Mason sat up in bed and yawned. His phone on the night stand vibrated and fell to the floor. He leaned over, picked it up and flipped it open. It was a text from John, YOU UP YET DUDE?

An immediate headache crashed through Mason's head. He texted back saying, YES, I HAVE A BAD HEADACHE. A PRETTY BAD HANGOVER TOO, WHAT'D WE DO LAST NIGHT?

John responded hastily, IDK.

Mason swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, yawning. He went through his recent texts. Some from John, one from his cousin, but none from Alexis, his girlfriend.

He texted her, a weird feeling building up in his gut. HEY BABE, GOOD MORNING.

Ten minutes passed and.....nothing. It was almost noon. She had to be awake. He got up and dressed and quickly ran a hand through his messy hair. He texted her again, BE READY, I'M COMING OVER.

He got in his car and drove the three blocks to her house. He knocked on the door...nothing. He knocked again and...nothing. In the middle of the third knock, Alexis's mom answered the door. She was in her pajamas, makeup smudged, hair a mess.

"Mrs. Perry. Hey. Is Alexis in, she won't answer my texts."

A tear spilled over her eye and ran down her cheek. She was quick to wipe it away as she shook her head no. "Do you know where she is?" Mason asked.

"No. Do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come in."

He walked into the house and sat on the couch across from Alexis's dad. He looked up at Mason, "Mason, thank goodness. Is she with you?"

He shook his head no. "What's going on?"

"Alexis never came home last night. She won't answer her phone and we don't know where she is." Mrs. Perry squeaked through sniffs.

"Where did she go?" Mason asked, genuine concern upon his face.

Before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the door. Mrs. Perry ran to it, flinging the door open wide. It was a policeman, his name tag read Charles. She opened the storm door and ushered him inside.

A ghastly look was upon his face, and his eyes looked tired. "We've found your daughter.

Mason leaned against a tree, an exasperated look crossed his features. He ran a hand through his messy hair and frowned. Yeah, they had found Alison. Her body was in the bushes of the park, looking beaten and bruised. He got there just in time to see her before she was placed in the body bag.

They didn't know how she had been killed or any of the little details but they did know that it was murder. They were taking her away for an autopsy. At first glance, it looked like she had been brutally beaten to death, but there was also signs of strangle and also a large gash in her stomach so she could have bled to death, they didn't know.

All they knew was she was dead. In his back pocket, his phone vibrated, catching his attention. It was from John, ALEXIS DIED?

He texted him back, NO, SHE WAS MURDERED. HOW DO YOU KNOW ANYWAY?

I HAVE MY WAYS.

Mason turned his phone off and slipped it into his pocket. He had no patience for John right now and his ears were ringing alongside his massive migraine. He closed his eyes, imagining a less complicated life. It was nice.....until he opened his eyes back up.

All that mornings memories burned back into his brain. His girlfriend of almost two years was dead, murdered actually, and he had a terrible hangover. Once more he tried to reach the back of his mind and uncover the events of last night that he couldn't remember.

All he ended up with was frustration. For some reason, his skin itched at the thought of last night. Something told him that he needed to figure out what had happened. Normally, John didn't have bad hangovers. John would probably remember and be able to tell him in a matter of hours, but then again, they had gone crazy last night.

All Mason remembered was John coming over to his house, they drank some, well a lot. Then John left and told him to meet him somewhere and that he'd bring more beer. Where, though? Mason couldn't remember. He remembered leaving his house but forgot where he went.

Had he hung out with Alexis before she died? What was she even doing in the park alone at night? What was she thinking? Mason sighed. He was driving himself crazy with his dead end questions. He needed some aspirin and water. Yes, and then maybe he could think a little straighter.

He walked up to the nearest police officer who didn't look so incredibly busy. With his hands shoved deep in his pockets and a crease in his forehead from frowning he asked the officer, "Do you have any aspirin? I have the worst migraine ever."

The police man looked him over. He was observing, studying him. He took in that this boy was tired, could still smell a little alcohol on his breath, but decided to ignore that fact. He also noted the genuine concern in the boy's eyes. He ignored his question and instead asked, "Who are you?"

The police officer's badge said Mike. "Mason Dunlap, sir."

"And you're here because..."

"I'm Alexis's boyfriend, sir. I was with her parents when the cops showed up. You know, when they found her. They let me come along."

"Okay Mason. Have you already been interviewed?"

"Yes, sir. They asked me a few things but I don't have any answers. I can't remember anything from last night. I don't think I was with her, but I couldn't tell you. My phone didn't have any texts on it from her, though, so I don't know."

"Yeah, I understand. Bad hangover, huh?" A smug smile crawled across Mike's lips.

Mason raised his eyebrows at Mike. "Don't worry," Mike said, chuckling to himself. "We have bigger issues here. I'll let that fact slide. I promise."

He sounded sincere. "Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, now about that aspirin...I do have some, hang on....here."

He rummaged around in the cop car, pulling out a package of aspirin and a bottle of water. "Thanks, sir."

Mason started to walk off. "Yeah, take care kid."

The officer was called by another guy in a black pinstriped suit so Mason left. He walked back under the tree, sat down and took the medicine. He was so tired, so mentally and physically drained. He wished he had a life remote and could just hit pause, maybe even rewind a little so none of this would be happening. He wanted to cry.

Mason woke up, in the back of a car, with no idea of how he had gotten there. He sat up and realized he was in the back of a cop car. Someone was sitting in the front seat. The man turned around and smiled, letting powdery sugar from his doughnut fall on his shirt. "Hey kid, have a nice nap?"

Mike laughed in spite of himself and took another bite of his jelly doughnut. "Yeah, uh, how did I get here?"

"We carried you. We didn't need you out there in the way of the investigators."

"Oh. You could have just woken me up.”

“Nah, you looked tired, kid.”

“Yeah,” He started to yawn.

“Maybe you should head home. There ain’t much for you to do now. The police have taken over, most of ‘em are gone anyhow. Her parents aren’t even here.”

“Okay.” He started to get out of the car, reaching for the door handle.

“Mason. How about I give you a lift?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Hop on up here and we’ll go.”

Mason climbed up into the passenger’s seat and pulled out the buckle. As Mike started the car, he asked, “How are you?”

Mason arched an eyebrow. “Good, why?”

“No I mean how are you holding up?”

He sighed. The days painful memories flooding back into his mind. “Not good.”

"You knew her well didn't you?"

"Next month would have been our two year anniversary."

"That's tough. How's the headache?"

"Better. I still can't remember anything, though."

"Hopefully you'll come around."

"Yeah. I'm the third house on the left." Mason said as Mike pulled onto his road.

"Thanks for the ride." Mike pulled into Mason's driveway and watched Mason walk up the sidewalk to his front door. He rolled down his window as Mason was fumbling through his pockets for the house key. "Hey kid, I'll see you around. And, uh, if I hear any more about Alexis, I'll let you know. And if you can remember anything, call the station and ask for Mike."

With that said, he rolled his window up and pulled away. Mason watched him go and unlocked the door. Stuffing the keys back into his pockets, he stepped inside. The house was empty but his parents had left him a note stuck to the fridge.



HEY MASE, WE HEARD ABOUT ALEXIS. IF





YOU NEED ANYTHING, CALL MY CELL. WE



WENT TO THE ZOO WITH AMY. WE WON'T



BE BACK UNTIL AFTER DINNER. THERE'S



LEFTOVER STEAK IN THE FRIDGE. I LOVE



YOU.






-MOM

He pulled the note off the fridge, crinkled it and threw it away. That's just great, he'd be alone in an empty house all day. that really brightened his mood. He sat on the couch, bored out of his mind and turned his phone back on. Six new text messages popped up. All from John.

1.WHERE'D THEY FIND HER BODY?

2.OKAY, IN THE PARK, IN SOME BUSHES, WHAT A WAY TO GO.

3.MASON, CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS.

4.I REMEMBER.

5.MASON!!!!!

6.WE WERE THERE.



Mason crinkled his forehead and texted John back asking him what was going on. John replied saying he was already on his way over and he'd explain everything.

John got there within the next ten minutes. He had concern written all over his face when Mason answered the door. John burst in and started pacing in front of the dusty fireplace. "How's your hangover?"

Mason sat back down on the couch. "Headache's gone but I still can't remember anything, why?"

"Because I can." His voice was full of fear and pain. His eyes looked bloodshot and tired.

"Sweet. I must've drank more than you then."

"Yeah, I think you did. I mean, things are still a little foggy and everything but I remember some things. And they are pretty important."

"Dude, why are you so antsy?"

"I know where we were last night." He said, pacing a little faster.

"Where? Wait, let me guess."

"No. You aren't going to believe this." John's voice grew quiet.

"Okay, then. Where were we?"

John stopped pacing, turned and looked straight in Mason's eyes. "We were at the park."