Page 80 of Accidentally Vacationed with an Incubus

JENNIFER: ... Yes.

OFFICER HUGHS: You’re a young woman. Did you not have friends to spend time with?

JENNIFER: *question unanswered*

OFFICER HUGHS: Tell me what happened next.

JENNIFER: Mom and Dad never came back when they said they would. We missed the movie. The food went cold, and I got annoyed, so I ate a bunch of candy instead. Then Mr. Cadmus called. He said Ms. Cadmus had an accident, and my parents were on their way home to pick up the car so they could drive her to the healers... I mean, hospital.

OFFICER HUGHS: And then?

JENNIFER: ... I don’t know. I guess I snapped. I found the wire cutters, went outside, popped the hood, and... cut some wires.

OFFICER HUGHS: What did you do after that?

JENNIFER: I went back to my room, packed my bag, then lay in bed and waited.

OFFICER HUGHS: Did you hear your parents come back?

JENNIFER: Yes. I heard footsteps, then the car door open.

OFFICER HUGHS: And you heard them start the engine? At no point did you think to call out and warn them?

JENNIFER: ... No.

OFFICER HUGHS: No, you didn’t hear the engine start? Or no, you didn’t think to stop them?

JENNIFER: Both.

OFFICER HUGHS: Jennifer, you did hear the engine start. Otherwise, how would your parents have driven away?

JENNIFER: I don’t know. I don’t... I can’t remember.

OFFICER HUGHS: And you didn’t try to stop them?

JENNIFER: ... No.

OFFICER HUGHS: So, you caused your parents’ deaths?

JENNIFER: I—I didn’t mean to.

OFFICER HUGHS: But you could have prevented it by warning them.

JENNIFER: ... I guess so. Maybe.

OFFICER HUGHS: What happened next?

JENNIFER: I lay in bed. About ten minutes later, I heard the crash.

OFFICER HUGHS: Not ten minutes, Jennifer. It would have taken less than a minute to reach the crash site.

JENNIFER: It felt like ten. But... maybe it was one.

OFFICER HUGHS: And then?

JENNIFER: Mr. Cadmus called. He asked if everything was okay because he’d heard the crash, and my parents hadn’t made it back to his house like they said they would.

OFFICER HUGHS: Yes, we spoke with Mr. Cadmus. He wasn’t very forthcoming. Said you were a good girl. Never caused trouble, never gave your parents or the community any reason to worry. He thought it was... out of character.

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