I have been given all the documents and statements recorded by the authority including the testimony given by Avery herself during interviews.

I started looking over every files last night. My heart went down in each words I read.

She had been in 3 families. The first one she had when she is still 9 years old were the Velasquez couple. They weren't able to have a baby that's why they decided to adopt a child. However, after 2 year both of them got in a car accident, they were dead on arrival.

Upon their deaths, the forensic science investigators unravelled the true identity of the couple. They are Ursula Cruz and Rio Benedicto, wanted couple in the country of Spain for child abduction of 4 children over the past 6 years whom are found dead and buried under their house.

Avery was found under the couple's basement tied like a dog. She was rescued and held under counseling. After 5 months, she was then return to foster home.

When she was 13 years old, another family adopted her. The Smith family who only had 2 sons, wished to have a daughter. Mrs. Smith supposedly had 3 children. All of them were born in a cesarean delivery. Sadly, the 3rd child, her only daughter died hours after she was born.

Mrs. Smith had a heart disease. The doctor told them the attack gives no known specific time. It would be fatal that anytime could be her death. As a final wish, she wanted to spend her remaining time being a mom to a daughter. Avery was as the same age that time as her daughter should be that's why she was chosen.

She was happily living with the Smith family. Nonetheless, after 4 years on the death of Mrs. Smith her world turned upside down.

With the absence of her mother, Mr. Smith was wasted. Every night he got drunk, he weep and throw everything he touches. He get so mad of his wife leaving him behind, she was his everything an now she's gone.

Though not blood related, Avery grew similarities with her foster mother which irritated Mr. Smith the most. She was treated like a slave and punished her everytime she did simple mistakes like putting less ice in his glass whenever he drinks his beer.

His brothers weren't always around in the house. And they didn't notice nor care about the abuse she had with her father. Months had passed and things got worst.

The eldest son, got addicted to drugs. He got into many useless fights and got his life a total mess. The second son, goes the same who went every night to parties and recklessness.

Getting high with drugs restricted them to think straight. Avery was a woman of beauty and she got their eyes on her.

Until one evening, Avery's worst nightmare came. After his father slept in his couch under the influence of alcohol. She was sleeping in her room with doors locked. Her surrounding's scaring her and she felt unsafe. But a slam in the door woke her.

She heard her brother crying and pleading to open the door. He talked about how he misses his mother and that he wanted someone he can talk to it about.

Avery was confused and scared but with her beloved foster mother emerged in her memories she stood up and opened the door.

But...

Opening the door has opened up hell.

It wasn't just her brother, it's her brothers. They stood in her door way and get themselves in.

They

Have

Raped

Her.

Beat her, slap her, abuse her... then she is then left in her bed with both hands tied up. Got nothing to eat, nothing to drink.

The abuse continued for 5 days. She was asked if her father knew her situation. "No" was her answer. She told them she haven't seen her father nor heard him after that night.

She was saved by her aunt who happened to visit their house to talk about the land property shared by her and her foster mother. She entered the house and smelled something rotten.

She screamed as she found Mr. Smith in his couch swarming with maggots. Terrified, she was about to run outside when she heard a whimper and commotion upstairs. She went up and saw Avery tied in her bed.

It was the time she was finally freed from the verge of hell. Police came in their house and recovered the dead body of her father. Records shown, he was dead about 5 days prior to the day he was seen dead. He died in Hypertension.

Her brothers went missing but as fast as 2 days they were found dead. The eldest found in an alley, died in an overdose of drugs. While her other brother hang himself on a tree near the lake.

Because of the incident her aunt became her guardian. She was an old maiden, a lawyer, a woman intellect and beauty. Avery was raised in her expectations, until she graduated as a lawyer too.

However, after a year on Avery's graduation her aunt died in a heart attack. The same condition with her foster mother. And now she lived by herself, all alone.

It's sad to think how her life's became a living nightmare. She just wanted to live a happy life with a love of a family but fate's too cruel. To think she have just surpassed another hell.

I must say she is strong. For all the darkness she fought just to live. She survived all of it.

But I can't fathom the idea of how everyone around her died. Is it a curse? A horrible coincidence? Or is it mixed with an intricate foul play?

The first time I saw Avery on the mansion; unconscious and bleeding but her face was showing the opposite. Her face had this glimpse of happiness... For that moment I thought, was it happiness over her own death or happiness over the death of others?

She had the least percentage of being the culprit but I cannot just disregard this small possibility for maybe, hopefully not, will be the cause of the downfall in solving this case.

A ring in my phone brought me back to reality.

"Hey Knight how's your night?". A chuckle escaped on the other line.

I sighed. Great another stress of my life, my friend Gray Cohen.

"The hospital issued the discharge of Ms. Mercadejas tomorrow morning". He said.

"Okay, thank you Gray". I replied in an uninterested voice. I was about to hang the call when he spoke.

"I know you knew it. You've been there in the hospital almost every day. You ain't shifting to nurse are you?"

"Shut your mouth or I'll zip it for you". This idiot, I cursed to my self.

"Hahaha, just kidding bro. Anyway I got some trail, I'll explain it to you once you get her at the office".

"Okay good, you're in use now. I'm surprised. I'll be there quick". I immediately ended the call and rushed to the shower for a bath.

Nursing eh? I've spent my days with her in the hospital to know her well. That's right, it's for the case, nothing but professional matter...