The Murder that Never Took Place

Ashlynn stormed into the room, but it was too late. She saw him fall to the ground, blood draining from his chest. “NO!” she cried. “Aiden, no! NO! Aiden, come on, come on, don’t…don’t…,” she sputtered, unable to spit it out. The boy’s body was still, his eyes barely open. Ashlynn’s hands were covered in his blood. “Aiden!” she shrieked. “Mrs. Flynn, stay here, I’m going after – after him,” she spat, pointing to the open window. “Ashlynn, don’t, he…he has a gun!” the lady shouted, but Ashlynn was already on her way. “I don’t care, just call the police!” she called back, and climbed out of the window. The streets were empty and quiet, except for lights flickering. The murderer must’ve already gotten away. But Ashlynn still cantered down the streets, her mixed emotions of fury and sadness strengthening her to go on. “COME BACK!” she boomed at the top of her lungs. She didn’t know what else to do. She looked around for any movement. She spotted something, but it was only a cat. Ashlynn ran further away, looking for the killer of her best friend. “Aaahhhhh!” Ashlynn shrieked. It was helpless; he was gone. Ashlynn fell down to the street. Everything was hopeless. Aiden was dead, and she couldn’t avenge him. The girl just sat down, burying her face in her knees and cried. She didn’t know what else to do.

Ashlynn didn’t even realize that the police were there until after Mrs. Flynn woke her out of her own misery. “Oh,” she realized. Her eyes were swollen from crying, her eyelashes wet. “Did – did you find him?” she asked, her eyes burning for a ‘yes’. But all she got was gloomy head shakes, and she felt downhearted again. “Come with us, Ms. Collins, we have to ask you some questions,” said a policeman, taking her gently by the arm. There were blue and red lights flickering, and a siren was going off. Lots of people were crowding in the area, but somehow Ashlynn didn’t see them. It played over and over in her head; the gunshot, the running, Aiden falling to the ground. That’s all she could focus on. Ashlynn didn’t even know she was stuffed into a police car and taken to the police station. 

“Name?” a policeman asked her. Ashlynn was sitting in a room, being interrogated by a policeman. But she couldn’t focus at all. Her mind was spinning and replaying the scene. “Look, am I correct when I say that you are Ms. Ashlynn Collins?” he wondered. “Mm? Yeah,” she answered. “Look, Ms. Collins, I’m going to need you to focus. I know this is difficult for you, but we need some alibis to find the murderer of your friend, okay?” he told her. Ashlynn nodded, trying her best to control herself. “Okay,” said the policeman, “Were you a witness of the murder?” “Well, I mean…I heard the gunshot and then I-I…Well, see-,” Ashlynn started, but got interrupted. “Ok, hold on a second, Ashlynn. Why don’t I put it like this? Tell me the story from the beginning,” he interjected. Ashlynn nodded heavily. Then she told him, “Last night, um – Thursday evening I came to the Flynn’s home. I grew up with the twins, they are – were like family to me. It’s just the three of them, Mrs. Flynn, Aiden and Connor, who’re twins. Mrs. and Mr. Flynn got divorced…seventeen years ago, I think. My mum and Mrs. Flynn went to high school together and they’ve been friends ever since. Um…my mum went away with her sister for the week, and I stayed at the Flynns’. Well, then, last night, we were asleep. Mrs. Flynn in her bed, me on the couch, Aiden in his room, and - oh, right, Connor wasn’t there. He took his girlfriend out for a midnight movie, and hadn’t come home yet. I woke up because I heard a rattling sound, and apparently Mrs. Flynn heard it, too. I don’t know, I thought it was the air-con, but then we heard something coming from Aiden’s room. So we, Mrs. Flynn and I, went there to make sure everything was okay. And then…before we got to the room, we heard…we heard two gunshots…it was…then we saw Aiden’s body fall to the ground. He was shot in the chest. The killer got away through the window, it was open. Then I told Mrs. Flynn to call the police and I went looking for the murderer. Mrs. Flynn warned me not to, but I went anyways. It was dark; I couldn’t see anything. I looked for a bit but I couldn’t find anyone…then I guess, I just sat down, I don’t know.” Ashlynn was sobbing again. “It’s okay, Ms. Collins, we’ll find the murderer,” the policeman tried to comfort her. “Aiden – he was my best friend since birth. Sure, Connor, too, but Aiden and I were much closer than Connor and I ever was…and now he’s gone…,” Ashlynn sniffed, her face tucked into her hand. “Once second, Ms. Collins – hello?” said the man, picking up a suddenly ringing phone. “What?! Okay, but they witnessed the murder! – Yeah, she said she saw the body. Okay, can we please see him? Both of them? – Mm, okay. Okay, bye,” he spoke. “What, what is it?” Ashlynn quizzed, desperate for any news. “Well, it seems like Aiden is not…dead,” he told her. “What?! You mean, the shot wasn’t fatal?” Ashlynn asked, very hopeful now. “Well, no. It just seems like the whole murder…didn’t take place at all,” he said. Ashlynn felt another blow to her stomach. How on earth was that possible? She saw – saw with her own eyes – the dead body. “No,” she said to the policeman. “I saw Aiden die.” “Ms. Collins, let me ask you, do you perhaps smoke-,” he began to ask. “What?! No, of course not!” Ashlynn denied fiercely. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to test you for any signs of drugs. You know they’re illegal, right?” he asked her, scribbling notes down on his clipboard. “Yes, of course I know drugs are illegal, and I do not use any! Where is Aiden? If he’s alive, I need to see him!” she commanded. “He’ll be here shortly,” the policeman told her. Just as those words were spoken, there was a knock on the door. One of the red-headed twins who Ashlynn grew up with entered. “Sir, that’s Connor! He has a mole right-,” but Ashlynn stopped talking. There he was, walking into the room, Aiden. He was alive! “Aid-,” but Ashlynn couldn’t complete her sentence. She burst into tears. Everything was just too overwhelming. “Sit down,” ordered the policeman. Ashlynn pulled herself together and immediately started looking for the hole in Aiden’s chest. “Ms. Collins, what are you doing?” demanded the man. “It’s…it’s not there,” she muttered. “Evidently not, Ms. Collins, since the murder did not happen,” he cleverly said. “Then what did I see? Why did I see Aiden’s body fall to the ground?!” she sobbed, standing up. “Well, I don’t know, Ms. Collins, we should test that, shouldn’t we?” he asked sternly, raiding his voice and also getting off his chair. “I’m not on drugs!” she reassured him. The policeman picked up his phone and said, “The so-called witness is ready for testing.” Ashlynn sank into her chair. 

After proving that she was not on drugs, Ashlynn was released to go home as if nothing happened. But something did. She knew it did.

“Mrs. Flynn, you and I were right there!” Ashlynn reasoned with her, “You saw it happen!” “Ashlynn, dear, I thought so, too, but maybe we hallucinated or something. Maybe…maybe we ate something that messed with our minds!” said Mrs. Flynn, who isn’t convinced anymore. “We’ve already been tested negative for drugs. Mrs. Flynn, something isn’t right here. I…I don’t know.” Ashlynn had no idea what was going on. Nothing made sense, and she was sure of what she saw! “Ash, dear, Aiden is here! He is alive! The boy is living proof that what you and I saw wasn’t real! He is notdead!” the lady urged. “I…,” Ashlynn muttered. She didn’t know what to say. “Aiden, come on here, Ashlynn misses you!” Mrs. Flynn called. After a few seconds, the young man came faltering to them. Ashlynn observed him closely. He looked exactly like Aiden did. He didn’t have a mole on his chin, like Connor did. He had red, messy hair, deep brown eyes and was nowhere near muscular. That is how Ashlynn remembered him, but she was still unconvinced. She checked the ceilings for any signs of projectors. “Wha- you think he’s a hologram? Touch his hand, Ashlynn, the boy’s real!” Mrs. Flynn demanded, grabbing Aiden by the arm. Hesitant, Ashlynn nudged him with her pinkie. He was indeed real. “Aiden?” she asked, her eyes watery from tears. She didn’t know why she was sad. Aiden said nothing. “Aiden?” Ashlynn repeated, more firm this time. Still, Aiden said nothing. He was just standing there, avoiding everyone’s eye and fiddling with his fingers. “Come on, Aiden, dear, why are you being shy? It’s old Ashlynn!” coaxed Mrs. Flynn. “I need to get out of here,” Ashlynn vacillated, getting up form her armchair. She rushed out of the room and went to Connor’s bedroom. “Connor, did you kill Aiden?” she demanded, looking downwards. “Wha-what?! What the hell are you talking about! The git’s right there!” Connor provoked, pointing to the direction of the living room. “He’s not Aiden, and you know it!” Ashlynn declared. It wasn’t him. That wasn’t the Aiden she grew up with. “Yes, yes, he is!” Connor spat, “Ashlynn, are you blind?! What’s going on with you?!” Ashlynn looked away, angry but uncertain, trying to think. “You weren’t here that night,” she pointed out. “What?” asked Connor, fury glued onto his face. “You were with your girlfriend. I’ve never seen her. Why is that? Is that because you made her up? And who the heck catches a movie at a cinema that late at night? Are the cinemas even open at that time? You have always been jealous of Aiden. And competitive. Do you or did you not kill Aiden?!” quizzed Ashlynn, thinking as she goes. “Chill, Ash, you’ve literally gone insane! I do have a girlfriend. Her name is Meabh! She’s sixteen years old, and she was the one who wanted to watch the movie that late. Her Instagram account ‘just_me_abh’. Look her up, she tagged me in some photos. And, how dare you accuse me of murdering my own brother! Now, until you’ve gotten your sanity back, I’m leaving, kay?” buzzed Connor, speaking quickly. He walked out of his room and disappeared quickly. Ashlynn pulled out her phone. She searched the girl’s account, and surely, there she was. In lots of photos she has her hand around Connor’s neck or planting a kiss on his cheek. Ashlynn wasn’t sure if this was considered evidence. However, she felt like it wasn’t Connor. ‘Then who?’ she asked herself, thinking deeply. 

The following evening, the last day before Ashlynn’s mum would come back, she went to the kitchen to get some milk. She still hadn’t figured out what happened, or who that Aiden was. Everything felt overly complicated and as if it was everything but reasonable, and it was pressing on her brain like a migraine. She couldn’t think, even if that was all she wanted to do. Aiden still hadn’t said two words to her, or anyone else. Connor was still a bit cross with Ashlynn, even though she apologized. Well, that night she couldn’t sleep, so she wanted to get some warm milk to put her to bed. But, something stopped her from doing so. As Ashlynn passed the set of rooms, (Connor and Aiden’s, Mrs. Flynn’s) she heard something. She identified it as a soft crying. The girl felt her heart throb in her chest, threatening to burst out of her pajamas. It came from Mrs. Flynn’s room. Slowly and warily, Ashlynn crept into the room, her eyes peeled. But it was dark, so she couldn’t see anything. But she could still hear the sniffling, the sobbing, and it sounded like Mrs. Flynn herself. “Mrs. Flynn?” Ashlynn quivered, switching on the lights. Her eyes were blinded by the sudden burst of bright lights, but she could see that it was Mrs. Flynn crying. Her eyes were swollen and red, and the lady was clearly very woeful. She stopped wailing when Ashlynn came in. “Mrs. Flynn, what happened? Are you okay?” queried Ashlynn, panicking. “Oh…yes, yes, I am. It’s nothing,” she excused, wiping her eyes and putting her glasses back on. “No, Mrs. Flynn, clearly something is wrong. Tell me, I can help,” she directed, caressing the lady. “Oh, well…I’m just thinking about the old divorce. I don’t think I’ll ever get married again, but I don’t want to end up alone,” she sighed. “No, Mrs. Flynn, that’s not it. I know you better than that, you don’t mind being unmarried, you always say you have us, and you turn down every man. Tell me what’s wrong, now. Maybe I can help!” she begged, sitting down on her bed. “No, really, dear, it’s about the solitude,” she tried to sound convincing. “Mrs. Flynn, why are you lying to me? You know you can tell me about everything, even if I’m young…Is it about Aiden?” said Ashlynn. “Let’s go sit in the living room, shall we?” the lady proposed, getting up from her bed. “What, why? We’ll wake Aiden and Connor. What-what’s going on?” she quizzed, feeling awfully suspicious of everything. “Nothing, dear, why?” Mrs. Flynn reassured her. Ashlynn didn’t know why she felt so dubious, but she was certain that something wasn’t right. That’s not how she knew Mrs. Flynn, being all emotional and honest about her feelings. Ashlynn stumbled backward, panicky, and she accidentally fell backward. As she did, she knocked open the wardrobe’s door. Then, what she saw she couldn’t believe. A body, a corpse, surely, dropped out of the closet onto the ground. “Aiden!” Ashlynn yelled, pointing to the body, “Mrs. Flynn! Mrs. Flynn…No! Did you-.” Mrs. Flynn burst into tears. “It was me!” sobbed the lady. “Wha-wha?! Is…is that Aiden? No!” Ashlynn cried. But it seemed to be his body; Aiden’s. “It was I who murdered my son! But…it was an accident! He was never meant to be killed! The shot was supposed to kill that bloody fox that kept coming around!” she hollered. “What – no! You were with me, you and I came from the other side of the house; you didn’t kill Aiden!” Ashlynn cried. “I wish it wasn’t so, but it is,” Mrs. Flynn wept, “It was dark, I was lucky no one saw! I heard the fox and I got the shotgun out, but I missed and it hit my precious boy! When you went out, I hid the gun and Aiden’s body, even though I called the police! But it was me! I am ashamed!” Ashlynn was sobbing. She was panicking and overwhelmed by all this confusion. Nothing made sense, even though Mrs. Flynn was explaining. “Then who…Who is that bloke?” she cried out, pointing to the direction of the boys’ room. “He…he is the third one!” raged Mrs. Flynn, “I gave a home-birth…there was a third baby. They were born right after our divorce, Ashlynn! My husband threatened me with my allowance and I had to give him one! I remember, he said he would take all the money he was supposed to give me, and I knew I had to do it. But when the…that happened, I told him, and we used his son, Eoin, to pretend to be Aiden, so that no one would know!” she confessed. “What? No! Wouldn’t anyone notice that Eoin is gone?!” shrieked Ashlynn, her hands in her hair. Connor came stumbling into the room, the cacophony waking him up. “What’s going on?” he boomed. Ashlynn couldn’t speak; it was too painful. Too much. All she could do was point at the dead body of who used to be her best friend, Aiden Flynn. “It was a home birth, Ashlynn, I decided to continue as if there were only two! No one knew there was three!” wailed Mrs. Flynn, “I’m so sorry, Connor…” Connor’s pupils decreased to specks and his face reddened as he began to sob. “No, NO!” he yelled, falling down to his brother’s body.  “Why doesn’t Eoin speak?!” demanded Ashlynn, dropping down next to Connor, crying at the boy’s body. “He’s a mute! We only found out later, but he is!” Mrs. Flynn bawled. Then Eoin came running into the room, too. “Call the police! Call them NOW!” Ashlynn commanded. Then Eoin’s eyes filled with tears as well. “Give it to me!” shrieked Ashlynn, and grabbed the phone from him. “I deserve it! Call them now!” Mrs. Flynn recommended loudly. Ashlynn pressed the numbers but her shaking hands were keeping her from dialing the police’s number. When at last the call was made, the police were on their way. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Flynn!” she howled pressing herself against the corpse. It was cold and lifeless. She missed him.

“Things happen for reasons,” Ashlynn told Connor, eleven years later. “You’re right, but I don’t know why it happened, though,” Connor sighed, looking at the painted sky with the sinking sun. “You won’t always. However, maybe, if it didn’t happen, you and I would’ve never gotten together and have something so precious,” smiled Ashlynn, stroking the baby’s head on her lap, “I mean, back in the day, I liked Aiden a tad more than you.” “You’re right, this family is my everything,” beamed Connor. He planted a kiss on his wife’s forehead. “It’s all part of the Lord’s plans.”