Chapter Three: Lies So Thick They Seem Like Truths

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It all happens so fast. The new girl disappears into the trees as two police officers come crashing onto the path. Their reflective yellow vests glow underneath the oppressive gloom of the trees. Damola shifts away from me and closer to Nasha, but all I have eyes for is the iPhone lying on the ground. My ears are ringing, it's like I'm underwater. I can't hear a thing they say, lost to the cloud of silence in my head.

"You'll have to come with us, frøken," one of them says. My brow wrinkles at the formal title.

It takes all my willpower to not look at Fiona's phone, and I force myself to look up at him. Shock flashes through my heart like lightning striking a pole. He's the same policeman that was there by the old Esso when Mia went missing. My tongue feels heavy and dry in my mouth but I nod at him. For a brief second, his eyes widen, and I know he will tell mamma where I've been. Then he gestures to where everyone else stands further along the path.

If you could call it that. It's where the forest ground has been trodden by tourists, their hiking boots pressing the soil down. I lick my lips, flicking my tongue against the dry crevices and flaking skin.

"Yeah," I say. My voice sounds far too breathy. "I dropped my phone, sorry. I'm coming."

The officer nods as I grip Fiona's phone in my hand, wincing as wet mud clings to my fingers. Stuffing it into the pocket of my jacket, I scramble to stand behind Anja Pettersen. My stomach curls and I grip the edge of my jacket. They all came to humiliate me, every single one of their precious 'Flock'. What a stupid group name. One time Mia came home with the infamous tattoo of a bird's footprint on her wrist, and mamma flipped out. "You're only seventeen, lillemor," mamma had said. She slammed around her office, pulling file after file out. She always cleans when she gets stressed. "You're not grown enough to make these decisions." I stood in the doorway, and even though I couldn't see Mia's face, I knew it was all twisted in anger. She adores her Flock, and the strange pecking order they run in.

The police herd us out of Marka through the broken chain link fence. The sight of it turns my stomach and I squeeze my eyes shut, shivering in my winter jacket. I'd trusted Damola, which was my mistake.

I glance up at the sky. "God, why am I like this?" I murmur.

But God doesn't answer, much like he didn't when I begged him for Mia to come home. Pastor Jakob promised me she'd return. He's a liar. A dirty, stinking liar.

I want Mia back. At least then I wouldn't have this gaping hole in my chest, even if she'd kissed Dammy. I don't care about that, all I want is for her to stumble out of the snow, her sardonic smile on her face, her eyes bright with life. All I want is for the forest to spit her back out, whole. We march down the side of the road in single-file. Sharp pain blooms on the back of my calf. Someone kicked me. My head snaps to the officers, but they're busy murmuring between each other. Sometimes, one tilts his head back to watch us. When he turns back around, I glance behind me, straight into Nasha Adeyemi's face.

"What do you have there, little Hansen?" Nasha says, jerking her head at my jacket pocket.

I'm no longer breathing oxygen, but the inky, tar-taste of dread. I thought nobody else had seen that.

"Don't tell them," I say. It sounds like a plea, the words scraping against my throat.

Nasha shrugs, a giddy smile forming on her face and she melts back in line with Damola and Anja. The thudding in my chest abates somewhat, and I force myself to unclench my fingers. I glance at the officers. The officer from the old Esso stares at me, his gaze pinning me in place. When he looks away, his mouth is set in a grim line. I blink and stare at the hazy white horizon of Asker until we reach school.

Rektor Bodil stands with her shoulders drawn back like a bow. Her back looks so straight it makes my spine hurt looking at her. She steps back to let us into her office. It's big, with heather grey walls and white furniture that looks like it would be a nightmare to clean. She's decorated her walls with huge tapestries and various country flags. She gestures for us to sit, and I take the chair closest to the door. The officers line up against the wall, and Rektor Bodil settles down behind her desk.

The first thing I notice is the feathered quill in an inkpot by her name plaque. My fingers twitch. I've always wanted a quill, but the feathered ones are so expensive that mamma won't even look at them. They would go so well with my scraps of parchment.

"What were you all thinking?" Rektor Bodil's shrill voice cuts through my thoughts. I shrink into the seat, staring at my hands in my lap. To the right of me, someone scoffs. "After everything that has happened recently with poor Mia Hansen. That my senior students would escape, convening in that death trap is inexcusable."

Beside me, the Esso officer nods. "My team and I arrived at the school earlier today to help with the investigation into Mia's case. Someone notified us of your plans."

Nasha shifts in her chair and snorts. She must know who told on us. I can't breathe, air lodged in my throat, my head a spinning mess. I need a Prozac and some sleep. Everything blends together, my vision swimming. One of the female officers steps up beside Bodil's desk and slams her hand down. The colours settle, and the dizziness fades, leaving only fear in my belly.

"Can you get off your phone while we're speaking, please?" The officer says. Her voice is like steel, her words harsh and clipped despite the tight smile on her face.

I follow her gaze to Anja. She was there when mamma came to the old Esso, wrapped in her shawl, her eyes red from crying. Anja sat in the car with the window rolled down, her blonde hair whipping around her face in the wind. She took the car home after the police asked her a few questions, her face pulled into a deep sort of sadness. I didn't understand it - I still don't. I wanted to throw her off of the mountain, then. She had no right to care about Mia.

Now, Anja clicks off her phone and sets it on the edge of Bodil's desk. Her face drawn and tight. There's no trace of that empathy from that day as she stares into the woman's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Anja sounds anything but. "I was texting my mom. You know, as I'm entitled to do after a life-changing event has occurred."

The Esso officer steps forward and presses down on the lady officer's shoulder, shaking his head. He turns to Anja, leaning forwards. He must recognise her from that day.

"Everyone, phones on the table. I notice there's only five of you here when they told us there would be six," he says. His eyes sweep over us like wildfire. "Could that have anything to do with the life-changing event your friend is talking about?"

Damola twitches a little. He wants to shake Anja, tell her to shut up. I know he wants to pluck her words from the air like strings on the violin that he plays so well. He's on track to play in the Oslo Opera House after he graduates, and the thought makes me want to throw up. It hurts because I'm happy for him. Even after everything he's done.

My fingers find a loose thread on the arm of the chair, and I tug on it, trying to ignore the voice in my mind. It sounds too much like Mia. The Esso officer stands up taller, and like this, he towers over us. I take out Fiona's phone and settle it on the table. The side of my face burns where Nasha's stare feels so hot it heats up the skin.

One by one, the others do the same, sliding their iPhones onto the table.

The female officer opens her mouth again, her eyes gleaming when Rektor Bodil stands.

"That's enough for now, Evan," Bodil says, clasping her hands in front of her. She looks like a beetle in her brown suit, her black hair hanging in braids around her face. Her huge eyes don't help the illusion. "It's late, and I'm sure they would all be willing to answer any questions you and your team have, in the morning."

Nasha stands up with grace, her muscles shifting and flexing. She smiles and gestures to Bodil.

"As our esteemed Rektor says we're exhausted and in shock. We'll be of no use to anyone if we collapse right here," she says. She tilts her head and Damola stands up beside her. "Even if we're only children, we do know our rights."

Officer Evan blinks and steps back. I know how he feels. Their boldness shocks even me, and I've known both Nasha and Damola for an entire year. Anja jumps to her feet, pulling Ekene up with her. He scrubs a hand through his afro and cracks a smile. He's always so happy, cracking jokes in the Science classes we share.

"Well, since that's settled," Ekene starts, clapping his hands. "We're gonna go now. Catch you later, Rektor."

And like that, the Flock has wiggled us out of interrogation. Nasha grabs Fiona's phone and presses it into my hand as Damola moves us all out of Bodil's office. Once the door closes, Nasha bounces on her feet, giddy and as charged as a rocket. It reminds me of how she is on the court before her big games. Everyone says she's on draft for the WNBA, especially with her dad being the big man on the Golden State Warriors.

It reminds me of how everyone at Asker International College is meant for great things. Leaving me, Mia and Fiona to rot in the shadow of Marka.

The Flock separates, and I'm left to stumble back to the dorm room I share, bone-tired, and head for the bathroom. It's shrouded in darkness, and someone left the window open, leaving the icy wind to fill the room. It stinks of the coppery scent of blood, mingled in with acrid vomit. My stomach hurts, and I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop my dinner from coming back up. I'm so glad I spent the night in my room when Lily was organizing the Welcome Back party. It's her responsibility to clean up later. I fumble for the light switch, illuminating the room. I look down at the shards of Mia's old mirror.

Numb, I press trembling fingers to the spot on the wall where Mia's mirror used to hang. Dried blood trails in splatters, ending up in the sink. My body convulses, heaving, and I crumble onto the floor, gripping my knees. I rest my head against the bathroom wall, glaring up at the ceiling. Tears pool inside my eyes and the whole world blends together. 

☾☉☽

Officer Evan slips into the chair beside the female officer from yesterday. He sort of resembles a horse, with a long jaw and a shaved head, his hairline dipping into a widow's peak. He grabs a piece of paper from the desk in front of him and hands a notebook to the other officer. She clears her throat.

"I'd like to start off apologising for this. I know you and your family are grieving for Mia, but-"

My mouth opens without my permission. "We're not grieving."

The quiet is thick and heavy, pressing down on my shoulders. Then, Evan nods, and the silence flows away like water. I grip my knees and push away the indignance that threatens to choke me. We're not grieving, because she's not dead. I know Mia's out there somewhere. She must have found the cabin from before. Wincing, I shake my head. Mia would rather die than live there again. There was nothing there but hatred, hatred, and fear so thick it choked us all. I couldn't sleep within those walls.

"You must be wondering why we've taken you out of class," Evan continues. His voice is cotton wool, stuffy, and tinged in a Bergen accent. He mixes between English and Norwegian, and while I'm good at English, I have to focus to understand him. "We want to ask a few questions about why you and your friends were out in the forest. Illegally, might I add."

This time, I don't bother to correct him.

Natural Science had been quiet when Magni and Nasha went for their questioning. I had kept my head down and focused on my laptop, drafting a letter to Mia. Prozac makes everything better. It coats everything in a film of calmness, spitting water onto the roaring fire in my heart.

I knew I would be next. It only made sense, since they questioned Ekene before breakfast. Nasha and Magni were the only other ones left, other than me. When Officer Evan had pulled me out of class, I felt everyone's eyes stick to my back as I walked. They all stared, waiting for something to happen to poor little Tiril Hansen. Maybe I'd explode right before their very eyes.

"We need to know if there was someone else with you when you were all in the forest," Evan says. I turn my head to face him, blinking hair to clear the fog from my mind. "We can't send the team down there until we have more proof."

I rub my fingertips together, trailing my blunt nails over the back of my hands. I don't know what to say. Am I supposed to lie to him? Before I'd left the classroom, Nasha had kicked my ankle. She's never done that before. Then there was the giddy smile that stretched her lips when she knew I had Fiona's phone. I know what that means. If I tell them about Fiona, I'll get in as much trouble.

"I didn't see anyone else," I say, catching Officer Evan's eye. Mia once told me that the best way to lie to someone is to stare into their eyes while you say it.

He opens his mouth, but the female officer leans over the desk, cutting him off. "What about the black bralette that we found right outside the forest entrance by the old road?"

My head snaps to her. I cringe back into the chair, my hands scrabbling to grip the armrests. A black bralette, hair cut into a bob and dyed so platinum it stinks of peroxide. Lips smudged with lipstick and breath that stunk of Carlsberg. The memories snag me like the fish on the end of mamma's hook. They reel me into the memory of the winter holidays. Before the radio interviews and police investigations. I try to steady my breath and try not to think of Prozac pills littering the car floor.

Officer Evan nudges the other officer and points to the door. "Greta, if you can't stay focused then I'll ask you to leave."

Officer Greta plants her hands on the desk. They're not nice hands, robust and square, dirt stuck in the crevices of her skin.

"I'm sorry, Tiril," Evan says, turning back to me. "We weren't going to tell you until-"

My phone rings and the noise kills whatever protest bubbling in my throat. I push my hair away from my face and answer it.

The voice is pappa's.

"Lillemor, how are you? Have you written your daily letter?" His greeting is the same as always, but he sounds haggard. The words crack and break on their way out.

"Yeah, pappa, I wrote one this morning," I say, whispering into the phone. I ignore the look that the two officers share. "You sound like something bad happened on your expedition."

For a moment, pappa doesn't speak, and he rustles around in the background.

"There has been an incident. Johannes and I are not sure who the girl is, but we've found a body."

I press a hand over my face. "What? How can you not know who it is? Is it-"

"I'm uncertain, lillemor. Listen to me. They are taking your mamma and me in for questioning soon, and they may call you. Please, don't be afraid. It - it didn't look like our Mia, no. But then again, the body had no head."

I lower the phone down into my lap. Pappa says something else. Maybe his customary goodbye, I'm not sure. I click off the phone and lower my head into my hands.

I don't know what is worse. The idea that it is Mia and decapitated, or that I'm so desperate for it to be Fiona.

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oof

hey kids! wow, would you look at that, i actually posted on time this week. i'm trying to get better at posting every friday before 12 pm. good news is, this story is flowing so much better than it used to. you won't believe how many words i've deleted and edited trying to outline this xD. anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me on this journey, you all are lovely human beings.

don't forget to vote ☆☆☆ and leave a comment if you enjoyed!