The Accidental Murder Of Cora

It started off as a normal Wednesday. I had woken up to the sky being painted blue, purple, pink, orange, and yellow. My blue eyes watched as the sun slowly rose from the land. My skin prickled as a chilly breeze started to blow in from the north. Taking a deep breath I started my ten-minute walk to my bus stop. I kept walking even as the wind started to pick up. The wind picking up did not surprise me because the weather in Michigan is known for being bipolar. I lived in Michigan my whole life so surprising weather doesn’t affect me anymore.

I looked up just in time to see my bus turn around the bend. The bus came to a complete stop before I even dared to walk across the road.  Once I got on the bus, I walked to my seat and sat down. I put my headphones in and blasted music as the bus started to drive to the next bus stop.

Time Skip

I got off the bus and started to walk into my high school. We have a wide range of kids here at Corunna.  We have jocks, emos, druggies, bullies, players, and more.  If you were to ask me I would tell you I don’t have a group I belonged to. I do believe I am put into a group by others though. My peers would most likely put me into the teacher pet group or the smart kid's group. To be honest I guess I am in a group, but I don’t know what group we would be. My only friends are Emma, Ellexia, Abby, Sophia, Sophia, Myranda, and Cora. I have known these girls for years, but I don't even tell them everything.

Before school started everything was going fine. Myranda, Sophia, and I were playing Uno. Then when the bell rang at 7:25 AM as it does every day. I started walking to class when a cold breeze wrapped around me. I froze as my blood turned to ice as I saw her. The girl had long black hair. Her eyes were like sparkling diamonds. Her eyes were the brightest blue that I have ever seen. Her skin was pale as snow. Her name was Waya. Waya was the outcast of the ninth grade. Waya is the outcast of our grade because people believe she is a witch. The rumor started when Jenna, a popular cheerleader, said Waya cursed her. No one believes her unless you wanted to be an outcast just like Waya.

“Alyssa?” A voice broke through the mist that seemed to cloud my mind.

I turned to my left to see my friend, Cora Tuller standing next to me. Cora had slightly pale skin with orange freckles spotted on her face, arms, and neck. Cora also had light brown eyes.

I cleared my throat and spoke, “Yes?”

“We have to get to Mrs. Villani’s class. We have two minutes before we are late,” Cora told me.

I looked back to Waya standing to see that she was gone. I shook my head to clear it and walked to my first black with Cora by my side. Cora and I just stepped into the door when the late bell rang.

I rushed to my seat next to my table partner, Devin. Mrs. Villani came in late and told us to start SSR. I pulled out the book I carried around to read. I opened to the page I last stopped. Within a few minutes, I smelled something in the air. It smelled like the perfume that my mother wore when we went to special events.

Tears started to well in my eyes. I tried to quickly blink the tears away. I closed my eyes and related. A voice that sounded like my mother started to sing in my ear, “I can still recall our last summer. I still see it all in the tourist jam, round the Notre Dame. Our last summer walking hand and hand.”

I opened my eyes as tears started to fall from my eyes. That song is from the movie Mamma Mia. Mamma Mia is a movie that my mother and I would watch all the time together before she got sick. I looked up from my book on the whiteboard and froze. There standing was my mother. She looked like I remembered her. I wanted to speak, but my voice made no sound.

A voice broke through to me, “Alyssa?”

I whipped my head to the right to look at, Devin. Devin was looking at me and I quickly whipped the tears from my eyes.

“Yes?” I whisper back.

“Are you alright?” Devin whispered back.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked him.

“You,” he said, “we're staring at the whiteboard as if you were hypnotized.”

“W-What do you mean?” I ask.

“You looked emotionless. You looked like the whiteboard took all of your emotions. Then you started crying. So are you alright,” He told me.

I forced a smile and said, “Yes.”

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes,” I snapped.

“What the hell, Alyssa?! I was making sure you alright,” Devin snapped back at me.

I felt anger wash through me. I rolled my eyes as Mrs. Villani told us to finish the sentence we were on, indicating we were done reading. I lightly shook my head as Mrs. Villani talked about what we were working on today.

Quickly 8:12 AM came and Mrs. Villani told us to take a break. Cora quickly appeared on my left.

“Are you ready for Biology?” Cora asked excitedly.

“Why would I be ready for Biology? You know me and science don’t go together well,” I said.

“Did you forget?” Abby asked, turning around.

“Forget what?” I asked.

“In Biology, we are doing nature walks in groups remember?” Cora and Abby asked at the same time.

“Oh, yeah. That must've slipped my mind,” I told them.

After that Cora, Abby, and I started to talk about the exams coming up. Before Abby, Cora, and I knew it break was over and it was time to work. I sat doing my work as time seemed to rush by.

The bell finally rang to release kids to their second block or their second hour depending on what grade they were in.. I quickly packed my stuff up and started to head to my second block.

I walked into my second block feeling anger wash through me.

“Okay, class. Today we are going on a nature walk. I will be putting you all into groups of two or three,” Mr. Springer told the class.

Quickly Mr. Springer began to list off groups. For some reason, Mr. Springer picks Cora as my nature walk partner. Usually, I would be happy to be paired up with a friend, but for some reason, I felt really annoyed. This annoyance confused me because Cora was my friend.

“Okay, find your partner and or partners and bring a pencil with you. We will meet at the pavilion,” Mr. Springer told the class.

I rose from my seat next to Luna and started to walk to the pavilion. The pavilion was nothing special. It had a brown tiled roof and six picnic tables under it. Some of the kids, mostly the boys were running ahead of the rest of us. I took my time walking to the pavilion and as I walked I was trying to bottle up my emotions before something bad happened.

“Are you ready for this?” Ellexia asked me.

I force a smile and shake my head. Ellexia jogs in front of me and turns so she is facing me. Ellexia’s dark brown eyes held concern.

“Say nothing,” A voice whispered in my ear.

I kept on walking even though my body wanted to freeze. My blood started to pound in my ears. Her voice brought back the emotions I kept so hard to lock away.

“Alyssa, are you okay?” Ellexia asks.

I dig my nails into my palms as I speak, “Yes. I am perfectly fine. I am just tired.”

Ellexia’s eyes searched mine as we walked. The rest of the way was walked in silence. Once Ellexia and I reached the pavilion I sat on the picnic table nearest the forest. I watched as more kids walked to the pavilion.

A voice carried from the wind said, “You know what must be done.”

My body locked up as the air seemed to freeze. The air had turned so cold that I could now see my breath in the air every time I breathed.

“What do you mean?” I asked the wind.

“You must do your job,” The voice command.

“M...My job?”

“You were born for a reason. You have felt the change in your soul. Have you ever wondered why you can lock and hide your emotions?” The voice whispered in my ear.

“What is my job?” I asked the voice.

“You mus-”

“ALYSSA!”A voice interrupted.

My eyes snapped to the source of the voice and saw Ellexia, Olivia, and Cora looking at me.

“I am sorry. What do you need?” I ask.

“Mr. Springer is almost here and you seem to be texting someone. I was warning you to put your phone away,” Ellexia said sitting next to me.

I look down and the noise. I am holding my phone as if I was texting someone. The next thing I noticed is the air and wind was no longer ice cold like it was.

“Alright, class, get with your partner and grab this packet,” Mr. Springer said, holding up a thin packet.

“I will go and grab the packet,” Cora said as she got up.

I watched Cora as she got in line to grab the packet from Mr. Springer. My dead blue eyes followed her as she moved through the line. For some reason, I could take my eyes off of her. I felt my body tense. Anger, sadness, and excitement ran through me all at once.

“She is the one,” I found myself saying.

“What did you say, Alyssa?” Ellexia asked.

“Nothing,” I said with a soft smile.

Cora swiftly returned to our table with a packet. Cora handed the packet to me and quickly began to read it. The packet seemed to be talking about the insects in the pond and river behind our school.

“If your packet has an even number you will be at the pond. So that means if your packet has an odd number you will be at the river.” Mr. Springer spoke.

Scanning Cora and I’s packet I see a red 2 on the packet. I hear many groans and moans coming from my classmates, but I just smile.

“We are by the river, Cora,” I told her.

“Yes!” I hear Cora shout.

I stood up and started heading for the trail that leads to the river. I walk along the trail with Cora by my side. The now slightly chilly wind brought in clean fresh air from the north. As we walked along the trail I couldn’t help, but ask “How would you like to die?”

Cora was silent for a moment before she answered, “I would like to die a quick and painless death.”

“Here,” A voice yelled in my head.

I stopped walking and turned to the river. Cora stopped as well and looked at me.

“Did you hear something or did you see something?” Cora asks me.

“Let’s stop here. We are pretty far away from Kolten, Chase, and Jimmy,”

Cora nodes and starts heading to the river bend. I watched her as she started to bend the river.

“The rock,” A female voice snapped in my ear.

I couldn’t control my body. Slowly I walked forward and grabbed a small rock. The rock had many sharp edges and it was the size of a baseball.

“Are you coming, Alyssa?” Cora’s voice asked from down by the river.

I smile as I answer her, “I’m coming.”

I stand with the rock in my right hand and start my descent to the river with Cora. I walk slowly as leaves shuffled under my weight. The trees opened to the river. The river itself was not the best. You could not see through the water, because it was all muddy. Since they took down the dam the river was a lot lower than what was normal for people in Corunna. I looked at the rock in my right hand and then at Cora who had her back to me.

“Do it,” The voice whispered.

“Do what?” I whisper.

“Throw the rock,” The voice whispered back.

Before I could respond I felt myself raising the rock. I took a step closer and a smile crept onto my face. Before I could do anything I whipped the rock at, Cora. I watched frozen as the rock hit the back of Cora’s red hair. Cora’s head dipped before she fell on her knees and landed on her right side.

“Lo siento, Cora,” I said looking at Cora’s still body.

I bent down and rolled Cora onto her back. Cora’s breath was slow and her eyes were shut. A small pool of blood started to form around Cora’s head.

“The river,” The wind howled.

“What do you mean?” I asked the wind.

“Put her in the river,” The wind commanded.

I looked at the fast-moving river and then at Cora.

“Alyssa,” A female voice sang.

My head snapped to the river. There on the surface of the river was, Waya. Her long, midnight black hair was freely flowing behind her. Her bright, sparkling blue eyes were staring into my blue eyes. Her pale skin looked even paler. She was also wearing a long, black dress.

“Bring her to me,” Waya commanded.

I couldn’t say anything. My body felt cold.

“Alyssa, bring her to me. She needs to come home.” Waya stated.

“Where is her home?” I found myself asking.

Waya laughed a small, gentle laugh and shook her head.

“She belongs here. Cora belongs here with me. So bring her to me,” Waya growled.

“No,” I snapped back.

Waya reached behind her and brought out a knife. She held out the knife with a pale hand and spoke, “Grab the knife and stab her.”

“Sí mi Reina,” I responded in a voice that wasn’t mine.

My hand reached out for the knife. I couldn’t help myself and I couldn’t stop myself. My warm hand brushed against Waya’s ice-cold hand. I kept a tight grip on the knife. I looked at my reflection in the blade of the knife and saw that I had a smile on my face. I got on my knees next to Cora's still frame.

“I am sorry. Que tu alma encuentre la felicidad. Te extrañaré hermana,”

With no more words spoken, I brought down the knife. I felt nothing as the knife hit its mark. I still felt nothing even as I pulled the bloody knife out of Cora’s chest. I watched as Cora’s blood ran down the bank and started to mix with the river. I stood as still as a stone until I heard Waya laugh.

The more blood that mixed with the river the more Waya began to change. Her eyes started to glow like blue Christmas lights. Her black hair started to become lighter. Her pale skin became see-through.

“You did well my child,” Waya whispered as she began to disappear.

“W-What?” I asked.

Waya just shook her head with a smile. I watched frozen as Waya disappeared into a mist that sank into the river. Also, the mist sank into the river, the mist that has been clouding my mind started to dissipate.

I looked down at my partner and froze. There laying in the wet and muddy river bank was my friend, Cora. She was completely still. Her reddish-orange hair was all bright red. Her tan freckled skin was now pale freckled skin. A red stain grows larger and larger as seconds pass on.

“Cora?” I finally got out.

Tears rushed down from my eyes. This can’t be real. This was some sick dream. I pinched my arm and felt a small spike of pain. This was real and I had just murdered my friend. With that, I let out a scream.

Translations:

"Lo siento, Cora" means "I am sorry, Cora."

"Sí, mi renia," means "Yes, my queen,"

"Que tue alma encuentre la felicidad. Te extrañaré hermana," means "May your soul find happiness. I will miss you sister,"