First and Last Secret I Swear

Chapter 2

First and Last Lie I Swear


I could say that my room is fairly clean. I never was one of those kids that left a mess of his room and expected my mom to clean up after me—I was a good kid. From where the elevator opened I was in a little hallway that stretched to another door. This was my front door and it is always locked. On the door hanged an old wooden tree that read 'Seasons Greetings!’ underneath it. It was spring now and it was way past due to take down but it seemed fitting, so I kept it there. 

From the doorway was a perfect view of the town; windows covered all the walls, which left little to no room for privacy, but this was the tallest building in town and I lived on the top floor, so I wasn't worried. Directly in front of you laid several couches and a large LCD television that stood on a mahogany stand. In the center of this was a Middle Eastern rug that I bought from a Israeli store from the nearby city. It was soft and vibrant in colour; it truly was a work of art. 

Art. In all shapes and forms I appreciated it to nearly every degree. Whether it is music or a painting, drawings or writing, it had a place in my life. I myself did everything. I tend to be so involved with everything I sometimes forget to even eat. My mother is an art dealer inside the city and my father was an editor for the regions newspaper. It was nice to get those luxuries because my mum is able to sell my paintings and drawings as my father posts all my poetry and short stories; I don't even need to have a regular job because of how successful this is. 

From where I was to my right directly around the corner was my bed and clothes while to my left, right around the corner, was the kitchen. Directly behind me on the other side of the elevator was the bathroom and shower, which formed as a wall to separate my room from the kitchen. On both sides of the bathroom were two sets of narrow staircases that went up to the roof—or as I call it, my patio. Up there was my garden. I grew various vegetables for me to eat to cut the costs on going to the grocery store. A table and several chairs overlooking the nearby cityscape sat near one of the edges and a nice grill sat near that to cook with, I mostly make my own food and it keeps me at peace. 

Turning the corner to the kitchen I walked up the stairs to reach a set of French doors to open to the patio. I sat at the table and chairs and closed my eyes to relax a little. Today was beautiful; the air might as well have smelt sweeter to me now on the count of my newfound beacon. I wasn't going to find a cure for myself, this I knew as a fact already. I may have felt a little sick but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. After a few minutes of listening to songbirds and passing traffic I heard my doorbell ring and I immediately got out of my chair to head to the front door. Along my path I heard the doorbell ring a few more times and I yelled towards the door saying that I was on my way. 

I opened the door to see a familiar sight, the hostess that I saw several minutes prior who caressed my fingers for the time being I let her. She had a big smile and her fine blonde hair was pulled back behind her to form some odd shaped hairball on the top of her head. 

'Here's your alcohol mister?' She ended the sentence for me to respond with my last name but I ignored the subtle hint. 

'Thank you miss. I appreciate it.' I responded and I attempted to shut the door but I was interrupted by more questions. 

'Its no problem really, if you need anything just tell me. You know, I haven't worked here for all that long but I hear that you have lived here for longer than anyone cares to remember and everyone tells me about how a nice man you are yet you are rarely seen with another human being, why is that? If you don't mind me asking.' I let out a slight sigh and motioned with my head for her to come in. She followed me back up to the roof as I returned to my previous position. She sat in a chair in front of me placing the bucket full of ice and two bottles of beer in the center of the table then placed her hands in her lap as she leaned toward me. 

'I was always this quiet child when I was young.' I responded. 'I never really understood why though. I had plenty of reasons to speak up but I never did because I felt that it wasn't important for me to be some center of attention. I hate that. I would rather be known as someone who has done many great things but in private so no one knows that it was me instead of taking the glory fir the things I do. I never enjoyed praise and I find it hard to accept.'

'Have you done anything that would get you noticed to the public?' The young woman asked. I nodded to her and she asked another question. 'Do you have a girlfriend?' The air around us grew uncomfortable to breathe in so I sat up and grabbed a beer. 

'You’re a little nosy for your own good, you know that right?' She looked down to her lap and seemed a little distraught in my answer. 'No I don't but I am not sure if I really want to either. I've been hurt and it’s a hard thing to get over. I don't think that relationships are for me.' She looked back up and something like hope shimmered and reflected back into my gaze. I knew what she was thinking but I wasn't sure if I wanted anything to do about it. Regardless, I had a phone number of a woman named Serenity and she was pure beauty—not saying the woman in front of me wasn't—which leaves me with a rather strange dilemma, what do I say to this woman? 

She started picking at her cuticles on her nails and grew more restless as the seconds passed while I was at a loss for words to say. Several times I tried to speak but no words formed out of my mouth every time. She looked at me with hope whenever I did this just to be crushed again with wordless speech. Should I give her some hope even though it might be false hope? I didn't want to be a liar but if it made everything better then what did I have to loose?

'Its not that you aren't pretty but you have come to me at a very strange place in my life. Lets be friends for the moment and if anything happens then let it but the thing is I don't even know you and you don't know me. There is another girl I’m seeing and I've known her longer than you have so she deserves a chance. I hope you understand.' She began to cry, which was expected but she was strong. She tried to fight the tears and pulled herself together rather nicely. 

'Can you keep a secret?' She asked me.

'Well sure but it depends on what it is about'

'When I was little I saw my father beat my mother. It wasn't just once but several times and I couldn't help but judge her for being so stupid on never leaving him but as the years passed I noticed that I was going through the same thing, I had an abusive boyfriend. I realized that even though he hit me I still loved him, which meant a whole hell of a lot than just living on my own. I still had hope that things would be better in the long run but things never cheered up till I found out that I was pregnant with his baby. I don't know what really happened in his mind but I feel that in the mind of an abuser is a child with new emotions. He couldn't help but not control himself and that gave him grave consequences. He wanted me to have the child but I knew that I wasn't ready and he was an emotionally shallow man so I had the abortion. I told him that it was a miscarriage because of the stress he was putting on my body and he finally realized that what he had to offer me was foolish. I lost two people that could have been very dear to me that day but I look back to it now and I realize that it was for the best. I was only seventeen and I had to make an example of life and death before he was going to be the death of me. I would have never wanted his baby but I still think it would have been nice from time to time. I am telling you this because that was my last relationship. I know how it feels to be crushed and it’s been four long years since I have felt ready again. I want to hear your story some day. Please remember that.'     

She told me things that would only mean she had to trust me the most out of anyone. I told her that it was something that I would work on and she accepted it rather nicely but I wasn't lying to her when I said I knew another woman longer. I did know Serenity longer even though it was just by a few hours but she didn't have to know that but I had other matters to attend to. She let herself out as I sat in thought trying to figure out my dilemma, it wont be the last I will see of her but for now I have a moment to breathe.

I fell asleep after an hour or so of thinking. I found myself on my lit up rooftop as the sky slowly faded to yellows, oranges and then black. I had Christmas lights lining the edges of the roof, which gave me more than enough light to see what’s around me. I shook my head a little to come back to the real world that stood before me and picked up the beer bottles I had on the floor around me. The city was faintly lit up by street lamps and a few neon signs and I determined that it was to late for me to give Serenity a call. 'First thing in the morning.' I said to myself. Tonight was the night to have my way with the town, I felt good and that was an odd feeling for me, might as well take advantage of it.

Chapter 4














Remember me

—Somnia Act 1: 3

Previous:

Act 1: 2

             Act I:3 in 

What is unhappiness? I thought that when I got into an elevator with my fellow robots with skin and I couldn't help but realize that it isn’t an actual word. Using 'un' for not and putting in front of 'happiness'—which is a word used frequently—you create a word meaning not happy. I am not happy. It’s as if everything is a dream and I am just going along with the already predetermined storyline that my mind has already created. It’s more like a nightmare if you ask me—which means bad dream. I sighed out loud to myself and a few of the fellows that I knew turned to look at me.

'What’s wrong with you?' Asked one.

'Have you taken a suture yet, here, have mine.' Said another.

'No. I've already taken one. I’m just a little nervous because I am seeing Temperance tonight.'

'Oh is that so?' Said to the fellow to my right. 'She’s a rather fine piece of meat, you going to tear it up tonight?'

'That’s disgusting.' I replied. 'All you people think about is sex and fucking your hearts desires and that’s just not me.'

'That’s not what she thinks.' Said another. 'She’s a very promiscuous young lady and she always gets what she wants.'

'That’s rubbish!' I yelled. 'Some people have some morale’s, unlike you.' He shrugged it off and turned to look forward again.

'You know. You're an odd one; you know that? You are a real heretic.' I laughed to myself and turned to him as he turned to look at me. 

'And what are you going to do about it?' I asked. He shrugged and looked forward till we reached the factory level of the building we were in. Where we live is a building known as factory zero one zero, the very first factory if you were to look at it on a list but the buildings purpose is not just to house a factory but the people who live there as well. Everyone who lives here has a part in one way or another; some are like me and others clean up my messes. Grocery stores and restaurants lay on their own individual floors as department stores settle on another. There is even a floor known as the red light floor in which you can easily guess on what happens there. 

This is a live free, die young world we live in, real cherry. A land where we have the permission to dwell on our vices and never face real consequences but I always felt that something was wrong with what we can do. Like we are entitled to everything around us, like its our right to kill the animals and plants that is left in this world--I'm not sure if I understand the point yet. 

The door in front of us opened and we began to walk down a long hallway. White tiled floor, white tiled ceiling, the wall to the left of us was covered in a few inches of reinforced glass and underneath us were conveyer belts and large robotic arms that assembled little microchips into capsules that were thinner than a piece of paper—something that a man couldn't handle. In front of us was a gate with a few police officials in front of that. To the right of that was a steel door that led to a glass room in which a woman waited for me. I don't have to be checked by security, most people do. I waved to the fellows I was with and took a right into the other room. 

'Good morning sir, how are you today?' Said the woman sitting inside a conjoining glass box as she looked down to her desk. 

'I’m fine Juniper. A little uneasy but I'm fine.' She looked up from her desk and folded her arms as she looked at me. 

'You were already aware of the overseer wanting to see you?'

'Yes, they let me know last night.'

'That makes sense on the fact of you being dressed up.' As she looked at me up and down to examine my formal suit. 'You are clean by the way.' I walked forward into the glass room she was in to talk up to her close. 

'Where is he?' As I leaned my hand on the desk in front of her. 

'He’s in your office. You also have seven messages; one is concerning the upcoming beta testing and needs to be addressed as soon as you are able. Another one was from Temperance, just making sure you remember your date tonight.'

'I haven't forgotten.' I started to walk away as she turned around in her chair and raised her voice. 

'There was another one coming from a mumbling man. I couldn't understand what he was saying but it sounded serious.' I waved back to her as I opened the next door that led into several offices. From here everything looked the same, boxes inside boxes looking nearly to the exact same thing over and over and over. It feels like everything is blending in with each other to make one gigantic smile. I walked up into my cubicle and a man wearing long brown robes was admiring my book collection. 

'You know, your work has been admired by The Enclave for some time now. You have been granted with such a stroke of genius I could say that you could of been born rather than created.' Said the overseer starring at the bookcase. 

'Who says I was created? You can't know for sure.' I said while placing by bag on a chair in the room

'I do. In fact the entire Enclave does but that's another matter to attend to but for now, you have a promotion coming up. That would account for a celebration.'

'Is that so?' I said as I raised my eyebrows. 'What kind of promotion are we talking about?' The Overseer turned around and began to walk toward me. 

'The best kind. A kind of promotion that will change your life but for the better.' He placed his hands on my shoulders. 'You are to become one of us. An Elder in the name of The Enclave. We need talent like you and we need it as soon as you are able.' I was speechless. I could become one of the very things that I detested but positives could always be seen through the corners of my eyes. I could read through the archives and find out about our world before it was taken over. I could find the truth on what was happening and I could use that to my advantage.

'Yes.' I said. 'I will become one with The Enclave and serve our masters.' The Overseer smiled at me and nodded as he left the room. I was to become an Elder. Very few get the chance to see this let alone become one. Think of all I could do and change. I smiled grimly because I knew what I was going to do with all of that valuable information, I was going to expose The Enclave for what they truly were. A true power that took over all the nations with a metal fist, a government who reigns over the people, a slaver. 

I was more exited than anxious now, something that I always wanted to learn about. Later that night I finally saw Temperance in all her glory; I was unsure if I should tell her that I was to become a Elder but it wasn't like I had to obey the law of chastity or anything. It was just a title like 'General Manager' or ‘Businessman’; nothing that really stood out from everyone else other than being an Elder was a very prestigious feat to accomplish. 

'That’s so good for you!' She says. 'I’m so proud of you, I knew you would do something great!' If only you knew what my agenda was then you would take back any thought of me but for now, everything was cherry. We made love for the very first time that night, my fellows were right, she was easy. She looked deep into my eyes as she laid next to me and said she would do anything for me as long as I cared for her, I couldn't help but accept. So this is what life has become? I thought of my unhappiness and how Temperance could save me from my rut but I could only wonder if she had really changed for the better or she would flee as soon as the sex went sour. I guess only time could tell but for now, she was in my arms, sleeping and I couldn't help but feel at peace.    

Next

Act 1: 4

Remember me

Listening For That Sweet Tune-Chapter 22: Dead? Or Simply Sleeping? Pt. 2

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Chapter 1: A Simple Beginning

Previously on Listening For That Sweet Tune:

Chapter 22: Dead? Or Simply Sleeping? Pt. 1

The lighthouse has never been this cold before; I thought this as I gasped for air from where I was sitting. I rolled over from my makeshift bed to look outside to my right. I could see the moonlight and waves crashing on the nearby beach. I grunted as I tried to get up moving the several blankets off of me and I looked around. My friend was in another room doing god knows what but I’m sure it was more warm than here. I could only wish for the best for him.

Like nights in the past the room was flooded with moonlight, bouncing off every wall and the hardwood floor I was laying on. There was a window exactly in front of me and like always there was a view of the ocean, the bay, green. I loved this house I wanted to live here forever, I just wish it had some damn heating. I could only wonder who made this place. If the people who left this place for reason, then again they didn't leave much of anything behind other than the house itself. 

     

It was quiet, but it felt like home. Hearing nothing but the roaring ocean all around me and then something happened. It happened so quick I didn’t know what it was till I started to think about it. A object—appearing to be pitch black but in all reality it most likely had a tone—came up to the glass door in front of me. Flew into literally, but it still was there. It had wings. It had the stance of a man but the glory of something else. I rubbed my eyes and I smacked my cheek to make sure I wasn’t seeing anything that wasn’t really there but when I came to it was still there. Staring with an indecency to ask for it to come in, burning holes in the sides of my head.

It felt like I was going insane—was I? The Wretched. He has finally come back to visit me to take my soul--everything I have seen points to it. I was speechless, I couldn’t say anything—what would I say? The Wretched just stood there, minding its own business not even noticing that it has caught my attention, just staring through my window. 

     

I felt chills continuing down my spine, I began to remember something—felt like déjà vu—but I don’t remember any specifics or even how old I was. But what stands out is what I saw. It was a morning—not like this, it had more light. We were in a hotel twenty somewhat flights above the ground. Rain was pounding on the wall that was primarily a window and it thundered like a bat out of hell. But I woke up to nothing. I looked around from my hotel bed to see a dark room. I got up and bumped around looking for the window so I could move the heavy cloth drapes that were preventing all light from entering the room. 


     

I felt around for the string that moved the drapes but I found none. I sighed and I crawled from in between the drapes and the window, the city was way to big for a child to understand. I stood in awe pushing my face against the glass examining how high I was, I felt like I was on top of the world. Then there was a noise, subtle at first but then it grew to be a clamor ringing in my head. I looked to my right to see what it was but the drapes were so close to the window I couldn’t see no more than an inch in front of me. I pushed through, trying to find the sound that could halt the very time and space and then I saw her. 

     

Beautiful and tragic all at once, she was wearing a white dress, looked no older than thirteen. Long black hair flowed down past her shoulders and her skin was almost whiter than the dress. I couldn’t help but notice her smudged and washed away mascara all over her eyes, nose and cheek. She was crying, fear was in her cold blue eyes—what was happening? I started to stumble backwards and what felt like an eternity was only mere seconds. She cried more, still standing still and staring at me, then blood. A thin straight blood trail formed next to her left ear down to her neck around and up to the other ear—like someone slashed her throat. She cried more as the incision got deeper and deeper, blood flowing down her dress ruining what it once was. At that moment I soon would realize that she wasn’t even there. 

     

I screamed and turned sharply to only find myself getting more and more tangled in the drapes. Eventually turning a one hundred and eighty degree angle to see the crying girl, but she looked more dead this time. Her hair was grey, her skin was torn her eyes were hateful—I had to puke. I turned another 180 to become more tangled and all noise stopped, I listened carefully and no sounds came about. I turned around to see her a solid red and black and those eyes—oh those ice cold eyes—were staring at me like she was taking my soul. She smiled; she was demonic.

I fell to the floor untangling everything around me and I crawled from underneath the drapes and I ran to the other side of the dark room. The drapes moved and swayed till they were perfectly flush against the window. Looking quietly at the drapes I realized I was sweating like I entered the seventh circle of hell. A light compression pushed towards me and I felt like I was getting swallowed, I lost my breath and I lost consciousness. 

     

The rest of the story is difficult to explain because it was like a dream. I found myself all dressed up, older, and surrounded by sad, weeping people. I was at a funeral—I knew it, I could feel it in my gut. I was in the center of the crowd, I looked behind me and there were crowds of people further than I could see—who was this for? This lifelike vision seemed like seconds but in real life it was far from it. I woke up in a fright, but I was disillusioned in my present surroundings. I was in a bed that wasn’t mine and in a room that wasn’t familiar. The walls were painted green while the few pieces furniture in the room was a dark brown.

The windows to my right were open but the bamboo blinds were over the window—they were waving in the wind. The same creature stood in front of me looking exactly the same as it does now and I could only think, “What are you?” And then, nothing. 

     

I looked at this creature presently in front of me and I could only wonder why this has manifested itself to me. It looked like what the black figure has been several times earlier but different. Like this was another one, this one had a different personality. It has been weeks since I had contact to another person, maybe I was just seeing things, and maybe I just lost my sense to reality. Maybe and just maybe, even though I felt even livelier than I ever have I had the feeling that even though everything seemed real I just might be dead.

Up next in Listening For That Sweet Tune:

Chapter 23: Welcome To Belle's Dawn

Remember me

May Be Sharper Than The Sound Act I: I & II

May 

Be 

Sharper 

Than 

The 

Sound

It was midnight when I received the call. I couldn't believe that anything could have been more precise than that moment but I was in for a little treat. Right on the dot, I couldn't understand severity of the situation that was on the other side of the line because I was so intrigued by that simple concept. As I rolled out of bed I told the officer on the other end of the line that he had to slow down, he was talking faster than a mind that could consume mass fabrications of information. 

'Where is this at?' I asked.

'Off center and fourth, you really must hurry.' And I did. If it wasn't for the entire regions police force at the crime scene I would have received a speeding ticket but I knew that this was big, from the way that it sounded. Everything was so confusing the officer said on the other line, like this was the work of a brilliant mind, someone who knew what he was doing. He had to know the victim personally from what the evidence could provide but I had my own individual theories. 

There has been a string of murders that have been happening in cities outside of our own, major populated cities but never in the same county. I guess that is what kept his tracks all neat and tidy that is if it was the same person, all for the name of a cult who sacrifices upon the heads of many. The counties don't speak about cases to one another so what is new for one county is a mystery in another, I knew this, they did not. It was a month into Fall, leaves crunched under my feet from the full grown trees that lined the streets all across town. 

By the time I crossed the police line I could see a thin dripping blood trail on the sidewalk and leaves as I was heading to the house. Gradually, it went from a slight drizzle to heaping handfuls that trailed on and off the sidewalk occasionally going into the gutter that separated the concrete from the street. He wasn't walking steady, even someone stupid could figure that out but then it led to the stairway. 

Police stood just outside the building right before the stairs. I looked at the stairs themselves and they were covered in blood and little pieces of metal. The blood spill covered each and every step that led up to the doorway and even on the door there was blood but it was more placed than spilled, I could tell this because it was in the form of writing on the door. One word over each other creating six lines spreading from the top of the door to the very bottom. Six simple words to create a very unique phrase yet confusing at the same time. I thought to myself as a few detectives that were talking a few feet away from me started to walk towards me while carrying on their conversation. What did this phrase even mean? As the detectives got in reasonable speaking distance I looked towards them.

'So where’s the body?'

'That’s a good question' responded one detective.

'The best bet is inside but we haven't even dared to take foot on the steps yet.' Responded the other.        

'And why is that?' The two officers looked at each other and one kicked his feet into the ground as the other spoke up.

'I know this sounds very unprofessional but we have told everyone to wait for you.' I hid a smile in the back of my mind and I thought to myself that it was a very wise move for them to do that. More police tape crossed the walkway to the first step up to the house; I walked under it and kept my head down as I crouched in front of the first step. The little pieces of metal that I originally saw in the midst of the blood looked shinier from up close. Whatever form they had before was now destroyed because it looked as if it was squished together but with closer examination I thought that they might just be in their original form but it wasn't metal. 

From the shine that glowed off of the pieces I could see that it wasn't metal but silver. Each piece had a distinct shape that looked like they laced in with another piece, a puzzle, as you will. I motioned to one of the forensics experts and told him to pick up all the tiny pieces that he could find and I walked away as he started. I walked back up to the two detectives and waited for their conversation to end before I interrupted. 

      

'Has anyone walked on these steps before you closed it off?' They looked at each other again as if they were conjoined twins waiting for approval from another. 

'Maybe.' Said one. 

'There’s no telling if someone has but no one will now. Everything is locked down and were just a few minutes away to see what's inside.' The forensics expert walked past me showing a little baggy of little pieces of silver and a puddle of blood. I looked back to the detectives and they reached towards their belts as they walked towards the steps and motioned to other police officers to follow them. I took a few steps back and watched as everyone gathered around the steps and the detectives started to debrief them. I looked down to my watch and noticed that it was ten till one as I rubbed my eyes and wished I went to bed sooner. 

I took my position on the nearby park bench that was just across the road from the apartment and relaxed. The city smog filled my nostrils and as I breathed in to realize that everything was moving in slow motion. Police officers rushed up the steps to the front door and kicked it in. As everyone rushed inside I looked around me to see falling leaves from the tree branches above me falling into my lap. Then neighbors’ trying to get a glimpse of what was happening from past the police line. Someone was swinging in a swing behind me, chains rattled and squeaked with every moment. Birds flew across the sky migrating to somewhere warmer and before I knew it I heard someone yelling my name. 

'Get over here!' Yelled one of the detectives from inside of the house. 'You need to see this!'

_________________________________________________________________________________

As I took my first step inside a deep smell of dampness filled my nostrils. It was more humid inside the house than it was outside and it was even raining. The house looked fairly normal aside from all of the buckets of blood that was splashed on the walls, ceiling and floor. The forensics team already entered and as I turned a corner I thought there was a flash mob of cameras as if my name was irrefutable. 

The whole house was one big serial number for evidence. I wouldn't really be sure if anything here would not be considered evidence as the solid fact is that whoever was here left his mark on everything. It only took a mere few seconds later until I heard a 'freeze! in the distance. I rushed towards where the noise originated and it first took me through the living room, then the dining room, then a kitchen. Every room of which was covered in blood and flesh and symbols that lined the walls and floors. Parts of body parts hung from barbed wire that was placed within the ceiling of a small hallway, I ducked underneath them to reach another living room in which where the noise came from. 

Several SWAT officers stood a few feet away from a young man, pointing there guns at every limb of his body yelling various profanities to inflict damage on his own self esteem but he just sat there in his knees, praying. Praying with his hands clasped together wishing for some big outsider to whisk him away from all this madness and carnage—how sad. He sat in the middle of a circle of blood that was now staining the hardwood floor that we all stood on. Circle upon circle traced around him with strange pictures and text; I've seen this before but never while it was still on motion. I've always been a few days behind this cult but now, now everything has changed. It's as if I am now walking side by side by the messengers who offer riddles and puzzles and death. 

From the shape of the person’s body I could tell that it was a young man. Button down plaid shirt, jeans but shoes less as well. On his face, however, was a plain white mask of an ordinary face that you see on masquerade masks. He had a shaved head and earrings from what I could tell but something was off, he didn't move. An officer took a few steps closer to him and as he reached towards him, a handgun was taken from the holster and hid it behind his back. 

'Give me your hand sir.' the officer said to the man.' We will make it easy on you if you're easy on us. The man kept his hands clasped together but moved them so the officer could reach. The officer reached for his hand and pulled him to the ground forcing his two arms apart which sprayed blood everywhere.

'Damnit Mathison! We needed him alive!' Yelled one officer. I began to push myself between the officers that were toward the man and rushed to be directly by his side. I felt for a pulse on his neck yet none could be found--great. I carefully reached towards his face and took off the white mask he was wearing. Porcelain, the mask was heavy as I prepared to take it off. A red ribbon traced in little slots in the corner of the mask and a tie laid behind his head. I felt some wetness on my arms and as I looked down I noticed what was his cause of death. 

Steel wire was traced in the long sleeve arms of the shirt and underneath the skin of his wrists. When his arm was in the grasp of the officer, he dragged him down to the ground which caused enough tension underneath his arms which ripped out the steel wire in the mans wrists. Upon a closer look the steel wire was carefully sewn beneath his veins so they were ripped out causing death rather quickly. This was on both arms from his wrists all the way down to his elbows. I looked at his hands for a moment longer and I noticed something rather peculiar. His hands were small along with his fingers almost like a woman's. Then I put everything together. I quickly took off the mans mask and to my surprise, it was a woman. 

I heard a lot of murmuring behind me as I examined the face. Duck tape covered her mouth from saying anything and dried tears poured down her face. She was crying for help not whispering her prayers. There were reports of a woman screaming in the house along with that same woman screaming out in the streets for minute or two before she was taken back into the house. 

'This must be Elizabeth Mahoney.' Said an officer behind me. 

'She was the one who called the police.' Said a detective that walked in seconds after she died. 'She said a man abducted her son, two daughters and her husband. Said she was hiding in a closet and the abductee left the house but that didn't seem the case from what the neighbors said. A tall man with a white mask, that white mask. She would be the only one to see her face and she's dead right?' I turned around to nod to the detective. 'Right. With the help of our mutual friend here we will get even closer to who is doing this, with the cooperation of the other counties. Thank you for finding the patterns.' I nodded again and stood up to look down to the body. 

'What we are looking at is a different case from your normal serial killers.' I cleared my throat and continued. 'Whoever has done this, he has a ritual through all his kills but he ran out of time on this one. He knew Elizabeth was here because he took the rest of the family out of the house, like all the other scenes but this one was different because she was able to call the police and yell for help. It was something that turned this easy kill into one big mistake and that's why he left her alive. He wasn't going to have any enjoyment out of it so he left it for us but it is not certain if he knew that she would die which would make me believe that he should still be close.'

'I talked to one of the neighbors and she said that two men arrived and only one left with the family.' Said an officer in the crowd. This put everyone on their toes and I saw several others scanning the room.

'You checked all the rooms correct?' I asked. The detective straightened out his back and walked towards me. 

'All but the attic. This house has one but we can't find the entrance anywhere.' Just then, all of the officer’s radios went off and the dispatch on the other end began to talk. 

'Reporting to all officers. A man with blood on his hands has been spotted in a nearby park.' I thought to myself if that was the person who was behind me, the one in complete darkness. All the police officials rushed out of the house and I followed immediately after them. As soon as I stepped outside a rush of people surrounded the swings in the park and from my position I could see him lighted up from the police helicopter and car lights—he was covered in blood and so was the sand beneath his feet. He was melancholy but not suicidal he looked up to everyone around him. 

I rushed further up towards him onto the park bench that I was sitting on from before. As I positioned my feet so I could see over the surrounding officers I noticed a piece of paper. I looked back up to see the man talking and several people looked back to me and motioned me to head over. I jumped down from the bench and hurried towards him as I heard a few officers saying that he asked to see me, and then calling me by name. I walked past the crowd to see the young man on a swing with a knife in his hand pointed at his neck. 

'I’m a big fan of your work you know. I'm surprised to see that you are treating me like this, like a monster. I've done nothing wrong.'

'This is the first lead you gave us. Why are you doing this mister...?'

'Cheeky. You're cheeky thinking that I actually led you to something. That's really cute. You know, I just wanted to give you some insight, an understanding if you will. Understanding for all the chaos but you will see that my chaos is peace. To every road there is an end and one cannot be a individual thing in this end. The end is futile and will come with of without me.'

'But what should I call you?' I asked again. 

'Why can you not understand what life can be? I find this thing I have given to you very accepting.'

'Yes I do but I just wanted to know your name, can you tell me that?' He smiled to reveal his small teeth that were covered in blood. 

'Understanding I only want you to understand. To no longer be immune to what you want to see.’ I scratched my head in confusion to what he was saying then responded. 

'You want me to call you understanding?' He smiled again to show off his crooked grin. 

'That will do for now. He dropped his knife into the sand and kept a gaze right into my eyes as police officers pulled him to the ground and cuffed him. I hurried back to the bench to see the piece of paper now on the ground. On the outside it addressed my name and on the inside was several different words varying by length and meaning. None of the words from that moment correlated to another but certain words in the mess stood out to me. 

Suspension and triangle, sow and knife, eye and mask. These were some of the words that stood out in my mind though their meaning meant no significance for me. I sat back down on the bench confused to what everything means but why me in particular? I've felt the thrill of the chase and just now I was finally getting somewhere. It's been years since the first one of these scenes were discovered and although this man in particular was caught, I doubted that it was over. 

Understanding. That's what he wanted to be called. It somewhat makes sense if you really think about it. He's a serial killer and the one thing we don't understand is serial killers; why they do what they do, what controls them, how they feel in the grand scheme of things—I know I do. I examined the rest of the house after the police officials took the man away and everything grew more complicated in my mind. Various numbers littered the walls and various phrases such as 'Light is not eternal', 'Follow the mask of death' and an even stranger 'She is proud'.

'Give me a copy of every photograph you take.' I said to one of the forensics team. 'And make sure I get a chance to see that silver when you are done examining it.' He nodded as I walked away. There were no marks on the body of the woman till we got here so where did all the blood come from? And whose body parts are hanging from the ceiling? Most importantly was where is the missing family?

At every crime scene so far the family has gone missing and one member was left behind being offered as a sacrifice. The blood fills in all the crevices of shapes and symbols that were carved around the left behind victim. None of the other families have been found, which makes this the fourth missing. No silver pieces were left behind in any other scene and evidence of a murder only stood on the fact that the helpless individual was dead. No trace of anyone has been left but now—as I looked straight into the face of evil and what it brought to the worked upon the blood stained walls—I feel that I have just found them. 

I couldn't sleep when I got home later that night so I reviewed over the evidence that was found in the previous crime scenes till the sun came up. Soon as it turned to be a reasonable hour I received a call that the blood on Understanding was his own. Understanding cut himself wide open and bled all over himself yet, there were no large cuts over his body. His fingerprints were taken off by lye and he had no dental records that could be found anywhere—his identity will remain unknown. Nothing of Understanding could be linked to the crime scene yet there he was. I was told that he was to be sent to a mental ward because of his suicidal idealation but other than that; nothing else could have been done. 

'So you're telling me that he is going to be free? We know he did it why can't anyone else see that?'

'He’s not going to be free.' Said the Sergeant on the other line. 'He will be in a mental ward for a minimum of four weeks only if he shows sign of improvement and I doubt that he will. Take that time to review over what you have and tell me immediately if you find any leads. He's at the station right now being seen by a clinical psychologist, he's asking for you again.'

'All right. I'm on my way.' I hung up and put on the coat that was sitting on the chair I was sitting on my back. I made few movements when I was here from last night and I made fewer as I left.

Remember me