Below The Letters
Chapter 1
Today would be the day she would leave. Tears flooded the streets as people waved goodbye to their family. Julie let her hand drift into a wave, but by then the girl had left… The night approached and the time had come for the secret to be out! It wasn’t easy being alone in an unfamiliar place without any comforting people to support you. Night was here, The moon was up, full perhaps…
Julie was shocked to hear the news, she hadn’t quite expected the day to come around so quickly. Who would have known the young girl was gone? It came as quite a shock to Julie, the girl had left leaving no trace… Following the clues, those only left to be found. It would be a while before she would be informed on the latest news.Saying goodbye to a much loved neighbour – a friend.
On the night of the fire, 21st April 1973, the girl was seen scribbling in a notebook. Not long after, the notebook was found in a bush beside the house code-named BZMHSZ , suspected to be the place she left. 28th May 1973, she was declared missing. There was confusion that week between a man in black and the girl with one very dark eye and the other blue, quite pale! A young couple living in the flats around the corner from the house Melina lived in.
Back in the days of 1975, the town of Longace was low on clues. One of the slightly older residents of the street, Whitbark Dales, pointed out a rather perculiar word, infact one never seen before she explained! But what? she mentioned that this word was a jumbled up word, she also said that once she unjumbled all of the letters she realised that there wasn’t a word to be discovered, it was a code… Julie found that the code was a lot more than just an unscrambled word. Although she suspected the notepad was the big clue, and only clue to use, she had realised that this clue was the answer! BZMHSZ. she spoke out “please, I…I know her, she was my neighbour during 1971-1972, August until she dissapeared.”
Once again she took out the notebook, it read:
Dear sir/madam, It seems odd, you come and go. I am here for you, my saviour. you are the one to find me. I dont expect you to understand my awful grammer, read carefully you will follow directly, the code is the clue to me… Melina, BZMHSZ, i can only leave you this. Julie read on again and again until it came to her, the code, the code is the clue. “But was it the code?”
Chapter 2
Getting closer…
1979, Julie had drifted through 3 weeks of deliberation, she had forgotten all about the BZMHSZ. She hadn’t looked at the code for a while, but had spared a little thought for the young, mysterious girl who wrote in the notebook. It was unusual for the girl who had written so personally to the investigator, and she had explaned it well. At least she thought! Whilst wandering down Whitbark Dale, Julie came across an eldely woman in a head scalf, with a darkish vest wrapped around her waist. It was the old woman who had spotted the code, Julie thought of it as a code. It certainly wasnt a real word.
She waved, but the old woman, Shirly her name was, wasn’t quite sure who Julie was. Julie’s eyes went fuzzy, she began remembering a time, her hand became wrinkly
and her head began to shiver. Out of the blue, she collapsed, the old woman walked past without a care in the world.
Julie lay there, her arm was crooked. She lay there for 7 hours 36 minutes. Until she was found on the floor beside the house – the house named BZMHSZ. It wasnt obvious why… Julie lay down head up on the hospital bed, her arm wrapped up in bandage material and both of her legs hung in a sling above the bed. The bed was rather uncomfortable, it had rough sheets. Out of the hospital window, there was a large building named after a young girl named Sophia, who died at the age of just 19 after a car crash. A car rammed into the back of her.The girl was well known by her father, also, the uncle of the missing girl. According to a local police officer, the missing girl declared, was named Melina.
That day, Julie went home. Beforehand, she was put into the recovery room after she was given medicine for her aches and pains,and was sedated. Once home, Julie was told to rest and try to sleep to boost her energy. Julie was agitated and was keen to get out of the house, she knew that was no good. She could not cope with lack of sleep, she would have to rest for three hours before she would be able to go on the move otherwise she’d be back in hospital. which gave her time to take another look at the code!
The next day Julie wasn’t quite herself, she had a splitting pain in her back which made her tired and drowsy.The doctor came around to see how she was recovering. Running through Julie’s mind was how she fainted in the first place. She didnt feel that was quite the key issue right that moment, but that didnt stop the police coming around to ask questions. The first question was, who was around during that time? Then, questions like, have you taken any previous medicines to cause the collapse, what do you think the cause of the fainting was? has this happened before, roughly in the past 3 months?All of her answers began with a definate, No! She was very private and would not let any un-useful information slip, Just in case it was used as evidence. She began saying to herself that the woman, Shirly, had something to do with this. It slipped out and was written down.
Later that night, Julie took out the letter, she read it over once again hoping for some kind of clue to where she might be hidden. Julie had known Melina for a long time, she was the daughter of a man named Peter.He was always wearing black. Julie was always suspicious of why the man, Peter, was always in black. That day Peter popped around to see how she was recovering, he cared for her. They were neighbours for a while, thats how Julie knew Melina. Julie dreamed that she was to be the one to solve the mystery! If only… Julie thought back for a moment, she could just remember a glimpse of the old woman who left her on her own stranded in the middle of the street when she collapsed. She was the grandmother of Melina.
Julie frowned, she had never thought that she would be the one to discover how the young girl, Melina, disappeared! Peter, Melina’s dad, came aroung that evening, he was blown away to hear that his mother was disloyal to his neighbour. “Julie, can I ask you a question?” Peter requested.
“Yes sure, what?”
“Were you in room 239 when in the hospital recovery room? Because I am sure my mother was in that room, just after my daughter, Melina, was reported missing by the police infact.
“Let me think… yes I am sure I was, do you mean the room opposite St Sophia?”
Julie took a sip out of her coffee, she was advised to cut down on caffeine.Earlier in her life she was given a prescription for awful side-affects caused by caffeine and lemon tea. It was a peculiar type of an allergic reaction.Julie was tempted to offer Peter a cup of tea or coffee, but was affraid he would remind her. It was the temptation of the coffee that stopped her from thinking clearly. “Yes, my mother is Shirly, Shirly Carter. She comes across as a rather horrible woman, but trust me she is certainly kind to all!”
Chapter 3
Lost…
She was ready, Julie was ready to crack the code. It was time she did a good deed. She knew Peter wouldn’t rest knowing Julie was out to trace and discover the girl. Peter would fight for his life now he had found his investigator, to have and love forever his daughter. Being appart for 7 years, Peter had lived a life no father should ever have to live!
Julie had hid the notebook in the kitchen cabenet, where knowone could find it!All of a sudden Peter thrashed through the door, furious, deliberately smashing her most precious moment in time. Her heart was racing, her eyes welled up… She screamed. Peter hovered scanning the room with fury on his face, Julie was petrified. She began begging… He pinned her against the wall, threatening her, he would kill her if she didnt find his daughter. Julie was shocked, scared! She did everything she could, to get him off! Peter charged back out of the broken wooden door, at least what was left of it!Putting all of her weight leaning on the wall, Julie slid against it. Her face was frozen. In her life she hadnt yet experienced such a shock, a shock enough to make her clear her mind, enought to make her think.
Julie peered out of the smashed window into the old battered kitchen, she saw Shirly. She was looking rather puzzled. She was looking at a letter of some sort. It looked old and grey, it had a dash under a word.The word “BZMHSZ” it was the code! Julie went out of the house, she was determind to get a closer look at the letter, but she was scared of approaching the woman Peter had originally described as a rather horrible woman. A code… Julie caught flashes in her mind like a flicker. It became more clear to her now – she would find Peter’s daughter, she would solve the dissapearence! She would become the girl who everyone knew……. Who inspired them! The flashes and flickers formed letters in her mind. It began with the letter “C” and the forth letter “I”. Cniata – it was jumbled, And had a capital “C” “That must mean “c” is the first letter,” she began unscrambeling the letters. “Cainat, no… Citana, oh no, no… C ‘n’ A, don’t work, ha. The last flicker produced the following…
It seems odd, you come and go. I am here for you, my saviour. you are the one to find me. The code is the clue to me… Melina, BZMHSZ!
Julie began wandering up and down her ruined corridor in the hallway of the house, starring, concentrating on the letter that was said to lead to her! At this point Julie was frustrated, she put herself into this mess, so she would get herself out of it…” BZMHSZ “Oh, come on Julie you can do this, wait! the letter after ‘b’ is ‘c’, yes,” Julie began cracking the code! ” ‘z’ to ‘a’, ‘m’ to ‘n’ yes i’ve got it, it’s Canita. Thats it. Its Canita, she’s in Canita.” Julie became busy and was determind to solve this and re-unite her family! Peter,I must, must tell Peter! He will want to know but should I really tell him?” Julie began questioning her self. She was worried he would do something bad to her if she couldn’t find her, that would be awful!
Julie ran next door, to Peter’s home! Julie knocked, she gritted her teeth, and gripped her opposite arms and begged… The door creaked open! Peter approached the door. The words that came out of his mouth where hopeful but forceful! “Hello Julie,I hear you have found my daughter, Melina! Well… Have you?” julie was sure, they had been friends for years at the begining of there friendship Peter had said he would never hurt her. This made Julie sure he never meant to.
“Yes, yes I have, she is in Canita.”
“So and…are you going to find her?” Peter questioned leaning on the edge of the brown door.
“Yes I am!” Julie spoke only a few words, and for her own safety also.
Chapter 4
On the road again
Peter and Julie headed of to Canita via train,and bus. Peter asked Julie, “So why Canita. Oh how silly am I, how are you supposed to know?” Julie said nothing she just approached the exit of the train and headed to Canita, the village nearby. “Melina, Melina! Oh how lovely to see .You cant imagine… You there, are you there? Peter spoke confused. But all it was was a poster, saying… “Young girl suspected dead in a closet, we can not confirm this, but police will find uncover the truth. With many injuries she was found at 12:34am on saturday 26th 1980″. Peter was speechless. He held out his hand and spoke the words. “Mine forever!” Julie held his hand and spoke directly to his heart. “Peter, you will be loved, no matter how many losses or dissapearences occur, you are loved, Not only by your family – by me…”
Peter slouched, heading down the train station path. Julie was quite shocked, she wasn’t sure weather she should have said what she did. Peter had not said a word, he just kept on walking thinking through his memories. Julie was sure that he would get home the next day having forgotten all about it, but how is it possible to forget about a loved one?She was confused. Julie stood rather cautiously remembering her whereabouts, she thought he may lash out at her and say something totally random in despair. Out of the blue an old woman walked towards them both, she was and elderly woman. Familiar in the face! She apoligised and reached for Peters hands, however, she was looking towards julie. Julie was puzzled. It was Shirly Carter, “She certainly does come and go, doesn’t she? Peter pointed out.
“Yes… Yes she does.” Julie placed her hand on her mouth and and mumbled. “Its the letter, the letter, you come and go! Its you, Shirly, she was talking to you, you are the one to find her! Melina is not dead, she’s alive! Shirly, in the letter, it said you come and go, my savior, you are the one to find me!” Julie was sure what she was saying must be true, and Melina wasn’t just writing the letter to the public she was writing it to Shirly.
Julie had booked herself into a nearby hotel, for her and Peter to stay in for the night.She couldnt say for sure she would only be there for one night, maybe a week or so.It would possibly take her a while to find Melina! But this time her and Peter were in this together. They were planning to stay the night and get an early start,There was no time to waste! They will be, Re-united.
Early in the morning, Julie woke up with quite a shock. Peter had left! Julie’s eyes opened and closed, they flickered. She lay on her side, still not believing he had gone, got out of bed and headed over to the bathroom.There was spilled liquid on the sink, and the cupboard door was wide open dripping with water. Julie left the appartment, with her bag and her phone. Peter was knowhere to be seen! Julie wandered the streets of Canita, searching not only for Melina, but this time, for Peter. She didnt find Peter nor Melina first, but she did find Shirly… She was gazing into the shop window outside the train station. She was holding a book of some sort! It was old, and engraved on the front was something rather familiar. “Its the letter,” Julie cried out. It had a small compass on the front and a curvy line, in the direction of the compass point! “The direction… Of Melina!
Chapter 5
Coming to an end
364 days later, the anerversary of their death… Julie headed towards Canita grave yard. Holding in her hand a basket of primrosess, she walked with a short stride over to their grave. In the middle was Melina, towards the right of melina was her farther, Peter, and slightly ferther back to the left of Melina, was her dearest grandmother, Shirly. She leant towards the grave of Melina, Peter, and Shirly, and placed the flowers infront of them. She sat on the freshly mowed grass for a while and thought of a time, the time she met melina and her father, Peter in 1971. Julie looked up to a shock to see three familiar people walking around the grave yard linking arm together with proud and joy. Julie smiled..
Lisle!
