The bench was faded, a cream color rather than the brilliant white it had originally been painted. The woman felt that it represented her and her struggles. With life’s battering events, she had become only a thin shell of the humorous, lively person she had once been. And she resented that. The animated landscape that stretched in front of her was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. With its towering green oaks, small children laughing, enjoying their time with loved ones in thick sweaters and coats, and vibrant, colorful jungle gyms and swings, the park was a festive place.
A young man walked toward to join her, and she happily obliged by moving over so he could sit as well. With a warm smile he kissed her cheek, and this time she didn’t quarrel for its purpose. Taking a seat on the bench together, she rotated to face him.
“Riley,” she said, giving him an awkward smile, refusing to make eye contact. Silence followed for the longest time. Carrie finally stared deeply into his eyes, letting him know that this was very important.
“You know what we need to do.”
He was silent.
“What?” he finally asked, unsure. He wet his lips to speak.
“You know.” She gave him a pleading look, taking a deep breath. “We need to put this all behind us.”
“Do you mean the kiss? Because, Carrie, I am so sorry---”
“Shh,” she said, quickly pressing a finger to his lips, chuckling. “Our relationship doesn’t need to be based on apologies and regrets.”
He thought, quirking his lips. On a whim, he asked, “Does this mean we’re putting everything behind us?” His eyes were sad, yet hope was present in their blue shade. He stared at her with certainty, knowing that what she spoke was for the best.
“Everything,” she breathed, nodding. “The things we’ve done, Andrew . . . Christian.” It nearly destroyed her inside, speaking it aloud, but knew that she had to if she ever hoped of living a normal life again. Existing was not possible if she didn’t let him go. “I don’t want to keep on living my life on what could have been’s and if only’s. We can’t wallow in our grief forever.” She looked up at him and then away. “They’ve closed the case. The proper person is in jail. It’s all we can do.”
Riley seemed to be holding something within, but he didn’t voice it. He opened his mouth once to speak, but Carrie didn’t see, and he only closed it again. He shook his head.
He reached out to embrace her and this time she didn’t wane in her imposing feelings. Carrie held onto him with a sort of need. While stroking her hair in a casual manner, she tucked her head into the crook of Riley’s elbow, withholding her emotions. She couldn’t cry now, shouldn’t. Not when she had told him to be so strong.
“We’re going to get through it, Carrie,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head with more love than she deserved. “You and I, together. I promise.”
She lightly smiled, giving them both more hope than they had found in a while.
“I wish I could have met your son, Riley. I think I would have liked him.”
He breathed in deeply, distrusting his voice. “I . . . I always knew he was good at heart. It just still amazes me how he could do something as low as joining those evil people . . .” he drifted into his thoughts and Carrie brought him out of them quickly by pulling away from his hold.
“But he never did anything wrong, Riley. You remember that, all right? He did a great thing, saving that little girl. She wouldn’t be alive without him.” She placed a hand over his. “Don’t think on it for one second. Please. Don’t do that to yourself.”
He pursed his lips and tilted his head upward, straightening his posture as he draped an arm around her tenderly. “Wish I could have met Christian. He was obviously a great catch too.” His voice was almost acrid, resentful.
Carrie suddenly felt somewhat uncomfortable, but she pushed the apprehension away and adjusted in the seat as well. “Riley, I loved Christian very much. But he’s gone.” She closed her eyes, praying for strength. “I’m not going to waste the rest of my life pretending he’s still here like I have been. A part of me died with him, but this chapter of my life--- of your life as well, if you want--- can be wonderful if we can only release the ones we’ve lost.”
“But how?”
That was a hard one. But Carrie answered considerately, carefully. “We take it day by day. Can’t do anything more than that.”
Riley measured this and indulged by standing, helping her up as well. They stood, facing the other. He placed a reassuring hand to her face and she closed her eyes, feeling the winter breeze against her hair.
“What do we do now?” he breathed, looking into her closed eyes.
She broke out of her reverie and stared down at her feet. “We go home. We keep in touch.”
“But . . .” He paused, searching her eyes for permission to ask the question. He dropped his arm. “We can only be friends? Nothing more at this point?” His voice was expectant, but wary.
Could she allow herself to love Riley the way she had Christian? Could she permit her friend to be happy at the cost of her own true feelings? To give him the joy she had once felt with Christian?
“I think, right now, we stay as we are,” she told him, her lower lip trembling. She didn’t want to lose him. “You’re my best friend. I can only ask for that.” Carrie was very aware of the feelings he felt for her, but she believed that letting him down easily was the only way to go at this point. He hadn’t lost his fiancée, after all, even though she had conveyed quite an elucidating story of her love for him. Christian was still there, hovering over her, watching. Even though she had pledged to unleash her bitterness, her sadness, she couldn’t abscond to the care she continued to feel for her first love. It was all she could ask for in Riley now. Just to be her companion.
He nodded, understanding. They made plans to meet for lunch the following week and embraced once again, finally departing. He went left and she, right. Bundling closer within her coat, Carrie turned around to watch him leave and found that Riley had done the same. She gave him a supportive smile, assuring him that everything, eventually, would be all right.
~ * ~
Gaston Avery Charged with Three Counts of Murder, Placed in Azkaban. The Additional Accused Request For Re-Trial.
Carrie read the article diligently over breakfast.
Gaston Avery {pictured center} was found guilty of three counts of murder following the trial of Christian Lowe {pictured bottom right}, renowned Healer of St. Mungo’s Children’s Hospital, The other two counts were that of Andrew Grey {pictured left}, the son of Riley Grey and prosecutor in the trial of Lowe, and Josiah Marcum {pictured right}, a patient at St. Mungo’s at the time of his death.
Gaston Avery has also been rendered suspicious for at least seven other murders, all of which he confessed to yesterday afternoon on a plea bargain. Tyler Mathews and Nicholas Foreman, associates and friends of Avery, were also present and suspected of Lowe’s murder, but were found not guilty by the jury after Mathews’ lengthy confession. A re-trial has been stated for their compliance to the Dark Lord, the only charges remaining to prosecute with. Mathews’ sentence is expected to be shortened because of his cooperation in Lowe’s case.
There was further writing of things that Carrie didn’t care for, but what caught her attention was the end.
Mathews and Foreman have been placed in Azkaban until their next trial. Riley Grey, surprisingly to the public, is rumored to bear witness for Mathews. Because of Andrew’s, Grey’s son’s, credulous involvement in the Lowe case, it is now apparent that Grey has broken his long-time grudge with the boy, Mathews. With all of the unsuspecting twists and turns the cases that Grey takes on have lately, there’s no telling what verdict the jury could come out with.
It felt as if all of this had been decades ago. Still weary and in shock of how cooperative Tyler Mathews had been, Carrie put the paper down on the table and wandered through her thoughts for a long while. A startling buzzing interrupted her calm reverie and she breathed a deep, exasperated sigh, wondering who could be calling at this time of morning. She placed the phone to her ear and said a brief, annoyed greeting.
“Carrie? Carrie? Is it you? Carrie? My God, Carrie, please let it be you!” The voice came out terrified, panicked, rapid. He hadn’t tripped over his words, but it was still hard to figure out what he was saying.
Carrie immediately realized the caller was Riley, and her expression became reserved and questioning.
“Riley? What is it?” She rubbed her eyes for recognition and stared toward the kitchen clock, which read five past ten. It was later than she had expected. “Are you all right?”
He didn’t answer. In the background she could faintly hear the sound of weeping. She set the receiver against her ear with more force so she could figure out the source of the noise, but it didn’t help. “Riley? Answer me, Riley. Where are you?”
A quick banging reached her ears as well and a tense breath of air escaped her lips. It sounded as if something had just connected with metal bars. “Riley. Where are you?” Her voice was cross.
“I didn’t mean to . . .”
“Riley, where are you? What’s happened? What have you done?”
“I’m at Azkaban.”
Carrie’s head jerked in confusion and she narrowed her eyes to the floor, searching her mind desperately for why he could be in such a place.
“Are you on a cell phone? Are you hurt? Why are you there, Riley?”
No answer came.
“Riley!” She began to walk out the door to an Apparition spot as she donned her cloak. “Riley, I’m coming now. Stay where you are, I’ll find you.”
A perceptible click informed her that he had hung up.
~ * ~
Carrie was literally sprinting down the stone hallways of Azkaban, urgently searching for her friend. Apparating directly into the wretched building’s center, she had evaded capture, for now, by the Dementors. The feel of their scabby, rotten hands caressing her skin was extremely unappealing and she shuddered at the thought.
But wait. Could the Dementors have gotten Riley already? Would she find him dead, just like she had Christian? Or worse?
That thought started her bottom lip at wobbling, the feeling of misery to pervade her. He was the only friend she had left. She couldn’t lose him. Speeding up, her cloak billowed behind her in the frigid air. Tears formed from the dryness the wind created in her eyes, and they began to rush down her face in despair with every step she took not finding Riley. Inmates called at her from the pits of their cells, but she couldn’t hear them--- the sound of the blood rushing through her ears and heart was too deafening. She rounded a corner; her steps echoed on the hard granite flooring when she almost ran into him.
Riley was on the floor curled into a piteous ball, his chin tucked between his knees in an uncomfortable position. By the way he was sitting, rocking back and forth so starkly, she could tell he wasn’t dead. It allowed her heart to slow a bit, but it started up shortly after as she saw Riley’s wand rolling across the floor, a limp hand hanging out of the cell in front of him. As soon as she saw Riley sobbing the way he was, she knew what he had done.
Carrie had already witnessed Riley in this state once and it had been a heartbreaking moment. But this kind of sound only made Carrie want to perish it was so awful. Hollow sobs reverberated across every open space- the corners, walls, prison bars. He was sucking for breath every time he heaved. It was a scene that could only fill an infamous horror movie.
Her legs buckled from beneath her and she slid to the floor, her mouth open in shock.
Gaston Avery was dead.
In his cell he lay wilted and unmoving. The surprise of the curse he had killed so many with was upon his insipid face. It had been just as surprising to Avery as it was now to Carrie.
Carrie’s hand covered her open mouth in a trembling way. Eyes wide with revelation and fright, she finally turned to Riley, who was staring at her in a trancelike manner, emotion completely absent from his aged features. She attempted to speak, but it wouldn’t surface. No breath would enter her lungs, no less her voice box. The longest time passed before she established the courage, the ability. Riley didn’t move; he stayed rooted to the spot as if he were a statue. He had stopped swaying and now only stared toward the ground in front of him with some type of passion that Carrie could not understand. He was obviously deep in thought.
Finally mustering a concise pant, Carrie leaned forward to whisper to him, her voice still weak. “R-Riley . . .” She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Wh-Why? How could you do this?” Carrie had never thought he could carry out something as wicked as murder. He had stooped as low as Avery himself.
His sole intention had only been payback, revenge. Riley looked away from her in shame. He hadn’t expected her to react this way. He had surely thought that she, of all people, would be happy for him, that his son’s murderer has been punished. An eye for an eye. You for my son. Face still contorted in a sinful, saddened manner, he turned back to Avery and that bit of satisfaction filled him enough for then. Quivering, he returned to Carrie and stuttered something unintelligible.
But then he remembered the reason he’d executed the murder in the first place. Andrew. His son’s picture focused in his mind’s eye and all of the bitter memories returned, strong and cruel. He wanted so badly to be able to hold his son in his arms once more, no matter his age, and tell him that was loved. Riley closed his eyes, an attempt at controlling his emotions worthless, but he tried anyhow. He sucked in a breath, choking on his tears for air, creating an exotic lament with his mouth undone so spaciously. The song came off oddly, creating fear in all that heard. Eyes closed, Riley did not see his friend scooting back, away from the crazy man he had become.
“I . . .” Calm overtook him quickly, remembering her alarm of him at the moment. He chose his words carefully. “I--- I had to do something for my son. I never did much for him, I- I was always working.” Bitter tears filled his eyes once more and careened down his face. He scooted toward her on his hands and knees. “I thought about it for a long time---” He paused and finally looked up at her. “After you and I met at the park--- I began to remember that Andrew and I never did much together. We didn’t get the amount of time that Christian and you received. That’s what killed me so much, Carrie, that we never got to spend the time we deserved with each other before one of us died. It wasn’t fair. And now there’s never that chance.” His features turned hard, angry as he continued to think about Avery and the horrid thing he’d done, taken away a life so promising. Carrie did not recognize him. Her eyes were wide and unbelieving at what she was hearing. “Avery took that time away from us!” he yelled loudly, snapping her from her nervousness and altering it into trepidation. The Dementors would be alerted all too soon. “He should be punished! Worse than this fucking prison can do!” His shouts were at their highest range, his pungent sobs at their most apparent. His mourning began again and she didn’t know what to do.
“I had to kill him, Carrie,” he said simply, getting up from his sad place on the floor. He picked up his wand with trembling fingers and pointed at nothing. He chuckled acrimoniously, laughing at himself, staring at the place Carrie had been only seconds before. She was now against the wall, feet away from the cell that contained Avery, inches away from Riley. “I’m going to go to prison, Carrie. I know I am. I know these things--- I’m a lawyer, for Merlin’s sake.” He seemed to be assuring himself of the fact, afraid of what he could do while in this state. It was almost humorous to him. Chuckling, he took another awkward step toward her. He appeared as if he was about to fall over drunk, but Carrie knew he was perfectly sober.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Carrie,” he said. His expression was pained, almost hurt. He wouldn’t formulate eye contact, and that was something that Carrie was afraid of, that he was lying. He looked up at her with pleading eyes, but it was almost as if he were staring right through her and speaking to the wall. “Why are you backing away from me?”
“I- I won’t. And yes, Riley. I understand.” Her voice was slow, vigilant. Nodding accordingly, she wiped her eyes quickly so she wouldn’t lose sight of him. Observing the wand in his hand suspiciously, she stood her ground. She decided not to make any sudden movements, and that included standing up until she deemed him . . . what? Sensible? This was Riley. He may have just committed something completely unlike anything normal, but that didn’t mean he was going to hurt her, right? His best friend?
Carrie couldn’t be so sure. There was no motive or purpose to her injury, but his fanatical expression made things hard to follow.
At that moment, when Carrie’s fear of Riley was at an all time high, the Dementors came in, followed by a few harassed Aurors and Ministry workers. They had finally caught the intruder. The Dementors hung back, allowing the Ministry to accomplish what they needed to, and a man stepped forward, holding out his hand in a cautious stop motion.
“Grey.” He apparently knew Riley from somewhere--- work, perhaps, Carrie realized. “Grey, put your wand down. It’s over.” He stole a glance over to Avery, dead in his cell, and closed his eyes, shaking his head in a disgusted way. “Come on.” He stole a glance at Carrie, who, from far away, seemed to be the one that Riley was aiming his wand at.
But Riley didn’t even seem to hear him. His surreal state had become his main motive. He was unaware of anything in the room, even Carrie, who was now whimpering to hold within the tears of fear for what Riley’s life now had in store for him. She couldn’t bear the thought of having to visit him in Azkaban.
The same man who had motioned to Riley before waved a hand at the Dementors, signaling for them to depart. Before they turned to leave, they gave what materialized to be a longing stare at Riley, standing erect and tastefully active against the rest of the prison. Riley didn’t even seem to notice their presence. They finally went unwillingly, sucking, trying to rid the air of the death that Avery’s murder had created. Carrie realized she was shivering and crossed her arms to protect herself.
“Grey. It’s Harrison. Drop your wand, son.” The old, agitated Ministry worker seemed to be close to retirement, and he took a step toward Riley to close the distance between them, hoping for the man to see him. “Riley Grey.” He snapped his fingers. “Grey!”
Riley jumped, turning toward him. He dropped his wand and it clattered to the floor with a hollow resonance on the stone. It finally settled next to Carrie’s feet. She bumped it with her arm before she was able to pick it up, her hand was shaking so badly. Once it was safely held, she threw it on the ground to the men. The object went rolling across the floor to the old man, who retrieved it and gave it to the other person that had spoken earlier.
“Come here, Grey.” The old man wagged a finger, motioning for him to come. Riley finally snapped out of his staring and closed his eyes. He opened them again slowly and his knees finally gave way and he fell to the floor, terrified. He seemed to be surprised as he looked around, noticing that his surroundings were considerably lower than they had been.
The man sighed, disconcerted. “Grey, this can be easy or it can be hard. Now, you’ve been my friend here for a good many years and I don’t want to embarrass you, but I will if you don’t want to cooperate.”
He placed a hand over his face to conceal his emotions. “I couldn’t help it, Andrew . . .” he murmured, shaking his head. He had sat up now. “I don’t know what I’ve done . . . Please, help me out of this.” Carrie breathed a sigh of relief when the two workers walked over to Riley and bound him from behind, leading him out with sympathizing expressions. Riley didn’t even protest.
“Riley . . .” Carrie said, at a severe loss for words. She reached out an arm as he passed her and it brushed his leg. He didn’t even look up as he was escorted away, staring at a row of cells he would soon inhabit himself. His illusory state had vanished. Remaining was the emaciated skin of a desperate man that had been Carrie’s friend, soon to occupy one of the cells Avery himself had spent too few of days in.