Franklin sat huddled up in a blanket, staring off into space as the officers around him went in and out of the forest. Their voices were low but he could still feel their glances being thrown his way.

Franklin didn't say a single word.

He sat on the curb at the end of the street, his back towards the tall trees behind him, listening to the low voices of the officers. In front of him, the rest of the neighborhood was lined up, the sidewalks empty. Franklin could sense the gazes of his curious neighbors-who were most likely peeking through their curtains and windows, not daring to come out of their houses. He didn't have to look to know this, he was familiar with the dynamics of this own neighborhood.

In fact his own home wasn't too far away from where he sat, less than a minute walk away. Fortunately his grandmother had already gone off to work so she didn't have to witness his current predicament.

Franklin clutched the blanket tighter around his shoulders, his fingers gripping the soft fabric.

It wouldn't take long for someone to contact her about what happened whether it be the police or one of the neighbors. It wasn't exactly the funnest thing to imagine his grandmother's reaction to the news but it was better than dwelling on what happened inside the forest -

Bloody matted fur, the unblinking beady eye staring him down, his body reflected against the glassy surface-

Franklin digs his fingers harder into the softness of his blanket. If he focused hard enough, he could still taste the bile against his tongue. He lets out a shuddering breath and closes his eyes, folding his arms against his stomach. His face scrunches up as he sends those images far back into his mind, locking them away.

Lets not think about any of that right now, Franklin thought to himself after his breath settled again. At least right at that moment anyway because there are other things for him to worry about. Like what Franklin was going to tell the police when they questioned him this time.

Franklin bit his lip, this was going to be his third time being taken in for questioning at the station. And if he had to guess, Franklin would most likely be interviewed by the same detective.

Fortunately, the boy was smart enough to know he couldn't use the same excuse three times in a row without the whole police station becoming suspicious of him. Unfortunately, he couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation except the truth....and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Then there was his grandmother.

The first time he was brought into police custody for questioning, she almost passed out at work. Luckily, one of her co-workers happened to be close enough to catch her before she could land on the floor or so he was told. Then the second time his grandmother almost popped a blood vessel which in turn had Franklin nearly worried to death.

It didn't take a genius to imagine how she would react this time around if she learned Franklin earned yet another trip to the station. Franklin did not want to be the cause of his grandma going down to the grave early. Not after what happened with his parents.

I'm just a witness....nothing more or less, Franklin thought while burying his face against his blanket covered arms.

So at the very least he didn't have to be worried about getting arrested for anything, not like they could really make anything stick anyway.

But to add on to all his previous troubles, school has definitely started by now. Which meant that Franklin was missing his first period. Which meant he was going to get an automatic detention if he didn't get his absence excused.

Franklin briefly wonders if he could possibly get an excuse note from the station. Actually do police stations even write excuse notes?

Huh, Franklin never thought about that before seeing as this was the first time he would be going to the station during a school day. All the other times were during the weekend or after school.

Franklin lifts up his head, opening his eyes again so he could glance over at his home. It would be great if he was allowed to at least clean up before getting questioned. Yet he knew that was out of the question until an officer was able to drive him to the station.

Franklin glances down at his school clothes, parting the blanket so he could have a better look. His white uniform shirt was fine but the same couldn't be said for his shorts. Dirt and small traces of bile were smudged against the gray and white fabric.

Letting out a silent sigh, Franklin pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulder to hide his sullied uniform from sight.

Franklin could only hope that missing one day of school would not affect him too much. He could just tell his grandma to call him out sick (after calming her down first) and simply bite the bullet on the detention if it came down to it.

Because if Franklin shows up to school looking like this...well the rumors about him definitely won't be going away anytime soon that's for sure.

And now that Franklin really thought about it, he doubted he would actually have enough energy or willpower to get through the rest of the school day after the detective was done with him.

However...he is probably at school right now, Franklin thought to himself, his hands on the blanket trembling a little bit.

His best friend was not going to be happy if-no when he found out about all this.

In hindsight, Franklin should have minded his own business this morning and ignored Nora's request. If only Franklin was capable of ignoring the young girl without a second thought, just like Norman. Things would be a lot easier that way. Then again, it always rubbed Franklin the wrong way seeing how easily his best friend pretended his younger sister didn't exist. Then again, what did he know about having siblings other than what he's seen from tv? His parents never did get the chance to give him a sibling. It was just Franklin, the only child and the only grandchild-forever to be without a little sibling to dote on and spend time with.

Maybe that was another reason why he couldn't bring himself to turn down Nora's request. Either way, Franklin didn't have the heart to blame his best friend's little sister for his current predicament. She just needed a helping hand and he was willing to lend her one.

Of course, Franklin couldn't help but briefly entertain the thought of how peaceful his morning would've been if he stuck to his usual routine. Instead of stumbling over and finding ....that hidden behind the tall dark trees.

His stomach twisted at the reminder of what awaited inside the forest. Franklin closed his eyes, forcing down the cereal trying to swim its way back up his throat.

A car door slamming in the distance snapped him out of his thoughts but instead of looking in the direction of the noise, Franklin kept his eyes shut. He listens to hard footsteps against the asphalt, going towards Franklin's direction. The sound grew louder, filling his ears until something blocked his hunched figure from the morning sunlight.

Without even having to open his eyes, Franklin knew exactly who was standing above him, staring him down with a firm gaze.

"Good morning detective." Franklin dryly greeted the older women, who he visualized rolling her eyes in response above him with her hands on her hips.

"Good morning Mr. Quinn." Detective Wiggins calmly said while softly nudging his shoe with the tip of her boot.

Good old Detective Wiggins, one of the few members of their small community who takes her job too seriously. It's not like crime was rampant in their town but she still played her role very well despite the low crime rate. There was no such thing like an easy way out if she was around and most people were even intimidated by the older woman. She kept the whole town in check or at least she used to before the incidents.

"Sorry I made a mess at the scene," Franklin slowly opens his eyes while looking up at her, quietly offering her an apology. "I hope I didn't contaminate anything."

Detective Wiggins was an average height woman with light skin and short black hair that was slowly graying at the ends. Circular glasses sat on the bridge of her nose but did nothing to soften her sharp green eyes. Her mouth was always upturned into a frown and Franklin did not know if the older woman was capable of smiling. She was currently wearing a black trench coat, a white turtleneck lurking underneath with black shiny boots to match.

"Mr. Bates, this is the third time this year I've had the displeasure of arriving at a crime scene with you sitting right in front of it." Detective Wiggins' voice was devoid of any warmth and maybe if Franklin was truly in trouble, he would've been shaking in his boots right now.

But, he was not.

He knew it and so did Detective Wiggins.

"No, I was standing last time." Franklin mumbles, stalling the inevitable. "So technically this is the second time with me sitting."

"Mr. Bates-" There was a warning in her voice and Franklin quickly dropped the act.

He slowly raised himself until he was standing up in front of her.

"I know the routine detective." Franklin said as he leaned over to massage his stiff legs that were still sore from sitting on the hard edge of the sidewalk for too long.

When he was done, Franklin sat up fully, careful to keep the blanket around his shoulders while popping his neck. Detective Wiggins watches him the entire time, her eyes narrowed while shaking her head but she didn't bother rushing him. They both knew he wasn't going anywhere and that there was plenty of time to conduct the questioning. So, Franklin saw no need to rush himself into a situation where he knew he would be uncomfortable in.

"I swear you'll be the death of me, kid." Detective Wiggins said while closing her eyes, pushing up her glasses before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Let's hope not." Franklin replied while turning on his heels to head towards her vehicle.