Everything was dark. The hairs on my skin stood up like statues and a shiver ran down my spine. I couldn't see anything for a while and had no idea where I was.

Then, a bright flash appeared in front of my like a door to another universe had been opened. A figure began to move towards me and I tried to run, to start to retreat, but my feet were glued to the floor, refusing to move.

As the figure came closer towards me, I could see the face more clearly. Those green eyes that were usually filled with joy from the photos I had seen, were replaced with hurt and anger. Those immaculate strands of black hair were tangled and stuck together like there was a piece of gum between them, covered in dirt. Her clothes were drenched in water, sticking to her body and outlining her shape.

 This was the face I had seen so many times. The face that I have been trying to discover, which in the end, I did. The face that was staring at me will be one that will haunt me for as long as I live. 

 Her body was close to mine and was the only thing that I could see in this black hole of darkness. She stood motionless before she shot her arm out, gripping my arm with her hands. Her hands held a algidity like never before and it seemed to carry throughout her whole body. The eyes that I had seen so many times in photos I had gathered, had a coldness to them.

 Her thin lips were cracked and chipped with blood near the edges.

 "Why didn't you save me?" she whispered, which seemed to echo throughout the darkness.

 "W- What?"

 "Why didn't you save me, Breonna?" she whispered again, her grip tightening.

 I didn't understand. I tried to find her, but I was too late. Her words began to echo throughout the darkness that was starting to consume us. I tried to pull my hand out of Tanisha's grip, but it only worsened.

 "You didn't save me. My blood is on your hands." as she said those words, blood covered my fingers and dripped onto the ground we were standing on.

 "I tried, I really did. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I repeated over and over again, hoping she would let me go and believe me, but her eyes only grew colder.

 Her words began to surround me as if they were mocking me and my efforts. Then, her grip loosened around my arm, allowing me to pull it back and attempt to run, but my feet wouldn't move.

 Looking down, it seemed like my feet were glued to the pit of darkness and as I looked up, Tanisha was gone. The only thing that was left was those eyes that made my heart ache because deep down, I knew she was right and that I was too late.

 A ringing could be heard in the distance even though I didn't know where it had come from. Pressing my hands over my ears and scrunching my eyes up, I wished the ringing would stop and the eyes to disappear.

 When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my bedroom, covered in sweat with my heart racing. Next to my bed, my phone was beeping loudly, telling me to get up. My heart began to calm down as I realised it was just a nightmare. Though I knew there was some truth in it. I didn't save Tanisha and now George's life was ruined. He had not only lost his son, but now his wife.

 I slowly crawled out of bed and moped down the stairs into the kitchen. Minnie was sat on the kitchen counter, meowing for her food. I was only 2 minutes late to feeding her, and she was ready to start a riot.

 After feeding her, I made myself some cereal (putting the cereal in first, then the milk) and plunged myself into the sofa that seemed comfier than usual.

The TV was brought to life as my finger pressed the on button. It turned on to the news where reporters were already talking about the body found in Sherwood Forest. They really don't miss out on anything.

 The image of Tansiha came back into my mind and so did her words. Maybe I wasn't the right person for the job. Maybe if George had hired someone else, then he might have still had a wife. I could only imagine what he must be feeling. Maybe, I just wasn't good enough. People would say that it isn't true and that I was the perfect person to be hired. But isn't that what family and friends are meant to say? Aren't they meant to say that you were perfect for the role even if you weren't?

 The hands on the clock pointed to 09:30 and I knew Janisha had already gone to work. No wonder the house was so quiet. Minnie nestled herself next to me, purring as her head rested next to my lap.

 My phone pinged and looking at the screen, I saw a text from George that read, Please come to my house whenever you're free. We need to talk.

 My heart dropped. I didn't want to talk. In reality, none of us were ready for it. I had disappointed him and he lost his wife. I knew that someone would have already talked to him, explained the situation. I'm sure it would have been Philando.

 Never did I expect to see him there in those woods. If I wasn't so traumatized by what I saw, I would have slapped his head of his shoulders. Our history is complicated and our break up was even more complicated with some anger embedded. And now, I made the stupid decision to meet him later. I knew I could tell him how I was really feeling, but I was still nervous.

 After finishing my cereals off, I began to get ready to go to George's house. My brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail. My outfit consisted of black flared jeans and a white top that was tucked into the jeans. Despite the state I was in and the heavy bags under my eyes, I tried it make it seem like I was ready for the day to come.

 It wasn't long till I left the house with my coat on and drove to the house. Throughout the journey, all I could hear on the radio were talks about Tanisha. Turn to a different radio station, people would still be talking about her. It was as if she was still haunting me from the dream that I had.

 Out of the many cases I had been hired for, never had one of them ended with a dead body. It was normally just fraud or to capture pictures of their cheating significant others. But this will be the one case that sticks with me forever, no matter how hard I try to forget.

 It wasn't long till I pulled up to the bottom of Georges street. Swarms of people were camping outside his house with cameras, microphones and papers. People were trying to catch a glimpse of him and get his say. Vans were parked around the pavement with logos of news agencies printed on the side.

 Pushing past the herd of reporters and curious neighbours, I managed to reach the front door, their voices that were filled with questions following behind me. I didn't even have to knock before a pair of hands pulled me inside as the door shut as quickly as it had opened.

 The house was quiet. Even though when I came here last it was still silent and lonely, this time it felt different. This time, we both knew it would stay silent as death.

Slowly walking into the living room, I turned to face George who stood, wrapped in a blue dressing gown with striped pyjama bottoms in view at the bottom. His eyes were red with bags underneath them too. The black hair that was usually kept in good shape, had given up and became grubby and disorganized. I didn't blame or judge him for his appearance, as if I had found out the person I loved was dead, then I would be looking the same as him.

"She's dead." he muttered with a broken tone visible to hear.

 "She's dead and there's nothing I can do to bring her back. I've lost another person I love and those people won't leave me alone. All I want is peace and quiet and my wife back." his voice slightly raised, but still had a quiver inside.

 Not knowing what to say, I remained silent, listening to him pour his heart out. I could tell he loved her lots and that his love for her would never die, even if she had.

 "Please, I need to know why would this have happened to her?" he pleaded and I knew he wanted me to tell him what I had found out.

 So I did. He listened intently with tears streaming down his face. With each tear, my heart broke slightly more for him. I wanted to stop telling him about Tanisha's affair and her leaving to spend time with him, but I knew he needed to hear this too. He needed to know, so he could get the closure he deserved.

 Once I had finished, we both sat in silence, trying to gather what had happened.

 "I – I can't believe it. I really thought she would come back to me. That she would still be alive." he walked over to the kitchen, placing his head in his hands that were now being covered in tears.

 "I'm sorry, I really am." I said as I stood up, ready to leave, but George twisted round and stared at me.

 "Please, don't go. I need your help."

 "My help? What could I possibly help you with? You asked me to find your wife, and I was too late. You are asking the wrong person, I'm sorry."

 "I'm not: this wasn't your fault," he edges closer towards me, blocking my path to his door before he said, "I don't blame you. The police officers said she had died from drowning on the Friday, the day after I called you. No matter when you found her, she would have still been -" he paused, the word lodged tight in his throat.

 Hearing that I would have found her dead either way helped my guilt wash away, but only a tiny amount. I knew what he was about to ask, but I didn't know if I could do it. Maybe I should choose a different job, one that is more peaceful and less stressful.

 "I need you to find out who did this." he pleaded once again, his eyes becoming glossy once more.

 "I find missing people, discover fraud and prove when people are cheating, not murderers." I explained, hoping that would be it, and he would let me be on my way. But he didn't.

 "I don't trust the police to find the person who did this. I trust you, please."

 The understanding of why he would want me to find her became clear. His son's death had gone undiscovered, he didn't want the same for his wife. And I couldn't blame him. Though a part of me still wanted to refuse and run out the house. But as I looked back into his face that was pained with tiredness and grief, I knew I couldn't refuse his wish.

 "OK. I'll find who did this."

 His eyes slightly brightened at the words and thanked me more times than I can count. Even after all his thank you's, I still couldn't help feeling disappointed in myself. When I promised to find his wife, I never thought that I would be bringing her back to him in a body bag.

 The door swung open quickly before closing just as swiftly. The reporters were still there, but had different faces. Trying to reach my car was a battle against them.

Once I reached my car, I drove to a deserted car park that the sun shone down on and I knew there would be peace here. The car park was silent with a small field next to it with a child's playground full of swings, the seesaw, monkey bars and slides that were left empty. After seeing Tanisha's body yesterday, it seemed like the whole world had become silent and empty.

 I grabbed my phone and began to quickly research the red car from the photo. I usually did this on my laptop, but I didn't want to return home yet. Sitting in this empty place, calmed the thoughts that raced around my head. I still couldn't believe I agreed to his offer to find the person who ruined his and his wife life, but not only did he need closure, but a part of me needed it aswell. Seeing her body covered in mud, shocked me more than anything, and I couldn't leave her like that. She had to be avenged.

 Soon, my phone flooded with information about the car. It belonged to a man named Botham Wade who had many incidents with the police over drunk fights and drunk driving. His social media showed pictures of him and Tanisha with captions like I love you and I think I've found the one. Clearly, they had dated and maybe they had lit an old spark. But the reason he would want her dead wasn't clear, though soon I would find out.

 Time flew by in the car as I watched people walk around the field with pets and friends. Laughs broke the silence and the thoughts were unsilenced too. Teenagers kicked the football around, not giving a care in the world to what was going on, and I wished I had that. To be so young and naive again would be a blessing as when you are that young, you don't realise the cruel world that you are thrown into, when you don't even know how to swim in the pit of darkness. Becoming an adult, is like being thrown into the deep end of the pool, being expected to know how to swim when you haven't even learnt about it.

 The engine roared as the clock changed to 6:15pm and I drove towards the cafe that he requested. My mind was slightly clearer now and it was time to face him. It was time to talk.

 When I reached the little cafe on the edge of town, I didn't believe that Philando would pick something this small. Normally he would offer a bar or pub where it has a louder atmosphere, but I guess times change. And hopefully, so has he.

 Inside, it was small with a few people drinking coffee and eating cakes. Tables stood near the window with stools and other chairs were scattered across the room. To be fair, I quite liked the setting and feeling the cafe offered.

 Sitting in the corner of the room in a small grey chair, Philando sat with a drink in front of him, blowing on it before he took a sip. Our eyes met across the room as I made my way closer towards him, sitting opposite him. Those blue eyes always seemed to be carrying a storm along with them like the sea crashing against the sandy beach. His hands gripped the cup, turning his knuckles whiter than his skin already was.

 He almost looked ... nervous. Scared. Something I haven't seen in him before.

 "How have you been?" he asked as he gazed into my own eyes.

 The storm of his eyes carried on raging, but now they were filled with wonder and worry. Something about the way he was looking into my eyes, made me feel like I could pour my heart out. He always had that effect, and sadly, it was one I could not resist.

 "In all honesty, I'm not doing so great. Wherever I go, I think about how Tanisha will never get to experience any of this again."

 "You can't think like that, none of this is your fault." his hands cupped mine, the warmth spreading across my body and once again, I felt at home once more.

 But I couldn't fall into this trap again. Not after the pain he made me feel when I found out the truth of his cheating. Pulling my hand back, his eyes looked hurt and even though it hurt me to see him like that, it made me feel a small pleasure, knowing he experienced some hurt.

 "I know it's not. I know that now, but it doesn't make me feel any better. But I will make amends. I will find out who did that to Tanisha. Mr Clive wants me to, so I will."

 George stared at me, his eyes slightly widening and his hands gripped around his cup even tighter.

 "Why would he want you to do that? The police are on it. I'm on the case and I'll find out who did it."

"Well, guess you have some competition now then." I smirked towards him as his own face formed a smirk too.

 When we were together, we always used to compete with each other, trying to out do the other. No matter what it was, sometimes it was with presents and others was how quickly we could solve a case. Though, I always thought that I could never compete with him. I was never good enough.

 "What do you plan on doing next?" he asked, taking another sip of his drink.

 "Well, I guess talking to the ex would be a good start. She was using his car to go somewhere, so I'll be seeing what he has to say."

 "Mmhh," he looked deep in thought like he had been pulled into the pool of the never ending thoughts before he responded, "you could come with me. I'm going to see what he has to say for himself tomorrow at around 12:00am. You want to come?"

 "Sure, if you don't mind."

 "Of course not." he took another sip of his drink as his foot bounced him and down, tapping the floor as he did so.

 I wondered what it would be like, sharing a car with him for so long again. Only this time, we wouldn't be partners, we would almost be strangers. Almost.

 He told me the way she had died and my heart sank even though George had already told me. Hearing it a second time didn't make it any easier.

 It wasn't too long after that we both decided to leave and agree to meet around 11:00 to give them plenty of time. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. The meeting of us both wasn't as awkward as I thought – thankfully. Maybe tomorrow won't be as bad as I thought.

Once again, I'm arriving back home where Janisha has returned back too. As usual, she is in the kitchen, humming a song from the radio.

 "Hey, sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving. You were still sleeping so didn't want to wake you up. I know yesterday was, well, it was something." she said and gave me a hug, similar to the one she gave yesterday.

 "Thanks Janisha." returning the hug, a thought popped into my mind, one that had been there throughout the day, but had a stronger urge to do it.

 Janisha must have noticed for when she pulled away, her eyes narrowed in confusion before she asked, "What are you thinking about now?"

 "Nothing. Just, ever since yesterday, Tanisha's body has been in my mind. The words she would have snarled out to me for not saving her life. And, well, maybe going back would help."

 "Are you insane?" Janisha shouted, causing Minnie to pop her head into the kitchen to see what was going off.

 "You want to go back to the forest where you found a dead body. May I remind you that the killer could still be around there. Oh, Breonna, you really have lost your mind." she paced back towards the sink and then closer towards me before retracing her steps again.

 "I know how it sounds and believe me, I don't want to go back. But I have to. I need to know what happened and that night I could have missed something. The police could have missed something. It was raining and dark."

 Janisha looked out of the window, staring into the pitch black sky before turning back to face me with a look saying it's-still-dark.

 "I know it is still dark, but no one was in their right mind yesterday, especially me. If I find nothing then you can say you told me so," I opened a draw and grabbed a torch before turning to face Janisha again and said, "but I'm going out there. I have to. Not only for me, not only for George, but Tanisha."

 The room fell silent as Janisha wondered what to do and I wondered what she would do. In all honesty, I didn't want to go alone and I wanted her to come with me, but I wasn't going to ask. These sorts of things were never what she found fun or enjoyable.

 Her hand reached into the draw, grabbing another torch and placing it into her grey jacket that she was wearing over her blue jeans.

 "Well, I don't have much else going on in my life right now, and best friends don't let each other do something stupid alone."

 A smile appeared on my face as we both left towards the car. I was surprised she actually came without me even needing to bring up the idea or begging her to come with. Though, she was always the kind of best friend who would do these stupid things with you. She pulled her curly hair into a ponytail with an elastic band she found in the car. Even without a proper hair bobble, she still looked stunning, something I wish I had.

 It wasn't long till the lights of the car shone down on the rocky path that led to the car park and into the forest. It was time. We both hopped out of the car, torches shining onto the path as we trudged further into the forest, trying to maintain a steady breath.

 "Are you sure we aren't lost." Janisha whispered after 10 minutes of walking.

 I could tell from her panting breath she was starting to get tired and wanted to return home before the forest swallowed us up like it did to Tanisha. But I knew I was where we were meant to be from the water streaming away beside us. Our torches shone onto the ground that was still damp from yesterday's rain, but wasn't as slippery.

 "We are here so just look for anything that might be of importance."

 I walked closer to the river as she walked towards the forest, keeping close to me. Her steps were slow and carefully placed as if she was petrified of finding another body or making a wrong step. And so was I.

 The river caused the piece of ground around it to be unstable and my feet had to be moved quickly before the mud crumbled and fell into the river. I wondered what it would have been like, to feel the water surround your mouth and not be able to breathe.

 "Found something." Janisha shouted from behind me, waving her torch in the air as I advanced towards her.

 Laying in the palm of her hand, was a picture with Tanisha smiling on the front behind a beach in the sun. Though the picture was ripped so only one half could be seen. The picture was damp, but luckily for us could still be seen. Her arm, was cut in half from the tear where I assumed her arm would be over someone's shoulder. How did the police not see this? Was this planted today?

 My mouth opened but the sound that echoed throughout the forest was not my own. A twig had snapped behind us and as our torches turned around to face the sound, a dark figure could be seen running away.

 Not knowing why I did this, I pushed my feet against the ground and ran after them. Janisha's screams could be heard from behind me, but I didn't care. This person might be able to help. They might even be the person who did this and put the picture down on the ground.

 The dark figure's pace quickened and as they turned a corner and behind a tree, they had vanished. I pointed my torch in all different directions, but they were no where to be seen. 

 "Dammit." I whispered under my breath as I twisted around and walked around the area, hoping to see them somewhere.

 Behind me, Janisha had finally caught up, her panting breath matching my own. I really needed to go on a run more often, but maybe not in the forest again.

 "Why would you follow them? I'm not one for horror movies, but anyone who follows the dark figure in the woods at night normally dies and you decide to follow one!" her voice was getting louder as each word rolled off her tongue.

 Turning to face her, her brown eyes, that were normally filled with joy, was now being sunk into fear.

 "Don't ever do that again, Breonna, please." she pleaded as her voice slightly shook.

 Slowly nodding, I glanced back around the forest to see if anyone was still lurking in the shadows. If they were, they were hidden well.

 My heart sank into my chest once again and felt like it would never resurface. A potential lead, had slipped through my fingers once again.