1 Chapter 1

Every night she visited her wrongly accused brother, Lucas Dean, in his cell. She gave him updates on the investigation. Stella and Lucas had been orphaned on Lucas' eighteenth birthday when Stella was only seventeen. His trial went on for a year, and now Stella was still trying to find the real killer that had murdered her parents and framed Lucas. Stella was so deep in thought she didn't notice the stranger approaching her.

"Do you want a ride home?" asked a voice from behind her. She jumped and let out a startled yelp. As Stella turned around, she came face-to-face with a police officer, Darcie Rogers. Stella tried to assure the police officer that she would be fine.

"Well, at least let me walk you home," Darcie stated. Stella nodded slowly and rose from the bench on which she was seated. Half an hour later, exhaustion washed over her as she unlocked her front door. It seemed the sleepless nights had caught up to her. Her legs trembled, her body felt heavy as lead, and she hit the floor with a muffled thump.

She woke what seemed like hours later on the couch in her living room. Stella took the blanket off and slowly stood up. A light was coming from the kitchen, indicating that she had company. Which she thought was weird because Stella lived alone.

"Hello," she said with caution.

"Good you're up," the stranger said, then seeing her face, it came back to her, Darcie Rogers.

"How long was I out?" Stella asked mid-yawn.

"Twelve hours," Darcie told her.

Stella lumbered to her freezer and made herself a bowl of ice cream, while Darcie looked at her with an incredulous expression, as ice-cream was an odd breakfast choice.

Over time Darcie and Stella had become close friends and spent more and more time together.

"Can you tell me about the murderer?" Darcie asked Stella. Stella told her friend about his oddly matched eyes. His left eye is brown while his right eye was blue. Stella then went on to how she saw him frequently before the murder as if he was stalking her; this was valuable information.

Hours later, Darcie had found a new lead.

"Ah-ha!" Darcie yelled triumphantly.

An alarmed cry came from behind the couch. Darcie whipped her head around and found that Stella had been the owner of the shriek. Stella was in a new place on the floor after falling off her precarious perch on the couch. Stella stood up indignantly.

"What are trying to do? Give me a heart attack?!" Stella exclaimed.

"In the ten years leading up to your parents' death, a kidnapping occurred each year, followed closely by the death of each person held captive. All the victims were female, and all of them had reported that someone was stalking them...", "But?" Stella prompted. "None of them saw the stalker's face," Darcie finished.

"That is enough work for today," Darcie said, "You need sleep."

Stella gazed out her window and saw an eye-colour that over the months she had known Darcie she had begun to associate the colour with comfort and safety, right next to an eye-colour that even after two years it sent a shiver done her spine. Her surprise turned to horror as she looked into the brown and blue eyes of a killer. Screaming and ran downstairs, his heavy footsteps followed closely. He let out a bark of laughter when he saw who was sleeping on the couch. "My daughter Darcie, she's so kind and pure, isn't she. The truth will break her, darling. Just as the reality of your parents' deaths broke you." He was taunting her now. Stella suddenly woke in a cold sweat and broke down.

"Are you okay?" Darcie asked, leaning down. "I saw him, Darcie." Stella said choking on the last word, "I keep seeing him, but he chased me this time." Darcie's ice-blue eyes showed her concern for Stella. Stella just curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

Days had passed, and Darcie found more leads. After a week, there was enough evidence to take to court. She had discovered his name. Through tears, she gathered Stella in her arms and explained that the killer was Darcie's flesh and blood. Her dad, Hector Rogers.

The trial was finally over, and they walked home. No one had the energy for small talk. When the trio arrived at Stella's house Darcie crashed on the couch and Lucas and Stella just held each other for a while, Stella was sobbing softly, with her face buried in her brother's neck. Finally, Darcie stood and without a word. Darcie supported Stella while Lucas untangled himself from his sister and walked into the kitchen, leaving Stella and Darcie alone. Darcie leaned closer to Stella and whispered into her ear, "We'll be alright, my dad will never hurt you again. I will never leave you as long as I live."

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