Chapter Five: How do you know him?

Chapter Five: How do you know him?

The sliding of something thin and flat against the stainless steel table caused the man on the receiving side, chained against the bar connected to the table with a handcuff, to look down at it. It showed his file, everything about him. Rich pressed the record button on the tape recorder.

‘This is you, right? This is not some trick, not some ploy?’ Shawn said, seated in the chair as Rich stood beside him.

Levi looked down at the photo of him on the paper in the left corner, then tilted his head up.

‘I mean, what do you think? I think it does look like me.’

‘Not the photo.’ He then leans forward, pointing to the street location. ‘The info.’

He glances down with his eyes before averting them to the men across from him. ‘I mean, you found me sitting and watching TV in there like any normal person would in their house.’

Shawn reels his finger back from the paper. ‘Well, we can’t believe everything you say after faking being someone’s bodyguard.’

Levi folded his hands on the table, sitting up straight with a straight face. ‘I wasn’t faking.’

Shawn raises an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean?’ Shawn says, crossing his arms.

‘I mean what I mean. I wasn’t faking being his bodyguard-’

‘Bullshit,’ Rich calls out, ‘Why did you kill him then!?’

Levi folded his hands on the table. ‘I didn’t…’

Rich scoffs, shaking his head. ‘Okay, then who did?’

Levi started playing with his thumbs, smirking and laughing as he did. ‘Him.’

‘Who’s Him…?’ Shawn says, leaning forward.

‘The savior to our people, sent by The Lord.’

Rich looks at Shawn, and Shawn looks back before they both look back at Levi. They sit in silence for a bit before Shawn speaks.

‘What’s his name?’

Levi looked up with a big smile, as if proud to announce this to them.

‘The Chosen…’

Shawn leans back, tapping his finger against the steel table. ‘Why did this “Chosen” person kill William Devellis and Mill Lake?’

‘What did God do after the ninth plague on Egypt…?’

Shawn looked at Rich. Rich looked at Shawn for a quick second before looking towards Levi.

‘He killed all of the firstborns.’

‘But what does that have to do with Chosen killing William and Mill?’

‘The Israelites, or God’s people, were enslaved by Egypt and treated wrongly. So, This Chosen person killed them because they treated him wrongly, isn’t that right?’ Rich says, leaning in, and putting his hand on the table.

Levi keeps smiling before looking, moving in his seat, and finding a comfortable spot. ‘God doesn’t like it when people mess with HIS people.’

Shawn crosses his arms. ‘What does this have to do with Gerald? Did Gerald wrong Him too?’

Levi shakes his head. ‘No, it’s not about Gerald. It’s about his daughters- well, one of them.’

Shawn and Rich’s eyebrows rose as they both leaned in, with Shawn speaking urgently. ‘One of them? Which one?’

Levi looks down, keeping his mouth in a thin line. Shawn leans over the desk and snaps his fingers. ‘Hey, don’t go silent now. Which daughter is involved in this?’

Levi doesn’t lift his head. ‘I was told to do my part and nothing more. and after I did, He said I could rest, knowing I did well. Knowing ‘God is working all things together for good’.’

‘What about the man, then?’ Rich says.

‘What man?’ Levi replies.

‘The man that broke in through the room where Mill’s daughter and wife were staying?’

‘We told no man to break in through a window. ’

Rich blinked vigorously as Shawn kept his arms crossed. Their minds ran through the words of what Levi said, analyzing each word and sentence.

***

They both walked out of the interrogation room before shutting it. They walked far from the room before stopping. Rich was walking down the hallway with his hands in his pockets, while Shawn was leaning against the wall, thinking with his head down.

‘Cults. It’s always cult. And now we know the leader without knowing who the leader is.’ Rich says, pacing the hallway back and forth.

‘There’s a possibility that we can catch him.’

Rich stops pacing back and forth and looks at Shawn, raising an eyebrow. ‘How so? He has followers, do you think he will try and capture whichever daughter he needs?’

Shawn shakes his head. ‘He’s gonna send someone to bring them to him.’

‘So, dispatch?’ Rich says, walking to Shawn as he nods, leaning against the wall next to him, putting his left leg over the right.

‘You know we’re gonna have to tell her, about Mill…’

***

Millie set her dolls in the tiny pink chair, and when she did, she sat in her chair. She hummed as she slowly poured out tea for her dolls and herself. She glanced out of the window, sighing as she looked forward to put down the kettle.

‘I hope daddy comes back soon.’

Her hopes are heightened when she hears a car pulling up to the gate. Her body grows faster as she dashes towards the window, and she sees a black car pull into the mansion’s driveway. Without waiting, her patience as thin as a string, she runs downstairs, yelling her mother’s name. Her mother comes out of a room, and Millie is there to meet her halfway, bouncing with happiness.

‘Mommy! Daddy’s back! He’s back!’

Her mother smiles slightly as her real emotions try and pull it back forcefully. She kneels infront of Millie, stroking her hair.

‘That’s not daddy, sweetheart.’

Millie’s smile dropped into a lake as her frown rose like a sunrise.

‘T-then who is it?’

‘People I need to talk to. Just…just go back to your room, okay?’

Millie looks down and walks away. As she is walking, she looks back. Sophia gave her best smile, trying to shine the room with her pearly white teeth, but it didn’t shine far enough to reach Millie. She turns around and walks back upstairs. Sophia’s smile finally gives in to her real emotions as she stands up. The doorbell rings, but it doesn’t matter because she already knows. She walks up to the door and opens it, seeing the two detectives from before looking at her with a serious but sympathetic expression.

***

Millie is rubbing her doll's hair as she sits on her princess bed. The soothing and smoothing feel of the hair makes her slightly better as her daddy is not here to see her. He’d always be there. For her ballerina practices and her spelling bee tournaments. He was always there, so, what’s the matter now? He always keeps his promises, just as a promised brand-new doll should be kept, right? Christmas is just right around the corner. Her mother finally comes upstairs, causing Millie to turn her head to the door as it opens. Sophia doesn’t talk, she just walks to Millie, holding her own hands together before sitting down next to Millie.

‘Mommy. What did you talk to those men about? Was it about Daddy? Is he coming back?’

Sophia swallows a lump in her throat as she sighs, slowly breathing as he puts her hand out and strokes Millie’s brown hair.

‘Daddy…he’s…he’s…’ Her last words she can barely release as her emotions hold her from saying it. ‘He’s not coming back…’ She whispers as a tear falls.

Millie drops her doll as her eyes widen. ‘Wha…wha…daddy…daddy…he’s not…’ Tears began to fall down her eyes. ‘Mommy, you’re lying! It’s not funny! Daddy is coming back! He always does!’ She sobbed and sobbed with Sophia. Sophia hugged her daughter, stroking her hair.

‘Mommy…please…it’s not funny.’

‘I know, baby…’ She sobs as she fully cries. ‘I don’t find it funny either…’

The mother and daughter both cried as the detective heard it on their way out with Shawn holding the door for Rich as Rich walked out. He looked back at the stairs, to the open door up the stairs.

‘It’s okay, Shawn, it’s okay. The cops will find the bad man, I promise.’ She stroked the young boy’s hair.

‘Shawn!’

Shawn snapped his head to the open door, where Rich stood. ‘What’s the wait for?’

Shawn snapped back to reality, putting his past in the back of his head. ‘Sorry.’ He said as he closed the door behind himself and walked with his partner.

***

The last shot rang through my ear as I dropped the gun on the table. The targets were all hit, except for the head, which was the unscathed part, apart from the previous bullets which came from Gerald. But as long as I get the job done, as long as there is no breath coming out of his nostrils, I don’t need to get the head.

‘Alright…’ Gerald said, studying the targets that were filled with bullet holes in their chest. ‘You did…’ He nodded. ‘Good.’

I nodded back, looking at the targets. ‘That’s all I needed to know.’

‘Yeah. And you're also free to go.’

I snapped my head towards Gerald. Free to go? To leave? I mean, he had never held me captive, he just said I couldn’t leave with my current firearm-handling skills. I mean, I did…I did do good, and there’s no need for him now, but we’ve only been out here for a few hours.

‘Leave…?’

‘Yeah, there’s a car in the back. You can take that. The keys are under the welcome mat outside the backdoor too.’

I shouldn’t think about it. Just go. This is my time to leave. Thinking about it is just wasting time. He said I did good, I can do this. I nodded toward him. I picked up the pistol, saying, ‘Alright.’ As I began to walk away, he called out to me, causing me to stop. ‘Hey, I left those two phones you had on you upstairs in the room, and your keys.’

I almost forgot about those. ‘Alright.’ I said before jogging into the house, and then up the stairs. Gerald sighs as he begins to clean up the area by starting with putting the targets back into the shed.

Once I entered the room, as expected, the two phones and my kets were on the bed. But there was a note. I picked up the note, opened it, and saw a street address, an apartment name, a room number, and a name. ‘Greda’ It told me. I furrowed my eyebrows before folding it back up and putting it in my back pocket. Whatever Gerald is trying to do, it better be something to help me find Him. I then picked up the keys and the first phone, and scrolled through it, now knowing this was my phone because of the many missed voice calls from my mom. Damn, she must be worried too. She probably thinks I’m dead too. I hate it when she cries, I hate crying altogether. Just a waste of tears, like there’s something to do with them, but the feeling of her feeling the way she would if she found out her other son had died too…it’s too much. I then called my mother, putting my phone to my ears as I walked to the window, seeing Gerald put back all the stuff in the shed in the sunset. She immediately picked up.

‘Joseph! Are you okay?! I saw on the news-!’

‘Look, nows not the time-’

‘What do you mean, Joseph?! You’re a suspect! We’re all worried about you!’

‘I’m fine, I’ll be okay-’

‘No, you’re not! You broke into someone else’s house-’ She then slightly gasped. ‘A-are you a part of what happened?!’

My eyes widened. My mother, thinking I’m a part of what’s going on? Like I’d ever do what these people are doing! I really- I shouldn’t care, but here I am, feeling this way as I felt with Gerald when he tested me. ‘No! Y-you believe that?! I thought you knew me-’

‘I do know you! I know you don’t care about anything, nor your actions! You’re…you’re going to turn yourself in.’

I furrowed my eyebrows before realizing and sighing at her. ‘Don’t…’

‘No! You need to learn that your actions have consequences! I thought I taught you this, but because you don’t care, I guess that comes with not listening!’

I stayed in silence, looking down. How else was I supposed to get inside? Yes, my actions may have consequences, but if I was…no, I couldn’t have made it in time.

‘Joseph…’

I lifted my head.

‘I’m turning you in. I’m going to tell them where you live.’

‘Wait, wait, mom-!’

‘No! I can’t believe you! I…I can’t…’ She then began to sob and cry, which hit my heart. Damnit, cmon, stop crying.

‘Don’t cry, mom. Just don’t call the cops, please.’

The sobbing continued before she talked, her voice choked and her nostrils blocked with snot. I can’t take it. ‘If…if you don’t turn yourself in. I’ll do it myself-’ Before she could finish, I hung up. I looked at the phone, sighing.

***

She looked at the phone, seeing I ended the call. She puts it down on the coffee table. She frowns before she cries again, and again. My auntie is beside her. She holds her sister, rubbing her back. ‘Do…do you want me to call them for you?’

My mother shook her head, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her flannel shirt. ‘N-n-no…’

‘He’s going have to learn-’

‘I-I know…j-just…just…please, give him a few hours…’

Auntie sighed, holding her closer as she then nodded. ‘A few hours…’

***

I put the phone in my back pocket. Why, Mom? Why? Just great, why? Why did you…I sighed before looking out the window, and saw two black cars, barely seen through the thickness of the forest, drive down the pathway to the house. I furrow my eyebrows as I squint my eyes at this before looking down at Gerald.

Gerald followed the cars with his eyes until they reached his front yard. He then approached the cars as one person emerged from the car behind the first, and two from the one infront of that car. Gerald looked at them as they walked up to him, raising an eyebrow.

‘I’m kinda full on supplies right now.’

The man who walked up closer to Gerald, seeming to be the leader, smirked. ‘It’s not about the supplies.’ He then pulled out a pistol at Gerald, pointing it at his noggin. Gerald’s eyebrows raise as he raises his hands. My eyes widen as I see this. I gotta leave- and leave him here to die? What can I do? It’s a three versus one He’s already helped me, I need to leave…I need to. I hesitated, looking out the window for a few more seconds before running downstairs to the back door.

‘Sorry, but you're no use to us no more.’

‘What are you doing? We had a deal…’ Gerald says through his teeth, clenching his raised fists.

‘HAD. Now, someone’s paying us more for something.’

‘And what does it have to do with me…?’

‘We don’t want you spilling our business out and about, now do we? Plus, I’m pretty sure it has a lot to do with you, considering it has to do with one of your daughters.’

Gerald’s eyes widened.

I reached the backdoor and took out the key from under the mat and got in the car. A gunshot rang through the air, causing me to jump as multiple others did afterward. I looked back. The windows muffled the sound but still loud. Shit, he’s…I can’t think about it, I can’t. I put the key in, and started up the car, driving off without looking back. I gripped the wheel as I began to feel again. I barely knew the guy, but I just felt wrong for leaving him. He could be dead. But that doesn’t matter, he left me with something, I can’t save him now. After driving for a few minutes, I found an opening that led to the paved road. A few cars drove by as I exited the dirt road. I only had two destinations in mind, home, and the address Gerald gave me.

***

When I finally reached my home, I parked the car by the sidewalk, got out, walked up to my door, and grabbed the doorknob feeling it turn without any resistance. I stopped and knitted my eyebrows together. Did I…? Did I lock it? I moved my right hand to the back of my pants. Crap, I didn’t know I’d be using this so early. I felt the grip in my right hand, slightly taking it out, but not fully taking it out. I slowly opened the door, before stopping. I breathed in, and out, closing my eyes. Remember what he said. Then I opened my eyes, busting open the door with my pistol already raised at the darkness that surrounded my living room. I snapped right, then left, I kept it pointed ahead as I moved sideways, and flicked on the light switch. I closed the door and locked it before slowly moving to the kitchen, whoever was there, was not going to catch me off guard. I snapped right, where the cabinets were, and saw nothing. I opened up the cabinets, surely and efficiently. After opening and closing the cabinets, I moved upstairs, my steps slow but steady as the steps whined because of my shoes that pressed down on them. As I reached up there, I aimed the pistol at chest level, not taking any headshot risk. I then moved my hand slowly to the doorknob, grabbing it and twisting it until it couldn’t anymore. The switch was to my left, right next to the door. There’s a chance that someone is in my room and a chance that someone isn’t. I breathed in, and out. Please, don’t die. Please. In one quick and hard push, the swung open but as so, my hand that held the doorknob, moved in and flipped on the light switch, only to reveal nothing. Nothing at all. That’s good, but not too good. They’d most likely be hiding, trying to catch me off guard. Yeah. I walked into my small room and slowly ducked down to see under the bed, keeping my pistol pointed. Nothing. I sighed and sat up, looking around before seeing my yearbook on the nightstand, and then I turned my head to the closet. Haven’t seen anything so far…still can’t trust anything though. I stood up and walked to the closet, doing as I did with checking the other places. Swung it open, and snapped left and right. Nothing, well, there was something. A big piece of paper, a folded-up one. I stuffed my pistol in my back pocket, picked up the note, and opened it.

‘234-453-5667’

It was written clearly as day, with no terrible handwriting and no missing numbers. It… was right there. I quickly took out my phone while looking at the number and dialing it. Do I really wanna call? It’s too important not to. If this is Him… I pressed the call button and put the phone to my right ear. The only sounds were the sounds of the rings. A few more rings, too many more rings. I should just hang up. Then it picked up…

‘I didn’t think I’d see you again.’

My throat clenches as I hear this voice. It’s like any other human, but something about, it just feels off. It’s soft, but rough.

‘Who is this? Are you…are you him…?’

The silence holds me still until the voice rings out again. ‘I am.’

My hand that’s holding the phone, clenches. ‘Why…why did you do this?’

‘Do what-’

‘You know what, you bastard!’ I yelled. ‘My brother! William!’

‘I did it because He told me to.’

‘Whose He? Tell me!’

‘...God.’

I blink vigorously. He…he thinks this is a joke. God? God told him to kill my brother? God told him to inflict these emotions onto me?! I clench my fists more, nearly breaking the phone.

‘You think this is a joke? I’m going to find you, and I’m-’

‘Why do you care now all of a sudden? I thought you said, “Everything is meaningless. Just live”.’

I go silent. I…I don’t care, then…why am I…Because…because…no! He’s playing tricks with me, like he knows me! Saying stuff that I never said!

‘I-I don’t know you! I never said that to you!’

‘...You don’t remember me…?’

He’s trying to manipulate me. He knows I have these emotions bottling up like mint and soda and he knows I’m trying to hide it. I never cared for evil, but this guy, he’s a sick bastard.

‘You can’t manipulate me-’

‘It’s not manipulation…Your brother wronged me, and I cried and cried. But you didn’t leave with him. You came back to me and said, ' Everything is meaningless; just live. ' Those words proved your point more when I read Ecclesiastes.’

I don’t say anything as I start to remember something. I did, I did didn’t I?…my brother did bully a kid, but he’s bullied multiple kids, it doesn’t make sense.

‘But it isn’t meaningless anymore, I have Him within me. His spirit resides in me. And I will save the world, and you can join me, Joseph, all you have to do is repent-’

‘Shut up.’ I didn’t want to hear it anymore. ‘Just shut fuck up! I’m going to kill you! There is no repenting! There is no saving the world! I’m going to end your life, and I will go back to living MY life! That is It!’

Silence hangs in the air before he speaks in a soft tone. ‘You can’t stop me. No matter what you do.’

‘Then where are you, huh? Let me put a gun to your head, see if I can’t stop you then.’

‘...I was home. Find me, and may God bless-’

I hung up the phone. I’m tired of this God bullshit. He’s just using it to fuck with me. I sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed. Everything is meaningless, I wasn’t wrong, but…these emotions. I don’t want them, I don’t. But what’s the point of trying? He’s right, and since I said that, I’m right. It’s no use in fighting it…it’s meaningless. But still, I don’t want to live like this, with these feelings inside of me. With my brother’s spirit inside of me. It won't go away until I’ve killed him. Heh, even in death he won’t stop bothering me. I should rest, no, He could strike at any time and take Gerald’s daughter before I could catch him. Maybe if I can keep the girl, wait, what was her name? Nami. If I could keep Nami, maybe that’ll draw Chosen out. Yes, that’s good. But he could just skip over Nami, and go after someone else. Doesn’t matter, as long as I have one, I win, no matter what.

***

‘All I’m seeing is bare trash. A-and, what is this?! Photos of  women in bikinis!?’

Greda lets out a long yawn, her right hand over her mouth as her monitor screen illuminates the darkness she’s surrounded in that is of her room, clearly showing her sleep-deprived face. She put her fist on her left cheek, leaning her elbow on the desk as she sat legs crossed and looked at the shared screen.

‘Looks like your son’s hormones are getting desperate.’ She said through the microphone, tiredly.

‘He’s too young for this! First the bathroom incident, now this! He didn’t even bother to hide it!’

Greda sighs, rubbing her eyes before looking back at the shared screen. ‘Well…that’s boys puberty for you. Maybe that’s why he only tells his father stuff, and…’ She yawns, continuing. ‘not you…’

‘Tch. Well, he has another parent, and she’s willing to understand, even though she doesn’t experience the same thing he does.’ The mom then proceeds to delete everything that is… inappropriate, and taking up too much storage.

She nods, while slowly nodding off while she’s talking before catching herself when the mother stops saying her sentence. ‘Hm- Mhm, mhm..’

She walks inside her room and shuts the door tiredly. Sleep is not her best friend, she walks to her bed, plopping down into it as so, letting out an ‘oof!’. She grabs her blanket up to her shoulders while lying on her back. Her eyes closed slowly as she slowly breathed in and out, waiting for sleep to rule her body for about fa ew hours. But sleep can’t rule her, for as she tossed and turned, she opened her eyes, sitting up. She knows she can’t sleep without it, but it doesn’t hurt to try not to. She swings her legs over the edge of the bed and reaches over to take a bottle of pills. After popping two of them in her mouth, she puts the lid back on and takes the water, drinking it so the pills get a waterslide down her throat. Greda then reaches over to the nightstand’s drawer, opening to reveal a few tape recorders with tape on it with words. The first one says ‘4 hours.’ The second one, ‘7 hours.’ And the third one, ‘8 hours.’ Greda checks the clock on the nightstand.

‘4:06 am.’

She looks back to the drawer, knowing which one to take, and takes the four-hour one, placing it on the nightstand while taking out some black earbuds. She plugs the earbuds into the aux port of the tape recorder and plugs the buds in her ears. Greda presses play on the record, and a smooth, male voice begins to play as waves rise and crash in the background, blending with the male’s voice as she picks up the recorder and places it beside her bed. She smiled as the voice helped let the sleep take over the four hours she had left to sleep.

***

I parked my car next to the sidewalk, which was close to a park across from the apartment she supposedly lived in. I looked at the apartment’s name, leaning forward inside of the car. ‘Missy’s Complex.’ I took the note out of my pocket and checked. Clear and the same right there. I stuffed the note back into my pocket, getting out of my car, and locking it. Quickly, I made my way across the street without looking left or right. Barely any cars drove by, considering it’s pitch black and all. I opened the glassed apartment doors and walked inside the lobby. There were two hallways, one to the left, and the other to the right. The arrowed signs with the numbers on them pointed in the direction of which numbers were on that side. I took my note out and looked back at it. ‘125.’ So, I made a right, and walked down, looking at the numbers. Man, it’s quiet, very quiet. I expected people to be out here talking, or smoking. Well, they probably can’t smoke in the apart- never mind, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the hallway, which continued to a right, there was a door. The number was I was looking for. I walked up to the door and knocked.

Nothing.

I knocked again.

Nothing.

I knocked once more and guess what?

Nothing.

I sighed. I should just shoot the doorknob, no, what am I thinking? People will hear. My mom’s voice began to play in my head. ‘Actions have consequences.’ Damnit, she’s right. I can’t have another incident like the one at Mill’s place. And if I do what I did there, here, it’ll get me more in trouble, especially the cameras. I looked at the one of them staring right back at me. And It’ll most definitely be on the news, which Mom will most likely see…I sighed, don’t think about it. It’s not because of Mom, it’s because I need to think clearly. Be rational. I look back. Since I can’t go back home, and I don’t think I’ll ever need to…I guess I’ll have to find somewhere else to sleep.

***

He tied his tie, slipped on his black suit jacket, tied it up, and snapped on his wristwatch. He checks the mirror, making sure everything is looking nice and clean, no rips and holes, no wrinkles, thanks to his wife. He’s perfectly neat. His briefcase, on the dresser, clicked as he opened it, checking the contents. Papers and calculator, check. Then he closed the briefcase with a click, walking downstairs with it into the dining room where the sweet aroma found its way into the doors of his nose, practically dragging him to the dining room as the aroma pinched the wall of his nose, separating the right hole from the left, bringing him closer to the food that waited patiently on the table. When he reached the headquarters of where the sweet aroma was, there he saw what was called to him; A tall glass of orange juice, perfectly-crisp-around-the-edges pancakes with syrup, nicely slathered on it, scrambled eggs with slight but obvious evidence of peppercorns laid down on it, and last but not least, the perfectly-crisp bacon he already knows when his teeth puts enough pressure on the bacon, he’s in heaven. Immediately his dress pants back pockets hit the seat, putting his briefcase next to the plate with the food that’s no longer gonna have food on it in a few minutes. He unwraps the fork and knife from the napkin and begins passionately and slowly digging into the pancake, separating a piece of its body and eating it. His eyes turn wide as he lets out an ‘mmm’, nodding his head. After a few seconds of eating, the sound of the toilet flushing, then after, sink running, the door opens revealing to be his wife, but the man doesn’t look back, still eating the pancakes. His wife then slings her arms around his shoulder, leaning into his ear.

‘So, did I do a good job in fulfilling your wishes?’ She says in a quiet voice, smirking.

He puts down the fork and knife, sighing, while she is still smirking. ‘I can’t believe you just said that.’ He said, his mouth full of the delicious pancake and egg.

Her smirk dropped, which formed into a raised eyebrow. ‘Hm?’

‘YOU just said if YOU did a good job, which is one of the most disrespectful compliments I’ve ever heard, have you ever heard of taking pride in your work? Do you want me to answer with, “Yeah, you did good”?’

She blinked vigorously as he looked at her before she shook her head, smiling before giving a quick peck on the lips, and leaning back up to take her seat on the other side of the table, whilst saying, ‘So, I did more than good?’

He picked up his fork and knife, nodding as he dug into the breakfast. ‘Way more than good.’

She kept smiling as she watched him, resting her cheek on her fist like she made a hobby out of staring at the handsome man. She definitely made the right choice. Not only because of his looks but because of what makes him, him. He nearly finishes his food, which he slightly frowns at, but feels the sense of eyes on him and looks up to see the green eyes of her wife, before looking down at his food.

‘Not gonna know how good your food tastes?’ He says barely any food on his plate.

‘Oh, I am, but I already know how good my food tastes. Your facing is telling me.’ She smirked, folding her hands together, and resting her chin on top of them. ‘Plus, I just wanna keep staring at you for a little while.’

He then finally finishes his delightful breakfast before drinking a small portion of his orange juice and wiping his mouth with the napkin.

‘Well…’ he says, checking his watch. ‘You’re gonna have to look at me when I come back.’ He stands up, taking his briefcase before looking at her with a smile.

She frowns, looking at the stove’s timer. ‘But you still have thirty minutes left.’ She then looks at him, adding to her frown with a slight pout.

He then chuckles, knowing her coaxing will most likely get him, he pushes his chair in, walking to the front door. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll give you something to keep you company.’ He smirks as he reaches the front door, grabbing the key from the tiny plate on a rectangular table that reaches up to his midsection, growing to use the years of her coaxing.

She stands up, following him and smirking, knowing what his words meant. ‘IF it happens.’ She says as she reaches the front door behind him, holding it open as he opens it.

He turned his back from her with a smile. ‘Don’t doubt it.’ He then presses the car door button on the key, getting inside.

She blows a goodbye kiss, and he does so also before driving off.

***

Three police cars speed down the road, driving past a police station, in which a cop inside the station is leaning back, watching outside the glassed doors, to the cars that speed by, his eyes following them as he moves his head. Shawn was seated in the car that was infront of the two cars, a shotgun in his hand as the same two officers from before were in the car with him, plus two more. He looked out the windshield, and as five more blocks passed them, they reached the designated location.

‘Stay close.’ He said as they stopped before getting out of the car, the two cars behind following suit, but stopping a little distance away. Shawn held his shotgun down as he slowly made his way up the door, some officer's eyes were focused on the two windows beside the door that Shawn was infront of. He knocked on the door twice before putting his free hand back on the shotgun.

She looked up from her seat on the couch, watching her drama show, and got up, slowly walking to the door. He then knocked again, but she stayed quiet as she reached the door and leaned up to look through the peephole. There, she cops. Shawn goes to knock on the door, but he hears a click from the doorknob, which freezes his hand in place, slowly putting it back down. She opened the door to see Shawn and his companions with him. She looked at Shawn, and the others with a wide-eye surprise.

‘Nami Ellis, right?’

Her eyes then landed on Shawn, looking up at him as she nodded. ‘Y-yeah, that’s me.’

He then went into his trench coat, pulling out a badge. ‘I’m a part of the Kent City Police Department, and we’re gonna need you to cooperate with us.’

***

Even when young, he was as he is today. He sat up on his bed, reading a book that brought no joy, only the passage of time. His eyes dug into each sentence, making sure he read the book thoroughly and slowly to let time itself escape him, moving on without him. But as he was trying to lose himself in the book, the door swung open, revealing another boy, sweaty as it was like he jumped into a pool, and came out. The book boy looked up with a frown, not only because he was distracted. The sweaty boy walked right up to his bed, and flopped down into it, panting and panting, hoping to find rest for his aching body. The book boy slightly scoffs before putting his face and eyes back into his book. The sweaty one turns his body over to face his sibling, resting his head as his elbow propped him up.

‘You really should have been there, it was fun.’ He smiles.

I, the young boy who didn’t frankly care, kept reading my book, not answering him. This caused my brother to groan and sit up, squinting his eyes at the book.

‘Is all you ever do is read? I don’t understand why you didn’t come.’

I turned the page of my book. ‘You already know what I’m going to say.’

He then rolled his eyes, the same words I produce out of my mouth getting annoying. He laid back down as he rested his left arm behind his head, using his free hand to make a mocking motion, whilst saying, ‘Blah, blah temporary, blah blah, no point, blah blah- you…’ He turned his body towards me. ‘If nothing matters, why haven’t you…y’know…’ He then brought his thumb up to his throat and made a slicing sound.

I sighed. He just doesn’t understand, does he? I put the book down, looking at him. ‘I’m not gonna…kill myself. It’s just that there’s no point in doing certain things, it’s just useless. Temporary.’

‘So, happiness is temporary?’ He says, raising an eyebrow.

I look back to my book, turning the page. ‘Finally! You’re getting it now.’

He rolls his eyes, sitting up, letting his legs slightly dangle over the bed. ‘Sometimes, you gotta learn to enjoy the moment, Joseph. Even so, temporary.’ He then leans forward with a smirk. ‘I know you want happiness. You were always sad when we had to come inside from playing when we were younger.’ He then smirks at me, knowing it’s true.

‘That only showed me how temporary things are.’ I keep my eyes on my book. He wasn’t wrong, but I grew up and so did my brain.

‘Or, it could be that you should start appreciating things more, but…’ He then shrugs. ‘Whatever you say.’

I didn’t say anything, instead kept my eyes peeled on the book, waiting for him to stop, or go somewhere else. He looked at me before shaking his head and getting up. He sniffed the air, then sniffed himself, shaking his head as he left the room. I peeked from my book, seeing that he left. I dropped my book down, sighing. Appreciate things more, yeah, sure. You can’t appreciate things that are already dead.

I couldn’t think about it too much as sirens blared past me, waking me from my slumber. I sat up, looking through the backseat of the window of the car I was in. My eyes widened as I saw three police cars outside the apartment. Could they…could they be looking for me? Damnit, did Mom seriously call them? Wait, how could she have known where I am? Unless…I scramble to the front seat, opening the armrest of the car, and seeing the two phones, I grab mine. They could track it, couldn’t they? She could’ve given them my phone number and they could’ve called, tracing my number. Wait, but if they truly did know, They would’ve been right here, where I am…

I squint my eyes at the police cars, then at the phone. They’re not looking for me, but I can’t take any chances. I opened the phone, then put my other hand on the top of the phone, snapping it like a bone, then breaking the sim card. I lifted my head, looking out the window, staring at the cars.

***

Police in the backyard, others in the front, more in the house looking out the window. Shawn pushed the curtains back a bit to make a slit of an opening to see through the window. As he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he closed the curtains back before walking to the dining room to grab a chair Nami’s eyes followed him before he set the chair down infront of her and sat down across from her. Nami had her arms crossed, staring directly at him.

‘So, are you gonna tell me what this means?’ She says, raising an eyebrow.

Shawn then takes out his notepad and pen. ‘The meaning of this is that your father is connected, either indirectly, or directly to a string of murders that happened over five weeks.’

Nami’s eyebrows raised, her hand slightly gripping her arm. ‘That’s impossible..m-my father is…’

‘Dead…’ He cuts her off with his foreknowledge. ‘We know. But that doesn’t say he didn’t do anything before his death.’

‘B-but how do you even know-’

‘There was a series of bought cars that aided in the kidnapping and killing of Mill Lake if you saw the news. And what linked Gerald to this incident was that the cars were brought from his bank account.’ He cut her off again, assuring assurance in the clues he and his partner had gathered, and reaching into his trench coat, taking out stapled papers that were folded, now unfolding them and flipping a page to show his proof. Nami tilted her head and looked at the information. Her eyes widened as she looked down, swallowing a lump as she processed the information that she was shown.

‘There is an important question I need to ask though.’ He says, folding the paper to stuff it back into his trench coat. Nami looked up to face him. Shawn leans forward, his eyes directed at her, and her alone. ‘Do you know a person named Chosen?’

Nami’s eyes widened as her hand gripped her arms so tight, it felt like blood would trickle down her red flannel shirt if just a tiny bit more pressure was applied.

***

‘Chozen? Is that with a Z or an S?’

Rich shrugs. ‘I don’t know and I don’t care. I want to know if you know him.’

Greda leans back in her swivel chair, legs crossed as she leans back with her hand on her chin, staring into the ceiling.

‘Uhh, no? I’ve never heard a name like that in…ever. In ever.’

Rich sighed before his phone rang. He looked down at his pocket before standing up and taking it out looking at the contact while Greda looked up at him. As he sees who it is, he picks up the phone to puts it to his ears.

‘We found her.’ Shawn says, walking to the police car whilst looking around.

Rich looked at Greda as she looked back at him before darting his eyes away from her. ‘What about Greda?’ He says in a quiet voice.

As the officers guided Nami into the car, Shawn sat down in the front seat, thinking. After a few seconds of bare inner dialogue consciousness, he lets his answer loose. ‘Leave her.’

Rich’s eyebrows furrowed, glancing at Greda before turning his back to her. ‘What do you mean? What if He comes after her also?’

Shawn looked in the rear-view mirror, looking at an uncomfortable Nami; her foot tapping against the car floor as her hands gripped her arms, looking out the window. ‘He won’t. Remember what the guy in the interrogation room said.’

He still shouldn’t just leave her like this. Rich frowns, not letting this up. ‘That doesn’t mean anything! What if He needs her to get to Nami?’ His voice still quieted.

‘Whose to say He doesn’t have her location already? Think about it; he got to Mill, William, and Lyzer.’
‘Okay, he only got to Mill and William because of the yearbook records, and Mill led to Lyzer.’

‘Yeah, but, we don’t even know if they go to the same school as Mill and William.’

Rich then looked back to Greda, whose already looking at Rich. ‘Which school did you go to?’

Greda raises an eyebrow and sits up. ‘Uh, Pulinor.’

Rich turns his head away from her. ‘Same school.’

Shawn then does his turn, looking back to the nervous woman. ‘Hey…’ He says in a gentle voice, causing her to turn her head towards him. ‘Which school did you go to…?’

‘P-pulinor.’ She sputters out.

Shawn nods his head muttering a thank you before turning his head forward. ‘Same here. But here’s something you seem to forget; he got to them through the parents. And guess what…?’ Shawn says, leaving it in the air for Rich to finish.

‘Their parents are dead…’ He sighs, putting his hand in his pocket.

‘Yeah, and I’m pretty sure because they’re dead, He can’t pull the whole mailman trick on them.’

Rich goes silent, bowing his head down, taking his hand out of his pocket, and rubbing his hair. They can’t just leave her. What if the guy was lying? What if they’re looking for both of the girls?

‘Look. If you fear her safety that much, give her something to protect herself.’

Rich lifts his head, thinking of a wonderful idea before turning his head to Greda. ‘Hey, do you know how to use a gun?’

Greda raises her eyebrows before sitting up, uncrossing her legs. ‘Yeah, my father taught me how to work one of those.’

Rich nodded, turning his head back. ‘Alright. I’ll meet up with you.’ Shawn nodded back, hanging up the phone before looking at the officer in the driver's seat. He nodded his head and the officer mirrored his gesture before driving off.

Rich closed the flip phone, stuffing it in his pocket before reaching into his trench coat, digging in like a pirate digging for treasure and taking out a pistol. Greda raises an eyebrow, but her eyes widen when he walks over to her and hands her his gun. She looks at it, weighing it as if to try and get used to it. She looks up at Rich as he also hands her a card with his number on it, which she takes.

‘The culprit wants your sister, but don’t worry we have her.’

Greda looks surprised and scared at first before nodding, knowing her blood sibling is in safe hands. Rich walks to the door, but not without giving a warning.

‘But watch out for anyone that comes to your door. Don’t let anybody you don’t personally know in, even if it’s the mailman or room inspection, okay?’

‘Got it.’ She says, her words prompting Rich to leave with the officers, closing the door. Greda then got up, locking the door.

***

My eyes couldn’t stay open for long. I drifted off with my head hanging over as I sat upright in the backseat. But thankfully, the sound of three car engines starting up shook me awake, causing me to lift my head and look out the window. As I saw the three cars drive off, I instantly went to the door handle but stopped, not to get out too early. C'mon, c'mon. As they disappeared down the street, I still didn’t leave the car. I looked left and right, seeing no police cars, only civilian ones, I quickly left the car and slightly held my head down so as not to be noticed, but for me to notice if anything was in my way. I managed to scurry my way across the cars in the street and into the apartment.

***

She tapped her fingers in an ordered motion. From the index to the pinky. She looked at the gun on the table, then back at the closed and made-sure-to-be-locked door. She turns her head forward to the phone that’s on her desk with the card next to it. Should she check up on her? The cops probably would pick up saying she’s busy. Greda again looked back at the door. The apparition of Brad’s voice coursed through her head as if it was floating above her head and into her ears. It’s locked…yeah, it’s locked…She exhales, calming herself. Everything is going to be okay, her sister is safe with the police. It’s fine, nothing can go bad. As she’s finally calmed, she begins to turn on her computer, but as she does, there’s a knock on her door, causing her to go back to the feeling she felt before she calmed herself. She slowly turned her head to the door, then a knock happened again. She instantly reaches for her gun and stands up, flicking off the safety as she slowly makes her way to the door after each knock, her pistol held down. As she reached the door, she leaned up to look through the peephole, seeing a man in a black sweater, white t-shirt, and grey pants.

‘Hello? Greda?’

Greda doesn’t answer at first, weighing her choices. He looks like a normal guy. But looks aren’t everything. But still, why would he be at her door? Could this be what Rich was talking about? After a moment of silence, she answered.

‘Who are you!’

I hear the muffled voice as I go to knock again but put my hand down.

‘I’m someone that needs to speak to you! Gerald sent me!’

Greda’s eyes widened. Impossible. Yeah, he’s lying. She backed away from the door, lifting the gun to point at the door, her hands shaking a bit. ‘You’re lying! My father’s dead! Go away before I call the cops!’

My eyebrows raised. Wait…she’s his daughter? I shook my head. That’s not important right now.

‘No- no! He’s not!’ I look around as I said that, seeing no one come out to investigate, I turn my head to the door, saying, ‘He’s not dead…’ Well, when I was with him he wasn’t. I sighed. ‘Look, he’s not dead. He sent-’

‘No! He is, he was shot! If you don’t leave, I will call the cops. I’m only going to give you ten seconds!’

Damnit, damnit! I put my hand on the door. ‘Wait, wait! I have a note! I have a note!’ I say in an almost raised voice before catching myself.

She furrowed her eyebrows at the door that blocked me from seeing or being near her. ‘What note?’

‘A note your father wrote to me! D-do you know what his handwriting looks like?’

The position her gun held at not wavering, she answered. ‘Yeah, I do. Pass me the note, under the door.’

‘Okay, okay.’ I nodded as I bent down to get on all fours and took the note out of my pocket, slipping it through the tiny crack under the door.

Greda saw the note peeking at half of its rectangular body out and walked over to it, using her foot to drag it to her before picking it up. She opens the note, seeing what I had seen, but seeing more… Her eyes widen. She looks up at the door before looking back down to the note. She pauses for a bit, studying it. I hear the silence, which causes something eerie to creep up my head, a slight feeling of not knowing what’s gonna happen. She sighs, putting the note in her pocket before walking to the door. She lifts her gun, unlocking the locks.

‘It’s open.’

I sighed before opening the door only to have what looks like glock pointed at my noggin. I looked at Greda. ‘Raise your hands.’ I did as she said. Slowly raising them.

‘I just have two questions; How do you know my father, and please tell me you’re not that murderer looking for me and my sister.’

My eyebrows rose. Does she mean…?