Ophelia and the Lies

CHAPTER ONE:

The Introduction

I am Ophelia Emerson, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida with my mom, my dog, and my adopted sibling, Roy. Roy is five years younger than me. I am twelve, older than my dog in human years. My dog's name is Peanut.

I love solving mysteries. I’ve solved every mystery in my neighborhood from the rat infestation, missing trash cans (the raccoon was eating good that night), and why the television wasn’t working. My story starts in my small apartment with a mystery nobody knew about.

CHAPTER TWO:

Suspicious Lies

I was sitting in my room when Mom called my name. “Ophelia, honey?”
”Yes, Ma?”
“Where is Roy?” Mom asked, confused.
I sat there for a moment. I thought I knew, but I didn’t know at the same time. Then it came to me.
”Isn’t he at Logan’s apartment?” I answered.
”Roy never told me- that’s weird. Sorry honey!”
If your wondering, Logan is our neighbor and Roy’s best friend. I decided to go check if he is there. If he’s not at home, he’s at Logan’s.

”Ma, I am going to Logan’s!” I screamed down.
“Okay, Ophelia. Be careful!” replied Mom.
I ran down the steps, slipped on my tennis shoes without tying them, and slammed the apartment door. As I arrived to Logan’s apartment, I knocked our secret knock. It’s to know who’s there!

KNOCK! KNOCK!

As he slightly opened the door, I heard muffled screams.
”Hey! Er- do you hear that?” I asked, my voice low.
”I- uhm- I don’t know, but I-“ something cut him off.
”OPHELIA?! HELP!”
The voice was muffled, so I didn’t know who was calling me for help and why.
“Uh- be right back. I have to use the restroom,” said Logan suspiciously. A second later, I heard somebody screaming, “HOLD STILL!”

I knocked on the door and put my ear against it. I heard tape sounds. Then, quiet sobbing filled the air as a cool breeze blew by, tickled my neck and raised the hairs on my arm. Something wasn’t right, and I’m going to figure it out.

CHAPTER THREE:

The Notebook

I showed up at the door, and I knocked so mom would come get me. I heard subtle barking from Peanut, then mom opened the door.
”Hey, Honey! Where is Roy?” she said with fake smile.
”Something isn’t right,” I said, my heart pounding as I pushed mom out of the way.
”Honey, what’s up?”
I was already upstairs.
Muffled screams, cries for help, something isn’t right!

I thought.

I ran over to my glittery bookcase to grab my secret notebook where I keep my clues. To be honest, nothing has ever been more mysterious than this creepy coincidence... or is it? Thoughts filled my head. I was confused, scared, and thousands of other feelings I couldn’t spit out.

I jotted down some eerie behaviors that freaked me out:

*MUFFLED SCREAMS
*CRYING
*CRIES FOR HELP

I added some more things including lying from Logan, not opening the door all the way, and somebody saying “HOLD STILL!”
I finished writing as I looked at the door to my room. I jumped off of my bed, slipped on my purple sweater, and finally tied my tennis shoes. I didn’t close my bedroom door behind me. I snuck out the apartment door feeling a little cheeky that it was 7:28 in the evening. I made a big mistake.

CHAPTER FOUR

The Helpful Clue

As I came back to Logan’s house, I listened carefully. I hoped this would give me a clue, one that I could think of as helpful. But there was silence. I didn’t hear a single footstep. My ear was up to the door. Then, frightened by the voice that I heard and the switch that made a clicking noice, I jumped back. But as i jumped back, my knuckles hit the door.
“Ooh!” I squealed, my hand in pain.
Then I realized I had made noise while somebody was among the first floor. My hand wasn’t in pain anymore, but my heart was.

Am I about to get caught? Please no, no, no, no!

I thought. What if Logan had my brother? He could get me next. No, no, no. Logan is three years younger than me and could never kidnap people. Is Roy even kidnapped, or had he run away from home? Hundreds, probably thousands, of questions circled my head. Has mom lied to me? Has everybody lied to me? Nothing made sense.

What if it’s a mystery that’ll never get solved because of… because of…

LIES

I was done. I ran back to our apartment door. Luckily, I couldn’t get caught because the door was still open. I opened the door, careful not to make it creak, and rushed back to my room.
”Honey?” Mom suddenly called.
”Yes?”
”Come down, it’s important.”
I shook with fear. Does she know? I sat down in our small living room as mom looked at me with a serious face.

Uh oh..

I thought.

Turns out I thought wrong.
“I am going to go on a work trip and be interviewed for a week. But, half of those days are the plane flight. Three of them actually. The first flight is an hour and a half, so is the one back. If I get the job, we will have to move.”
”Mom, Roy?”
”Honey, we adopted him. Wherever he is, it doesn’t matter anyway.”
That’s weird. That’s a clue. Why doesn’t she care if SHE adopted Roy? I care. Did she send him away? Now, I have one big helpful clue. She must’ve had something to do with it. Now, I have to find where Roy is and what mom had to do with this.

CHAPTER FIVE

Many Questions

As I sat in my room, I grabbed my notebook off my bookshelf. I was about to write
when mom suddenly called up to me.
”Time to go to bed! I am sick and tired of doing everything for you in this apartment and-“
She stopped.
“No, mom!”
The word “mom” must’ve dragged out for twenty years. Well, not literally, of course. But probably like five annoyingly long minutes. Mom ignored me and I heard the door to her small bedroom slam as she let out a big sigh.

SLAM!

I thought about the time a few minutes ago when mom was sick and tired of caring for me. Maybe she hated taking care of Roy. I mean, who doesn't love their own child? And Roy is younger. Youngsters always are hard work. Example: “I WANT THIS, I WANT THAT!” Or… “SISSY STOLE SOMETHING FROM ME!” Half of the time it is mom who has to take care of it. And half of the time, things that I “steal” are stolen from me first and were mine in the first place. Everyone hates young children sometimes, right? They aren’t very likable or pleasing. I had so many questions before, some of them are answered, and now, I have many questions, not so many answered. I still have time to figure them out though, right? Right.