Everything Changed in Five Summers

Life ain't no straight line as it has crests and troughs. I don't believe in fate. But the deep valleys compel me to believe in the foul play of fate. 

I am the daughter of California's most successful businessman. Today I am going to be promoted as the CEO of our company after my father's retirement. I am in an interview which is aired live on the radio and YouTube as well. Well, I am a bit nervous but it's way less than my excitement. 

"Mrs. Wyden, great to meet you. Congratulations for becoming the new CEO", the interviewer began enthusiastically. "Can you share with us your journey to this post, is it a dynastic succession or did your hard work bear fruit?"

"Thank you. It would be my pleasure. Umm… I met this man, his long sad tale changed our lives. None would understand a word if I start from here, so let me say it from the beginning. It happened five summers ago in this very month of June.", I said and then started to narrate my story.

It all began with me, studying in the prestigious University of California for post-graduation. I lived in my apartment, alone, while my parents were gone for a business tour to Chicago for a week. 

I went to the park every morning and evening to get some fresh air. I used to go jogging and then sit on the bench to calm down with music. Three days had passed and somehow I survived the boredom by studying and working out all by myself. 

It was the fourth day. I was in the park at 6, when the reddish orange ball in the sky was rolling down, and was about to go back. I saw a man sitting on the ground leaning to the bench. I never saw him in the park. Of course, I didn't take any notice of him and went back home.

The next morning at 6, I went to the park again to see this strange guy sitting on the ground, leaning his back on the bench and hugging his legs. I wondered if this guy was sitting here all night. I had one hour for my classes. I loved to talk with strangers, old habits never die. I sat on the bench near him. 

I looked at him for a moment. He was in a formal outfit. He had worn a branded shirt and his white shoes looked brown due to the dust. His black pant was torn exposing his knees. I looked closely, his knee was red and looked like a blood clot. His white shirt had stains of mud. I couldn't see his face as he was looking down while hugging his legs. I saw his frizzy but brown smooth hair.

I gulped and called him, "Excuse me sir". He didn't look up so I patted his shoulder. He took no notice of me. I had worn a bracelet on my hand, it got stuck on something on his shirt. I got up and tried to loosen it. But he suddenly grunted and pushed me back unmercifully. I fell down and my bracelet tore his shirt a bit.

I was very angry. A broken locket fell from his neck as the chain broke off. A silver locket, which looked like a symmetrically cut star. It's other half was not there. The locket rolled and fell near my left foot. This was the same locket I wore, a half star. 

It was given to me by my best friend Daniel. He shifted to Mexico when we were only eight, after that we never contacted each other. It's been more than fourteen years, and I don't even know where he is. 

"Are you Daniel Creed?"

He looked dead at me. It was terrific. His cold and sharp blue eyes burnt me alive. I now felt that it was really him. I showed him my locket. I wear it every time hoping to meet him one day. 

He now looked at me clearly. Then he got up. 

"Calliope Wyden?"

I nodded with a sense of overwhelming exhilaration. I saw a smile on his face. He looked quite handsome with dreamy eyes. After all, I met him again in my finite lifetime.

"Come to my home", I said while giving him his half star back. 

He took his locket and turned his back on me. I made him sit on the bench.

"Where is your mother?", I asked.

He gasped. I could read his eyes clearly, something was not well. Hesitantly, he gave me a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. I uncurled it, it was a newspaper article. 

'The Etherbow Company is a wreck

After the unexpected death of the founder of the company, Sarah Creed, the reason for her undated expiry is taken in as a case. After thorough researching, the professionals say that it was not a normal death but a murder. She had ingested poison. A dangerous murderer is on loose. Her son Daniel Creed was accused of this murder. The reasons are veiled and Daniel is on the run. He has escaped from the police. The reward for finding him alive is $10000.'

I felt so sorry for him. I remembered Sarah, a sweet face she had. Her husband died fighting cancer when her son was only three. The hardships she had to face to raise him and having a successful career would be enormous or infinitesimal.

I slided towards him. He tightened his fist as a sign of refusal. I hugged him.

"Hugs work…" I said, "Come to my house before someone finds you."

He agreed this time. I thought of taking a leave from my hectic classes that day. Anyway, I trusted him. He could never have cheated his mother, whom he loves more than anything.

"Please say something about this matter. I can help you."

"I don't know anything", he said disgustedly.

"With whom did she eat the previous night?"

"Alone"

"Who do you think could help you in sorting the heads and tails out of it?"

"My uncle probably"

"I want to help you. Please be practical and we can find the culprit."

He was depressed and took no interest in that. 

"What else could happen to me? I am an orphan and I didn't even see my mother for the last time. She was taken to the hospital and they didn't bring back her body, saying that she is infectious."

"Wait, what? Infectious? She just swallowed poison right, she can't be infectious. What did the police ask you?"

"They announced themselves that I was the killer... I saw her through the window, her heartbeat going dead and afterwards they burned her. I only saw the smoke.", He sobbed.

Ding dong. The bell rang. I asked him to stay in, and opened the door. It was the courier man, he handed me a bundle wrapped with brown paper. 

"The sender is your uncle", he said.

I took it inside, doubtfully. My paternal uncle sent me something? Well, that happens only once in a bluemoon. I thought of opening it afterwards, because this was not more important than my old handsome friend. But surely, I felt something bad in my stomach while looking at it. Fine I will open it, I thought.

I opened it, it was a book. 'The case of hostages' was the title. I opened it, and went through the pages. It was blank. All the 300 pages or so were blank. I flipped it over and over, nothing changed. I saw something written on the back cover of the book.

'Noone knows anything about hostages unless you are one. People say they are pushed to their limits, but what they go through can never be expressed through mere words.'

Why will my uncle send an empty book? I wondered. I could see Daniel doing something in my right. I turned to him. He gave me a paper attached to the cover of the courier. I took the paper, separating it from the cover.

'Alive hostage. Meet bench park.'

I looked behind it, there were a few letters written.

'S', 'A', 'C', 'E', 'D'

I was rather confused. I walked around a bit with a hand firmly rubbing my chin. 

"This is my uncle's short language. He probably knows I'm here", said Daniel.

"Then which hostage is alive?"

"Go to the bench where I was in the park"

I agreed. I locked him in the house and took the car to the park. After I reached the park, I hurried to the bench. There was a similar package kept where Daniel sat, on the ground. I decided to open it at home. I went back to my apartment, and opened it with Daniel.

It was a book, again a blank book with the same title. In the back cover it was written, 'Sometimes the loved ones of the hostages are tortured more. Doubted, tortured, harrassed and accused of doing things they never did."

There was a similar paper attached to the cover. It's front had a word written 'California'. And it's back had another set of letters 'T', 'R', 'R', 'E'. 

Daniel jerked and gasped.

"STARCREED", he shouted "There is something in the secret basement of our company in California. STARCREED is the password"

"How do you know that?"

"Check the pattern. Maybe my mom isn't really gone." 

I gazed upon the letters and devoured it by my sight. And yes, so it was. The first letter of first clue, then first letter of second clue, second letter of first clue, second letter of second clue and so on. 

Daniel wore my sweatshirt with a hoodie and a mask. We jumped into the car and rushed to the company office in California. As they thought, there were policemen investigating. Daniel covered his face and we entered the office. 

As soon as we went in, the police caught us but thanks to Daniel's uncle. He helped us out, without revealing Daniel's identity.

"Please don't tell anyone that I helped you", he said.

Daniel took me to the lift, instead of pressing any of the buttons, he pulled out the button to the first floor. I widened my eyes. The backside of the lift opened to a staircase. The button went to its initial position on its own. And we descended the stairs. There was a door with a keyboard, he typed 'STARCREED' and the door opened.

"Mom", he shouted with contentment.

She was tied to a chair with tape on her mouth. He freed her and hugged her. I saw the same old Sarah Creed, maybe she never grew older, still in her youth days. She recognised me in a second and hugged me.

After talking, we went out, narrating to her what her son was accused of. She came out in front of the police. 

"The founder of my rival company, Sam Furrow, had held me as a hostage. My son could have never killed me, he could barely hug me. I order you to catch him, right behind you", she said while pointing to Sam trying to escape behind the backs of the police. Soon he was handcuffed.

"According to him, money could buy anything, cheat everybody and blackmail anybody. He cheated everyone by showing a different scene that she died and burned someone else instead of her. He applied the fingerprint of Daniel on the bottle of some poison. He then blackmailed me that he would kill me if I told this to someone", said Daniel's uncle.

Sam Furrow stared at him dangerously. I saw Daniel's smile, now I really felt like he had not changed at all. His same cute smile with a dimple could bedazzle anyone. 

After two days, my parents came back. They praised me and him, of course.

After a month or so, Sam Furrow was sent for lifetime imprisonment.

The Etherbow company was now in trouble. They were incurring heavy losses. 

I suggested to my father, "Why can't our company have a partnership with theirs?"

He thought about it for a while and said, "Okay, but only if you handle its responsibility".

I agreed, it was a bit tough for a year but then we gained confidence and popular support. I successfully completed three big projects and five smaller ones in the five years.

"And that's how I am in front of you as the CEO of our company. I thank my parents, my husband Daniel, his mother, uncle and everybody. Thank you."

"Wow! You have left no questions for me. Congratulations!", said the interviewer.

And that's my life and journey to my success. And of course, everything changed in five summers.