ã€ŠFather Always Smilingã€‹


 Chapter 01 ~Amalie~

    My Dad is always smiling.

    Smiling when saying good morning to me. Smiling when cooking breakfast. Smiling when greeting the neighbours. Smiling when taking me to school. Smiling when going to his job. Smiling when saying goodnight to me.

    Smiling.

    Smiling.

    Smiling.

    Always smiling.

    He even smiled at Mom¡¯s funeral. She wasn''t dead; she had been labelled as missing. People assumed that she ran away with another man since she seemed the type. Many people often do that, assuming, I mean. This summer, my mom¡¯s funeral was when the police said my mother was dead; it had been well over four years and no sign. The coffin was empty. No one was inside, no one at all. Everyone knew that but acted like she was; I couldn¡¯t understand. Those who attended would look to him, for my Dad didn¡¯t cry. Everyone thought that he was hiding his tears with his smile. He wasn¡¯t.

    He wasn¡¯t sad.

    My Mom wasn''t a good person, not really. In public, she would often look to be cheery and caring for those around her. But behind closed doors, she was mean. It¡¯s the best way I can call it. She was mean to me, to my Dad, especially my Dad. She hated his smile, yet he just kept smiling all the while she would shout and yell at him; she¡¯d never hit him, just yell bad things. And he would just keep smiling through it all.

    It scared me. It wasn¡¯t normal.

    He always told me that it was better to face the world with a smile, that no matter what stage you were on, you could take it, and that you should never let the mask fall, no matter what.

    I couldn''t understand what he meant.

    My Mom didn¡¯t seem to like me much because I looked nothing like her. I look a lot like my Dad, with both having the same hair colour, medium brown, grey eyes and skin that was white like snow, while my Mom had black curled hair and tanned skin from being outside in the sun. She always looked at me as if I was gross.

    At least from what little I could remember of her.

    When I was three, that was the last time I ever saw my Mom.

    It was a typical day, like any other, when she just¡­ changed. There was no warning; it was sudden when she became scary. And there was nothing that three-year-old me could do. All I could do was lie there with her hands around my throat. I thought that would be it, that I was done and dusted just like that.

    Only to find myself waking up in my room with bandages on my neck with my Dad looking after me. When I was able to find my voice, I asked what happened to her.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± He said with his back facing me. I couldn¡¯t see his expression.

    I couldn¡¯t understand what that meant. I thought my Mom had just left; that¡¯s what my Dad said to me, and even to the police officers who came by not long after.

    I didn¡¯t know at the time since I was little.

    I remember being talked to by a lady from a part of the Government called Child Protective Services. More men and women dressed in dark blue, I later learned that they were police, and even my grandparents came too, they were my mother¡¯s parents. My grandparents felt to blame given my Mom¡¯s bully-like behaviour if you could call it that.

    Well, my grandfather was, he seemed to greatly dislike what my mother was like.

    They were at the funeral; they too didn¡¯t cry; they looked disappointed and relieved. At the beginning of the funeral, my grandfather went to talk with my Dad, as my grandmother knelt to me and told me that they would always be there for support; their support turned out to be money. Lots and lots of money.

    My grandparents are very well known in the city that we live in as my Mom, their daughter, was known for being the life of the party and always loved watching performances: musicals, plays, and anything like that.

    While my Dad is known for being a well-liked radio talk show host, that wasn¡¯t always his job. Before I was born he used to be an actor on the stage. He left it for a different kind of stage when I came around, as he always put it.

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    I always wondered if my Mom somehow trapped my Dad and that it was somehow my fault that he could no longer do what he loved, but he would always say:

    ¡°Never think you are to blame when you had no say. You will always be the greatest joy in my life. No matter what the outcome is of whatever happens. Know that you will be the only person whom I will never hate, no matter what you do in life.¡±

    As the funeral ended, my Dad thanked those who offered their condolences to connecting family and us. When it was just the two of us, we left in the church¡¯s graveyard, my Dad held out his hand to me and I took it. He led me through the cemetery and back to the car and then drove us to a bakery, where he allowed me to pick whichever I wished to have. I asked him if he meant that, and he said yes, so I asked for the chocolate pumpkin-swirled cheesecake. Since it had two of my favourite things, chocolate and pumpkin, it was either that or the butterscotch pie but had sold out earlier that day.

    I felt his hand stroking my hair, smiling, before asking the person at the front to buy it.

    As we drove home, my Dad played music from the 1930s, humming along all the way. And when we got home, I noticed that the for-sale sign for our neighbour across the street was gone. I wondered if someone would move in or if the sign was just gone for a while since it happened a few months ago. My Dad noticed this as well and said with a smile.

    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll finally get someone new; it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had anyone live across from us.¡± He then handed me the keys to our house. ¡°Could you unlock the door for me, Sweetie? I need to get the things out of the car.¡±

    ¡°I can carry something,¡± I offered.

    He just smiled gently. ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not much. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I took the keys from him and headed towards the house, looking back to see him looking at the empty home, that smile never leaving his face as he looked at it.

    I wondered briefly as to why since it was empty for over two years.

    The house across the street belonged to Mrs. Jackson; she was a mean old lady who seemed to have it out for the world. I always thought she was just lonely and tried to cheer her up and be nice, but she never liked that. Hit me once too and called me a word I never heard before.

    A little bitch.

    I had no idea what that word meant and asked my Dad where he became still before he knelt to my level and gently told me that I should never say that word again, that it was terrible. Even if adults say it, a proper adult should never say such things, and I should never say that word again. When I agreed, he went to talk to Mrs. Jackson. I watched from the window in my bedroom and saw the old woman yelling at my Dad before hitting him as she did to me, calling him all sorts of nasty names.

    When he returned, he acted like nothing bad happened and made me my favourite dessert, which he always made whenever I felt sad or had a bad day. It was Icelandic Chocolate Porridge; it was his Mom¡¯s recipe. It always made me feel better and would always make me feel sleepy, too, in a good way.

    Not long after that, Mrs. Jackson was never seen again. She just disappeared without a trace. Police were called, but nothing was found. It was in the news for a little while. The house was put up for sale not long after that as her belongings were taken away.

    I looked away from him and unlocked the door, entering our house. And just like he said, my Dad was right behind me, the door closing from behind from the shift in his heel. I placed the keys on the small table by the front door and stepped out of the way. While doing so, he made quick strides toward the kitchen as I removed my shoes and headed to my room upstairs.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± he says my name before I had the chance even to go up three steps. ¡°Come here for a moment my Darling.¡±

    I slowly go back down and into the kitchen, where my Dad had placed the cake on the kitchen counter as he had removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves to get ready to make dinner while he still wore his vest and tie. It was how he always dressed, funeral or not.

    ¡°Yes, Dad?¡± I asked him.

    He knelt to my level, readjusted the black bow of my blouse and asked. ¡°Would you smile for me?¡±

    Without a moment going by, I smiled brightly.

    His smile grew as he lightly squished my cheeks before kissing my forehead. ¡°Good girl,¡± he then stood up and made his way to the fridge. ¡°Now go and relax. I¡¯ll call you when dinner is ready, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I left the kitchen, only to pause by the stairs to the basement door. It had a lock on it, the heavy kind with nine buttons in rows of three. It had been there for as long as I could remember. I glanced back at him as he hummed before I headed up the stairs to my room.

    My bedroom was painted in a mix of blue and white colours, while my furniture was all of a dark kind of wood, with the covers and pillows of my bed were black with gold stars. Stars were also painted on the ceiling, the kind that could glow in the dark when the lights were off. All that was done by my Dad when I was really little.

    I walked further into my room, not bothering to change my clothes and fell back onto my bed, face down where I bounced from the springs and stayed like that for a bit. Then rolled my body to look at my dresser, where a photo of my Dad and me was framed. I had several at this point of just the two of us. He liked taking pictures, and they were either in an album or in other frames around the house, none of my Mom. Like she didn¡¯t exist in this house anymore.

    In every photo with my Dad, he was smiling.

    In. Every. Photo. He¡¯s always smiling.

    I love my Dad. I do.

    But there are times¡­

    Certain times that he becomes¡­ scary.

    Scary.

    Scary.

    Scary.

    Even when he¡¯s smiling.

    I can tell the difference; I am his daughter, after all.

    When I watched him as the empty coffin was lowered into the cold dark ground, he smiled as it went. He smiled because he was happy.

    Happy, because she was dead.

    Happy that he killed her.

    At least, that''s what I believe...

 Chapter 02 ~Elain~

    Elain Charlotte Ortiz felt compact like a can of sardines. Her family had been driving for what felt like ages, which was true. They had been on the road for at least seven hours now. And her legs were seriously cramping at this point.

    But given that the back of her parent¡¯s van was loaded with a whole bunch of their things, it was no real surprise; moving to a new place could do that. Hell moving out of the States and into Canada could do that.

    With her mismatched eyes, Elain glanced over to the front of the van, where her sister and brother were situated in the middle, fully engrossed in their game

    Her older brother Nathan, who would always go by Nate, was one year older than her and played on the Switch with their little sister Kaya, who just turned seven. Seeing who could win the current race for Rainbow Road, Nate suggested that when Kaya had been sullen for the past hour at the start of their trip. He did so to try and get her mind off the move, she could still contact her friends that she was close to, but it didn¡¯t change the hurt she felt.

    Not that Elain minded, being sixteen, she felt okay in moving to a new place after her father¡¯s job transfer; she desperately wished to remain away from those who hurt her for the rest of her life even if it meant never seeing her friends again. That would be the only thing she would greatly miss.

    And with her Mom, Zuri White-Ortiz had finally finished her nursing degree; it played out even better for the whole family.

    The drive to the new place wasn¡¯t that bad either, minus her legs and traffic congestion after crossing the border. A whole twelve-hour car drive from the States to the Canadian provinces could have been worse than it was, as they had already been on the road for three hours so far. Elian dozed in the backseat with her music on low if her parents or siblings needed anything from her.

    A good thing, too, her mother spoke up to her as the car came to a stop.

    ¡°Ellie,¡± her mother gently called out to get Elain¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯re pulling into a pitstop for a bit to get something to eat and stretch our legs. Do you need the restroom?¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± Kaya proclaimed as she quickly raised her hand like she would for a teacher.

    ¡°She¡¯s not asking you, you goof.¡± Nate laughed as Kaya pouted.

    ¡°But I do, I gotta go!¡± she emphasized by wiggling in her seat, acting younger than she was, as her mother opened the child safety lock on Kaya¡¯s side.

    ¡°Then come on, let¡¯s go be for you bust. Thankfully the place isn¡¯t too busy right now, so we¡¯re in luck. Nate, could you watch the van?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, will do.¡± He said as he remained in the van while Elian got out from the back to sit in Kaya¡¯s seat and stare out to the endless void that was the highway. He glanced at his sister. ¡°You doing okay, El?¡±

    She glanced at him with a knowing look that gave him his answer.

    ¡°Right, got it. But hey, new place, right? It should be better, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think this will wreck your chances for your final year?¡± that was one of the things she felt terrible about concerning this move.

    ¡°Hell, no,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Especially with what they did to you, and I don¡¯t just mean the students either. If I had it my way, those gilipollas would be through a wall.¡±

    Elian chuckled faintly as their father came over with a large tray of four coffees and a small hot chocolate in the center. ¡°Don¡¯t let your mother hear you say that.¡± Their father, Jair Ortiz, said while placing the drinks in the front for the time being. ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t like it when any of us swear in Spanish.¡±

    ¡°But we are Spanish!¡± looks from the two made Nate correct himself. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re half Cuban, but so what? It¡¯s not like Kaya¡¯s here anyway. She¡¯s with Mom.¡±

    Jair leaned against the car¡¯s door, looking at Nate with an arched dark brow. Mustache wiggled as if saying: ¡°It¡¯s not a ¡®so what¡¯ matter.¡± As his blue eyes stared down at his son and he sheepishly looked away.

    ¡°Okay, Dad, I get it. Geez.¡±

    Her Dad then turned to her. ¡°You should probably head to the bathroom while you still can; we have a way to go before reaching our destination.¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you, Dad.¡± She said as she hopped out of the car, only to stop when her father called out.

    ¡°El, catch!¡± She caught what he threw with little to no effort with her left hand and looked at his wallet, and when she looked at him with an arched brow, he said. ¡°Your pick for food. Buy whatever you want for us to eat!¡±

    ¡°No onions!¡± Nate added.

    ¡°You sure?¡± she asked.

    Her father simply nodded, and her brother called out again. ¡°No onions!¡±

    Elain merely responded with a wave of her right hand as she walked towards the pitstop where many fast-food chains were inside, including a coffee shop called Tim Hortons. A place she had heard of but had never been to, for obvious reasons. It was where her Dad got the coffee and some doughnuts.

    But she first made her way over to the women¡¯s restroom, bumping into her Mom and little sister.

    ¡°El, how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Dad¡¯s back at the van with a round of extra-large coffees for the four of us and a small hot chocolate for you-know-who.¡± She said, indicating to her little sister, who grinned from ear to ear when hearing that. ¡°He¡¯s letting me buy dinner. You¡¯re okay with anything in particular?¡±

    Her mother pointed to a Wendy¡¯s. ¡°Anything from there, I have no issue with, minus the fries. They never seem to put enough salt for my taste.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to grab some extra salt after I use the facilities.¡± She looked at her sister. ¡°What are you in for, Kaya?¡±

    ¡°Burgers!¡± she proclaimed.

    ¡°Anything on said patty? Like with hot sauce? Black olives? Hot peppers?¡± her sister shook her head for each one and then said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Daddy; my tummy isn¡¯t fireproof. I just want pickles and ketchup!¡±

    ¡°Kaya,¡± their mother gave a correcting tone.

    ¡°Please,¡± she quickly added. ¡°Pickles and ketchup, please!¡±

    She ruffled her sister¡¯s hair which Kaya gave a sound of annoyance and puffed her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡± Then she turned her attention back to her mother. ¡°I might also grab some other drinks and snacks too while I¡¯m at it since we have a way to go.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you back at the car. I¡¯ll send Nate over to help carry the food.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± she said before heading into the restroom and glancing back to see her Mom take Kaya¡¯s hand and walked back to the car. Their mother had such a tall, graceful figure in practically anything she wore. Many would assume Elain¡¯s mother was a model and not a nurse. Which often surprised many. Her mother would always just laugh it off and take the compliment.

    Entering the restroom, Elain went about her business and then went to wash her hands, pausing when seeing her reflection in the mirror. She placed her hands along with the damp countertop and stared heavily into her reflection. When was the last time she ever looked at herself in the mirror and didn¡¯t dislike what she saw back?

    It wasn¡¯t like she was ugly; at least she didn¡¯t see herself that way. She was evenly mixed from both of her parents. While she took a bit more after her father than her mother. Her raven black hair was just a tad wavy, stopping at her shoulders that were left loose. Her average height of five foot four and a thin build as she wore a long-sleeved t-shirt were dark red and light red horizontal striped and black capris. But what always held her attention was her somewhat tanned complexion somewhere between tan and black, which leaned more to the former than the latter. She¡¯d often get assumed to be middle eastern, Asian or Spanish, or a whole bunch of others and though they wouldn¡¯t necessarily be wrong, she just always hated being pegged for one thing or another like her ethnicity was a damn quiz show. Especially with her eyes, with one eye being a bright blue and the other a dark brown that looked almost black.

    Her eyes always threw people for a loop.

    She gently touched the scar that formed along the brow just above her blue eye before glancing at her forearm, a dull sense of pain that reverberated through the entirety of her healing right arm. She didn¡¯t even want to look at what was underneath. Even now, she could still see herself on the ground, trying to keep the girl that hated her from putting a knife in her eye as she and her cohorts cheered.

    Elain looked back to her arms in her reflection, she needed to bulk up, maybe join Nate for his morning run, or apply to a gym, so this would never happen again. She felt too thin, even though it was her natural build.

    It was a different case for her older and younger siblings, taking after one parent more than the other. Unlike Elain, Kaya looked more like their mother, with darker skin, matching dark eyes, and reddish-brown curly frizzy hair. While her brother looked more like their Dad, albeit with more muscle than their father and dark eyes rather than blue. And no mustache, Nathan refused to grow one, not wanting to be a carbon copy of their Dad. She recalled how at one point, Nate outright wished he was more physically like Elain even after all that had happened recently in their lives.

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    She was surprised by it, but couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what others who were mixed, regardless of one¡¯s race, thought about it. Did they hate themselves? Because they felt like they couldn¡¯t belong anywhere, that they didn¡¯t fit the narrative mould, or did they just not give a damn, choosing to live for themselves as who they were, regardless of whatever that was.

    Elain used to feel that she was the latter. That she didn¡¯t care what people thought of her in how she looked, but now, after what happened, she wasn¡¯t too sure.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she muttered to herself as she lightly squished her face. ¡°Enough dreading. Today is a good day. And tomorrow will be even better.¡± She said as she made a smile in the mirror but faltered when seeing herself; it didn¡¯t look natural at all. With a shake of her head, she headed out of the restroom to order food.

    While she waited, she found herself peering over to a newspaper stand, seeing the front page in big, bold letters. STILL MISSING!! With the images of several people that were taken at different times.

    The hell?

    Wasn¡¯t Canada supposed to be safe?

    Then again, Canada was like any other country, minus being in a constant war for oil under the guise of fighting terrorism and was more English than America. It didn¡¯t change the fact that this country had its own kind of crazy people running around that no one knew about. And considering the number of crazy people that originated from the States, it really shouldn¡¯t surprise her.

    Nate came over to help carry some of the food when it was ready, as Elain went to another store and bought pop, juice and several bags of chips before heading back out to the car and climbing into the back seat with her brother followed suit. As they drove off, continuing the long journey ahead, Elian pulled out her phone and switched on her data for a moment since she couldn¡¯t look anything up with no possible internet for her laptop. She looked up some recent events in the great white north and came across a few articles, several months apart, describing the events of some of the people who had gone missing. But nothing much coming off it.

    What am I doing? She thought to herself with a frown as she turned off her data. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to affect my life. She leaned back into her seat as her mismatched gaze looked out the nearest window and watched as trees and cars zoomed on by. I¡¯m probably just overthinking things because of everything else that¡¯s happened. Yeah¡­ that¡¯s got to be it¡­

    Her mind shortly drifted off to sleep for nearly the rest of the ride.

    When she woke, she saw that her parents had switched who drove, with her father dozing in the front passenger seat, as were the rest of her siblings the music softly played from the radio as the sound of blues came to Elain¡¯s ears. It was her mother¡¯s favourite kind of music to listen to when driving. Her mother glanced in the rear-view mirror and smiled, speaking in a soft voice to not wake anyone else. ¡°Afternoon, sweetie, have a nice nap?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said as she starched her arms only to wince as she rolled her shoulders and starched her arms. ¡°Though I can¡¯t believe I fell asleep back here.¡± She said with a stifled yawn. ¡°Any idea how much longer we have to be on the road before we arrive?¡±

    ¡°Not long now, when your father and I switched at a gas station, he received a call. The movers are already there and asked if they could start unpacking some of our things. That was over an hour ago, so it looks like much of our stuff will be unpacked. At least when it comes to the heavy appliances.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool. What about our other stuff?¡±

    ¡°Some of it will have to be between all of us; the company is willing to assist with the setup. Not a lot of places would be willing given how far we had to drive.¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t comment on it.

    ¡°How¡¯s your arm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said.

    ¡°And your shoulder?¡± her mother gave a knowing tone.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± she lied, making an internal blessing for painkillers and not going further into it. Instead, she changed the topic. ¡°Is the new place nice?¡±

    Her mother wanted to continue the last conversation but wouldn¡¯t press on it, for now at least. ¡°It¡¯s in a good neighbourhood. Near both a high school and a grade school, so you three don¡¯t have to worry about distance for travel. It¡¯s also close to a grocery store to boot and a few parks in the area. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    Elian was quiet for a moment. ¡°It won¡¯t be too difficult for you to find work, will it?¡±

    ¡°So many places need nurses. Once we get settled, I¡¯ll be job hunting like everyone else. There are a few hospitals, old folks¡¯ homes, and centers that I can apply to. No need to worry.¡±

    Elian gripped her arm where she briefly remembered how bloody it was. But it was gone within a second.

    Even now, it still hurt, as if it had just happened. The people who did this¡­ she hoped never to see them ever again.

    *   *   *

    They arrived at their new home close to six PM; the movers were still there, currently on a short break, when they arrived. The person in charge flagged down Elian¡¯s father and mother as Kaya was still asleep while Nate and Elain hopped out of the van to stretch their legs and help.

    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz, good to finally meet you. Have any trouble finding the place?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± said Elain¡¯s father.

    ¡°But there was that one issue close to the border that caused a traffic jam,¡± said Elian¡¯s mother. ¡°But it didn¡¯t look to be a traffic accident.¡±

    ¡°I heard about that. The news says a body was found and might have been killed, but the authorities are still trying to determine what happened.¡±

    ¡°Killed? We didn¡¯t hear that on the news.¡± Elain glanced at her mother as she listened in. Her mother¡¯s concern was clear in her voice.

    ¡°Well, no name or information has been released, but from the looks of things, the police are having a hard time determining how the person died given the state of the remains since someone saw scavengers take parts of them across the highway. I just feel bad for the guy or gal and the poor people who found that mess.¡±

    Elain¡¯s mother turned away quickly. ¡°Pardon me; I think I¡¯ll go and get some things out of the van.¡±

    The man nodded and looked at Elain¡¯s father. ¡°Sorry, that got so grim there, but since you¡¯re here, could you come and see how things look? You did give us a detailed layout of where you¡¯d like things placed in the rooms.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he then turned to Nathan. ¡°Nate, come help the movers.¡± Then to Elain. ¡°El, could you go and help your mother get some things out of the van?¡±

    Elain nodded and went to her mother but slowed to a stop when she heard her mother softly crying. ¡°Mom? Are you okay?¡±

    Hearing her daughter¡¯s voice seemed to draw her out of whatever she was in. ¡°Oh, Elain, yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± She said with a smile. But Elain knew that her mother was lying; she wasn¡¯t okay. She could understand why since her mother had lost a family member at the hands of a murderer when her mother was the same age as Kaya.

    Elain didn¡¯t know who this family member was. She never asked, never would because of how it affected her mother. She did think about looking it up online once but chose not to out of respect for her mother¡¯s privacy.

    ¡°What do you want to move first?¡±

    Her mother looked at her, a look Elain was slowly growing used to. One of regret. ¡°It¡¯s okay Ellie, you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about any of the heavy stuff. Just focus on letting your arm heal.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Elain, please.¡± Her mother almost sounded like she was begging. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself so soon.¡± Zuri stopped the moment she saw Elain¡¯s expression, one that she had seen after it happened. So she wanted to kick herself for that, so did quick damage control. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll be too busy putting your stuff in your own room.¡±

    Hearing that snapped Elain out of her dark thoughts. ¡°We all have our own rooms?¡±

    Seeing Elain¡¯s face full of joy and genuine curiosity made her mother smile. ¡°Yes, you have your own room. It¡¯s our surprise to you three. I can show it to you after I get Kaya into her¡¯s.¡± she then went over to the side of the van, unbuckled her youngest daughter from the car and lifted the still-sleeping Kaya in her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful,¡± I swear, an earthquake could come through here, and it still wouldn¡¯t wake Kaya up. Elain thought as she watched her mother entire their new house, only to pause when she heard someone approach. When she turned around, Elain came face to face with a little girl.

    She looked no older than Kaya, with pale white skin, and light chestnut-coloured hair that stopped just past her thin shoulders. And rather striking silver-grey eyes.

    Whoa. It was the first thought that came into Elain¡¯s head. The girl was pretty, in an adorable kind of way. Given her young age, she looked like a doll. Even more so with how she was dressed in a quarter-sleeved black dress with red flowers, her hair had been partly pulled back with a matching red clip and red flats. It then occurred to Elain that this girl was out here alone. ¡°Hey, uh, where are your parents?¡±

    ¡°Across the street,¡± she said, even her voice sounded lovely; seriously, what god blessed this kid? ¡°Will you be moving into Mrs. Jackson¡¯s place?¡±

    Mrs. Jackson? ¡°Uh, yeah, we just moved in. Sorry if there¡¯s so much noise; the big stuff should be done by the end of the day, so it shouldn¡¯t be too long, hopefully.¡±

    The little girl looked at the house, almost with a worried expression. Then looked back to Elain and asked. ¡°Do you have a big family?¡±

    Elain couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused but answered her honestly. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s my Mom, Dad, older brother and my little sister. She¡¯s probably your age.¡± Elain then went and knelt to be at the girl¡¯s level. ¡°That means we¡¯ll be neighbours, my name is Elain Ortiz, but you can just call me El or Ellie.¡±

    To Elain¡¯s surprise, the little girl did a curtsy. A freaking curtsy like someone would to nobility or royalty. ¡°My name is Amalie M¨ªranda Hilmarsson, but I don¡¯t have a nickname you could use, so Amalie is fine.¡±

    ¡°How old are you, Amalie?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m seven. How old are you, Elain?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, so just nine years older than you.¡± then added. ¡°You know, you¡¯re very polite. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met someone who¡¯s your age that¡¯s like that.¡± My sister especially. Elain thought sarcastically, recalling all the times Kaya could be rather brash and loud. It was something that they were working on with her, and she was slowly getting better.

    The girl named Amalie broke eye contact then, glancing off to the side. ¡°My Dad said I should never be rude. That rudeness could lead to something bad if a person can¡¯t understand what you might mean.¡±

    That surprised Elain; what kind of parenting was that? Then again, all families were different, both good and bad.

    ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯ll do my best not to be rude to you or your Dad.¡±

    Amalie then looked back at her; her silver-grey eyes were so intense. ¡°I like your eyes,¡± she said suddenly. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. It¡¯s like one eye is of total darkness in the deepest parts of space, while the other is like the brightness of the blue sky itself. They look pretty.¡±

    That was an interesting way to compliment someone.

    ¡°Oh yeah? You don¡¯t think that it looks weird?¡±

    Amalie shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they look weird at all. And those who say that aren¡¯t nice people who should keep such things to themselves. Mrs. Jackson was like that.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people can be like that, but you should never let that get to you.¡± Yeah right. Like you¡¯re the best person to give that kind of advice. ¡°Have you lived in this neighbourhood for long, Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Since I was born, my Dad likes it, and the amount of space each house has. He says it¡¯s better than being in the heart of the city, where so many houses and buildings are all pushed together. But he says the city also has its good things too.¡±

    ¡°Your Dad sounds like a smart man,¡±

    ¡°Hey, El!¡± Nathan called. ¡°Can you help? The couch is stuck in the doorframe.¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± she said before looking back to Amalie. ¡°It was nice meeting you Amalie, hope to get to know you and your family more.¡± She said with a grin as she then turned to leave.

    ¡°You need to be careful.¡±

    Elain stopped in her tracks, looking back at the seven-year-old girl with confusion, while the child in question looked at her, not as a kid at that moment, but as someone who has seen things that one usually wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°There are bad things around here, so you should be careful.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Are you talking about the disappearances?¡±

    ¡°Elain!¡± her brother called again. ¡°Now would be great!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± she said, only to look back to see that the little girl was already heading back home before she could get another word in. What was that about?

    ¡°Elain! Before we all turn into fossils, please!¡±

    ¡°Would you stop! I said I¡¯m coming¡­¡± she said as she hurried to the house, undenounced to her that the little girl was now watching from the front door of her home, as she opened the door, giving one last glance across the street before she slipped inside.

 Chapter 03 ~~~~~

    The rest of the move went on progressively well. After having to help with the issue that was the couch that somehow managed to get wedged in the doorframe as Elain practically used her whole-body weight, without using her injured arm and shoulder, by jumping on it to get it unstuck. The remainder of things are to be unpacked in the majority of boxes now scattered about the house.

    They were either placed in the corresponding bedrooms, living room/kitchen or the basement. All the while trying their best to organize what would go where.

    Elain sat on the edge of her bed, landing with just a slight bit of movement before settling in the softness of her sheets and then lying down. Something she had to be self-conscious of now more than ever when doing things that would be seen as mundane or simple. It was the first thing she did when unpacking her things, taking out her bedding, airing it out and giving it a light spray of lavender air freshener before making her bed. It was what mattered first and foremost. For the rest of her belongings, she could take her time. It made her wonder just what might happen in the future while living in a new country, a new place. She could only hope that it would be for the better.

    Her mind began to drift; the smell of the lavender from the fabric softener made her sleepy as she closed her eyes.

    However, the next thing she knew was hearing the sound of her sister calling to her in a loud voice that jolted her awake. ¡°Ellie!! Wake up! We have food!¡±

    ¡°Kaya, don¡¯t be rude,¡± her mother said in a stern voice before coming up the stairs and poking her head into the room. ¡°You hungry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not up for fast food again so soon.¡±

    Zuri smiled. ¡°Well, then you¡¯re in luck.¡± When Elain gave a confused frown, her mother said. ¡°Come downstairs, and you¡¯ll see.¡±

    Hoping out of bed, Elain headed downstairs, where the smell of something amazing filled her nose. Entering the kitchen, she saw what looked to be a large pie of some sort sitting in the middle of the island while her brother and parents pulled out plates and utensils to use. ¡°Okay, who¡¯d you guys rob?¡± she said, which caused her father to laugh as their mother lightly slapped his arm with a smile of her own. ¡°No, seriously, where¡¯d you get this? There¡¯s no way this was frozen. It looks too perfect for that.¡±

    ¡°A neighbour of ours saw us and brought this over. He lives right across the street. He said it was a welcome gift to the neighbourhood.¡± Said Jair. ¡°Your mother had a chat with him while your brother and I tested out the power.¡±

    Elain thought about the little girl she had seen earlier that day. ¡°What was he like?¡±

    ¡°He was nice,¡± Zuri said before Nate added.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Mom, we know what you¡¯re really thinking. You talked to that guy for like, forty minutes.¡±

    She arched a brow at her son before answering. ¡°He is nice and not bad at all in the looks department, either.¡±

    ¡°More handsome than me?¡± Her husband placed a hand along his chest as though he had been stabbed. ¡°You wound me, my love!¡±

    Their mother snorted in response. ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone on this earth I love more than you Jair, our kids make a close second.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not funny, Mom,¡± Elain said rather dryly.

    She moved around the island to kiss Elain on the cheek. ¡°You know I¡¯m joking; I love all of you equally.¡± And she meant it too. Elain knew her mother would do anything to protect her kids, even go full Mama-Bear on those who hurt her children. Elain knew this very well, for what took place just a few months ago, but decided not to bring that up.

    ¡°What¡¯s our new neighbour¡¯s name?¡± Nathan asked.

    ¡°Alastor Hilmarsson.¡±

    Nathan frowned, the gears turning in his head. ¡°Is that German?¡±

    ¡°I asked that as well, but he said his last name originates from Iceland.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s Icelandic, historically speaking.¡± Their father says. ¡°Think he speaks the language at all?¡±

    Their mother shrugged. ¡°We didn¡¯t get into that.¡±

    ¡°Mom, can we eat now?¡± Kaya whined. ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    ¡°Okay, Kaya.¡± She turned her attention to what plates they had pulled out. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I decided to wash these after checking the water.¡±

    After the pie was served, the family took a bite as Elain let out a breath while Nathan cursed. ¡°Holy shit, this good!¡±

    ¡°Nate, swear jar,¡± Zuri said.

    He looked at his mother, shocked. ¡°But it¡¯s buried in the car.¡±

    She gave him an arched stare. ¡°Don¡¯t care, you take a dollar out and place it on the counter. You know that kind of language isn¡¯t tolerated in this house.¡±

    ¡°Not even this new house that isn¡¯t technically our house yet?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Their father placed a hand on Nathan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯ve already added to it, at least five bucks¡¯ worth.¡±

    ¡°Still kind of sucks¡­¡± he muttered while stuffing his face with steak and mushroom pie. ¡°This is good, though.¡±

    After they finished eating, the family went back to picking out individual items from boxes; one of the following things they did was gather more of their dishes boxes and put as much as they could into the dishwasher.

    Elain returned to her room, and this time, giving her bedroom a complete look over. One wall on the right was slightly slanted and had a window where the bed had been put; next to her bed and bedside table was where she kept her desk, chair and laptop. To the far left was the closet, and beside it was a dresser surrounded by boxes that would eventually be filled with her clothes. Along with her other belongings, like books, a few plushies and her guitar. There was another window that gave her a view of the front yard, where she could see the house across the street. She noticed that a car was pulling out of the driveway but gave it little notice as she closed the curtains to her windows and went to get dressed for bed. She was tired after a long day but couldn¡¯t help but think of that little girl one last time before falling into a deep sleep.

    * * *

    The next few days kept Elain busy, helping her parents unpack, heading to what would be her little sister¡¯s new school, banking information, finding a doctor and making an appointment to check on her healing injuries, and then heading to what would be her new high school.

    The building itself was of red brick; it looked like something she had seen in TV shows.

    Even when she got the short chance to wander around for a bit, getting to see a connecting library and the cafeteria, it was relatively spacious. And even the grounds had a wooded area that looked to have been landscaped, probably by other students, but it was all well-maintained. However, that was also because there were no students or faculty currently inside. Give it a couple of weeks, and it¡¯d be packed to the brim. Probably.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    And after all that chaos, while Elain was unpacking her things from several more boxes, her Mom knocked on her bedroom door.

    ¡°Elain, I¡¯m sorry, I know you¡¯re still unpacking,¡±

    ¡°Uh-oh. Should I be worried?¡± Her mother laughed at that.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing bad. Could you go and return the pie plate that belongs to our neighbour from across the street?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said as she went to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now. It gives me the chance to stretch my legs and give my back a break for a bit. Do you think he¡¯s home?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, if not, we can try again a bit later.¡± She says as Elain heads for the stairs which her mother adds. ¡°When you get back, we¡¯ll be ordering dinner. Thinking of shawarma this time around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather have that pie again,¡± Elain admits.

    ¡°I know, and if we had more time to cook like before, we would.¡± Her mother said with disappointment. With how busy they both were from working, medical school, and raising three kids, things like a fresh homecooked meal were few and far between them.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be back in a bit, Mom.¡± And then headed out from the front door and headed over to the house across the street. And the house across the street couldn¡¯t be more different than the one that she and her family now called home.

    While her new home was a more ¡°modern¡± built in the 1990s and was two stories tall, this house across from them looked to be a turn-of-the-century kind of home. It even had a plaque with the date of when it was built by what looked to be the wrap-around porch and an attached garage that was clearly an add-on several years later but still had the matching red brick and dark wood varnished. This place was given much care. It was neat to see; Elain always did like historic homes like this. It had two stories and a window that looked to be for the attic.

    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be nervous¡­¡± she says to herself before heading up the steps of the porch and to the front door. Readying herself to knock only to hesitate, it was something she couldn¡¯t help, this feeling of nervousness. I just told myself not to be nervous; come on! She let out a breath, knocked and waited.

    And waited.

    And waited.

    Still nothing five minutes later.

    Maybe no one¡¯s home. She thought before seeing the doorbell and trying it. She decided to go for it simply because she wasn¡¯t even sure if anyone heard. After a moment, she could hear the sounds of someone coming from the depths of the house.

    And when the door opened, Elain instantly froze in place from sheer surprise.

    It was a man who answered the door, a very attractive man.

    Possibly in his mid to late thirties with almost androgynous facial features.

    His grey eyes were framed by a thin pair of glasses; as his chestnut brown hair was combed off to the left side as he smiled faintly when opening the door.

    Holy shit. Was the first thing to pop into Elain¡¯s brain.

    Elain clenched her teeth to stop her mouth from gaping open when meeting this man. He looked exactly like Amalie, except this was an adult man and not a little girl. He had a lean, slender build, with a somewhat average height of five foot eight.

    He was dressed in dark-tanned slacks, a white long-sleeved dress shirt and a light blue sweater vest over top. Elain was surprised that he wasn¡¯t sweating buckets, given that it was the middle of the summer. Yet, he didn¡¯t seem bothered by it in the slightest.

    This explained where the little girl¡¯s good looks came from. The fact that Amalie¡¯s Dad had such beauty didn¡¯t seem remotely fair. She had never seen a man with such effeminate charming looks, at least not outside anime or of people¡¯s cosplay. And even then, those online were so ambiguously gendered it was hard to tell if they were male or female just by the face alone. This man could very well have been the same.

    ¡°May I help you?¡± he asked, his voice holding such an interesting tone. It was soft yet had a singsong kind of way in his speech. It made him sound elegant. ¡°Miss?¡±

    This snapped her out of her thoughts. ¡°Yes, sorry. Um, my name is Elain Ortiz. My family and I moved in across the street from you. A few days ago, you brought us a pie. I just came by to return your pie plate.¡± She said as she held out said plate to him.

    His smile seemed to grow. ¡°Why, thank you, young lady.¡± He says as he takes it from her. Then after looking at it, he asked. ¡°Did you enjoy it? The pie?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was amazing!¡± Elain said, unable to hide her enjoyment from it. ¡°None of us had something that good in so long! Though that¡¯s probably because of my parent¡¯s jobs and school. It¡¯s always been hard trying to find the time to cook. They¡¯re both busy, and my brother and I are pretty bad at cooking, so to receive something like that after just arriving was really unexpected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you enjoyed it,¡± he says with a smile. ¡°Say, would you like to come inside? I can give you a copy of the recipe if you or your family are interested.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want to impose. I know you¡¯re probably busy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he says as he heads into the house, leaving the door open for her. Only to stop and look back at her as he chuckled, seeing her not move from where she stood. ¡°It¡¯s all right Miss Ortiz. I don¡¯t bite.¡±

    She felt a flush of embarrassment rushed to her cheeks. ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± she says softly as she steps into the foyer, closing the door behind her. ¡°Should I take off my shoes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please. There are some guest slippers in the closet to your right. You can put your shoes there.¡± He calls from the kitchen of the house.

    As Elain did so, her mismatched eyes wandered about, the staircase near the back which led to the upstairs, the wood for the floor was of the same dark colour, possibly walnut. Given how old the place was, it wouldn¡¯t surprise her. She peered further in, seeing what looked to be the living room to her right where there was a fireplace with a flatscreen TV above it, a couch with a coffee table in the middle and a bookshelf that held more framed photos than books by the doorway.

    While on her right led to a rather impressive-sized kitchen, with dark redwood cabinets and black appliances. With a large island in the middle made of black marble with grey marble lining cracks, it looked to have been one where a professional chief would work. While to the left of the kitchen looked to be where what would have been a wall once stood, now had an impressive double sliding door that was left open, which led to an equally impressive dining room table lined with several chairs.

    The man had a lot of money.

    ¡°How are you accommodating to your new home?¡± he asked as he flipped through what looked to hold business cards but instead was something to store recipes. Smart. ¡°If you aren¡¯t sure of something, I¡¯m more than willing to assist.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± She says but then adds. ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to go out of your way to make something like that for us. I mean, we wouldn¡¯t want to inconvenience you, especially since my family and I just moved in.¡±

    ¡°It was just a simple steak and mushroom pie, and it was nothing of the sort. I merely saw the movers arrive early this morning and thought to myself that you and your family might enjoy something like this since you were all dealing with the move. I was worried I might have been overstepping my boundaries. You can never tell with some folks.¡±

    So, he did make the pie. ¡°I don¡¯t think you were overstepping. If anything, I think my parents were happy to have a decent meal that isn¡¯t frozen or takeout for once.¡±

    He glanced at her with a smile. ¡°I personally never liked anything that isn¡¯t made by my hands. I¡¯ve always made dinners for my daughter and myself, sometimes I will go to a local bakery, but even then, I like making what we eat regardless of what it is.¡±

    That was an interesting way to look at it, but then Elain wondered something. ¡°Is it just you and Amalie?¡±

    This seemed to bring the man to pause, his back still facing her. ¡°You met with Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Just briefly, I think she was just curious about what was going on since it was so busy. It¡¯s pretty normal for a kid.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I remember now. She did mention that. I suppose she forgot to tell me that you both met. But that¡¯s fine. And to answer your question, Miss Ortiz, yes, it¡¯s just her, and I. Amalie doesn¡¯t have a mother, hasn¡¯t for a good majority of her life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said quickly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked; it was rude.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t rude at all.¡± He says as he faces her, handing her the recipe in question. She realized that he had written it down, on top of which he had beautiful penmanship. ¡°I find it good that young people your age are so inquisitive.¡±

    Elain couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. ¡°Thanks, though; people often tell me I should mind my own business and that I¡¯m too nosy.¡±

    ¡°I see nothing wrong with it at all.¡± He says as he leaves the kitchen and back to the front entrance. ¡°A healthy dose of curiosity is always good for the mind, regardless of age.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± was all she could say back as she followed after him while looking at what the recipe initialled before putting on her shoes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around then, Miss Ortiz.¡± He says as he opens the door. ¡°Tell your family I say hello.¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you again, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡± She said as she headed out the door he waved goodbye. When he closed the door, Elain looked back at his house and smiled. She felt good things coming from this.

    * * *

    Alastor watched as one of his new neighbours headed back across the street, smiling while doing so, as he gave her a wave when she looked back. She, in turn, did the same thing as she went on her way.

    What a sweet girl. He thought to himself as he headed towards the back of the stairs to the basement door. He paused, then listened, no sounds. His daughter was upstairs currently listening to music while reading a book, a fantasy series that she immensely enjoyed, and would become completely engrossed in it to the point where everything else around her would vanish. A wonderful thing that imagination was.

    He then used the electronic keypad to unlock the door as the faint sound of music from the 1930s could be heard coming from below. ¡°Best not keep our dinner waiting any longer.¡± He said with a chuckle as he decided to close the door behind him as he did so.

 Chapter 04 ~Amalie~

    Since the funeral, my Dad had taken time off work to look out for me, even more so since it was just us now. Usually, I¡¯d have to go to my school for day camp and then be picked up by my babysitter, Lauren, for the afternoon until five.

    But a week before the funeral, Lauren never showed up.

    She was really nice to me. She even would read stories or make up her own and act it out. She wanted to be a performer but also seemed to be a bit sad. She always hid it behind her smile, but I could tell. I asked her once if something was wrong, but she said it was nothing. But then, at one point, I heard her mention to my Dad one night: ¡°I wish I could just disappear¡­¡±

    Two days after she had vanished when the police came by, they talked to my Dad, asking if they saw her on the day she went missing, but he hadn¡¯t. That¡¯s what he said to them. I remember the woman who came with the officer, saying that she was a detective looking into Lauren¡¯s sudden disappearance. When our eyes met, she smiled at me. I could tell it was genuine before going back and talking with my Dad. When they left, he headed to the basement. I¡¯m not allowed down there.

    He wasn¡¯t down there for long, coming back up, telling me what we would have for dinner as he headed to the kitchen.

    Since then, it¡¯s been a few weeks since our new neighbours moved in across the street from us. I hadn¡¯t heard anything about what happened to Lauren; it was like she vanished in a puff of smoke. Not even her Mom seemed to care.

    I looked over at my Dad from the stairs railing and into the kitchen. He hummed and softly sang the song It All Depends On You by Ben Bernie and All The Lads. He only ever sang that for two reasons, the first that he was in a really good mood, or the complete opposite.

    It would always be one or the other. Hope he¡¯s never singing it for the other. Never.

    ¡°Dad?¡± I called him from the bottom of the stairs.

    He looked at me over his shoulder, a smile on his lips. ¡°Good morning, my Sweetheart. Did you sleep well?¡±

    I nodded and asked. ¡°Did you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I did. I slept very well.¡± He would often go for nighttime walks due to being a very light sleeper. He always locked the door when he left, and I was a very, very heavy sleeper.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± I asked him.

    ¡°Hmm? Mad at what?¡±

    ¡°Mad that I didn¡¯t say anything about meeting with Elain?¡±

    My Dad gave a soft chuckle. ¡°No, of course not. I would never be mad at you. I am a little sad you never told me. But given the recent events that happened, it¡¯s all right. Miss Ortiz is a very kind young woman. I think the two of you will get along well.¡±

    Part of me hoped so.

    He then paused in making pancakes. ¡°Sweetie, would you like to come with me to work for a bit? I have a small thing I need to get done.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a nod. One of the people he worked with I liked and would sometimes be there, so I hoped she would be.

    ¡°Wonderful, afterwards we¡¯ll go to the bookstore. How does that sound?¡±

    My expression gave it away. I loved to read books.

    He chuckled at my reaction. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± he says as he puts the last of the pancakes on a plate. ¡°Eat while it¡¯s still hot. We¡¯ll leave shortly after, all right?¡±

    I could only nod as I went to sit down to eat¡ªmy father setting out our plates of pancakes before sitting in his seat near me. As I ate, I noticed how he watched me with a smile. A different kind of smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry, Dad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± he says. ¡°You enjoy it.¡±

    I paused and looked at him with confusion before looking at the food. Did he¡­ do something to it?

    There was a moment when nothing happened before he finally took a bite of his own after pouring syrup on it, which set my mind at ease as he said.

    ¡°These turned out better than I thought. Is it good?¡±

    I nodded and silently finished my food before asking to be excused to get dressed, which my father allowed as I went to the step stool by the sink to rinse it off before putting my utensils and plate into the dishwasher. My Dad went to clean up all that he had used to make breakfast as I headed upstairs to brush my teeth, get dressed, remove my summer nightgown, and pull out a white summer dress with pink roses. I paused in looking over my small French barrette hairclips to peer out the window seeing Elain. She looked like she was about to go exploring. Briefly, I wondered where she would be going. I hope it would be fun wherever that would be.

    ¡°Amalie, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say as I headed down the stairs where my Dad is waiting for me with a faint smile on his face. As I reached closer, he extended his hand for me to take as he led me out of the house and towards the car.

    *    *    *

    The car ride was thirty minutes away from the heart of the city.

    Even with it being as early as it was, the streets were packed with cars. I glanced over from the backseat to my Dad, smiling and humming the same song, his index right finger tapping the steering wheel as we crept with traffic since many of the roads were in mid-construction.

    Things like this were typical in Toronto, with so many things needing or be improved. Like Union Station. It had been in the works in a modern update for as long as I can remember.

    We pulled into the underground parking lot of the radio station my Dad worked at before getting out. Many of the lots were filled with cars; for those who worked days, and nights, there was never a day that I was aware of that had fewer cars than fifty.

    The moment he opened the car¡¯s door I stepped out, the smell of car fuel filled my nose; I never like that smell. It made me feel sick. My Dad told me that my reaction was normal since he said that this bothered him because he had an acute sense of smell.

    I was happy knowing that it was something that didn¡¯t make me strange. I just wished the kids at my school didn¡¯t make fun of me for it. I wanted to ask about being homeschooled, but given that Dad works full time, doing so would be impossible.

    After leaving the parking garage through the elevator, we went up to the sixth floor. My Dad being a radio host for this particular station, I didn¡¯t know the ins and outs of his job. I just knew that it was a job that he did and enjoyed.

    He offered his: ¡°Hello, how are you? Wonderful day, isn¡¯t it?¡± to the people he knew and worked with no matter their work relationship.

    As we came close to where he would often work with coworkers, we met with someone who looked to be getting ready to leave.

    This person was a woman named Vivian Bone.

    She was someone who did the late-night hosts and always seemed to have energy. She didn¡¯t have any kids, but she was always friendly; she¡¯d even look after me a few times when my Dad couldn¡¯t find anyone else since Lauren went missing. Vivian was tall, even taller with her heels; she was even taller than my Dad without her shoes. And she wore bright, colourful clothes that looked good on her with her dark skin and curly black hair that she kept loose and seemed to move and bounce with every step she took. She made me think of those old stories of a woman who was the goddess of the moon. That¡¯s what Vivian made me think of.

    ¡°Hey, Al,¡± Vivian said with a bright, cheery smile. ¡°What brings you around this neck of the woods? I thought you weren¡¯t working today.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Vivian,¡± my Dad said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not; I only came to collect some documents before taking my little girl to the bookstore afterward.¡± He indicates to me as I was hidden behind him.

    ¡°Oh, Amalie, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. I was used to not being noticed right away, something I kind of preferred. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, sweetie, tired, but that goes with the territory when you work late nights as I do. I can hear my bed calling me from a mile away.¡±

    ¡°Then, we won¡¯t keep you from your sleep,¡± my Dad said. ¡°Sleep well, Ms. Bone.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± her smile turned to a look of slight concern. ¡°Oh, and Al. Take your time. There¡¯s no rush to come back. We all know you and your daughter are going through a lot. If you need help, I can always look after Amalie for you for a night or two.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Bone. I¡¯ll let you know if I need anything, but for now, we¡¯re okay,¡± he said as she nodded, then waved to me as we both continued down the hall to his office. Since my Dad was rather renowned for his job, he had a relatively spacious office.

    It used to belong to another radio host. One that my Dad used to work with when I was a baby. But, she, Katie Keller, died in a car accident. I was five when it happened, so I don¡¯t know much. What I do know is that it was bad. And painful.

    ¡°Give me a few moments,¡± he said, going through his desk drawers, and putting several papers into his briefcase. As he did so, I wandered a bit in his office. It wasn¡¯t a place I¡¯d generally be in. Several photos of my Dad with people on the far-right side of the room he¡¯s met through his work, like musicians, novelists or even actors.

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    My Dad always took a great amount of joy in talking to such creative minds, saying that creativity is key to anything in life, regardless of what you use it for.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by it.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± my Dad said suddenly, drawing my attention from the photos on the wall when he pulled out a file from a file cabinet. Placing three files into his briefcase, noticing me while doing so as his smile became broader. ¡°Ready to see what books we can find?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I said with a smile. His smile grew slightly as he looked at me before getting up from his seat, taking his briefcase in hand and resting his other hand atop my hand.

    ¡°Then let us go, lead the way, My Dear.¡±

    *    *    *

    When we arrived at the bookstore, parking in a spot along the road, my Dad got out first, put some change into the meter, then opened the backseat door for me. When I got out, he closed the door as I fought the urge to run on ahead. I loved bookstores and libraries. The quiet and sense of peace, the smell of the books, being taken away to a distant world through the words on the page were something I always loved.

    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re looking for, Dad?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing in particular, though if there¡¯s anything new for cooking or clothing, I might take a gander. But other than that, no sweetie, we are here for you. With that said, you can only pick out two books. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said with a nod. Two was more than enough. I already had the first book in a trilogy, but the second and third were not there when my Dad bought it for me.

    We entered the bookstore as I held my Dad¡¯s hand, always staying close and not getting too ahead, a way to get lost and separated, which always bothered me when I was tiny. Something that remained even now.

    I know my Dad would never leave me; he wasn¡¯t Mom. Yet, part of me wondered if I was ever like any of the other kids. Like the ones we passed who screamed at the top of their lungs and begged and balled for some kind of toy, would he have been different?

    That thought scares me.

    How he looked at those kids compared to me is clear, even with his smile.

    Lower than dirt.

    That was the look he had in his eyes. Yet, when he looks at me, it¡¯s clear that he loves me. I never want that look to be like with the other kids.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± he says as we reach the second floor of children¡¯s fantasy books. ¡°Do you see anything you might like?¡±

    My eyes scanned the shelves seeing a few I¡¯ve read, and some my Dad has read to me. A bunch that was supposed to be at my age, but I never really liked. I stopped in my tracks when I saw a familiar name. I reached out to take the book in question, only to be shoved by another kid.

    ¡°Move stupid!¡± a boy yelled and grabbed the third book before dashing off.

    I fell only to stop when my Dad caught me, realizing that it could have hurt if I had hit the shelf since I would have hit my head.

    ¡°Are you okay, Sweetheart?¡± my Dad asked as I nodded before his gaze shifted to the kid who shoved me.

    ¡°Dad?¡± I spoke, pulling his gaze away from the kid that didn¡¯t know any better.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    I held up the second book. I at least managed to get that one before the kid pushed me. ¡°I have this one. Can we see if we can find some others I might like?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to get the third book?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know we can always get the third book later. I just wasn¡¯t fast enough. Besides, you said I could get two books. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t find another.¡±

    His faint smile grew. ¡°Well, if you find a book you like, I can read it to you tonight. How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± a piercing screech hit my ears before I had the chance to respond. My Dad and I turned to see the same kid who pushed me, now pointing at us, at me. ¡°That¡¯s MY book! Give it!¡±

    I frowned at the kid. He looked older than me, since he was bigger, but acted younger. He might have been younger, but this book was for kids at a reading level of nine years old. And he wasn¡¯t nine, but then neither was I.

    ¡°Tsk,¡± My head snapped to my Dad, his smile strained, eyes narrowed.

    Not good.

    ¡°Hey stupid!¡± the kid shrieked, making my ears ring. ¡°Gimmie¡¯ that book, you stupid bi¡ª¡± The rest of his words were muffled because my Dad covered my ears so quickly, that I couldn¡¯t hear what the kid was saying. It must have been the bad word that Mrs. Jackson said.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± my Dad said as he stood to his full height, looking down at the kid who now looked startled, he didn¡¯t expect my Dad to be tall given that I¡¯m, well, not tall. ¡°But you¡¯re the boy who pushed my daughter, rather violently, to get the book to so unjustly stole from her. You did not pick up the second one. She did. This book is not yours.¡±

    The kid stood his ground, brave, if not dumb. ¡°Yes, it is!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± My Dad arched a brow in response almost tauntingly. ¡°Did you buy this book? Because I don¡¯t believe you did, meaning it¡¯s not yours.¡±

    The kid looked from my Dad to me, his face going red, being one of those kinds of kids who always get their way and say, only to scream when they didn¡¯t get what they want. Given how red his face was becoming, and the fact my Dad shielded my ears became a fact when he started screaming. This time, even my Dad¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t block out the sound of him yelling.

    ¡°MOMMY!!¡±

    Then a woman came over, with a short-bobbed haircut and very tanned skin. She looked at her kid and then at us.

    ¡°You!¡± she snapped at me. ¡°What did you do to make my sweet baby boy cry?!¡±

    ¡°She took my book!¡± the kid cried pointing at me. ¡°That stupid girl took my book!¡±

    ¡°Give me that book, you little brat!¡± The woman marched over, intending to get the book, only to stop when my Dad stepped in the way, keeping me behind him so as not to get the book taken away.

    She stopped when seeing my Dad. Her expression turned to one of surprise. Many girls and even boys seemed to act this way when they see my Dad for the first time.

    ¡°I do beg your pardon, but your child is wrong. My daughter did not steal this book; she already had it when your boy shoved her out of the way to get the third. If I hadn¡¯t caught her, your boy would have injured her.¡±

    Hearing this seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. ¡°My sweet little boy would never do that!¡±

    My Dad¡¯s smile twitched; the kid was anything but sweet. That was something we could both agree on. ¡°Madam, I was right beside her when it happened. And I do believe that those watching would be willing to back up my claims that your son did indeed push her out of the way, rather roughly, I might add.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face went red. ¡°Are you accusing my son?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth!¡± I said from behind my Dad, as I now held the book close to my chest. I would have given it to the kid if he asked nicely. ¡°He pushed me to get the last book!¡±

    Her gaze then shot to me. She sneered. A look I¡¯ve seen before from those who never liked being talked back to. ¡°Well, no wonder she fell over so easily! Look how thin she is! You¡¯re clearly underfeeding her if she¡¯s that scrawny. No good father, no matter how handsome, should ever do that! I should call the police or even CPS on you!¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t notice it, but I did. A slight twitch in my Dad¡¯s stance, I glanced up at him, and dread followed in the pit of my stomach.

    This was bad. This was very bad.

    He was smiling. He was smiling too kindly. But his eyes looked empty. I¡¯ve only ever seen that look once before, with Mom.

    ¡°Oh? Do you think that? Madam, you know nothing of my child or me. I cook every meal and do everything a responsible parent should. I¡¯ve also taught my daughter to be respectful to others, regardless of age. More than you ever did with that boy of yours.¡±

    ¡°How Dare You! I raised my son better than anyone else! And I¡¯m a single mother with a full-time job!¡± she thrust a card in my Dad¡¯s direction, something he took and glanced at with an expression of disinterest as he continued to smile. He didn¡¯t care who she was as he merely put the card in his back pocket.

    The woman, clearly offended, was about to shout again, only for a much older woman to shout. ¡°Oh, shut your trap!¡± I looked at her. She had white hair and a cane as she managed her way over to us. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to this for long enough. Your brat of a son owes this little lady an apology for the way he shoved her. I saw the whole thing, and if you think it¡¯s still Bull, then we can get security involved to look at the footage.¡±

    The much older woman pointed to a camera above us, as the other woman seemed to back off, about to leave, at least I hoped.

    I was hoping that this was finally going to be the end of this, my heart racing, but the pain soon came to my head when that kid yanked my hair as hard as he could, pulling me away from my Dad. I screamed, unable to stop myself, as I dropped the book, trying to pry the other kid¡¯s hands away from my hair.

    ¡°Give me the book, you stupid girl!¡± he bellowed. I saw that he planned to hit me in my struggle, only to stop when my Dad grabbed the boy by the wrist in a firm hold. The boy looked white as a sheet as my Dad¡¯s eyes stared into him in silence. The boy was frozen by it as I could hear my Dad¡¯s hand squeeze the kid¡¯s wrist. My Dad refused to let go until the boy finally let go of my hair. And when he had, my Dad did the same immediately.

    I began to cry. Not even the girls in my school pulled my hair. It hurt so much that I couldn¡¯t stop. I no longer thought of the book as my Dad drew me into his arms while I cried in his chest, I wasn¡¯t aware of it at that moment until glancing at a mirror near us and saw his expression, of how he looked to both the kid and his mother. They couldn¡¯t see the lower half of his face as he pressed his mouth to my forehead, but his eyes filled with so much anger. Even when the woman moved to hit my Dad, the moment his gaze went to her, she stopped in her tracks and backed away from him.

    I tried to move away, but my Dad¡¯s grip pressing me close was firm. As if his body was going to swallow mine. ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± my Dad stiffened at another voice, but when looking, we both saw that it was one of the people who worked for the bookstore. The woman offered us both a kind smile. ¡°Are you and your daughter all right?¡±

    *    *    *

    The woman and her kid were taken to a room before being taken away by police. The woman had even thrown something at my Dad, a jar, I think, before trying to run with her son. But people who worked at the store and others stopped her from doing so and kept her locked in a closet until the police took them away. My Dad held me close as I sat on his lap, his hand stroking my hair, his smile faint as he hummed to keep me calm. All the shouting caused people in the store to film it or call the police. It was why they were able to come as fast as they did.

    But at this point, I wanted to go home. I know my Dad spoke to the store owner, who kept apologizing for something like this happening. Even saying to pick out whichever books and it would be free. I picked two different ones; I didn¡¯t want to remember that kid when reading. Then something soft and white filled my vision.

    The older woman from before now had a soft plushie bunny with creamy-white fur and a gold ribbon tied around its neck, smiling, handing it out to me. I looked to my Dad, who silently nodded before I reached to take it.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said almost in a whisper, holding the bunny close. As the woman then sat on the bench near us.

    ¡°You must like to read a lot,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you and your father here rather often. The book you were going to get before that brat and his witch of a mother showed up, have you read the first one?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve read it five times now. It¡¯s one of my favourites.¡±

    ¡°Then, don¡¯t you want to get the other two books?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not now¡­ I like the book a lot, but I don¡¯t want to read it after what happened. At least for a while.¡±

    The woman looked from me to my Dad, then asked. ¡°What¡¯s your name, young lady?¡±

    I looked at her with confusion. ¡°Amalie,¡±

    Her smile grew. ¡°Amalie, that¡¯s a charming name.¡± her gaze went to my Dad. ¡°And you have a wonderful father as well.¡±

    My Dad hugged me closer to him. ¡°Not as charming as her,¡± he said. Then extended a hand to her. ¡°Alastor Hilmarsson.¡±

    The woman took it. ¡°That¡¯s a charming name too. You both can call me Maggie.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, though the circumstances could be better.¡±

    ¡°Because of that horrible woman?¡± Maggie asked. ¡°Oh, trust me, dear, you haven¡¯t seen her at her worst. She¡¯s always been like that when her husband finally had to courage to divorce her. The poor man was close to ending it because of how she treats people. Her son is no better. Though I did hear the daughter went to live with him, it seems to take after the better genetics in that family. I¡¯ve even gone to her local business, it¡¯s a flower shop, and the turnover for people working there is truly awful. Not to mention how it¡¯s taken care of, it¡¯s a complete fire hazard.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I glanced up at my Dad, noticing the slight change in his voice.

    ¡°Mom?¡± a man who looked to be my Dad¡¯s age walked over quickly, a look of worry soon overlapped by one of relief. ¡°I got a call that something happened. You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes I¡¯m fine, Ben,¡± she said as she stood up and turned to look at my Dad and me. ¡°It was nice meeting you both.¡±

    After my Dad and I waved goodbye to Maggie, he then held me close, making me feel safe since I still felt a little scared, his chin resting on top of my head. ¡°Sweetie, when we get home, would you like to sleep with me for the night?¡±

    ¡°Is that okay?¡± I asked, tilting my head back to look at him as he smiles down at me.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he says as he kisses my forehead. ¡°You deserve a good night¡¯s sleep after everything that¡¯s happened. I¡¯ll be sure to chase those horrid nightmares away.¡±

 Chapter 05 ~~~~~

    It had been almost two weeks since Elain came to live in this new country. Some things were still hard to get used to, like the healthcare system. The fact that a good majority was paid through taxes and not out of pocket seemed crazy. But also, really smart.

    ¡°We¡¯ll schedule your next appointment at the reception desk.¡± The doctor said with a faint smile as she finished wrapping Elian¡¯s right arm Elain¡¯s mismatched eyes looked down at her arm. ¡°Also, it looks as though the stitches along your shoulder seem to be holding up well.¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t respond; she knew that the doctor was trying to make small talk to fill the empty void of silence.

    ¡°How long will she need to wait for at least the stitches to be removed?¡± Elain¡¯s father asked. It would have been her mother originally, but she received a call for a sudden interview that her Dad had to take Elain to this appointment instead.

    ¡°Given how well it¡¯s healing, I¡¯d say four or five more weeks.¡± She says before looking back to Elain. ¡°Just as long as you don¡¯t overexert yourself or do any heavy lifting. This applies to your arm as well. Nothing heavy.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± her father added. ¡°My wife was very strict about that. She hasn¡¯t done anything strenuous or lifted anything heavy.¡±

    ¡°Good, but it should still be said as a reminder. Just because your daughter feels like she could take on the world doesn¡¯t mean she should.¡±

    Elian didn¡¯t respond. How could she? It¡¯s not as if the woman knew anything about what she had dealt with.

    Elain¡¯s father then pulled out his phone which buzzed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Doctor, I¡¯ll be right back. I need to take this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a stairwell just at the end of the hall. You can answer your call there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be quick, Mijita.¡± Her Dad said before leaving the room.

    The doctor then paused, dark eyes looking to Elain as the girl put her long-sleeved shirt overtop her white tank top to hide her injuries from everyone else beyond the examination room.

    ¡°We have resources if you need them.¡± The doctor said, drawing Elain¡¯s attention. ¡°I read your file; it gave some details of what happened across the border in the States.¡±

    Elain suppressed the urge to sigh. This was the last thing she wanted to go into while still adjusting to her new environment. Even if this was coming from someone who meant well, the timing of it was terrible.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to talk about it,¡± the doctor added quickly. ¡°But I can at least tell you that I understand what it¡¯s like being profiled or discriminated against.¡±

    Elain¡¯s gaze snapped to the doctor, taking in what the woman thoroughly looked like. And though this woman had white skin, her features were round as she had light brown eyes and curly black hair. Was she also mixed like her?

    Regardless of what this woman thought, what happened was something that many people didn¡¯t understand. Primarily because of her mixed heritage. Images of the event flashed as Elain instinctively touched the healing scar on her eyebrow above her blue eye.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Elain said, diverting the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it. Right now, I just want to recover more than anything else.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± She says. ¡°Are you all right with a meeting at the same time today for next week? We need to be sure of your arm¡¯s capabilities as it goes on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    She made a note of that on her clipboard. ¡°If something comes up that you need to change the date, let us know.¡±

    Elain left the room shortly after. She felt uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. Elain could see that the woman was trying to help, but she wasn¡¯t a therapist, nor someone she was willing to talk to. Not to mention from the sounds of it, it might have been a group therapy thing, something she was not ready to do. At all.

    Her Mom mentioned therapy at least twice during their move after the incident. But her mind felt too cluttered, a chaotic mess that she wanted to sort out herself first before anyone went poking around inside her head. That¡¯s probably not a healthy way to think¡­ she thought, but it was the only thing that made sense to her. At least for now, it could change at some point.

    ¡°El?¡± her Dad¡¯s concerned voice drew Elain from her thoughts. How long had he been standing there? ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Dad.¡±

    Her father glanced at the office that Elian came from before asking. ¡°Okay, on the way back, would you like to buy something that might be easy on your stomach?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Not right now,¡± then glanced out the window, watching everything go by quickly.

    Her Dad offered a smile but said nothing further.

    When back at home, Elain went straight to her room and lay down on her bed. Only to then get up and head to her bookshelf, nabbed one of the many books that she enjoyed and left her room and headed out to the front door to sit on a bench set up on the porch.

    Lately, Elain found that reading a book helped her get her mind off things for at least a while. To forget the horrible events that plagued her thoughts.

    She continued to read until much later in the afternoon, though she wasn¡¯t aware of the time until someone approached and drew her attention.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Ortiz,¡± Alastor spoke with a cheery smile. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting, but there was something I wished to speak with you about if you¡¯re willing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, that shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± she stopped and did another look at his face, seeing a noticeable red mark on his left cheek. ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson, what happened to your face!?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he touched his cheek. ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s nothing to worry yourself over.¡±

    Elain immediately stood up, trying to get a better look. ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson, it¡¯s super red. Did you use ice?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s fine, I¡ª¡± only to be cut off by Elain.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not; you need to reduce the swelling no matter if you think it¡¯s fine, or it¡¯ll take longer for it to heal. Just hold on one second. I¡¯m going to get some ice.¡± She said as she quickly ran into the house, leaving the door wide open.

    Goodness, Alastor mused. Though I¡¯ve already used some ice for it, she is still a very kind young lady. His silver-grey glancing at the open door, he took a single step towards it but remained on the porch as he glanced inside. The setup was slightly different from his home, though this was far more modern, with the kitchen and presumably the dining room all in one and the living room and TV being closest to the front door. He could even see the stairs that would lead up to the bedrooms and the back door to the backyard.

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    A relatively simple layout and one easy to memorize, for it was one he knew rather well. One that came as a shock to this home¡¯s previous owner before she died. It was a shame. Had Mrs. Jackson not been so rude toward his daughter, nothing would have happened.

    Elain then came back soon after. ¡°Here,¡± she said as she looked over his face as he took the baggie of ice wrapped in a cloth. Then as if something struck her, Elain quickly asked. ¡°Wait, what about Amalie? Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Miss. Ortiz,¡± Alastor soothed. ¡°Amalie is fine, she¡¯s currently being looked after by a good friend of mine. This was only towards me.¡±

    Elain looked at him, confused. ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rather long. Do you mind if we sit?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, of course!¡± Elain then closed the door and joined Alastor to sit on the bench with a fair amount of space between them. ¡°So¡­ what happened?¡±

    ¡°About a week ago, I took my daughter to a bookstore, where she hoped to find a certain book from a writer she loves. We found it and it¡¯s third volume, but before she gets the third book, a boy shoves her. Then the mother storms over, threatening me and claiming her child would never do such a thing before said boy hurts my daughter. Pulls her hair, but I managed to get him to stop. Then the police and some good people in the store became involved. It was a rather ugly scene.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was, but where this came from was when I had just dropped Amalie off, I had another run-in with that woman.¡±

    ¡°And she hit you?¡± she asked rather aghast.

    Alastor merely shrugged. He was keeping details of that to himself. He purposefully tracked down the woman¡¯s store, which turned out to also be the home for that vulgar creature and brat of a son where they lived on the second floor.

    ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t matter now. What¡¯s done is done.¡±

    ¡°Still, she assaulted you. You need to report that to the police.¡± Elain said, her voice filled with worry, which held Alastor¡¯s attention. ¡°You can¡¯t let someone like that get away with what they did. It could have been even worse.¡±

    In response, he gave her a cheery smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Ortiz, I plan to take care of it, which is why I wanted to ask you something. I know that this is short notice, but would you be willing to watch my daughter for a few hours tomorrow night? I have something important I need to take care of, and I still haven¡¯t been able to find a replacement sitter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have to check with my folks first, but if it¡¯s just for a few hours, I think it should be all right. I¡¯ve watched Kaya plenty of times when Nate isn¡¯t able to.¡± Though watching Kaya is like trying to keep an energetic squirrel on a bucket of caffeine sometimes. And Amalie doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of kid. ¡°May I have your number, so I can let you know if I get the okay from my parents?¡±

    Without missing a beat, Alastor pulls out a pen and notepad from the inner breast pocket of his vest. ¡°Here you are. This is both my home phone and cell. If you can¡¯t reach me on my home phone, you most certainly will with my cell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk with you later, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡± She said as she watched him leave, and when he returned to his home, Elain¡¯s smile faded. Before falling back to lay on the porch. Maybe doing something different since everything else didn¡¯t seem to help would be good?

    ¡°Babysitting your neighbour?¡± Elain¡¯s mother said, looking slightly surprised as they were cleaning up after dinner. ¡°I see no issue with it, do you?¡± Zuri turned to Jair with the same look as her question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a problem, though you need to let us know when he¡¯ll be back, so we can estimate when you¡¯ll be back home.¡± Her father says, handing her the cordless phone that he grabbed off the kitchen¡¯s countertop. ¡°You can call him now, put him on speaker so we can go over when he might be back.¡±

    Elain pulled out the piece of paper and dialled up the number. On the second ring, there was an answer.

    ¡°Evening, Hilmarsson residence, Alastor speaking.¡±

    ¡°Hi Mr. Hilmarsson, this is Elain. I have you on the phone with my parents. They¡¯re okay with me watching Amalie. They only want to know when you¡¯ll be back so they can expect me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, and yes, I completely understand. I should be home at eleven, midnight at the latest, just as long as traffic isn¡¯t too hectic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always hard to judge the roads,¡± Zuri replied. ¡°You never know what might be out there in the dead of night.¡±

    ¡°True, true. But I should be fine. I believe what I need to take care of shouldn¡¯t take all that long. It normally never does. Though as compensation, I will pay you, if you are all right with that, Miss. Ortiz.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± Elain glanced at her parents.

    Her mother mouthed. ¡°Up to you.¡± While her Dad simply smiled with a shrug.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to, I mean, school doesn¡¯t start until September, and it¡¯s not like I have anything else happening in my life.¡±

    Alastor paused on the other end. ¡°I see. Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow night, at eight pm. Feel free to come early if you wish. My daughter and I would love to have you for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll come by at eight Pm. I don¡¯t want to impose.¡±

    ¡°Very well, see you tomorrow, Miss. Ortiz. Good night to you and your family.¡± When Alastor ended the call, he paused, looked over his notes and smiled. Tonight would be a good night, that much Alastor was sure of.

    *    *    *

    A few minutes before eight, Elain rang the doorbell in which Alastor opened the door, dressed in a high-end three-piece dark blue suit. And an artistic blue tie. ¡°You¡¯re early.¡±

    ¡°Is that okay?¡± Elain asked hesitantly.

    His kind smile grew. ¡°Of course, it is. Please, come in.¡±

    As Elain entered Alastor¡¯s home for the second time, she noticed Amalie peeking out from the living room. Elain smiled and waved. Amalie did a small wave before heading upstairs to what was probably the girl¡¯s bedroom.

    ¡°Now then,¡± Alastor spoke, drawing Elain¡¯s attention. ¡°Let me show you around first.¡± He says as he walks further back into his home. ¡°Though you probably remember the layout of what you saw on the first floor.¡± When she nodded, he chuckled softly¡ªa girl with a good memory, a wonderful troublesome thing. ¡°Well, as you know, there¡¯s the kitchen and the living room. And connected to the kitchen is the dining room. Though I¡¯ve only used it on special occasions or on the rare times, I host a dinner party with some acquaintances, be it from work or social circles.¡± He then led her further back, where she saw a half bathroom to the far left tucked away in the corner and something she didn¡¯t expect to see to her right.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a piano.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he said with an interested tone. ¡°Do you play?¡±

    ¡°I used to, back when I was a lot younger, but when Kaya was born, we had to cut back on extracurricular activities. It¡¯s been a long time anyway. I don¡¯t think I can play anything at all now.¡± Given that, I can¡¯t even use my right arm that much for long periods.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. If you¡¯d ever wish to relearn, I could teach you when I have the time. I play on several occasions, even taught Amalie how to play.¡±

    ¡°She plays?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, and she¡¯s rather good too. Though I think she prefers the violin more.¡±

    Wow, talk about talent. ¡°So, does that mean you play the violin too?¡±

    ¡°Depending on my mood,¡± he muses.

    Well, that¡¯s not a ¡°no.¡± Elain thought.

    ¡°Anyhoo,¡± Alastor then leads her back to the front of the house, where he opened the hallway front closet and produced a pair of black leather shoes and a long back coat. ¡°Upstairs is Amalie¡¯s and my bedrooms, a guest bedroom, my office and a large bathroom. All of the windows are currently locked, as is the back door. There are emergency numbers and contacts by the fridge, as well as my cell number. Amalie goes to bed at nine O¡¯clock. She¡¯s not difficult when it comes to her bedtime. She¡¯ll sometimes be in bed reading a few minutes before.¡±

    She is so not like Kaya. Elain thought, doing her best to hide her relief as the unsuspecting father had his back turned to her as he swiftly placed on his coat.

    Alastor then turns and readjusts the cuffs of his long coat. ¡°Amalie,¡± he calls as he makes fast strides to the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Come down, my Sweetheart.¡±

    Amalie reaches the top of the stairs and with a tentative glance at Elain. Before cautiously coming down to the first step as her father kneels down for them to be at eye level. ¡°Remember what I said before? Miss. Ortiz is in charge for tonight. I¡¯ll be back late, so be a good girl while I¡¯m gone.¡± He paused, then added as he cupped her cheek with his right hand. ¡°I know she¡¯s not Lauren, but you did say that you hoped to be good friends with her, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Amalie nodded shyly. Cute.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be all right. I shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± He then leaned in close and kissed his daughter¡¯s cheek before standing to his full height once more and facing Elain as he faintly smiled. ¡°There¡¯s food in the fridge. If you find yourself hungry, feel free to have whatever you like. Just be sure to clean up after yourself.¡± He then paused and asked. ¡°You¡¯re not allergic to anything, are you, Miss. Ortiz?¡±

    Elain shook her head. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not allergic to anything at all.¡±

    His facial expression looked to be relieved with his smile. Making him look all the sweeter. As though what she said was music to the man¡¯s ears. Elain couldn¡¯t figure out why this man never remarried. Maybe he wanted to remain focused on his daughter and career.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he then turned for the door.

    ¡°Have a good night, Mr. Hilmarsson,¡± Elain said. ¡°Be safe out there, and watch out for crazy people when on the road. My Mom often says that because you never know who you¡¯ll run into in the dead of night¡±

    Alastor paused, glancing at Elain, before laughing softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure too.¡±

 Chapter 06 ~Kira~

    ¡°Sonofabitch.¡± Kyrie (Kira) Song muttered harshly to herself as her dark eyes narrowed at the mess of a house that was now close to being a heaping mess of charcoal.

    This was not how she wanted to start the day.

    It was too early to be dealing with something like this. Far too early, with it currently being three in the morning. She didn¡¯t even have her coffee yet.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± she asked as another detective she worked with came out from the mess of a house. The look he gave her was the answer she needed. ¡°God, what a way to start the day¡­¡± she muttered before being led to the charred remains of the house. ¡°Where?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Basement,¡± he says, then glancing back, he adds. ¡°Brace yourself.¡±

    Her brows furrowed. Just how bad was this?

    The detective continued. ¡°The fire started around one-thirty in the morning. The best guess is that it might have started at one AM. It practically went up in flames like a box of matches at two AM. Given people came to buy plants or flowers. It¡¯s no surprise it went up so quickly. But it¡¯s what the firefighters found in the basement that led to us being called.¡±

    Kira didn¡¯t respond. Her mind raced to come up with what was in the depths, given how so little remained.

    But what was down there, she couldn¡¯t mentally prepare herself.

    The basement was immaculately clean. That was the first thing that stood out to her, along with the sudden drop in temperature. Regular items like bleach, cleaner, and other household items followed by seedlings and other plants stacked on shelves with packs of seeds and other plants lining the brick walls, but there was one thing that stood out of place was dead center of the basement.

    It was a tree, a fake tree with flowers all strewn into the limbs to make it look like it was in full bloom, but what was at the tree¡¯s base was a human corpse. Which somehow had been used as part of the tree¡¯s trunk.

    The body was strung up with the woman¡¯s torso made into a morbid display. Her body was sliced open, with flowers placed within, a flower crown with prominent thorns gouging into her skull, making her short-bobbed haircut slick with blood. She had no arms or legs. They looked to have been expertly removed.

    ¡°Firefighters found this when they were fighting off the fire to see if anyone was still inside.¡± The other detective, Fredrick (Freddie) Louds, Kira¡¯s partner, spoke, bringing Kira away from the horrid sight. ¡°The poor guy nearly fainted when he first saw it.¡±

    Freddie was slightly older than Kira, a man of African American descent with cool dark skin and average height with a stocky build as he kept his black hair styled in a buzz-cut. The man had been a detective far longer than Kira and was well-liked in the community.

    ¡°Was there anyone inside?¡±

    ¡°The firefighters discovered a boy down here as well, unconscious, with signs of being drugged, but nothing else was done to him. He¡¯s currently at the Hospital for Sick Children.¡±

    ¡°SickKids,¡± Kira confirmed.

    Freddie nodded. ¡°Yeah, the boy was found responsive but semi-unconscious, but dealing with a small amount of smoke inhalation from the fire. We¡¯ve contacted the father since the parents divorced. He should be on his way to the hospital now.¡±

    ¡°Was there anyone else inside during the fire?¡±

    ¡°No, other than the woman who¡¯s turned into a tree.¡± He then handed her a file, and as she looked it over, Freddie added. ¡°This woman was a piece of work, with multiple complaints coming from customers and coworkers from the flower shop she ran from the ground floor of her house, going through at least two lawsuits, and having been charged with assault at least on five separate occasions.¡±

    ¡°Six,¡± Kira said. ¡°It says six on her file.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, that one¡¯s new. It happened at least a week ago or so, I think? She tried to attack a father and daughter in a bookstore of all things when her son couldn¡¯t get a book he wanted; I¡¯ll contact the officer who was a part of the case to give more details.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need that.¡± She closed the file and handed it back to him as her dark gaze looked back at the woman¡¯s body. This will be a hell of a case¡­ she thought with discomfort at the horrid scene.

    ¡°Where are you going, Song?¡± Freddie asked when he saw her leave.

    ¡°To get some coffee, I¡¯m going to need it. Want me to get you one?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one a block away. And I¡¯m fine. When you get back, I¡¯ll let you know if we find anything else, don¡¯t take too long.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she walked out of the scene and kept going until she reached a nearby alley where she emptied the contents of her stomach. ¡°Shit¡­¡± she cursed under her breath as she let out heavy breaths. This was not the first time she had seen a graphic crime scene, but this one, in particular, was different. One that left a feeling of dread in the pit of her now empty stomach.

    *    *    *

    At least five in the early evening, Kira was in the middle of doing paperwork on some of her other cases while inside the Toronto Police 11 Division building when someone came in to be interviewed who worked with the victim.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± Kira said as she entered the interrogation room, where she came face to face with a relatively thin young woman who looked to be either in her teens or early twenties. The woman had short mousy brown hair that was left down, hazel brown eyes and freckles all across her pale skin. ¡°Thank you for coming in. Before we start, would you like some coffee? It¡¯s pretty good, or, if you¡¯d like, I can see if I can get you something else to drink.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯d like to get this over with if that¡¯s all right with you.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± she glanced to the one-way mirror where her partner and another officer were before sitting down in a chair across from the young woman. ¡°First, do you know why you¡¯re here?¡±

    The young woman nodded. ¡°Yes, an officer called, wanting me to come in to talk about my boss. I heard there was a fire. I was supposed to work today, but¡­ looks like I don¡¯t have a job anymore.¡±

    Kira noticed how the young woman almost sounded relieved. ¡°May I have your name?¡±

    ¡°Tracie, Tracie Winship.¡±

    She wrote that down in a notebook. ¡°That¡¯s a nice name. So, how long did you work with Karen Crock, your boss?¡±

    ¡°About four months. My previous job closed down; it was another flower shop. I¡¯m looking to be a florist, and I¡¯ve been trying to gain experience before seeing about going to college for Floral Design.¡±

    Kira paused. That was certainly different. ¡°What made you decide to do that?¡± she asked this for two reasons. The first was to get a person to relax and be more willing to give information. The other was because Kira was genuinely interested.

    Tracie smiled warmly. ¡°My Mom and Grandpa love flowers and the garden they have always looked amazing. Because of that, I wanted to do it as a professional job.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you really love flowers.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°How did things go with your boss? What was it like working there?¡±

    Tracie hesitated; her gaze downcast as she fidgeted in her seat. ¡°If I¡¯m honest¡­ it wasn¡¯t great. She was super controlling and ignored orders from people she didn¡¯t like. Badmouthed several people and made¡­¡± She spoke under her breath. ¡°Racial slurs, especially towards those of colour and those who were Asian.¡±

    What a class act. Kira thought dryly but didn¡¯t let it show on her face. ¡°Then why did you continue to work with her if that¡¯s the case?¡±

    ¡°Because I needed the money, but I didn¡¯t stop looking for other work. Today, I was going to quit. A customer recommended a better place after seeing how some of the other employees were treated, even me. And because of him, I was able to find a better job. I¡¯m sure that¡¯d make her even madder given what she did to him too.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Tracie, who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. About a few days ago, maybe three or four? A man came to Crock¡¯s flower shop. This man wanted to talk to her but ended up getting slapped, like, really hard in the face. She yelled at him, blaming him for a lawsuit and a bunch of other things. It got to the point where none of us could understand what she was saying.¡±

    ¡°And what happened after? Was he angry?¡±

    ¡°Well, anyone would be, but he just¡­ smiled. Like it didn¡¯t bother him, then she stormed back into the shop, closed for the day and yelled off whatever customers were still there. I spoke with him, and he introduced himself, he said his name was Alastor, I thought he looked familiar, and like an idiot, I finally remembered who he was when I got home. He¡¯s the radio host for 66.6 FM. My Mom listens to him all the time in the morning.¡±

    Kira frowned faintly. ¡°Why was Alastor Hilmarsson at the flower shop?¡±

    Tracie shrugged. ¡°He said he wished to speak to my boss in the hopes to air out grievances and come to terms with what happened between them. He did intend to keep the charges held since his kid was hurt, I mean, any good parent would do that, but he at least wanted to hear her out. And she slapped him, can you believe that? He¡¯s a nice man, but given what Karen¡¯s like, I¡¯m honestly not surprised she did that.¡±

    ¡°Was that all you talked about with him?¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Well, I did tell him what was going on. Ms. Crock was treating the employees who were there, and he told me of a place that I start tomorrow, but other than that. No, nothing else.¡±

    *    *    *

    Kira didn¡¯t expect to come back to this home again.

    After speaking with Tracie, Kira went back and talked to the officer in charge of Karen¡¯s assault case, and when looking over the file, she saw that Alastor Hilmarsson was the man who pressed charges.

    The last time Kira was here, she questioned the man about Lauren Davenport¡¯s disappearance. And though he seemed like a kind man, he had other things on his mind. Given he was a single father raising his only child alone, it was expected. Still, Kira didn¡¯t know what to think as she and Freddie made their way up the street to the man¡¯s home.

    They had gone by his workplace but found that he had taken leave to look after his daughter until school started up again. Kira remembered the little girl and her father. She had heard Alastor many times on the radio, a once upcoming star on the stage turned radio host in the center of downtown Toronto. And he was just as charismatic and charming as he was on the air.

    Kira knew about his wife¡¯s sudden disappearance and was on the news for at least several months before it eventually faded into obscurity. Much like everything else when things lose people''s interest.

    ¡°Should you, or should I?¡± Freddie asked, where Kira gave a wave of her hand, allowing him to go first. ¡°All right then,¡± Freddie knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, then waited while Kira glanced around the front yard. Nothing has changed in the last few months.

    The yard was immaculate.

    Then the door opened, and Alastor smiled almost wryly upon seeing who was on his porch as if knowing who they were right away.

    ¡°Hello detectives,¡± Alastor spoke with that sing-song voice of his. ¡°Is there something I can help you with this evening?¡±

    ¡°May we come inside to talk?¡± Kira asked, then noticed Alastor¡¯s daughter peaking from the back door that led to the backyard watching them with a wary gaze.

    Alastor seemed to notice this, for he turned around and spoke to his daughter. ¡°Sweetheart, could you please go upstairs?¡±

    With another glance at the officers, the little girl nodded before quickly going upstairs. Then Kira and Freddie entered the home.

    ¡°We can speak in the kitchen if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Alastor said. ¡°We just finished dinner, so if you¡¯d kindly follow me, we can talk there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± Kira said as Alastor make quick and silent strides to the kitchen, where she could smell something cooking. And whatever it was, it smelled delicious. There was also a radio on, sitting atop the fridge where music played. The song currently on was I Don''t Want To Set The World On Fire by The Ink Spots.

    Kira only knew that because her previous partner had a love for old-timey music. It was one of his favourites.

    ¡°Please, have a seat. This will only take a moment.¡± Alastor said as he washed his hands. He checked the pot where a stew was on low heat before removing it from the element and turning it off completely, followed by the radio. ¡°Now then,¡± he says as he turns to the two detectives he took a seat near the island with legs crossed and hands in his lap, sitting with his back straight. ¡°How may I help this evening?¡±

    ¡°We just have some questions for you, Mr. Hilmarsson,¡± Freddie says. ¡°Are you aware of a fire that took place sometime last night?¡±

    ¡°You mean the one downtown late last night? Yes, I heard about it on the news this morning. Such a terrible thing. I hope no one was hurt.¡± The two detectives glanced at each other when Alastor said, which the man promptly picked up on as his hand went over his mouth. ¡°Oh, dear, I¡¯m terribly sorry. But what does that have to do with me?¡±

    ¡°Do you know a woman by the name of Karen Crock?¡± Kira asks.

    ¡°Yes, she and her son attacked my daughter and me while we were at the bookstore that we frequent. I believe it was about a week ago.¡± He paused. ¡°She didn¡¯t attack someone else who caused the fire? Did she?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Freddie said. ¡°It was her home that burned. But, Mr. Hilmarsson, a young woman who used to work for Ms. Crock, spoke about how you were there three days ago. When a week before, she tried to assault you and your child. Only for her to hit you when she saw you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did go to her place. It was on the way back from dropping my daughter at the home of a friend of mine, a woman named Ms. Vivian Bone. She¡¯s part of the late-night talk show at the radio station we work for. I had some things I needed to take care of, like dinner for the coming week. And a few other things around the house. I didn¡¯t wish to have my daughter alone when I was out, and Ms. Bone was more than willing to let my daughter stay at her place for a few hours.¡±

    Kira responds. ¡°That¡¯s rather nice of her to do.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s smile grew slightly. ¡°Yes, it was, Ms. Bone is a wonderful woman, such a companionate soul. More people should be like her, in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, why were you there, to begin with?¡±

    He then glanced at Kira. ¡°Curiosity,¡± he says. ¡°She gave me her card before the assault took place. Part of me was curious about what her shop was like. And since it was on the way, I thought to give it a look. And I also hoped for us to come to an agreement. Though I planned to take her to court to face what she had done, I was willing to reach an understanding. Yet the moment I arrived; I see Ms. Crock berate a poor young woman. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. So, I intervened, and I was hit, but I thought it was for the best. If I could help that young woman, I¡¯d say it was worth it.¡±

    ¡°Was that your only reason?¡±

    ¡°Yes, should there be another reason?¡±

    Kira glanced at the man, then plainly asked. ¡°Where were you at one in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Here, at home asleep.¡±

    She looked at him. ¡°Were you doing anything that night?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was at a local pub called Phantom. An old friend of mine owns it. I go there from time to time, chat about things, life and so on. I was there until eleven thirty and was home by twelve-thirty. The traffic home was abysmal due to an accident on the highway. If you wish to check, you can talk to him. His name is Bishop Huxley, though he tends to be a bit¡­ skeptical of law enforcement.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Past experiences, sadly, that is all I can tell you. If you wish to know more, you will have to ask him yourselves.¡±

    What are you, his therapist? Kira thought with slight disdain, only to look back to her notes when his gaze went right to her as if he could read her mind. ¡°Is there anyone else? Who can confirm where you were?¡±

    The doorbell rang; Alastor then excused himself to answer the door. From where Kira was, she could see onto the front porch where a girl who looked to be in her mid-teens stood. She had a relatively thin build, warm tanned skin and wavy black hair, though her mismatched eyes held Kira¡¯s attention the most.

    ¡°Hi Mr. Hilmarsson, sorry to come by unannounced, I uh¡­ I think I forgot something.¡±

    ¡°The book you were reading, yes, I saw it on the coffee table in the living room. It¡¯s still in the same place as you left it. One moment.¡± Alastor then walked into the house and picked up a book with an artistic image of an Asian woman with green robes and face paint before walking back to the door. Only to pause. ¡°Actually, Miss. Ortiz, are one of your parents at home? There are some detectives here who need to clarify something and will probably need your statement.¡±

    The girl looked startled. ¡°What really? Was it about the accident on the road that you saw or the woman who hit you?¡±

    She knows about both; I guess she¡¯s not lying. Probably the sitter. Kira thought as Alastor handed the girl the book, who now looked worried, couldn¡¯t blame her for that.

    ¡°They just need to know when I came home,¡± he says with a smile.

    ¡°If it¡¯s just for that, then I don¡¯t think my¡­ actually wait. I¡¯ll tell them.¡± She then rushed off across the street to the home she lived in. Not a minute later, the teen¡¯s mother came out, with strides, she held the air of an angry lioness, dressed in jeans and a loose-flowing black blouse that had a flower pattern.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Ortiz. I do apologize for the inconvenience.¡±

    ¡°None needed, dear. Not the first time we¡¯ve had to talk to the police. I only hope these don¡¯t jump the gun like they do in the States.¡±

    Freddie gave a low soft whistle, clearly remarking on the insult, but could understand, that those of colour were always judged first by apparencies, and given the fact the woman spoke of the Sates and her accent, they weren¡¯t from here.

    The two then entered Alastor¡¯s home and were met with tense warry gazes of the mother and daughter, though they didn¡¯t seem to hold much in common besides the young girl¡¯s dark right eye. She must have taken after her father then.

    ¡°Detectives¡¯,¡± Alastor spoke, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I do hope this is all right, given that you would have gone across the street to speak to her.¡±

    Kira looked at the youth. Who seemed to grip her right forearm, was it injured?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Alastor said softly, as he stood beside her before looking to the two detectives with a look that said: ¡°Ask your question.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be wary over,¡± Kira says to the teen. ¡°We just want to confirm his time of departure and return home.¡± The mother didn¡¯t seem to believe that as she folded her arms across her chest with a disapproving look. It made Kira think of her own mother.

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson left a little bit after eight PM; he was showing me around his house and things I needed to be aware of before he left. His daughter and I then looked at the book I brought. She¡¯d never heard of it before, so I read a bit to her before going to bed. Her Dad, uh, Mr. Hilmarsson, then came back around twelve-thirty since there was an accident. He even called that he was going to be delayed because of it and apologized.¡±

    ¡°She then called home,¡± her mother interjected. ¡°Let us know about the delay where her brother then went to get her when Mr. Hilmarsson returned home.¡±

    Kira looked from the woman to the teen then to Alastor. It didn¡¯t seem like it was rehearsed, though the teen¡¯s mother did not look pleased in the slightest. She might have been a lawyer. Wonderful.

    ¡°I see,¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s all we¡¯ll need,¡± Freddie added, causing Kira to look at him with a frown, but that changed when he indicated to his phone, making her understand why. The autopsy was complete, and the courier had news regarding it that they needed to know.

    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± Kira said, then added. ¡°I do apologize for the inconvenience.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t seem bothered.  ¡°You were merely doing your jobs, I understand.¡± He then led them to the door, and with that same smile, he said. ¡°I hope you find whoever did this and bring them swiftly to justice.¡±

    *    *    *

    Kira never liked heading to the morgue, mainly due to the smell. It was just something about it that always made her queasy, something she¡¯d never admit even after being on the force for ten years.

    ¡°What did you find, Liam?¡± Freddie asked the coroner.

    ¡°I can tell you what I didn¡¯t find, no signs of smoke inhalation. This woman wasn¡¯t killed when the fire began. It happened well before.¡± The coroner, Liam Chen, said while looking over his notes.

    ¡°Estimated time of death?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°Around eleven to midnight, but that might be scud due to the basement¡¯s temperature. When you¡¯re taking care of plants, you¡¯d want to keep the area warm, but from what your guys could find, it was the opposite.¡±

    Freddie confirmed this. ¡°Yeah, the thermostat was set to the lowest it could go. Even with the fire, it was pretty damn cold down in the basement.¡±

    ¡°Any sign of her missing limbs?¡± Kira asked

    ¡°No, the forensics team is taking a closer look at the tree she was in, but from the report, it was just a prop that had been left in that basement for some time now. While the flowers that were put in the open cavity were from her shop.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Liam handed Kira the clipboard with all his notes. ¡°Many of her internal organs had been removed. And from the looks of it, the killer did it when she was alive, the same with her limbs, and of course, done with clean medical percussion.¡±

    Kira¡¯s gaze shot up from the notes and then down to the body as that feeling in the pit of her stomach came back in full force. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± Her voice held venom when she spoke as her anger began to swell within her chest.

    Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse).

    A serial killer known for turning people¡¯s corpses into deranged pieces of art and would never kill the same way again; the reason for this was how the bodies would look and for another reason that the body would never be whole. Parts would always be missing.

    An arm, a leg, lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and even the brain.

    Anything this monster could get his hands on. Worst of all, these people who were killed would, almost always, always be alive when it was happening.

    The reason for it was unknown. Nor was it known to the public for obvious reasons.

    The reason why these people were being killed was also unknown; all other victims by him never had any connection to one another.

    He would kill indiscriminately. It didn¡¯t matter the person¡¯s ethnicity, gender or sexuality. He would kill all, and that was the worst type of murder. It¡¯d be easier if he had a type, then they¡¯d at least have something to work off of.

    Even the FBI had been called in on two separate occasions in the past few years, and they never did shit to help. They always claimed that they would find the culprit, only for another to happen, then another, and another. It was endless.

    Meaning that they were left to deal with what they couldn¡¯t find.

    A ghost of a man who killed, never leaving a single trace of their existence.

    A murderer that Kira vowed to find, no matter the cost.

 Chapter 07 ~Amalie~

    My Dad was very cheery for the next few days.

    Singing more songs to himself, more so than usual. And he was more loving then before, dancing with me and playing on the piano or asking me to play a song I was practicing while he would help guide me if I made a mistake.

    He could always be loving to me, but this seemed more than usual.

    As though my Dad won some big prize.

    ¡°Did something good happen, Dad?¡± I asked that morning.

    He finished cleaning up from breakfast as he joined me on the couch in the living room. ¡°Mmm? What do you mean, Sweetie?¡±

    I looked up at him as he sat down next to me. ¡°You just seem really happy, is all.¡±

    I noticed the edges of his lips move slightly up. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m with you, My Dear.¡± He kissed the top of my head. ¡°Though there is another thing that¡¯s a surprise.¡±

    ¡°A surprise? For who?¡±

    He lightly squished my cheeks as he smiled. ¡°For you Sweetie, but as I said, it¡¯s a surprise. It arrived early this morning. Do you want to see it?¡±

    Wonder and curiosity filled my thoughts as I nodded quickly in response.

    His smile grew. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    I stilled the moment I covered my face, my smile vanishing. Was this good or not? Was this really something for me, or not?

    ¡°Alright, you can look now.¡± He says, his voice closer than before. I could feel him looming over me like a shadow. ¡°Amalie?¡±

    Slowly, I peeked through my fingers until I saw what waited for me was a package wrapped in brown paper. I looked at my Dad, confused. He merely continued to smile and ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to open it?¡±

    I looked back at it. It just seemed so plain. Anything could be inside. Anything.

    Squaring my shoulders, I reached and untied the string, opening the paper to reveal a plain cardboard box. Opening it, I saw what looked to be books in a rather impressive set of three. All were hardcover and came in a case with a letter on top.

    Taking the books out, I realized it was from the series that I loved so much. With even more confusion, I turned my attention to the letter read by my Dad since it was written with some fancy handwriting.

    Dear Amalie,

    I know that you and I are not well acquainted with each other. But in that short time, I understood more about you. I could tell you were a girl meant for great things. And I thought this was best to show my appreciation after dealing with some less than kind people.

    Your father has told me much about your deep love for books, and as a book lover and author myself, I thought you would enjoy this small gift. Please enjoy, and never stop being emersed in the stories that you love so deeply.

    Forever Yours,

    Margret Woods

    I looked up to my Dad the moment he said her name. I knew that name well because it was the person who wrote the book that I loved so much. I looked at the books, then at my Dad, the woman we met at the bookstore, Maggie. She gave me a toy bunny that I kept on my bed. She wrote these books. But I couldn¡¯t understand why she would give me these books that looked too important for someone like me.

    Picking the books out of the box, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I had been given a valuable treasure. Something that was truly amazing even to have, as I held it up like I had discovered something rare like gold or something from Icelandic Mythology.

    My Dad chuckled. He seemed to like my reaction to the gift. ¡°I take it that you¡¯re happy with this?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I say quickly before my smile disappears as I suddenly felt guilty. ¡°But,¡±

    He tilts his head to my response. ¡°What is it, Sweetie?¡±

    I looked at the letter that was still in his hands. ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°In the letter, you read, it said that I¡¯m meant for great things¡­ but I¡¯m not. All those other kids at school¡­ they think I should just¡­¡± I gripped my skirt with both hands. ¡°That I should just disappear like Mom. That I don¡¯t deserve to¡­ to be here.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart,¡± he cups my face with his right hand. ¡°That¡¯s not true, not at all. You brought me so much joy when you were born. You have every right to be here, and you deserve love regardless of what those children think. As your father, I try what I can to make your life as best as humanly possible, and I know some at your school don¡¯t like you.¡± I looked away, only to have my head turn from his other hand, both now resting lightly on my face. ¡°But that should never stop you from being at your best or doing what you think is right. Those kids know nothing of the life you¡¯ve lived or what you¡¯ve had to deal with. Just because your mother isn¡¯t here doesn¡¯t make you any less deserving of existing in this world. In fact, I¡¯d say you have more of a right than anyone else.¡±

    I looked at him with a frown. ¡°What do you mean, Dad?¡±

    He just smiled, picked me up and held me in his lap, swaying slightly like before at the bookstore. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You will understand when you¡¯re older. Just live as you want, My Dear, and I¡¯ll support whatever it is you wish to do. Like, say if you wanted those who bully you to disappear. I¡¯d be more than fine with letting that happen.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I say quickly. Pulling away to look him right in the eye as he continued to smile. ¡°Just because they say those things doesn¡¯t mean I want something bad to happen to them. Some of those kids have it bad. It¡¯s not their fault. At least, not fully.¡± I gripped his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to die.¡±

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    He merely looked at me, then laughed, drawing me back into his chest. ¡°Die? Oh, My Dear, I wasn¡¯t thinking of that. Though I¡¯m sure many think all bullies deserve such a thing. I know that children can be cruel. I was merely thinking of talking with their parents or even the principal if it were to continue.¡± He kept me close while stroking my hair. I couldn¡¯t see his face but could tell by his tone of voice that he was mad. But not at me. ¡°Although, if things don¡¯t change, I might have to escalate things a bit. Talk to the school board of education, but even then, they might not do anything. Honestly, they claim to care about the children. In reality, they only care about their image until something apprehensible is revealed that they had been hiding from the public, and their reputation dives to the bottom.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like that.

    The way he¡¯d casually talk about such things like that, that had another meaning underneath his words. He wanted all of it to disappear because of how a few treated me. Many of the other children ignored me because they were afraid to be targeted by those that bullied me or just didn¡¯t want to get involved, much like with some of the adults I¡¯ve seen.

    I couldn¡¯t understand.

    I liked school, just not all the people there¡­

    But there had been times, really bad times, when I¡¯d dream about my school. All the people that hated me were locked inside, unable to get out as it ate them whole in a sea of fire while I watched from a distance ignoring their cries for help as it all burned, thinking that this is what they deserved, that I didn¡¯t feel anything inside of me. Like I was empty. It was wrong to think that, but it happened and probably would as I¡¯d get older.

    I hated that part of myself.

    I pressed myself closer. I didn¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up. It was stupid of me to do so.

    I could feel my father¡¯s hold tighten slightly, the tone of his voice returning to normal.

    ¡°Sweetie, would you like me to read to you tonight?¡±

    I pulled away to look at him and returned his smile with one of my own. ¡°Sure,¡± if only to escape from the thoughts that I disliked. Even for a short time.

    School was right around the corner; I knew I had to go back and deal with it all over again. At least in the meantime, I could just enjoy reading or being read too.

    Whenever my Dad reads to me, I always feel the safest. How his voice carries even when I drift to sleep makes me at ease. As if nothing else exists in the world.

    When I read, I always imagine myself in that world, where I can stand for myself, and be who I want, whatever it is. Perhaps one day, I could be the hero I always read about. But for now, that¡¯s not meant to be. Since I know, I know all too well that someone like me, at my age, will be in the background as an adult takes center stage.

    I looked up at my father. I love him, I do, but I hope that I don¡¯t become like him as I get older. That was a secret I would never tell.

    ¡°Something wrong, sweetie?¡± hearing my father¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

    I shook my head, changing the topic by asking. ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡±

    My father smiled. ¡°Never ask,¡± he says as he places a kiss on the top of my head. ¡°It spoils the surprise. Speaking of,¡± he closes the book. ¡°I should get on that, thank you, My Dear.¡±

    I moved off so he could leave the couch as he handed me the book.

    ¡°We can continue reading this later tonight. How does that sound?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s okay with me,¡±

    He ran a hand over the top of my head. ¡°Wonderful,¡± then headed to the door that led to the basement, only to pause and add. ¡°Why not send a letter back to Mrs. Woods? I¡¯m sure that would make her very happy.¡±

    ¡°Could I send a picture too?¡±

    ¡°A picture? Do you mean you want to draw her something? I see no reason not to. Go ahead. I¡¯ll call you when dinner is ready.¡±

    Heading upstairs with the books, I paused, leaning to look over the railing, seeing my Dad still there by the door that led to the basement as he smiled.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll like tonight¡¯s dinner; it¡¯ll be the best I¡¯ve come up with in a while.¡± He says to me. ¡°It¡¯s something that both of us will enjoy and move past that horrible event.¡±

    ¡°You mean with that mean lady?¡±

    His smile grew. ¡°Exactly.¡± He then opened the door, headed into the basement, and before the door closed, I could hear him humming a song, one I could recognize as one of his favourites. Keep A-Knockin¡¯ (But You Can¡¯t Come In) by a man named Louis Jordan. My father would hum that many times, mainly whenever he was in a good mood while going into the basement or even having it playing in the basement.

    I had no clue why he¡¯d hum that so much; maybe it was a way to remind me to stay out of the basement. Since I knew it was the one place that I wasn¡¯t allowed to go. Everywhere else I could, like his office or even the attic with his supervision, but not down there. But I also wondered if it was directed toward my Mom when she was here. He¡¯d sing and hum that song a lot around her. Almost as if he was mocking her for something.

    Which made me wonder if she did something that I wasn¡¯t aware of. I could never ask Dad, he never spoke of Mom, and it wasn¡¯t like I could ask anyone else this either. Like friends, I didn¡¯t really have any, so that wouldn¡¯t happen.

    I headed back to my room, placed my new books on my desk, then went and opened a cabinet at the bottom of my bookshelf where I kept some blank paper, only to stop when I saw something familiar and pulled out my photo album. There were several photos of my Dad and me, stopping at a special one. I smiled. It was of Vivian, my father and I all dressed in rainbows for the Pride Parade when I was five, about two years ago. Dad had ordered by the same person who made his tailored clothes, for us to match. He had a rainbow tie and vest while wearing a white suit, and I had a rainbow dress and a white blouse, while Vivian wore an outfit that was blue, purple and pink. I asked her what the colours it meant since it was on a flag, and she said that it means that she likes both boys and girls and that she was 200% sexuality.

    I had no idea what that last part meant. I still don¡¯t, but that was okay.

    It was the first time I went to one of those parades, and it was nice too, so many people just being good to each other. I wanted to go again this year, but there was school. I¡¯d rather skip school and be with people that care than go to a place that hates me.

    I paused when reaching the end, a photo I kept hidden, even from Dad.

    A photo of when Mom was still here.

    It was the last photo of us as a family when I was three.

    Besides the last memory I have of her, the only other time I can remember her was when she was angry. Yet, in this picture, she looks so happy.

    The word ¡°fa?ade¡± came to mind. A word I learned off chance when finding it in a book I was reading, and when I looked it up, I discovered that it meant for the front of a building, but it could also be meant for people who were putting on a front like my mother, pretending to be as happy as she looked when it was nothing but a lie.

    Instead of being happy, she was always bitter and cruel. It still scared me how she¡¯d look at me, as though I were nothing to her, nothing but a tool. Something to be used.

    I closed the book and put it away, only to pause when I saw my reflection. My Dad and I looked so much alike, yet I looked nothing like her, nothing at all. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder as my hands reached to touch the cool glass as I rested part of myself against the tall mirror as I sat on the floor.

    How much of me was really me, and how much of me was just a fa?ade?

    Was I even my own person?

    Did I deserve to be?

    With how much the other kids hated me at school and how so many of the teachers ignore it, it was something else that I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Would this whole thing continue even when I was an adult? Would people still hate me for just existing because I don¡¯t have a Mom? I always thought it was stupid. I wasn¡¯t the only kid who had one parent, there was a boy, Lukas, who was in a wheelchair, and he just had his Dad, while his Mom left blaming the Dad for how the boy was born.

    He was a kid I¡¯d often see in the library, and books were something we shared. We weren¡¯t friends, not really, but we had at least an understanding of what it was like to be judged for things not in our control. My gaze then went from my reflection to the books, reminding me why I came back to my room in the first place.

    Taking the piece of paper I had left on the floor, I went to my desk and pulled out some coloured pencils.

    Thinking about all those horrible things could wait. Right now, I just wanted to think of the good. I just hoped Maggie would like my drawing.

 Chapter 08 ~Elain~

    Elain let out a breath as her mismatched eyes looked to her phone, a text from a friend of hers at her old school, Rebecca Williams, asking how Elain was doing and if she had seen the news online recently. Elain hadn¡¯t, nor did she want to.

    She hissed a breath as she sat up when using her right arm unintentionally. The injury on her arm throbbed dully. For the briefest of moments she hoped that just due karma would fall on those who did this to her, but pushed it away. Thinking such ugly thoughts would do nothing for her current situation. For now, she just wanted no part of it to try and move on. Just thinking about it made her arm ache. She needed to get her mind off this.

    Leaving her room, Elain made her way to the stairs only to stop when hearing a thumping sound coming from Kaya¡¯s bedroom. Knocking on the door, Elain opened and peeked inside, seeing her baby sister dressed in dark blue overall jeans and a pink T-shirt, breathing hard, looking to be on the verge of tears.

    Concern hit Elain as she frowned faintly. ¡°Hey, Kaya, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The seven-year-old girl wiped her eyes with the back of her right arm. ¡°Nothing!¡± she said. ¡°My friends are just stupid! Really stupid! Chelsy is bragging about going to Disney World. She said she wanted to take me, but since I moved it¡¯d be too expensive now! So, she¡¯s taking Dean instead.¡±

    Elain made a face in her head while remaining stoic, that Chelsy kid was one that she never liked Kaya hanging out with, a bad influence and rotten personality and had caused issues in the past to be the center of attention. She also recalled that Dean was a boy with cerebral palsy and needed a walker at times since he couldn¡¯t stand for long periods without needing support or just to sit down, but other than that, he was like any other kid. ¡°Well, do you think Dean would be unhappy that he took your place?¡±

    Kaya shook her head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even like Dean. Chelsy messaged me saying that he¡¯s only coming so they can skip lines with his walker! When I told her that was bad and mean to do that to him, she responded with, ¡°Yeah? What are you gonna do to stop me? You¡¯re not here now to do anything.¡± with a stupid laughing gif.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you''re mad?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kaya snapped. ¡°But it¡¯s a lot of other things too! I hate that we moved, and I hate not having my friends here, but right now, I hate what Chelsy is doing to Dean more than anything!¡±

    Elain moved to the phone that had been tossed onto the bed amidst the chaotic mess of her room. Thankfully her phone wasn¡¯t damaged, and the text was still open.

    Kaya looked at her older sister with confusion. ¡°What are you doing, El?¡±

    ¡°Taking screenshots, I plan to send this to Chelsy¡¯s mother,¡± she had the mother¡¯s number because Elain babysat the kid a few times when Elain was short on cash. As she did so, she looked at Kaya. ¡°Are you okay with that? She is your friend, after all.¡±

    ¡°No, she ain¡¯t any more! Not after this!¡± Kaya snapped again. ¡°I don¡¯t like people who flaunt or do things like that to Dean! Their jerks and stupid and¡­ and they¡¯re dummies!¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t respond as she sent the screenshots to her own phone before forwarding it to Chelsy¡¯s Mom with the caption: Your kid is at it again.

    And the response was instant with a thank you and plans to handle it and talk with Dean¡¯s parents. Possibly to either cancel the trip altogether or something else.

    Not that it mattered right now.

    ¡°Tell you what, Kai, since we¡¯re both in real crummy moods, why not go to the park and take out your anger on the monkey bars.¡± When Kaya didn¡¯t answer, Elain added. ¡°There¡¯s an ice cream stand, too; I¡¯ll buy you chocolate.¡±

    Her cheeks puffed. ¡°Finnnnne.¡± Then muttered loudly under her breath. ¡°Better have sprinkles¡­¡±

    Elain smiled, yet in the back of her mind, she was a bit concerned about Kaya¡¯s remark on the move. She knew that this was life-changing for any kid, but Kaya seemed to be dealing with it well. Seemed to. And that bugged her.

    When Mom gets home, I¡¯ll try talking to her about Kaya. Elain thought as they made their way downstairs. She might be too tired, but I need to let her and Dad know. Since moving and setting everything up in the past week, both parents managed to find work relatively quickly in their respective fields, but given that their mother was a nurse, finding a job wouldn¡¯t have been too hard, or an architect for that matter.

    While their brother was preparing to apply to college well in advance, even though he had one more year of high school, knowing Nate, he just wanted to be ready for what he wanted to take. Nate wanted to be a doctor. That was his desire with how their Mom worked so hard when she studied and practiced being a nurse while raising three kids.

    Mom¡¯s a literal Queen and a Boss. Queen-Boss.

    Did that sound cheesy to Elain? Yes. Was she going to change her thoughts on her Mom because of this cheesy way of thinking? Hell no.

    Elain locked the door as they made their way down the street, with Elain glancing at the house across the road briefly, wondering how Amalie and her father were doing. After having an encounter with the police, her worry remained deep in her chest. The police didn¡¯t suspect Alastor, did they? Yeah, what that woman did was horrible, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯d do something as wrong as killing her for it. That would be too insane.

    But then that just seemed to be what came to Elain¡¯s mind first.

    Her experiences coloured her view of all police. It wasn¡¯t a good thing, she knew that, but she would always assume the worst immediately after what happened with her own experiences. Her mismatched eyes fell to her right arm where the graph lay, covered by the long sleeve of her shirt. Before shaking her head, again, this was something she did not want to think about right now.

    Elain and her sister walked past several families as they made their way to the nearby park. A lot of families were with their kids playing or enjoying just being with each other or others just being alone; in the midst of this, Elain recognized someone.

    ¡°Hi, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡± Elain said when she approached the bench where the man was reading a book.

    He turned to them, a bright smile on his face.  ¡°Hello, Miss. Ortiz, it¡¯s wonderful to see you again,¡± he paused, noticing something before looking to Kaya. ¡°Why, hello there! You must be Miss. Ortiz¡¯s little sister; you look so much like your mother.¡±

    Kaya gave a big beaming smile, she always did like being compared to their mom. ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Kaya. Are you the man that brought the pie over?¡±

    ¡°I am indeed. Did you enjoy it?¡± Kaya nodded, and Alastor chuckled. ¡°Wonderful. Say, do you see that little girl in the flower skirt? Her name¡¯s Amalie, she¡¯s not only the same age as you, but she¡¯s also my daughter. Why not go and see if she¡¯d like to play with you on the swings?¡±

    The idea of meeting a girl who might want to be friends brightened Kaya up as she made a bee-line for the swings where Amalie sat. only to jolt at Kaya jumping in her line of sight and saying. ¡°Hi! My name¡¯s Kaya. Want to play with me?¡± the other girl¡¯s response equated to that of a startled kitten.

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    And after a moment of Amalie glancing at her father and seeing Elain, she looked back to Kaya, and with a small smile, said. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°You seem troubled,¡± Alastor said as he watched his daughter now playing on the swing set with Kaya, his smile remaining as he did so. ¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡±

    Elain sat next to him, merely sitting in silence as the other parents and kids minded themselves before she finally spoke. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just been an adjustment, living in this new place. A new country almost feels like an irony given that the U.S.A and Canada are neighbours but are so¡­ different. It¡¯s a bit¡­ weird.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it in time,¡± he says. ¡°It was for me when I first immigrated here when I was much younger.¡±

    She looked at him with a questioning stare. ¡°Where did you live before?¡±

    ¡°I hopped around, England, and Ireland, but I mainly stayed in France. I visit my birthplace in Iceland before taking up roots here. I found myself truly loving it here, and I hope it will be the same for my daughter as well.¡±

    ¡°Were things okay after what happened with the Detectives?¡±

    ¡°Nothing else came of it, though I won¡¯t be surprised if they do come back. Either with more questions about the woman or for other matters.¡±

    Elain merely looked at him before looking back to Kaya chatting with Amalie. ¡°Good, I hope it remains that way.¡± She then changed the topic. ¡°The places you lived before; do you miss living there at all?¡±

    ¡°In a matter of speaking, France especially. The culinary arts were something I wish I could have brought with me. But, perhaps, one day, I¡¯ll take Amalie there one day.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve brought it with you,¡± Elain said. ¡°It takes a lot of skill to make what you did, like with the pie. So, I think you brought a piece of France with you.¡±

    ¡°If you ever become interested, I¡¯d be more than happy to teach you.¡± His gaze then quickly veered to Amalie as he spoke up with that smile on his face. ¡°Amalie, be careful standing on the swings like that. I wouldn¡¯t want you to fall.¡±

    Amalie halted on the swing that she was standing on as Kaya stopped pushing, Amalie touched the gravel with her left foot to stop. ¡°Sorry, Dad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just be careful, you two.¡± He then looked back to Elian. ¡°You can join them if you want. No need to stay with me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she pushed her hair out of her face, which in turn revealed the injury on her shoulder where stitches peaked out of her shirt, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything physical until I¡¯ve been allowed by the doctor.¡±

    His smile faltered faintly.

    She said with a bit of a laugh. ¡°But that¡¯s okay, gives me time just to think, you know?¡± she trailed off when Alastor said nothing as he merely continued to smile. As she turned away, her face felt warm. She was embarrassed about how she just handled that exchange.

    ¡°El,¡± Kaya called out from the swings. ¡°Can Amalie and I get some ice cream?¡±

    Grateful for this, Elain jumped up from her seat. ¡°Yes!¡± only to then remember that Kaya included Amalie in that as well and looked to Alastor. ¡°Is that ok with you?¡±

    His smile became cheery. ¡°I see no reason why not.¡± Elain then led the kids to a parked ice cream truck while Alastor remained where he was watching from a distance.

    As the three returned, Elain handed Alastor a waffle cone. ¡°I hope you¡¯re okay with strawberry.¡±

    He takes it from her while smiling brightly at her. It was almost more blinding than the summer sun. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s kind of you, thank you, Miss Ortiz.¡±

    Then the four of them sat on the bench eating ice cream, Amalie sitting in between her father and Elain while Kaya was sitting on Elain¡¯s other side. Eating in silence while watching other people. When Elain was done, she planned to clean up Kaya¡¯s face with the napkins that Elain brought but paused when noticing her right hand shaking faintly.

    Her right arm didn¡¯t hurt, but still, there were faint tremors.  She had done so little, and yet she had this reaction. Was it because of how she got up off her bed this morning?

    ¡°El, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kaya asked, looking up at her older sister with concern in her dark brown eyes.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She said quickly with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m all right, what about you? How¡¯s the ice cream? Were there enough sprinkles?¡± Elain was changing the topic; she didn¡¯t want to worry her little sister about something that could very well be nothing.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaya smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s really good!¡± her eyes then became sad even as her smile remained. ¡°But¡­ I just wish my friends were here.¡±

    Elain looked at the kids playing. ¡°Same here...¡± But she couldn¡¯t manage to say anything else about it. So, before this silence became any longer than it already was, Elain spoke up. ¡°Hey, when you¡¯re done, want me to watch you climb the monkey bars? You¡¯ve gotten faster at it, right? I can time you.¡±

    Kaya¡¯s eyes lit up as she smiled with a sprinkled-covered mouth. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elain said with a smile. Pushing her thoughts about her arm away, she just wanted to act like nothing was wrong with her body, at least for a bit.

    After Kaya finished, the girl rushed over to the fountain to clean her face, then came running back and grabbed Elain¡¯s hand, yanking her to the monkey bars. Thankfully, her little sister grabbed the other arm and not the one with stitches and a graph.

    ¡°Alright, you ready, you climbing monster?¡± Elain asked as she pulled out her phone.

    Kaya kicked off her shoes planting her feet firmly in the soft ground. ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Three¡­! Two¡­! One¡­! GO!¡±

    Kaya took off like a shot, running as fast as she could and then quickly making her way up the monkey bars like it was nothing. And in no time, Kaya was standing at the top with her arms crossed and had a smile of pride.

    The moment Kaya reached the top, Elain stopped the timer on her phone. ¡°Congrats, R¨¢pido Ardilla, you just broke your old time by at least two seconds!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Kaya says in the midst of her climbing down. ¡°Let me see! Let me see!¡±

    Seeing her little sister¡¯s ecstatic smile when seeing her score. ¡°See? You¡¯ll be the new Miles Morales before you know it.¡±

    Kaya made a sound of happiness as she kept looking at her time. ¡°I want to show Amalie, can I?¡± when Elain nodded, Kaya took Elain¡¯s phone and rushed over to Amalie and her father. ¡°Hey, look at how fast I went.¡±

    Amalie looked at the time. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing Kaya.¡±

    ¡°How long have you been doing this?¡± Alastor asked.

    ¡°Since I was four! I¡¯ve been doing exercises with El and Nate, oh that¡¯s my older brother Nathan. But Ellie is waaay better. She¡¯s even good at martial arts, like Katara from Avatar!¡±

    Amalie looked a bit confused before looking at Elain. ¡°Is she in the book that you were reading, Elain?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Katara is in the show Avatar the Last Airbender. Have you ever seen it?¡± Amalie shook her head. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯d be something you like, even your Dad if he¡¯s interested, I mean.¡±

    Alastor shrugged as he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m always willing to try something new. And it does seem interesting. Amalie was talking a lot about the book you were reading to her as well. But I¡¯m also interested to know what Kaya meant. You know how to fight?¡±

    Elain suddenly felt a tad embarrassed. ¡°Ah, well, kind of? It¡¯s mainly self-defence, you know? I¡¯m not that great. Besides, I can¡¯t really do it right now.¡± Especially with my arm and shoulder the way they are now. ¡°But besides that, Kaya has always been a bit of a climber, always able to move quickly. You should see her on a rock-climbing wall.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the next Spider-Man!¡± Kaya says with confidence.

    ¡°No!¡± Elain turned to see a boy, about the same age as Kaya and Amalie with brown hair and eyes, with a slight tan to his white skin from being in the sun so much. ¡°Girls can¡¯t be Spider-Man! You dummy!¡±

    Kaya frowned at him. ¡°Girls can too, what about Spider-Gwen? She¡¯s a girl!¡±

    ¡°You said Spider-Man, you can¡¯t be him! You¡¯re a girl!¡±

    Oh boy¡­ ¡°Hey, kid, relax. Anyone can be any superhero if they want. Just as long as they don¡¯t hurt anyone, and my sister isn¡¯t hurting anyone, is she?¡±

    The boy scowled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, boys can¡¯t be girls, and girls can¡¯t be boys!¡±

    Elain glanced at the kid and then looked to see if she could spot the boy¡¯s parents but couldn¡¯t see anyone who looked like the boy. They might be somewhere else. ¡°Alright, look, kid, anyone can be anything they want, regardless of gender.¡±

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change it!¡±

    Stubborn kid. She thought.

    ¡°No!¡± Kaya snapped before Elain could say anything else. ¡°You heard my sister! Anyone can be anything! And that means I can beat a boy any day of the week!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± the boy demanded.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Kaya snapped back. ¡°Why don¡¯t we put it to the test?¡±

    ¡°Kaya, wait!¡± Elain said but was completely ignored.

    ¡°What? Against you?¡± the boy asked.

    Kaya looked at him, unimpressed. ¡°Oh, what? You don¡¯t think you could win against a girl outside of a video game?¡±

    ¡°I-I never said that!¡± the boy said, his face looking embarrassed. ¡°Fine! Name it then!¡±

    Kaya grinned and pointed to the monkey bars. ¡°Whoever can get to the top of the monkey bars first wins!¡±

    ¡°Kaya!¡± Elian spoke up, causing Kaya to jump slightly in response. ¡°I said wait. This isn¡¯t a competition. You can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°Three, two, one, go!¡± the boy said, and the two kids took off to the monkey bars.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Elain called out, extending her right arm only to wince from her shoulder. Ow, shit¡­ she went closer to the monkey bars, just to keep a closer eye on the two in case something wrong. It was something she felt in her gut.

    Ever since the incident, she tried to be far more aware of those around her, at least as much as Elain could.

    And at that moment, a man called out. ¡°Ryan! What are you doing?¡± it must have been the boy¡¯s father, but that alone caused the kid to slip and fall back, unable to grab the bars, the way he was falling would hit his head or worse.

    Elain reacted, rushing forwards to grab the boy, falling with him, protecting him from the ground with her body, but what she didn¡¯t realize in the heat of the moment was how she fell as her right arm came in contact with the ground¡ªfollowed by something tearing.

 Chapter 09 ~Elain~

    Elain remained frozen on the gravel, stony playground. That wasn¡¯t good, not at all.

    Was it her arm? Her clothes? The boy¡¯s clothing? She couldn¡¯t tell.

    Her adrenaline was high, her heart pounding, afraid to know for certain, to look.

    Her body was completely frozen, unable to move. She felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe as adults and children began to surround her with frantic, panicked looks. But to Elain, right then, all those people didn¡¯t look like people who were concerned for her health, but of those laughing, mocking, with jeering smiles and snickers as they took photos as she fought for her life not to lose anything else while ignoring the current state of her bleeding arm.

    But then, a familiar voice snapped her out of it. ¡°El!¡±

    She blinked. Gone were the faceless shadows of her tormentors and replaced with faces of concerned parents and kids of varying ages.

    It was her sister that called out. Now looking to be on the verge of tears as she pushed past the adults to reach Elain.

    ¡°El!¡± Kaya landed on all fours looking at her big sister. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± she groaned as she sat up with the boy as his parents rushed over. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ll be fine, just please¡­ lower your voice, Kaya.¡± She tried to ignore the stabbing pain, but it did little good, not that it mattered right now. She looked down at the boy. ¡°You okay, kid?¡±

    The boy, looking up with tears streaming down his face and eyes filled with confusion, nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m okay!¡±

    ¡°Ryan!¡± a woman and man rushed over, being Ryan¡¯s parents with frantic concern as the boy moved out of Elain¡¯s arms and to his family as he cried even more.

    ¡°Mom, Dad!¡±

    Before she had the chance to speak anything to the parents amid berating for doing something so reckless and relieved that their kid was okay, she felt someone rest their hands along her upper arms. Looking to her right, she realized that Alastor and Amalie were right by her. ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home.¡± He says as he helped her stand up, with concerned parents watching, asking if she was okay or if she had anyone to call. ¡°She¡¯s my neighbours¡¯ child,¡± he says to them, which halted their concern. ¡°I¡¯ll take her home and see that she¡¯s looked after.¡± He then glanced at the boy and seemed to be reflecting on his impulsive actions while clinging to his parents. ¡°Please, be careful next time.¡±

    The boy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got hurt, miss.¡± He said, looking as though he were about to cry as his parents looked equally as apologetic.

    Elain smiled at the kid. ¡°Hey, no harm was done. I¡¯ll be fit as rain in no time. Just don¡¯t do something so crazy next time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry we should have kept a better eye on him,¡± the Dad said.

    ¡°Are you really going to be okay?¡± the mother asked.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Not at all, my arm is hurting like hell! ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± She just kept smiling not wanting to worry anyone, but Alastor seemed to notice this out of all the other adults.

    Alastor then led Elain and the other two little girls away from the park as he kept his hands on her upper arms to make sure she wouldn¡¯t fall back down again. ¡°Are your parents¡¯ home?¡± he asked as they walked.

    ¡°No,¡± Elain admitted. ¡°They¡¯re at work, and Nathan, our older brother, he¡¯s looking at Universities today, so he won¡¯t be home until late tonight. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just Kaya and me.¡±

    ¡°Then a slight change of plans,¡± Alastor says. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my home. What hurts?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ my arm. My right arm feels a bit off. I think it¡¯s just the nerves, but¡­¡± she paled, thinking about how the graph might have torn since she couldn¡¯t see anything else being wrong, her clothes were fine, and nothing had torn. ¡°I thought I heard something¡­ something bad.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯d better hurry.¡± He says as they pick up speed. When they reached his home, he then looked at his daughter with a kind smile. ¡°Amalie, why not show Kaya your room? I¡¯ll look after Elain.¡±

    Amalie looked to Elain and then nodded before turning to Kaya. ¡°Okay, come on, Kaya.¡±

    Kaya, on the other hand, looked worried at her big sister. Elain smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kai, I¡¯ll be fine, go and check out Amalie¡¯s room. I think you¡¯ll like it. It¡¯s pretty cool.¡±

    She hesitated, not wanting to leave her big sister, but seeing how Elain smiled, it seemed to ease some of Kaya¡¯s worries. With a nod, she followed Amalie up the stairs to where the little girl¡¯s room was. Faintly, Elain could hear Kaya ask. ¡°Do you have any video games?¡±

    Where then Amalie responds. ¡°No, but I do have toys and books.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, what kind of toys?¡±

    Elain was then guided to the kitchen, where he had her sit down in one of the chairs and then knelt on one knee in front of her. The motion of his doing that made him look elegant. If Elain weren¡¯t in genuine pain, she would have felt embarrassed.

    ¡°May I take a look?¡±

    Elain couldn¡¯t respond, her voice stuck in her throat as shame rested on her heart before looking at him to see genuine concern in his grey eyes with his faint smile before she rolled her sleeve up, revealing the bandage which he gently removed some of it to show the graph on her skin. Thankfully there didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of the graph tearing or bleeding. The moment she saw this, the pain she was feeling began to dull. Was it all in her head?

    Elain noticed that his grey eyes moved along her arm. From her hand to her elbow, as if capturing every detail of the healing injury. ¡°Were you skinned?¡± the tone of voice he had was grave. As though he could tell right away this wasn¡¯t an accident.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, unable to hide the truth. ¡°The people at my previous school¡­ they did this. And this,¡± indicating to the scar on her shoulder, then touched the one along her eyebrow. ¡°They even tried to take my eye.¡±

    ¡°How awful, you have such lovely eyes,¡± he said before pushing some strands out of her face and behind her ear. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Ah, a bit, but I think it was all in my head. Fear made me think it was worse than it was until I see it for myself if that makes sense. As long as I don¡¯t use my right arm, I should be okay.¡±

    ¡°May I ask how this happened to you?¡±

    She hesitated. ¡°Have you¡­ have you ever had to deal with an act of violence?¡±

    His gaze flicked to Elain¡¯s mismatched eyes before looking back at her arm that he gently held as he put the bandage back in place. ¡°In a matter of speaking, yes.¡±

    Elain looked at her sister playing. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Kaya¡¯s loud voice drew the two¡¯s attention. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± she then turned and ran into the kitchen, where Alastor stood, pulling her sleeve over her arm to hide her injury. ¡°You make clothes!?¡±

    Alastor chuckled. ¡°Yes, I do on occasion. I even made Amalie a few dresses and skirts over the years. It looks wonderful on her, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty!¡± then ran back up the stairs to Amalie¡¯s room to talk with her in a much more subdued voice.

    That surprised Elain. ¡°You make clothes?¡±

    Alastor adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. ¡°On occasion, I found it easier to make clothes than to buy cheaply made off a rack. It takes a steady hand to do so, and it¡¯s something I do almost as a hobby. Making clothes for Amalie as she grows has become a constant joy for me. Though I don¡¯t do it all the time, normally, I tend to go to a reputable tailor for my personal needs or for something very special for Amalie.¡±

    Makes sense. ¡°You do that and cook delicious food,¡±

    ¡°Indeed, though cooking food is a necessity for life, there is enjoyment in it as well.¡±

    ¡°What made you start making clothes?¡±

    Alastor leaned against the countertop by the sink, his arms crossed. ¡°I used to be in theatre. Acting, making props, costumes, that kind of thing. Though that was also a pastime while I studied medicine, but found the joys of being on the stage much more fulfilling.¡±

    ¡°Were you studying to be a doctor?¡±

    He nodded in response. ¡°Yes, originally when I was in France. But one day, I realized that being in the medical field was sadly not for me. So, I took to the stage and then became involved in radio when my daughter was born. Being an actor was one thing, but I knew that my daughter needed me more than the stage itself.¡±

    ¡°Wow, what can¡¯t you do, Mr. Hilmarsson?¡±

    He gave a soft laugh. ¡°Well, I could never see myself being vegetarian. I¡¯m too fond of the delicacies of meat and the taste I get from it. Speaking of, I should probably start prepping for tonight. Would you and your sister like to stay for dinner? We¡¯ll be having rabbit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t want us to impose after what just happened. Plus, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m all that hungry after this.¡±

    ¡°Then at least rest. You look a little pale. I¡¯ll tell my daughter and your sister to keep quiet for a bit so as not to bother you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Elain,¡± he said, kneeling to her level so that he would be looking up at her. It surprised her; this was the first time he ever used her first name. ¡°You looked terrified when you talked about your arm. As if you feared the worst. I won¡¯t speak about it with your parents and cause unnecessary worry if that¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about.¡±

    ¡°My Mom is going to be so mad¡­¡± Elain muttered as she felt like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s a nurse and has always told me to be careful while my arm and shoulder are healing. ¡°Don¡¯t lift too much,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself¡± Don¡¯t¡­¡± she let out a shaken breath while using her left hand to wipe her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±

    Alastor merely watched her for a moment, then got up and headed to the fridge. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯ll need.¡± He says as he pulled out a pot of something. ¡°I give this to my daughter whenever she¡¯s had a bad day at school or had been a very good girl. It¡¯s pudding, one I made myself, and something that will help you calm down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± he says with a soft smile. ¡°It¡¯d do us both some good and put your mind at ease for a while.¡± He then moved to take a small pot from the fridge and placed something into a bowl before putting it in front of Elain with a spoon. When she looked unsure, he merely sat across from her with his legs crossed as he extended a hand. ¡°Try it, at least.¡±

    She took the spoon and did so. Her spine straightened the moment she tasted it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s good, really good.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s subtle smile grew. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you think so. My mother used to make it all the time when I was a kid. I¡¯m happy that I can share it with Amalie.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lucky to have you as her father,¡± Elain said as she continued the portion that Alastor gave her as they talked for a while about other things, things that didn¡¯t matter, just small idle chit-chat. Yet after a while, she began to feel a bit tired. Something about this pudding made her feel relaxed. Like her worries were being eased off her shoulders. ¡°Thank you for the pudding.¡± She said when finished, yet when she stood, Elain sat right back down.

    ¡°Oh dear, are you all right, Miss Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just a bit out of it. I think I¡¯m coming down from that adrenaline rush I had earlier.¡± She looked at her arm with a narrowed look. ¡°You know¡­ sometimes I think it¡¯d be better if they had just cut it off altogether.¡± She snarled, recalling those people surrounding her as she leaned back in the chair to stare up at the ceiling. ¡°People like that wouldn¡¯t change though¡­ maybe if they had killed me, then they wouldn¡¯t get off scot-free. But then it all comes down to money. That¡¯s the only thing that seems to make people on the same level.¡±

    She touched her forehead. What the hell was wrong with her? She never talked about this so openly. Did she hit her head from the fall?

    Alastor seemed to think the same thing as he came right back around, and as lightly as possible, touched her forehead, the top of her head to the back and then base, followed by him brushing her hair off of her right shoulder where a tiny bit of the scare peaked out.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t sustained any injuries along with your head from the fall.¡± He says as he remains standing behind her. His hands were now resting on top of the chair¡¯s back. ¡°We should count ourselves lucky that it was not the worst-case scenario for you or that child.¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Miss Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mean that, did you? About your losing your right arm?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she answered honestly. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m right-handed, so doing things with my left has been hard, but not as much with how my right arm is now. I¡¯d just have to teach myself, right? Or I could just get a prosthetic. That¡¯d be kind of cool.¡±

    He seemed to see past her remarks as if knowing that she didn¡¯t mean any of it. A way for her to try and hide her emotions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ lamenting my stupidity.¡±

    ¡°For saving that boy?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No, for letting those people get away with it. But I can¡¯t do anything about it, I¡¯m not rich, and even if I was, I¡¯m not even sure what it would accomplish in the long run besides more drawn-out court cases. They got away with it, and I¡¯m mad about that. They can go on their merry way while I have to deal with what they did¡­¡± she bit her lip in frustration and turned around to face Alastor, who hadn¡¯t moved from where he stood behind her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming over me. I think I¡¯m just overly exhausted.¡±

    Alastor smiled as he offered her his hand. ¡°Then why not rest in our guest room for a bit? I¡¯m sure some sleep will help, and when you wake up, if you¡¯re up for it, you and your sister are more than welcome to join us for dinner.¡±

    She looked at his hand before taking it and standing up, still feeling a bit out of it. ¡°Sure,¡± he then guided her upstairs and to the guest room, where he turned on a bedside lamp to add some light to the room as she sat down on the bed. It was soft, inviting to her body after what she had just experienced. ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Could you¡­ could you forget what I said before? About me wanting to lose my right arm and all that other stuff? I really shouldn¡¯t have said all of that. I think with what¡¯s been happening, it just kind of got out of control inside my head.¡±

    He placed his right hand on his chest and bowed his head. ¡°I vow not to speak of it unless you wish to. You are more than welcome to talk with me about it if you want.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I think right now I just want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell Kaya and Amalie to stay quiet so you can rest.¡± He says as she removes her shoes to lie down on the bed. ¡°Sleep well, Miss Ortiz.¡± He says before silently closing the door as she lay in the dimly lit room.

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡± she spoke to herself. ¡°The hell is wrong with me? Saying all of that to him, God, he must think I¡¯m such a creep for saying that? Losing my arm¡­ right.¡± She sighed as her eyelids began to grow heavy with sleep. ¡°I just wish¡­ that they¡¯d disappear¡­ every single one of them. Off the face of the earth¡­ or have what they did¡­ done to them¡­ then I¡¯d¡­ call it even¡­ serves them¡­ right.¡±

 Chapter 10 ~Amalie~

    Kaya was having fun with some of the toys I had in my room, playing with them when I heard something in the hallway. Peaking out of my room, I saw my Dad bring Elain to the guest room, speaking softly to her.

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom,¡± Amalie said to Kaya.

    With Kaya distracted, I went into the hallway, my Dad brought the door closed, but he didn¡¯t move. Instead, he leaned against the door. He was listening. Even from the back, I could tell, his smile grew. What did she say?

    ¡°Dad?¡±

    He turned to face me, his smile was still the same as it always was. ¡°Yes, Sweetheart?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Elain?¡±

    He went on one knee for us to be eye to eye. ¡°She¡¯s in the guest room. For now, she¡¯s resting. She¡¯s not too badly hurt if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± He placed his right hand along my cheek as his thumb moved back and forth. ¡°For now, can you and Kaya be as quiet as possible while Elain rests?¡±

    ¡°We can go into the living room,¡± I said in response. ¡°If you think we might be too noisy.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be fine,¡± he says as he kissed the top of my head, then looked at me and asked. ¡°Do you have something else you want to ask me?¡±

    Why were you leaning on the door? But I wouldn¡¯t say it out loud. ¡°May I get a snack for Kaya and me, please?¡±

    His smile grew. ¡°Of course, Sweetie.¡± The two of us went down the stairs; my Dad went towards the basement, while I went to the kitchen¡¯s fridge where Dad kept homemade cookies that I would sometimes have.    That was when I noticed something, a bottle I have never seen in the kitchen before. Something that spelled: M-E-L-A-T-O-N-I-N.

    Mel-A-Tone-In.

    Huh, I never saw a word like that before. And why was a bottle like this in the fridge? What could it mean? Was it something that Dad took, like the things he¡¯d take in the morning or the vitamins I¡¯d have too, that was good for a person¡¯s body, but this seemed different than that.

    I left it where it was, placed some cookies on a plate and took it upstairs. Only to stop when seeing Kaya sitting on the floor, her dark eyes filled with worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡±

    Kaya looked at me the moment I said it but then looked back to the floor. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like that.¡± She mumbled, hugging her knees close to her chest. ¡°I mean¡­ I try not to think about all the bad stuff, but¡­ my sister was hurt¡­¡±

    I put the tray on my desk before sitting down next to her. ¡°Do you know how she was hurt?¡±

    ¡°I know a bit, the people who bullied her did it, but my Mom doesn¡¯t like talking about it, and I wouldn¡¯t even know what to look up online. And¡­ I¡¯m scared too¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll find if I do, because¡­ what if it¡¯s wrong? A lot of adults talk about things like ¡®fake news¡¯ or how people lie all the time online. How do I know what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not? I mean, I¡¯m just a kid, and I¡¯m not that smart¡­¡±

    ¡°You look plenty smart to me,¡± I tell her.

    She didn¡¯t bother to lift her head. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I don¡¯t think she believed me.

    That did sound like a big problem, one that I could only guess at how long Kaya was thinking it over. I wanted to help but, I wasn¡¯t sure how to.

    ¡°Can I show you something?¡±

    Kaya looked at me. ¡°Like what?¡±

    I moved away to open a chest where I kept my toys and pulled out two in question. Razzle and Dazzle were two goats with red and pink fur and stitched black eyes with wings.

    Kaya looked at the fluffy soft, plush toys that I held in my arms. ¡°What are they?¡±

    I handed her one. ¡°They¡¯re fluffy goats. My aunt had them made for my birthday when I was four.¡± It was the one thing I really liked that she gave me. Even though I don¡¯t get to see her a lot, she would always try to send something for Christmas and my birthday.

    ¡°They¡¯re soft. What are their names?¡±

    ¡°The red is Razzle; the pink is Dazzle.¡±

    She looked more at it as her hands ran over the soft fluff, then asked me. ¡°Why do they have wings?¡±

    ¡°So they can fly!¡± I said with a happy smile. ¡°At least that¡¯s what my aunt says. They don¡¯t actually fly, but it¡¯d be neat if they did. And they always make me feel better whenever I¡¯m feeling sad.¡±

    For a bit, Kaya seemed to forget her worries. ¡°What makes you sad?¡±

    I sat down next to her, holding the red one close to my chest. ¡°People who bully others.¡±

    She looked surprised. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you mad?¡±

    ¡°No, because I know that some are hurting deep down. Though if I had a friend who was bullied, then I¡¯d be mad.¡±

    Kaya looked confused. ¡°What makes you think they¡¯re hurting?¡±

    ¡°Well, because that¡¯s normally the reason for it, in other cases, they do it to feel stronger than the person they hurt. That they think it¡¯s their right to do it to others. My Dad always says if someone hurts me, then I should hurt them back, but¡­ It won¡¯t change anything. It never does.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± Kaya said, and all I could do was give a nervous smile. ¡°But, you¡¯re smart, and you seem to know a lot of big words, so it¡¯s not all bad.¡±

    Hearing her say that made me remember something. ¡°Do you have a cellphone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaya then pulled out a phone from her front overalls pocket. It had a pink cover and looked a bit bigger than her or my hands. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There was a word I saw recently, but I don¡¯t know what it means. It was a big word; think we could look it up?¡±

    Kaya put Dazzle in her lap as she pulled up Google. ¡°You don¡¯t have a phone, or iPad, or laptop to do that?¡±

    ¡°My Dad doesn¡¯t like me spending all my time online. And he keeps my phone with him when he¡¯s at home. I only use it when we go out or at school, same with my laptop.¡±

    Kaya gave a confused look. I couldn¡¯t blame her for how strongly my Dad kept technology away from me, given how many kids were always on their phones saying that prolonged time was bad for your health.

    But there was also another reason, something in the way my Dad acted with Elain bothered me. I didn¡¯t want to tell Kaya because it would make her worry.

    ¡°Wow, your Dad is super strict!¡±

    Was he? It was just a rule he had in the house, it didn¡¯t stop me from watching a movie with him or anything, plus I had my books to read and toys to play with if I wanted. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Besides, I like reading from real books.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    She nodded. ¡°I getcha¡¯. I¡¯m like that with comics. So, what¡¯s the word? Can you spell it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s M-E-L-A-T-O-N-I-N. Melatonin.¡±

    ¡°Mela-what? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard that before.¡± She says as she types it in. ¡°Where¡¯d you see a word like that?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± I ask, changing the topic. The less she knew or asked me, the better. I wasn¡¯t that good at lying.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ it¡¯s something from our body? And that it¡¯s used to help you sleep. Hmmm, oh, there¡¯s a bottle here for pills and one in liquid. I think I¡¯ve seen my Mom take this when coming home from a night shift at work in the hospital back when we lived in the U.S. She¡¯d normally put it in food or drink since it has no taste. At least the kind she get¡¯s.¡±

    A feeling of worry hit me. Did my Dad give something like that to Elain? She didn¡¯t need to sleep; she was only hurt. A feeling began to press on my chest. I put Razzle on my bed, went into the hall, and looked downstairs. Dad was still in the basement. The door was even ajar, and I could hear that familiar song being played. That feeling I had kept nagging, telling me that what was happening was not good. I needed to do something quickly.

    ¡°Amalie, what are you doing?¡± Kaya asked with surprise as I made my way to the guest room. I didn¡¯t respond as I slowly and quietly opened the door, peeking inside before going in. Kaya followed with a look of worry.

    I peered at Elain, who was now asleep. I looked to my hands, then to Elain. As much as I wanted to test in seeing if Elain would remain asleep, I didn¡¯t want to alert my Dad, which was why I snuck silently into the room, making little noise.

    Since I had really good hearing, I knew he did too. It¡¯s what I got from him, something he seemed to be very proud of, that and our sight and sense of smell. What a lot of people don¡¯t know is that my Dad doesn¡¯t need glasses, but he wears them anyway.

    I then left the room, closing the door as I headed back to my room, with Kaya, who still looked puzzled, following me. Once we were both inside, I closed the door and spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°Kaya, you should call your family to come get you and Elain.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Kids get hurt all the time,¡± I tell her in a whisper. ¡°What happened was bad for sure, but you can¡¯t hide it, or it might get worse later. What happened wasn¡¯t something done on purpose. It was an accident. I¡¯m sure your parents would understand that. Especially your mom, she¡¯s a nurse, right?¡±

    Kaya hesitated. ¡°But what if they get mad at El?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand that. ¡°Why would they get mad at Elain for protecting a kid from getting hurt in a fall? She¡¯s your big sister. Isn¡¯t it her job to keep you safe when your parents are not home?¡±

    ¡°But they seemed so mad¡­¡± Kaya said, her hands shaking. ¡°When Elain was taken to the hospital, and when the police told them what happened¡­¡±

    When she said that, I could understand where she was coming from. But I couldn¡¯t back down from this. ¡°A few days ago, I was hurt. Some boy and his mother were being mean, and my Dad became mad. But he wasn¡¯t mad at me. He was mad at the people who hurt me. I think that¡¯s why your Mom and Dad acted the way they did. Not because of Elain, but because of what happened to Elain.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yes, people get mad all the time for things like that. I know it was like that when my Mom ran away and her parents, my grandparents were angry wanting to know why¡­¡±

    I would normally never mention something so personal, but I wanted to hit home for Kaya that this was normal. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be just as mad if you learned someone hurt a person you cared about?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kaya agreed, gripping her phone. ¡°I was mad too when I found out why those big kids attacked my sister, it was stupid, really stupid. But¡­ what could I do?¡±

    ¡°Tell someone,¡± I say, and she looked back at me, surprised. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t believe you, someone has to eventually, even if you have to scream it.¡±

    Yet, even I knew that there were limits to that. At school, there was one person I would always have to keep an eye on, even if the other adults or some of the kids didn¡¯t believe me because I knew I needed to find proof that even the adults couldn¡¯t ignore.

    But that wasn¡¯t this.

    ¡°Even if they do get mad, you should still tell them because if it gets worse, you¡¯d feel just as bad, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Kaya¡¯s eyes looked wet, close to crying, before she shut her eyes tightly and nodded quickly. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I would¡­¡± as if drawing courage from inside herself. She took a deep breath and called up her Mom. ¡°Mom¡­ I¡­ I know you¡¯re busy with work, but¡­¡± she took another breath, grasping my hand and squeezing it tight. ¡°I need to tell you something¡­ so please don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    *    *    *

    Elain woke up shortly after, yet still looking exhausted. As she spoke with my Dad, I overheard that Elain was thinking about calling her Mom, that after thinking about it with a clear head, it was better to let them know than hide it.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± my Dad asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Elain said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be responsible if something did happen, but I am grateful that you were willing to keep it a secret.¡± She sighed as I remained in the hallway listening near my room. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me like that. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hilmarsson. I shouldn¡¯t unload all my troubles onto you. I¡¯m sure you have enough to deal with without me adding to it.¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought, Miss. Ortiz. There is nothing wrong with venting your troubles, especially if you feel as though you cannot tell anyone else. If you¡¯d like, I¡¯d be more than happy to contact your mother for you if you aren¡¯t comfortable with it yourself.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I know this is something I should do.¡± I could hear the faint sound of rustling, followed by tapping and dial tone. ¡°Hey Mom, I know you¡¯re busy, but I have to tell you something.¡±

    Then I could faintly hear Elain¡¯s Mom on the other end. She must have had the volume at max since it sounded so clear.

    ¡°Oh, Hun, it¡¯s okay, I already know. Kaya called and told me what happened.¡± Her Mom said.

    Elain sounded surprised. ¡°She¡­ she did?¡±

    ¡°She did, told me how you helped a boy from falling and had a bit of a scare. Is your arm okay? The graph didn¡¯t tear?¡±

    ¡°No, Mr. Hilmarsson looked at it for me, and the graph is okay, same with my shoulder. I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡±

    ¡°What for? You helped that boy, and you¡¯re okay. Besides, even if something happened to the graph, we would have taken care of it. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay. I¡¯ve already contacted your brother; he¡¯ll be by shortly to take you and Kaya home. Don¡¯t be mad at Kaya, okay?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Elain said. ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± she then ended the call and let out a breath. ¡°Sorry for causing all this trouble, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Miss. Ortiz, if anything, I just hope that your worries have lessened somewhat after this.¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t respond, from the sounds of it, her worries might not go away any time soon, and that made me sad.

    ¡°¡­the people who bullied her did it, but my Mom doesn¡¯t like talking about it, and I wouldn¡¯t even know what to look up online.¡±

    What Kaya said before stuck with me. What happened to Elain must have been bad, given how long it took for her injury to heal. In a way, I could understand¡­

    Given what my Mom tried to do to me and how the kids treated me at school.

    It made me wonder if I was in Elain¡¯s situation, what would I have done?

    Would I fight back? Would I just let it happen?

    No.

    If I did just let them hurt me in any shape or form, then my Dad would have done something far worse than what happened to me, that much I was sure of.

    Yet part of me wondered, just how far my Dad would go for someone other than me, his flesh and blood, what would he do? Would it be just as horrible as I could think of, or worse?

    Not long after that, Elain¡¯s older brother came by to bring her and Kaya home. Kaya looked at her big sister with worry, probably thinking that Elain would be mad, but Elain only smiled and said to her.

    ¡°You did the right thing.¡±

    Kaya¡¯s unease went away as she smiled before looking at me and hugging me before I had the chance to say anything to her. Then just as quickly, she rushed out the door.

    ¡°Remember, Miss. Ortiz,¡± my Dad said with a smile. ¡°You are more than welcome to stop by, even just to talk. Like what we did before, I¡¯m always willing to lend an ear if you ever need it.¡±

    Elain¡¯s smile became a little sad. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± but didn¡¯t say anything further.

    ¡°See you later, Amalie!¡± Kaya called out as both my Dad and I waved goodbye as the three of them made their way back home across the street.

    I felt relieved, the worry I had was gone, but that didn¡¯t last for long.

    ¡°Did you say something?¡± my Dad asked me as he stood behind me as I closed the front door. His sudden question nearly made me freeze. ¡°To make them leave?¡±

    I felt my chest become tight as the urge to cover my mouth with my hands welled up inside me, but I pushed it down. I quickly turned to look up at him. He was so tall when he stood up, towering over me like a shadow of a massive tree.

    ¡°Kaya was worried that her parents would be mad. I just told her what you tell me, that lying isn¡¯t good, and that if she were to keep this a secret, it would be like she was lying to them about what happened. I know you said Elain was okay, but what if she wasn¡¯t? What would we do? I thought her Mom would get mad and blame you. I¡­ I didn¡¯t want that.¡± I looked down to the floor, to his feet, and I noticed that his slippers had a spot of something, but I didn¡¯t get a good look at it when he went on his keens and gently placed his hand underneath my chin, making me look back into his eyes as he smiled. ¡°Are you¡­ disappointed in me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Amalie¡­¡± he drawled my name slowly, pulling me into his arms and hugging me. ¡°You could never disappoint me.¡± He then picked me up in his arms with ease. ¡°Why not help me make dinner? It¡¯d be nice to have an extra set of hands.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say as he carries me with no effort into the kitchen, my grey eyes looking to the front door as I silently hope that Kaya and Elain aren¡¯t mad with me. Even though I didn¡¯t know what my father planned, something about it all didn¡¯t sit well with me, and the last thing I wanted was for them to become too close because if they were, I wouldn¡¯t know what my Dad would do if he decided that they were rude in some way.

    And that was something that I feared more than being completely and utterly alone.

    As much as I loved my father, I didn¡¯t want his monster consuming them if he were to consume anyone else¡­

    I¡¯d rather it be me¡­

 Chapter 11 ~Kira~

    Kira leaned back in a chair in the kitchen of her apartment. She was tired but didn¡¯t feel the desire to fall into bed just yet. Given her work with a recent case of Cadavre Exquis resurfacing after several months of silence. Like always with that bastard. Her mind was too on edge to think of sleep right away.

    And there were practically no leads, like with every other crime the person had done, leaving no evidence, not a single trace. The boy who was found and treated couldn¡¯t give anything since he couldn¡¯t remember what happened, possibly due to the drugs he was given.

    The boy was a spoiled brat and entitled to high heaven, but Kira did feel bad for him, given how the kid was found in the basement of his mother¡¯s own home. No one deserved that, not even a woman as cruel as her. Kira despised racist people like Karen Crock. She wished the woman was brought to justice and then meet some heinous end.

    Of course, there were always those who would never be redeemed, she wasn¡¯t an idiot, but murders such as these always left a bad taste in Kira¡¯s mouth.

    But that wasn¡¯t her only issue. She had recently heard who the bodies of those discovered along the highway to the United States.

    Eric Mitchel and David Davenport.

    Lauren Davenport¡¯s brother and father.

    With questions in the air, this was made even worse when some loudmouth in the department leaked it to the press and now wouldn¡¯t stop harassing Cathryn Davenport, Lauren¡¯s mother, an influential woman who held ties with the Canadian government and had a seat in Parliament. A woman who, for some reason, never bothered to file a missing person¡¯s report on her daughter. Claiming her daughter simply ran away.

    This now brought further questions about Lauren¡¯s sudden disappearance in the early summer, where many people wondered if Lauren somehow killed her father and brother before disappearing altogether. But Lauren wasn¡¯t a strong girl. She was thin and short, while her brother and father could have easily overpowered her in a heartbeat unless she had the upper hand and took them both by surprise.

    To know more, they needed access to the Davenport home, yet the police couldn¡¯t do anything unless with a warrant since Cathryn didn¡¯t want the police inside. Mounting even further questions as to what the woman was hiding and why.

    Something about this stunk. More so than the sudden murder of Karen Crock.

    Just where did Lauren go? And what the hell happened to her brother and father? How did they end up torn to pieces by the border? So much was missing. It drove Kira up the wall with these unanswered questions.

    ¡°Are you planning to come to bed sometime soon?¡±

    Kira tilted her head back to look into hazel brown eyes. ¡°Not until I¡¯m sure that I won¡¯t be called in.¡±

    Pale, freckled hands rested along either side of Kira¡¯s face. ¡°You know that¡¯s not healthy.¡±

    Kira gave a half-smile before kissing the right palm then moved away. ¡°The life of a detective never is, Lu.¡± She said as she turned to look at her girlfriend thoroughly.

    Lucia Guillaume, a petite woman with an hourglass bottom heavy figure, her dark brown hair cut short into a bob that framed her freckled face as some of the said freckles crinkled with her furrowed brow as she was currently dressed in pink and white plaid pyjamas.

    ¡°This whole thing with that serial killer isn¡¯t going to do you any good if you keep going like this.¡± Lucia continued. ¡°I mean it. It¡¯s been almost two weeks, and you¡¯re almost dead on your feet. At this rate, the job is going to kill you before some ner do wells do.¡±

    Kira gave Lucia a look. That wasn¡¯t the right word. ¡°Given that you write stories, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s not the best word to give those who commit these horrible crimes. Why are you even using a word like that anyway?¡±

    ¡°Working on a historical fiction,¡± she said as she moved to the counter to grab a glass, filled it with water and handed it to Kira. ¡°It¡¯s not just these two cases that have got you on edge, is it?¡± Kira sighed but didn¡¯t go into it, not that it mattered when Lucia said. ¡°Thought as much.¡±

    ¡°Lu, please, you know I can¡¯t go into that.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she says as she wraps her arms around Kira¡¯s shoulders before asking. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I know.¡± Kira turned to face her. ¡°Enough about me though, how are things with you? Any word back about your manuscript?¡±

    Lucia became quiet before moving to sit across from Kira. ¡°Rejected, just like the last one. Even though I knew this book was what they were looking for with the specific genre.¡± She smiled, but she still looked dejected. ¡°Fourth time, you think it wouldn¡¯t keep hurting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get it one day,¡± Kira tells her as Lucia gave a half-laugh.

    ¡°Anyway, people are more into horror this time of year, so I¡¯ll try my hand at working on something like that. I even have some material already.¡±

    Quick on the draw. ¡°Oh, yeah? What¡¯s it going to be about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to laugh.¡±

    ¡°Try me,¡±

    She let out a breath. ¡°I decided to base this story on a rumour that¡¯s been going on for a while now. About a person people have dubbed the Ghost Woman; apparently, she¡¯s been killing people and not leaving a trace of her existence, hence the name.¡±

    Kira leaned back in her chair. She has heard such rumours, though nothing has been proven, nor has there been sufficient evidence to back it up, which led her to ask. ¡°What makes these people think this woman has killed anyone?¡±

    ¡°On forms like Reddit, people have been making connections to some of the unexplained murders the past few years, that these people in question met with a woman who people describe as unbelievably beautiful only to vanish and are found dead later. And that this Ghost Woman only kills around September to November, before stopping until another year goes by.¡±

    Kira frowned; she hadn¡¯t heard of this rumour before. ¡°Can you show me?¡±

    Lucia went to their bedroom and came back to the kitchen with her laptop. And with a quick few minutes of searching, she then turned her screen to Kira.

    There was a whole dedicated page to this Ghost Woman, as well as a bunch of theories that didn¡¯t hold a lot of weight, mainly those thinking that this person was an actual ghost. But what stood out to Kira the most was three cases that were still unsolved. Kira didn¡¯t work on these cases in particular, but she had heard of them.

    Cases where men¡¯s bodies were discovered, beaten and bloody, their limbs broken, and their faces unrecognizable with missing teeth, fingers and toes. Like they had been tortured. There were no signs of sexual violence or penetration, but something like revenge couldn¡¯t be ruled out given how violent they had died.

    Kira could recall the three men in question had files for domestic or sexual assault on women they were in a relationship with.

    Some of the posters would say that their deaths were justified. Hell, some comments were commending this ghost killer for ¡°taking out the trash,¡± as a number of them put it and in much less kind ways. But what bothered Kira was how so many people were sure it was a woman.

    While scrolling, Kira came across a particular comment by a user named Ballzilla69.

    I remember seeing the third guy! He was at a bar, being a disgusting pig, and hitting on a gorgeous woman who was waaaaay out of his league, and she left with him not long after! But then she came back the next night, and the dude was nowhere to be seen. I just figured he got tossed on his ass, but then he was dead!

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    This was followed by another commenter asking why they never went to the police and wondering what bar the user was at, which was then responded with:

    lol! Fuck no! the guy deserves it! Why should I report to the police when they can¡¯t even do their fucking jobs? They¡¯re supposed to be protecting us, not this scum-sucking prick? I¡¯m glad he¡¯s dead. I hoped it was painful as shit for him!

    Jesus. Kira thought but then came across other people claiming to have seen such a woman and that she was the one behind not three, but at least fifteen other deaths, or if not deaths, horrible assaults where they died shortly after. On both men and women alike. Yet from what Kira could see, not all comments had anything to stand on. In contrast, others were focused on the first three thinking it might be the beginning of a serial killer and whoever did this, be it a man or woman. They would keep saying this might have been a slow escalation over time, with other theories ranging from someone who had been abused to someone avenging a family member, someone with a saviour complex, an act of vigilantism, to just someone who couldn¡¯t take the police¡¯s slow response time or letting people get away with it because they were either, white, rich, or both.

    Two of the three men were not white, and only one of the three was white, who was also not someone who had a lot of money due to gambling addiction.

    Someone even pointed out that when dealing with cases like this, a person should never, and they meant never, judge based on a biased profile because doing so would mean you¡¯ve fucked the investigation over with a narrow-minded mentality.

    That user was someone by the name of F8. Scrolling through this person¡¯s interactions, they seemed to be very knowledgeable about people asking if they were part of the investigation, whereas F8 merely responds.

    No, I¡¯m like the rest of you guys giving opinions on what might have happened. Because that¡¯s all we can do, but I think we might find some truths in this and possibly lead to whoever is killing these men if we work together. And while I think any person like this is disgusting, they should be in prison for the rest of their miserable lives. When they are dead, those who suffered are still left with what was done and might not be even close to healing.

    That was surprisingly deep. That was what Kira felt when reading that. After that, there was more speculation about what might have happened, with users looking back to Ballzilla69 wanting proof that they saw something or at least the bar¡¯s name.

    The guy must have been a troll because he wasn¡¯t giving anything of note before F8 came back in to say.

    The bar is probably one in an area that all victims frequent (regardless if it was three or more). Even if it was just once, then there is a connection. I highly doubt 69 knows since they¡¯re evasive about it in the first place. I mean, you clearly want to draw this out for the attention.

    Am not! Sixty-nine went on. I just don¡¯t remember the bar. I was drunk!

    Yet they remember seeing a woman and the victim in this bar? Kira thought when many other people seemed to agree. Kira took out her phone and bookmarked it. The moment she had her phone began to buzz, looking at it she saw that Freddie texted her. Which meant she was still on the clock for overtime. ¡°Welp looks like it¡¯s back to work for me,¡± Kira says with a slightly sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Want to take something before you head out?¡±

    ¡°Nope, knowing Freddie, he¡¯s already grabbed me something. I¡¯ll let him know that you say hi.¡± Kira grabs her coat, throws it on and her gun, and clips her badge to her belt.

    ¡°Be safe out there,¡±

    Kira then kissed Lucia¡¯s cheek. ¡°I always try, now go to bed. Or if you can¡¯t sleep, I¡¯m sure there are a few sorry SOBs online just waiting to have their asses kicked by your Mage.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not how it works, right?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I play fighting games, never been a big MMORPG person. Besides, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s super cathartic regardless of what you¡¯re doing.¡± Her phone buzzed again. ¡°Now I really got to go. I¡¯ll text you when I¡¯m heading back home.¡±

    Kira then left the apartment, heading down the three flights of stairs to reach the parking lot where Fredrick was waiting with coffee. Bless this man.

    ¡°You took your time,¡± he says as she gets into the passenger seat. ¡°You weren¡¯t sleeping, were you?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that. Lucia says, ¡°hi¡±.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can tell her I say ¡°hi¡± right back.¡± Fredrick paused as he drove out of the parking lot. ¡°What¡¯s up though, you¡¯re scowling as you do with a bad case.¡±

    Kira shook her head before taking a sip of the much-needed brew, not minding if it was too hot at the moment. ¡°Why were we called?¡±

    ¡°Found a body in a warehouse near Cherry Beach.¡±

    Kira frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not in our jurisdiction. That¡¯s Division 52¡¯s. Why would we be needed for this?¡±

    ¡°Because of the recent crackdown on illegal drugs and guns coming in from the USA. Several detectives have been tasked to help with that, leaving them short on manpower, so they¡¯ve asked other divisions for help.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t 14 be better since they¡¯re closer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but since you and I live close to 14, they thought to ask us given our track records in solving cases.¡± Fredrick sighed. ¡°Sometimes, I hate that we get so much recognition.¡±

    ¡°Because it feels like they¡¯re pawning off their work on to us?¡±

    ¡°No, not that. If they¡¯re going to give us more work, they should at least pay us more for it, and I don¡¯t mean the overtime. Though my wife takes no issue with it because then we can just put what I get for overtime into our kid¡¯s college or university funds, thought Meg would just be happy if I got a raise, which I¡¯d rather have too.¡±

    ¡°How is your family?¡±

    ¡°The twins are good, about to start grade nine, and Melody is in her final year of high school. She¡¯s been working hard to get good grades so she can get a college scholarship.¡±

    ¡°And your wife?¡±

    ¡°Megan¡¯s been good, though if Liam wasn¡¯t called in, you could have chatted with her for a bit before getting into, well, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡±

    Freddie paused when they reached a stoplight, glancing at her with a look of worry. ¡°What¡¯s up with you Song, you¡¯re not normally this quiet.¡±

    Kira looked out at the few people walking in the dead of night. Even though it was nearly two in the morning, seeing so many people out always made her wonder when they ever slept. But then, she could put herself into that category as well, given how things were this past week.

    ¡°Any word about the Davenport case?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing yet. We should be able to have Cathryn Davenport in for questioning and a warrant to search her house. But it¡¯s been hard given her political status, and I honestly wonder if there will be anything that can be used as evidence.¡± He sighed. ¡°What bugs me about it is that this woman didn¡¯t seem to give a damn about her daughter, not even a missing person¡¯s report. Hell, even with what happened to her husband and son, she acts like it¡¯s nothing to think about. Not to mention the nasty rumours that are surrounding the daughter since her disappearance.¡±

    That piqued Kira¡¯s interest. ¡°Like she killed her father and brother before running?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, with the bonus that she was being abused, and that¡¯s what caused the brother and father to be killed, that Cathryn disposed of the bodies and hid Lauren away.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t think that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Neither do you,¡± he added. ¡°Lauren Davenport wasn¡¯t strong. We know this from the photos we¡¯ve seen of her, but there haven¡¯t been any medical files since she was twelve. On top of which, Cathryn didn¡¯t seem to give a damn about her daughter. Either she¡¯s an amazing actor, or she¡¯s full of herself and thinks no one is more important than herself.¡±

    ¡°How do you know about the medical file?¡±

    ¡°My wife knows a few people, asked around and found out from a doctor she¡¯s acquainted with from her university days. Though, hearing about that made me suspect some form of abuse might have taken place,¡± his grip tightened on the steering wheel. ¡°I just hope I¡¯m wrong about that¡­¡±

    Kira remained silent. She heard stories that Freddie had a younger brother that was subject to child abuse at the hands of other family members. Fredrick was very protective of his younger brother, Bobby, a low functioning Autistic, having the mental stability of a four or five-year-old and was currently in assisted living. Kira would sometimes hear Freddie on the phone talking to his brother. Honestly, he came off more like an uncle than an older brother.

    Knowing that it made sense why Freddie would detest child abusers.

    * * *

    They arrived at the crime scene around three in the morning, with the red and blue flashing lights from police cars and an ambulance.

    With her stomach full of coffee, Kira got out, followed by Fredrick as they headed to the police tape that blocked off a portion of the peer. Thankfully, there was no News crew yet.

    ¡°Detectives,¡± a police officer from Division 51 waved them over and allowed them past the police tape towards the crime scene. ¡°Thanks for coming. Things have been crazy these past few days.¡±

    The officer didn¡¯t need to elaborate. Much of the police force had been stretched thin with the re-emergence of Cadavre Exquis and the disappearance of Lauren Davenport and whatever other cases they had piled on their plates.

    ¡°Who found the body?¡± Freddie asked.

    ¡°A group of explorers, been getting a lot of people coming through exploring abandoned places, making videos about it and posting it online. One of them said that something felt off about the building, but couldn¡¯t figure out why until finding a dead body that, honestly, looked like whoever did it interrogated the poor bastard.¡±

    ¡°Must have scared the hell out of them,¡± Kira said.

    ¡°All but one, she¡¯s used to coming across those who died, and before you start questioning her, no, she has no connections to the victim whatsoever. She mentioned in her statement that whenever you go into an abandoned place, you¡¯re bound to come across something others wanted to hide.¡±

    Kira paused. That sounded a very mature thing to think. What in the world did this girl see to have such a mindset?

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be good for us to talk to them, just to make sure, even if they have no connection, best just to cover all bases.¡±

    The officer merely shrugged in response. ¡°Hey, suit yourself, though I¡¯m more concerned about the state of our dead guy than a bunch of kids who found him.¡±

    Kira frowned at the officer¡¯s statement as a familiar feeling rested in the pit of her stomach once more as the C.S.I team was milling about taking photographic evidence and marking what they¡¯d found thus far.

    Amidst the chaos, Kira saw it, the mangled remains of a man tied to a chair, tortured beyond recognition. Seeing that made her recall what Lu had shown her before getting the call.

    ¡°Freddie?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever heard of a rumour about a ¡°Ghost Woman¡±?¡±

 Chapter 12 ~Kira~

    It had been two days since discovering the mangled corpse in an abandoned warehouse near Cherry Beach, which led Kira down the rabbit hole of Reddit involving the Ghost Woman.

    And boy lordy¡­ there was a lot.

    Like a lot.

    She honestly didn¡¯t know where to even start. Given how the men were killed, several people on the police force speculate that it is indeed a potential serial killer. Some even speculated that one might have been Cadavre Exquis, but that idea was tossed out since it was well-known that that particular serial killer never copies anyone. The body was smashed to hell and back but was never missing anything, aside from some teeth or nails from the torture.

    Their eyes weren¡¯t even taken. They had been gouged and crushed.

    On top of that, Cathryn Davenport was currently on her way for questioning while the police currently searched the Davenport household. Now, Kira was in the process of doing paperwork for the recent mangled body that was found while waiting for Cathryn to arrive to be interrogated. She also was waiting to speak with the kids who discovered the body.

    Kira couldn¡¯t understand why kids would be so interested in exploring abandoned places. Didn¡¯t they know how dangerous it was? Did they even care for their safety?

    Just what was the appeal of such things? Still, they found a body. Some may or may not see that as a stroke of luck.

    The body itself was of little surprise to Kira, like the others she had heard about in the form of the Ghost Woman. The body was of a man named Thomas Gram, a man with charges of sexual assault on both his partner and his partner¡¯s child, a little girl, the bastard. From the examination, Thomas has his legs, feet and pelvis broken, genitalia smashed, and hands mangled beyond recognition. His eyes were covered in duck tape so that they couldn¡¯t see a thing as he was being tortured.

    God, I¡¯m so fucking tired. She thought with a tired breath, she had been through three cups of coffee already, but it hadn¡¯t managed to take the edge off. This exhaustion, mixed with her growing agitation about the current pileup of cases, made her mind murky with fatigue.

    ¡°Detective?¡± a police officer drew her attention. ¡°The children and their parents are here about the body that was found in the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thank you, officer.¡±

    She and Fredrick then began to question the five youths, two girls and three boys, all of which seemed to just get into exploration because of interest in what they could see of the past that was slowly falling to ruin. Though one, the last of the five they spoke to, seemed slightly different from the others.

    Morrigan Wolf. A seventeen-year-old Caucasian with white skin, striking blue eyes and brown hair that grew past her shoulders, the girl had a relatively thin build but looked somewhat top-heavy, even though she was only five foot two. Though she didn¡¯t seem to be self-conscious about her abundance of where her genetics caused the most or minor changes given, she wore a red tank top that showed her cleavage and a long flowing tan and black skirt and black sandals.

    She was the one that Kira was interested in the most, given what the officer told her when they inspected the body.

    What interested Kira the most was that Morrigan wasn¡¯t from Toronto but Oakville, the town adjacent to the city, so a teen who wasn¡¯t even local left a few questions in Kira¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have you come down here,¡± Kira told Morrigan and of her mother, a tall blonde woman who looked a bit older than the average parent and dressed in a suit as her blue eyes looked at both detectives with stern wariness as her face remained impassive. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t a long drive.¡±

    ¡°We have plans in Toronto,¡± the mother said. ¡°So, it¡¯s fine, but why did you wish to speak to my daughter again? The police already questioned her along with the others when they found the body.¡±

    ¡°I know, but since the department has been stretched thin, we¡¯ve been asked to take over this case, at least for the time being,¡± Freddie said before looking at the girl. ¡°Morrigan, that¡¯s a rather different name. It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Morrigan responded.

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask where that name comes from?¡±

    Morrigan looked to her mother, who shrugged. The question was innocent enough. ¡°My name means Great Queen in Irish, my parents named me that because we were born three months premature, doctors didn¡¯t think I¡¯d make it, but I came out with my eyes open. Scared a doctor, so that¡¯s my claim to fame for my start on this earth.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s always been a fighter right from the start,¡± her mother added.

    That brought Freddie to ask. ¡°What did you mean by ¡°we¡±? You have a sibling?¡±

    ¡°I have brothers. We¡¯re the same age, all be it a minute and two apart.¡± When she said nothing else, Freddie frowned, as did Kira trying to get what the girl just said.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a¡­ twin?¡±

    ¡°A triplet,¡± Morrigan clarified. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest out of the three.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Still, that¡¯s pretty impressive. Do you and your brothers look at all alike?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fraternal, so we don¡¯t look identical if that¡¯s what you mean, but people often confuse my brothers, thinking they¡¯re identical twins and I¡¯m just their little or big sister even though they look nothing alike. Besides, I¡¯m used to people messing that up all the time, that and other things.¡±

    ¡°Like exploring abandoned places, you shouldn¡¯t be in and finding a dead body being one of those other things?¡± Kira asked.

    Morrigan¡¯s striking blue eyes shot to Kira. ¡°You do know that land you¡¯re talking about is in limbo, right? Not owned by anyone, there is nothing illegal in what I¡¯m doing, I don¡¯t take anything; I just record what I see.¡±

    ¡°But you must have at some point, I mean, you¡¯re a kid, and it¡¯s an abandoned building, who¡¯s going to know, right?¡±

    ¡°Song,¡± Freddie spoke with a harsh warning tone.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Morrigan¡¯s mother glared at Kira. ¡°I thought you were going to be asking her about what she saw and or found, not interrogate my daughter about what she does as a hobby.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange one,¡± Kira said. ¡°You let your kid explore abandoned places, and for what? It¡¯s not like she gets anything from it like a regular hobby.¡±

    The kid scoffed. ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s next? Are you going to say that anime and video games are weird for girls to have as hobbies? I came down here willingly, detectives. Nothing is stopping me from getting up and leaving. I hope you¡¯re aware of that, so instead of insinuating something you know nothing about in my personal life, ask me a question about what I saw, or we¡¯re done because I don¡¯t want to waste your time or mine and my mother¡¯s.¡±

    Kira clenched her teeth to keep herself from lashing out. What the hell was she doing? ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡± She took a breath before standing. ¡°Louds, I¡¯ll be back.¡± She then left the room and headed down the hall to lean against the wall. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She then opened her eyes to see Fredrick come out shortly after and make a beeline for her.

    ¡°The hell was that Song?¡±

    ¡°Me being a total dumbass,¡± she said in a flat tone of voice before letting out a sigh. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±

    ¡°You think? What that young lady does for the hell of it, as long as it¡¯s not illegal, is none of our damn business. Especially if it¡¯s just to break the ice to get them relaxed to talk more openly, you know this.¡± He then looked at her hard. ¡°When was the last time you slept? And I don¡¯t mean a cat nap. I mean a solid eight hours of sleep.¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Probably the night before we got the call about the Karen inside a tree that was in a burning house.¡±

    His eyes went wide at her statement. ¡°Kira, that was almost three weeks ago. Jesus woman! That can kill you.¡±

    Kira didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell the boss, let me just¡­¡± she took a breath. ¡°Let me go and apologies and continue with Miss Wolf, then with Mrs. Davenport when she arrives. Then I¡¯ll go home and sleep.¡±

    Freddie eyed her again. He always had that kind of stare, the ¡°Dad Stare¡± at least that¡¯s what Kira called it, whenever Fredrick would look at her to see if she meant it or not.

    He pointed at her. ¡°You better, you don¡¯t, I¡¯m telling our boss. It¡¯s not to bring you down because of your work but for your physical health. You know better than I do that if your mother saw you right now, you¡¯d be screwed.¡±

    She rubbed the crease between her brows with her index and middle fingers from her right hand. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± then, with a reluctant breath, she headed back to the room. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make me less of a dick to this kid, or at least try.¡± When she opened the door, she saw that Morrigan was speaking with her mother, and she had her laptop on the table but chose to ignore it for the moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what I said earlier, about your hobby. That was wrong of me.¡±

    ¡°Given that your partner mentioned you¡¯ve been stretched thin these past few cases. That, and the bags under your eyes, I kind of figured. Not that I¡¯m any better¡­¡±

    When Kira frowned, Morrigan¡¯s mother clarified. ¡°Her father, my husband, suffered a stroke a little while ago. He¡¯s in a coma. No one¡¯s sure if he¡¯ll wake up. We¡¯re going to go visit him today.¡±

    ¡°And sue the shit out of the other hospital that allowed it to happen. Because of their negligence, my Dad could have died. He still could.¡±

    ¡°Possibly sue. What the hospital did in our town was negligible, so we¡¯ll be looking into it.¡± Her mother ran a hand through her daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Could we finish this up, detective? I¡¯d like for us to go see my husband.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Kira sat back down across from them. ¡°But what¡¯s with the laptop?¡±

    ¡°For this,¡± Morrigan turned the screen to face the detectives. ¡°It¡¯s the video I had been recording exploring the building.¡±

    ¡°We already have the recording,¡± Freddie said. The video of the kids exploring and discovering the body like they said they had, with the end being that the man who was tortured asking for help in his final breath before dying. Freaking the teens out and panicking about what to do where Morrigan called the police, what the kid said next made Kira a bit concerned.

    ¡°No, you only have one. From Henry? Henry Townshend, the police said that they didn¡¯t need the rest because we were all together, but after the police let us go, I asked them to send me their files, the backups they had because something about it was bugging me.¡±

    ¡°You had backups?¡± Kira asked, a bit skeptical.

    ¡°Of course, we do,¡± Morrigan said. ¡°We explore abandoned places. You never know what you¡¯re going to see or hear. And because of that, I caught this.¡± She hit play.

    The video then showed part of the warehouse, and then they heard a sound followed by Morrigan saying. ¡°What was that?¡± then the sound came again as Morrigan ducked down. ¡°Shit¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound good. Whatever that is, it sounds like a person.¡± Only for then to be of someone running off as the sound stopped. Morrigan turned, seeing a young man and called out to him in a whispered shout. ¡°Jacob! Jacob, where¡¯s Henry?¡±

    He responded in a whisper as he crept closer, muffling his footsteps as best as he could with what he was carrying. ¡°He¡¯s in another room. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I heard something; I think someone might be hurt. Is Iris with you?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with Henry and Tom.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she pulled out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m calling the police.¡± Which she proceeds to do with her free hand as Jacob heads with caution into the blacked-out room. ¡°Jacob, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see what it is. You said someone might be hurt. It could be a homeless guy. Some dick could have decided to hurt someone for shits and giggles again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± then a scream from two people. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s Iris and Henry!¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± then two rushed off, the sounds of their feet hitting hard on concrete before coming to an abrupt stop. Where the victim of the attack was still in the chair, bleeding profusely and alive. ¡°What the hell?¡±

    ¡°We just found him like this,¡± the youth named Henry said. ¡°At first, we thought it was a prop, but then he groaned and¡­¡±

    ¡°Henry! Henry! He¡¯s not breathing!¡± another girl cried. ¡°What do we do? What do we do? I don¡¯t know CPR. Does anyone?¡±

    The one named Tom responded with. ¡°No, fuck¡­¡±

    Henry shook his head.

    Jacob moved closer as if intending to do so but stopped. ¡°I¡­ think he¡¯s gone guys¡­ his heart¡¯s not beating¡­¡±

    ¡°911, what is your emergency?¡± a woman¡¯s voice from Morrigan¡¯s phone could be heard before she then stopped the recording.

    ¡°The biggest regret wasn¡¯t trying CPR on him, at least. The officers told us it probably wouldn¡¯t have done any good. Still, it¡¯s not something that can just go away.¡±

    ¡°Even if you had, it wouldn¡¯t have helped,¡± Kira told her. The victims¡¯ internal organs were damaged. One of his ribs punctured a lung and filled with blood. But she wasn¡¯t about to tell all that to a kid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Morrigan¡¯s mother drew her into her side. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, sweetie,¡±

    But the expression on the girl didn¡¯t show that. She must have blamed herself. All those kids had for not trying something. Kira hoped that it wouldn¡¯t destroy the friend group.

    ¡°Anyway, you saw mine and heard something. In Jacob¡¯s, you can see someone, though it¡¯s tough to make out who it is given how dark it is.¡± she then turned the screen back to her and scrolled through before showing it back to the two detectives. It was the image of a person, but it was hard to make out. Then she turned it away again and brought up another video. ¡°This was Iris¡¯s video. In the beginning, her video caught something none of us had. She turned the screen back and pressed play.

    ¡°Hello, my beautiful viewers! It¡¯s been a bit, but I, as well as some friends, are back with another video! At this old warehouse, it used to store ice cream, given that we¡¯re near the peer, by the lake, it kind of makes sense!¡±

    Morrigan stopped the video. ¡°We came in a van, but the car that¡¯s a bit away, wasn¡¯t there when you arrived. And then finally, with Henry¡¯s video, you got this.¡± She pressed play.

    ¡°Wo¡­man¡­ he¡­lp¡­me¡­¡± the man gasped out. ¡°Wo¡­man¡­¡± before he stopped, and nothing was heard before Jacob and Morrigan got close as the teens began to panic before she ended the video.

    ¡°If you have a USB, I can give you all the files that we have, not just Henry¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Freddie,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it, be back in a second.¡± He then whispered to Kira. ¡°Play nice.¡±

    ¡°May I take a look?¡± Kira asked when Freddie left; Morrigan pushed the laptop to her. As her frown returned in full force, what the hell was the Department doing, thinking only one video was enough? They should have gotten all of them. Still, this was very troubling. She understood the difficulties of being understaffed, but this was bloody ridiculous.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one with the files. The others pretty much wanted to forget what happened, not that I blame them, and plan to get a boatload of therapy to help as well.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they mention it when we talked with them?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°Probably because they assumed you¡¯d ask me when I brought it up. As I said, they deleted the files and completely scrubbed their hard drives of it. They want nothing to do with what happened. But even though I¡¯ve been getting asked by people online, apparently one of your¡¯s own leaked info that we were the ones who found the body and harass us nonstop. Though a friend of mine is making sure they can¡¯t trace me and come to my home. Same with the others.¡±

    ¡°Which is also something I wanted to discuss,¡± Morrigan¡¯s mother added. ¡°I wanted to know what you plan to do with the officer who so carelessly did this. Their actions can have physical and legal repercussions. This officer endangered my daughter as well as her friends. If something isn¡¯t done, then I will be requesting an investigation on both of your departments.¡±

    ¡°Are you a lawyer?¡± Kira asked the woman.

    ¡°I work for Labour Relations. However, given my job, I do have connections with several law firms.¡±

    That made this even worse.

    After a moment, she made a note and told them that they would look into this issue and bring it up with the higher-ups. Kira had a feeling she knew where the leak came from but would have to deal with it later, and she also wanted to be sure that she got everything about this from them.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. A friend plans to put that guy and the person who posted the article about us on blast. I get that people have to do what they need to for a paycheck, I¡¯m not stupid, but this kind of thing was scummy.¡±

    That brought Kira to pause. ¡°Your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a friend of mine, we chat online pretty consistently. I mentioned what happened, and instead of like so many others asking me about the body, and what I saw, they asked if I was okay. Which kind of surprised me.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    She let out a breath. ¡°Because this is someone who has been investigating the Ghost Woman. They aren¡¯t a cop, but they¡¯ve been looking into it for a while.¡±

    This again brought Kira to pause. This was sounding way too familiar.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Reddit Forum?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mentioned this to my friend in a private chat, that I¡¯d probably have to tell you about it, because, well, it kind of connects to the fact that my friends and I found a body and that it was similar in the same way that this Ghost Woman kills people?¡±

    ¡°We both talked about it,¡± her mother continued. ¡°We agreed that it was something you should at least be aware of, given what¡¯s happened.¡±

    ¡°You know what they¡¯re talking about, Song?¡± Freddie asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± She then looked back to Morrigan. ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know their actual name, just their username. Mainly because they¡¯re a private person and rather keep it that way, so I don¡¯t push.¡± She paused when opening her laptop before frowning and closing it. ¡°On second thought, I should probably check with them if it¡¯s okay to show our conversation. Mentioning them was fine, but I¡¯m not sure about showing our chat log. Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way. There are some things I¡¯d rather not bring up, some personal stuff. I know it makes me look kind of sketchy, but I¡¯d rather keep some aspects of my life not out in the open.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kira said. ¡°We can talk about that later, but just answer me this. What¡¯s your friend¡¯s username? what do they go by?¡±

    And without missing a beat, Morrigan said. ¡°They go by F8.¡±

 Chapter 13 ~Kira~

    Well, G¨¡is¨« de. She thought in partial Chinese. What were the chances that she would meet with someone who knew this online persona?

    She was initially planning to try and message F8 to ask them what they knew and if they would be willing to come down to talk, but perhaps now, she might not need to.

    ¡°You know F8?¡± Kira repeated, wanting just to confirm.

    Morrigan nodded. ¡°I do. F8¡¯s known on Reddit for looking into cold cases. But I¡¯m not sure for how long. All I know is that this is something that they have done for fun. It¡¯s the same with the Ghost Woman cases.¡±

    Uh, what? ¡°Wait, F8¡¯s been working on this, by themself, for fun?¡±

    Morrigan merely shrugged. ¡°Yes and no. F8 is interested in trying to find any connection to the Ghost Woman. They even told me that they worked with Trace Labs in the past. Though, again, I can¡¯t tell you for how long.¡±

    ¡°Trace Labs?¡± Freddie repeats.

    Morrigan¡¯s gaze went to Freddie. ¡°It¡¯s a non-profit organization that works with hackers to try and locate missing persons, or even just to find clues that weren¡¯t discovered yet. It¡¯s something that F8 often talks about and sometimes will ask me what I think might have happened to a person who disappeared.¡±

    That didn¡¯t make any sense to Kira. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I could give outside perspective, but I think it¡¯s also because they said I tend to think a bit outside the box. I write stories, and to F8, it gives more flexibility in what might have happened. In their view, someone with a creative mind can look past the obvious and come to a possible conclusion based on what¡¯s out there online. They even give me pointers on things I could fix with my writing. They like the stories I tell, especially since it¡¯s not romance.¡±

    As interesting as that was, there was one thing that was left dangling in Kira¡¯s thought process. ¡°How did you two meet?¡±

    ¡°We met about a year and a half ago, on a form. I was gathering some research online about what it would take for a person to go missing after committing a murder. F8 was one of the first to respond.¡±

    ¡°And you were looking for that to write a story?¡±

    She gave Kira a slight smile. ¡°I get that it sounds strange. The majority of writers that I know tend to joke that we¡¯re probably on some watch list because of the things we try to look up for information.¡±

    Kira smiled, thinking of Lucia and her trials of being a writer when delving into research that some would look questionably on. ¡°I think I can understand that.¡±

    Her blue eyes lit up only to quickly snap out of it. ¡°Anyway, F8 isn¡¯t the only one, of course. I also get some advice from another person named ArchangelUriel. They also talk with F8 from time to time. Their conversations are pretty interesting. Even F8 finds what Uriel has to say as something to listen to.¡±

    ¡°Is this Uriel religious?¡± Freddie asked.

    She shook her head. ¡°As far as I know, they¡¯re not. They just seem to use it as it fits what they do. The Archangel is known for helping those in need, hence the name. At least that¡¯s what they say. No one knows who they are, not even F8 knows.¡± She then looked at Kira. ¡°Sorry, I keep going off track with this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Kira said. ¡°Do you know how long F8¡¯s been looking into these murders of the Ghost Woman?¡±

    ¡°No, but they did tell me something that you might not understand.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The reason they¡¯re looking for the Ghost Woman. F8 wants to thank them.¡±

    Kira¡¯s eyes went wide as Freddie responded. ¡°Whatever for?¡±

    Morrigan looked a bit on edge, probably thinking that she might have said too much but was already halfway in it. ¡°Because the Ghost Woman killed someone that F8 despised.¡±

    * * *

    It had been an hour since interviewing Morrigan Wolf with her mother, and the literal bombshell that the seventeen-year-old girl dropped became a nucellar bomb of questions inside Kira¡¯s mind.

    Just who did this Ghost Woman kill that F8 wanted so desperately to die?

    Or was that really what they wanted since this was just coming secondhand from another person who even they weren¡¯t sure if it was the truth or not.

    From what Kira saw online, it didn¡¯t make much sense to her. F8 seemed to want to stop the Ghost Woman, not thank her for killing people. But then, what did Kira know? It was a person behind a screen typing all that. For all Kira knew, it could have been a lie.

    This person known as F8 could very well have been a troll, but how could that have been given how earnestly this person searched for clues. So many things contradicted each other. It was almost maddening.

    I need sleep. Kira thought with a heavy sigh. Fredrick was right, this was doing her no good, and it¡¯d only get worse the longer she kept going on like this.

    She¡¯d need to take a bit of time off to get her thoughts and her sleeping schedule in order so that she can get back to doing things properly and not act like an idiot rookie.

    And her day wasn¡¯t even done yet.

    ¡°Detective Song, Ms. Davenport is almost here questioning.¡± A different police officer came to tell her this. ¡°It¡¯ll be another hour or so until she arrives.¡±

    How she wished she could just stop time for a moment with a generic TV remote.

    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± She said before heading to the woman¡¯s restroom and splashing freezing water in her face to wake herself up, then added a bit of makeup to hide the shadows under her eyes to make herself look like she wasn¡¯t as exhausted as she felt.

    And the last thing she wanted was to look exhausted in front of a woman who had something to hide.

    ¡°Are you all right, Detective?¡±

    Kira stopped when hearing a familiar voice when she left the restroom. Turning around, she came face to face with Alastor Hilmarsson. What was he doing here?

    He was dressed in a cotton button-up dress shirt in a light lavender colour with dark blue dress pants and a matching vest with a silver-grey tie making the man look not bothered by the mid-August heat. His hair was brushed off to the side as he smiled warmly.

    Did the heat just not affect him like a normal human being?

    ¡°Is there something you need, Mr. Hilmarsson?¡± she asked, slightly confused as to him being here at the police department.

    ¡°I¡¯ve merely come to see for myself, the monster whom you call Lauren Davenport¡¯s mother. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Monster? Kira frowned at the man.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I thought I should come by and give a bit of a refresher in what she¡¯s done, oh excuse me, what it¡¯s rumoured that she¡¯s done. Or at least allowed to happen.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson, what are you talking about? Did you¡­ did you know that she was being abused and did nothing about it?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t even look phased by her question to him as he put his left hand into his pants pocket before answering. ¡°That¡¯s a lofty jump, detective. I had the assumption and even called the police about it. But nothing changed. If anything, she was treated worse.¡±

    Kira scowled at that. ¡°And you know this how?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a detective to notice the difference in a person¡¯s demeanour.¡± He tells her rather flatly, with that infuriating smile of his. It was like he was mocking her with that comment. ¡°She was my daughter¡¯s babysitter after all. How much time she preferred to stay at my home speaks volumes,¡± his gaze then looked off to another part of the room. ¡°I honestly doubt Ms. Davenport even really knew her daughter given how she never even told the police that her child went missing. People who think they are so self-important often believe that no one is better than themselves, even their children.¡±

    She was about to ask what he meant by that, if Alastor had seen something like that with Lauren and her mother first hand, but didn¡¯t get the chance to when Alastor then handed her something Kira didn¡¯t expect.

    ¡°This is Miss Davenport¡¯s diary. I found it in my guest room after doing some cleaning.¡± He says as she takes a look and sees the first page. Seeing that it was, in fact, a diary. And it was written in Lauren¡¯s handwriting as well.

    ¡°Why was this at your place and not¡ª¡±

    ¡°In the Davenport home, where it could have easily been destroyed or hidden?¡± he finished. ¡°Because it probably would have been. Miss Davenport was more than welcome to stay overnight if it was far too late for her to head home on a rare occasion. She was also rather meticulous when it came to keeping what she cared about safe. She mentioned that her home wasn¡¯t. Mine was the closest thing to it. I haven¡¯t found anything else, but if I do, I¡¯ll let you know and bring it to you.¡±

    ¡°Have you read it?¡±

    ¡°Besides the first few pages, I kept my curiosity in check.¡±

    She eyed him with suspicion. Why now, though? ¡°You said you just found it, but what did you mean when you called Cathryn Davenport a monster?¡±

    He put his other hand into his pants pocket. ¡°Well, Cathryn must be if she allows those who she calls ¡°family¡± to hurt her daughter. Someone whom she¡¯s supposed to protect, it¡¯s the job of a parent to do so. Yet she has failed so spectacularly.¡±

    ¡°You mean that even about her son?¡±

    ¡°Considering he was also taking part in the abuse; I¡¯d dare say so. Ms. Davenport has failed in every regard as a mother.¡±

    ¡°Then why not report it?¡± that was something she just couldn¡¯t understand. If Alastor hated this woman so much, then why not take action?

    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried?¡± he asks, his smile faintly there on his face. ¡°I have at least on three separate occasions. But nothing was being done. The night she disappeared, I asked her to stay in my home until going off to college. Had I been a little firmer in trying to convince her, she might not have disappeared.¡±

    He sounded genuine in his statement. Yet something about it bugged Kira. She couldn¡¯t figure out why that was with this man standing in front of her, how he hated the woman who was coming in for questioning with distinct displeasure. Something pushed its way out of her thoughts and out of her mouth. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to her lack of sleep, her morbid curiosity or both mixed into one.

    ¡°And what would you have done if it was your daughter?¡± she asked, only to stop short when seeing him as his gaze now rested heavily on her like an oppressive weight. He was still smiling, but it was different. The look he had was evident as the air around him changed.

    ¡°They¡¯d be dead.¡± Or something akin to it. But it was gone the next instant as he answered her question.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure. Amalie is my everything. Wounding her would be like wounding me. I want her to live a long and happy life, away from the monsters that guise themselves as humans when they are not even such.¡±

    It was something that brought Kira pause. He certainly had an interesting way to parent his kid, or at least how he viewed parenting.

    He then pulled out a pocket watch. It was made of gold with a flowering detail border on the back and a stag with mountains in the background on the front.

    ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful pocket watch.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s silver-grey eyes glanced at her as his smile grew. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been in my family for many years now. It was used by my great-great-grandfather whenever he went hunting.¡±

    ¡°Do you hunt?¡±

    ¡°I did on occasion.¡± He then closed the pocket watch. ¡°But not anymore, parental duties and all. Speaking of, I only intended to keep this short of delivering the diary. I need to head home. I wish you all the best, Detective.¡± Alastor Hilmarsson left without another word, leaving Kira with the diary of Lauren Davenport.

    A small book that felt so much weight in her hands.

    She headed back to her desk and began to flip through the pages.

    ¡°I received a 79 on my last test. Even though I was sick and still went to school, it wasn¡¯t enough for her. She was so mad she pushed me down the stairs. I didn¡¯t break anything, but everything hurts. I¡¯m going to limp for a little while but, I can at least mask the bruises with makeup. She won¡¯t even acknowledge me anymore¡­ I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s good or bad.¡±

    ¡°Dave was ranting again, going on about not being able to get what he wants. I think it¡¯s drugs again, but I¡¯m not sure what kind. He masks it with that Axe Body spray so that no one can tell. Dad just watches TV unless he wants me to hand him over the money I get from Mr. Hilmarsson again. If I don¡¯t, he¡¯ll hit me, same with Dave if he can¡¯t get money from her. Working with that man was a surprise, given that I was sure he¡¯d say no given his job as a radio host. But it was the only kind of job I could do that I didn¡¯t need my parents for.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson found out about the money I had been earning being taken by my family. He was somehow able to convince the bank he goes to open an account for me. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but I¡¯m grateful. He says I can use the money to apply for the college I want. He even deposited the total amount that was stolen from me in it as a start. And just to be safe, he¡¯d still hand me some money so that they wouldn¡¯t be the wiser when they¡¯d steal it.¡±

    ¡°Amalie asked me if there was anything she could do to help me. She¡¯s only six years old, but she¡¯s perceptive. She¡¯s much more aware than your average kid, I know she¡¯s been bullied by kids at her school, and the teachers don¡¯t do a thing to help. I think Mr. Hilmarsson plans to place Amalie in another school soon. Although he¡¯s interacted with the teachers that have done nothing to help, it¡¯s like he wants to hurt them for allowing them to fail at their jobs. I can¡¯t blame him. I don¡¯t want to worry Amalie, she¡¯s such a good kid. I¡¯ll act out her favourite book to distract her from asking again.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t even look at me anymore. As long as I keep my head down, I¡¯ll be okay. Just a little bit longer, and I¡¯ll finally be free, away from all of this and them. Amalie told me that she wishes she could be like me, confident and strong like the characters in the books she likes. But I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m anything but strong. But I don¡¯t have the heart to tell her that.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could just disappear; I love the Hilmarsson family, Amalie especially. But what I¡¯m going through feels too much to bear now. I don¡¯t want to drag them into my problems. But I can¡¯t run away. I don¡¯t dare to try again. Even if I did, she¡¯d just drag me back and have everything covered up like before¡­ why can¡¯t the world just swallow me whole? Why can¡¯t they all just disappear?¡±

    On and on, this went. The bits of detail that Lauren would go into of what her home life was like. Her mother saw Lauren as less important, while her brother was seen as the Golden Child even though he did nothing worthy of merit. At the same time, her father was a constant alcoholic and would strike her with a belt.

    The constant descriptions of abuse at the hands of her brother and father while her mother did nothing to the point where her mother no longer saw her as someone who even existed as the abuse would slowly become worse and worse. Lauren¡¯s constant fear of what she would do if she couldn¡¯t go to class or what lies she would have to give as she covered up the injuries with makeup. The only solace Lauren seemed to hold on to was her ability to act, even though the pain she constantly dealt with, and somehow getting a job as a babysitter that she was more thankful for. Seeing her job as another escape from her home and how sweet the daughter was, she also seemed rather perceptive in her own right. And the graciousness of Alastor allowing Lauren to stay days at a time.

    But it was her last entry that made Kira even more concerned.

    ¡°I have no choice but to do it. I need to so that I can finally be free. I know Mr. Hilmarsson cares, but this is my problem. Besides, even if I do vanish, my family wouldn¡¯t look for me. They never cared. I wished they never had me. Then at least, I wouldn¡¯t be here to suffer like this. Tonight will be the night. It¡¯s my only chance. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯m dead.¡±

    ¡°Holy Christ on a stick,¡± Freddie muttered with an exasperated sigh as he closed Lauren¡¯s diary. ¡°How the fucking hell was this not looked into?¡±

    ¡°Her diary makes it clear. Ms. Davenport covered it up somehow.¡± Kira replied. They haven¡¯t even gone over the whole diary, just looking over bits and pieces before Cathryn arrived. What they¡¯ve seen thus far was depressing and enraging.

    Who was the one that swept this under the rug?

    What officer was selfish enough to do this for fucking money?

    But as angry as Kira was, it probably wasn¡¯t a penance in comparison to Fredrick, for as she looked at him, she could see the older man trying to hold in his anger.

    Abuse of any kind on a kid was something he would never forgive, no matter the person.

    But he compressed it down as he let out a breath and then asked. ¡°Are you sure about this? I can do this on my own if you think you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kira told him, but the look he gave matched the one that she felt, that she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be okay. But her stubbornness persisted. She needed to see this through, at least with this woman.

    Inhaling a deep breath through her nose, she gave a look of determination to Freddie before she reached the door and went inside to speak with Cathryn Davenport.

 Chapter 14 ~Amalie~

    Today was the day that I start my first day of school.

    A day I always wished would never come, but I would get over it eventually because it¡¯s always the same. I knew Dad was in the process of trying to get me into a new school, away from all of what I had to deal with last year, but my grandparents were complaining about it.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why my grandparents were getting so involved. I couldn¡¯t understand. Did they not like the school my Dad was thinking of? It was another public school, but I think my grandparents probably thought it was not a good fit. If that made any sense at all?

    But it was thanks to my grandparents that I was now stuck in that school.

    Again, for another year.

    Part of me hated them for it.

    For doing something so¡­ stupid.

    What was the point of it?

    ¡°Amalie?¡± my father called, drawing me away from packing my bag for school. He stood by my open door, watching me with a smile. He was dressed in a suit that was of dark red wine colour plaid pants and a matching vest with a white shirt and black tie with an ornate pattern that matched the colour of his vest and pants. ¡°Breakfast is ready. Come down to eat. Okay?¡±

    I was dressed in a bright red skirt with no pattern that went just past my knees, a white blouse and black socks that went up to my knees. I merely looked back at my open school bag. ¡°Do I have to go?¡± I asked. It was a question with an obvious answer.

    He closed the distance and sat on the edge of the bed, where he motioned for me to come and sit with him. When I got close, he picked me up and had me sit on his lap.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to. And to tell you the truth, I¡¯d rather you stay here. But sadly, we both don¡¯t get much choice. I can¡¯t leave you alone. As much as I know you¡¯d be able to handle yourself, people would question it. And the last thing I want is an unwanted spotlight on you.¡± He picked up my hairbrush and began to brush through my hair gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetie, I know this isn¡¯t what you want. I will see what I can do, and hopefully, by the new year, I can get you into a better school. But if you think you can¡¯t stick it out, tell me, and I¡¯ll do what I need to get you out of that place.¡± He then reached over to my nightstand and picked up the dark red French hair clip and then gathered my hair into a half ponytail and then put the clip in, keeping my hair in place.

    He then wrapped his arms around me in a handless hug and squeezed lightly. ¡°I promise you that.¡±

    I frowned but quickly masked it. Something in how Dad said that he would do what he needed to get me out bothered me. What would he do? What would he do to those people? So, I asked him. ¡°What would you do, Dad?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You said that you¡¯d get me out of that place. That you¡¯d do what you¡¯d need to. What did you mean by that? What would you do?¡±

    I knew deep down I shouldn¡¯t have asked, but I needed to know because¡­ if it were as bad as I thought, then I¡¯d choose to keep going, just so no one got hurt. My school already had one monster to deal with. It didn¡¯t need another.

    I could feel his chin resting on the top of my head. ¡°That is the question, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s hard to say what I would do off the top of my head, especially with so many variables and outcomes. It really, all depends on you, my Dear. And what you would want.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean to think back on it, but I did. My nightmare where I let the school burn with everyone inside banging the doors and the windows, calling for help as I watched. But now, it wasn¡¯t just me, my father was now next to me, smiling like he always did. Before looking back to the burning school with that same smile as he held my hand.

    It was scary.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± I say as he lowers his arms, but his fingers interlaced as his hands rest over mine as he looks down at me. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to go.¡±

    I could feel him kissing the top of my head. ¡°I know,¡± his resting where he kissed me as his body began to sway his body, and mine, as we stayed sitting on my bed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry,¡± he continued. ¡°I believe that something good will come of it. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    I frowned. What did he mean by that? But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he continued speaking very softly, almost in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ve made pancakes, fried eggs with bacon with some fruit. Strawberries, your favourite.¡± He then gently picked me up, getting me to stand up before he moved off my bed, taking my backpack in one hand and my hand in the other and leading me down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast made my stomach growl.

    Hunger was a funny thing.

    I was nervous about school, nearly making me feel sick, but I wanted to eat my fill of what I could see. I was so hungry I didn¡¯t notice the sounds from the TV in the living room right away as I took my seat at the table where my Dad then placed my plate that had bacon, two fried eggs, two pancakes and three strawberries.

    ¡°Oh, it seems like I¡¯ve forgotten the syrup. Give me a moment. I¡¯m sure we still have some in the basement pantry.¡± My Dad then quickly left the kitchen and headed to the basement. While I remained sitting in my chair, I began to hear what was coming from the living room. It was on the news. I listened to a woman say a name I recognized.

    Davenport.

    Out of curiosity, I left my chair and silently went into the living room to see what was going on on TV. I could just hear it from the kitchen, but I wanted to see what it was about and what I thought was true.

    And it was.

    On the TV, I saw Lauren¡¯s Mom. She was short and slightly round with short reddish hair with bright blonde highlights and wore an outfit that made her look like one of those flight attendants on a plane as she was led away by the police.

    Funny enough, Lauren looked nothing like her parents being a dark blonde with hair that she always kept in a ponytail, her skin a warmer tone than my own as she had greyish blue eyes and a thin like a ballerina. Even with how she could act, she could do so much more. For one, I never knew just how skilled she was at using a gun. Lauren mentioned offhand that if worse came to worse, she would use a gun to protect herself from her awful family. She also really liked the wilderness whenever my Dad took Lauren and me to the cabin during holidays. She always seemed more at peace in the woods than she did in the city.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Reporters were currently swarming her mother as the woman on the TV talked about how Lauren dealt with the abuse. I knew the word Abuse meant a type of harm, be it to a person¡¯s body or mind. I only came across it once, overhearing Lauren talking to my Dad one night when she thought I was asleep. But I was too worried to sleep, worried for Lauren and what my Dad would do to those people.

    But he did nothing. Maybe someone else did it; perhaps it was an accident or something else I wasn¡¯t aware of. Either way, Lauren¡¯s Mom would be awaiting a response from her work and would be put under house arrest.

    I briefly thought that the house would be surrounded by jail bars, but to my disappointment, it wasn¡¯t. How would they make sure she wasn¡¯t going to escape her home if she wasn¡¯t locked up in a jail cell?

    ¡°Sweetie?¡± I jumped and turned around to see my Dad looking at me with a slight tilt of his head. ¡°What are you doing in the living room?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ªMs. Davenport will be under house arrest until further notice from the courts.¡± The lady on TV continued. ¡°In other news¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± my Dad said as he walked past me and turned off the TV. ¡°I thought I turned that off. I gather it was distracting.¡±

    ¡°Will they find Lauren?¡± I asked my Dad as we walked back to the kitchen, where he kept his back to me.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± he looked at me, his smile still there. ¡°We can only hope that she reveals herself when she feels that she¡¯s able.¡±

    I just looked at my Dad with confusion. It was like Lauren had gone into hiding rather than just disappearing. Was she in hiding from her Mom? If that were true, would she come back if her Mom was put in jail for good?

    I smiled, thinking about it. I hoped that was the case.

    ¡°Sweetie, breakfast is going to get cold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± I head back to the kitchen, no longer worrying about the coming day. If anything, this bit of hope for Lauren made me not think about the worries about school for at least a short time.

    At least, until I got to school, that is.

    It¡¯s okay¡­ I thought to myself as I gripped the straps of my backpack. I¡¯ll be okay. I let out a shaky breath as a bunch of other kids ran ahead to play with friends as they headed to the school that I¡¯d be returning to. It made me uneasy.

    Brighton Public School.

    From what I could remember, it was built in the 60s, so it¡¯s an old building. Not as old as our house, but it was still old.

    I felt my Dad¡¯s hand on my shoulder, lightly squeezing as if to encourage me. Or something like it, I think.

    ¡°Amalie?¡± I turned to see Kaya with her mother, who raced over and hugged me tightly. ¡°Amalie, I¡¯m so happy to see you!¡± she yelled, making my ears ring from her loud voice. She then pulled away, looking excited at her mom. ¡°Mom! Mom! Mom! I can¡¯t believe Amalie is going to the same school as me! Isn¡¯t that great!?¡±

    Kaya¡¯s Mom smiled. ¡°It sure is,¡± she then looked at my Dad. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    ¡°Same to you as well, Mrs. Ortiz. I trust that you and the rest of your family have become more accustomed to Canadian life?¡±

    ¡°As best as we can.¡± She says with a bit of a nervous laugh. ¡°It might be a while before we¡¯ve all acclimatized to our new environment.¡± The moment she said that I noticed how she looked directly at Kaya. Her smile shifted as her gaze became sad. Like she felt bad for Kaya being here at all.

    Was Kaya just hiding how she felt then?

    Did she not want to be here at all?

    It made sense since one, Kaya had moved away from all of her friends, and two, she was starting at a new school. But maybe because I was at this school, it made her feel a bit better.

    A warm feeling rested in my chest. I felt happy. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was good or not. I didn¡¯t want Kaya to think she needed me, especially since¡­

    ¡°Hey, Amalie, you still go here? I thought you said you weren¡¯t coming back?¡± a girl cackled before being yanked by one of her parents to get her to stop. That girl was Mia Hathaway. Her skin was tanned as she had green eyes and a blonde bobbed haircut that curled inwards at the ends and always had a look on her face like she was better than everyone. She was one of the kids who bullied me, but she seemed to be dealing with something similar to what Lauren had.

    I only noticed it once, the bruises that she kept hidden underneath her clothes when we were in gym. It was why she always wore long-sleeved shirts, even in the summer.

    She was the leader of at least five other kids who took part in the bullying. Two other girls named Jill and Nancy and three boys named Edward, Brandon and Josh. But the boys wouldn¡¯t come near me. There was a good reason for that.

    I looked up at my Dad and saw that he was looking at Mia¡¯s family in question. A knowing smile on his face as his grey eyes looked at the parents like they were less than dirt.

    He looked at those three boys once with that same look when he caught them in the act when picking me up from a doctor¡¯s appointment. And it scared them to stay far, far away from me. I wish the others who bullied me would do the same, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do since the teachers wouldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    But that wasn¡¯t the only issue the school had¡­

    ¡°Mr. Green! How was your summer? Check out any matches?¡± an adult called out, greeting a man with dark brown hair, darker than mine, with the same matching dark colour eyes. He was tall with a thick build, not overweight but had muscle on him.

    Nick Green, the counsellor and gym teacher for our school, he¡¯s been here since I started first grade last year. He started in the new year. And he never seemed to be good at his job. For many reasons, why the teachers did nothing bothered me. I tried bringing it up last year, but who¡¯d listen and take what a six/seven-year-old told them?

    I knew not all adults were like that, but some of the ones here, the teachers and principal, didn¡¯t seem to care. Garry, the janitor, was hurt last year and hasn¡¯t woken up since last spring. His family still talks to him even while he¡¯s sleeping, and he¡¯s reacted, I knew because I visited him once, said what I knew, and he responded¡ªhis hand squeezing mine.

    He knew and wanted to stop what was happening but was hurt because he was caught.

    I liked Garry, he didn¡¯t deserve what happened to him. I wanted the one who hurt him to pay for what they did.

    But as a kid, there wasn¡¯t much I could do. At least not right away, if I could just get what was needed to stop it then the adults would listen. The thing was, I knew I could tell my father about this, but I knew if I did that, then there would be nothing that could bring this horrible truth to light.

    If my Dad knew, then the monster who caused this issue would disappear. I knew that because he had done it before. And when I told someone about it, they didn¡¯t believe me.

    A lot of adults that I had the issue to deal with were like this.

    Nick smiled at the other adult. ¡°I caught a few, not as many as I would have liked. But I enjoyed it overall, especially baseball.¡±

    Nick always had an open and friendly way about him, even when he first arrived last year. The adults and other kids liked him a lot. They always thought he was a good person. But something about him felt off to me. Like it wasn¡¯t real. Like he was only pretending to be nice.

    Something about him made me not want to trust him.

    And my instinct was right¡­

    ¡°Amalie?¡± Kaya¡¯s voice drew my eyes away from him and to Kaya, who looked worried. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    I smiled the moment she asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we show you around?¡± my Dad offered. ¡°That way, you both can get a better lay of the land before we adults have to head off to work?¡±

    ¡°I see nothing wrong with that,¡± Kaya¡¯s Mom said, then looked at her. ¡°What do you think, hun?¡±

    Kaya nodded but seemed a little unhappy, I guess? But, again, I could understand why.

    I looked back at the many adults and kids. Nick had disappeared somewhere. I¡¯ll have to keep a better eye out. I need to make sure no one else gets hurt, like with the others.

    I knew that I would have to do something to draw out that monster, draw him into the light for all to see. Then maybe, I could try again, revealing a bigger monster.

    The monster that is my Father.

    At least, that¡¯s my hope¡­ because truth be told, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d be able to take others not believing me for the second time. It should be easy, but it¡¯s not. Even though I told Kaya, it¡¯s something that should always be done when you know you¡¯re in a bad situation. But when no one believes you, no matter how many times you say it, it makes it even harder to try.

    But that smaller monster isn¡¯t my Dad, so I know that this is something I can¡¯t give up on. No matter what. I need, no, I must do all that I can to stop him from harming anyone else, to stop him from swallowing another kid whole¡­

 Chapter 15 ~~~~~

    Vivian stretched her arms above her head as she let out a tired groan. She needed to get a better chair, her butt especially complaining about it, rubbing the back of her hips, partly wondering why she forgot to bring her seat cushion with her last night when she made the mad dash to her car for work. She also needed a new alarm clock but was stingy as hell when buying new things. I¡¯m just like my sister.

    ¡°Hard day of work?¡±

    Vivan stopped mid-rub when hearing the sweet drawling tones of her daytime co-worker Alastor Hilmarsson. Dressed in one of his many bespoke three-piece suites tailored in various colours, this particular suit was of dark red wine colour plaid pants with a matching vest and jacket with a white dress shirt and black tie with an ornate pattern as a gold chain of his pocket watch remained hanging out of his pants pocket.

    And without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she kept her hands where they were and, with a grin, said. ¡°Oh, it was some type of work, I can guarantee you that.¡± she wagged her eyebrows at Alastor, who chuckled, smile ever-present as he knew full well what Vivan meant. Some would think it was a sex joke, which was fair, but that was furthest from the truth. At least with this particular joke in question since Vivian referred to her bottom surgery when she had gotten it done four years ago. He had seen her at her worst while also becoming a single parent raising a toddler.

    How Alastor managed to do all that while also helping her heal with the aid of her sister Vivian would never really know, he seemed more than willing to help her no matter how long he remained awake. The amount of stamina he had was incredible. She recalled how he was with his daughter while also helping her when she was semi-awake after returning home for the surgery, that endearing smile he had while watching his daughter sleep. Little did Vivan know that the reason he decided to stay with Vivian during her recovery was also to avoid his wife, who had run away from home for trying to hurt baby Amalie.

    When she came to realize the truth, it made her angry.

    In her life, Vivan realized that she couldn¡¯t have kids, even before becoming the woman she truly was. It made her even more upset at the people who could but chose to be monsters to the kids they were supposed to love.

    It was why Vivian vowed to be there for Amalie as a sudo aunt no matter what. Some wondered why if she felt that strongly about the girl, why not pursue a romantic relationship with Alastor, and the answer to that was simple. She would never feel that way for him, and he was very much the same. Though they cared for one another in the form of friendship type of love, it would never be sexual or romantic.

    It didn¡¯t stop the shippers, though.

    But besides all of that, the pain from the surgery was worth it. Now she could make jokes about it. Some might see it as offensive, but to her, after going through all the pain and finally seeing what she always felt in the mirror, she could look back at those painful times with a smile.

    After all, Alastor also gave her words of encouragement, making her even more grateful to have him as her friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was.¡± Then he asked. ¡°Did you forget your seat cushion again? You know that you can leave it in your office.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cramped to hell and back with stuff already, plus I don¡¯t want someone to steal it. I know someone¡¯s been going around and taking stuff, and I don¡¯t want my beloved cushion to be stolen. It¡¯s high-end and high-quality and cost me two hundred bucks. Overpriced? Maybe. Worth it? Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then why not leave it in my office? You¡¯d be more welcome to leave something you feel is too important to leave anywhere else.¡±

    She smiled. Alastor always did look out for those he worked with, even if they never really worked together. ¡°Mmmm, maybe I should just try leaving it in my car first? And if I still forget, then I¡¯ll probably take you up on your offer if it still stands.¡±

    ¡°It will.¡±

    She continued to smile back at him. ¡°You know, this is going to sound hypocritical after I said you could take as long as you needed, but I¡¯m happy to see you back.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m happy to be back. Though I still get the occasional odd stare here and there. It¡¯s like I¡¯m newly widowed. Even though that couldn¡¯t be furthest from the truth.¡±

    Vivan put her right hand on her hip and shook her head, sending the dark, tight curls of her hair about. ¡°Is it the temps again?¡±

    He shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°New blood always has the habit of staring. But it won¡¯t be for long. It never is.¡±

    That was true. For several of them. Yet Alastor would always be seen as top-tier. Not that Vivian minded, as some of the fans could be a bit¡­ much.

    Whenever they had new hires, many would often stare and marvel when meeting with Alastor for the first time, many coming here because he inspired them. Some men and women asked to date him, yet he politely held up his hand to show his wedding ring, and that would usually deter them.

    At least most of the time, but when they would become deterred when discovering that dating a man with a child meant that the kid would ultimately come first. And he would always be devoted to Amalie.

    Those who didn¡¯t like this fact would later find themselves at the end of scrutiny from Alastor¡¯s devoted fans, those who would call out people that hated his kid. Those people would later vanish, probably just going off to hide in another province or even the States to get away from the onslaught of angry fans.

    Alastor would ask time and time again not to be angry, for people had their preferences regarding relationships. However, even he drew the line at those who insulted his kid.

    Katie was like that; Al¡¯s old co-host made a horrible comment about Amalie and the look Alastor had could very well turn someone¡¯s blood to ice. Or so Vivan was told since she wasn¡¯t there to see it for herself. The thing was, Katie had a slew of enemies, both at work and in her personal life. She was a real bitch to deal with. But not long after that, one month later she died in a horrible car accident, her body was mangled beyond recognition because her car stalled when crossing some train tracks late one night. She died instantly.

    Many saw it as divine justice, and others just wondered if someone finally snapped and took out their anger on her and had her killed, all the while Alastor just didn¡¯t seem to care. He paid his respects at her funeral and moved on as if nothing happened.

    But then that was just kind of how he was. Utterly indifferent to those who were rude and could care less if they died, even more so if that person disliked his child for whatever arbitrary reason they had.

    Like seriously, what kind of stupid dumbass hates on a kid because she¡¯s her father¡¯s daughter? That kind of shit just boggled Vivan¡¯s mind. The girl was seven, SEVEN, for god¡¯s sake! And who in their right mind would even hate such a sweet girl, to begin with?

    Why do people suck so damn much!? Vivan thought in aggravation.

    ¡°Something on your mind, Ms. Bone?¡± Alastor asked, snapping Vivan out of her train of thought.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, I¡¯m good. But I should probably get going, been here longer than I normally am.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering why you were here so late. Normally you¡¯d be at home already.¡±

    ¡°I was asked to take over for parts during the early morning, Bethany went into premature labour. Since I kind of saw it happen and called the ambulance while we were all panicking since this is her first kid, and when she was taken to the hospital, our boss asked if I could take over her spot since her co-host was going to be in late due to his kid¡¯s operation.¡±

    ¡°So, Jean¡¯s back to work as well then?¡±

    ¡°Yup, he has been for a while. A bit of a shift in the schedule, but that happens from time to time, plus he was super apologetic to me when I told him what happened but was also super worried for his ¡°co-host sister.¡± But that¡¯s nothing new for Jean.¡±

    He chuckled at that, but his eyes seemed to drift as though he were suddenly far away. ¡°It seems that many of us have come upon issues as of late.¡±

    ¡°Is it something to do with Amalie?¡±

    ¡°In a way, yes. But, for now, I¡¯m more than capable of handling it. Anyhow, it would be best if you get going. You look like you¡¯re running on fumes.¡±

    Vivan gave a modest laugh. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. I might nab a coffee before I head to my car to keep me up before I head home.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d like,¡± Alastor began. ¡°I would be more than willing to bring you something to eat when I head home. Amalie¡¯s mentioned to me that you¡¯ve been struggling in buying food that has natural ingredients.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Al, you don¡¯t have to do that. Besides, you have Amalie to think about.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s smile twitched as he took a step forward to look up at Vivan since even with her heels, she was at least six feet in height. ¡°Are you saying I can¡¯t do both? That I¡¯m not capable of caring for my friend as well as my daughter? After all, we¡¯ve dealt with together?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± was all she could respond with, just grateful that there was no one in the hallway that they occupied because of the number of contexts people would need and just automatically assume crap. ¡°No, I know you¡¯re more than capable. I just don¡¯t want you to push yourself too much. What will happen if you get yourself sick? You need to think about yourself too, not just everyone around you.¡±

    Alastor gave a low chuckle as he took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m only teasing, but I can¡¯t help but think about those whom I¡¯ve grown close to, and I only want the best for them. Including you, Vivan.¡±

    Vivan smiled before placing her manicured hands on his lean shoulders. ¡°Alright, alright, I get it, tone down the saintly charm.¡±

    He gave her a puzzled look with his smile. ¡°¡®Saintly charm¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah?¡± she placed her hand on her hip and pointed at him with a finger gun with her free hand. ¡°Seriously, Al, people think you¡¯re some kind of Angel in human form with how caring you are. But as I said, you still gotta¡¯ think about yourself!¡±

    ¡°So, is that a no to bringing you dinner?¡±

    She thought about it for a bit. ¡°For now, it¡¯s a no. I mainly feel like I¡¯m putting you on the spot; tell you what, why don¡¯t you and Amalie come to my place for dinner this Saturday? Though¡­ are you okay with vegetarian food for one night?¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m more than willing to try something new, even if I am strictly a carnivore. However, if it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to bring some vegetarian recipes and some produce for it. Would that be alright?¡±

    Vivian brightened at this. ¡°Yes! That would be great! There¡¯s this bean soup I¡¯ve wanted to try to make for a while now. If you¡¯d like, I can send you the recipe.¡±

    His smile became cherry. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not. Although,¡± he held up his pocket watch. ¡°Should you be going home now?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! Right! Yes! I can¡¯t believe I forgot!¡± she then rushed past Alastor to the underground parking lot. ¡°Thanks, Al! I¡¯ll be sure to text you those recipes later tonight. You¡¯ll do great today! Glad to have you back!¡±

    And she was gone from sight after that.

    Alastor then turned to continue on his way, only to stop after taking a few steps and stifling a laugh. His right hand rested along his smiling lips.

    An angel, that¡¯s what people thought of him? Really? Oh, if only they knew, the closest thing that he could have been would be a fallen angel, considering all he¡¯s done, but then Alastor was no angel or demon. He was merely himself through and through. He would never be arrogant to think anything else. Although, if there were someone who could be seen as pure like an angel, it would be Amalie.

    He would never have imagined that someone so pure and kind would come from his flesh and blood. Perhaps it was a sign? Or maybe he was just that good of a parent. After all, he loved Amalie, his daughter would become whatever she wished, and he would be proud even if it meant his end at her hands.

    Wouldn¡¯t that be something?

    He chuckled at the thought, but he felt that such an event wouldn¡¯t happen for some time because she still had a way to go before completely accepting what she would become and what she could do, and he had no intention to rush such a process.

    Though, if possible, he¡¯d prefer it not happen until after she married, for that would be one thing he would like to see more than anything else. To walk his daughter down the aisle to her beloved before whispering his deepest darkest secret that not even she was aware of. How lovely she¡¯d look, dressed in white, the picturesque image of beauty.

    Such a thought filled him with joy as he began to sing the song D¨²lam¨¢n softly as he skipped his way to his office to prepare for the day¡¯s work.

    Fully aware of someone watching him from around the corner with an intense stare but chose to pay them no mind. Where when Alastor entered his office after his song ended, he came to a halt. Someone had been in here.

    It was faint, but he could smell it. Someone had come into his office, even though he had it locked and showed no apparent signs of change. His grey eyes shifted about as he walked the short distance, only to land on his immaculately clean desk where the smell was the strongest.

    ¡°My pen¡¯s missing,¡± he said aloud. The pen in question was a Montblanc Catherine II the Great Limited Edition. With red gold, the aubergine-coloured barrel had precious rubies decorating the cap top. It was hard to come by and very expensive. ¡°How troublesome,¡± he said with a rye smile as his eyes became dark and cruel.  ¡°Oh dear, what should I do about this?¡± as he tapped his index finger along his desk. ¡°Hmmm, decisions, decisions¡­¡± his smile twitched as he stopped tapping his index finger when a thought came to mind. An excellent idea to quickly bring an end to the string of thefts around here from such a degenerate rat.

    *    *    *

    ¡°Hello, my Dear Friends,¡± Alastor spoke when he went on air, drawling his words. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time; I hope all of you are well this day. It¡¯s my first day back after a much-needed time away. Though I¡¯m sure many of you were anxious about my return. I¡¯ve received countless emails and fan letters asking if I¡¯m alright, and I can assure all of you that I¡¯m well. This time away was something I needed to take care of. I hope you can understand.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not going to talk about his wife?¡± the new temp, Daniel, asked Simone, the woman in charge of a good amount of what was done in the back as she showed the temps how things were done. ¡°It¡¯s why he took time off. After all, a funeral¡¯s kind of a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Alastor makes a habit of not bringing much of his personal life on air. His daughter is the exception.¡±

    The man frowned. ¡°Still, does no one find it a bit strange? I mean, people pay attention to the news. They should know about his wife and his situation, right?¡±

    Simone nudged the man with her elbow. ¡°It¡¯s not polite being so nosy. People respect his privacy and his personal life. When his wife disappeared, many people thought that he did something, but when the truth about her came out in how she almost murdered their child, people decided to respect the man¡¯s choice in keeping that quiet.¡±

    That made little to no sense to Daniel. Given the man¡¯s popularity, Alastor would have been swarmed by countless fans, unless¡­ ¡°Is it because of his kid?¡±

    ¡°Uh? Yeah? You think?¡± Simone looked at him before looking at Gwen, who remained quiet throughout their conversation. A timid girl with a tiny thin frame that many thought that she was like a mouse in human form with how she would move with little to no sound. With brown hair kept in a short, low ponytail and freckles splattered across her pale skin like a speckled egg. ¡°You alright, Gwen?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± this snapped the young woman out of her trance. ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about something.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Simone eyed Gwen. ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°My boyfriend, he gave me this pen.¡± She then held up the pen, which was red and gold, keeping the top of the pen firmly in her grasp. ¡°He gave it to me since I lost mine.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that looks expensive,¡± Daniel said.

    ¡°You keep talking about your boyfriend. Are you ever going to introduce us to him?¡±

    She tucked the pen back into her notebook. ¡°I will when I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s smile grew. Faster than he expected, given what he knew about the thief and all of what had been stolen. He wasn¡¯t the least bit surprised since the woman was a fan of his. She must have finally worked up the courage to finally steal something of his.

    There you are, my little rat. ¡°To celebrate my return, I thought about doing it with a song. I was given the go-ahead, and I thought to sing one of my favourites.¡± He then moved to where a band was ready and he took a seat at the piano. Rolling up his sleeves as he did so while turning his gaze to the temps and smiled at them, which caused them both to become flustered as Simone laughed. ¡°For long-time listeners, you¡¯ll know who this is, but for first-timers. This is Sinnerman by the talentedly wonderful and oh-so-missed Nina Simone. If she were still with us, I would be delighted to invite her for dinner along with you.¡±

 Chapter 16 ~Elain~

    Man, he can sing. Wonder if he still acts as a hobby. Elain thought as she listened to Alastor sing on the radio. The man¡¯s talents seem to hold no bounds. Listening to him sing helped quell the anxiety she had, at least for a little while, until her Dad pulled up to the front of her new school, and it came all crashing down.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± her Dad reassured her as he squeezed her hand. ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡±

    ¡°I should be okay,¡± she said after letting out a breath. ¡°Nate¡¯s with me, at least for one more year.¡±

    ¡°And even then, I¡¯ll still be around.¡± Nathan offered with a grin.

    Elain smiled, which eased some of the tension that rested along her shoulders. After taking a breath to try and calm her nerves, Elain stepped out of the car and looked at her new school.

    Alderwood High School.

    Built back in the 1940s with dark brick, it looked more like a fortress than a high school. It was two buildings rather than one, with the second building being an addition built in the 2010s. When Elain walked around the school for the first time to get the lay of the land, the layout reminded her of the last school she was at. Elain just hoped that being here wouldn¡¯t bring up any more issues for her family.

    Yet, now that there were students, parents, and teachers milling about, she all about froze in her tracks. Her heart was hammering loudly in her ears, she felt like it was hard to breathe. She couldn¡¯t move. Her legs were shaking. Her whole body did, and her heart felt like it was about to burst.

    Laughter filled her ears. It was as if those laughing students were laughing at her, just like from back then. Her vision blurred the more she noticed others looking her way. As if they were waiting for her to do something to mock her.

    She shut her eyes, trying to even her shallow breathing, trying to calm down, but it didn¡¯t work. She felt like she was going to be sick.

    ¡°El,¡± she felt her Dad wrap an arm, her upper arms causing her to jump slightly. But found that he was only trying to keep her from falling as Nate remained beside her if he needed to help for whatever reason. ¡°If you don¡¯t think you can, we can go home. You don¡¯t have to try the first day.¡±

    Elain knew that, but she didn¡¯t want to run from this. She couldn¡¯t run from this. She had to face this head-on. Elain was about to say, ¡°Let me try,¡± but couldn¡¯t get her voice to come out. Just seeing all of those people, mixed with what happened to her at her other school, began to merge in her mind and suddenly made her feel the need to vomit as her hand went to cover her mouth.

    *    *    *

    Well, that was a total bust. Elain thought with a sigh of defeat as she lay out on her bed. She was brought back home after she almost vomited due to everything coming back full force. Why¡¯d I think that I¡¯d be fine on the first day when I haven¡¯t been in a crowded school in¡­ what? Five months? ¡°Fuck,¡± she muttered under her breath as she covered her eyes with her left arm. She should have tested it out first before trying, now she just felt like a total failure.

    And now she was at home, completely alone. Her Dad wanted to stay, but he had his new job to go to, but he and Nate wanted to stay to ensure that she was all right, but Elain told them both that she would be fine even though she felt the furthest thing from it.

    To try and get her mind off this colossal misstep, she pulled out some DVDs of anime to watch and ultimately landed on rewatching The Saga of Tanya the Evil. Given her self-loathing state of mind and desire to lash out, Elain thought this would help. At least for a short while.

    By the time she finished the first disc, it was one in the afternoon. And still felt out of sorts. As if all of her emotions and feelings had fallen to the soles of her feet.

    Turning off the TV, Elain looked at the clock before getting up and heading to the fridge but found nothing appealing to her. Shutting the fridge a little harder than intended, Elain headed out of the house, leaving a note beforehand and locking up. She needed to clear her head, but her mind just kept going back to the morning¡¯s events no matter where she walked.

    Just thinking about it made her angry.

    So damn angry.

    It made her want to scream, but the last thing she wanted was to look like a total crazy person to some random pedestrian.

    Gritting her teeth in frustration, she began to run. Run and run and run until she couldn¡¯t anymore. As she breathed heavily, leaning down until her whole body was in a squat she felt her tears burning her eyes and her shoulder hurt with a dull throbbing pain as she gripped it with her left hand. She was nearly clawing at her shirt in frustration.

    Things were supposed to be different! She was supposed to move on! To start anew! A fresh start in life! So why? WHY?! WHY THE FUCK WOULDN¡¯T IT LEAVE HER ALONE!?

    Why was it that what happened nearly half a year ago still followed her like a fucking phantom she just wanted to forget?

    But then, this wasn¡¯t something that could just be easily forgotten. Elain knew that her arm, shoulder and eyebrow were proof of that. Scares that would never truly fade no matter how much she wished it to. To even the darkest part of her mind, wanting those who hurt her to suffer more than she ever did, for them to scream and be in absolute agony begging for a mercy that would never be granted to them.

    But before she could do anything about it, to quiet her darkest thoughts, she heard a familiar voice call to her from the street.

    ¡°Miss Ortiz?¡± her head snapped up and turned to see Alastor in his car, with his subtle smile but his grey eyes holding concern. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    She looked away, feeling ashamed. This was supposed to be a fresh start, something new and away from that other place. She was supposed to feel safe. Yet here she was, on the verge of a mental breakdown. Before she realized it, Alastor was now kneeling in front of her and merely offered her a hand. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked. ¡°If not, why not have something at my place? I have quite the verity if you recall.¡±

    With slight reluctance, she took his hand with her good arm. Where he led her back to his car and she slid into the front passenger¡¯s seat when he opened the door for her. Then quickly strode back to the driver¡¯s side and started the car.

    Elain didn¡¯t say anything as he drove, with only the radio filling the silence.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    First you say you do

    And then you don''t

    And then you say you will

    And then you won''t

    You''re undecided now

    So what are you gonna do?

    Now you wanna play

    And then it''s no

    And when you say you''ll stay

    That''s when you go

    You''re undecided now

    So what are you gonna do?

    I''ve been sitting on a fence

    And it doesn''t make much sense

    ''Cause you keep me in suspense

    And you know it

    Then you promise to return

    When you don''t

    I really burn

    Well, I guess I''ll never learn

    And I show it

    If you''ve got a heart

    And if you''re kind

    Then don''t keep us apart

    Make up your mind

    You''re undecided now

    So what are you gonna do?

    I''ve been sitting on a fence

    And it doesn''t make much sense

    ''Cause you keep me in suspense

    And you know it

    Then you promise to return

    When you don''t

    I really burn

    Well, I guess I''ll never learn

    And I show it

    If you''ve got a heart

    And if you''re kind

    Then don''t keep us apart

    Make up your mind

    You''re undecided now

    So what are you gonna do?

    Now if you don''t love me

    I wish you''d say so

    I love you so much, honey

    I just got to know

    I''m just a fool for you

    What are you gonna do?

    Elain had never heard this song before. It sounded old-timey, maybe from the 30s or 40s?

    ¡°You seemed to like the song,¡± Alastor spoke when it ended and glanced her way. ¡°Are you curious about it?¡±

    ¡°A bit, yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Undecided, and this was sung by a very talented woman named Ella Fitzgerald in 1939. It was written by Sid Robin and Charlie Shavers back in 1938. It¡¯s very upbeat, one of my many favourites.¡±

    So, I was close. Elain thought. ¡°This isn¡¯t being played from your work?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? From time to time, I find modern music to be somewhat, lacking so to speak. Whereat times, it all sounds the same to me. Though I¡¯m aptly aware of how this music could also sound the same to others.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Alastor nodded. ¡°But if such music isn¡¯t to your liking, you¡¯re more than allowed to change it. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Elain leaned back in her seat as she stared out the window. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s different, so that¡¯s good¡­¡±

    The man didn¡¯t respond as he continued to drive, his smile still faintly present as they made their way to his home Elain merely followed. Her body felt like it weighed a ton. Her mind kept going back to that same event again and again.

    This wasn¡¯t good.

    She hadn¡¯t felt like this in a very long time, not since the incident from five months ago.

    ¡°Please have a seat in the kitchen, Miss. Ortiz, I¡¯ll be just a moment. There¡¯s something I need to take care of.¡±

    Elain noticed that he was carrying something under his arm, something in a large container. Was it meat? He must have gone shopping on his way home from work for dinner.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m in no hurry.¡±

    His smile brightened. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Feel free to turn on the radio if you wish.¡± And then disappeared down into the basement where she could hear music from a record player; it was a song that, again, she didn¡¯t recognize. But at this point, what did it matter?

    She reached up with her left hand to turn on a retro radio that was on top of the fridge, standing on her toes to reach it. The fact that this man had a piece of history that worked perfectly was something she marvelled at when watching Amalie that one night. But that was just a passing thought as she slumped in the chair and closed her eyes to listen to the music.

    This song had no lyrics but was fast pace had a good rhythm and beat to it. She especially liked the drums. It made her think of her frustrations were being struck by the vigorously playing drummer.

    ¡°Miss. Ortiz?¡± she opened her eyes to see a slice of dark chocolate cake waiting in front of her. The enticing bastard. When was the last time she even had a cake that looked this good? Birthdays notwithstanding.

    ¡°Uh, Mr. Hilmarsson, is¡­ is that for me?¡±

    ¡°Why, of course, it is. Why else would I put it out in front of you?¡±

    Elain merely looked at the picturesque slice of cake. It was almost black with how dark and glossy the chocolate was.

    ¡°Are you sure I can have this?¡±

    His smile grew. ¡°Of course, go ahead and give it a try. It¡¯s only one slice.¡±

    But still, she hesitated as he turned his back to put the cake on a cake stand, clearly noticing that she had done nothing, yet he merely asked as though she had asked his name in a questioning tone.

    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering, what is it? And why do you have cake, if you don¡¯t mind me asking? It just seems a little random.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Spiced Dark Chocolate Fudge cake. I bought it from a very reputable baker, as to why it¡¯s a recently started tradition. When Amalie starts a new year of school, I will give her cake after her first day. The reason for that is because of what she went through last year. For some reason or another, some of the kids at her school don¡¯t like my daughter. Originally, she was supposed to start at a different school this year, but things became rather¡­ complicated.¡±

    When does it not? ¡°I can relate to that, but I hope things get better for your daughter. She¡¯s a sweet girl.¡± She offered him a smile of her own, one that was a little bit sad.

    His smile and gaze became soft. ¡°She is indeed.¡± He then glanced at the slice of cake. ¡°Speaking of sweet, you should give it a try, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Thank you.¡± Taking the fork in her right hand, she stopped and swapped it with her left. Even after all this time, she hadn¡¯t grown accustomed to using her left hand. After taking a piece, she tried it.

    She could taste the spices and the sweetness of the chocolate. It was good. Really good. It made her feel good, something she hadn¡¯t truly felt in a while.

    Then she began to cry.

    ¡°Miss. Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± she said, immediately putting down the fork to wipe her eyes with the back of her sleeve. ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not crying because it tastes bad. It¡­ it tastes delicious.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± but he seemed to know the answer anyhow. ¡°Does it have something to do with you not attending school today?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah¡­¡± she admitted in almost a whisper as he knelt beside her, just like before as her whole body shook. ¡°I was supposed to start school¡­ but¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t go. I ran away¡­ like a total coward. How stupid is that? I¡¯m not even there anymore. I¡¯m not at the same school, hell, not even the same damn country. But I still¡­ I ran away. I still¡­¡± Her tirade of words came to a halt when she felt Alastor gently rest his hand on her right hand.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± He says softly. ¡°From what little I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re the furthest thing from a coward. But trauma has a way of digging its roots deep inside. Refusing to let go of a person¡¯s heart that¡¯s been hurt by another or something else that went horribly wrong.¡±

    ¡°I just want it gone.¡± She admitted.

    He squeezed her hand in response. ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not something that can just easily go away. You can¡¯t rip out the roots or burn them because it can cause your heart more harm and leave permanent damage from trying to force it out. The only thing you can do is untangle that mess wound around your heart a little at a time, regardless of how long it takes, before finally pulling free. There¡¯s no quick fix-all to things like this. Believe me. I wish there were because then people like you wouldn¡¯t be suffering like this.¡±

    Elain merely looked at him. He sounded almost as though he had been through something, something terrible of his own.

    But he merely offered her a smile as he took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. ¡°I mentioned this before, but I¡¯ll say it again. You¡¯re more than welcome to come and talk to me if you feel that you can¡¯t with anyone else.¡±

    She took his handkerchief from him to dab her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag you into it.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be dragging me if I¡¯m willing.¡±

    Elain laughed a bit. The way he said it made her think he meant it literally. ¡°I think you¡¯d be a bit too heavy for me to drag you anyhow.¡± He seemed to chuckle at that but had yet to remove his hand from hers. the longer she stared at it, at him, the more she felt that she could. ¡°Do you mean it? Can I tell you? Even if it¡¯s rather gruesome?¡±

    ¡°I can assure you that I am not faint of heart. But you don¡¯t have to push yourself either. I¡¯m not a licenced psychiatrist or therapist after all.¡±

    She hesitated but found herself wanting to speak to someone, someone who was outside all of that mess. ¡°That¡¯s fine. If you¡¯re willing to hear me out, then¡­ I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    His smile seemed to change, but she wasn¡¯t sure how. It was one she couldn¡¯t aptly describe, but still. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could talk about anything with him. Regardless of how gruesome it might be to hear.

 Chapter 17 ~Elain~

    She didn¡¯t know where to start.

    The beginning was obvious, sure, but she was never the best at trying to say things in chronological order. But now that she had the chance to say it all in a place she knew, nothing seemed to drift to the surface.

    As if noticing her conundrum, he asked. ¡°Do you want to talk somewhere else? Perhaps outside?¡±

    She glanced off to the side. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t want anyone to listen in. But at the same time, I don¡¯t even know where I could talk with you about this.¡±

    ¡°Then what about my office?¡± Alastor offered. ¡°There, you¡¯ll have no worries about anyone listening in to our conversation. It¡¯ll give you privacy. Would that be better?¡±

    Elain remembered Alastor mentioning his office but never bothered to look inside because one, the door was closed, and two, she wasn¡¯t about to go poking her nose in places she didn¡¯t need to unless there was a reason for it.

    She was slightly curious about why he had a lock on the door to the basement but figured that there were important things he didn¡¯t want to be stolen, or was even a collector of sorts, given the wealth this man seemed to have, it wasn¡¯t that far of a stretch. Hell, her Dad kept a safe where all of his essential drafts or finished projects for work were stored.

    ¡°Only if you¡¯re okay with it.¡± She told him.

    His smile grew, and when he stood, he led her up the stairs to his office. The door closed and locked, which he unlocked with an old-fashioned key. Elain wondered if it was a part of the house itself with how it seemed and looked to be made of brass. And as they stepped into his office, Elain suddenly felt as though she had gone back in time.

    Alastor¡¯s office looked as though it had a mix of Victorian with the wallpaper of dark greens and a floral pattern of roses, the hardwood flooring and a rug with such an intricate and woven design. The office was of a rather impressive size. It might have been initially another bedroom with how spacious it looked with a window allowing natural light. Two armchairs were facing across from one another at opposite ends of the room, with one grandfather clock near the window and one armchair. Along the opposite side with the other armchair, a few paintings hung up on the wall were small and looked to have been by very talented people, and a statue of a stag atop an end table. But what held the most attention was the desk, large and imposing with an equally imposing made of dark brown leather. Atop, the desk looked neatly organized with a radio positioned to the far left and organized pens to the right. There was even a bookshelf in either corner behind the desk with a fireplace lined with photographs of him, Amalie and a few others she didn¡¯t know. And a large painting of a girl with a shadow of a stag behind her in a forest. And when she turned to face Alastor, who brought the door ajar, her eyes grew wide when she saw that the wall for the door was a built-in bookshelf. It even had a ladder.

    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Elain said as she looked at some of the times that were on the built-in bookshelf. With some other odds and ends.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he then offered her to sit in one of the armchairs before taking a seat across from her. Crossing his legs as he reclined while she merely sat with her hands in her lap. The reality of what she was about to spill out came home to roost as she fell silent. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± He tells her.

    She closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. She opened her mouth and just allowed whatever came up first to leave her mouth. ¡°I thought about killing myself when the trial ended¡ªthe people who assaulted me, who tried to take my eye. My blue eye, and skinned arm, were given no jail time, and I heard from others that their record would be expunged. Lawyers were saying that this was: ¡°Just a mistake. They weren¡¯t in the right frame of mind.¡± ¡°Others around them pressured them to do it.¡± And ¡°They regret what they did.¡± No, they don¡¯t. They won¡¯t regret it at all. Even the judge was baffled as to why but couldn¡¯t do anything. But it clicked to me instantly. Why did they get away with what they did? Because of money, they bought the jury, or someone paid them off. Not the parents per se, because even they seemed surprised, but someone did. You don¡¯t get off scot-free for skinning and gouging out someone¡¯s eye because that person, because I, wasn¡¯t black enough for them, even though they were black, just as much as Kaya or my Mom, or more than that, but not me. How stupid is that?¡±

    ¡°So they were racist towards you because they couldn¡¯t identify you as one particular race? Because you didn¡¯t look like they did?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s some real fucking hypocrisy. Sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t swear.¡±

    ¡°You can say whatever you want, Miss. Ortiz.¡± He says. ¡°You can just vent however you feel, regardless of what comes out of your mouth. You¡¯re safe here.¡±

    She took another breath. ¡°It made me question so many things. I know they hated me. They hated me because I didn¡¯t care. I¡¯d hang out with whomever I wanted, regardless of physical or mental abilities, regardless of gender, regardless of sex. They could be Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, or Mixed. It didn¡¯t matter to me. Some might find this stupid, but as someone who has always, and I do mean always, have people guessing what the fuck I am, I just didn¡¯t want to look at people like that. I didn¡¯t care as long as you didn¡¯t hurt or wish to hurt others because of how someone was born. We don¡¯t get a choice, at least in some regard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very open-minded of you.¡±

    She laughed. Some would probably disagree, saying that she was just pandering to some bullshit notion that they believed. She just didn¡¯t care anymore.

    ¡°Thanks, but that didn¡¯t stop those people from hurting me, or my thoughts from going to such a place. I wanted to die, to just¡­ end it. All of it. I wanted to end the tirade of people¡¯s pity, of people questioning me, of doubting my words, and of others saying I deserved it for pretending to be something I¡¯m not when they don¡¯t fucking know what I am, to begin with. I am Black. I am Cuban. And I¡¯m probably a fucking ton of other things because I¡¯ve never taken one of those DNA tests to find out. For all I know, I could also be White. Because I have Cuban ancestors who might be Black, Spanish, White, whatever-the-fuck there is. And that¡¯s just on my Dad¡¯s side of the family. When people look at him, they think he¡¯s from Mexico. While my Mom¡¯s side, who I have no connection to, because they¡¯re some real pieces of work, at least from what I¡¯ve gathered because she doesn¡¯t speak about it, her ancestors were most definitely slaves, taken from their homelands against their will and probably by their own people. There¡¯s a high chance there¡¯s white in them too, given what those slave traders have done.¡±

    She stopped, her left hand running over the part of her right arm where her graph lay. ¡°I was just so tired¡­ tired of trying to prove to people who I am. And I know that some are just as mixed as I am, if not more, that are just as tired of this whole thing. I was never ¡®Blackfishing¡¯. If people saw my Mom, they should get that, but nooooo. To them, I¡¯m just pretending to be black. If my Dad was white and I still came out looking like this, people would probably assume I¡¯m adopted or something else like it. I¡¯ve seen it before. A friend of mine, Rebecca Jankins, is white. Her Mom is white, but her Dad is black, like my Mom. Rebecca came into this world like her mother, and people think her Dad¡¯s her stepdad and not her bio-dad.¡± She let out another tired breath and scrubbed her face with her hands, pushing her hair out of her face.

    Alastor scowled slightly as his very faint smile twitched. ¡°What¡¯s Blackfishing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the term Catfishing. But it refers to someone who uses hair styling and makeup to create and enhance certain features to appear as if they have black heritage or are racially ambiguous. The thing is, I am racially ambiguous, have been since birth, and I can¡¯t change that.¡±

    ¡°So, these individuals who took such offence to how you look, how you were born, decided to do what they had done to you.¡±

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± she ran her hands through her hair again. ¡°My teachers didn¡¯t do shit. They were afraid, too. Afraid to lose their jobs because of how much money those bastards have. The one who led this whole thing, Shantae Otieno, she¡¯s rich, maybe as rich as you, or more, the stupid kind of rich. Her and her fucking group of true blacks. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    He cocked his head. ¡°It almost sounds like a gang.¡±

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    ¡°They might as well have been, except instead of coming from the rough part of the city, they come from the rich side, at least the main five of their group did. It all came down to money and what you could do with it. Not that we¡¯re struggling by any means but we had no chance.¡± Her voice then grew quiet. ¡°I could never understand it, the ¡°them vs us¡± mentality. I still can¡¯t. We¡¯re all people, so what if we¡¯re born with a different skin? The inside is still the same. What makes it all worse is that I¡¯ve had strangers, both in the world and online, tell me I should have seen it coming. That I shouldn¡¯t have to parade myself around as I am as if I were asking for it. That she was about a hairs breath from snapping and my sheer existence pissed her off. I mean, I was ambushed, crossing the soccer field to get to the bus stop to go home in late spring. Everything was warm and wet. I took off my jacket and had it stored in my backpack. I saw them like I always did, eyeing me with a ¡°what bitch?¡± attitude. They wouldn¡¯t come at me one on one, probably because they knew I could handle myself in a fight. Bunch of cowards¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that the only reason, do you think?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Elain admitted. ¡°I think Shante just used something like Blackfishing as an excuse to hurt me. To hide the real reason for why she did it, at least that¡¯s what I think.¡±

    ¡°And what do you think?¡±

    She looked Alastor dead in the eye. A slow build-up of anger started to form in her mismatched eyes. ¡°I kicked her ass once. She was harassing this guy. He was the same age as us, Benjiman O¡¯Brian; we call him Benny. He¡¯s in a wheelchair and has trouble bit of movement in his arms. I think he has Cerebral Palsy. I didn¡¯t ask or question it because it¡¯s rude to assume that kind of stuff, plus it was never any of my business. But he¡¯s always a kind guy, you know? And he¡¯d paint, he loves art. The paintings he¡¯d make, it was true art. The kind you could see in a gallery. He¡¯s that good. I could never do what he can.¡± She smiled warmly despite how she felt. ¡°I and a few others would hang out with him in the art room. Watch him paint, and make all these abstract works. Painting other people, scenery, of himself, and stuff like that. Like watching a speed paint video but in real-time.¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful.¡±

    Her smile faded. ¡°Shantae destroyed his work, took a knife to it, and laughed when he saw what she did. In response her parents paid for him to have all new art supplies and a bunch of canvases, mainly to keep others hushed up about it. Not that she cared. She just likes destroying others¡¯ works. She did this to another girl named Kathrine but backed off when a lawyer came to their house. The lawyer was Kathrine¡¯s Dad; after that, Shantae didn¡¯t go for her again but went after those who couldn¡¯t do anything, like Benny. So I did. I stood up to her, put her in a headlock and pinned her limbs so she couldn¡¯t move like a viper squeezing a mouse to eat. I told her that if she even so much as went near Benny again, I¡¯d break her limbs. And she listened, for the most part, still called him some real vial stuff that I don¡¯t want to say¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    She looked away, looking aimlessly in the room as she leaned back in the armchair. ¡°But she never touched his work again. I think her parents threatened her, and told her that if she did something like that again, she¡¯d go to the military or boot camp or something like it. I just wished they shipped her off then and there. They even made a trust fund for Benny to go to art school at New York¡¯s top university for the arts. Even though he¡¯s slated to get a scholarship, this money can just help him and his family get a good full-time assistant for him if he needs it. Even have one up in place now.¡±

    Elain then paused and frowned. ¡°I could never understand what was with her, she has money, a good family, but she¡¯s so¡­ disturbing¡­¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Shantae made cracks about how she could murder someone, and no one could touch her. Thinking about it now, it should have been my clue that she was going to come after me. But there were so many others she looked at as if they were something that she could hurt and get away with it. Like we were bugs to be stepped on.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why does she have so many with her as you¡¯ve described?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way,¡± she states. ¡°But a lot of people would hang out with those with money because they think they don¡¯t need to pay if they have a rich friend.¡±

    ¡°Ah, similar to my wife¡¯s parents.¡± When she gave him a questioning look, he elaborated. ¡°Amalie¡¯s grandparents on her mother¡¯s side come from money. Old money, I¡¯ve seen a few of the people you¡¯ve described. Of those who try to take advantage of what they can get. I¡¯ve also had my fair share of parasites, trying to leach off of what is rightfully mine.¡±

    She immediately thought of Amalie and became concerned. The last thing she wanted was for Amalie to be dealing with that. ¡°People don¡¯t do that to Amalie, do they?¡±

    Alastor shook his head. ¡°No, thankfully not. However, I try not to be so outspoken about the amount of wealth we have. Save for a pen or a suite here or there.¡± He paused. ¡°Actually, no, scratch that. I do spend a bit when it comes to cutlery, the finest of tools in the food I prepare.¡±

    ¡°Given the pie you made us, I can believe it.¡±

    His smile became endearing. ¡°Apologies for taking over. I didn¡¯t mean to derail the conversation.¡±

    Elain fell silent. Now she hesitated, didn¡¯t know how to continue. ¡°Well, because of that, Shantae could get others to follow her, though I think some ran away when they realized what she wanted to do to me when she took out the knife.¡± She scowled. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember how it happened, but I somehow managed to get the two guys who held my arms off me. I wanted to make a break for it, to get back to the school and find help. Or at least lock myself in a room with a phone and call the police. But I didn¡¯t get far. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, Shantae straddling me and¡­ tried to gouge out my blue eye. I managed to stop her, using my right arm, but¡­ she¡­¡±

    ¡°Skinned you instead.¡± Alastor finished.

    She nodded. It was all she could do. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± her left hand shakily grasped the graph on her right arm. ¡°It burned¡­ like my arm was on fire. And when the skin peeled away, revealing what was underneath, seeing the inside of my arm, the muscle, blood and even bone, I think. But it was the sensation¡­ the feeling it gave. Like she burned me rather than¡­ cutting me. I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s hard to describe¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he says. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go into detail about the attack itself if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Elain pressed her lips into a thin line as she squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°The only thing I could think, besides how hot it all felt, was that I thought she was a coward. That if this was something she wanted to do to me, then she should have faced me herself, by herself. Not with her group of money-hungry pricks¡­¡± She released her right arm and looked at her left hand. For the briefest of moments, she saw her hand coated in dark red blood that had yet to fully oxidize. ¡°They ran away when a man came running over the soccer field shouting like a madman. He had a deep booming voice and it scared them shitless. I didn¡¯t realize at the time but he was homeless. They scattered into a nearby van. They planned ahead they had a getaway car the whole time. But the man who helped me got me back to school. Others ran towards us to break up what they thought was a fight by the time Shantae and the others were long gone. The homeless guy was a Marine. He lost a foot in an accident.¡± She shook her head, that information wasn¡¯t relevant to what happened, but she felt like it was to her.

    ¡°It was because of him that I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m mostly whole. This might sound kind of dumb, but we kept in touch. Email now and then, he¡¯s doing okay, better than before and is no longer homeless.¡± She then glanced at the large painting that hung above the fireplace. ¡°I can¡¯t remember much after that, just that I was rushed to the hospital. I couldn¡¯t even talk. But for some reason, I just started to think of a song. Singing the lyrics in my head. It just kept going on repeat. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of the shock or if I was just trying not to think about it after it just happened. You know?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of the song?¡±

    ¡°The River by Blues Saraceno. Their music, which is like a mix of rock, country and blues, just seemed to click with me. But I think that song just hit what I felt, as though I was underwater, in a rushing river. And I couldn¡¯t swim up to the surface. I felt like I was being pulled further down from what happened. It¡¯s¡­ how I felt to the point that I thought I should just¡­ go to that river and not come back.¡±

    Alastor said nothing, merely waiting in silence.

    Tears began to well up in her eyes from just thing about it. ¡°I think my Mom knew¡­ I think she knew I thought about killing myself. It¡¯s one of the reasons why we moved here to have a fresh start. Away from everything. But the thing is, as much as I just wanted it all to disappear, for me to disappear. Something else took over not long after. Something far darker than my despair and self-loathing.¡± Her hands gripped her knees tightly, so much to the point that the coloured left her knuckles. ¡°I wanted them to die. For what they did to me, I wanted them to feel the same thing as I did before dying a slow, painful death.¡± Slowly her shoulders relaxed as she let out another breath. ¡°But as much as that dark part of me wants it, I know that will never happen. Shantae and those five and the rest in her group who did this have gotten away without a care in the world. And I¡¯m stuck here, left with the scares. I hate it. I hate it so much. Why do people like that get away with so much, yet people like me are left with what they¡¯ve done?¡± Elain¡¯s tears began to fall. ¡°Why can¡¯t they all just leave me alone? I didn¡¯t ask for this¡­ I just want to be me¡­ is that too much to ask¡­? But I¡­ I ran away¡­ I ran away because of it¡­¡±

    She lifted her head to see Alastor had moved from his seat to kneel in front of her, and in response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders and hugged him tightly as they now sat on the floor. She could feel Alastor¡¯s right hand along the back of her head while the other was lightly pressed on her back as she buried her face into his chest.

    ¡°I call her a coward, but I ran away! But what was I supposed to do? What could I do? Against someone like her, after what she did? I¡¯m no better¡­ I should have done something more! Something¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Alastor cuts her off. ¡°You did all that you were able against those who used such underhanded means to best you because they were too afraid to face you head-on. You¡¯re no coward, Elain Ortiz. Far from it.¡±

    Her throat hitched as she broke down. She cried out all of her frustration, hate, and anger towards those who did this and to herself. All the while, Alastor merely remained where he was, holding her close to his chest, saying nothing more.

 Chapter 18 ~~~~~

    ¡°Are you feeling a bit better now, Miss Ortiz?¡± Alastor asked as her cries slowly petered out. She had yet to lift her face from his chest. Yet, she did not move. ¡°Miss Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°I ruined your vest¡­ and tie¡­ and shirt¡­¡± she muttered in his chest, where she could feel the vibration from his chuckle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think tears could destroy clothing unless they were made of paper. It¡¯s alright, Miss Ortiz, what you did was healthy. Trying to suppress what you feel is never good. I¡¯m glad you let it out.¡±

    She still didn¡¯t move her face from his chest and just continued to hug him. And as if he had read her mind once again.

    ¡°I won¡¯t think of you any less if you¡¯re face is red and puffy from crying either.¡± She twitched but still didn¡¯t move, yet she then felt his chin rest on top of her head as he began to rub her back and started humming. Whether it was his intention or not, the man was making her feel a heck of a lot younger than she was. It was a bit embarrassing.

    What made this even more embarrassing was that her Dad would, and had, done something like it whenever she broke down like this when she was little. Were all Dads like this or just the ones she knew?

    When she finally moved away, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look him in the eye while he silently smiled down at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± Elain didn¡¯t say anything as her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. ¡°You know, I believe you still have that cake waiting to be finished. Why don¡¯t we head back down to the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said in a very soft voice as they went to stand, leaving his office to head back down into the kitchen. And when she tried the cake again, she found that even though it didn¡¯t taste any different, it somehow felt different to her, regardless of how small.

    This started to make her rethink going to therapy now after speaking with Alastor.

    ¡°How does it taste?¡± he asked her.

    She smiled, one that felt real for the first time in a long while. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    Afterwards, when Alastor cleaned up he looked at his pocket watch and then asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a bit of a walk? There¡¯s still some time before I need to go and pick Amalie up from school.¡±

    Elain was a little confused by this suggestion. ¡°Uh, sure? I guess.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s smile grew at that. ¡°Wonderful, there¡¯s a place that I think you¡¯d like, it¡¯s a trail that I¡¯ve walked countless times, both with Amalie and alone. It¡¯s a wonderful place that can make you feel calm. Not to mention the trees are very beautiful.¡±

    That did sound nice.

    But why would he even offer to do something like that for her anyway? They didn¡¯t know each other all that well, and he was probably a very busy man, he was a single parent and

    already had his hands full. She didn¡¯t want to add more stress or burden him even further.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right you know,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°Amalie doesn¡¯t get out of school until three, there¡¯s plenty of time to walk around for a bit before I need to pick up Amalie.¡±

    Elain could feel the flush of her cheeks before asking. ¡°How are you able to know what I¡¯m thinking? Or am I¡­ just that easy to read?¡±

    To her surprise, Alastor laughed. ¡°Oh, no don¡¯t take it the wrong way, I¡¯m not laughing at you. It¡¯s just that Amalie has said something similar once before. I suppose I¡¯ve always just been good at knowing what¡¯s on people¡¯s minds.¡±

    ¡°Was that where you were training to become a doctor or when you were an actor?¡±

    ¡°No, just years of watching other people. Seeing how they¡¯d react to certain things, that¡¯s all. Nothing more.¡±

    Elain wondered what he meant by it, but given that he had been to several countries, and seen way more than her, it would make sense that he was more aware of people and what showed on their faces and what was hidden underneath. She wished time and time again about being able to know what people thought of her.

    ¡°How far is this trail you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s by the park that we were at before. It¡¯s merely a short walk.¡±

    Elain thought about it, maybe the fresh air could do her some good.

    ¡°Sure, I could go for it, I think.¡±

    * * *

    The mid-afternoon breeze made the late summer heat far more tolerable. Her mismatched eyes watched as Alastor walked ahead of her, not even bothered by the heat. Her gaze went skyward, watching the wind push against the trees, making the branches move and leaves rustle as the clouds moved even higher above them in the sky.

    It was mostly silent, besides the crunch of gravel underneath their feet as they walked, and besides the occasional runner, dogwalker or elderly couple watching the birds there weren¡¯t many others around them. It felt like they were talking in a deep forest than just in a section of a park that had a lot of trees and a gravel trail with a tiny stream.

    Alastor would talk about the area and would point out some of the small animals or birds, imitating their songs and would get a response like a Disney Princess and even had knowledge about the plants that were native to the area.

    Yet as they walked, a thought continued to press until Elain was unable to hold back any longer and just say what she thought aloud.

    ¡°Do you think any less of me?¡± she asked, bringing Alastor to stop and look back at her, hands in pockets, a faint smile on his face. ¡°About what I said? About¡­ what I wished would happen to them for what they did to me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he didn¡¯t even hesitate in his answer. ¡°Miss Ortiz, my perception of you has grown, it¡¯s only natural to want to get back at those who¡¯ve hurt you in such a way. I understand what that¡¯s like.¡±

    Elian gave him a questioning stare; he¡¯s said something like that before when she thought her graph had torn. ¡°You mentioned before that you were harmed by someone, may I ask¡­ who that was?¡± Elain then felt a shift, subtle but still noticeable in Alastor¡¯s stance, how his gaze became a bit darker, as though he were recalling it while his smile grew faint.

    ¡°My wife,¡± he said as the wind picked up ever so slightly. ¡°It was my wife, that harmed me so irreparably.¡±

    Elain frowned. ¡°Is that why she¡¯s not around anymore?¡± she never asked what happened to his wife when they first met because, well one, they didn¡¯t know each other well, and two, it didn¡¯t seem all that important to know unless it was brought up like it was now.

    Alastor motioned for them to take a seat on a nearby bench, he sat with his legs crossed, hands resting atop his knees as he looked up to the sky. ¡°Partly, though why she left us was something else altogether. Her reputation had all but vanished when I told the police that she tried to kill my daughter, I caught my wife in the act trying to strangle Amalie.¡±

    Elain¡¯s head snapped to look right at the still-smiling man. ¡°She did what?!¡± she nearly yelled out. ¡°I¡­ but¡­ why¡­?¡± she couldn¡¯t understand that, Amalie was a sweet little girl, a little quite sure, but whatever the woman thought didn¡¯t justify trying to kill a child.

    Alastor, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem at all shocked at her outburst as he continued calmly. ¡°At the time I wasn¡¯t too sure myself, but now, I don¡¯t think she liked being married to me, though, in retrospect, marrying me was only a means to an end for her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, if she didn¡¯t want to marry you, why did she?¡±

    ¡°To gain access to her inheritance. She went to find a man who was the most suitable, someone with the best in looks, and class, to her, that was me. Now, I didn¡¯t mind. I never thought of myself as the romantic type, but if a person is interested in me, I had no issues in returning their feelings. However, it wasn¡¯t just marriage. She also wanted to have a child, that was another cavoite to her inheritance.¡±

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    ¡°That seems over the top.¡±

    ¡°I know, but given her family¡¯s history, it wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise. Though there was a problem with that¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind of problem?¡±

    ¡°She wanted children, and I did not.¡±

    Elain became silent, her thoughts churning over and over in her head, her first thought was that Alastor¡¯s wife might have cheated on him, but retracted that thought given how alike Amalie looked to her father, which led to one other conclusion, something that was far worse than cheating on a significant other, which was cemented in what Alastor said next.

    ¡°She needed a child, and her parents would have had the child¡¯s DNA tested with mine to make sure the baby was related to me. Sadly, I was not a willing participant in this act in what my wife decided to do to make it happen.¡±

    But before Elain could even respond, Alastor continued.

    ¡°But that¡¯s been a far longer time than your wounds that are still healing from what you went through. After all this time what I went through feels as though it was a mere penance in comparison.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Was all that Elain could say to that, Elain felt sick with regret, for something so awful to happen to someone she had gotten to know, of just hearing that a man who had been so kind to her, had been raped by his wife cast an even greater regret in opening Pandora¡¯s box. This wasn¡¯t like what she had dealt with, but it didn¡¯t make what he went through any less valid with such trauma. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for something you knew nothing about; besides, it was my choice to share what happened to me. Much like how you shared what happened with you. Our trauma may be different, but it does not change the pain we have been put through at the hands of others.¡±

    ¡°Still, I mean, I don¡¯t know how you could stay married to such a monster after what she did to you¡­¡±

    His smile twitched. ¡°A monster indeed, but it was part of her inheritance, even I had no real say in the matter. Nor could I take this to court since, as my wife said when I confronted her, no one would believe me. Though I had a prenup before marriage, I could come out completely unscathed. But her parents, my wife¡¯s parents, pleaded not to do that, that having parents that were separated would be bad for the child.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s bullshit.¡±

    He chuckled, he seemed to agree to it. ¡°Well, they did change their tune rather quickly when they learned that their daughter whom they let get away with rape tried to kill their grandchild.¡±

    ¡°And she ran away after that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know what happened to her, and in truth, I don¡¯t care. She has no inheritance, no money to continue her high-cost living, and is known throughout the country as a bitter woman who tried to end her own child¡¯s life over money. No one would give someone like her any sympathy for her crimes.¡±

    ¡°I hope she suffers then.¡±

    His smile subtilty grew, but Elain didn¡¯t catch it. ¡°I believe she has. Wherever she may be now.¡± He then stood. ¡°But I do not regret having Amalie in my life. I never thought I¡¯d be a good father or a father at all for that matter. But seeing her smile when she¡¯s happy warms my heart. She is the greatest joy to come out of such horrendous acts.¡±

    Elain looked at him, then asked. ¡°Why tell me? I mean, I know I told you what happened to me, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you because I wanted to.¡± He says as he remains sitting upright. ¡°I did not want you to think that I¡¯d pity you for what happened. As I¡¯ve said, we have both been dealt with a horrible trauma, something which I¡¯m sure not many would relate, understand or even sympathize with. But I wanted you to know, to show that I understand. I mentioned before that your feelings are valid, and that it¡¯s something you shouldn¡¯t feel ashamed of.¡±

    Still¡­ she couldn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d tell her; it didn¡¯t make much sense to her. Yet one thing did remain on her mind. ¡°Then, did you also want your wife to die for what she did to you? Like I did for the people who did this to me?¡±

    The air around him became far denser as he continued to smile, while his eyes seemed to be devoid of any life at all. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t wish for her death. Simply because if she were to die, then it would be over. I would want her to suffer, to live for as long as possible knowing that I and my child are having a better life than she could ever want for herself. And that she goes mad from it while regretting her actions.¡± His smile became warmer as he looked at Elain. ¡°I always say the trick to defeating your enemies who are far away from you is to live your life the best that you can, be better who you were yesterday and that, perhaps one day, the one who hurt you so will get what they so rightfully deserve.¡±

    Elain found herself smiling a bit in response. ¡°You know, you¡¯d make a heck of a therapist, you always seem to know what to say for others who are feeling down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Miss Ortiz, but I think I¡¯m more than comfortable being a radio host. I can¡¯t see myself being anything else, at least for now. But who knows what things will be like in the future? All we can do is keep moving forward until we¡¯ve reached the end.¡± He then pulled out his pocket watch. ¡°And speaking of time, we should get going, I need to pick Amalie up from school. Would you care to join me?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t want to impose you any further. Plus, I should head back home, I don¡¯t want my parents to worry.¡±

    ¡°Of course, then at least allow me to walk you back home. As safe as this area is, it would bring me at ease knowing you managed to get home safely.¡±

    After Alastor dropped Elain at her home, she went back inside and up to her room, where in a draw from her desk she pulled out the card that a nurse had given her back after she had been examined. And how the whole talk with Alastor went made Elain consider talking to a professional about this issue.

    So much for starting a new life in a new school on the first day¡­ she thought with a sigh but wasn¡¯t as bitter as she could have been had it not been for Alastor and his compassion. He just let her talk, though he talked too, it was mainly her. Like the lid in her head just came loose and all of what she felt, what she dealt with and the thought came pouring out like a waterfall and he just accepted it all without question or judgment.

    Seriously, was there anything that man couldn¡¯t do?

    Though the same could probably be said the same about his daughter, people judge her so harshly for things a kid like her can¡¯t help or change.

    Amalie¡­ Elain¡¯s heart felt heavy when recalling what Alastor implied about his wife, it made Elain hope that the little girl didn¡¯t know about her conception, but given how smart she seemed, that might not be a secret for long.

    But deep down, Elain hoped that Amalie would never find out¡­

    A kid like her deserves so much better than how things began for her. And as for the bitch that was Amalie¡¯s Mom, Elain hoped that she was suffering in the worst way after running away like a coward, wherever the hell she might be, she didn¡¯t deserve to be happy for as long as she lived. Wherever that may be.

    Elain then lightly hit her cheeks with both hands, now was not the time to be feeling like this! She wanted to thank Alastor, not pity the man! But how could she go about thanking him without it being weird?

    That¡¯s it! She thought. I know how I can say thanks to him! And then rushed out of her bedroom and down to the kitchen where she pulled out a cookbook that belonged to her grandma, Dad¡¯s mother, given to them before they moved across the border.

    Scanning through the pages she found what she was looking for. A grin rested upon her features, just wait until he had a taste of this.

    * * *

    It was late that evening as Alastor sat in his office chair, tablet in one hand, the other along his face while deep in thought as he scrolled through an article about what had taken place nearly six months ago in America. Article, after article from several different news outlets went on about the assault that Elain Ortiz had dealt with at the hands of those who were more fortunate in money.

    He eyed it coldly as he continued to scroll through, seeing just how fixed this whole judicial system was. Especially how this Shantae girl acted so entitled online through Instagram and TikTok, it wasn¡¯t even hard to find her, the girl didn¡¯t even bother to private her accounts or hide her location. From there he could see that there was no end to her depravity and arrogance.

    Even going so far as to gloat that she got out of being imprisoned for her violent acts on another person, how she laughed calling Miss Ortiz a slew of horrible names. Alastor now knew that Elain choosing to not repeat what Shantae said wasn¡¯t just out of popper courtesy, it was truly vile virtual that was being spewed from a girl who thought she owned the world and all who lived on it. It made him vaguely think of his wife, Marie-Am¨¦d¨¦e d¡¯Orl¨¦ans, truly a beautiful woman, a shame it was only at face value. He found it somewhat amusing how Marie and Shante seemed to have so much in common despite the differences in their familial background.

    The longer he scrolled through the young woman¡¯s comments, the hate that she wrote out to those who were angered by Shante¡¯s escape from the law, and how Shantae continued to mock and threaten to harm Miss Ortiz even further caused a twitch in Alastor¡¯s eye as his smile became strained.

    Wealth never did amount to a person¡¯s class, they could be a billionaire and be the truest scum of the earth, or the kindest of souls with not a penny to their name.

    Yes, much like his wife, how arrogant she was. Though she was correct about one thing, about him, and his nature. Too bad it took her so long to realize. A smart person would have just fled, gone as far as they could so as never to be reached. But Marie was never that smart. No, she made the horrendous mistake of going after the one good thing that came out of their sham of a marriage. If she hadn¡¯t harmed Amalie, then he wouldn¡¯t have acted the way he had to such a woman.

    Alastor tapped his index finger along the temple of his brow as he continued to watch.

    What to do, what to do.

    He wouldn¡¯t act right away, no, he¡¯d take his time, slow and steady always won the race after all. He wished to do something but needed time to formulate a proper plan for something like this.

    With a half-smile, he turned off his tablet and left his office where he silently crept to his daughter¡¯s room where she slept. Clinging to one of her plush toys for comfort, his smile turned soft as he brushed some strands of her hair out of her face. Amalie¡¯s first day didn¡¯t go well, it normally didn¡¯t with those little miscreants, how he¡¯d wish she¡¯d tell him who it was that harmed his precious child so he could deal with it properly. She was so much like him in many ways, but also so different in so many others, it made him proud.

    Soon enough though, he would get her out of that hellhole she called a school and place her in one that was far more suitable. Regardless of what her grandparents wanted. He had no intention of sending her to a boarding school far away from him where he couldn¡¯t reach her easily. He¡¯d make sure that she would be happy, that¡¯s what she deserves. A happy, loving home and deserving of everything he never had at her age.

    After softly placing a kiss on his daughter¡¯s forehead he whispered in Icelandic. ¡°¨¦g elska tig svo mikie, lj¨²fir draumar litla stelpa m¨ªn.¡± I love you so much, sweet dreams my little girl. Then silently left the room, leaving the door ajar in case she woke up and needed him for something, before heading downstairs putting the code into the lock on the basement door and going down to take care of things for the next day.

 Chapter 19 ~Kaya~

    The first day of school is always hard.

    Even more when you move to a new place, separated and away from all your old friends and practically know no one here.

    That¡¯s what Kaya felt when she first came here, away from her home, her school, her friends and the places she loved.

    She didn¡¯t like it here but knew why they moved. She wasn¡¯t stupid. But it didn¡¯t make it any less sad or scary. Kaya was happy her sister was safe, but she could tell her sister was sad, really sad. Her eyes looked all cloudy and she didn¡¯t smile.

    But then¡­ one day, she started smiling again, as if nothing was wrong.

    Elain was hiding it, not wanting anyone to worry, and that just made Kaya even angrier, angry that her big sister would do that, but most of all, angry at the people who did such a thing and caused them to move.

    People like that are the worst!

    But¡­ she was scared of one other thing¡­ what if the people in her new school¡­

    Didn¡¯t like her?

    When going to her new class, Kaya discovered that Amalie would be with her, it made her a little happy knowing that there was at least someone she knew, even if it wasn¡¯t that well.

    And as their homeroom teacher, gave rollcall, she stopped when reaching Kaya¡¯s name. ¡°Just so you all know, we have a new student today, she comes from across America, isn¡¯t that right, Kaya?¡±

    That surprised her, she didn¡¯t like being called out like that on her first day. Even more so when all the kids in the class looked at her, Kaya just wanted to be a turtle and crawl into her shell so people would stop looking at her. The only one who didn¡¯t was Amalie, besides a glance, she merely gave a slight smile before going back to her notebook while Kaya was asked a bunch of questions all at once. It made Kaya wonder if her big brother and sister were going through the same thing as her now too. That was until their teacher got everyone¡¯s attention by clapping her hands.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± she spoke loudly, really loudly, almost a yell, to get the kid¡¯s attention, which scared everyone. ¡°You can ask her during recess, so let¡¯s finish rollcall and get on with what we¡¯ll be learning for the week.¡±

    As everyone responded, Kaya, looked at their homeroom teacher. Ms. Miller was a thin lady with white skin, dark brown hair that she kept in a clip, glasses, and dark brown eyes. And as the class progressed it seemed like she also seemed to get irritated easily and yell when the kids didn¡¯t listen to her. Kaya couldn¡¯t figure out why this lady was their teacher, she looked like she didn¡¯t want to be there at all. Like she would smile happily at them, but it didn¡¯t feel genuine like she was kind of faking, or partly, Kaya wasn¡¯t sure.

    Then when the bell for recess rang, Kaya wanted to get over to Amalie to see if she wanted to play, only to be bombarded by questions again by other classmates.

    ¡°Hey, so where did you grow up in America?¡± one girl asked.

    ¡°Are things super different there or the same?¡± a boy asked.

    ¡°What about your parents? What do they do?¡± another girl.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you move?¡± another boy.

    ¡°Hey, hey what shows do you like to watch? What movies?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any family here?¡±

    ¡°Do you play video games?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your house like?¡±

    ¡°Do you have siblings?¡±

    ¡°What about pets?¡±

    ¡°Do you like cats? Or dogs? Or both? Or neither?¡±

    ¡°Are you Spanish? Cause¡¯ your last name sounds Spanish.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite colour?¡±

    ¡°What kind of books do you read?¡±

    ¡°Do you like comics?¡±

    ¡°Which superhero do you like the most?¡±

    All these questions were enough to make Kaya¡¯s head spin. She tried to find an opening to escape to go talk to Amalie, to call her out to help her escape but then saw something that bothered her.

    Three girls were crowding Amalie, and one girl with a bobbed haircut and green eyes seemed to talk to Amalie smugly like she and the other two girls had it out for Amalie. And knocked a book out of her hand, and then pushed Amalie¡¯s desk away. Kicking it to the side before laughing, but Amalie didn¡¯t say anything. Kaya looked for their teacher but was already gone for the break.

    ¡°Mia¡¯s at it again¡­¡± one of the boys said.

    ¡°You should stay out of it,¡± one of the girls told Kaya. ¡°Unless you want to get bullied by them too. A lot of kids stay away from Amalie because she¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s wrong,¡± Kaya said. ¡°You know it¡¯s wrong.¡± She then walked past the kids and pulled Amalie¡¯s desk back and picked up the book while looking right at the girl who was in charge. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she asked Mia with a glare. Then grabbed Amalie¡¯s hand and walked out of the class while muttering in Spanish. ¡°Mont¨®n de idiotas...¡± Bunch of jerks¡­

    ¡°She is Spanish!¡± one of the classmates declared that Kaya could hear from the hall as they headed outside.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Amalie asked as Kaya continued to pull Amalie¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Because they were jerks,¡± Kaya said.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Amalie says. ¡°They¡¯ll bully you too.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Kaya stopped in her tracks to look at Amalie. ¡°I hate people like that, they¡¯re the worst! Why do they even pick on you anyway?¡±

    Amalie didn¡¯t say, instead, she merely told Kaya as she gently had Kaya let go of her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do that; I don¡¯t want you to get pulled into this.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.Kaya puffed her cheeks in frustration. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°No?¡± she repeated with a tilt of her head.

    ¡°No!¡± she said again. ¡°They¡¯re jerks, and you¡¯re nice!¡±

    Again, Amalie didn¡¯t say anything, so Kaya took Amalie¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going to go on the swing set, let¡¯s forget about those jerks for now!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ okay¡­ but we should put our stuff away or it might get stolen.¡± was all she could say as she was yanked, stumbling to keep up with Kaya, who then stopped, and turned around to head back to the classroom and nab all of their stuff and confused stares from other classmates while ignoring the looks from those who were bullying the quite seven-year-old girl before going back into the hall and to their locker and stuffed it all in.

    But even as they played Kaya felt that Amalie was forcing herself, and seemed to be distracted, probably by the other bullies, even though Kaya couldn¡¯t see them with all the other kids, she did see two adults watching the kids but other than that nothing else that Kaya noticed. Did Amalie just not like one of the teachers at this school?

    She didn¡¯t even seem to care about the kids who were bullying her like it was just something small to her as she trying to find someone.

    ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± Kaya asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± but then said. ¡°Do you believe in monsters?¡±

    Kaya tilted her head from where she sat on the swings. ¡°Like goblins or trolls?¡±

    Amalie merely glanced at Kaya from where she sat next to Amalie on the swings as the wind picked up, where she spoke softly. ¡°Like those pretending to be good people. But who hurt others for their own gains¡­ that¡¯s the kind of monster I mean.¡±

    Kaya slowed on the swing looking out at all the kids playing. ¡°Yeah, I think I can understand.¡± Her grip on the chain of the swing set tightened. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of people like that¡­¡±

    Amalie was silent for a moment. ¡°You should do your best to try and stay away from people like that. It¡¯ll be a bigger problem if you get caught in something if it¡¯s bad.¡±

    * * *

    What did she mean by that? Kaya thought as she washed her hands in the girl¡¯s washroom during class. What¡¯s more, Amalie seemed different at school in comparison to how she acted outside on the playground near their homes.

    Why was that?

    Was it because of the bullies? Or the teacher lady?

    What was it that made her act all distant and junk?

    It was like a switch went off in her head, and made her seem a lot more mature for her age, but then Amalie was smart, smarter than a lot of the other kids. But there was just something more to it than that like there was something that Amalie knew that the rest of the kids and even adults didn¡¯t.

    What would it be?

    Kaya gripped the sides of her head, all this thinking with no answers was making her dizzy. She could just ask Amalie, it wouldn¡¯t have been that hard, but something in the back of her mind said it was a bad idea.

    Then when she was about to leave while still lost in thought, a group of three girls entered the bathroom before she had the chance to leave.

    ¡°Hey you¡¯re the new girl!¡± said the girl with the bobbed haircut as she grinned.

    Kaya just looked at the three smiling girls with a blank stare. ¡°And you¡¯re the girl who was bugging Amalie. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Nothing just wanted to see what was so special that you¡¯d be friends with the freak.¡±

    Freak? Kaya repeated in her head. ¡°What did she ever do to you?¡±

    The leader of the girls just scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why no one like¡¯s her?¡±

    Kaya frowned, she did wonder why, but she just wanted to ask Amalie that rather than talk to others, because others could lie easily. She intended to leave but saw the other two girls were in her way. ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the least bit interested?¡±

    Kaya turned to look at the other girl, to see her sitting on one of the sinks where she smiled almost mockingly at Kaya.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± she asked the girl.

    ¡°Why do you not care?¡± the girl asked back then added. ¡°The girl¡¯s a freak, always acting strange at school. Probably because she¡¯s rich, I bet she thinks she¡¯s better than everyone. Even you.¡±

    Kaya frowned, Amalie wasn¡¯t like that, not at all. So, where did this girl think that? ¡°You keep calling her a freak, why? What did she do to you?¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t say instead she smiled. ¡°You know, I think I like you; you should hang out with us.¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± Kaya told them back quickly. ¡°Why would I want to hang out with a bunch of jerks like you?¡±

    ¡°Because, if you don¡¯t,¡± she jumped off the edge of the sink and went right up and close to Kaya¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯re going to do a shit ton worse to that arrogant rich girl. Like what happened to your sister, right? You don¡¯t want that to happen, do you?¡±

    Kaya couldn¡¯t respond, she wanted to know how this girl could have known that when Kaya had just started at this school but then remembered the internet existed on their phones. ¡°Do you even know why that happened to my sister? It¡¯s because¡­¡± but was unable to say the rest because this girl cut her off.

    ¡°Right because she¡¯s only half---¡± followed by a word that made Kaya¡¯s ears burn.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that word,¡± Kaya tells her when she finally finds her voice. ¡°It¡¯s not a word you should say!¡±

    ¡°But your people say it, so why can¡¯t I?¡± the girl said in an almost mocking tone. ¡°Oh wait, only half of you is that. My Dad says it all the time and no one cares. Why should you?¡±

    Kaya¡¯s shoulders shook, this girl, this bully, what was she trying to do?

    ¡°Hey relax, I¡¯m just joking. We wouldn¡¯t do that anyway. The guys won¡¯t even go near her because they¡¯re scared of her girly-daddy. They say he¡¯s scary, what a bunch of chickens.¡± She then looked at Kaya and grinned. ¡°You know, I think I like you.¡± She leaned in and added. ¡°And if you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll like me back and ditch the freak. Unless you want to join her little miss---¡± she then laughed, and the other two girls laughed along with her, leaving the bathroom where Kaya remained where she stood. And when she was alone tears began to fall.

    Was this like what Elain had to deal with?

    She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands trying to stop herself from crying. But what that girl said was so mean, and all Kaya did was become friends with Amalie. Why was that so wrong?

    ¡°Kaya?¡± Amalie¡¯s voice came from the girl¡¯s bathroom entrance as she slowly came in. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Kaya said as she turned away, not wanting Amalie to see her cry. ¡°That girl is a jerk, a big one.¡±

    The tone in Amalie¡¯s voice changed a bit from concern to something else. ¡°What did she say to you?¡±

    ¡°A bad word, a really, really bad word. One that no one should say.¡±

    Amalie stepped closer. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    Kaya shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, I just¡­ I just want to be by myself.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be in the hallway if you need me.¡±

    Kaya sat on a bench at the far end of the washroom, wondering what she could do, the teacher would be no good, and her Mom would just make things worse, probably, her mom was always an angry lion when someone messed with her kids. After all, she backhanded the girl who hurt Elain, while wearing rings too. The girl wanted Kaya¡¯s Mom to get in trouble but backed off when her parents said that this was the least she deserved for what she did. Of course, she heard that through the bully¡¯s younger brother, who was just a bit older than she was. But still, the last thing Kaya wanted was a bomb to go off at her new school with no one to take her side. She¡¯d be alone, and that was the last thing Kaya wanted.

    There was Amalie¡­ but¡­ because of this, Kaya began to wonder if it was a good idea even remain her friend, and with the sudden change that Amalie seemed to have when at school, it made Kaya wonder if she could even trust a girl who was like that.

    I wish we never moved here¡­ I¡­ I wanna go home¡­

    Only to stop when hearing the door open and see Amalie coming back inside with something in hand. And without a word, she sat next to Kaya and opened a container that had chocolate chip cookies inside and then placed it between them before indicating to Kaya to take one if she wanted.

    Kaya did, and her tears began to fall anew. Why was Amalie so nice to her after just thinking that she shouldn¡¯t be friends with Amalie?

    As Kaya ate, she paused when hearing Amalie hum a song softly.

    ¡°What¡¯s that song?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an old song, my Dad says it¡¯s from the Medieval times in France, he¡¯d sing it to me sometimes to help me sleep. Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°It sounds pretty, can you sing it?¡±

    Amalie smiled before sitting up straight and began to sing. The way her voice echoed off the walls of the girls¡¯ bathroom gave Kaya a strange sense of peace. She didn¡¯t know Amalie could sing, but she was really good, it sounded almost Latin, like the songs sung in church.

    Yet, as much as this song brought Kaya comfort, what that girl said about Amalie wouldn¡¯t leave her thoughts.

    At some point, she¡¯d either have to confront that girl or distance herself from Amalie, as much as she hated that, she didn¡¯t want to get hurt. But did that give her the right to let someone else who was being bullied get hurt?

    Suddenly the cookie didn¡¯t taste as good as she felt something in the pit of her stomach.

    I¡¯m such a jerk¡­

 Chapter 20 ~Kira~

    L¨¡ sh¨«. L¨¡ sh¨«. L¨¡ sh¨«. L¨¡ sh¨«. L¨¡ SH¨«! Kira cursed ¡®shit¡¯ in Chinese as she looked beyond the police tape with hands shoved in her pockets. Her stress almost at its limit she looked on at the most recent murders that lay before her in downtown Toronto. Their bodies had been posed like the Piet¨¤, a famous statue that was carved by Michelangelo in Florance. What made this discovery worse was that the bodies were found in St Mary¡¯s Church.

    Blood pooled around the chair as the man¡¯s legs and neck were tied, his torso cut open for the world to see with several organs missing. While the woman, whose torso was of a similar state, also had her legs missing below the knee, it wasn¡¯t obvious at first because of the cloth that was draped in her lap.

    It had been a week, one week, since the last murder, on top of which they were still dealing with the arson from Karen Crock¡¯s home, the supposed Ghost Woman killer and the recent case on that, the discovery that Lauren Davenport had been abused by her family, while her brother and father¡¯s remains were found on the border of Canada and the US, and now, for some reason, the killer decided to stage this body in a public place. A church. When this killer, that bastard, had never gone back to revisiting something he already had done before.

    And now this.

    Fuck.

    Goodbye, much-needed sleep.

    ¡°Song,¡± Freddie called to her from beyond the tape, waving her over. She motioned the cross before ducking under the tape, she joined her partner. ¡°You¡¯re later than normal, traffic?¡±

    ¡°Murder, like always.¡± She glanced at the bodies in question. She knew right away that it had to have been by Cadavre Exquis, there wasn¡¯t another killer who was known for posing bodies in artistic displays. Unless it was some sick copycat. ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Miriana and Giovanni Sarto, owned and ran Sarto Tailor¡¯s, making clothing, suits, dresses and the like. Considered to be very high quality. Think bespoke.¡±

    ¡°Too rich for my blood,¡± Kira muttered. ¡°Who found them?¡±

    Freddie indicated while looking at his notes. Kira looked where Freddie pointed seeing a Nun and a young man with a thin build and dirty blond hair, dressed in pinstriped pants with suspenders, a white dress shirt that had the first top buttons undone, and fingerless gloves. His eyes were a rich green as he scowled at the police, uncomfortable with being around them.

    The Nun was of dark skin, with a small stout figure, just at five feet in height with a plump figure dressed in the traditional garb of those who chose such a religious path.

    ¡°They found the bodies, called when they realized that they were dead.¡±

    ¡°Any idea how they died? Besides the obvious organ removal.¡± Kira asked Liam who removed a thermometer from the man¡¯s body before standing from a squat.

    ¡°Well, I can tell you the possible time of death for the man, the woman will be a little harder to judge since her liver¡¯s been taken. Though judging by both of them, it¡¯ll be hard to know what killed them until we get them back at the precinct, but¡­ given who might have done this¡­ it¡¯s probably not hard to guess.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably killed them around the same time.¡± Freddie offered.

    Liam looked at the bodies in question. ¡°But why though? Normally he doesn¡¯t do this¡­ at least¡­ not so soon after the last kill.¡± When Kira gave a questioning look, he added. ¡°Well, from the files I¡¯ve read that we have on this wingnut.¡± He then leaned closer to get a better look at the bodies. ¡°Has he killed people almost back-to-back before?¡± when there wasn¡¯t a response he asked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A few times,¡± Kira replied. ¡°Cadavre Exquis has done this over the years to multiple people. Usually close to bigger events happening in the year, like Thanksgiving, and Christmas. And on a rare occasion at some other time in the year. Though even then it¡¯s hard to know just how many he¡¯s killed in a single year.¡±

    ¡°Does he not normally kill more than two or three people?¡±

    ¡°In batches of three yes, but not so close back-to-back like this.¡±

    Liam¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Why did I not know that?¡±

    Freddie placed a hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You were still in university when this came to light. And a number of these cases don¡¯t get out to the public.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡± he looked to the two deceased posed like statues. ¡°Why do this? What¡¯s the point of even posing them like this? Or even at all like at that house fire?¡±

    A question that would never seem to get answered. At least to Kira.

    Liam shook his head. ¡°Anyway, I know we have a job to do. And I don¡¯t envy what you guys have to do next, regarding next of kin. I think I¡¯d have a nervous breakdown if it were me.¡±

    ¡°You work in the morgue Liam,¡± Kira responded.

    He gave her a dull stare. ¡°Talking to the dead is easier than talking to the living. They don¡¯t talk back, but the answers they give are far more in-depth than anything that could have been spoken aloud.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hate to know what you¡¯d find from poking around in my guts.¡± Freddie joked to which Liam snorted with a half-smile.

    ¡°Probably a cloistral problem, given all those burritos you eat.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t disrespect Jo?e¡¯s food, or else I won¡¯t get you those tamales you found yourself liking so much for those late-night shifts.¡±

    Kira then silently excused herself as she went to go and question the two who found the bodies. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said when she approached, holding her ID for them to see. ¡°There are some questions I¡¯d like to ask if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The Nun stepped closer with her hand extended, wanting a closer look at Kira¡¯s identification, something that Kira wasn¡¯t surprised by since some wanted to be aptly sure that Kira was a real police officer.

    ¡°Kyrie Song,¡± the Nun read Kira¡¯s ID, as Kira inwardly cringed, the Nun looked up in surprise. ¡°Is your first name in reference to the Christian prayer, meaning ¡°Lord, have mercy¡±? Are your parents religious?¡±

    ¡°My mother is, she¡¯s pretty devout, used to take us here every Sunday. My dad had no issue since he thought it worked well with our last name even though he had his own beliefs. Even made a dad joke about it.¡±

    The Nun smiled even with such a horrible situation as she handed Kira back the ID. ¡°A good father would,¡± her smile vanished when looking at the bodies as they were now being moved to a gurney. ¡°It¡¯s truly horrible that this happened within the house of God. What kind of person would do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°I keep tellin¡¯ ya Ruth, those folks hated a lot of people, claimin¡¯ it was in their beliefs as a ¡°proper Christian¡± an¡¯ shit. An¡¯ look where it got¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Anthony, don¡¯t say that.¡±

    Kira looked at the man named Anthony. The look of contempt on his face was clear, he did not like those who were like her, part of the police force. He must have had some bad run-ins, at least that¡¯s what she could guess. And with his build and rather feminine looks, he could easily be mistaken for a woman.

    She immediately thought of Alastor and inwardly cringed. Kira just hoped this younger guy wasn¡¯t at all like Alastor. Though given this guy¡¯s speech she probably had nothing to worry about. If anything, he sounded like he had a bit of an Italian accent, as he was originally from Little Italy? What was he doing all the way here?

    ¡°Did you know the deceased, Mr¡­?¡±

    ¡°Anthony,¡± the man says as he narrowed his eyes on Kira. ¡°Just Anthony.¡±

    Kira frowned, but her attention was then brought to Sister Ruth who looked at Anthony with a faint saddened expression before answering. ¡°We knew of them, they own a clothing store, making tailor-made suits, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t the nicest of folks, on the outside they¡¯d be polite to you, but I¡¯ve heard the wife say some terrible things about customers or just people walking by. But we¡¯ve never interacted with them.¡± Her gaze went back to the bodies. ¡°I never expected to see them here like this, though.¡±

    ¡°Sista¡¯ don¡¯t ya remember? Last month?¡± Anthony spoke up before Kira could continue her line of questioning. ¡°Yous asked for my help in the market because you couldn¡¯t find somthin¡¯ that ya were lookin¡¯ for.¡±

    A light of realization reached her eyes. ¡°Oh, yes, to make dinner for the women¡¯s shelter. Across the street, there was a commotion, all that shouting from that man.¡±

    Kira was unable to hide her scowl as she listened to the back and forth between the two. ¡°What man are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°The dead one,¡± Anthony answered. ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t dead then, but he was bein¡¯ a prick to a kid, saying some nasty things about ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because she was in a wheelchair,¡± Sister Ruth said. ¡°That man was shouting such horrible things, saying that ¡°children like that should be euthanized because they and immigrants are nothing but blights and hindrances as a whole to our country¡¯s resources.¡± You¡¯d think he was talking like an American.¡±

    ¡°Though he shut up real quick when the Dad turned around,¡± Anthony said with a bit of a laugh. ¡°Seriously, the guy looked like a lumberjack mixed with a bear. Even called the police an¡¯ had the idjit charged with harassment when he wouldn¡¯t shut his trap. Though I think the lot of us would have paid good money to see the tar beat out of the guy.¡± Anthony then looked at the Nun with a sly grin. ¡°You even handed off the stuff to go and deal with¡¯em too if the Bear Dad didn¡¯t scare the ever-lovin¡¯ bejesus out of ¡®em.¡±

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    ¡°Well, who in their right mind would stand of that? If the father wasn¡¯t quick to stand up to that fool of a man, I would have dealt with it myself!¡±

    Kira had a hard time believing that.

    ¡°Ruth, ya box as a hobby,¡± Anthony said flatly.

    She didn¡¯t look deterred at all and merely stated. ¡°It keeps me fit.¡±

    Never mind¡­

    She needed to steer the conversation back in the right direction.

    ¡°Anyhow, besides that, you both found the deceased, correct?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The Nun said, getting back at the matter at hand. ¡°I had asked Anthony to come with me for assistance since I was late getting the church open today. We arrived at the church around, nine in the morning after helping a young woman with directions. We would have had it opened sooner, but it¡¯s currently just myself and a few others.¡±

    ¡°What about the Priest? Doesn¡¯t Father Patrick open the church at six in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Father Patrick retired, he¡­ he has lung cancer and wished to focus on family matters. So, in the meantime, I¡¯ve taken over such duties until a new Priest comes to take Father Patrick¡¯s place.¡±

    That surprised her. ¡°Cancer? But Father Patrick never smoked.¡±

    ¡°It came as a shock to us all.¡± she then looked at Kira with a puzzled expression. ¡°Did you know Father Patrick?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did, I do.¡± she had spoken to Father Patrick not that long ago, and he never mentioned this. At all.

    Did his kids know?

    Just thinking about him made Kira recall something he once said when she was a teen. Back then, his hair was starting to turn gray as he had a full beard with kind hazel eyes.

    ¡°Bless the poor, the downtrodden, those who have failed and perhaps found a way to live again. Bless folks around you regardless of creed, colour and stature. Be cool, and rock on.¡±

    Kira looked at Father Patrick with confusion. ¡°What part of the bible is that from?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a verse, dear Kyrie, merely one of my own Creedence deep within my soul.¡± He says as he places his hand over his heart. ¡°That, and thinking of the good old days with my Strat on stage singing my heart out.¡± She laughed in response, he was like an Uncle.

    Kira looked back at the bodies of the two victims, maybe it was a good thing Father Patrick wasn¡¯t here if he was in such poor health.

    ¡°So, as you were saying,¡± Kira spoke to get her mind off the past. ¡°You helped a girl with directions and came here and found the deceased before calling 911. Do you know anyone else who might have a key?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who has a key. Although¡­¡± the Nun paused.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°This key is the backup. We lost the original after choir practice with the volunteers on Sunday. We all just assumed that it might have been misplaced, it¡¯s happened before and we¡¯ve found the key not long after. Normally, it would be in the Priest¡¯s office, but it wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Do you have the key right now?¡± The Nun handed Kira the key in question. ¡°Thank you, and, is there any form of records of those who came into the church, the people involved, things like that.¡± Kira then noticed the look of worry on the Nun¡¯s face and quickly added. ¡°I don¡¯t mean about the confessions that people have made, I know that those cannot be spoken of, I just mean the logs of those who¡¯ve come in, events that have taken place in the past few weeks. That¡¯s all. I don¡¯t mean anything that could be seen as sacrilege.¡±

    Ruth sighed. ¡°They would be in the Father¡¯s office, all records and logbooks of people who come for events sign and date them. Father Patrick always kept them organized. I¡¯m not sure how much of use it will be but I can show you.¡± She then placed a reassuring hand on Anthony¡¯s arm before leaving for the office in question. A room off to the side, with a discreetly hidden door so as not to bother those who come to offer prayer. She then put on gloves so as not to contaminate the room for potential evidence before opening the door.

    Even after all this time, it hasn¡¯t changed much. Kira thought when entering the office, while the Nun remained by the door as Kira stepped inside. ¡°Freddie!¡± she called out and her partner was by the door in less than five seconds. ¡°Help me sort through these documents.¡±

    ¡°Can do,¡±

    The two of them began to sift through the documents while asking the Nun what somewhere for some seem to plan for an event, and something that Kira noticed was two particular names.

    Alastor Hilmarsson and Amalie Hilmarsson. Their names appeared a few times in these papers. ¡°Sister, do you know a man by the name of Alastor Hilmarsson?¡±

    The Nun brightened. ¡°Oh yes, Mr. Hilmarsson and his daughter, they come and cover if one of ours is sick.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Freddie asked.

    ¡°Choir, of course. Though he isn¡¯t religious Mr. Hilmarsson is rather open to many different beliefs. Especially when it comes to the music that can be produced.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but why is his kid involved?¡± Kira asked.

    The Nun gave an almost confused smile. ¡°Because she sings too? She¡¯s young, but she¡¯s almost as good as her father, and I¡¯m sure if she continued, she¡¯ll surpass him one day. Though it takes a bit to get her to sing, she has a bit of stage fright. But the way her father encourages her is truly a sight, he¡¯s such a devoted man.¡±

    Kira had to suppress the urge to groan, she kept hearing praise about this guy, seriously, was he really that great?

    Freddie on the other hand spoke up diverting the topic a bit, thankfully. ¡°Singing takes practice, if she¡¯s that good, I imagine it won¡¯t be that long until she passes her Dad. Do they come here often?¡±

    ¡°Only when we are short-handed or for another church, I believe Bishop Franklin calls Mr. Hilmarsson if needed. Speaking of, I need to call the Bishop and inform him of what¡¯s happened. I will refrain about the details of it, but I have to let him know that a murder has taken place, and will be closed until your officers have released it from being a crime scene.¡±

    Kira looked at her. ¡°You seem well versed in what we do.¡±

    ¡°I have a brother who was in law enforcement, but anyhow, call if you need something else from me.¡± And soon left the room leaving Freddie and Kira alone with the search.

    They continued looking but found nothing that would lead them to any clues, Kira felt they¡¯d have a better chance running these names through a database of offenders, big and small to find someone, someone who had a record and see where it would lead.

    ¡°Freddie, I need to step out, my eyes are starting to hurt from looking at all this.¡±

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s not because of the Priest¡¯s handwriting? Man has a scrawl that¡¯d make my mother swoon.¡± When Kira scoffed, Freddie added. ¡°Hey, handwriting can be seen as art, you should see some of the letters my wife¡¯s father wrote during the war. You¡¯d be impressed.¡±

    ¡°Well while you continue to be impressed, I¡¯m going into the sun and take a breath of fresh air before seeing what else I might find.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare into the sun,¡± he says.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go blind from reading.¡± She says back before making her way out of the church, needing air, to get away from the crime scene for a bit, and not think of all the dead ends they were reaching. Only to see the man Anthony talk to someone Kira recognized.

    The girl who lived across from Alastor, the one with the mismatched eyes. Her eyes narrowed, what was she doing here when she should be in school?

    With her agitation on high, she decided to check.

    This wasn¡¯t important, at all.

    Yet, for reasons her sleep-ailed deduced, this might somehow be connected in some way, and if she could get a lead. Any lead, she was willing to see what she could gleam from it.

    Kira slowly approached and overhead some of Anthony¡¯s and Elain¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°So, who are ya tryin¡¯ to find?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well, an office for a therapist, Doctor Du Maurier?¡±

    ¡°Ah Cordilia, ya I know her, she¡¯s pretty good at her job. So what made ya get turned around? I thought I told ya where to go.¡±

    ¡°You did! But¡­ well¡­¡± she looked on edge. ¡°The whole number system here is really out there, I think I got turned around. I didn¡¯t want to end up lost so I came back here.¡± her mismatched gaze looked at the police cars with worry. ¡°Speaking of, did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this? Don¡¯t worry about it, you¡¯ve got a lot on yer plate yeah? Just think about yourself for a bit. Let me see the address.¡± She handed it to him. ¡°Hmm, yeah this part of town can be a bit tricky if ya don¡¯t know where yer goin¡¯.¡±

    Why was she going to a therapist out here when the school system offers it for free? Kira thought while deciding to remain hidden behind the corner of a building.

    ¡°But, uh, if yer new around here, wouldn¡¯t yer school have a therapist that ya can talk to?¡±

    The girl hesitated before answering. ¡°Yeah¡­ but¡­ I can¡¯t. At least, school isn¡¯t in my cards, at least not now.¡±

    ¡°Hey ya don¡¯t have ta force it, yer business is yours. I have no reason ta stick my sorry nose into it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡±

    ¡°No prob, now, look out for these landmarks and you¡¯ll be set.¡± After telling her where to go in detail and saying their goodbyes, Anthony watched as Elain went off before speaking. ¡°Ya know, it¡¯s pretty rude ta listen in on other people¡¯s conversations.¡± He said as he turned in Kira¡¯s direction. ¡°So why don¡¯t ya come out and make this less awkward for ya.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you know I was there?¡±

    Anthony, placed a hand on his hip looking less than impressed. ¡°You types are all the same, ya had that look where ya think I¡¯m up to no good. Regardless of what I¡¯m doin¡¯. I had a feelin¡¯ ya might try something like this. Caught ya walkin¡¯ over the moment the girl came askin¡¯ for help.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all it was?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said sounding rather defensive. ¡°It was, why do ya have to act all judgmental? Ya don¡¯t know shit about me, an¡¯ I don¡¯t know shit about you.¡±

    No denying that I guess. ¡°True, but the way you reacted when we first spoke gave off vibes that you were up to no good.¡±

    ¡°When ya get harassed for being a bit too Feminine by other cops who want yer ass for less than nice things, you¡¯d be on the defensive too. Regardless of what you¡¯re into.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not at all what I¡¯m into, my girlfriend can vouch.¡±

    Anthony shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t matter, and whatever it is ya want I have nothin¡¯ for ya. I saw the bodies with Sista¡¯ Ruth after helping that girl before she got all turned around again.¡± He then gave Kira a pointed stare. ¡°An¡¯ don¡¯t you go buggin¡¯ her either. The little lady has already had hell to deal with. You¡¯d just make it worse.¡±

    Kira folded her arms across her chest. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need ta be a genius ta know when a kid¡¯s gone through hell. Her eyes showed that an¡¯ I wasn¡¯t about ta snoop either.¡± He sighed pulling out a pack of cigarettes. ¡°Honestly, I wish Lu was still around, least be more understandin¡¯ than yous willing to be with how grossly judgemental ya seem.¡±

    ¡°Lu?¡± Kira asked with a frown, a little taken aback given that was the nickname for her girlfriend but was surprised to hear a name she least expected.

    ¡°Louis Duval,¡± Anthony stated causing Kira to go still. ¡°He was a lot like that, caring and understanding of a person regardless of where they came from, but then he was like that even on stage too.¡± Anthony blew out a puff of smoke as his gaze became sombre. ¡°Lu always did make one hell of a Queen.¡±

    ¡°I know him, knew him, Louis was married to a woman,¡± she remembered that Louis had a wife, so perhaps instead of gay, maybe he was bi?

    Anthony arched a brow at that. ¡°Ah yeah? He was straight as straight ya can be. But let me tell ya somethin¡¯. Being a Queen or King, a person can be any gender or sexuality an¡¯ dress in Drag with no shame, though a lot of guys like me do Drag, I suppose it kind of gave it a stigma. Lu just enjoyed it, another way to express himself that he couldn¡¯t with others, not ta mention, he looked great in those stiletto heels.¡±

    I had no idea¡­ Kira thought that she knew everything about her old partner, but something like this he hid, even from her. Did he hide it from his wife too?

    ¡°His wife especially supported him and all those in the Drag community. Apparently, the sex was good too.¡± He said with wagging eyebrows, clearly trying to get some kind of reaction out of Kira, too bad for him, it wasn¡¯t going to work on her. Given what Lucia was into with their foreplay.

    That explains why they had three kids so quickly... Kira thought flatly. ¡°So, you knew Louis from Drag Shows, then?¡±

    ¡°Somethin¡¯ like that,¡± Anthony said with a shrug. ¡°Look, while it¡¯s not really important, Lu helped me when I was in trouble, let me stay with the Missus while tryin¡¯ ta sort things out. She still calls too.¡±

    That surprised her. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she calls me almost every Sunday just to see how I¡¯m doin¡¯, ya know?¡±

    If that were true then why didn¡¯t Kira know about this guy?

    ¡°How¡¯d you know Lu?¡±

    ¡°Work,¡± Kira said. ¡°I worked with him before he died. He was looking into something and¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°I wish he told me what it was that he was doing that day, then maybe I could have helped.¡±

    ¡°Or, ya could¡¯ve died,¡± Anthony said in a rather cold tone. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way Detective, but if it was somethin¡¯ that dangerous, there¡¯s no way in hell he¡¯d involve others if it meant possibly gettin¡¯ whacked. That¡¯s just how he was, with everyone.¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel that way to her.

    Louis was her partner, a man she trusted with her life, why didn¡¯t he do the same? Just what was it that he had to do that was so secretive that warranted not telling her and getting himself killed at Cadavre Exquis¡¯s hands?

    What did he discover?

    And why¡­ Why did Cadavre Exquis pose Louis¡¯s body like that of Jesus Christ and only take Louis¡¯s heart?

 Chapter 21 ~Kira~

    It wasn¡¯t a day Kira liked to remember.

    Or could ever forget.

    But the events of this recent case, and what happened four years ago the similarities were something that Kira couldn¡¯t help but think over.

    Three months before, Louis was acting odd, even though they had just finished with a routine house call, for what Kira could recall since she was dealing with her girlfriend and an obsessive ex that wouldn¡¯t leave Lu alone, in certain cases, while important, seemed to be of little consequence than an ex claiming to want to smash Kira¡¯s skull in and other forms of physical threats as well as a cancer scare with her Dad. It all felt overwhelming, and work felt of little importance at the time.

    She noticed how Louis was being rather secretive, working late into the night and starting right at dawn. It was as if he were driven by some unseen force, he seemed focused on one particular thing, would go on stakeouts without telling anyone, and declined help from others, even from Freddie.

    Louis was on the fast track to becoming a detective and would have been a damn good one with how thorough he was with his work.

    Many thought he was just working on something for the long haul, old cases that were never solved since he did it as a hobby and had solved one at the start of his police career.

    But, one day, he suddenly went dark, and no one heard from him for days.

    This was unusual because he would at least keep others informed of what he was doing in case something went sideways. Yet there was nothing.

    On the fourth day, Kira began to think the worst. That day she had been trying to get in touch with Louis. Until the call of a body being found at St. Michael''s Cathedral Basilica, the body was posed like Jesus Christ, nailed to a cross, crown of thorns and all. Kira was one of the officers that were close by and rushed to the scene all the while planning on calling Louis¡¯s wife afterwards to see if she knew anything about her missing husband.

    Such thoughts came to a screeching halt when she entered the cathedral, and saw Louis. His hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross that had been hoisted up by a thick rope, eyes half open and head tilted in the way Jesus would have been in all motifs of the cross. Even his blond hair had been touched up to look like the man who died for everyone¡¯s sins.

    Even the stab wounds where Jesus had been pierced were the same.

    All Kira could do was stand there in the cathedral and look up at her now-deceased partner, unable to do or say anything before being led away by Freddie. He was trying to comfort her, but none of his words penetrated the fog of shock that overtook her mind.

    No one knew how Louis got there, and rumours of a serial killer plaguing the province of Ontario and Canada as a whole, for the past few years now, even Kira knew about such a person, and always questioned what drove such a person to kill in such morbid ways. A person who went by the name Cadavre Exquis, Exquisite Corpse.

    The name was given as the killer would pose the bodies like works of art, and, almost always, removed their organs and limbs while the victims were still alive. Meaning that they would feel everything that was happening to them before death.

    The person who named them this was some overzealous reporter wanting to gain notoriety and even coined the name for rights to the name.

    Though some speculated that whoever killed Louis was imitating this serial killer, because it wasn¡¯t painfully obvious that his organs and or limbs were taken until they got Louis back at the station¡¯s morgue, where they found that he had been embalmed, given makeup to look as though he were alive, and almost invisible stitching, revealing that he had been cut open, his heart had been expertly removed and replaced with a robin. One that had been made as if it were asleep.

    Strangely, this was done to him after death, and not while like how Cadavre Exquis had been known to kill his victims. This was different from the usual MO.

    What¡¯s more, his neck had been snapped. Louis died instantly.

    The killer wanted Louis to be preserved, almost as if he wanted Louis to last forever.

    But why?

    What made this killer change his way of killing when it came to Louis? What did Louis find about him?

    Was this a warning, or a message to others?

    Either way, regardless of what it meant it mattered little to Kira, this monster killed someone whom she looked up to, and admired. She would make the bastard pay, no matter what, she swore she¡¯d take Cadavre Exquis down no matter what.

    ¡°So,¡± Freddie¡¯s voice pulled her back to the present. ¡°From the documents I¡¯ve gathered, I¡¯ve found nothing that connected the two. Although, from what we do know, Father Patrick would do what he could to protect the youths from getting into trouble. Especially from their parents who were accepting of their kid¡¯s sexuality. However, there is one thing I did find from asking around before coming back to the station.¡±

    ¡°And that would be what?¡±

    ¡°The victims in question had quite the bone to pick with a certain type of individuals.¡± He said as he sifted through his notes.

    The two had gone their separate ways after finding the initial bodies, mainly because Kira still had paperwork to catch up on, looking at other leads for a few other cases to see where that might lead anywhere if at all, something she always struggled when it came to time management. ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°The Irish. Apparently, from what¡¯s been looked into, the husband and wife refused to allow anyone with ¡°dirty red-head devil blood¡¯ into their shop. Even though Giovanni¡¯s sister, Eloisa, would try to do so before her brother kicked her out of the store calling her a: ¡®Irish loving whore¡¯. And that if she loved them more than family, to just go join those drunken devils.¡±

    Christ. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why they were in the church? It was built by the Irish back in 1852.¡± Similar to how St. Michael¡¯s was also financed by Irish immigrants.

    ¡°That could explain why, but how do you know that Song?¡±

    ¡°My mom¡¯s Irish, back when I used to go to church regularly, St. Mary¡¯s was where we¡¯d be every Sunday. Till I turned Atheist.¡±

    ¡°Really? How¡¯d that go in telling them?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°My parents openly accepted the fact that I like women, and only women when I was thirteen. Something like religion kind of becomes just another part to accept or not. My parents were happy for me and were overjoyed that I trusted them to tell them, if anything, my Dad keeps asking when the wedding is. And my Mom continues to support and even aids those who are LGBTQ+ with that of the Metropolitan United Church.¡± She then changed the topic back to the case. ¡°It¡¯s been years since I was there, but I don¡¯t think there were any security cameras.¡±

    ¡°Your perception isn¡¯t wrong. There was one camera by the front and back door, however, those are just for show. They¡¯re mainly props to scare off anyone who might want to steal something.¡±

    ¡°But not good enough to deter a serial killer¡­¡± Kira muttered to herself before letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Great, just great.¡±

    Freddie was silent for a moment. ¡°Nothing about this Ghost Woman?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely nothing, the hair fibres are from a synthetic wig, and no prints. It¡¯s another dead end, just like all the others.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to call up defeat.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m not, just annoyed with the number of dead ends that we keep running into.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go looking, I still need to go speak to the father who was harassed by Giovanni Sarto, and Sarto¡¯s sister.¡±

    Kira looked at him. ¡°You have the father¡¯s address?¡±

    With confidence, he held it up between his index and middle fingers. ¡°From the officer who had taken the father¡¯s statement, got it a little after we came back from the church.¡± He looked at her. ¡°So? You up for it?¡±

    ¡°If it means I get away from doing more paperwork for more than an hour, yes.¡±

    Freddie stood up with a slight smirk on his face. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it.¡±

    *    *    *

    An hour later, close to four, Kira and Freddie were at a home out of the city. Where a ramp had been built to accommodate a wheelchair, and it looked as though there had been an addition done to it as well since it was a bungalow-style home.

    The two walked up to the front door only to hear the sound of something being done in the garage, they looked at each other before walking over to the open garage to see a tall man working at a woodworking table, with music from Hank Williams¡¯s Alone and Forsaken playing from a tape deck radio that was atop a metal shelf.

    The whole garage gave off a type of man who worked with his hands, Kira¡¯s eyes then went to a motorcycle with a sidecar attached. It was a Harley Davidson 1990 soft tail.

    Dang. Nice.

    ¡°Jole Miller?¡± the man paused when Kira spoke the man¡¯s name. He then turned, showing a face with black-bearded face, with pale skin that became tanned from the countless hours of being in the sun which brought contrast to the bright blue eyes as he was dressed in a black plaid shirt, its sleeves rolled up, jeans, and steel-toed boots.

    Bear mixed with a lumberjack was surprisingly accurate.

    What Anthony didn¡¯t include was just how tall this man was, a sturdy six-foot-two.

    He leaned against the workbench. ¡°Yes?¡± the man had a rather calm even voice form such a physical figure. And even though it might not have been the intention but he gave off a rather intimidating aura. Though that might just be because of his height and muscular build.

    ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Freddie spoke up as he didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°My name is Fredrick Louds, and this is my partner, Kira Song.¡±

    Joel eyed them both. ¡°Is this about what happened with that man who variably abused my kid, officers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, merely some follow-up questions, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    He folded his arms across his chest. ¡°I do mind, I get that it¡¯s your job, but there¡¯s nothing else I can tell you besides what I¡¯ve already said to the last police officer. That man said that my kid is better off dead because she¡¯s a blight on society. My little girl. The man¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t toss his ass back through his store window. As tempting as it was.¡± He muttered that last part. ¡°If that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, I can tell you that I didn¡¯t go out to hurt him, I was helping my neighbour, Tess, with an issue with her drain pipes.¡±

    ¡°And where were you last night at three in the morning?¡±

    Joel frowned but answered. ¡°Asleep, and before you ask, I have cameras in and outside the house to prove it. With how things are with the recent break-ins I want to make sure that we¡¯re safe. I can send you the recordings if need be.¡±

    ¡°Whose Tess?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°Tess Williams, her daughter Ellie is the same age as my daughter. They often hang out with each other.¡± Joel added before the garage attached to the house opened, Joel silently went over to the open door. ¡°Sarah, you need something?¡±

    ¡°I saw a car pull up, is it a friend?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the police,¡± he crouched down so that his daughter wouldn¡¯t have to look up at him from her motorized wheelchair. ¡°They¡¯re here to ask some questions about what happened, after the doctor¡¯s appointment.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the tone of the girl¡¯s voice sounded worried. ¡°Are¡­ are we in trouble?¡±

    ¡°No baby, we aren¡¯t. They just want to confirm some things.¡± He then glanced at the officers. ¡°You don¡¯t need anything from her, do you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Freddie says. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    Joel looked back at his daughter and smiled. ¡°See? It¡¯ll be alright. Why not go back and play your game? You said you were getting better in Unravelled.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± when the girl turned her chair around and left Joel brought the door partly closed.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead isn¡¯t he,¡± Joel said as if it were fact rather than a question. When neither responded the man added. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s not surprising. If he was so pissed off from seeing a girl in a wheelchair. I can only imagine him going off on the wrong person.¡±

    Well, he¡¯s got that right. Kira thought deadpan. As much as she hated Cadavre Exquis she couldn¡¯t feel much in the way of sympathy for the man that was killed.

    ¡°But like I said I did nothing to him. As much as I hated the man it would be a waste of energy and time to deal with some small, pathetic, angry man with a disgusting outlook on those with disabilities. Whoever did kill him though I can say that whoever he pissed off was someone he probably never expected would cost him his life.¡±

    *    *    *

    ¡°That was exhausting¡­¡± Kira said with an exasperated sigh when they drove away from Joel Miller¡¯s home before looking at the time, it was nearly five in the early evening. ¡°So, now what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Well, we still need to speak with Eloisa, so we¡¯re not done just yet.¡± He paused glancing at her and asked. ¡°Still not sleeping properly?¡± Kira didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to see a specialist for this.¡±

    ¡°Seeing a specialist will take months, and even then, it¡¯ll take even more months until I get told what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± And no amount of medication or meditation will change it. At least not until that bastard is finally caught.

    ¡°Alright, but you should at least get it looked at still, that kind of thing can become worse the older you get.¡±

    Kira glanced away. She didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore, though she didn¡¯t have to since Freddie changed the subject.

    ¡°Did you see Miller¡¯s bike in the garage? Man, I¡¯d love to have something like that in my life one day.¡±

    She looked at him skeptically. ¡°You want a motorcycle?¡±

    ¡°Not just any motorcycle, I¡¯d love to get a Harley.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into bikes.¡±

    Freddie shrugged. ¡°Well, I have my licence, but I haven¡¯t found the time, or budget to get one. One day though.¡±

    ¡°And how¡¯s the wife feel about that?¡±

    His smile grew. ¡°Oh, she thought I was nuts, but when I showed her the bike I was looking at, she started to warm up to the idea. Going out on Sunday, for a long drive on old back country roads. Same for the kids.¡±

    ¡°They have no problems with it?¡±

    ¡°You kidding? They think it¡¯s cool!¡±

    Kira found herself laughing, the feeling of agitation she had was slowly starting to find her sense of humour again, she hoped that it would last as they continued down the streets of Toronto to their next location.

    *    *    *

    Sarto Tailor¡¯s was near the outskirts of Little Italy in Toronto. The smell of food, and people milling about, a mixture of languages, as people were trying to get good deals on things or haggle for them.

    Kira never really ventured into Little Italy all that much, never had a reason to. But it did have its charm, much like every other multicultural area in the city.

    Much like the building itself where the shop was also part of a high-end apartment complex. It even had a plaque for how many years it had been making suites for not only men but women and even started to branch out for kids. From the looks of it, it started after the second world war. And for it to last this long said a lot about how the business was run.

    When they entered the shop Kira saw a small thin woman, was about five foot two in height, with mousy brown hair tied up in a braided bun, dark brown eyes framed by a thin pair of oval glasses and dressed almost as if she were an Edwardian time traveller as she wore a high collar long-sleeved white blouse, with a broach and a long tweed brown skirt. Heck, even her shoes looked to be from another time.

    Eloisa Sarto looked at them both before going to a place in the store where a computer was all set up. ¡°Hello, how may I help you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re detectives Louds and Song, I called earlier about needing to speak with you,¡± Freddie said.

    Her shoulders became tense. ¡°Yes, if you¡¯d follow me, I have a place upstairs where we can talk in private.¡± She then led them to a set of stairs in the back before going up them, Kira noticed how she didn¡¯t even hold up her skirt as she walked up the stairs. Noticing how the fabric seemed a bit stiff than other skirts. Kira wondered if this woman made the skirt herself. When Eloisa opened another door, it led to a rather large apartment, and from the looks of things, it looked to be two floors. ¡°Since my brother and his wife went missing, I received calls from regulars asking me to take over what was needed for them, so it¡¯s been left to me to look after the shop.¡± She said as she went into the decent-sized kitchen. ¡°Are you alright with coffee?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to get us anything,¡± Kira responded.

    Eloisa stopped, before going over to a nearby chair in the living room area and sat down. ¡°Did you find my brother?¡±

    ¡°In sorts,¡± Freddie spoke. ¡°However, and I¡¯m sorry to say this, your brother and his wife were murdered, and found in St Mary¡¯s Church.¡±

    Then silence.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± her voice came out weakly.

    Kira glanced at Freddie; did he not tell the woman?

    Then again, if Freddie had, it could lead to problems with asking questions.

    ¡°Is he actually?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Freddie responded with a curt nod.

    Eloisa moved to sit in a nearby chair, elbows resting on the table as a hand touched her forehead. ¡°Our father always did warn Giovanni that if he continued to act like he was superior to others it would come back to bite him. It only became worse when he met Miriana.¡± She let out a breath, and then immediately shifted into a more stoic expression, sitting properly with her hands in her lap. As if a switch had been flipped regarding professionalism.

    It was certainly something, to say the least.

    ¡°What do you need from me?¡±

    Freddie was about to speak only for a buzzer to go off.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kira asked.

    ¡°A customer,¡± Eloisa said as she stood up and moved to the door that led back downstairs. ¡°I have an order waiting; he did say he was coming by to pick it up. Apologize, do you mind waiting here while I go and take care of it?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Freddie says as Kira fought the urge to sigh in annoyance.

    She smiled. ¡°Thank you,¡± and then went downstairs to greet this customer, and faintly heard a name. No freaking way.

    She went down a few steps while ignoring the puzzled look from her partner, who ultimately joined, possibly to keep her out of trouble, and saw who it was that came.

    Alastor Hilmarsson.

 Chapter 22 ~Kira~

    Why him of all people?

    What was he doing here?

    He looked as though he just finished work, and seemed to be dressed in another bespoke suite of creams and blues. Just how many did this guy have?

    She then heard something approach and looked down to see a little girl, dressed in a cherry red blouse with short sleeves, a white skirt with cherries for the pattern and black slip-on flats as her hair had been done in a French braid. This little girl was looking up at Kira in complete silence. Kira stumbled back in response, nearly causing Freddie to fall too but gripped the railing before he had.

    It¡¯s like she just popped up through some interdimensional portal.

    Wait no, she was just some regular kid, with no mystical powers, just some very silent tiny feet. That¡¯s all. But man, the little girl sure knew how to scare the bejeezus out of someone.

    Then Kira noticed how the kid was looking at her in silence.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± her father gently called for her, causing the little girl to break eye contact and go over to where Alastor was, in which he then looked to see the detectives and gave a curt yet polite smile. ¡°It seems you have some important people waiting,¡± he says before looking at Eloisa. ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing too grim.¡±

    Eloisa didn¡¯t respond right away. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t inform you that we would have to change the time for this. It was incredibly rude, especially with how long you¡¯ve been with us.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s smile became a bit softer. ¡°There is no need to apologize for something that is, fundamentally, out of your control. Something like this would hardly be considered rude.¡± He then changed the topic. ¡°So, when would you like to reschedule our appointment?¡±

    ¡°How about this Saturday? I¡¯ll have to close the shop for at least a few days. I hope that¡¯s okay with you?¡±

    ¡°I have no issues with Saturday, same time then?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Sure,¡± she then looked to Amalie who looked a bit uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯ll have yours ready as well by then too, okay Amalie?¡± Amalie merely nodded silently as she clung close to her father. ¡°Something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Things at school have been a bit difficult,¡± Alastor explained.

    Eloisa looked at him with a frown of concern. ¡°I thought she was going to be starting at a different school by now?¡±

    ¡°Some difficulties arose, so it won¡¯t happen for a little while still.¡± He says as he runs a hand atop her head. ¡°But we¡¯ll manage and get through it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s all you can do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he then glanced at Kira and Freddie. ¡°We should go, I would hate to take up more of your time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll call if something comes up. Goodbye Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    The man paused at the door, and with a faint smile said. ¡°I do hope they find your brother soon. Try to stay optimistic. I¡¯m sure there will be news.¡±

    She gave a small smile back. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    As the two left, Kira caught the little girl looking their way before silently following after her father where Eloisa locked the door and flipped the sign when they were gone.

    ¡°Would you both give me a moment?¡± Eloisa asked as she kept her back facing them. ¡°I should have made some calls to clients about this, but I need to reschedule some appointments. Hopefully, it won¡¯t take too long.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kira said. ¡°Sure, take as long as you need.¡±

    Eloisa didn¡¯t say anything as she went to a counter and pulled out a planner that probably had client information inside. Kira turned when she felt Freddie tapping on her shoulder, who then silently jabbed his thumb to head back upstairs. To not bother the woman any further and wait. When she had Freddie closed the door and looked at her sternly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± she asked but was ignored.

    ¡°Do you even know what I¡¯m going to say?¡± Freddie asked.

    ¡°¡®I shouldn¡¯t have poked my nose in other¡¯s business¡¯?¡±

    The look intensified, seriously, the man was practically on par with her father.

    Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t her Mom.

    Kira sighed. ¡°Look, I get it, okay?¡±

    ¡°You certainly don¡¯t seem to!¡± Freddie snapped.

    ¡°Then why did you follow me?¡± she snapped back.

    ¡°To make sure you don¡¯t do something that could very well get you in trouble!¡± he snaps back. ¡°I know for a fact you still haven¡¯t been sleeping well even after I told you! Poor sleep makes for piss poor decisions! Especially when you have to be clear-minded and focused to do your job.¡±

    She bristled at his comment. ¡°I¡¯m only human Fred!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± His shoulders become relaxed; his face less angry as his voice became even. ¡°Which is why you cannot obsess over this. This case! Every single time we run across one of his victims, you toss all rational thinking out the window and go head first without looking at what could be below! Shit like that will get you killed.¡±

    Kira broke eye contact. She couldn¡¯t say anything back to that statement.

    ¡°Alastor isn¡¯t who you¡¯re after,¡± Freddie said suddenly pulling Kira¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°So why do you look at him with such disgust?¡±

    Kira frowned. ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Freddie says plainly. ¡°You look at the man as if something about him bothers you. Why is that? Is it because he¡¯s a single parent?¡±

    ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Is it because he¡¯s social?¡±

    ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s rich?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s famous in Toronto?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s homophobic?¡±

    ¡°What the---no! Of course, I don¡¯t! It¡¯s none of that.¡± she shook her head. ¡°Why are you asking me all this?¡±

    He folded his arms across his chest. ¡°You keep looking bothered by him like you suspect something of him. Why else would I ask those questions? If it¡¯s about his wife, Alastor was questioned right at the beginning but had a solid alibi for when she fled after she tried to kill the kid five years ago. There¡¯s video proof and everything of her heading to the airport.¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡±

    ¡°Then what is it? Kira, you decided to follow Ms. Sarto after hearing Mr. Hilmarsson speak, what exactly made you do that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± she let out a breath. ¡°It¡¯s his eyes.¡±

    Freddie arched a brow and waited.

    ¡°The way he looks at others, sometimes, I¡¯ve noticed that his gaze looks as though other people are less important.¡±

    ¡°So, you think he¡¯s racist?¡±

    ¡°No, no, not that. I mean, like, regardless of who or what a person is, depending on how things go his eyes give off a feel as though they aren¡¯t important. Like he finds them disgusting. Like with Karen Crock.¡±

    ¡°Can you blame him for not liking her? The woman hit the man and even tried to hurt his daughter over a blasted book.¡±

    She ran a hand through her short hair. ¡°Yeah well, speaking of that, he seems way overly protective of his kid. Like over-the-top protective. It¡¯s weird.¡±

    Freddie did not look too pleased when she said that. ¡°Kira, he¡¯s a single Dad, raising a young child. Of course, the man is going to be protective. Hell, I bet he was even before his wife did what she did. If anything, it added to it.¡±

    She looked at him skeptically. ¡°Is that your fatherly intuition talking?¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Then returned the disapproving ¡®Dad¡¯ look. ¡°Yes. If you ever decide to have children, blood-related or not, then you¡¯d know damn well you¡¯d do everything you could to make sure no one hurt your kid. Granted, you can¡¯t protect them from everything, hell sometimes you have to let them do something stupid so they can learn, but you¡¯d at least still try to keep them safe. Especially if you¡¯re doing it alone, like Alastor.¡±

    Kira inwardly cringed, she stepped on one hell of a landmine, Freddie was known in the department for just how much he loved his kids, and what he¡¯d do for them if anything happened.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I understand Freddie. Well, not completely, I don¡¯t have kids,¡± Hell, I don¡¯t think I even want them. ¡°But I understand where you¡¯re coming from. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me you owe an apology to.¡±

    Kira pinched the bridge of her nose with her right hand¡¯s index finger and thumb. ¡°Right, I suppose so.¡±

    *    *    *

    After twenty minutes of waiting, Eloisa came back upstairs to start answering questions.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I didn¡¯t mean to take as long as I had.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kira said. ¡°And actually, I need to apologize too, I shouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped on your conversation.¡±

    Eloisa merely stared at her. ¡°That was pretty rude of you, not to mention disappointing from someone in the police force. I expected you to be trained better.¡±

    Kira felt like she was being verbally stabbed by the woman¡¯s words, she wasn¡¯t wrong though. ¡°I¡­ I know, I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I was just surprised to see him is all.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson has been a long-time customer. This year he came for not only himself but his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Why his daughter?¡±

    ¡°Christmas,¡± Eloisa replied. ¡°It¡¯s for a Christmas event that he will be attending with his daughter. So, he asked in getting not only a suit for himself but also a dress for her. My brother didn¡¯t want to, but Mr. Hilmarsson asked me because he knew I¡¯ve been commissioned for women''s and children¡¯s clothes before.¡±

    Kira looked confused. ¡°Why not just go and get a cheap thing at Winners? Or somewhere else like it? Not to offend but it seems a bit excessive to spend several hundreds of dollars on something she will probably only wear once.¡±

    Eloisa gave the detective an unimpressed look. ¡°If you knew the family, you wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡±

    ¡°I thought he didn¡¯t have any other family.¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s referring to the other half of Amalie¡¯s family,¡± Freddie said.

    ¡°Oh,¡±

    ¡°Exactly, so you can understand why. But even then, Mr. Hilmarsson has always wanted the best for his daughter, regardless of what you think of him, detective, he will always do anything for her, no matter how or small it is.¡±

    Kira said nothing back, realizing that Eloisa had heard Freddie and her talking.

    ¡°Anyhow, we should continue with what it was you wanted to know,¡± the woman stated as she then sat in an armchair in the living room across from the couch.

    Freddie sat across from her, with a notebook in one hand and pen in the other as Kira remained standing behind him. ¡°What was your relationship with your brother?

    ¡°Growing up it was a typical relationship between siblings, though my brother was older, he was always jealous of my accomplishments. He hated that I was just as good if not better when it came to our shared desire to take over the family shop. It¡¯s probably because of that that he resented me, and our father. The older we got, the worse it became.¡±

    Judging from what we¡¯ve learned about him, the guy was an ass. Kira thought.

    ¡°And when he originally kicked you out of the store?¡± Freddie asked.

    Her face flushed red with embarrassment. ¡°That was because my fianc¨¦ proposed, he even wants to take the family name. Something of which he and my father talked about while visiting him in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Is your father unwell?¡±

    Eloisa shook her head. ¡°No, he¡¯s been in recovery for surgery¡­¡± She came to a halt as if realizing something as her breath became short. ¡°How am I supposed to tell him that his son is dead¡­? It¡¯ll break his heart¡­¡±

    ¡°Was there any dispute with ownership?¡± Freddie asked after giving her a moment.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, no, the shop was supposed to be split evenly. Though my brother was going to try and take my name off the deed, our father wouldn¡¯t let him. He¡­ uh, he said that as a family we should stick together and work things out. But my brother never liked that, it was more of a ¡°his way or the highway¡± kind of thing. My father told me that if anything happened to him, my brother wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything since a will he and my mother made was air-tight and couldn¡¯t be contested. Although, I believe my father intended to change it when Giovanni married Miriana. I don¡¯t mean to speak ill of the dead, but she was an awful woman, who brought out the worst in my brother.¡±

    ¡°And your mother?¡±

    ¡°She was murdered, three years ago, by a bunch of thugs who wanted her money. She was shot, and died instantly. It broke my father, would have to take some time to himself even when customers were around.¡± Eloisa frowned. ¡°Oddly enough, the men who attacked my mother were found a month later. People say it was that serial killer that killed them.¡±

    Kira frowned in turn. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Because of how they were found, they looked like something from an art piece, I don¡¯t know which. I honestly didn¡¯t care, if anything, I was just glad they were dead. If it was Cadavre Exquis then I have the solace to know that they suffered greatly when they died.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel the same with your brother?¡± Kira asked before Freddie had the chance to say anything and gave a disapproving look in response.

    But this was a question that needed to be asked, even if it was rude.

    Her back straightened as her shoulders became stiff. ¡°What? No! He was my brother! He could be a real bastard to a lot of people, even towards me, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever want to see him killed in such a horrible way!¡±

    ¡°But you said that you were happy that the ones behind your mother¡¯s murder were dead.¡±

    She glared at Kira. ¡°They murdered my mother, detective. Now, I don¡¯t know about your personal life, but how dare you insinuate that I¡¯d be happy with my brother being killed. If you have siblings, I hope you never have to deal with something like this or anyone you care about for that matter. One instance does not equate to another. Sure, there were times I hated my brother, but as I said, I wouldn¡¯t want to see him dead. Not ever.¡±

    Freddie let out a breath. ¡°I apologize, Ma¡¯am, we didn¡¯t mean to get so far off-topic.¡±

    Eloisa still looked upset, looking away from Kira. ¡°Is that all you have or are there more intrusive questions like this?¡±

    ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any more questions like that.¡±

    She looked at Freddie. ¡°As long as they come from you, I have no issue with it.¡±

    *    *    *

    By the time Freddie finished questioning Eloisa Sarto, it was becoming late in the evening as they drove back in silence, where Freddie took the wheel, but instead of going back to the station. He stopped the car on the block where Kira lived.

    ¡°Freddie, why are we here? I still have paperwork.¡±

    ¡°Deal with it tomorrow.¡± He looks at her. ¡°Go to bed Kira, before you go over the line with the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°It was a question,¡±

    ¡°It was too invasive and you know it.¡± Freddie¡¯s expression became stern. ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll be asking the Chief to take you off any case involving Cadavre Exquis in the future.¡±

    ¡°What? Freddie, you can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I will if you keep doing this!¡± he snaps back. ¡°You know damn well this path you¡¯re on will bring you down, and if you keep going it¡¯ll get you killed, just like Louis!¡±

    Kira just sat there stunned, but then remembered, Freddie was Louis¡¯s partner before becoming a detective. Louis¡¯s death hit Freddie just as hard but had gone and dealt with it in a completely different way than she had.

    ¡°This is my final warning, Kira. Pull that again and I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t work any cases that Cadavre Exquis has committed.¡±

    He was serious, what¡¯s more, he wasn¡¯t throwing his words around, the man had clout, and if Freddie felt someone wasn¡¯t up to the task, he¡¯d give them a chance to prove themselves before pulling them out before it did something to that person, be it physical or mental.

    ¡°Now go get some sleep. Take the day off tomorrow too, those files won¡¯t be going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Freddie,¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he says sternly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it unless it¡¯s coming from a clear mind, not one hyped up on caffeine and lack of sleep. Go home Song.¡±

    She was silent, the man was set in this, and wouldn¡¯t budge, sometimes she hated that about him, but knew that deep down it was coming from a place of concern, ¡°Alright,¡± she got out of the car, her chest feeling tight. ¡°I am sorry, Freddie, for how I acted.¡±

    He didn¡¯t look like he believed her. ¡°Save it for when you¡¯re well-rested.¡±

    Kira closed the door as he then drove off without another word, leaving Kira to stand alone on what would normally be a busy street.

    She leaned against a brick wall and pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± she muttered. Kira grit her teeth while fighting the urge to bash her head into the wall behind her. She didn¡¯t mean to piss Freddie off, but there was one thing that she couldn¡¯t deny.

    He was right.

    And if she did keep going like this, she might just end up like Louis, or worse.

    Letting out a deep sigh she shoved her hands into her coat pockets and walked the short distance to the entrance of the apartment, but while walking that short distance she nearly stumbled into a woman who was a little taller than her, with long brown hair when rounding the corner.

    ¡°Oh sorry,¡± Kira said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± And continued, not noticing that the woman looked back in Kira¡¯s direction and silently smiled before carrying on their way.

    When Kira made it home, she saw her girlfriend, Lucia, working hard on her laptop, dressed in pyjama bottoms and an oversized sweater, Kira¡¯s sweater, typing furiously away on her laptop. Lucia was like that this morning when Kira left, her girlfriend could become extremely focused when it came to her writing. Without a word, closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Lucia¡¯s shoulders and hugged her.

    This snapped Lucia out of her focused trance. ¡°Hey, when did you get back?¡±

    ¡°A little while ago, sorry for interrupting. I just¡­ really wanted to hold you for a moment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not interrupting anything, want me to stand up?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± She looked at the screen. ¡°What are you working on? A new book?¡±

    ¡°Nah, going through and changing some things in one of my other works. I think that if I can change it up a bit then maybe a publisher may like it.¡±

    Kira didn¡¯t say anything, this was a book that Lucia had been working on before but was rejected several times. This was a story that Lucia just couldn¡¯t let go of, even though it was in a genre that wasn¡¯t all that popular.

    After a moment, Kira let go, went to the bathroom and took out a bottle of sleeping pills, took one, changed, reheated something from the previous night and then went to bed. Which Lucia soon joined her afterword¡¯s.

    ¡°Rough day?¡± Lucia asked in a whisper.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she then felt her girlfriend move closer and rested her head against Kira¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Tomorrow will be better, just keep thinking that and you¡¯ll be on your way.¡±

    Kira hugged her back and kissed her forehead. ¡°Thanks, Lu,¡± though she still didn¡¯t feel all that good about it, about everything and how she was acting.

    As they lay in bed, Kira couldn¡¯t help but wonder why that little girl looked at her the way she did.

    Grey eyes filled with wariness, and, almost an impassive look. Like disappointment. What kind of child could make such an expression? And why was it directed at Kira?

    No that shouldn¡¯t matter, not now at least as the pills were now starting to take effect. She needed to be better, way better than how she was acting this past while.

    So, for now, she¡¯d bury it. Her anger and hatred for that monster who had no face to give, and do all she could with her job, think objectively and not push a person, or cross a line.

    She needed to be better or it¡¯d cost her in more ways than one.

    Not to mention, she needed to apologize for how she was acting towards Freddie. Before she drifted off to sleep, Kira thought of that fancy coffee place and recalled a certain drink and pastry he liked to have on a rare occasion.

    She¡¯d buy him that as a way of sincerely apologizing, she¡¯d only hoped he¡¯d take it.

 Chapter 23 ~Elain~

    I can do this!

    Elain looked up nervously at Alderwood High School, anxiously looking at the building.

    I¡­ I can do this! She thought again, trying to give herself confidence. It¡¯s been well over a week and a half now. I¡¯ve come after school. Hell, even when the school was closed with my brother just to reach and touch the doors! Baby steps! That¡¯s what Doctor Du Maurier says. To not push. I managed to get inside when school was done and walk around and I was fine. I¡¯ll be fine!

    Even though her thoughts were confident, she still couldn¡¯t stop shaking.

    Oh, come on, stop shaking me! At least try not to draw attention!

    ¡°El,¡± her heart nearly jumped into her throat when hearing her brother¡¯s voice then felt Nate¡¯s hand along her upper arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll be fine, and if you can¡¯t handle it then we can just leave. All right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Elain let out a slow even breath while feeling reassured by her big brother¡¯s presence. It helped her a lot.

    ¡°Ready to try?¡±

    Elain nodded and grasped her brother¡¯s hand, squeezing to try and ease her nerves.

    They walked together as she held her brother¡¯s hand, taking slow steps until she was inside the school, it was noon, so a majority was done with classes for lunch, Elain did also have a free period but for now, she was just trying her best to be in school without having a massive panic attack. Easier said than done. But this was the next step before even trying to attempt a full day. Thankfully her teachers were more than accommodating, knowing what had happened, and giving her the time and space to heal while also sending her things for her morning classes online. And if it became too hard for Elain to handle, she would switch to doing online classes until things were more manageable.

    Online classes became the norm for some students for a variety of reasons, the majority of which were now because of illness and recovering in the hospital. While others had problems with anxiety. Much like Elain, and couldn¡¯t go to school. But Elain wanted to overcome this. She would take it slow, but it was still something she wanted to do.

    Though there were bouts where she was in self-doubt, needing to stop and take a few breaths before going to her classroom.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here a few minutes before the bell, if you think can¡¯t deal with it, then just text me. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± the teachers were already very accommodating, and not just recording and sending what she needed for class. She saw that she wasn¡¯t the first to arrive, with several students hanging out or doing other work from another class.

    Elain¡¯s mismatched eyes looked around before sitting down in a chair by the window. Originally, she thought of sitting close to the door, for a hasty retreat, but if what her brother said was true then she should be okay when talking with the teacher.

    She still had some time before class started, so she took the opportunity to pull out her laptop, textbook and notebook, trying to be as organized as possible.

    But when all was said and done, she began to feel nervous, so she took out her wireless headphone and pressed play. The moment she had, the music of a piano and Erhu entered her ears as she breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you, music from The Twelve Kingdoms soundtrack. Your music eases my nervous-riddled soul.

    Elain then closed her eyes and just began to breathe to ease herself, before getting the feeling that someone had sat down in the seat next to her. Opening her eyes Elain saw that she was right, the girl with a thin build was dressed in jeans and a baggy T-shirt, she had dark skin as her hair was styled in corn-row braids that looked nice to her facial features.

    Elain looked right to her textbook before the other girl looked at Elain, she didn¡¯t think anyone would sit beside her, not since there were still so many seats available.

    Her anxiety began to come back, making her tremble faintly.

    The girl who sat next to her noticed this. ¡°Hey, are you doing okay?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, don¡¯t mind me. Anxiety.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± was all she said, then suddenly asked. ¡°Are you the girl that couldn¡¯t come in for almost two weeks?¡±

    Elain looked at this girl with a slight expression of embarrassment. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah?¡±

    The girl dug into her bag and pulled something out. ¡°Here,¡± she handed Elain a USB stick. ¡°Notes from the past week and a half with the classes we share. Iesha, by the way. If you need help feel free to ask.¡±

    Elain looked at the USB stick and then back to Iesha. ¡°You¡¯re in all of my classes?¡±

    ¡°Mostly, except gym class, but I always ditch that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it anyway, I can¡¯t do anything physical for the time being. But do you mind if I ask why you took these notes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a designated note-taker for other kids in school before, this year is no different. One girl who had part of her liver removed and was stuck on bed rest for a while, or kids who just have trouble paying attention in class. Even have the audio recordings from the classes too in what I gave you. No video though, my old laptop will freak out if I try.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, I¡¯m better when just listening anyhow.¡±

    Iesha merely looked at Elain before asking. ¡°Want to give me your email? If you find you can¡¯t handle class, I¡¯ll at least be able to send you the recordings.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°No thanks needed, this way you won¡¯t get behind, and I¡¯ll type up the notes too, so you won¡¯t struggle with my shit handwriting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re handwriting isn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    The look on Iesha¡¯s face said it all: ¡°No it is, trust me, it¡¯s total trash.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ got it,¡± Elain said as more students began to come into the room, a few rushing into class before the teacher arrived, who came with a laptop and webcam to set up for those who couldn¡¯t physically be in class. The teacher a nice-looking blonde woman with her hair in a bun, Ms. Zori?, noticed Elain but didn¡¯t make any comment about it, she merely smiled and was glad to see her, and went about setting up for what she needed for the online students.

    When the class got going, Elain felt her anxiety calm as she became focused on learning, trying to write with her left hand instead of her right, but was poked by Iesha¡¯s pen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t force it,¡± Iesha said softly so as not to be picked up by her mic from her laptop as it recorded the audio.

    Elain understood but still wanted to try, even if it meant her notes were a scribbled mess and almost impossible to read.

    Elain looked at her horrible notes with a crooked smile, how she wished she was ambidextrous with her left. Her friend Rebecca was a little bit since she wrote with her left but had to do a lot of things with her right hand since that¡¯s how things were designed. Rebecca¡¯s only gripe was the agony of dealing with scissors. A right-handed pare could not be used by someone who used their left hand.

    ¡°Miss Ortiz, may I speak with you for a moment?¡± Ms. Zori? asked as Elain was getting ready to leave for her next class.

    Iesha gave a two-fingered salute with her right hand before heading off to their next class.

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am?¡± Elain asked.

    ¡°How was the class?¡±

    Elain couldn¡¯t help but look very confused. ¡°Uh¡­ good? Normal?¡±

    Ms. Zori? smiled, seeming to find Elain¡¯s confusion sweet. ¡°I mean about your anxiety; I know things have been difficult for you at the start of the year. I just want to be sure that you were comfortable.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Elain could see as her face became flushed. ¡°Ummm, it was fine. I found that when I¡¯m in class and just listening to the teacher, you and probably the others too, I don¡¯t feel my anxiety all that much.¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad. If you find that you ever have trouble just head out. I only ask if you can do so as silently as you can so as not to distract any of the other students.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡±

    ¡°Also, if you need a note taker, I¡¯m sure Miss Bain would be willing, that is of course if she¡¯s not doing a lot already.¡±

    Bain? Oh, she must mean Iesha. ¡°I will, thank you, Ms. Zori?.¡± She then noticed her brother, silently waiting, as he gave a faint wave. ¡°Do you have anything else you need from me?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all, oh, though before I forget, the assignments you¡¯ve done will be given back later this weekend. The other teachers will probably do the same, either way, if you need to go back to being strictly online, just send an email to let us know.¡±

    That surprised her. ¡°You sure?¡±

    Ms. Zori? nodded. ¡°Of course, our job is to help students, be it with sending assignments or doing online learning. As well as needing anything from your IEP, you just have to let us know in advance if you can.¡±

    ¡°I will, thank you.¡± After giving her goodbyes, Elain left with her brother to head to her next class.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go with your first class?¡±

    ¡°Good, I think, but I just want to take it slow for now. To not overthink so I don¡¯t get overwhelmed. So then, maybe¡­¡± She looked at the arm that held her graph hidden by her long-sleeved shirt. ¡°I can move past this.¡±

    *    *    *

    For the next couple of days, Elain managed to do her afternoon classes, with how things were, she felt comfortable doing her morning classes online and the rest at school. While she still had bouts of her anxiety flare up from time to time causing Elain to calm down.

    So more often than not, she was given the go-ahead to leave early, at first Elain wasn¡¯t sure, but Iesha said it was fine and would just send her the recordings.

    Her parents and brother had her support, but while that was going on she noticed something was going on with Kaya, especially on those occasions when Alastor would call Elain and ask if she could pick his daughter up while watching her for at least an hour due to conflicting schedules. Elain figured it was probably due to work, so she had no issue with this. And Amalie seemed more than okay with walking home. Kaya, on the other hand, seemed less than enthusiastic about all of it.

    Though their parents thought it would be good since they didn¡¯t live all that far from the school itself was close to their home. Plus, it would give both Elain and Kaya some exercise. Something that Kaya would normally like since she always enjoyed climbing and running but these past few days, she seemed a bit withdrawn.

    ¡°Kaya, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elain asked while they were walking home, carrying both Kaya¡¯s and Amalie¡¯s backpacks. Amalie was walking ahead, stopping to look at some wildflowers before continuing. ¡°Do you not like your new school?¡±

    Kaya stopped walking. ¡°Why did we have to come here?¡± she asked. ¡°I know why, you were hurt¡­ but¡­ why did we have to move so far away? I still had my school, my friends¡­ but now I don¡¯t know anyone.¡±

    ¡°You know Amalie, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Kaya looked at the girl, and when Amalie looked back and smiled, Kaya smiled back but that smile didn¡¯t last long when the girl went back to what she was doing, her smile vanished. ¡°Maybe¡­ but there are people at school who don¡¯t like Amalie¡­¡±

    Elain watched Amalie; a feeling of understanding weighed on her chest. ¡°People are complicated,¡± she told her sister. ¡°Not everyone can see eye to eye or get along.¡± Elain paused. ¡°Kaya¡­ about the move¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whoa!¡± Amalie gasped as she jumped back drawing both girls¡¯ attention and they rushed over.

    ¡°Amalie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elain asked.

    Kaya looked to where Amalie was staring and immediately brightened up. ¡°Kitty!¡±

    A Tortoiseshell cat with blue eyes that was mainly black and orange with a white-tipped tail came out limping with an injured back leg limped over and curled up in Amalie¡¯s lap.

    Amalie remained completely still hands up and unsure what to do. ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°It looks hurt.¡± Kaya squatted next to Amalie and held out her hand and the cat sniffed her fingers before licking them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a collar either.¡±

    Elain noticed the wound on its leg, it seemed like it was deliberate. ¡°When we get to our place Kaya, we¡¯ll see about looking for a vet and if we can bring the cat to them.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Kaya looked back at the cat whatever worries she had seemed to be overtaken by the cat.

    By the time Elain got home with the cat, and the two girls, Nate was already home, she had texted him about the situation and he had gone and nabbed a pet bed and some canned food and a foldable crate.

    ¡°There¡¯s a vet that¡¯s a five-minute car ride. And Dad will be home soon, he¡¯s got no issue with us borrowing it to have the cat looked at.¡± He then looked at the cat in Elain¡¯s arms. ¡°Any idea if it¡¯s a boy or girl?¡±

    ¡°No clue, but if it¡¯s anything like a Calico then it¡¯s probably a girl. But I think for now we should just get it comfortable; I don¡¯t think it has a chip so it might be a stray.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s little too,¡± Amalie said as she said from the front door. ¡°So, it could be a kitten.¡±

    ¡°Amalie, what are you doing?¡± Elain asked. ¡°You can come in you know.¡±

    Amalie looked a bit wary. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Nate gave the little girl a confident smile. ¡°Of course, it is. We¡¯re not going to let a kid just wait on the porch for her dad to come home.¡±

    Elain noticed Kaya¡¯s frown before she quickly headed upstairs to her room as Amalie came inside, Elain wanted to talk with Kaya but wasn¡¯t even sure how to approach her. What¡¯s more, what Kaya mentioned about Amalie concerned her too.

    ¡°¡­For some reason or another, some of the kids at her school don¡¯t like my daughter¡­¡±

    Alastor¡¯s words rang in her mind. Amalie was being bullied, but by who and how severely? Still, that bothered her, and it seemed to bother Kaya as well but didn¡¯t seem willing to talk about it either.

    She could ask Amalie, but they weren¡¯t close and also couldn¡¯t just straight up ask either. How could she go about this without being intrusive?

    No, for now, that shouldn¡¯t matter, at some point, she would be able to ask, and maybe figure out a solution to the problem.

    For the time being, they focused on the cat, Amalie in particular just seemed content with petting the cat as it lay wrapped in a blanket as the cat slept after eating a whole can of wet cat food and drinking water.

    The little thing must have been starving.

    Then there was a knock at the door, where Nathan went to open the door and there stood Alastor with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh, hello Mr. Hilmarsson, you just get back from work?¡±

    ¡°No, I had a few errands I needed to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Amalie rushed to her father and hugged him, as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

    ¡°Hello My Darling,¡± he then looked to Elain and Nathan. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t any trouble watching her.¡± He paused and noticed the cat in the living room. ¡°Oh my, it seems you have one more guest.¡±

    ¡°On our way home, it walked right up to Amalie,¡± Elain said. ¡°It was hurt so we brought it here, it might have been deliberate so we¡¯re waiting for our Dad to come home so we can take it to the vet.¡±

    Alastor moved a bit closer to look at the cat. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, I¡¯m sure when it matures it will be even more so.¡± He glanced at Elain and Nate with a teasing smile. ¡°Are you hoping to adopt?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Elain responded.

    ¡°Uhhh, I mean it¡¯d be awesome if we could, but¡­ our parents might not let us. Though we lived in an apartment before that didn¡¯t allow pets. So, who knows?¡± Nate said as he looked at the cat with his blue eyes. ¡°I kinda hope we do; it¡¯d be nice to have a pet in the house. But we¡¯ll just have to wait and see what they think.¡±

    After a moment, of spending time with the cat, Alastor began to head back to his home with his daughter only to pause and look back at Elain. ¡°Miss Ortiz, may I speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡±

    He handed Amalie the key to their house. Where she went off to the house with her backpack, being careful to cross the street and looking both ways before doing so. Leaving Elain with Alastor by the front of Elain¡¯s home.

    ¡°What did you want to ask me, Mr. Hilmarsson?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to babysit my daughter, Miss Ortiz?¡± Alastor asked with a smile.

    That threw Elian for a loop. ¡°Wait, what? You want me to babysit Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Why, of course, I¡¯ve known you for a while now, and I think you¡¯d be perfect. And given the current circumstances, I require a new sitter. I¡¯ll pay you an hourly rate for all that you do and add anything else if expenses are needed.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t expecting that. Any of that. ¡°You¡¯d think I¡¯d be good to look out for her?¡±

    ¡°I do. You¡¯ve watched her a few times now and it¡¯s clear that Amalie likes you, which is something I would never say lightly. She liked the last person who looked after her when school was done. The young woman was supposed to watch her this summer, however, things changed.¡±

    ¡°Did she move?¡±

    His smile changed, to an almost sad expression. ¡°She disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Disappeared?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I knew that she was dealing with some problems. She couldn¡¯t go to the police because, as she told me, no one would believe her. But one night, I offered to drive her home because it was so late, but she declined. I cannot help but wish I was a bit firmer in doing so. Then maybe, I could have done something for her.¡±

    ¡°What about the police? Did you call them?¡±

    ¡°I did call them, they¡¯re finally taking her disappearance far more seriously with new evidence that was uncovered, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be found.¡± His gaze went glanced at his home; Amalie was in the living room doing school work. ¡°There are always the kind of people who will want to disappear, and if they try hard enough, they can do it without anyone else the wiser.¡± He then shifted the topic back to what it was. ¡°Apologies, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re here to talk about, I should drag you into something so needlessly.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I know things can change in ways no one expects, I just hope the woman¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she is,¡± his tone then shifted to a more mellow note. ¡°So, it¡¯s a deal then? In looking after my daughter, I mean?¡± Alastor then offered his right hand to shake.

    She looked at it, then at him and his subtle smiling face. ¡°Can I think on it for a bit?¡±

    He continued to smile as he lowered his hand. ¡°I see no problem with that, I did just spring this on you so suddenly, but I would like to hear back from you at least a day later. I¡¯ll be home a bit before Amalie is finished with school.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be sure to let you know.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, have a good afternoon with your family. And best wishes on getting to keep the cat.¡± As he headed back to his home, Elian could see Amalie peaking through the window of their house, and when she waved, Amalie waved back.

    Elain couldn¡¯t understand why Kaya didn¡¯t seem to like Amalie anymore when they were so good to each other when they first met. Amalie was a sweet girl. A bit shy, but that was normal for any kid. However, it was a bit of a concern that Amalie didn¡¯t seem to have many friends. Then again, kids were kids, and certain personalities meshed like water and oil. Still, for Kaya to act like that seemed a bit odd.

    What was happening at her kid sister¡¯s school?

 Chapter 24 ~Amalie~

    Elain was going to watch me after school and be my new babysitter when my Dad would plan to go out in the evenings. Dad told me this during breakfast over soft-boiled eggs and toast.

    That surprised me. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says as he took my dishes. ¡°On certain days, Miss Ortiz will be picking you up from school, of course, it won¡¯t be all the time. I¡¯d hate for you to feel like I¡¯m leaving you behind after school.¡±

    ¡°I know your not, work is important. It¡¯s because of your work we live like this.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he says as finishes putting the dishes in the dishwasher before he kisses my cheek. ¡°But if worse came to where I would drop it all for your safety, you will always come first.¡± He then stood. ¡°Now then, go get your things,¡±

    As I headed up the stairs I paused, my eyes glancing towards the basement. Recently, he¡¯s been staying down there more often, though not surprising.

    He¡¯s done this before, as it gets closer, and closer to Christmas and my birthday. Even though my birthday was on November 11<sup>th</sup>. I came to learn quickly, that my dad likes to plan for it.

    Every year, he¡¯d do this, it was something that he enjoyed. He always seemed to be so happy when I was happy for my birthday.

    Though he also would plan for dinner parties with those who worked with him, he hadn¡¯t since Lauren¡¯s disappearance and mom¡¯s funeral.

    I think he was planning something, though nothing looked to be determined yet.

    Though he always seemed unmoved by his birthday, even though it was in the spring on April 3<sup>rd</sup>. A day that many would see as a good omen (or bad depending on the person) because his birthday was the day that Jesus died. At least that¡¯s what the Nun told me at church when we went for Good Friday for the Choir. As to why some people saw that as a good omen when a poor nice man was killed for just being himself was something I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever understand even as I grew older.

    He never really talked all that much about it, but would be happy if I made him something for his birthday.

    But besides that, my dad was always the kind of person to plan for things, no matter how big or how small. To him, the preparation of anything was just as important as trying to get ingredients for a new dish.

    School, on the other hand, was something else altogether.

    *    *    *

    I noticed a change in Kaya, though she¡¯d tell me nothing was wrong. I knew she was lying, ever since she had a run-in with Mia in the girls¡¯ bathroom two weeks ago, Kaya had pulled away. I think she wanted to stop being my friend and started to hang out with Mia¡¯s group of friends. Or maybe she was forced to? Any time I saw her, she always looked away, like she was ashamed to see me.

    It hurt.

    But I knew why.

    Mia never liked me, as I¡¯ve said before, I felt the same, though I didn¡¯t hate her, I didn¡¯t like her either.

    So, to make Kaya feel less uncomfortable I decided to spend my time in the library during recess. Our school library was small, with not much in the way of books. From what I knew the room used to be two classrooms that were changed to be a library for the students. The librarian who was also our history teacher, Mr. McCrae, was a man who was much older than my Dad and taller too, his dark hair had bits of grey and a full beard.

    ¡°Hello, Amalie.¡± He says from his desk with a warm smile. ¡°Wonderful day to read, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    I smiled at him back. ¡°Hi, Mr. McCrae, it is, but then isn¡¯t any day a good day to read?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°It is indeed, Lukas is already here,¡± he pointed out the boy in a section of the library. ¡°You want to go join him?¡±

    I nodded, before going over to where Lukas was.

    Lukas Winston, a boy who was in the same grade as me but in a different class, he had a wheelchair to move around since his legs didn¡¯t work so well. He could walk if needed, but would still need assistance from time to time. He was wearing long tanned shorts that looked almost like pants, and a dark blue shirt as he was a bit tanned from being in the sun so much. He was as skinny as me but with light brown hair and light blue eyes.

    ¡°Hey, Amalie!¡± he grinned. ¡°Want to check out my new book? It¡¯s about dinosaurs!¡±

    He held up the book, any time I saw him he¡¯d have a book on something from history, like dinosaurs, mummies and tombs, to even mythology.

    Something that even Mr. McCrae would get into, he always enjoyed reading stuff, making it sound like an amazing story when, to some other teachers, it would just be a bunch of facts and stuff.

    And even Lucas¡¯s dad, who as Lucas told, was an archeologist, would apply to assist on digs, and even Lucas would go and help. He could be out there for hours on the ground to try and look for bones.

    He even told me once that he found rocks that looked like arrowheads, even if they weren¡¯t, it was still really neat.

    ¡°Sure, Lukas,¡± I say as I sat in a chair near his wheelchair as we looked at the book in question. But noticed how Mr. McCrae had left his seat and looked into the hallway before bringing the door ajar. Every time I came to the library, be it with Lukas or by myself, this was something Mr. McCrae always did.

    The reason?

    To keep the monster who watched me, far away, for he would never do anything when another adult or multiple people were present. It was the sole reason why I was alright with Kaya not wanting to be near me because even if she was stuck with those who bullied me or with another group of kids that joined Kaya when the bullies left, she was at least not alone.

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    I, on the other hand, had a target on my back as I was seen by not only my homeroom teacher but many of the students who were wary of Mia¡¯s group, as an outcast.

    But I wasn¡¯t dumb, if Mr. McCrae wasn¡¯t in the library, then I would see Madam Andrews, our French teacher, and if she wasn¡¯t then I would be outside, even if it meant Mia and her group would target me.

    Or course, I wasn¡¯t the only one that monster had his eyes on, from what I could get from the other kids that were hurt by him, he was the kind of person to go after whatever kid, though he preferred girls.

    An opportunist, as my dad would say. If only I was bigger. If only I was stronger, then I could do something that would make the monster know I wouldn¡¯t stand by and let it happen.

    But, I¡¯m only seven, there was only so much I could do, and even when I tried to get some of the kids who were hurt to tell the teacher and their parents, they wouldn¡¯t, they were too afraid of what might happen if they did.

    I had gathered a lot of information and even told Mr. McCrae and Madam Andrews, they were the only ones who believed me, but because of that principle, there was nothing that they could do, at worse they might end up like Garry, or Ms. Shannon, a new teacher, who, sadly, was fried, because she wouldn¡¯t keep quiet. From what I heard she was now working at a program to help children who were abused, but she became injured by someone. Beaten and left as she was. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t in a coma, but she had no memory of what happened.

    People called it ¡°selective memory loss¡± and while rare, she couldn¡¯t remember what happened last year.

    Which meant I was left with little support.

    My eyes glanced at the picture showing the size of a human next to a T-Rex.

    ¡°Too bad dinosaurs don¡¯t exist now,¡± I said, mainly thinking of a T-Rex chasing that monster and swallowing him whole.

    ¡°You mean like Jurassic Park?¡± Lukas asked, his mismatched eyes shining.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    His mouth fell open. ¡°You never heard of it?! That¡¯s, like, the most well-known book and movie in the country, heck, the whole world even!¡±

    I just looked at him confused. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and even though it¡¯d be cool to ride around on a dinosaur it wouldn¡¯t be good at all because of how out of control it could be!¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± I always found history interesting, the many different cultures, and peoples, the rise and fall of civilizations, and what brought about the fall for many.

    I learned a new word recently when I was in the library with Mr. McCrae, a word called hubris, it means having too much pride or self-confidence. It made me think of that monster, and how much self-confidence he had, my father too, but I knew my dad was smart, smarter than the monster and my dad while holding pride, never seemed to let it get out of control.

    ¡°Having pride is one thing, but it can lead a person down the wrong path if they allow it to grow their ego, when that happens, at some point, that pride will be a person¡¯s very downfall.¡±

    The way my Dad talked, made me think that he had known someone who was like that, or several people even, my Dad was on the radio a lot, so dealing with people from all walks of life would bring a few who were like that.

    Now, I didn¡¯t mention this before, but there was another reason why I always go to the library. Even though the books were strictly for kids, I hoped to find something that would give me something I could use to trap that monster. Online, there were a few things, but some sites I couldn¡¯t get to because of the child lock.

    It made things frustrating.

    Even more so when the sites I looked at said to ask for an adult to help.

    But I couldn¡¯t, not from the teachers, or even my Dad. Because I knew if my Dad knew of that monster, then that monster would disappear. And I didn¡¯t want that.

    It was why I used the school laptops and not my own. But it did get me thinking about something if I couldn¡¯t ask the adults, what about a person, who was old enough, but was still not an adult?

    Then I remembered who I could talk to.

    *    *    *

    ¡°What to do when you need to send something in secret?¡± Elain repeated later that night as I sat with her on the couch in my house. ¡°Why do you need to do something like that?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ there are things I need to tell, but¡­ it can¡¯t come back to me.¡±

    Elain frowned and moved a bit closer to me, elbows on her knees as she looked at me. ¡°Do you think you wouldn¡¯t be believed?¡±

    I only nodded.

    Elain was silent for a moment, then asked me a question I knew she¡¯d ask me at some point. ¡°Amalie, did something happen between you and Kaya when she started school?¡±

    ¡°Not with me,¡± I said as I looked at my hands. ¡°But¡­ she was being talked harshly too by some of the girls at the school. They¡¯re in my class, but I think they only went after Kaya because she was close to me.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elain asked. ¡°Amalie, are you being bullied?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I could not lie. ¡°But it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    ¡°Amalie no,¡± she grasped my hand with hers ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should ever be used to. What those kids are doing is wrong, whatever reason they think they have doesn¡¯t excuse it, and never will.¡±

    My gaze went to her arm, the one she kept covered at all times, an injury from those who disliked Elain for just being herself.

    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°But I also know, that there are people who hurt others because they have been hurt, and those who will join in so they won¡¯t get hurt themselves.¡± It was why Kaya stopped being my friend and ended up being pushed to join Mai¡¯s group. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re bullying her now. After all, she did seem to have fun and make jokes about things with them when I saw them outside. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure, she won¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Again, Elain went quiet. Silently thinking.

    ¡°And you can¡¯t tell your dad about this?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    I nodded.

    She fell quiet again, leaning back on the couch, her left hand tapping the armrest.

    ¡°Do you have an email?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°My Dad helped me set it up. I was told I might need one for school.¡±

    She had a look on her face, I think she was surprised, did she not have one when she was my age? A lot of the kids at my school did, was that not normal?

    ¡°We could try sending an anonymous email,¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Anonymous means you can do it secretly, no one would be able to know it was you who sent the email.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so no one would know it was me?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, it could work, especially if it¡¯s something that the teachers can¡¯t ignore but aren¡¯t listening to you for whatever reason.¡± She then took out her laptop from her backpack, she brought it with her to go over notes for class or listen to recordings of the teachers.

    ¡°Elain?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You can send recordings too, right? How do you do that?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Yup, you can send videos as well. See the paperclip symbol, you can attach videos and pictures, and attach documents like Word or PowerPoint. Though there is a limit in what you can send.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, say you have twenty photos you want to send to your dad after being on a trip, but you can only send five at a time. And if it¡¯s a video you can only send a certain size, about 10MB.¡±

    I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°MB?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s short for Megabyte, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t get it, I can teach you how all this goes.¡±

    ¡°And I can send this anona¡­ an-on-a-mouse-ly?¡± I said the word, sounding it out, it wasn¡¯t one I knew of yet.

    ¡°Yeah, if no one is listening then that¡¯s the best way to go about it. There is also posting on social media but that¡¯s an entirely different monster and I doubt that¡¯s what you want.¡±

    I quickly shook my head, I heard stories of how things could be taken out of context, and where it could only make things worse for those who were hurt rather than the person who caused it in the first place. I had to be sure what I saw and how he acted would be enough to get only that monster in trouble, not any of the kids he hurt.

    But now that I had a way to do so, I needed to first try it out, then see what I could gather as proof, and ask if any of the other kids would be willing to work with me to finally bring that monster to light for everyone to see.

    I had to wait, wait and see what I could do to get proof, as much as I wanted to act quickly, I needed to be sure more than anything else unless the monster decides to go after me I have to make sure it would only be me and me alone.

 Chapter 25 ~Amalie~

    ¡°All right kids, I need you all to remain together, don¡¯t forget that Mr. McCrae was amazing enough to make sure both classes could come here at the R.O.M for the next three days for your upcoming school projects!¡± Ms. Miller spoke loudly on the bus, as I sat in the front with Mr. McCrae.

    This was a school field trip to the museum with my class and Lukas¡¯s, though Lukas was on a special bus since this bus wasn¡¯t good for wheelchairs. Though he asked if I could join him so he wouldn¡¯t be alone, I could feel Mia¡¯s eyes glaring at me the whole time.

    And I had to tell him that I didn¡¯t think it was possible. I felt bad for making Lukas sad since we were kind of friends, but I felt like, for some reason, I was being watched, not by Mai and her friends, or Kaya, but by someone else.

    It was when my class and Lukas¡¯s class were getting on the bus to go to the R.O.M, which was short for the Royal Ontario Museum. The most well-known museum in Toronto, and had a vast amount of history from all around the world. I had been only once before when I was three my Dad brought me not long after my Mom ran away when she hurt me. He talked about the giant creatures that used to walk the earth before the people before we came to be.

    I don¡¯t remember much, I just remember the sound of his voice as he talked about things, I think I was scared, not of the old bones and long-dead creatures, but scared that Mom would come back. Scared that she¡¯d do what she did to me and that I wouldn¡¯t live anymore.

    I think my Dad knew that, so we¡¯d be out of the house more often, be it at museums galleries, the park, Vivian¡¯s place or his cabin. Anywhere but home.

    But when I realized that Mom wasn¡¯t coming back, that she was gone for good, I didn¡¯t feel scared anymore. My Dad always said that a home is a place where you should feel safe, it was also when I came to another realization, that the basement was off-limits.

    In the years since I never once stepped foot down there.

    Probably because that¡¯s where it happened, or at least I think it is because people said they saw my Mom fleeing to the airport when the police were trying to track her down. But then she disappeared.

    I shook my head, I didn¡¯t get why I was thinking that now. These past few days I had been trying to see what I could use as a test to send that secret email, but nothing. Mia and her group kept pestering me, and Kaya avoided me, even when Mia would say things to me, wanting me to disappear.

    As if telling me would make it happen.

    It was dumb, yet she, her friends, and even the kids in my class found it funny. They wouldn¡¯t be laughing if it was them instead of me.

    But I knew that those kids who were laughing along with Mia were just scared. Because they didn¡¯t want to be targeted next.

    Though maybe with Lukas¡¯s class Mia and the others won¡¯t try anything. I thought as I walked with the other kids when we got off the bus, only to have someone pull my arm off the sidewalk and between two buildings.

    I shook off the hand and ended up facing Mia, Nancy, Jill and even Kaya, though she looked like she didn¡¯t want to be there, while the three boys, Edward, Brandon and Josh just watched from the road. I guess to be lookouts if any adults came by.

    ¡°You got some nerve,¡± Mia snarled.

    ¡°What did I do this time?¡± I asked as I fix the sleeve of my blouse.

    Her anger grew, as she pointed at me like I stole something from her. ¡°You know damn well! You little bitch! Do you think others will like you actin¡¯ all girly and shit? Why did you even come back to this school?!¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I knew what she meant, and why she was acting out, but there had to be other ways to go about it than attack me, wasn¡¯t there? Though, just because there might have been didn¡¯t mean Mia would do it when hurting others was easier.

    Not answering her seemed to make her angrier. ¡°Well?¡± Mia demanded. ¡°Say something!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jill said.

    ¡°Say something!¡± Nancy said.

    Was there even a point? They¡¯d just try and say something else or blame me for something or push me on the ground.

    ¡°Sure, okay,¡± a voice didn¡¯t know said from behind me. ¡°How ¡®bout ya piss off an¡¯ leave the kid alone. Ya little creeps.¡±

    I looked behind me to see a tall man, with blond hair and green eyes. He kind of looked like a girl and looked mad too.

    He glared at Mia and the others who looked scared by this new person. ¡°Didn¡¯t ya hear me? Piss. Off. Now, if ya know what¡¯s good for ya.¡±

    Mia was the first to run.

    Past the three boys who shouted after her, but when seeing this new person they ran away as quick as they could too.

    Confused and scared, so did Nancy and Jill, while Kaya looked like she wanted to say something but was pulled away by Jill. Leaving me alone with this man.

    Without a word, he glanced at me and his angry expression fell before he went to sit on an old concrete step.

    He looked tired.

    ¡°Hey, kid, ya should head back, I¡¯m sure your teachers are worried about ya.¡±

    I know I needed to head back, but part of me felt I shouldn¡¯t go back just yet, this man scared off Mia and the others but somehow, he didn¡¯t seem all that scary to me.

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    I then noticed he had a bruise on his cheek, it looked like it hurt. ¡°Here,¡± I said after digging in my skirt pockets and holding out a band-aid for him. ¡°For your cheek.¡±

    ¡°Ya don¡¯t gotta do this as ta say thanks.¡± He says.

    I looked at him confused. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you this as thanks, I¡¯m giving you this because you¡¯re hurt,¡± I tell him. ¡°But, I am happy, no adult has ever stood up for me like that before. Not against them.¡±

    He then held out his hand. ¡°If yer offerin¡¯ guess I got no reason to refuse.¡±

    I smiled and put the band-aid in his hand. ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s even got a rose pattern on it. And I think you look good with roses.¡± I then looked at the bruise on his face. ¡°How did you get hurt, Mister?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this old thing? I was dumb and walked into a pole.¡± He grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t do what I did, pay more attention when yer walkin¡¯ about okay?¡±

    ¡°Amalie!¡± I heard Mr. McCrae¡¯s voice. ¡°Amalie, where are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my teacher,¡± I say before looking back to the other man. ¡°Make sure when you put that on, but you should at least wash the area where you were hurt with soap and water first. That¡¯s what my Dad says, or it¡¯ll get even worse.¡±

    ¡°Ya inspirin¡¯ to be a doc someday?¡±

    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want you to get sick. Bye Mister.¡± Before he could say anything else, I ran out to my teacher, I didn¡¯t want him to get in trouble for helping me.

    ¡°Amalie there you are,¡± Mr. McCrae looked relieved. ¡°Please don¡¯t run off like that, okay? You scared me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. McCrae.¡± He then led me to the rest of the class, I then saw Mia, she and I saw me before looking away, I think she got scared of the man from the ally.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± Lukas waved me over. ¡°Where did you go? Mr. McCrae was really worried when you just disappeared. He looked like his soul just left his body when he realized.¡± Lukas snickered as he covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°It was kind of funny.¡± He then stopped laughing when he saw that I didn¡¯t react. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, just thinking about stuff.¡± I think gave him a knowing smile. ¡°You ready to see the dinosaurs?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he said in a determined/happy voice of his. It made me smile, he really liked dinosaurs.

    ¡°Alright everyone,¡± Mr. McCrae spoke up. ¡°Stay with your groups of two or three. If you have questions, hold up your hand like you would in class.¡±

    The R.O.M was huge, as there were other classes there too from other schools and families, it was crowded, but it was amazing, as we were led through the different exhibits, I felt like I was being watched again, at first, I thought it was because of Mia since I was in Lukas¡¯s group, but she was busy with Kaya and her friends making jokes about the bones, saying that they couldn¡¯t be that scary if they still existed.

    So it wasn¡¯t Mia, who was it?

    It didn¡¯t feel like when I was at school, and Mr. McCrea was talking with the guide about some of the other exhibits besides the dinosaurs and what was on display.

    With so many people I couldn¡¯t figure it out, too many eyes, too much sound, it was hard to tell. But then it was gone, and then came back again, it made me a bit worried.

    Then when it almost was lunchtime, I found out who it was. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised.

    But I was.

    It was the man from earlier who helped me from Mia¡¯s group.

    Since everyone was distracted with the displays or talking to each other, I took the chance to sneak over to him.

    ¡°Are you keeping an eye on me, Mister?¡±  I asked him when I snuck over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like bullies.¡± He says while trying to look like he didn¡¯t care as he leaned against the wall with arms crossed. But I could tell that he did, why else would he help me?

    Are you being bullied too?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± he looked confused. ¡°What makes ya think that?¡±

    ¡°Your cheek,¡± I tell him while pointing to my face where he was hit. ¡°It looked like it hurts, and not the kind you get from falling or walking into a pole.¡±

    He just stared at me. ¡°Ya knew I was lyin¡¯ from the start, didn¡¯t ya?¡± I nodded, for reasons that were just normal to me, I could tell when someone wasn¡¯t telling the truth or lying, it was in their eyes, face and voice. But most of all, how they were, like the air around them gave off what they were like, and this man, while a bit scary, wasn¡¯t at all like Mr. Green, if anything, this man was good that much I was sure of.

    He sighed running his hand through his hair. ¡°Damn, getting seen through by just a kid,¡± then looked back at me with those same tired eyes as yesterday. ¡°Yeah, I guess I am.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not nice then,¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one word for it,¡± he laughed before squatting down and being eye to eye with me. ¡°Yer a smart little girl, what¡¯s yer name?¡±

    ¡°Amalie Hilmarsson,¡± I said when doing a proper greeting, which seemed to surprise him as it did for Elain. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Anthony,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Nice ta meet ya, kid.¡±

    *    *    *

    Mr. Anthony made sure they wouldn¡¯t bother me during the rest of the first day. Though when I called him Mr. Anthony I think he didn¡¯t know what to think when I called him that.

    My Dad always said to be polite to those who are older than me, and Mr. Anthony never gave me his last name. When I told him that he seemed to be okay with it.

    What I also didn¡¯t expect, was when Mr. McCrae caught me trying to sneak over to give Mr. Anthony some snacks, because he didn¡¯t eat anything on the second day.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the individual making sure the kids stay out of trouble.¡± Mr. McCrae stated after he made sure I was okay.

    ¡°Eh, mainly just her.¡± He said with a shrug as he then looked at me. ¡°Ya know she¡¯s bein¡¯ picked on right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do, but I can¡¯t be at two places at once.¡±

    ¡°An it seems like the other teach ain¡¯t doin¡¯ her job all that well.¡± Mr. Anthony said rather annoyed. ¡°How many times is she gonna¡¯ shout at the kids today? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a good teacher if she¡¯s gotta do that every single day.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Miller has had it rough this past while. And while I agree she shouldn¡¯t shout, it¡¯s not like me telling her will change anything. Originally, we were supposed to have another teacher with us. But he couldn¡¯t come with.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the other teacher?¡±

    Mr. McCrae¡¯s face became tight. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to let him.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I knew who Mr. McCrea was talking about, and I knew he¡¯d never let that monster near the kids if at all possible.

    Then Mr. Anthony said something that surprised us all. ¡°Say, why don¡¯t I do it?¡±

    Mr. McCrae looked confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just buy me some good lunch an¡¯ will call it even. Besides, it¡¯s not like I have anything else to do.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that,¡±

    ¡°Hey, ya said so yerself. Yer missin¡¯ an extra pair of hands, an¡¯ I¡¯m offerin¡¯ mine up for some food. Ya don¡¯t gotta pay me or nothin¡¯. Besides, watchin¡¯ some kids from a distance, don¡¯t seem all that bad.¡± He then looked at Mr. McCrae with a¡­ different kind of smile, not sure what you¡¯d call it but it was different. Like he was trying to ask Mr. McCrae on a date. ¡°But if that¡¯s not good enough for ya, I can sweetin¡¯ the deal if ya know what I mean.¡±

    I don¡¯t know at all what he meant, whatever it was just went right over my head.

    Then Mr. McCrae held up his left hand showing the ring on his ring finger. ¡°I¡¯m going to decline; my fianc¨¦ wouldn¡¯t be too happy with that.¡±

    His smile didn¡¯t change. ¡°Ah, who¡¯s the lucky gal?¡±

    ¡°He,¡± Mr. McCrae corrected.

    Mr. Anthony¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Oh-ho, even better. Welp, I¡¯ll only take up the offer for food. Absolutely no one can ever say no to free food.¡±

    Mr. McCrea sighed. ¡°You really want to do this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, besides, I owe a certain someone, a little favour for what she did for me when I wasn¡¯t doin¡¯ too well.¡± The way Mr. Anthony looked at me with a smile, made me happy. Even though what I did was small. I guess what some people say is true, small things can bring you the greatest of people to help when you need it.

 Chapter 26 ~Amalie~

    Mr. McCrae ended up letting Mr. Anthony keep an eye on the kids from a distance for the next two days. And though Mr. McCrae scolded me for talking to a stranger Mr. Anthony spoke up that the reason we met was when I had been ¡°yonked¡± as he called it, (probably like yanked I think) from the sidewalk by Mia and her friends trying to corner me.

    After hearing that, Mr. McCrae relaxed, then went to talk to Mia and her group, giving them one and only one warning to leave me alone, that if they bothered me in any way they would be in immediate detention and a portion of their mark would be taken off the upcoming assignment.

    Given that the three boys and Jill liked what they were going to work on, they did what the teacher asked. Kaya didn¡¯t do anything, but even Mr. McCrae said that it would be better if she had better friends.

    Hearing that stung, given all that Kaya was dealing with at school I didn¡¯t think she liked being friends with Mia. But was too scared to talk with me.

    I wondered for a moment if I was also going to be in trouble since what Mr. McCrae said was true and that I should be careful, but I was. If Mr. Anthony was anything at all like Mr. Green I would have screamed if Mr. Anthony tried anything.

    But he never did, and I believed he never would.

    The way Mr. Anthony looked at me always had a bit of a sad look in his eyes, even when he smiled.

    Though Mr. McCrae seemed to accept it while being careful, Ms. Miller either didn¡¯t notice or just didn¡¯t care. I think she didn¡¯t like me either.

    It made me wonder why, I mean, I¡¯m a kid, what did I do to someone who is so much older than me to hate so much?

    Was it because I was good in her class?

    Or because I knew other languages, remembered things easily or was good with math?

    Or was it because she liked Mr. Green and any kid who distracted him from her she would dislike right away? If that was the case then I don¡¯t think she¡¯s good as a teacher.

    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± Mr. Anthony spoke before lowering himself so we could look eye to eye. ¡°What¡¯s on yer mind?¡±

    ¡°What makes you ask that?¡±

    ¡°Because ya got this far away look in yer eyes is why. Is lookin¡¯ at old dusty dino bones not excitin¡¯ enough for ya?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°The bones are fine, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re dusty.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°A lot of things,¡± I didn¡¯t want to drag a person into something that could get them hurt. But also because I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be believed.

    ¡°Is it because of that teacher that didn¡¯t show?¡± I instinctively covered my mouth with my hands, because I couldn¡¯t tell a lie or the truth. ¡°So it is huh? Did he hurt ya?¡±

    I shook my head quickly.

    ¡°Did he hurt someone else?¡±

    I just glanced at him.

    ¡°Yes then,¡± how he could know all that from just looking at me was amazing, maybe it was how I was acting, but then I wasn¡¯t a good liar. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I asked softly as I moved my hands away from my mouth.

    Mr. Anthony just smiled. ¡°Just curious.¡±

    I just looked at him, before looking back at the exhibit of two dinosaurs fighting. ¡°His name is Nicholas Green, but he goes by Nick, he¡¯s¡­ our school¡¯s gym teacher. He¡¯s scary.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I bet he is. Well, I can tell ya, kid, that I¡¯ve dealt with a bunch of scary folks. So no need to worry, alright? By the way, what¡¯s the name of yer school?¡±

    *    *    *

    The very next day, Mr. Green had a black eye, some type of cast on his wrist and seemed to have a limp. The moment I saw him I knew who did that. But I hadn¡¯t a clue how Mr. Anthony found him, the reason I knew it was him was when we went to the R.O.M. his hands which he didn¡¯t wear anything but four rings, two on each hand, but when he came today he wore thin black leather gloves.

    ¡°Why did you hit him?¡± I asked, keeping my voice low as we were at the back of the group. ¡°You could get in big trouble.¡±

    He gave a smile. ¡°But I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°Cause he¡¯s nothin¡¯ but a coward. People like that won¡¯t do a thing when yer the one who has control and they¡¯re scared that what they don¡¯t want to be known will get out.¡±

    He sounded so sure of that, that Mr. Green wouldn¡¯t do anything now. Yet, a part of me felt like nothing would change even after what Mr. Anthony did.

    We continued more of the large exhibit since it was so big it would take three days to see the whole thing, and it looked like some other schools were doing the same as us.

    When lunchtime came, me, Lukas, and Mr. Anthony were in the caf¨¦ that was inside the R.O.M for lunch, all of us kids brought our own food as did Mr. McCrae and Ms. Miller, Mr. Anthony got lunch from Mr. McCrae, a sandwich and coffee.

    ¡°Man, I could just watch him walk all day.¡± Mr. Anthony said with a smile as his chin rested in the palm of his hand while his elbow rested on the table as he watched Mr. McCrae walk back to the table he shared with Ms. Miller.

    ¡°So like my Dad,¡± Lukas says, and when Mr. Anthony looked at him Lukas added. ¡°He and my Dad are going to marry next year in the summer.¡±

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    ¡°Well, congrats! Given how cool your second dad is, I bet your first dad is the best of all.¡±

    Lukas gave a big smile while his face was full of his sandwich. ¡°Yeah!¡± He said after he swallowed. Then he coughed.

    ¡°Woah, here, take a drink.¡± Mr. Anthony slid the juice box closer to Lukas before waving to Mr. McCrae who came over quickly, I noticed Ms. Miller rolled her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°Lukas, Lukas are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. I shouldn¡¯t talk when eating.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    Lukas nodded. ¡°Yup.¡±

    Mr. McCrae patted his shoulder. ¡°Okay,¡± then he looked at me. ¡°Amalie, give me a shout if you think something¡¯s come up okay?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I will Mr. McCrae.¡±

    The teacher nodded but his worried eyes stayed on Lukas before he got up and went back to where Ms. Miller was but not before looking back to where we were and taking a seat but still kept an eye on us.

    ¡°I bet ya he¡¯s gonna be a great Dad to ya,¡± Mr. Anthoy said. ¡°Ya gotta tell me how that guy an¡¯ yer dad met one day.¡±

    Then Lucas looked at Mr. Anthony and asked suddenly. ¡°Are you a gangster?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± was Mr. Anthony¡¯s response while eating his sandwich. ¡°What makes ya think that bud?¡±

    ¡°Well, in the shows on TV gangsters wear clothes like what you¡¯re wearing and how you talk too. Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°New York, family¡¯s Italian, in case yer were wonderin¡¯, but I ain¡¯t no gangster, that kinda life ain¡¯t for me.¡±

    ¡°Just because he dresses a certain way doesn¡¯t make him a gangster.¡± Then I looked at him and asked. ¡°What¡¯s a gangster anyway?¡±

    He looked a bit annoyed. ¡°Ya say all that stuff an¡¯ ya don¡¯t even know what that word means?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Ya kiddin¡¯ me. Look, a gangster usually means it¡¯s a person doin¡¯ some not-so-nice things to somebody else. But you should also know, not all folks, regardless of what they come from, are bad. Just misunderstood.¡±

    ¡°So like Mia then,¡± I say. ¡°She¡¯s misunderstood by a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°Wait, ya don¡¯t know what gangster means but ya know what misunderstood means?¡± he then frowned. ¡°Wait, hold on, whose Mia?¡±

    ¡°The girl with the blonde highlights wearing overalls,¡± Lukas said as he looked at Mia who quickly looked away when she saw him looking at her.

    I remained quiet, glancing at the back of Mia¡¯s head while I opened the container to eat my lunch. It was leftovers from dinner, duck with spiced berries, stuffing and roasted veggies. The container the food was in would stay warm until I opened it.

    ¡°Whoa, yer food is sure lookin¡¯ fancy.¡± Mr. Anthony said with a whistle when seeing the food I brought with me. ¡°Yer folks a chef?¡±

    ¡°My Dad likes to cook,¡± I say. ¡°He always cooks for me. Though people don¡¯t think it¡¯s normal. Since it¡¯s just my Dad and me.¡±

    ¡°No Ma?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the ¡°No Mom¡¯s¡± club,¡± Lukas said.

    ¡°Other kids think we¡¯re strange because of it, that we¡¯re weird for not having two parents,¡± I say as I take a drink of milk.

    ¡°We kinda don¡¯t talk about it,¡± Lukas added.

    ¡°Mmm, I can relate,¡± Mr. Anthony said. ¡°My Ma, skipped town when my sis an¡¯ I were a bit older than yous guys. But ya wanna¡¯ know somethin¡¯? Not havein¡¯ a Ma don¡¯t make ya a weirdo¡¯ yer just, another person. Yer just yerself.¡±

    ¡°You want to join?¡± Lukas asked.

    ¡°What? Ya wanna make me an honorary member of yer club?¡± Mr. Anthony asked. ¡°I think ya¡¯d both have to ask yer dads, don¡¯t want some interloper joinin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± Lukas laughed. ¡°Right, Amalie?¡±

    I nodded but kept eating, I still couldn¡¯t help but think of what Mr. Anthony did to that monster, I hoped that maybe the monster would stop.

    Yet another part deep down felt like it was the beginning of something far worse to come. It was something that continued to grow as the day continued until it was time we had to go back to school.

    And as if he could read my mind, Mr. Anthony handed me a piece of paper when we were getting ready to go on the bus.

    ¡°It¡¯s my phone number,¡± he said. ¡°If ya think somethin¡¯s wrong, or, that guy is beein¡¯ creepy an¡¯ ya can¡¯t talk to no one. Call, okay?¡±

    I just looked at the piece of paper before looking back at him. ¡°Why?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Yer a good kid, and ya reminded me a lot of someone. Someone I care about, so yeah, even if ya just want to talk. Ya can call me. My line will almost always be open to ya if ya ever need it.¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Yer right, I don¡¯t, but ya didn¡¯t have to do what ya did for me yesterday, and ya still did it. Besides, us weirdos with no Ma¡¯s gotta stick together, don¡¯t we?¡±

    *    *    *

    ¡°So, how was your trip at a museum Amalie,¡± Elain said after the second night from the R.O.M. We sat in the living room as I worked on an assignment in a notebook that I would hand in for Mr. McCrae that was due tomorrow. It was to tell the teacher what we saw, what we could understand and what was our favourite dinosaur. ¡°Did you like it?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± I then asked. ¡°Have you ever gone to the R.O.M since you moved here Elain?¡±

    ¡°Nope, but from what Kaya tells me, it makes me think I should go check it out for myself. Though, I¡¯m kind of partial to the stuff from Egypt. So I might check that out.¡± She says as she watches me draw a Barosaurus, the tallest dinosaur at the museum. Its long neck looked cool and its name was Gordo. I liked the name, and I hoped it did so even if Gordo was now just fancy bones.

    ¡°How¡¯s the cat?¡± I asked next. ¡°Are you going to keep it?¡±

    ¡°From the looks of it, we are. Especially when Dad saw her,¡± she then showed me a picture of the cat with a bandage on her back leg and her dad kissing the cat on the cheek and looking happy. I think they were at the vet when the picture was taken ¡°He is currently making a little cat nook in the basement where he does his work so that when we bring the cat home it has a place where it can just relax and not worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to name her?¡±

    ¡°My Dad wants to name her Tori because she¡¯s a Tortoiseshell cat. It was either that or Pomi, because of the white tip on her tail, and it¡¯s very rare for those breeds.¡±

    ¡°And what about your Mom?¡±

    Elain laughed as she remembered something. ¡°Oh her face, when seeing the cat, it was pure gold. I think the cat warmed her heart, so yeah, we are keeping the cat. Never had a pet before, so it¡¯ll be pretty different.¡± She then changed the topic. ¡°Amalie, how are things going at school?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, why are you asking?¡±

    ¡°Well, Kaya doesn¡¯t talk about school at all. Unless she¡¯s stuck on a math question. Normally she¡¯s very chatty about what she did during the day. Do you know anything?¡±

    I stopped drawing. ¡°She doesn¡¯t play with me and doesn¡¯t talk to me in class anymore so I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry Elain.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, and you know, you can call me El or Ellie, either one is fine. You don¡¯t need to always be so formal with me.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she then asked me. ¡°Who¡¯s that with you in your drawing?¡±

    ¡°The boy in the chair is Lukas, and the other is Mr. Anthony, he helped our class since we only had two teachers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? He seems nice,¡± the way she said nothing else made me look at her. ¡°How did Kaya look when you were there? Was she enjoying it?¡±

    I thought back to all the times I saw her in the R.O.M, and how she acted with other classmates besides Mia or those of Mia¡¯s friends. Kaya did look happy, but also sad.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s lonely,¡± I tell Elain.

    ¡°She looks lonely to you?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s only what I¡¯ve seen since she doesn¡¯t want to be friends, I don¡¯t want to bug her in case someone else takes it the wrong way.¡±

    Elain was quiet. I think she was worried.

    ¡°She was happy at the museum though,¡± I say. ¡°But she avoids me a lot, so I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s sad or just doesn¡¯t like me at all.¡± this wasn¡¯t something I could tell Elain right away, mainly because I wasn¡¯t sure how she would react. And from what Kaya told me about her big sister¡¯s last school experience, I didn¡¯t want her to blame Kaya for what I was dealing with.

    Elain was silent for a moment. ¡°Have you been having to deal with a lot of bullies since you started school?¡±

    ¡°I have, but I know things could be worse, for them and me.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they can get a pass for bullying you,¡± Elain said. ¡°Is your teacher not doing anything to stop it?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes teaching kids, at least kids our age.¡±

    ¡°Amalie, do you have a nickname?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Then would you be cool if I gave you one?¡±

    My eyes went wide. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a bit, since I¡¯m going to be watching you for a while. Let me think of some and I can get your thoughts on it, okay?¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Sure!¡±

    For the first time in a long while, I felt like I might have some people in my life that I could call a friend. It made me happy, so very happy.

    If only I could hold on to that happiness for as long as possible until that horrible event took place¡­

 Chapter 27 ~Elain~

    It had been well over three weeks since Elain began her new school, and though it that long, she could at least go to all of her afternoon classes now, she even had a blank period after lunch which she used to travel to the school and head to the library to go over notes for an upcoming class.

    That was until one student kicked her chair to get Elain¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Elain jerked and turned in her seat to a Caucasian girl with dark curly hair and matching eyes, wearing a baggy hoodie dress and skinny jeans with flip-flops, all seemed to be some type of brand-named clothing but Elain didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in my seat!¡± the girl stated.

    What? She thought dully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±

    ¡°You.Are.In.My.Seat!¡± she punctuated the word as put her hands on her hips, glaring at Elain angrily.

    ¡°Riiiiight.¡± She said prolonging the word. ¡°Look it¡¯s just a chair, there are plenty of places to sit. The library isn¡¯t even busy right now.¡±

    She folded her arms across her chest and continued to glare at Elain. ¡°It¡¯s not just a chair, it¡¯s my chair! Now move your Indian ass out or you¡¯re going to be sorry!¡±

    Elain was shocked, but just for a moment before she stared at the girl blankly. Not this shit again. She thought as she sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I am.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You said I was Indian, I¡¯m not.¡±

    The girl scoffed. ¡°Uh, yeah you are! What else would you be?¡±

    Oh my god. ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m not Indian, or whatever you think I am. I¡¯m actually black, but I really don¡¯t think me sitting in this comfy chair has anything to do with my skin colour in this conversation. Just saying.¡±

    The girl balked at this. ¡°You¡¯re not black. You don¡¯t even look it when you compare it to other black people I know in school. Come on; you¡¯re Mexican or Arab, aren¡¯t you? You gotta be, you look it.¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t want to respond as she lightly gripped the elbow of her right arm; this wasn¡¯t what she wanted to deal with while still trying to get used to her new school.

    Just then another girl with Asian features with dark brown hair in a short bob with a neon blue highlight on the right side popped out of an aisle of books and looked at the questioning girl and charged into the conversation. ¡°Hey, Emma! When the hell did you become the master authority of deciding if someone is their race?¡± she demanded as she strode over to them. ¡°I¡¯m half-Asian, but I¡¯m shit at math, and I don¡¯t know everything thing about my home country because my Dad was born here when my grandma immigrated. Does that make him or even me less Asian? The girl here is who she is, fuck off with your bullshit. And news flash, girl, we all don¡¯t fit neatly into a fucking box, especially if we¡¯re mixed. Get the fuck over yourself.¡±

    The girl named Emma stammered, then noticed many other students watching, waiting to see what would happen, so she turned and muttered. ¡°Fuck you,¡± and left.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought,¡± the other girl said before looking at Elain. ¡°Hey sorry for butting in like that. I just thought you might need some help since she was saying that crap.¡±

    ¡°No, thanks for that. I was kind of hoping to avoid it, or not hear it, at least for a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get that.¡± she then held out her right hand. ¡°Victoria Cho, but everyone just calls me Vic or Vicky.¡±

    Elain took Vic¡¯s hand with her left. ¡°Elain Ortiz, but you seem to kind of know who I am already¡­ that¡¯s a bit weird.¡±

    Vic shrugged. ¡°I know a lot of kids here since I¡¯m part of the editorial department of our school¡¯s newspaper. I tend to have a pretty good eye for faces. At least, that¡¯s what my S.O says. Plus, I heard from the teachers that we have a new student from the States whose taking things slow with online classes. Was I wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I¡¯m from the States.¡±

    ¡°Neat, what part?¡±

    ¡°Manhatten,¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± then the look on her face changed. To an expression of teasing interest. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve been around the school, right? Want to see my favourite hang out during lunch?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure?¡±

    Vic then proceeded to take Elain to another part of the school where the larger classrooms were located for the trades, such as art, woodworking metal shop and auto.

    ¡°Ta-da! My hangout spot!¡± Vic proclaimed when she dramatically opened the door.

    ¡°The art room isn¡¯t a hang-out spot.¡± A tall person with dark red hair in a messy bun and freckles said in a rather dull tone as they placed down a large plastic bin on a wooden table splattered with layers of dried paint. ¡°You know that, Vicky.¡±

    ¡°But when else am I going to see you?¡±

    ¡°After school? Before school?¡± the person said, then quickly added while pointing an accusatory finger at Vic. ¡°And no, messaging me at midnight does not count as either one of those.¡±

    Vic slumped her shoulders and pouted in response. ¡°Boooo¡­¡±

    The redhead looked to Elain. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Robin Howell, sorry about Vicky. She can be a bit out there sometimes.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, she helped me earlier with another girl, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°It was Emma again!¡± Vicky proclaimed from the other end of the room while looking at some of the pottery.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, her. I can see why; Emma has always been the kind of person to define someone¡¯s race or gender rather heavily. Claims to stand up for those who are less off but takes it waaay too far. Makes a big fuss when you don¡¯t conform to her views, but that could be said with a lot of folks with a bunch of different things.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hear you.¡± Elain agreed.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°So,¡± Vic prolonged the word drawing Elain¡¯s attention. ¡°Besides dealing with that clusterfuck of a situation, you like the school?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just surprised how accommodating the teachers are.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t at your old school?¡± Robin asked.

    Out of habit, Elain gripped the sleeve of her shirt that hid her graph. ¡°No,¡±

    Both Vic and Robin glanced at each other before Vic spoke up. ¡°Say, uh, we haven¡¯t gotten anything to eat yet. Do you want to join us? There¡¯s a pretty cool caf¨¦ just outside the school, and the teachers let us go buy lunch there. They have really good hot chocolates and the best brownies. Just saying.¡±

    Elain looked at them hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste your time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not if we¡¯re asking,¡± Robin stated. ¡°Besides, I need a break, and I know Vicky hasn¡¯t had anything to eat since she¡¯s been working on that upcoming deadline for the paper.¡±

    ¡°Hey, reporting the news, accurately, and properly is a serious deal!¡± Vic proclaimed. ¡°No way in hell am I going to let myself be accused of Fake News, like that old president that looks like a balding orange.¡±

    ¡°Oranges don¡¯t have hair,¡± Robin stated.

    Vic folded her arms across her chest looking proud. ¡°Exactly,¡± then looked at Elain. ¡°So? You in or what?¡±

    Elain thought about it for a moment and then smiled. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    ¡°Awesome! Off to the caf¨¦ of wonders!¡± Vic proclaimed.

    ¡°Can you not call it that?¡± Robin asked with a sigh.

    ¡°Never!¡± Victoria replied with a laugh.

    * * *

    The rest of Elain¡¯s day went well, and even though there was a slight bump in the midst of it, she didn¡¯t expect to become such quick friends with Vic and Robin. They were down to earth, mostly, and pretty chill.

    It made Elain think of Rebeca and the others back in the States. She had wanted to send her friends a message but didn¡¯t know what to say, she didn¡¯t want to be so painfully awkward, but then any message would be.

    And she didn¡¯t want them to feel guilty either, what happened to her was not something they should blame themselves for, since they had, and Elain hated that.

    Still, she had to send something¡­

    God, I¡¯m an idiot. She thought as she got off the bus and walked up the street to her house, she didn¡¯t need to watch Amalie today, and in all honesty, she liked being able to go to and from school on public transit. Just something about letting herself enjoy the walk from the bus to her new house was enjoyable.

    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± Elain said when entering the house, seeing Kaya in the living room with the TV on doing school work.

    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Nate called out from the kitchen, as he was doing his own studies on the kitchen island. ¡°Dad¡¯s in the basement and Mom¡¯s still at the hospital.¡±

    Elain paused when setting her backpack down and noticed the pile of mail that was left haphazardly on the island¡¯s countertop. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s something in there for you, with some real fancy handwriting.¡±

    Elain picked up the envelope in question. Fancy handwriting was right. Though it didn¡¯t take a genius to know who it was from.

    ¡°This is from Mr. Hilmarsson,¡± Elain said as she looked at the back, noticing that Alastor merely put: From your neighbour A.H on the back using his initials. Where did he learn to write like that? The style reminded her of letters written from those during World War 1 and 2. It was so elegant and sophisticated. The man had to have been a high-ranking noble in his past life to have such fancy penmanship. ¡°He did tell me that he¡¯d send a check for watching Amalie after school when he needed to go out.¡±

    ¡°He sent you a check?¡± Nate whistled. ¡°How much did he give you?¡±

    ¡°Probably a hundred bucks or something like that.¡± She said as she used a letter opener that she grabbed from the stand that held various knickknacks and other things like pens or scissors. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m only keeping an eye on her for at least three to four hours a day during the week. Maybe I can buy a new game or something.¡± She said with a laugh as she opened the letter, only for her smile to fall, her heart nearly dropped into her stomach as the colour from her sink slowly began to turn pale.

    Her brother paused from her homework and frowned in confusion. ¡°El? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She then bolted out of the house.

    ¡°Elain, where the heck are you going?¡± but Elain didn¡¯t respond as she quickly made her way across the street to the man¡¯s house.

    Alastor was currently in the process of making dinner when he heard a frantic knock at the front door. When he opened the door, he was greeted with a confused expression on Elian as he smiled at her. ¡°Good evening, Miss Ortiz. What may I do for you this fine night?¡±

    She held up the check. ¡°I think you added a zero when you didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    He took it and merely looked at the check still with that same smile. ¡°I see nothing wrong with it.¡± He says as he hands it back. ¡°I told you that I would pay you well for your services, and I meant what I said. I¡¯m not about to go cheap just because of your age.¡±

    ¡°But this is way too much!¡± pointing to the check that was now back in her possession. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can accept this amount, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    He tilted his head, still holding a subtle smile. ¡°Now, why is that? I paid you for looking after my daughter. I think the rate is adequate. And besides, had you worked the weekend, if I didn¡¯t get off, I would have paid you more.¡±

    That made her heart nearly stop. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that, Mr. Hilmarsson, really, you don¡¯t have to pay me so much. Just how much are you giving me for every hour?¡±

    ¡°About sixty dollars an hour, the woman who I hired before, Lauren, I was paying her at least one hundred dollars an hour. And the check is for every week. If it were biweekly, it would have been much more.¡± He paused when seeing her shocked expression, then added. ¡°If it makes you uncomfortable, why not put it in a savings account? You can use it whenever you are with Amalie on the weekends if I need you. Which I might for the whole weekend coming up, or even use it for your family or something you wish to save up for yourself in the future like college or university if you wish to go. That¡¯s the only compromise I¡¯m willing to do because I have no intention of paying you any less.¡±

    Just how much money did this guy have?

    ¡°But¡­¡± he held up his hand to stop her.

    ¡°No buts, I¡¯ve decided to trust you in looking out for my daughter, and my trust is something I never give out easily.¡± His smile turned soft. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you my daughter is even smiling again. A genuine smile that I feel like I haven¡¯t seen in so long.¡±

    She looked at the check warily before looking back at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, now I¡¯m just about finished making dinner. Would you care to join us?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s okay. I was just taken aback by the amount, and I wanted to be sure.¡±

    ¡°You deserve it,¡± he says to her with a teasing smile. ¡°Never think otherwise.¡±

    She looked at him with surprise as a smile came to her face. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to thank me for. If anything, I should be thanking you.¡±

    Elain continued to smile, albeit with slight embarrassment now. ¡°A-anyway, I should get back. My family is probably wondering why I ran out like a bat out of hell. Tell Amalie I say hi, and text or call me when you find out when you need me for the weekend. I¡¯ll bring over the show Avatar the Last Airbender for her to check out.¡±

    His smile broadened. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be delighted.¡±

    With a quick goodbye, Elian made her way back across the street, where her brother was leaning up against the porch for her. ¡°What was that all about? Was something wrong with what he gave you?¡±

    ¡°No nothing like that.¡± She said as she headed in and into the basement where her father made half of it a part of his office. ¡°Hey Dad, tomorrow could you take me to the bank in the morning? There¡¯s something I need to do.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what is it that you need to do at the bank?¡±

    ¡°I received a check from Mr. Hilmarsson for watching over his daughter, and I want to put it in my savings account.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, it¡¯ll rack up in no time, be sure to thank him for it.¡±

    ¡°I already have, also Mom called. She said to order out, you okay with pizza?¡±

    ¡°Sure, anything with meat and garlic.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she then headed back upstairs, and then to the second floor, pausing in the living room to see her brother and Kaya watching the first season of Avatar the Last Airbender again for the umpteenth time. ¡°Hey Nate, could you order pizza? Dad wants the usual. An extra-large with ground beef, extra bacon slices and roasted garlic.¡±

    ¡°Sure, garlic sauce too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup, got to keep those pesky vampires away somehow.¡± she then headed up the stairs and into her room, when she closed the door, she pulled out the folded check from her back pocket, Elian still wasn¡¯t all too sure about accepting this, but given he was so genuine about it, it eased some of her concern.

    Still, getting such a large amount of money to watch his kid for only four or five days in the week seemed excessive, but since he was paying her sixty bucks an hour the total did add up. She just never expected to get one thousand and two hundred dollars from it. It made her wonder briefly how much money the man had but stopped that line of thought knowing full well it was none of her business.

    She wasn¡¯t about to pry into such a kind man¡¯s life.

 Chapter 28 ~Amalie~

    The test worked, I caught Mia, Jill and Nancy drawing on my desk, they had been writing horrible things on my desk since last year, Garry, the janitor for our school, had always removed it the night after, told me not to worry about it, that he¡¯d make it go away. And he did, but then he was hurt, I found out that it was because he stayed late trying to clean my desk where he fell in the basement, but that was a lie, I knew the moment I saw Mr. Green and knew that whatever that monster did it was in our school¡¯s old basement.

    I did what Elain taught me, sending it in secret, it got Mia and the three girls in trouble.

    But now, the problem I had was trying to get information, solid proof, since all I had were words spoken to me by one of the kids before they moved, telling me to stay away from that basement, that bad things happen down there.

    That¡¯s what happened to the other nine, they all moved away, I guessed that the parents became aware that something bad was happening to their kid, so they left. Taking their kid someplace else, away from this school. I could never find out what happened to eight of them but overheard some teachers in the teacher¡¯s lounge that one of them, had died. News outlets said it was an accident, but as I listened to the teachers¡¯ talk, I discovered that this accident was far from being an accident. That he did it of his own, which confused everyone, everyone, except those who knew what happened to that boy.

    Eric Jones. He was two years older than me when he drowned.

    I truly, deeply hope, that the others, those eight kids didn¡¯t go the same path as Eric, and talked to their parents and that those parents listen to what the other kids had to say. If even somehow, the principal made it so that no word of what happened got out.

    There was one person who had been hurt by that monster and hadn¡¯t moved away.

    Mia.

    But she would never talk to me. She would probably just think I thought she deserved it for how she hurt me. I never would, even though I feel nothing for her, I would never want her to go through something horrible at the hands of adults.

    She was the only other person who I could try and get to say what happened, but she would never do that. Not with me, at least.

    But she did like Lukas.

    I did notice, whenever Lukas and I would be outside, Mia would always watch us, at first, I thought she was glaring at me because she saw me, but then I realized that she was watching Lukas, she liked him, I think she liked him more than a friend, but couldn¡¯t seem to bring herself to talk to him. And whenever I did talk with Lukas, Mia would get mad.

    What made me realize was that when Edward, Brandon and Josh, the boys in Mia¡¯s group, made fun of Lukas, Mia would quickly cut in and tell them off for making fun of a boy in a wheelchair.

    It also made me see that a person who could be a bully to some would want to stand up and defend others.

    People are complex. I thought during recess as I sat in the shade under a tree reading my book. Mr. McCrae and Madam Andrews weren¡¯t in their rooms, Ms. Miller mentioned a mandatory Teacher¡¯s meeting today and now the majority of the students were outside playing with a few teachers trying to keep the kids from going too far with what they were doing.

    ¡°Amalie, what are you doing here?¡± Mr. Green asked as he came over to me. His injuries from Mr. Anthony were almost gone, his eye was still healing but he was no longer limping now. ¡°You should be playing with your friends. Not reading. You can read in class.¡±

    My grip tightened on my book. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I like reading.¡±

    ¡°Still, you should get some more exercise, with how thin you are, you should try to be a bit more active, it¡¯s healthy that way. Plus, I bet you¡¯d make a great athlete when you¡¯re older.¡±

    I shifted where I was sitting. I could tell he wasn¡¯t looking at my face as I pressed my legs harder into the grass so the wind wouldn¡¯t move my skirt.

    I once thought about making myself a target, but then backed out, not because I was afraid of being hurt, but because I knew my Dad would kill him. Without a second to go by, he would do so, and make it hurt.

    That much I knew.

    I didn¡¯t answer, no matter what I would say he would still try to get me to do something with him, he was like that with all of the students, I knew he meant nothing of it. He just liked being in control, over us, and even over other teachers.

    I remember him bugging Ms. Shannon, the way he looked at her made her not happy. Not at all like Ms. Miller who seemed to like Mr. Green. But Ms. Shannon made sure that any of the kids wouldn¡¯t follow him.

    But Ms. Shannon wasn¡¯t here now.

    I didn¡¯t like his tone, something about it just sounded wrong to me. Like we were all not important to matter like we were dumb and didn¡¯t know anything so he¡¯d talk down to us. It was what I thought even when I first met him, and how a lot of kids liked him since he¡¯d secretly give them candy. Yet there was more than that.

    It¡­ it kind of made me think of my Dad when he spoke to others he didn¡¯t like, but Mr. Green was worse. It felt, gross. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know how to tell what it felt like, just that it made me want to leave as quickly as I could. To get far away from him, even if it meant having to deal with Mia and her friends.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I got up from where I sat and just walked away.

    ¡°Wait, Amalie. You can¡¯t just walk away like that¡­¡±

    I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder, my eyes wide, his hand was extended like he was going to touch me. It made my skin crawl.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said to him as my eyes locked with his. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± He seemed surprised by my voice, his hand pulling away as I kept going, the bell had rung, meaning class would start soon. Even then I could still hear him make an annoyed sound as I ran back to school.

    And for a moment, the want to drag that monster into the light had cracked, because all I thought was wanting to call my Dad, for him to come to get me.

    Even though I told myself I couldn¡¯t because of what my Dad would do. But¡­ he was my Dad¡­ and I was scared. So very scared.

    That is what I felt when I first met Mr. Green. That he was scary, and he intended to hurt other people, didn¡¯t care who, just as long as he didn¡¯t get caught.

    What made it all the worse, was that when I felt like he was going to reach for me, I pictured something. An image flashed in my mind, of me, stabbing him with a pencil I kept hidden in my book.

    There are times, when I can picture things, things in my head are so clear as if they are a memory even though I¡¯m thinking of what I should do if something happened. I don¡¯t know what it is exactly, but because of it, I always feel like I understand others far more than another person would. Like who they are deep under the surface that they try to hide from others.

    Like with my Dad. Maybe it was because I was his daughter? Maybe I wanted to hurt that man just because? Like my Dad¡­

    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t be like him,¡± I muttered as I walked through the hallway to my locker to put my book away then to my classroom. ¡°Don¡¯t be like him, you aren¡¯t him, your you. You will always be you.¡± I stopped when I got close to my classroom, I could hear kids snickering and laughing.

    Ms. Miller wasn¡¯t back yet, was one of the boys doing something silly again?

    No, it wasn¡¯t, it was something else.

    My desk had been drawn on again, even after finally catching Mia and the others in the act and they had gotten in trouble for it, and it looked worse than before as I got closer as the kids in my class snickered, and watched, wanting to see how I¡¯d react.

    I could only stare at my desk as it was covered in marker, words saying that I smelled, that I was gross, a freak, to go die and covered in glue. While the kids in my class laughed, others trying not to be heard, I could hear them anyhow, they thought this was funny.

    I didn¡¯t say a word as I looked at the mess. Why did they write on my desk telling me to kill myself? And why were other students laughing? How was this funny?

    ¡°You¡¯d think we¡¯d stop because the principal said to?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Are you that damn stupid? Maybe they should just put you in the hospital. Or better yet, you should just die, die and disappear like the freak you are! Nobody even likes you here! who would even miss you?¡±

    ¡°A few would,¡± I say. ¡°Like Mr. McCrae, or even Lukas.¡±

    Mai¡¯s expression changed, from enjoying her jabs to shock to a glare. ¡°Yeah right, no one would miss you at all! You think anyone at this school cares about you? Anyone at all!?¡±

    I glanced at Kaya, she looked like she wanted to say something but didn¡¯t, afraid of what Mia might do. ¡°Yes I do, I think there would be many who would be sad. Can you say the same thing, about yourself?¡±

    Mia stopped, I don¡¯t think she ever thought I would ask that, but it was an honest question, she wanted me to die that badly, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s actually what she wanted. The look on her face said as much.

    ¡°Shut up you freak!¡± Mia yelled. ¡°No one would care about you, I bet not even your Dad would! You should just die! Die and disappear like those missing people!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jill joined in. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you were dead! Just go and die! Disappear like all those other people, like that lady Lauren. I bet she¡¯s not even alive! Yeah! Die like that Lauren girl in a ditch somewhere! No one will miss you!¡±

    Everything in me stopped, a feeling I never felt before began to grow in my stomach and reached my heart. I turned to look at them, and I saw them laugh. But what hurt the most, was not the bullies laughing at me.

    But Kaya¡­

    She was laughing too, her hands were covering her mouth but I could hear it.

    Why?

    Why was she laughing?

    Did she want me to die too?

    Did she hate me?

    Was wanting to be friends a lie?

    Why was telling me to die, to kill myself so funny?

    How was that funny?

    Why was that funny?

    Was it funny?

    Telling another person to end their life was just that funny?

    As I stared at them, saying nothing as they continued telling me to die as some of the other kids laughed or joined in while others watched with worry, I thought of Lauren.

    She was the kindest, funniest, nicest person I knew. She cared about me.

    Always doing what she could, acting her heart out. Wanting to love life ever after everything she had been put through, she wouldn¡¯t just give up, she wouldn¡¯t just die.

    That wasn¡¯t her, not at all. She¡¯d fight. Fight, and fight, and fight to the bitter end. That¡¯s the kind of person she was, she is.

    Was this funny? Did I find it funny?

    No.

    No.

    No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

    It wasn¡¯t funny.

    There was nothing funny about this!

    How could they?

    How could they?

    HOW COULD THEY!?

    I turned away. I couldn¡¯t feel anything, my anger was gone, I just felt¡­

    Empty.

    Like all of my feelings, my emotions just disappeared¡­

    I felt nothing.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it! Go and die just like that girl!¡± Jill said as she laughed while the others continued to do so and point at me telling me to die.

    No.

    Without thinking, my hands grasped the nearest chair and threw it at them with all of my strength. It missed them, just barely, hitting the wall at the end of the room. And the laughter stopped when the chair crashed into the wall, but it didn¡¯t matter. None of it mattered.

    I was done.

    They were shouting, but I didn¡¯t hear what they had to say, I only grabbed Jill and pushed her to the floor and hit her, and again and again. Mai was shouting and ran to me, hitting me in the face trying to get me to stop while Kaya and the other girl remained frozen, even the boys looked scared. I only looked at Mia before hitting her with my left hand, the look of shock on all of their faces as Mia stared at me confused. She couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d hit her.

    Before turning into anger and tackling me, she was shouting, but I couldn¡¯t hear what she said, I only hit her again, before kicking her in the side to stand. She shouted, trying to get others to join, but no one did, so she lunged at me, and I grabbed her overalls with both hands before hitting her in the head with my own. It didn¡¯t even hurt. The pain was something I could handle, more so than others. It was something my Dad had, but he once told me, that as a girl, I was even stronger than he was when it came to dealing with pain. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because I was only a girl, or if it was because I was his daughter.

    She was shouting again, telling me to die as the others tried to pull us apart.

    I didn¡¯t care.

    They think I¡¯m a freak? That I don¡¯t deserve to live?

    Fine.

    Think about what you want.

    Just know that I won¡¯t stand by and let you do or say what you want.

    Not anymore.

    Say anything about the people I care about and I don¡¯t care who you are. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to stop you.

 Chapter 29 ~~~~~

    Kaya sat on the bench waiting outside the principal¡¯s office, the look on Amalie¡¯s face when she fought Jill, Mia and the others who joined in when seeing Mia starting to lose, Kaya had never seen her look so angry before. It was scary.

    But then, she only became like that when Jill mentioned someone named Lauren. Who was that? Was it someone Amalie used to go to school with? Was she sick and passed away?

    She glanced to the door to the principal¡¯s, hearing the principal talking to Mia and Amalie, and a woman, Mia¡¯s aunt, came since her parents couldn¡¯t. While Kaya and the others were waiting in the hallway for their parents, Jill softly cried.

    ¡°Why did she do that?¡± Jill spoke between sobs. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±

    Kaya grimaced, were they dumb? After saying something like that?

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Jill,¡± Nancy said. ¡°It¡¯s all that freak¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Kaya spoke up causing the rest of Mia¡¯s group to look at her. ¡°You know why! It¡¯s because of what you said! After what you said to Amalie like it was a joke! You both know what you did, you have no right to blame her for what you said!¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡±

    Kaya froze, that voice, she turned to look at the other end of the hall where Amalie¡¯s dad stood near her. She didn¡¯t even hear him, and from the looks of the other¡¯s faces, they hadn¡¯t either. The boys especially looked terrified.

    ¡°Well? What did they say to Amalie that they thought was so funny?¡±

    Kaya flinched, his normally warm sing-song voice sounded cold, and what¡¯s more, his eyes. His eyes looked so scary with his ever-present smile.

    She looked away, down at her feet, only to then see Amalie¡¯s dad¡¯s shoes in front of hers. He made sure that he was still in her line of sight.

    ¡°It¡­ it wasn¡¯t funny.¡± Kaya managed, unable to look up at the man, too afraid to. ¡°It wasn¡¯t funny at all what she said.¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡± he sounded like he was closer now.

    ¡°That¡­ that¡­ that Amalie should die¡­ that she should disappear like all the m-missing people. That she shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± She lifted her head. ¡°That¡¯s what she said!¡±

    And felt like ice water struck her.

    For Amalie¡¯s father was now merely a foot away, looking her dead in the eye. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Kaya swallowed the limp in her throat. S¡­scary¡­ was all she could think as cold sweat began to form along the back of her neck. She never thought Amalie¡¯s father could be so scary. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ they said she should die¡­ I¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Tears began to blur her vision. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±

    Alastor stood up before silently staring at the other five children in question, to which those children moved further away as they quivered in fear at the silent smiling man. Without a word, Alastor headed into the principal¡¯s office. Leaving Kaya alone with knots in her stomach.

    Never had she felt so scared before, but then, didn¡¯t she deserve it? After all that she did?

    *    *    *

    Perhaps those miscreants will leave Amalie alone now. Alastor thought to himself as he knocked on the door before entering the principal¡¯s office, where he could hear those kids now crying in the hallway wanting their parents. He smirked, ah how he hoped they learned their lesson from this, because if not, then a harsher one was in store.

    But such thoughts of his stopped the moment he saw Amalie, her clothing dishevelled, her hair in knots and it looked like she had several bruises, most on her body one on her face and forehead. But from the appearance of the six children, besides Kaya, out on the bench, and the other girl in here, it was clear Amalie had done far worse to them than what they did to her.

    Goodness, that¡¯s impressive.

    Taking on nearly six kids and holding her own was a feat within itself.

    He couldn¡¯t be prouder of her. Still, part of him wished she came to him for help, but even Alastor knew that sometimes kids wanted to sort things out themselves. He felt like his little girl believed that he might take things a bit too far.

    Which, depending on what these children did, would depend on a response. He didn¡¯t want to think too rashly, not in a delicate situation like this.

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson, thank you for arriving so quickly.¡± The principal said the moment Alastor closed the door. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of what this is about?¡±

    ¡°I was merely told that I needed to come here right away, that Amalie was in a fight.¡± And from the looks of it, Amalie was ganged up on by the others. ¡°I was a bit taken aback when I received the call.¡±

    ¡°Yes well, as I was explaining to Mia¡¯s aunt, this is something that can¡¯t be excused, no matter who started it.¡±

    ¡°Even though my daughter had been repeatedly provoked?¡± Alastor asked.

    The principal didn¡¯t answer his question. How rude. Instead, the man turned his attention back to Amalie. ¡°Amalie, I know you and Mia have your bouts, but don¡¯t you think you went too far in how you acted?¡±

    So you blame the victim, that¡¯s classic.

    ¡°If Mia apologizes, do you think you can get along with each other from now on?¡±

    Amalie didn¡¯t answer, the principal looked to Mia as if to coax the girl into doing what he said. And from the looks of it, she didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Ugh fine,¡± Mia muttered before facing Amalie. ¡°Look, it was a dumb stupid fight, so let¡¯s just forget it happened, okay? I¡¯m sorry.¡± And offered up her hand from Amalie to take.

    ¡°Now Amalie,¡± the principal said drawing Alastor¡¯s attention. ¡°Mia¡¯s offered a sincere apology; she didn¡¯t mean to do what she did. Don¡¯t you think you should accept it?¡±

    He called that a sincere apology? Was he joking?

    Even Mia¡¯s aunt seemed a bit perplexed by this whole thing.

    Only instead of taking Mia¡¯s offered hand, Amalie just stared at it, unmoved.

    ¡°Why?¡± Amalie asked, looking at the principal with an almost disappointed gaze. ¡°This solves nothing, it doesn¡¯t fix anything. She¡¯ll just tell me to die again like she always does. Like all the others in the class. Do you want me to die too?¡±

    The principal flinched before looking to Amalie¡¯s father.

    Alastor was also angry in learning this but restrained himself as he kept his hands clasped together behind his back and kept his faint smile, refusing to give what the man wanted. The man caused this mess, let him drown in it.

    ¡°O-of course not Amalie, we¡¯d never want that. Your friends, classmates and teachers don¡¯t either. You¡¯re an incredibly bright girl. No one would ever want to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Liar,¡± Amalie said. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that?¡±

    ¡°Mia, Jill, Nancy, Edward, Brandon and Josh. A bunch of others, and Ms. Miller. She just lets, whatever happens, happen. You¡¯re supposed to know what happens in the school yet you act like you don¡¯t. Do you even care about us? Do we even matter? Because from where I stand, you don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Is that true?¡± Mia¡¯s aunt asked before looking at Mia horrified who continued to sulk. ¡°Mia what on earth? Why? Why would you do that?¡± but Mia didn¡¯t answer, she only shook off her aunt¡¯s hand.

    Alastor merely glanced at the other girl before his gaze went back at the principal, he was taking too long to deny it, meaning one thing. His daughter was right. The man didn¡¯t care at all about the children.

    How dreadful.

    ¡°Amalie, surely you have someone you can be with to avoid Mia?¡± the principal asked.

    ¡°How can I make friends when she says things about me that aren¡¯t true? Spreading lies about me? When she¡¯s in my class? When she and her group follow me when I¡¯m outside? When she won¡¯t leave me alone even when other teachers tell her to? How am I supposed to do anything?¡±

    He fell silent again.

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Mia¡¯s aunt spoke up. ¡°Had I heard this was happening sooner, I would have talked with my brother¡ª¡±

    ¡°Like he¡¯d do anything¡­ besides hitting me, like he always does¡± Mia muttered so softly but Alastor could hear her. So did Amalie, as she glanced at the girl in response.

    ¡°Well, if we can¡¯t resolve this peacefully,¡± the principal sighed. ¡°I have no choice but to give you both, and the others who were involved, detention for one week.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mia snapped.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Amalie said flatly. ¡°But you should know that if Mia or anyone else tries to do something to me, anything at all, then I¡¯ll fight back.¡± she glanced at Mia. ¡°I¡¯m done with letting people think they can do what they want and get away with it.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help it, Alastor let out a small chuckle, almost impossible to hear by the three regular people here, type of laugh.

    Amalie was the only one to have heard him as she looked up at him with a questioning stare. His eyes did not show anger, no, his eyes were filled, with pride. Alastor was happy.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    His daughter was becoming her own and standing up for herself in the most spectacular fashion. How he wished she had done it sooner, but that mattered little to him now, for as long as she could, he would help her in any way possible.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll make sure that she¡¯s not anywhere near you,¡± the principal said. ¡°I¡¯ll instruct the teachers to make sure she and her friends don¡¯t bother you.¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s anyone but Mr. Green,¡±

    That brought a look of confusion to the principal¡¯s face. ¡°Is there a problem with Mr. Green, Amalie?¡±

    She narrowed her eyes on him. ¡°You know why,¡± and without another word, Amalie left the stunned principal¡¯s office silently. Before stopping and waiting in the hallway before he could say anything back to that.

    ¡°What did she mean?¡± Mia¡¯s aunt asked, her voice now pitched with concern. ¡°What did that teacher do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± the principal said all too quickly. Another lie, he knew that this Mr. Green had done something. ¡°Amalie never seemed to like him, but the rest of the kids do. He¡¯s one of the best we have, everyone loves him.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Mia snapped. ¡°You do know what she means! You fuckin¡¯ bitch! You know! You know exactly what she means! FUCK YOU!¡± and then ran out of the office and down the hall. The aunt, who looked flustered and confused, glared warily at the principal before going after her niece leaving Alastor and the principal alone in the man¡¯s office.

    The silence grew as Alastor kept his gaze on the now-open door before his eyes flicked to the pathetic man before him. ¡°Well, that was something,¡± Alastor said dryly.

    The principal sighed. ¡°Mia¡¯s always been like that, she spouts so many lies it¡¯s hard to even know if she¡¯s telling the truth about anything.¡±

    ¡°Even about this Mr. Green?¡±

    The principal said nothing, making it all the more president of what this man decided to try and hide from the parents of the students. Such a horrible man this principal was.

    ¡°Sir, if I may. If what my daughter says is true,¡± Alastor spoke before the man had the chance to make up any more lies or excuses. ¡°Then I think it¡¯d be in your best interest to listen to her. Because if something like verbal disputes such as this slip past you, it makes me wonder what else you¡¯ve chosen to blatantly ignore. And if that is also true,¡± his gaze became cold as did his voice. ¡°Then we will have words, dear principal. Now if you excuse me.¡± And then shortly left the office and swiftly followed after his daughter to the girl¡¯s bathroom where he stood waiting in the hall. That was when Zuri rushed towards the principal¡¯s office but stopped when she saw Amalie emerge from the bathroom a little less dishevelled than before, looking very panicked and concerned at the little girl.

    ¡°Amalie, oh my god, what happened?¡±

    Alastor glanced at Amalie who said nothing and just held his hand. Squeezing tightly as she did so. His daughter must have thought he¡¯d be angry.

    ¡°Something that was well overdue, I believe. It seems your daughter was caught up in it as well.¡± He said then added. ¡°She wasn¡¯t hurt, but still, she was involved. Though, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get much done with the principal.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson, I¡ª¡± Zuri began but stopped when Alastor shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to give any explanation; I don¡¯t hold this against you or even your family for your daughter¡¯s involvement. Although, I do wish your daughter wouldn¡¯t join in such frivolous things like mob mentality or befriending bullies. Things like that could very well get her hurt next time, and all things considered, I think that¡¯s the last thing you want.¡±

    He only added that last bit because of what he knew of Elain¡¯s circumstances and given how the colour drained a little from the woman¡¯s dark complexion, left enough of an impact. He would have said more but felt Amalie¡¯s grip tighten on his hand. She wanted him to stop.

    So he did.

    ¡°Mrs. Ortiz, I do apologize if I sounded rude, I¡¯m not angry, merely stating a fact.¡±

    ¡°No, I understand, and I appreciate that.¡± She said with a tired breath, as though she hoped to deal with something like this again so soon. ¡°I am so sorry, though. I should have been more attentive with Kaya since she¡¯s had it hard from the sudden move.¡±

    ¡°And if she¡¯s been keeping that inside, I gather it was only a matter of time before something negative happened,¡± Alastor said. ¡°Perhaps then, you should talk with her, allow her to air out all of her grievances, her troubles, with no bias or blame. I find doing that helps when someone is afraid, they might be judged for their words.¡± He noticed Amalie had looked away, but he hadn¡¯t said that towards his own daughter but from personal experiences that he had dealt with. After all, getting someone to open up with no judgment was the best to hear unwanted secrets that a person wished to keep close. A useful tool when dealing with those Alastor disliked.

    ¡°Oh, trust me, this¡­ this was something I¡¯ve been wanting to do for a while but never had the chance. I guess it¡¯s now.¡± With a short goodbye and a promise to talk later, Zuri went down the hall towards the principal¡¯s office where her own daughter waited with the other kids.

    Alastor merely watched in silence before turning his attention to his own child softly saying. ¡°Let¡¯s go home Amalie, I think you¡¯ve had enough school for one day.¡±

    Amalie remained silent as they walked to her locker to retrieve her things, while doing so he caught a woman, Ms. Miller, watching them from a classroom. He merely smiled at her coldly, if this woman had done her job, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. As if sensing his animosity, she went back into the classroom, a smart woman.

    ¡°Is that everything you need?¡± he asked.

    Amalie only nodded as she quietly closed her locker, she didn¡¯t want to bother any of the other classes. Even after everything that happened today, she was still considerate of those wanting to learn. She then grasped his hand as he took her backpack in his other free hand and slung it over his shoulder. However, she remained standing still. Her eyes were fixed on the person who was about to walk past them, he didn¡¯t even so much as say a word. But he did look at them, looking at Amalie before his eyes landed on Alastor, and the man had an almost smug expression. Haughty and arrogant. Did this man think that he could take him on in a fight with just one glance? Really? Simply because he had a thinner build than this man, how precocious.

    Ah, Alastor thought with a sly smile when the man walked past them. You must be Mr. Green. No wonder my daughter dislikes you. Such a foul smell. You must be rotten to the core.

    Silently, Amalie tugged Alastor¡¯s hand, wanting to head home. Whenever she became like this, be it upset, fed up or annoyed, she would go silent most of the time. Only give ques with her expression or the grip of her hand if he was holding it.

    Some would find this ridiculous, that she should talk and use her words, but given that Amalie had all but exhausted every avenue with words she would fall to this. Childish, yes, but she was a child. She wouldn¡¯t get loud unless she was hurt badly, she had never even thrown a temper tantrum, the screaming kind, at least. The worst she¡¯d get would be by hiding in a place where he couldn¡¯t find her easily or sitting in the corner not even looking at him.

    He could still recall one time when she was four when he tore a drawing she did on accident, mostly, and she just sat in the corner hugging her little legs while eyeing him silently telling him that he was a jerk for what he did and refused to talk to him for the rest of the day.

    Alastor smiled at his daughter as they walked to the car to take her home, though he had concerns on his mind. About his daughter, the cause of the bullying, and that so-called teacher.

    ¡°Amalie, what did Mr. Green do?¡± he asked when they were both in the car.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said softly. ¡°I really don¡¯t.¡±

    He looked at her through the rear-view mirror, she was being honest, she didn¡¯t know. But he guessed that it must have been something, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said anything to the principal in such an accusing way.

    Should I do something? He thought as he drove them home. If it was something as bad as he expected, he could think of multiple ways of dealing with such a pig. But¡­ was that something that she wanted?

    If it was, Amalie would have said something, but she hadn¡¯t. Perhaps she was looking for something to make it so that she¡¯s believed? Such a thing would be hard to do when someone was that young. And he couldn¡¯t do anything himself, besides, get rid of the repugnant man.

    Oh, how I want you to tell me, Alastor mused in his thoughts. But I can¡¯t force it.

    ¡°Dad?¡± she spoke up when they were back home, she had been silent the whole car ride, not uttering a single sound until now when she was safely inside the house and away from the rest of the world.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± she sounded worried as she asked so hesitantly.

    His smile softened. ¡°No, sweetie, you¡¯re not. You did what you felt like you had to. It¡¯s why you did it, right?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± her voice quivered. ¡°I did it because they changed from attacking me¡­ to attacking Lauren.¡± She looked up at him as tears threatened to fall. ¡°They said she was dead, that she was gone and died and that I should be like that too. But Lauren can¡¯t be dead¡­ she can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Alastor silently picked up his daughter and hugged her, silently swaying, rocking on the soles of his feet.

    ¡°She can¡¯t be dead Dad¡­ not Lauren¡­ I don¡¯t want her to be dead¡­¡± she said as she cried into his nape and shoulder.

    So she did that because of what someone was saying about a person she cared about but didn¡¯t care about herself. A self-esteem issue? Or did she feel like she needed to defend a person who couldn¡¯t defend themselves?

    Or was it that those bullies stated something that Amalie deeply feared?

    That she was afraid Lauren was dead, and she blamed herself for it.

    Alastor held his daughter tight, not enough to hurt, but enough to give her comfort. His baby girl must have been holding that in for so very long since Lauren vanished.

    ¡°Oh, Sweetie¡­¡± he mused in an attempt to soothe her. But those attempts would die the moment she uttered her next words. Words that should never come out of a child¡¯s mouth. Words that should never even exist in her vocabulary. Words that he wished to rip right out of his very ears.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who deserves to disappear¡­¡± she kept her face buried in his nape, her little hands clawing at the back of his vest and shirt. ¡°If I was dead then this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± He said, no soothing tones in his voice as he stopped swaying, a hand resting along the back of her head as if to make sure she stayed close to him. As though he feared that very thing she spoke of. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that Amalie, if you weren¡¯t here¡­ if you weren¡¯t here, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d be.¡± He kissed her head keeping her close as she continued to cry. ¡°My baby girl, you are so important to me. More important than anything else. Even if the world wishes you were gone, I would never. You are all that matters.¡± And if the world wants you gone¡­ ¡°Then I¡¯d rather kill this world and make it all disappear if anyone dared to try.¡± His tone shifted to a darker note as his smile became tight with rage at just the mere thought of it.

    Amalie moved to look at his face. ¡°What did you say?¡± she asked sniffing back tears. Looking up at him as his hold on her relaxed a little.

    He was smiling lovingly at her. Oops, he did not mean for that to slip out verbally. Just the mere thought of her not being here made him think something truly awful. Thankfully, even while in that state of mind he still had the forethought to say it so softly that even she wouldn¡¯t catch it. If she blamed herself for his thinking, Alastor might not forgive himself for it.

    ¡°I said that you matter, to me, and so many others. I know what they said hurt, that it hurt a lot, but know that I, Vivian, your aunt, Lukas, Lauren, Mr. McCrae, Madam Andrews, and even your grandparents would never want you to disappear or die. You are important to us, and we love you.¡±

    She looked unsure. ¡°Even grandma? Cause I don¡¯t think she likes me much.¡±

    Marie¡¯s mother, ah yes. That insufferable old crone, at least the husband was a decent and good fellow. He was genuinely mortified when he learned what his daughter did to Alastor, although it¡¯s because of it that something so wonderful and good came into Alastor¡¯s life. Still, when it all happened, he vowed if he ever had the chance presented to him, he¡¯d kill that old crone of a woman and make it the most painful he could inflict on a living person.

    The only good people who came from that side of the family were Marie¡¯s sister, her father, her brother¡­ no. Just, no.

    ¡°Do you like her?¡± Alastor asked.

    ¡°No really.¡± The wait she admitted that like it was something bad to say was so adorable.

    ¡°Then you want to know something?¡± he pressed his forehead to hers. ¡°I don¡¯t like her either. But you have grandpa and your aunt, and they both send you texts and pictures all the time, don¡¯t they?¡±

    She made a sound of agreement.

    ¡°Then that just shows how much they think of you.¡± He wiped the tears from her slightly bruised face with his thumb. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we get you comfortable? Have a nice warm bath and fix up your injuries. Do they hurt at all?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    She was his daughter, pain was something that he could handle with ease, and so could she, but Amalie¡¯s would probably be far greater than his tolerance in every shape and form.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll make sure everything is okay, and then we¡¯ll have dinner. I made beef and potato stew, then I¡¯ll give you a nice slice of pumpkin pie, would you like that?¡± he asked as he carried her up the stairs to the bathroom.

    She nodded.

    ¡°Is there anything else you want? Anything at all?¡±

    ¡°Can I sleep with you tonight?¡±

    He hugged her again. ¡°Of course, you can.¡± If you asked for the world, I would give it after finally standing up for yourself. You make me so proud my little doe.

    Yet a part of Alastor couldn¡¯t help but feel that nagging aggravation of what took place today, the incompetence of the majority of the school¡¯s staff, and the principal and Mr. Green in particular.

    Perhaps it was time to contact an old friend, Bishop Huxley, for a bit of a favour that needed to be owed.

    He hummed to himself as he kissed his daughter¡¯s cheek, Alastor had no intention of ruining whatever his daughter wanted, but he thought he could at least, help out a little.

    After all, what kind of father would he be if he didn¡¯t do this much?

 Chapter 30 ~Ms. Miller~

    Gina Miller let out a tired breath as she sat at a bar with a drink of whisky in her right hand, cheek propped against her left palm. Things just seemed to go wrong for her.

    When she first became a teacher, Gina was apprehensive but a little hopeful that it would go well besides feeling like she shouldn¡¯t. But was then told she needed to teach kids who were under the sixth grade. That wasn¡¯t something she wanted, she had hoped to teach those who were at least seven grade or higher, minds that could think for themselves, but so many of the kids in her class were nothing but a bunch of rowdy kids who wouldn¡¯t listen to her.

    Except for one, Amalie Hilmarsson.

    She was smart. Probably smarter than all the other kids in the class, hell even the whole grade. But that girl was quiet, never speaking out, or being rude or loud.

    Amalie was one of her best, if not the best, in her class. Yet¡­

    There was something about her, that bugged Gina. The way she looked at her, with those grey-silver eyes of hers in a knowing stare. Like she knew something was going on behind the scenes at school. That was the kind of stare she gave without so much as uttering a word.

    It unnerved Gina.

    Made her feel like this little girl thought she was better than anyone, even the teachers.

    At least that¡¯s what Gina felt, given how the girl¡¯s father seemed to look at Gina with such a tight smile like he was disgusted with the staff. It made Gina think that his daughter was the same. It was petty and stupid, but she felt like that girl should be knocked down a peg for thinking so high and mighty.

    Only for it all to blow up in the worst way possible when Amalie suddenly reacted the way she had towards Mia and her friends. Gina only came to the classroom towards the end, when several of the children tried to pull Mia, a few of her friends and Amalie apart, but did little good to help, if anything it made it all the worse. The look on Amalie¡¯s face, when their eyes met, was chilling, to say the least.

    Never in her life did Gina ever feel like she would be afraid of a seven-year-old girl until that very day.

    And the girl¡¯s father¡­

    While Alastor Hilmarsson was beautiful in his own right, more so than any man or woman Gina had ever met, there was a cold air to him when their eyes met. Normally, his smile would be filled with charm, instead, it was a cold knowing smile.

    Gina secretly hoped to never meet that man out of school, if his daughter was anything to go by, goodness knows what he would do if angered. If he wasn¡¯t already.

    Then again, Nick seemed just as agitated later that day after speaking with the principal. Recently, he seemed more and more annoyed. She couldn¡¯t figure out why, she tried to get him to open up to her about it, thinking maybe she could help only for him to snap at her.

    She had never seen him that angry before.

    It scared her.

    Gina had always seen him as a strong caring person, yeah, he was flirtatious, and a bit aggressive when he came on to her but she liked that in a man, but she had a thing for muscular men to boot so he ticked a good number of her boxes. It didn¡¯t mean she was romantically in love, but that didn¡¯t make what she felt any less valid. Still, she did get a lot of shit for it as she grew up when she realized that she was like that, especially from her parents.

    Always bitching about when she was going to get married and have kids because they wanted grandbabies, well too fucking bad she didn¡¯t want kids! Hell, she didn¡¯t even like them, well, not hate them at least but she always felt indifferent about them.

    Now feeling agitated on her own, she polished off her glass before ordering another from the bartender, while waiting Gina decided to let her eyes wander a bit, see who was there, and silently judge them if they were cute to fuckable. A lewd hobby, but one she would never outright tell anyone, plus, she just liked to watch people and think what they might be up to in their lives if she became bored.

    That was until her eyes landed on a person who was sitting one stool away from her at the bar. Someone that Gina recognized.

    She¡¯s back again. Gina thought as she glanced at a woman sitting a little further away at the bar, with a single martini glass, dressed in a long-sleeved cream-white turtleneck, a long burgundy pleated red skirt and a black shawl with a pattern that made her think of a bohemian style. She sat like a ballerina would with her back straight as a ruler, and had the figure of one too, though the woman had a larger bust than Gina¡¯s she was still beautiful. And her hair¡¯s down this time. The last time the woman was here, she had put her long earth-brown hair into a braid and left it hanging off her shoulder. Now that it left down and stopped just at her waist as she continued to silently read a black leather-bound book, turning the page with long elegant fingers that belonged to a pianist. She looks like a doll.

    For the past two months, Gina has seen the same woman time and time again, sitting in the same place, reading a book. She always felt drawn in, seeing the woman read, in a bar of all places, with long eyelashes that gently brushed pale cheeks. The woman seemed to barely wear any makeup too. How could a woman be so pretty with little to no makeup? How was that fair?

    What God did she have to sacrifice to in order to be that pretty?

    The woman, as if hearing Gina¡¯s thoughts, glanced at her with piercing sky-blue eyes. Gina froze when their eyes met, she quickly looked away.

    That scared me! Gina thought as she looked away, pretending to take a sip of her drink.

    ¡°You¡¯re here quite a bit,¡± the woman spoke, drawing Gina¡¯s attention, the woman was now looking at her with a faint smile. Gina had never seen her smile before, so seeing just the most modest of smiles on the woman¡¯s face was a surprise. ¡°Your work must be rather hectic.¡±

    Gina gave a nervous laugh. ¡°It can be at times, though it¡¯s not always that bad.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± the way the woman spoke was soft, elegant like she was a noble from a distant land. Hell, she might be given how she looked. ¡°What do you do, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing special, I¡¯m just a teacher.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but it¡¯s a very admirable profession.¡± The woman stated. ¡°Teaching the next generation to become better than the last is something I feel many should strive for. How old are the children you¡¯re teaching?¡±

    ¡°Ah, about six to eight years old. Though I was supposed to teach older kids. At least seventh grade and up.¡± But all positions were full and Gina had no choice but to take on a role she felt like she wasn¡¯t suited for at all. ¡°Though if I¡¯m honest¡­ I never wanted to be a teacher.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Gina nodded before taking a sip of her drink. She was already a few drinks in and the woman seemed interested, so why not? She wanted to vent to someone anyway. ¡°I had a passion for art, that was something I was always good at, but my parents always said it wouldn¡¯t be a real job, that I should think of the next generation, and what they could do for us as they get older.¡±

    ¡°Are both of your parents politicians?¡±

    Gina looked at the woman. ¡°They are. I always resented them for it, them and my asshole of a brother. Just because he¡¯s a man my parents think he¡¯s gods gift to the world.¡± Gina laughed. ¡°But he¡¯s a wimp and a coward, ran away to England the moment he could and left me to deal with the fallout. My parents always push me to do what I don¡¯t want.¡± She took another drink. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t drag you into my problems. I just had a really bad day today.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only human, we all have days where things just don¡¯t go the way we feel they should.¡±

    Gina didn¡¯t answer, instead, she asked. ¡°What do you do?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, are you a dancer or an actress?¡±

    The woman gave a soft laugh followed by a hinting smile. You think I¡¯m an actress? That¡¯s flattering of you, but I¡¯m not.¡± She picked up her martini glass and stared into the liquid with a faraway gaze as she swirled it in the delicate glassware. ¡°I¡¯m an art dealer, I buy and sell artwork, things like paintings, pottery, certain objects, collections someone wishes to move on for a vast number of reasons. I find the prospect of handling and dealing with artwork, whatever it may be, a grand endeavour. The satisfaction I get when I¡¯ve accomplished my job is something that I will never get old from.¡±

    Lucky you, Gina thought begrudgingly, with a hint of envy. How she wished to have this woman¡¯s life. Though it did explain a few things, how she spoke, held herself, and even dressed meant she must have had some high-end clients.

    ¡°So, you travel then?¡±

    ¡°When the client requests it, yes. I don¡¯t often get the chance to be home, but when I do I relish in it, even if it is for a short time.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯d you come from?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The last place you went to,¡± Gina clarified. ¡°You said you travel; I take it you do some out of the country.¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The woman took a sip. ¡°France,¡± she said. ¡°I was in France until recently, or more accurately, Paris. Have you ever been?¡±

    Gina gave a short curt laugh. ¡°Ha! I wish! I don¡¯t have the time or money to travel. Though if I did¡­¡± she mused. ¡°I¡¯d probably go to Newfoundland.¡±

    ¡°Really? Why there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, the place doesn¡¯t have a lot of people, at least in comparison to Toronto, and the landscapes are just so breathtaking regardless of the year.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you like it there so much, why not go? Or do you think your family would want you to stay?¡±

    Gina let out an exasperated breath, her face was feeling a bit warm, but she didn¡¯t want to go home, not yet, especially if it meant coming home to a slew of angry voicemails from parents, or worse, her parents demanding to know why she hasn¡¯t found a rich man.

    ¡°¡­they just think I¡¯m some bloody baby maker¡­¡± she muttered.

    ¡°Hmm? Did you say something?¡±

    Shit, I said that out loud! She thought after flinching at the woman¡¯s question. ¡°Uh¡­ well, they keep pushing me and pushing me to find a rich man to have kids with¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why don¡¯t you just ignore them?¡±

    She looked at the woman with a dry stare. ¡°Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like having political narcissistic parents?¡± Gina said that last bit with a heavy emphasis before taking a big gulp, the booze leaving a satisfying burn in her throat. ¡°They don¡¯t know the meaning of ¡®no¡¯ no matter what I do! Hell, they even suggested I should try and go after one of my student¡¯s parents who are single.¡±

    ¡°Who would that be?¡±

    She took another drink. ¡°Alastor Hilmarsson,¡±

    ¡°The Radio Host?¡±

    ¡°The one and only!¡± Gina proclaimed as she lifted her glass in the air before quickly lowering her arm before anyone around them noticed. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, he¡¯s attractive, really attractive. In my opinion, Alastor is probably the most attractive person in all of Toronto, if not all of the Ontario Provence! But he has a kid, and I, personally, am not the biggest fan of children. In moderation, yes, but all the time is a biiiiig no. And because of this, I have no intention of even so much as impeding on that.¡±

    ¡°Is that the only reason?¡±

    ¡°Well, for me it is, but for my parents, they think it¡¯s fine, after all, they see her as a girl with superior breeding as they put it, ugh.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± the woman said, her blue eyes peering at her drink but not taking a sip. ¡°They must think very highly of that little girl.¡±

    ¡°Appearance-wise, yes. My parents think if she turned out well then I could do even better with the next kid. Which is ridiculous to me, the man isn¡¯t interested, as far as I could tell but my parents still want to try anyway despite my protests.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he widowed?¡±

    ¡°Yes! But they don¡¯t care! That wedding band on his ring finger might as well be invisible to my parent¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, a dead spouse? That must mean he¡¯s single and ready to mingle!¡± I swear they are just blinded by their idiocy.¡± She said the last bit as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb. ¡°As long as he¡¯s rich and good looking they don¡¯t care. And I bet anything that if said handsome rich dude committed a murder, they¡¯d help cover it up if it meant they could get their hands on his money.¡±

    ¡°It must have been difficult having parents like that, but why not speak to Mr. Hilmarsson? Surely, he¡¯d be willing to hear you out if you did.¡±

    Gina sighed. ¡°I wanted to, but it¡¯s kind of hard to bring up something so out of the blue like that and ask ¡°Hey, my parents want us to date, tell them no!¡± you know? Plus¡­¡±

    The woman glanced at Gina when she trailed off. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°I messed up,¡± Gina admitted. ¡°I should have done something, but¡­ I just let it happen. I don¡¯t have much of an excuse, even if I did it shouldn¡¯t even be accepted either.¡± She took another drink, her glass now empty as she stared at her faint reflection in the glasswork. ¡°His daughter, Amalie, was being bullied, it was small at first, but it all just became a powder keg waiting to blow. I didn¡¯t see it happen, but it was like something snapped in that little girl. And for a brief moment, she terrified me. She looked at me with such an accusing stare¡­ and I deserve it. I shouldn¡¯t be a teacher; I should have done what my brother did and just ran away from it all. But I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been beaten down so much, the invisible shackles that my parents put on me never broke off¡­ and I internalized my pain and allowed what happened to Amalie to happen because some stupid, selfish, twisted part of me thought it was deserved. Though the other reason was that I had hoped Alastor would just take her out of school and my parents would finally leave me alone. He never did. And now, I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if I¡¯m fired because of it all. Thrown under the bus as a convenient scapegoat, even though I wasn¡¯t the only teacher who let it happen. Several others did, even the principal.¡±

    ¡°You almost sound like you want it to happen.¡±

    Gina was silent for a moment, eyes darting in contemplation before. ¡°Maybe I do,¡± she admitted. ¡°Because then, if it did happen, maybe I could be free?¡± realization came into her eyes pushing past the alcohol that had been muddling her mind. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I kept going on like that for so long, I shouldn¡¯t be dragging you into my problems.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, you¡¯re dealing with a lot, and though you are right in that you shouldn¡¯t have let the bullying happen, I can see why you¡¯d be pushed to such an extreme. It must be hard.¡±

    ¡°I know it could be worse, I¡¯m privileged enough to be where I am, but not at all happy.¡± She sighed as she ran a hand over her face pushing her glasses up to the top of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    It looked like the woman was going to say something but was cut short when she noticed someone approaching.

    ¡°Heeeey, biiiiiiitch!¡± a woman called out before wrapping an arm around Gina¡¯s shoulders. ¡°The hell are you doin¡¯ up so late? Don¡¯t teachers have curfews or some shit?¡±

    ¡°Layla!¡± Gina spoke with surprise before turning on her stool to face her. ¡°Oh my god, where have you been, I haven¡¯t seen you for years! You up and disappeared without a trace! Where did you go?¡±

    Layla wagged her eyebrows. ¡°What? You thought I was dead?¡±

    Gina lightly smacked Layla¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± She then sobered up quite a bit as she looked over at her old friend. Her hair was in a short bob of a light mint blue as she wore a cropped long-sleeved black shirt and a long grey plaid skirt that was cut open and held with a belt to reveal black shorts underneath and black fishnets and thick black boots. This was how she normally dressed, no matter the weather, but something seemed off. ¡°Did you get thinner?¡±

    ¡°I lost a bit of weight, but I think it¡¯s fine. Why? Do I look that different?¡±

    Gina wasn¡¯t sure, she looked the same as she had a few years ago, but still, something seemed different about her, Gina wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet that nagging feeling remained.

    She then noticed the other woman watching them silently.

    ¡°Oh, this is my friend, we went to college together,¡± Gina said to her.

    Layla laughed. ¡°Ha, only eons ago, sooner or later we¡¯ll be some old fossils bookin¡¯ it on scooters.¡± Then her dark eyes went to the woman, and, something changed¡­

    Layla¡¯s smile froze like she was surprised but that was only a moment, still, it was kind of odd and made Gina wonder.

    ¡°Do you both know each other?¡± Gina asked noticing how the woman merely took another sip of her drink while Layla spoke up.

    ¡°What? No, not really, I mean, I might have seen her about once, other than that, we don¡¯t know each other.¡± Layla looked at the woman. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Without even a moment to pause the other woman smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen her, and her vast variety of different hair colours a few times before while on the street, but other than that, nothing that would spark a conversation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, this is a good friend of mine,¡± Gina tells the woman.

    ¡°Layla Katz,¡± she said to the other woman. ¡°Though you can just call me Lilith, everyone else does.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s your stage name,¡± Gina interjected.

    Layla shrugged. ¡°Eh, it might as well be my actual name. Since it¡¯s what most people know me as.¡±

    ¡°You perform on a stage?¡±

    ¡°In a sense, it¡¯s in BDSM clubs scattered across Toronto, though I also work at a dive bar if I¡¯m strapped for cash.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± then the sound of something chimed, the woman pulled back the sleeve on her wrist to look at a wristwatch that seemed to be made with brass that gleamed in the dull light as the watch strap was a burgundy red leather. Seemed old, and expensive. ¡°I would like to stay longer and talk some more, but I need to head home. It¡¯s getting late enough as it is, and I¡¯m expecting a call in the morning from a client.¡± The woman then flagged down the bartender and paid for her drink before looking back at Gina with a smile. ¡°It was wonderful meeting you; I hope things get better in the coming day. Have a good rest of the night.¡± And with that left the bar, leaving Gina where she was in her seat as Layla watched the woman leave until the woman was completely out of sight.

    ¡°So, how long have you been here?¡± Layla asked drawing Gina¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Layla indicated the three empty glasses. ¡°How many of those did you drink?¡±

    Gina looked at it. ¡°Uh¡­ six? I¡­ think?¡±

    ¡°And I think with that response you should go home.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t wanna¡­¡±

    ¡°Neither do ninety percent of those here, but the day is going to start whether you like it or not. And I don¡¯t think you want a hangover the following day with a bunch of little rowdy kids to teach.¡±

    Gina groaned in response but complied when seeing Layla¡¯s no-nonsense expression, the kind that meant if Gina didn¡¯t stop self-sabotaging herself, her friend would tie her up and drag her back home like she had done before when they were in college.

    It was a heck of a time trying to convince the campus security that she was not being kidnapped by some gothic punk weirdo that was clearly in rope play and bondage.

    All done safely of course.

    ¡°Okay¡­ you win, jeez.¡± Gina paid the bartender and walked out with Layla in tow, only to frown when Layla kept walking with her. ¡°Don¡¯t you still live in the opposite direction?¡±

    ¡°Yup, but what kind of friend would I be if I just let you walk home, clearly drunk, in the dead of night, in a city with a bunch of assholes ready and willing to try and have some fun with an unwilling drunk woman?¡±

    ¡°I think you mean middle-aged drunk woman, and besides, who¡¯d go after boring old me? I¡¯m plain as hell.¡±

    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re thirty years old, and that ain¡¯t old. It is certainly not considered middle age, at least in this day and age. A couple of decades back we would have been seen as elderly.¡±

    ¡°I think you mean centuries,¡± Gina said with a laugh but then asked. ¡°Where did you go? You just¡­ disappeared, no calls, texts, not a note, nothing. Did something happen? Is your brother okay?¡±

    Layla was oddly quiet. ¡°Darcy¡¯s doing fine,¡± she said but was a little ahead of Gina so her face couldn¡¯t be seen. She then looked at Gina and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve just been busy with a project these past few years, nothing major. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Still, next time you decide to pull a vanishing act, at least tell me first. I wanted to make a missing person¡¯s report but the police denied it since I¡¯m not family.¡±

    ¡°Ha, sounds like you dealt with the shitty cops and not the good ones, that¡¯s tough luck of the draw. Good thing I didn¡¯t go missing huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± Gina told her flatly.

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding G, relax,¡± Layla said as she pulled Gina in close. ¡°Speaking of vanished, that woman you were talking to was tall. Imagen her in some stilettos, ooo that¡¯d be hot.¡±

    Gina looked at Layla with a slightly confused stare. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t into women?¡±

    ¡°Hey, just because I¡¯m not, doesn¡¯t mean I can appreciate the fairer sex, like you.¡± She said with a grin. ¡°If anything, I think you look better than the last time I saw you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah well, I don¡¯t feel like it,¡± Gina admitted before thinking back to that woman, and then came to a horrible conclusion. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I forgot.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re wallet? Your phone? Keys? Glasses? Wait no, you¡¯re wearing those.¡±

    She looked at Layla horrified. ¡°I forgot to ask her name.¡±

    Layla looked less than impressed. ¡°Seriously, G, we are getting you to bed.¡± Then began to pull Gina toward her apartment. ¡°And I doubt you¡¯ll run into that woman again, with how big this city is. You could meet someone one day and never see them again. Like if you saw a ghost or some shit.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t believe in ghosts.¡±

    She gave Gina an arched stare. ¡°I don¡¯t, it¡¯s a metaphor, people aren¡¯t ghosts. And given the state of the world, I think we¡¯ve all had worse things to deal with than anything supernatural. Besides, if ghosts were real, I think we would have been doomed back in college with that stupid Ouija board Fran brought one night.¡±

    ¡°Oh god, I remember Jen broke a mirror that night and blamed Fran for cursing her, it was such a mess.¡± Gina laughed as they devolved into talking about things from their past from their youth as Layla walked her home, though, in the back of Gina¡¯s mind, she thought of that woman and wondered how likely it would be to even see her again.

    I hope I do¡­

 Chapter 31 ~Ms. Miller~

    That next morning, Gina awoke with a splitting headache.

    I drank way too much last night. Gina thought with a groan as she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled over to the bathroom to have a fast shower to get her day started. The cold water hitting her skin her a wake-up call. She then glanced at herself in the mirror, even after the shower she still looked like shit.

    She let out a breath, then went to get changed for work. Thankfully she had everything planned for the coming day, she always did so if she had a bad day and went for a drink then she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about what to wear for the next day. Of course, she had a designated lesson plan in case anything came up, but still, the last thing she wanted was a substitute teacher messing up what she worked hard on. Say what you will about not liking the job someone had, but Gina was the kind of person to work hard on whatever she was given. Probably the only quality that her parents even liked.

    Her head still pounding, she went to go and make some coffee and take some medication to remove her headache only to find the machine had already started. Then saw a note taped to the top with Layla¡¯s handwriting.

    Hey, figured you¡¯d want to have something in the morning, I know it¡¯s a bitch to get this going but I noticed if you pre-set the timer, you¡¯ll have it ready by the time you get up. Also, remember the thing I taught you about cooking an egg? Do that for a quick breakfast.

    Also-also, I added my number to your phone.

    Give me a ring whenever.

    It was good to see you G.

    ~L

    Gina smiled despite feeling like yesterday¡¯s garbage.

    After dressing in a long skirt, tank top and big sweater, she used makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes, put her dark hair up in a clip, grabbed her glasses, and schoolwork, put it all in her shoulder bag and headed down to her car with a coffee in hand all the while bracing for what the day to come would be.

    She hoped that she wouldn¡¯t get yelled at by anyone today, be it teachers, parents, her parents¡­ ¡°Okay¡­¡± she said with a sigh. When she parked in the school¡¯s parking lot, trying not to become tense, noticing how her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly. When seeing this, she let go, her hands shaking. She rubbed her hands together to try and get them to stop. The kids would notice that. Amalie especially. Gina needed to show that she was a strong and capable teacher, she should have never let the bullying continue, and if possible, she wanted to try and make things right.

    She just hoped that Amalie would at least accept this as a form of an apology. But then again, she might not, with how pissed she was, the little girl could very well hold a grudge.

    No, Amalie isn¡¯t like Mia. Gina thought as she left her car and walked to the school. I doubt she¡¯s the kind to hold a grudge. But then, what did Gina know about that kid? Amalie was more or less a silent observer, maybe she enjoyed watching people? Maybe she was wary of them because of her father¡¯s fame. Alastor didn¡¯t seem the type to brag about his wealth, but Gina could tell because his clothes were all high-end. After all, her parents were the same, but they bragged whenever they bought something.

    When school began and the kids shuffled their feet to class, some were excited, others reluctant and a few were tired. Yet when she saw Mia come in, Gina felt a sudden sense of shock seeing the young seven-year-old girl who came in rather stiffly, like she had been hurt. Did something happen at home?

    But before Gina could go over to speak with Mia a small voice spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Miller?¡± she looked down to see Kaya Ortiz. ¡°Do you know if Amalie is coming in late today?¡±

    Wait, what?

    Gina¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the classroom but didn¡¯t see Amalie at all. Was she not coming to school today?

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Gina told her. ¡°She might be here later this afternoon. For now, just go to your seat, okay?¡±

    Yet when the class ended with little to no fanfare, and when the first recess rolled out, Amalie was still nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t come by.¡± Mr. McCrae told Gina when lunchtime came after the third class and still there was no sign of Amalie. ¡°You¡¯re her teacher, shouldn¡¯t you know?¡±

    It was a genuine question, but a part of her felt like it was a dig at her for how she handled things the day before after the incident. ¡°I guess her father didn¡¯t want her to come in after what happened.¡±

    ¡°You guess?¡± Mr. McCrae repeated. ¡°Gina, you let those kids bully her relentlessly, why are you even surprised?¡±

    Gina broke eye content, she couldn¡¯t even deny that.

    Mr. McCrae then did something he didn¡¯t expect. ¡°I know you¡¯re dealing with something personal, regardless of what it is though, you can¡¯t neglect the kids. We¡¯re supposed to be here for them and help them. Not just teach. And if this isn¡¯t a job you like, why not just pursue something else that you enjoy?¡±

    That was something she didn¡¯t expect to hear and just found herself looking up at him completely stunned. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in the art room, you go there quite a bit on your breaks and always work on some small paintings, they¡¯re good. Why didn¡¯t you apply to be an art teacher?¡±

    Because my parents wouldn¡¯t let me¡­ but she could say that, in fear if what she said got back to her parents.

    Mr. McCrae seemed to realize why and then merely told her. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to live your own life, regardless of what others say. No one should judge you if you just want to quit.¡±

    Again, Gina couldn¡¯t say anything, he sounded like he knew what she was going through, maybe he did, but that gave little comfort. Her parents would never let her, in some instances, she wished she could have been more like her coward of a brother, then at least she would be able to run away when her parents least expect it.

    ¡°You¡¯re just a woman! What good do you think you could ever bring to the table that your brother has done better?!¡±

    ¡°If only you were born a boy, things would have been better.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Words like that had been beaten into her verbally throughout her life.

    And whenever she felt like those words hurt the most, she¡¯d always find herself in the art room, there wasn¡¯t a single student in the classroom. Amalie hadn¡¯t come to school with it only half the day left, given how she looked maybe she was to hurt to come back, maybe her dad didn¡¯t want her to come back at all.

    Gina couldn¡¯t blame him for that, or any parent who decided not to have their kid come back if they were relentlessly bullied.

    If things were to change, however, Gina at least wanted to try and speak to Mia and the other kids who took part. For it seemed like it was done on purpose. However, such thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice spoke to her from the door to the art room.

    ¡°So, this is where you were,¡± Gina turned to see Nick Green by the door. Always with that smug smile on his face, she had found it alluring, but now, after how angry he had been at her previously, she didn¡¯t find him the least bit attractive. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±

    This usually meant one thing, since there were no students and classes wouldn¡¯t happen for at least twenty minutes. It wasn¡¯t the first time, but somehow it all just left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she didn¡¯t know why.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± she says intending to leave but he blocked her path.

    ¡°Oh, come on, you can¡¯t still be upset about how I acted. I was angry, what did you expect me to do?¡±

    Gina just looked at him. ¡°I have papers to grade.¡±

    He leaned down with that knowing look in his eyes. ¡°Like that¡¯s ever stopped you before.¡±

    She looked him right in the eye and gripped the doorknob tightly. ¡°Well, it does today. I couldn¡¯t finish grading last night and I have a headache. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to go back to my class.¡±

    He scoffed but lowered his arm letting her open the door, only to grasp her wrist and yank her back pinning her to the wall with him not giving her a way of escape.

    ¡°You think I¡¯d say yes? Let you do what you want?¡± he demanded. ¡°You came on to me, remember? You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m even willing to spend ten minutes with you. So shut your mouth and do as I tell you like always do. Besides, I know you get off on this, why else would you dress in a skirt for me to have easy access?¡±

    Gina squeezed her eyes as Nick¡¯s hand reached to touch her underneath her long skirt, she liked it when he was aggressive, but now, she felt ashamed, disgusted, and afraid. Was this what Shannon warned her about that Gina ignored before she had been injured? Blinded by a need to be seen, to be wanted by another person, even if it was by the hands of a man, who, while she had found him attractive, seemed like a completely different person, like he was when he snapped at her.

    She was going to just bear with it, but then her phone rang with a specific ringtone, a ringtone that she put for Layla and the moment she heard it, Gina pushed Nick off her, causing the man to stumble back and fall on the floor with a stunned look on his face.

    Before Nick had the chance to say anything Gina quickly answered her phone. ¡°Y-yes?¡±

    ¡°Heeeey G!¡± Layla said on the other end. ¡°You on your lunch break? Got a minute to spare?¡± Gina didn¡¯t answer right away, just stared at Nick. ¡°G? Gina? You there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said while eyeing Nick, realizing how pathetic she was to even think for one moment, that this dick was a good guy. He was a bastard. Just like her shit stain of a brother. Thinking that alone was enough to look at Nick with disgust. Not just at him, but at herself. ¡°I¡¯m, sorry, something came up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interrupting anything important, am I?¡±

    Gina opened the door. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Nothing important at all.¡± then left the art room with Nick just looking bewildered by the whole thing. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± she asked as she made her way back to her classroom, closed the door and locked it, just to be safe. It was then that she noticed her hand was shaking.

    ¡°Hey, did you hear me?¡± Layla asked snapping Gina back from her thoughts.

    ¡°Sorry, no, could you repeat that?¡±

    Layla was silent for a moment. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Gina paused; she recognized that tone of hers. the kind that meant she knew something was wrong and wasn¡¯t about to let it go. How Gina both loved and sometimes, hated that about her friend. ¡°Nothing,¡±

    ¡°That sounds like bull,¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not,¡± Gina said as she moved to sit in her chair. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m fine Layla.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound it.¡±

    Gina was silent for a moment. ¡°I never do, do I?¡± though when Layla said nothing Gina realized her mistake. ¡°Sorry,¡± she didn¡¯t mean to sound so down. ¡°Look, I shouldn¡¯t have said that. My mind¡¯s been all over the place recently.¡±

    ¡°I imagen that¡¯s why I saw you drinking so much.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± she then changed the topic. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, I know I disappeared on you but there was something I wanted to talk to you about¡ª¡±

    * * *

    When school was over, Gina decided to just pack up and headed to her car before Nick could try and corner her again, she was having none of that today.

    But once she got entered the hall after the students had gone for the day a shill voice grated her eardrums. One that Gina had hoped not to hear. ¡°Mother?¡± but was surprised to see not just her mother but her father too. ¡°Why are you both here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe if you bothered to answer your calls you¡¯d know!¡± her mother snapped angrily. ¡°Do you know how many times we called you last night?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± And even if I did, I know you¡¯d just yell at me. Like always. ¡°Besides whatever it is, you know I can¡¯t do anything for you. I¡¯m busy with work.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here! What were you thinking about letting such a thing happen in that class with the Hilmarsson girl?¡±

    Of course, they found out. Gina thought with a slight scowl. She was angry that someone decided to let their loose lips go to her parents¡¯ ears. But wasn¡¯t at all surprised by it. Especially since they seemed obsessed with Alastor, and what it could give them if she somehow ended up in a relationship with him like a leach.

    Her father scoffed. ¡°You''re so busy all the time, just when do you think you¡¯ll get married like this if you can¡¯t even do your job properly?¡±

    Not this shit again. ¡°I don¡¯t know Dad, when are you going to get all that money from Gilbert that he ran off with?¡±

    ¡°Regina!¡± her mother snapped. ¡°Where do you get off talking to your father like that?¡±

    Gina didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°If you had just listened to us then you would have turned out better¡­¡± her mother growled wanting Gina to take the bait so she could yell some more.

    At least I¡¯m not like you. Gina thought as she felt the urge to just say fuck it, and tell them what she really thought of her folks, consequences be damned.

    ¡°Actually,¡± a familiar sing-song voice practically purred in her ear from behind her. ¡°She has an appointment with me.¡± He looked at her with a sweet endearing smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right Ms. Miller?¡±

    Her worst nightmare. She didn¡¯t even hear him approach, and from the looks of things, neither did her parents as they had their stunned expressions. ¡°Um¡­¡± but right now, she¡¯d rather deal with him, than her parents. ¡°Yes, yes! You¡¯re absolutely right Mr. Hilmarsson. We can speak in the classroom. Please, follow me.¡± She then glanced at her parents, who looked like they wanted to shout but as this was the man they so desperately wanted Gina to have a kid with, they held their vitriol. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you both later.¡±

    And before her parents could respond, she walked with Alastor to her classroom and closed the door.

    Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!!!! Her mind panicked the moment she became in a closed room with the one man she hoped just a day before, to never be alone in a room with.

    And now she was. Talk about some irony!

    She glanced at Alastor, seeing him looking at the small desks of children, eyeing Amalie¡¯s desk in particular. It hadn¡¯t been cleaned as there were still graffiti left from when Mia bullied the girl just the day before.

    A subtle smile resting on his beautiful face.

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson?¡± he turned to face her as she hesitantly approached but still kept herself at arm¡¯s length. ¡°May I ask, why you helped me?¡±

    ¡°You looked like you required assistance.¡± He answered promptly to her question. ¡°I doubt you wished to continue being yelled at by those who are supposed to care for you.¡±

    Gina couldn¡¯t say anything against that. But all this still begged the question. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    She noticed how his smile twitched slightly. ¡°My daughter goes to school here, does it not make sense that I, as her father, come here from time to time?¡±

    ¡°Yes but¡­¡± It¡¯s my fault your daughter was bullied. But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that last part.

    Alastor, for whatever reason, answered her initial question. ¡°I came to collect some of Amalie¡¯s schoolwork. She¡¯s going to be home for a few days, but I didn¡¯t want her to get behind, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve already spoken to her other teachers about the other assignments she needed. You were merely last on my list.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she said as she tucked some hair behind her ear. That made a lot of sense.

    He then frowned. ¡°Ms. Miller, what happened to your hand?¡±

    Her gaze shot to her wrist, the one that Nick had grabbed. She hadn¡¯t realized just how badly he gripped her arm when he first stopped her from trying to leave. The bruise it made; was awful. It was already different shades of purple, red and blue.

    Upon seeing that, tears began to stream down Gina¡¯s face.

 Chapter 32 ~Ms. Miller~

    She couldn¡¯t stop her tears, no matter how many times she wiped her eyes they just kept falling. Like a dam that had broken with no way to halt the water which flowed from her eyes.

    ¡°Ms. Miller,¡± Alastor spoke in that same sing-song voice of his, even and smooth. Holding a note of concern. ¡°Perhaps you should sit down.¡±

    Gina could only comply as she sat in one of her students¡¯ chairs, Amalie¡¯s, as she removed her glasses to wipe her eyes. ¡°You must think I¡¯m pathetic.¡± She said as she looked at the man who merely watched her with that faint smile of his. It was so subtle, almost nonexistent, but it was there. ¡°And you¡¯d be right¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± he says as he sits in a chair across from her. ¡°You¡¯re only human, and as such, human beings are flawed.¡±

    Gina scoffed. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I should have done better. And I know no words are going to placate you. So just say what you want. Get it over with.¡±

    Instead, he merely extends his hand, his long fingers lightly grazing her still-exposed wrist. ¡°Did someone do this to you?¡±

    Gina didn¡¯t answer as she didn¡¯t pull away when he touched her wrist.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look old; it looks as though this happened mere hours ago.¡± When she remained silent even as she faintly began to shake, Alastor spoke. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look dislocated, but you seem to bruise rather easily. But if you¡¯d like, I have a first aid kit in my car. I can at least bandage it if you¡¯d like?¡±

    She was about to say no, to not bother, that she could deal with it herself when she got home, but then saw someone peering into her classroom from the door with a dissatisfied look on their face as their eyes bore into Gina¡¯s.

    Nick.

    She looked away, tearing her eyes from the door to the floor. She didn¡¯t want to leave the classroom if he was out there, especially now.

    ¡°Ms. Miller?¡± Gina nearly jumped when Alastor spoke her name. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Though I have a first aid kit in the class. But I don¡¯t think it needs treatment, it¡¯s just a bruise.¡±

    Alastor glanced at her before looking back at her wrist. ¡°You say that, but it could be worse than how it looks. May I?¡± he asked, wanting to check her injury.

    Gina hesitated but seeing how he didn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward her, she allowed him to check her arm. Tentatively glancing at the door to see Nick no longer there. Thank God.

    ¡°Do you have medical experience?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says with a subtle smile as he gently examines her wrist, when he touched the joint she flinched. ¡°Though I do think you should have a doctor look at it, I doubt you want to make it worse.¡±

    She didn¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t want to have a chance of getting yelled at by her parents, or confronted by Nick again. But with how Alastor was acting around her, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me? For what happened to your daughter?¡±

    His expression was one of perplex mixed with that subtle smile of his. ¡°Whatever made you think that?¡±

    She eyed him, come on, he had to know why she thought that. Any parent, at least a decent one, would be mad at a teacher if they let their child be bullied and didn¡¯t do a thing to stop it. His smile seemed to change, almost like he was joking. If he was, it was a poor one.

    ¡°Ms. Miller, while I don¡¯t condone what took place, I am not someone quick to judge a person. Especially when they seem to be dealing with greater problems on their own.¡±

    Gina flinched, glancing at the man. He was preceptive. However, just because he was good at shooting guesses in the dark and hitting their mark. Didn¡¯t mean she would be willing to open up to him.

    ¡°True as that may be, it is still my problem, as I¡¯m sure you have plenty of your own and don¡¯t need mine adding to it. Besides,¡± she pulled her hand away and looked him right in the eye as she remained where she stood. ¡°I¡¯d rather have you angry at me, for my lack of action, than pity me for things I brought on myself.¡±

    To Gina¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t deny it, he had been pitying her, say what you want about the man, but at least he was honest. Unlike some people, she knew or thought she knew.

    ¡°Then at least allow me to walk you to your car,¡± he said. ¡°Given how you feel as though you¡¯re stuck between a rock and a hard place, I can at least lend you assistance in getting you out with a crowbar. They won¡¯t say anything if I¡¯m with you, so we can use that as an excuse while I walk you to your car.¡±

    ¡°Can I use said crowbar to smack those assholes?¡± she thought to herself be refrained from saying it out loud. ¡°Fine,¡± she then went to her desk and then handed him a blank assignment. ¡°Here, for Amalie, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s willing, I don¡¯t blame her if she¡¯s not, but you did say you came here to collect her schoolwork.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he took it and placed the school assignment into his briefcase, she noticed how he had others, so he was also telling the truth about why he was here. But then what reason would he have to lie?

    ¡°How¡­¡± Gina hesitated. ¡°How is Amalie doing?¡±

    Alastor was silent for a moment; he then turned his back to face her. ¡°She¡¯s doing the best she can.¡± He said as he closed his briefcase. ¡°Though I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t add that she¡¯s upset. Because of what Mia said, what those children told her, she feels like she doesn¡¯t deserve to exist in this world.¡±

    A feeling of guilt rested on Gina¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°However,¡± Alastor continued. ¡°If something like this were to happen again¡­ I would be greatly disappointed.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Gina had to fight the urge to gulp back her fear, the tone in his voice, was very apparent. He¡¯d be beyond angry. Not to say he wasn¡¯t already, but she knew that if something like were to happen again, God she hoped not, then she would be dead. Figuratively, not literally. At least, she hoped, God knows what kind of death threats she had on her answering machine.

    He then looked at her with a sweet endearing smile, one that would have made any unsuspecting woman blush. ¡°But I doubt that will happen, I have a feeling those children will stay far away from Amalie after this. And while I¡¯m sure this wouldn¡¯t be condoned; I couldn¡¯t be prouder of my daughter.¡±

    That confused Gina ¡°You¡¯re proud that she got into a fight?¡±

    He gave a soft laugh. ¡°It must sound like that, but what I mean to say is that I¡¯m proud she stood up for herself. After being verbally beaten down, she finally had enough and made them stop. Even if it was through violence. And sometimes Ms. Miller, violence is the only way something can be used to solve a problem. Not all problems of course, but some.¡±

    That was the last thing Gina expected to hear from this man¡¯s mouth. She never thought he¡¯d be the ¡°I choose violence¡± type of person. But then, Gina felt like she should know better, given that she judged someone solely on how they looked and assumed a bunch of shit about them that wasn¡¯t true. A bad habit thanks to her parents.

    ¡°But anyhow, I should probably head home now. I¡¯m sure Amalie is wondering what¡¯s taking so long.¡± He then picked up his briefcase. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to your car, best to go to a walk-in clinic or the nearest hospital. Although, will you be okay to drive?¡±

    She looked at her left wrist. ¡°It¡¯s not my dominant hand, so I should be fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt as much now.¡± She said after gathering her things as she opened the door and entered the hallway, tensing up only to see her parents had left and that there was no sign of Nick.

    Thank God.

    ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± Alastor asked slightly startling her as he peeked out from the door behind her. ¡°Or are you hoping not to see someone in particular?¡±

    ¡°Both, I want to be sure it¡¯s not who I think it is so I can avoid them.¡±

    ¡°Goodness, that must be tiring.¡±

    She sighed as she entered the hall. ¡°It is, but I just don¡¯t want to deal with anyone right now. Especially after earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to Mr. Green?¡± Alastor asked as he walked alongside her, matching her pace. When hearing his name Gina stopped dead and looked right at Alastor. How did Alastor know about that man?

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°When I picked Amalie up after what happened, I had a run-in with him, we didn¡¯t speak, but his air of arrogance spoke louder than any words.¡±

    That was a rather apt description of Nick. But before she could comment Alastor continued.

    ¡°And while I know it¡¯s none of my business, I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t associate yourself with an individual such as him. I¡¯ve seen plenty like Mr. Green before, the outcome of which, would not be good for you.¡±

    She glanced at Alastor; she didn¡¯t expect the man to be so open when talking about such things to someone like her. As they continued to walk through the halls, Gina found herself looking at Alastor, she had never seen the man up close all that much, mainly because she didn¡¯t want her parents getting carried away with some idealized fantasy in their heads, but even from a distance she could tell he was a beautiful person.

    She hadn¡¯t lied to the woman at the bar when she admitted that Alastor was attractive, he looked beautiful, and when he spoke his voice would draw anyone¡¯s attention. His frame, while unassuming, he held the elegance of a dancer. She had heard that Alastor was once a well-known actor before coming to Canada, but other than that not much else. Still, it felt like a bit of waste for him to be stuck in a booth for radio. Though she supposed it was because of his daughter, and who knows, maybe in a couple of years, he¡¯ll be back on stage again.

    When they reached Gina¡¯s car she paused when opening the door. ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t blame her if Amalie hated me for how I acted. I¡¯m supposed to be the adult but instead, I was childish.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but given what I saw, I suppose it¡¯s no surprise. Your parents were rather rude.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one word to call them.¡± Gina turned to face him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, by the way. I¡¯m not going to excuse my actions, but I still hope you can forgive me.¡±

    ¡°I will, but only if you do one thing for me.¡± He then leaned in close, disrupting her personal space and whispered. ¡°Be better than what you were the day before. Don¡¯t ever allow what happened to happen again.¡± He then took a step back, his ever-knowing smile present. ¡°If you do that, I think I¡¯ll have it in my heart to forgive what took place. Of course, it¡¯s not my forgiveness you should be seeking out.¡±

    She knew immediately what he meant, for he said it as a warning. This man was giving her a chance. One chance to not mess up again. If she did¡­

    Well¡­

    His eyes said it all.

    She¡¯d be screwed.

    But that dark look in his eyes was gone the next moment. ¡°With all that said, you really should head to the hospital to make sure nothing¡¯s broken.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± he stopped before getting the chance to walk away. ¡°Do you know when Amalie will be returning to school?¡±

    ¡°She will when I believe she¡¯s ready.¡± He replied. ¡°I have no intention of pushing her when she¡¯s not confident and upset. You¡¯ll know when she¡¯s coming back, that much I¡¯ll say.¡±

    Gina had the feeling if she pushed it would be too dangerous, so she went into her car and drove off, glancing in her rear-view mirror as she was about to leave the parking lot, she saw that Alastor was watching her as she left, even did so until she could no longer see him.

    Honestly, she had expected him to be angry, very angry, so for him to be calm and collected, but still have an underlying tone of cold calculated anger. It was subtle, but she did notice it, and it would be something that she could take to heart.

    For now, though, she needed to get her wrist looked at.

    * * *

    Four hours.

    That¡¯s how long it took for her to be looked at by a doctor. Granted it wasn¡¯t that bad, and she was able to grade papers while waiting and check over what she planned for the next day. Some of those in the hospital, staff, long-term patients, and those waiting to be looked at like her, watching this woman do work as if nothing was wrong with her other badly bruised wrist. She wasn¡¯t about to just sit and do nothing or look at her phone, if there was work she could do while waiting she¡¯d do it. Some would find it weird but she¡¯d rather be productive than just not do anything. Unless she was drunk, then it was fine.

    Gina let out a breath of annoyance as she now sat in the bar at her usual seat staring at her bandaged left wrist which was also in a wrist support brace. The bastard sprained her wrist from the sheer force of his grip alone.

    Fucking Asshole.

    She was just surprised that it didn¡¯t hurt as it should have, maybe due to the shock. She had felt pain in her wrist when class started but took some meds to at least work through the pain, if Alastor hadn¡¯t drawn her attention to it, it could have been even worse. In that regard, she was thankful to him.

    Still¡­

    ¡°Why do I suck at picking men?¡± she asked herself with an exasperated sigh. The only solace she had was that it could have been worse. If someone could even find solace in that.

    Now she just needed to deal with the aftermath of that trainwreck while also trying to pick up the pieces of the mess that she allowed to happen with the kids.

    That within itself was going to take a while given how on edge all the kids seemed to be, how their eyes went to Amalie¡¯s desk and then to Mia and those who were a part of the bullying. Kids could be frightening in how quickly they could turn on others, but then adults were like that too if not worse depending on the situation.

    Worse of all, everyone was so quick to put the blame on her and not themselves, the hypocrites, the lot of them. A part of her wished that all of them, each and every one who was a part of this mess would get a nice big heaping dose of karma. If not equal to her own.

    Then maybe, just maybe those people might change, however unlikely that was.

    ¡°Oh,¡± a familiar voice caught her ear. ¡°It looks like we meet again,¡±

    Gina turned seeing the last person she expected.

    The beautiful woman from the night before as she gave a warm smile. ¡°Evening, how are you doing this fine night, Ms. Miller?¡±

 Chapter 33 ~Ms. Miller~ (Slight Edit)

    Gina found herself a bit at a loss for words.

    After what happened yesterday and the day before seeing this woman again felt welcomed. But the woman¡¯s smile froze when her blue eyes rest upon her casted-up wrist.

    ¡°Your wrist, did that happen when we parted ways?¡±

    ¡°This? Oh, no.¡± Gina shook her head. ¡°This was at work. I had¡­ an accident. It¡¯s just a sprain though, I¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t look all that convinced. ¡°Are you sure? It looks like it hurts quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, this is not the worst thing I¡¯ve been through by far! I¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    The woman continued to stare at it with those piercing blue eyes of hers. ¡°Still, if that¡¯s the case, should you even be here drinking?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not drinking, at least not alcohol, this is just Sprite.¡±

    The woman looked confused as a frown lightly creased her brow. ¡°Then why are you here and not resting at home?¡±

    ¡°The atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°Atmosphere?¡±

    Gina shrugged as the woman sat next to her this time. ¡°I know it¡¯ll sound ridiculous, but I feel far more at home here than in my actual apartment. Here I can just vanish in a crowd, and not have to think or worry about anything. I can just watch people being people, watch the latest sports even though I don¡¯t like it all that much or listen to tidbits of a conversation from the people around me. At school, I¡¯m Ms. Miller, an English teacher that never even wanted to be a school teacher. But here, in this place, I can be no one. A shadow. Someone who could just disappear without a trace and no one would know.¡± She laughed. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to sound so depressing. I always just feel better when I¡¯m not noticed, I¡¯d rather be in the background than center stage.¡±

    The woman remained silent as if she was patiently waiting to hear if Gina had anything else to say. But she didn¡¯t, so Gina changed the topic off of herself.

    ¡°So, uh, what brings you back here?¡± Gina asked. ¡°Did things not go well with your client that you mentioned yesterday?¡±

    ¡°No, things went well, from the looks of it the client in question will be very happy with what they¡¯ve requested.¡± But before Gina could respond with congratulations. The woman¡¯s worried expression returned as she continued to stare at Gina¡¯s injury. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? It looks rather painful.¡±

    Gina looked at it. ¡°It is, but this is karma.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For what I let happen, I told you yesterday about what took place, how Amalie had been bullied and she just snapped. This afternoon I was approached by a man, someone who I thought I liked, but¡­ it was like a veil was lifted. And the man I once knew had completely disappeared and been replaced by someone who¡¯s just if not worse than those in my family. It made me feel sick. And if I go home now, I¡¯ll just be bombarded by calls and texts berating me. And I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t have the energy for it. Not now.¡±

    The woman was silent for a moment. ¡°Is there anything I could do to help?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you have some way to get them to stop,¡± Gina stated before sighing. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be okay. To be honest, I¡¯m thinking about quitting¡­¡± But only when I know for certain that Amalie is alright. I want to make sure that she and Mia will be okay.

    If only it could be that easy.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m probably not the best company to be in right now. I¡¯m just¡­¡± she sighed again. ¡°Just trying to figure everything out for myself. I just don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Why not go for a walk then?¡± the woman offered. ¡°The fresh air may help in clearing your mind about what you want to do.¡±

    Gina thought about it, since she wasn¡¯t drinking, she figured what did she have to lose at this point?

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± she got up off the stool after paying the bartender and headed out with the woman not far behind. The night cool nighttime air had yet to really turn cold until mid to late October to the beginning of November. So, seeing this woman dressed in clothes that were closer to late fall or winter and not sweating buckets said a lot. Maybe she was just more susceptible to the cold? Just because someone lived in Canada didn¡¯t mean you had to have a tolerance for it, you just had to deal with it. Perhaps this was her way.

    Though seeing her dressed in an outfit similar to what she wore when they first spoke to each other, wearing a dark red burgundy turtleneck and a long black skirt that moved elegantly when she walked. She even still had the same shoes.

    While in comparison¡­

    Gina felt like she was inadequate. Being as a person, or as a woman. Nothing she ever did felt right. Unless it was art, but even then, she had no choice but to do that in secret.

    It made her think of Layla¡¯s brother Darcy.

    It was because of Darcy, that Gina wore long skirts, the way he was always so confident in women¡¯s clothes, made her wish she was more like him. Hell, he could even make stiletto heels look easy. Even the woman walking beside her made it all look so effortless, but all Gina could ever do would only be a cheap imitation. She was never confident in herself. Not even to stand up to her parents.

    ¡°I always find the night to be beautiful,¡± the woman spoke, drawing Gina from her thoughts. ¡°Even in the worst of times, walking like this can help clear the mind.¡±

    ¡°You walk around late at night?¡±

    ¡°All the time,¡±

    That shocked Gina. ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    The woman gave her a questioning stare. ¡°How so?¡±

    Was she serious?

    Regardless of how she thought, she still needed to be careful, what if someone wanted to take advantage of her? Or worse?

    And as if sensing Gina¡¯s worry, the woman gave a subtle smile. ¡°I do know that the world can be terrifying, but only if you let it. Of course, not everything can be avoided, sadly.¡± Her gaze went to Gina. ¡°Even still, you shouldn¡¯t let it stop you from living the life you wish, no matter who gets in your way. Including family.¡±

    ¡°Even if your parents are controlling?¡±

    The woman gave a look, a cold one, at least in her eyes as she smiled. ¡°Yes,¡±

    Gina fought off a chill, that one word held so much weight.

    But the slight dull ache in her wrist was a grave reminder of what would happen if she went against someone who she defied.

    But then the woman stopped walking, her attention drawn to something across the street. Gina¡¯s gaze followed only to quickly look away when seeing someone she recognized. Nick was across the street with at least three other men that were of equal stature to him.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    As if noticing this, the woman took Gina¡¯s right hand and quickly walked into a nearby alleyway to avoid them. After a minute, the woman let go of Gina¡¯s hand and asked. ¡°Do you see them still?¡±

    Gina walked the short distance past the woman to peek out of the alley, from the looks of it Nick and his buddies hadn¡¯t seen her. Thank goodness. ¡°They¡¯re gone, I think they went to another bar down the street.¡± She then felt off, the hair on the back of her neck standing up as she looked behind herself to see the woman watching her, hands behind her back. For a moment, Gina felt like the woman was reaching for her, was she only imagining things?

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, it looked like you recognized one of them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I did.¡±

    The woman¡¯s blue gaze rested on Gina¡¯s injured wrist. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±

    Gina paused, the tone in the woman¡¯s voice had changed. She almost sounded angry.

    ¡°I was stupid,¡± Gina admitted with a sigh. ¡°I knew he just wanted me for sex, simple and easy. And I was fine with it, until¡­ until he¡­¡±

    ¡°Until he changed.¡± The woman finished.

    Gina readjusted her bag as her hands gripped the strap tightly trying not to shake. ¡°Yeah¡­ he scared me. Still scares me. And I work with that bastard¡­¡±

    The woman was silent for a moment then merely walked past Gina and back to the main street, silently waiting for Gina to join her, which she did.

    ¡°Did you ever notice anything about that man? Something you may originally have ignored in the past? Something you thought wasn¡¯t important?¡±

    Gina thought about it, nothing overly apparent came to mind. Although¡­ ¡°He always seemed to look at other women, like he was judging them based on their appearance. Like he¡¯s giving them approval or finds them ugly.¡±

    ¡°And when he¡¯s working with children?¡±

    She thought about it. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s anything, but I¡¯ve seen him trying to talk with Amalie.¡±

    She scowled. ¡°The radio host¡¯s daughter? Whatever for?¡±

    Gina shrugged. ¡°I have no clue, I asked Nick once, but he brushed it off as wanting to try and get her to join in group activities. But she always avoids him, I think she dislikes him.¡± Gina gave a short laugh. ¡°She has way better instincts than me, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°It might not just be her,¡± the woman offered. ¡°There could also be others that might be too scared to say anything out loud. Or even act aggressively because they can¡¯t say what they want with words. Or might not be believed.¡±

    The moment the woman said that Gina immediately thought of Mia. She might also have had issues with Nick at some point too.

    I¡¯ll have to check tomorrow before class starts and keep a better eye on the students. Though she was no detective, Gina hoped to try and gain a better understanding of her students before something terrible happened.

    No, before something terrible happened again. After all, one student who moved away drowned not long after. The final moments for that boy must have been painful.

    And Amalie, Amalie seemed to be aware of it all. She was the type to merely watch and listen, so she must have heard something from those gossiping teachers.

    If only she¡¯d come back to school.

    Gina sighed; overthinking would do nothing to help with the situation. So, she sought to change the topic off of her for a bit. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you something about your job?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak of current jobs, but sure. What would you like to know?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the most interesting thing you¡¯ve worked on with collectors?¡±

    The woman pondered that. ¡°The most interesting thing I¡¯ve worked on¡­¡± she repeated. ¡°Hmmm, well, there are several. Although out of all of them, there was one particular job that does come to mind.¡±

    ¡°Was it a painting of some kind?¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you perceptive, but this particular painting holds more deathly connotations than others.¡± When Gina looked at the woman with a perplexed expression she continued. ¡°It, along with others in this collection, was done by an unknown artist. But this artist was known for doing something unique.¡±

    ¡°What would that be?¡±

    ¡°This artist would have blood mixed in with the paints.¡±

    Gina grew wide. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not the bad part I was referring to.¡± She said plainly as she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Many pieces of art have human blood or other bodily liquids in the paint itself. Not all, but over time, and with the growth of technology, many old historical paintings have found blood within the paint. It¡¯s even something that goes as far back as 20,000 years, when those of our ancestors painted on cave walls what they saw be it animal, human, or preserved as a god, using their own blood to make such vibrant colours that still last to this very day.¡±

    Gina knew of this; she did manage to sneak in an art history course while convincing her parents it was so she could have more knowledge for teaching. It was clearly a lie, but they didn¡¯t know any better.

    But something about this didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°Wait, you said so yourself that artists use their own blood, or whatever else in their artwork, if that¡¯s something, albeit not always done, what¡¯s so special about this artist?¡±

    There was a moment of silence, then the woman smiled, and for whatever reason, it was almost a knowing type of smile.

    ¡°These paintings in question were from the 1800s, the painter¡¯s only been identified as Newt, he, or she, or however they identified, always had a newt in the paintings regardless of the scene. It was discovered that Newt would use blood in their paintings. But, strangely enough, there were several different blood types.¡±

    Gina was silent for a moment. ¡°Is this Newt possibly a Chimera?¡±

    A Chimera, while also seen in fantasy novels and Greek mythology, was also very, very real that existed in the world. But not in the way some people would think.

    Human beings who are Chimera¡¯s are those who have two sets of DNA. Not from the father or mother, but from a third. That is with fraternal twins and one embryo dies very early on and the other embryo absorbs its twin¡¯s cells. Some would find that morbid or disgusting, but it could also happen to a person when someone receives a bone marrow transplant.

    ¡°Well, some scholars did think that, at first. Until they tested different paints and found that there were not two blood types, but five. O positive, A negative, AB positive, B negative and O negative.¡±

    Gina had a sudden sense of foreboding. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that Newt most likely took blood from other people, not themself. And that brought on even greater questions, some think that Newt might have been a doctor, but given that blood transfusions were still a work in progress, some came to a ghastlier idea.¡± The woman leaned in close and practically whispered in Gina¡¯s ear even though the street was almost devoid of people. ¡°That the painter, Newt, was really a serial killer.¡±

    Gina shuddered. ¡°Do you think they were?¡±

    ¡°Whose to say?¡± the woman said with a shrug. ¡°Though if we go with the concept that this elusive painter was indeed a murderer it brings more questions to the table. If more testing were to be done on the paint, and if, one day, we could find out whose blood was whom, their age, gender, race, then it falls to just how many people did Newt actually kill?¡±

    Somehow the whole thing with Nick felt surprisingly tiny in comparison to this. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to know¡­¡± she admitted.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be alone in that, though, because of such notoriety those paintings are now worth a small fortune.¡±

    That didn¡¯t surprise Gina in the slightest, given how so much of the world, for one reason or another, would and could be obsessed with serial killers. Like Carole Ann Boone who married Ted Bundy while he was in prison. Granted, she divorced the fucker but still¡­ That alone made Gina shudder.

    ¡°To some people,¡± the woman continued as they walked. ¡°Artwork drawn by a hidden killer is a marvel and something coveted by those obsessed with the macabre.¡±

    ¡°Do you deal with people who like that rather often?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no. That¡¯s probably the only time, that¡¯s recent, at least.¡±

    Gina didn¡¯t know how to respond but then noticed that they were getting close to her apartment, just at least two blocks away. She hadn¡¯t even noticed since Gina was engrossed in the story the woman was telling.

    The woman then suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Speaking of obsessed, it seems that we¡¯re being followed.¡±

    Gina froze and quickly turned around but saw no one there. When she looked back at the woman with a confused frown, she saw that the woman was looking across the street. Gina followed her gaze only to have a sudden sense of dread. The men that were with Nick were across the street watching them. With rather unsavoury looks on their faces.

    And they began to approach which heightened as her mind entered panic mode.

    But before Gina had the chance to say anything, the woman said something that surprised her. ¡°Your home isn¡¯t far from here; go on, it seems that these men have an interest in you for whatever reason.¡±

    Gina froze looking at the woman in aghast. ¡°What?¡± what¡¯s more, it seemed that this woman knew why they were interested in her, given that Nick was with them not long before.

    The woman looked at Gina with the utmost seriousness. ¡°Go, Ms. Miller. I¡¯ll be fine. I promise. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve dealt with such people with unsavoury intentions.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± she implored. ¡°Go,¡±

    Gina hesitated, but something deep, deep down, told her to listen to the woman and leave as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Good evening gentlemen.¡± The woman said rather loudly to draw their attention as the four men approached her. ¡°Is there something I can help you with? Or... did you want something with a friend of mine?¡±

    One man, who was slightly taller than her looked down at her mockingly as he practically shouted in the woman¡¯s face as she looked at him, and the others with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°You¡¯re her friend? Then you¡¯re a slut just like her, we were told she¡¯d be easy for a good time.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Well then, let me tell you, I¡¯m far more fun than she¡¯d ever be.¡± The woman then did something they found unexpected. The woman smiled at them. But her smile, while they thought was seductive, was, in actuality, rather cruel and calculating with those cold blue eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you exactly what I mean?¡±

    The men laughed, thinking that they would have fun with this particular woman,

    Unaware, that this night, would ultimately be their last.

 Chapter 34 ~~~~~

    The old creaking groan of a fan, the creaking of that lone fan wasn¡¯t powered by anything, it was only moving on its own due to the wind. The sound of the fans squeaking hinges bounced off the dilapidated walls of the abandoned building. Along with the faint dripping of water from rusted old pipes as rats scurried along the ground, moving quickly away from one place, as though they wanted to avoid one area of the building as much as possible. For their animal instincts were on point. There was a far more ferocious beast now within the building¡¯s walls.

    A beast that, against all odds, should have fallen to the hands of those who were physically stronger, but stood firm like a mighty oak that refused to bend. Standing above the now broken crumpled bodies of the very men that intended to insight harm on another for their own enjoyment as they now lay motionless on the grimy concrete floor.

    One, however, was still conscious. But just barely. He rasped through damaged lungs as he slowly bled from internal wounds. The woman that did this did it in a way that would not leave even a drop of blood on the floor. He didn¡¯t even know how, but she had managed to break several bones without tearing flesh. Twisting the limbs so the bones would cause more damage on the inside as their own blood would bring pain and irritation to ruptured organs as the bone fragments acted like slivers of wood in the smallest of places. She made it look so easy when she broke the first man¡¯s arm.

    They thought they could rush her, overpower her with their numbers, and goad her on into leaving an opening.

    But the woman did no such thing.

    Throughout it all, she had been silent. A dead calm, as though none of this mattered to her in the slightest. Like they were lesser in her eyes like they were deserving of this internal torture that might never heal. She didn¡¯t even let them scream, striking their windpipes to stop whatever noise they made into struggling rasps of breath.

    Now the woman merely stood watching them with cold blue eyes that resembled that of a frozen bottomless lake. Peering down at the men with such an intimidating gaze. Eyes that could take one¡¯s very soul and leave them to die in a sinking cesspool of despair.

    The guy that they were with, Nick Green, said it¡¯d be easy, to show that woman, the tiny one with dark hair and glasses, what she gets for not listening to him. That it was her own fault. But he clearly didn¡¯t know about the other woman.

    She wasn¡¯t a woman.

    But a monster.

    A demon.

    They were lucky that she didn¡¯t kill them.

    One watched as the woman then turned and silently picked up her bag and left, without an iota of remorse on her expressionless face, as though nothing had ever happened. With only the echo of her heels accompanying her throughout the building before fading altogether in the dead of night, leaving the men their fates.

    Be they alive or dead it didn¡¯t matter. They would never step so much as an inch near the woman named Gina Miller, no matter who paid them. That was one man¡¯s promise to himself as his consciousness finally slipped into darkness from the sheer pain of it all.

    *    *    *

    Gina had found herself planted in the center of her couch, unable to move. She had been sitting like that for nearly two hours as her mind swirled with panicked thoughts.

    How could she have done that?! Leave her to deal with those men while she ran away like a total coward?! She should have just called the police! But her mind was too scared to think straight, she just wanted to get home. Even if it meant leaving for someone else to get hurt.

    It made her feel sick.

    Unable to take the growing sense of unease, she shot up from the couch and briskly walked to the front door of her apartment, phone in hand ready to dial the non-emergency number for the police. But before she hit the call button in time with opening the door, the woman stood with the intention of knocking. ¡°Oh,¡± was all she said. She would have said more but Gina grasped both of the woman¡¯s hands to check if she wasn¡¯t a hallucination dreamt up by the growing anxiety in Gina¡¯s mind. ¡°Ms. Miller?¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re okay!¡± Gina nearly sobbed. ¡°I felt like such a coward, leaving you like that!¡± she let go of the woman¡¯s hand only to move closer and examine her, looking the shocked woman right in the eye trying to see if she was hurt. But there was nothing. No signs of injury whatsoever. ¡°How¡¯d you manage to get away? What did they try to do to you?¡±

    The woman placed both of her hands on Gina¡¯s visibly shaken shoulders. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯ll tell you what happened, but for now, may I come in? I think it¡¯d be best to explain this where anyone can hear. After what happened in the street, I believe privacy would be best.¡±

    As if just coming to the realization herself, Gina glanced about the hallway, no doors were open, but the walls were thin enough that anyone could hear. ¡°Sure, of course.¡± She said as she quickly stepped aside to allow the woman entry. ¡°Come in,¡±

    The woman stepped in; the moment she had; her blue gaze immediately went to the walls where Gina had pieces of artwork hanging. ¡°Did you paint these?¡± she asked as Gina quickly closed the front door.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t that great,¡± Gina admitted bashfully.

    ¡°I think they are,¡± the woman stated as though this was fact and not just an opinion. ¡°The colour, composition, and subject matter work together well. You paint wonderful landscapes. Especially the ones you have depicting nature. Are these local places here on Ontario?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, some are from Toronto, others Oakville. There are some really nice creeks, small rivers and wooded areas, as well as Lake Ontario. I¡¯d like to paint other places around Canada at some point.¡±

    The woman looked to a cityscape painting that had shadow outlines of people. Did you paint this too? It looks very abstract, different from the others.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡± Gina quickly stated. ¡°It was by a friend I went to college with.¡±

    ¡°The woman I saw you with, Layla Katz?¡±

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    Gina shook her head. ¡°No, this was painted by her brother, Darcy Katz; you can see his initials there in the bottom corner next to the people sitting on a bench. He was always into anything artistic, like paintings, writing, and fashion. That was his major. A lot of men made fun of him for it, even how he dressed, but he never cared. Darcy did everything he wanted to the fullest.¡± Her smile became a little sad. I always envied him for it.¡± She then snapped out of thinking of her friend¡¯s brother to a more pressing matter. ¡°But enough about the paintings! What happened when I left? How did you manage to get away from them?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special, I just had them follow me to a place and then escaped through a wrought only I knew about and left them to wander around. They¡¯ll probably be stuck there until someone finds them. I made sure to lead them to a place far away from your apartment.¡± She then walked towards the tiny kitchen. ¡°And speaking of, you have a lovely place; do you mind if I make some tea? Do you drink tea, Ms. Miller? If not, I can make coffee.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure, I have tea in the top cupboard. But you don¡¯t have to make it.¡±

    ¡°Its fine,¡± the woman said with a reassuring smile. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve dealt with, I¡¯m sure you would just want to sit down and not think of anything for a while. Go ahead; I can take care of this. Go sit down on the couch.¡±

    When the woman said that, Gina felt exhausted, she had been running on adrenaline since she ran away. Why was the woman so nice to her? After everything that happened, even with how they met for the first time.

    Then a sudden realization filled Gina¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°Hey uh... how did you know where I lived?¡± Gina asked hesitantly.

    The woman continued making tea saying nothing.

    And the silence grew the kettle¡¯s whistle blew as the silence grew, did she finally answer. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± she then turned off the kettle off then faced Gina with two hot cups of tea in both of her hands.

    Gina frowned. ¡°Remember what?¡±

    The woman brought over both cups and handed one to Gina. ¡°This is the third time we¡¯ve spoken to each other.¡±

    Wait, what?

    ¡°When was this?¡±

    A look of something Gina couldn¡¯t place flashed in the woman¡¯s eyes as she gave a tiny smile. ¡°It was three months ago. You were dealing with something; I can¡¯t remember much since your speech was slurred. But the bartender, the woman at the bar had hailed a cab while I assisted. We feared someone might try and take advantage of you, so I waited with you for the cab and the bartender helped you get home.¡±

    Gina scowled, she recalled bits and pieces of that, it was around the time her parents were really pushing hard for her to try and get into some kind of relationship with Alastor. Going so far as to even try approach him at a social event, or even on his talk show trying to get him to go on a ¡°date¡± with their daughter, only to be banned from any host he would have, reroute calls to politely tell them to leave him alone at functions they were invited to by high society. She felt so humiliated by their actions. It¡¯s what led her to drink as much as she did that night out of frustration at her parents badgering. Where she began to lessen contact with them just slightly, claiming it to be because of work.

    ¡°Oh god, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Gina said with her face in one hand as she let out a tired breath. ¡°I wish they would just leave me alone and stop harassing others.¡± before taking a drink of the tea that the woman prepared only to become a bit perplexed by the taste. This wasn¡¯t one of hers. ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Valerian root,¡± she then pulled out a small jar of it from her purse and placed it on the counter. ¡°With how stressed you were, I thought this might be of help as Valerian root is known as a natural way to ease anxiety and help with sleep. It¡¯s been used as a natural medicine all the way back from ancient Greece and Rome.¡± The woman looked concerned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I overstepped, I only wished to help in some small way given how stressed you were.¡± She hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t... you don¡¯t have allergies to this do you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Gina said before looking back to her mug. ¡°I¡¯ve had this before but it was years ago. The artist I mentioned once before, Darcy? He had me try it once, a long time ago.¡± She laughed a bit. ¡°I thought it tasted like wood. He was so miffed at me.¡± But her smile sobered. ¡°I wonder how he¡¯s doing these days...¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you can ask your friend the next time you speak with her?¡± the woman offered as she placed her mug down on the counter and placed a hand along Gina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure she would be more than willing to tell you where Darcy is.¡±

    Gina looked down at the dark herbal tea as the woman went to look at some of her other artworks.

    ¡°Are all these painted by you?¡± the woman asked.

    Gina took another big gulp of the tea, a taste she¡¯d have to get used to. ¡°A good number of them, yeah, but not all, some are just from local artists I want to support. I think it¡¯s important for everyone to have a voice and express it through their artwork. No matter whom they are.¡±

    ¡°Even a killer?¡±

    Gina paused; the woman was asking that referring back to Newt. ¡°It depends,¡± she admitted. ¡°While I think people should get a second chance, I think there¡¯s a limit. If it was out of desperation and survival, then I can understand. But, killing scores of people? I don¡¯t think I could be okay about it. It may give insight as to why they did what they did, but that could also be because they want clout.¡± Gina shook her head, taking another sip of tea. ¡°I¡¯m not a physiology professor. I don¡¯t have a clue as to what goes on inside another person¡¯s head. And I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever want to. Especially if that person killed so many people. I¡¯d... I¡¯d be too scared to know. I think I¡¯d be better off knowing.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± the woman was standing behind Gina¡¯s couch where Gina now sat, looking at a small painting. ¡°You don¡¯t think you could forgive them? Even if it¡¯s someone you know?¡±

    Gina frowned as she took another sip, feeling a bit sleepy. ¡°What brought this on?¡± she asked, stifling a yawn.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious is all.¡± The woman replied as she kept her back to Gina. ¡°As someone who deals with art, I always wonder what goes on in an artist¡¯s head. Their creativity, their thought process to a piece, and why they paint. The reason behind picking up a brush, or... why an artist would hold a desire to kill so many for the sake of their art.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yeah, I suppose that would make sense.¡± Gina managed to finish off her tea feeling drowsy now.

    ¡°Speaking of, given the amount of paints Newt used, it¡¯s estimated they might have killed over sixty people, but even that is uncertain as there are a number of paintings that have yet to be tested so there could very well be more. Isn¡¯t that fascinating, Ms. Miller?¡± her voice sounded almost far away now.

    ¡°It makes me wonder where they¡¯d put all the bodies if they killed that many people.¡± Gina muttered. ¡°Those paintings are from the late 1800s, right? So, what? Was he like, Doctor Frankenstein, but with artwork instead of trying to bring the dead back to life?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they turned those bodies into art,¡± the woman offered.

    ¡°You mean like Cadavre Exquis?¡± Gina had heard of this serial killer, how they would indiscriminately kill people in batches of two or three and turn the bodies of the dead into artwork. The amount of time to do all that alone was crazy. But then, killing a person and turning them into artwork was insane all on its own.

    Both terrifying, and morbidly fascinating, at least to a degree. But she would never want to meet that person, not ever. At least, if she could help it.

    ¡°Perhaps, or perhaps,¡± the woman placed her hands on the top of the couch, right behind Gina¡¯s head. ¡°They ate the bodies.¡±

    Gina found herself laughing as sleep slowly began to consume her. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not laughing at you. It just seems a bit much to me. Eat them? Why would they do that?¡±

    ¡°For survival.¡± The woman said, not leaving where she stood. ¡°After all, we as people, eat other animals and plants to survive, why would eating another person be so different?¡±

    But again, what would the point be when they had access to food so easily, or did they not at all? Is that why Newt may or may not have eaten the bodies of the people they killed, in order to live another day? And paint with the blood of those they killed as a way to honour those who died at their hands? Or was it to mock the deceased loved ones that still loved? Never to receive answers to what happened.

    Either way...

    ¡°I would feel sorry for them.¡± She found herself saying as she could now barely hold open her eyes.

    ¡°How so?¡± the woman sounded so near, yet so far away.

    ¡°Simple,¡± Gina answered. ¡°Because if Newt felt like they had no choice but to eat people then... they must have been incredibly lonely... to do that, and have one to talk to. We as people need others to survive, otherwise... we¡¯d just go mad from solitude.¡± before drifting off to sleep unaware that the woman was now watching her with an intense stare.

 Chapter 35 ~Ms. Miller~

    Gina opened her eyes the next morning to find herself fresh and wide awake for once. Still dressed in yesterday¡¯s clothes and she was in her bed.

    Weird.

    When did she get to bed? Didn¡¯t she fall asleep on the couch? Leaving her room to try and get her bearings, she spied something that wasn¡¯t originally a part of her place. On the kitchen counter was a small glass jar with some kind of dried herb inside. And a note.

    I apologize for bothering you so late, but when you fell asleep, I felt like you would be more comfortable in your bed than on the couch. I hope the coming day reveals what you wish to do for yourself. Take care of your injury and try not to push yourself too hard.

    Sleep well, Ms. Miller.

    Like a bullet fired from a gun, Gina recalled everything. The hospital, the bar, running into the woman, and seeing Nick with a bunch of other men before that woman helped her. Then that same woman gave her this tea to calm her nerves. It put her to sleep like a rock. But still tasted like wood. Not really to her taste, but if it helped that much, surely it was good for her.

    Then a second thought came to mind.

    I forgot to ask her name again...! Gah, I¡¯m an idiot.

    But what the woman did for her was one that Gina would never forget, or be able to repay. That she was sure of.

    Leaving the note where she found it, Gina went to get dressed, but instead of wearing a skirt, this time, she decided to wear something else, after what happened on the street and earlier that day, she didn¡¯t want anyone to think they could do what they wanted easily.

    Keeping her hair in a bun and wearing comfortable jeans and a long-sleeved white cotton shirt, she placed on her glasses and grabbed her things for class.

    Wearing running shoes instead of flats, because if she had to run, she at least wanted it to be easier on her and not the one who was trying to catch her.

    Upon reaching school, Gina headed to the faculty office, where a few teachers, the ones she didn¡¯t like, were there gossiping with each other about some mundane things. Not that she cared in the slightest.

    ¡°Oh, Ms. Miller!¡± one of them proclaimed when she walked past in silence. ¡°You look different today; did you do something with your hair?¡±

    Was she serious?

    ¡°No,¡± Gina replied as she put away her lunch. ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed with my hair.¡±

    ¡°But you seem different,¡± the other added. ¡°Normally you say hello,¡±

    ¡°I had other things on my mind,¡± Gina says as she walks past them to leave.

    ¡°It must be because of her parents.¡± The first whispered loudly. Which was done on purpose to egg her on. ¡°They came here asking why she hasn¡¯t married; if you ask me, she¡¯s getting a little long in the tooth past marrying age. And with Mr. Hilmarsson no less. A man like him could do better than her any day of the week.¡±

    It worked.

    Gina stopped in her tracks when hearing this. Turned around and walked right up to her, getting into the old woman¡¯s personal space. ¡°Take my advice, Mrs. Klein, if you want to gossip about someone, do it when the intended target cannot hear you. Because if I was a more confrontational person, I would have slapped you for what you said. I¡¯m well aware Amalie¡¯s father can do better than me. But my parents are the ones trying this whole nonsense, not me. I have no interest in the man whatsoever. Say what you want, to whoever you want, like my parents, since you seem so chummy with them. But leave me out of it. This is the only time I will ever tell you because there won¡¯t be a second.¡±

    Mrs. Klein stood there with her mouth agape, Gina was aware that this woman and several others were in her parents¡¯ pockets. Not for money, but in the hopes to gain influence and higher-paying jobs at better schools. As if that would ever happen.

    Gina then turned and walked to the door, stopped and added. ¡°Speaking of my parents, you know they¡¯re just using you, right? Whatever you think they¡¯ll give you, it will never happen. Trust me, I have the misfortune to be their daughter.¡± And then left afterwards saying nothing more. But found herself smirking at the woman¡¯s gasping response, wondering where Gina ever got to be like that.

    A wonder indeed.

    In the past, Gina would have just let the woman say that while pretending to ignore her, but that was two days ago. Two days was more than enough to change at least a small part of her.

    Though in actuality, she just took a page from Layla¡¯s book when dealing with people, and that woman whose name she never got. It wasn¡¯t huge, but it was enough to start seeing a difference.

    And weirdly, she felt good about it. Proud even.

    ¡°Ms. Miller,¡± Madam Andrews spoke spotting her in the hallway before switching to French. ¡°Good morning, you seem to be better, I like the jeans I think they suit you.¡±

    Gina smiled and responded in French. ¡°Good morning, Madam Andrews, thank you, and yes, I¡¯m starting to think that as well. I just figured it was time for a change, and what better way was to do it with my wardrobe? It¡¯s nothing big though.¡±

    Madam Andrews shook her head sending her curly hair about, she was a small stout woman, around five feet in height but with a warm welcoming personality. She was one of the few teachers Gina liked. ¡°Small or not, it can change a person.¡± Her dark brown eyes then noticed Gina¡¯s wrist. ¡°What happened with your hand? That looks painful.¡±

    Gina held up her wrist. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, thankfully. I just have to be careful is all. It¡¯ll heal up in no time. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Madam Andrews didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Still, it must be hard when you want to paint. Oh, speaking of, the painting you gave me has been talked about in my family, my son loves it a lot, even my mother. You have an eye for it. If you ever wanted to be a painter rather than a teacher, I wouldn¡¯t blame you.¡±

    Gina kept her smile, making sure it wouldn¡¯t change or falter, she didn¡¯t want to say something that might upset her. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m glad they like it. Anyhow, I need to get to my class; I¡¯ll talk with you later, maybe at lunch?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see you later, oh and stick with the jeans, they really do suit you!¡±

    As Gina made the short distance to her classroom she stopped when she was just about to reach her door, Nick Green was there, leaning against the wall. But when she got close, his arrogant grin changed to one of confusion. Like he hadn¡¯t expected her to be fine.

    ¡°You seem shocked,¡± she stated as she stood by her door. Key gripped tightly in her hand. ¡°What? Did you think something happened to me when your buddies left you last night?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    She just looked at him plainly. ¡°How dumb do you think I am? I saw you, last night, across the street.¡±

    He scoffed. Still trying to play it off like it was nothing. ¡°Gina, I think you¡¯re confused, that wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    Yeah, okay. ¡°Sure, and I don¡¯t have a fracture from where you grabbed me,¡± she held up her braced wrist. ¡°Or did this not happen too?¡±

    Nick didn¡¯t say a word as she unlocked her classroom door. ¡°Nice friends you have, by the way. I didn¡¯t hear much, thankfully. But I know they said I was a ¡®slut¡¯ and that I¡¯m ¡®easy¡¯ and that you sent them. I know the sex was only for connivance between you and me, but the shit you pulled I don¡¯t stand for.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Go fuck yourself with a bargepole, you bastard. Never come near me again.¡± Then entered her classroom and locked the door behind her before he had the chance to say or do anything else.

    Verbal confrontations were one thing, physical ones were another.

    She could only do so much, after all.

    * * *

    Thursday was pretty much the same as yesterday, with a few differences, Nick had seemingly left her alone, which was good, and the teachers that would gossip openly behind her back would now scurry off when seeing her, it seems word got out quickly that if they kept it up, then Gina would respond with violence.

    Not that she actually would, she just wanted to be left alone.

    The other was that Mia hadn¡¯t come to school that day. Gina worried it might have something to do with the girl¡¯s parents. But without definitive proof, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. Though, even if she had proof, Gina doubted the principal would hear her out. Especially after he threw her under the bus for something he knew about as well.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Gina hoped to try and speak to the girl, she had tried with Mia¡¯s friends. Though, Jill, in particular, seemed to be a bit more distant than before. Not interested in anything recently, not her friends, school, nothing.

    That was concerning.

    She had talked to Jill¡¯s parents, and they didn¡¯t seem to know what was wrong. They were thinking of sending their daughter to a therapist to find out what could have happened for Jill to suddenly change like she had. Worried it might be a type of anxiety disorder or even depression but had no intentions to rule anything out until they spoke to a professional first.

    A smart thing to do in any situation. Gina did promise that she would do her best to keep an eye on Jill if anything changed. And she meant it.

    As much as Gina didn¡¯t like children, she didn¡¯t want any kids to be hurt.

    She let out a breath, rubbing her hands over her face, pushing her glasses up to the top of her head before her eyes landed on her cell phone. She wanted to call Layla, to hear how she had been doing, besides when they met up again last night and a phone call here or there, she hadn¡¯t seen much of her old friend. And it made her worried.

    Then a knock jolted from her thoughts nearly jumped out of her seat and looked to the door. Only to see Alastor Hilmarsson, standing in the doorway, wearing a light-coloured dress suit, a light grey vest and trousers, a lavender dress shirt, and dark brown leather shoes. He wasn¡¯t wearing a matching coat, just the vest. Given it was still warm out it made sense.

    ¡°Apologise,¡± he says with a faint smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt you while you¡¯re so deep in thought, I did knock earlier.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson,¡± she said with a bit of relief, thank goodness it wasn¡¯t Nick. ¡°Yeah, no, for sure.  I¡¯ve had a lot of things on my mind lately. It¡¯s okay, you can come in.¡±

    He strode in quickly after she said that, walking towards her desk and placing his briefcase on a table near her desk that was designated for student assignments, opened it, and then placed a neatly finished three-page worksheet of yesterday¡¯s assignments. Gina¡¯s eyes went wide and shot to the man¡¯s ever-smiling face. She didn¡¯t even have to look at the whole thing to know that Amalie finished all of it. For that¡¯s what Amalie always did.

    ¡°You seem surprised, Ms. Miller,¡± Alastor said softly. ¡°You thought she wouldn¡¯t finish her schoolwork?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I just thought that she wouldn¡¯t want to because she hated me.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Miller, regardless of how my daughter feels, she isn¡¯t the type to not finish something once she gets started.¡±

    That surprised her. ¡°Why is that?¡±

    Alastor merely smirked, as though he found her confusion amusing, what a weird man. ¡°There is something that we do in our family, and that is once we make a decision, we must see it through. No matter where that may take us.¡±

    ¡°Where did that start?¡±

    ¡°With my mother,¡± he said. ¡°It was someone she always told me from a young age, and it¡¯s what I tell Amalie now.¡±

    Briefly, Gina wondered what Alastor¡¯s mother was like, given his beauty, she must have been on par with the Goddesses of Old.

    ¡°Anyhoo,¡± Alastor changed the topic back on track. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t take up much more of your time, I know you¡¯re busy. May I have Amalie¡¯s next assignment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She took it out of her bag and handed it to him. Not being aware that she handed it to him with her injured wrist.

    ¡°It looks like I was right about seeing a doctor,¡± he said as he glanced at it. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t a fracture.¡±

    A chill went down her spine as she let go of the paper and grasped her wrist with her other hand close to her chest. It was scary just how accurate he was predicting that. ¡°It was,¡± she all but whispered.

    ¡°Would you like for me to have a word with him?¡±

    Gina shook her head. ¡°No need, I already told him off. As well as telling him that we¡¯re done, I have no intention of being near him if I can help it. The man is an Ass, a total creep, I just didn¡¯t see it until recently.¡± She then thought of Layla, the woman, and even Darcy. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten so tired of people pushing me down. I just want to be me.¡±

    His smile grew. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful thing, Ms. Miller. I wish you all the best with whichever you choose to do going forward.¡± He then placed Amalie¡¯s new assignment into his briefcase and headed to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    Gina smiled. Despite how she initially felt, Alastor seemed to be a good man deep down. Amalie was lucky to have a man like him as her father. Anyone would.

    * * *

    Gina continued her work while ignoring her parents¡¯ calls, keeping an eye out on Jill trying to see if she would be willing to talk, but she wasn¡¯t, she was like a mollusc, tightly coiled in its shell not wanting to come out. Something deeply traumatized this girl but no one was getting through, not even the girl¡¯s parents. Just what in the world happened?

    If Gina asked too many questions, Jill would just run away, none of the others in Mia¡¯s group knew what was going on, and Kaya, who had stepped away from them all didn¡¯t know either. She was just more concerned about Amalie, not that anyone could blame her for it.

    Then, on Friday, something changed. Mia was dropped off at school, way earlier than any of the other kids. The girl looked exhausted, broken. But there didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of injuries. But she looked thinner, and a bit lost.

    Gina was about to call for her, but Madam Andrews did so first. ¡°Mia, why don¡¯t we get you inside, they say it¡¯s going to rain in a little bit. If you¡¯d like, we can get you a snack, you still like apples, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Mia nodded and then followed after her, but not before making eye contact with Gina, causing the grown woman to almost flinch. The look of absolute defeat in such a young girl¡¯s green eyes was soul-crushing. Her parents had done something and no one seemed to care.

    ¡°We¡¯ve tried calling CPS,¡± Andrews told Gina when their classes were together in the library. Speaking in French so that the kids wouldn¡¯t pick up on it. ¡°At least on three separate occasions, but nothing changed.¡±

    ¡°Why? I mean, you¡¯ve seen her. I don¡¯t think her parents gave her any food.¡±

    ¡°I know; it¡¯s why I always pack extra in case I notice a child has nothing to eat. But it¡¯s hard, and there are many that even we don¡¯t see. And that makes it even harder.¡±

    She was right, but the fact that CPS did nothing on three separate times made Gina feel like the world was just a bitter and spiteful place. It wasn¡¯t all the time, she knew that, but there were moments, dark moments that made her think the worst of humanity. And how she wished the whole world would just burn.

    When the bell rang for the third recess, Gina quickly called out. ¡°Mia, can you stay for a little bit please, I¡¯d like to talk with you.¡±

    The little girl looked annoyed but complied, when all the kids were gone, Gina pulled up a chair and sat across from her.

    ¡°I know you want to go play with your friends, but I wanted to talk with you, and see how you¡¯re doing.¡± Mia didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°You were gone these past few days, I was worried.¡± Again nothing. ¡°Did something happen at home?¡± Silence.

    Alright, maybe a different tactic.

    But what? She glanced to Mia¡¯s desk, seeing some artwork peaking out and that gave Gina an idea. A way to open Mia¡¯s heart just a teeny tiny bit.

    ¡°Mia, do you like to draw?¡± Mia looked at her with confusion but nodded. Progress. ¡°I do too. During my breaks, if I¡¯m not eating or watching you kids play I¡¯ll go to the art room and draw something. I always found that doing something creative was a way for me to remove a lot of the anger and frustration I feel. It was a way to help me vent. Some pieces, I never showed anyone, not even my parents. To me, and for many others, art was just a way to help express what I could never say aloud.¡±

    Then Mia asked a question that partly surprised her.

    ¡°Do your parents hate you too Ms. Miller?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±

    ¡°Because you mentioned your parents, and how they¡¯re some of the people you¡¯d never show your art to.¡±

    Did they hate her? It was a question that always bubbled to the surface but one that Gina suppressed time and time again.

    ¡°Yes, I think they do.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t born a boy.¡± And that was something Gina always knew because it¡¯s what her parents always told to her face. Even when she was as young as Mia.

    The next thing that came out of the little girl¡¯s mouth nearly shook Gina to her core.

    ¡°Then you should kill them.¡±

    After a brief moment, Gina answered. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because murder is wrong,¡±

    Mia frowned. ¡°But they hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they did. But killing them would solve nothing at all, they¡¯d be gone and I¡¯d still be hurting from what they did to me. Just because someone hurts you, doesn¡¯t make the pain go away when they die. It might just make it worse.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±

    But Gina did, years ago, when her brother was still here, she thought about killing all three of them for how they had verbally abused her and pushed her to her breaking point. Her brother always mocked and even hit her knowing he could get away with it. When she realized such a part of her existed, it scared her so bad she went to live in the college dorms. She didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone; she just wanted them all to leave her alone. She never even went home during Christmas or breaks, and in her second year, her scumbag of a brother ran away. Guessing he couldn¡¯t take being in the spotlight with no scapegoat to laugh at when responsibilities began to pile up in what they wanted him to do.

    Then they suddenly wanted her home for the summer, for Christmas, too bad for them, she already had a job and worked while in school. Best three years of her life. How she wished it was for all eternity.

    Gina got off the small chair and knelt to be lower than the girl so that Mia would be looking down at her instead of eye to eye. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been there. Not to the extent you¡¯re going through, I don¡¯t even know what it is, but I¡¯ve been hurt by family enough to the point where I¡¯ve thought about it. You shouldn¡¯t throw your life away for such horrible people, even if they¡¯re your parents. They¡¯re worth nothing to you. People like them, like our parents, are nothing more than pathetic cowards, and you¡¯re better than them.¡±

    Mia then noticed the cast on Gina¡¯s cast on her right wrist and pointed to it. ¡°But didn¡¯t they do that to you?¡±

    Gina didn¡¯t hide her injury, seeing that the girl was being a bit tiny open with her, Gina wasn¡¯t about to slam the door in the little girl¡¯s face to keep something like this private. ¡°No, this... this was done by someone else.¡±

    Mia frowned. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°I got into a disagreement with a teacher.¡±

    ¡°Who.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. She wanted to know as if to confirm or dismiss something that was at the forefront of her mind.

    Gina didn¡¯t want to go into detail but giving Mia a name wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Mr. Green.¡±

    Then something changed.

    Mia began to shake, it was only for a moment, but the look of dread remained on her face. Had Nick done something to her?

    She wasn¡¯t in the principal¡¯s office when the children were taken as parents were called, but Gina had heard rumours that a teacher had done something. All Gina could think of was it somehow did with Nick, which turned her stomach.

    Not wanting the girl to spiral, Gina stood up and offered the girl her hand. ¡°Mia, let¡¯s go outside, if you want to tell me more you can, but I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    Mia seemed surprised but took Gina¡¯s hand and walked with the woman to the playground, thankfully no sign of Nick. Being outside seemed to help relax the girl, and the moment she saw Nancy, she lightened up, let go of Gina¡¯s hand and began to run to her, only to stop and look at Gina before heading off to play. Probably for the best right now.

    With an exhausted breath, Gina leaned on a nearby swing set, this was going to be hard, granted, Mia was someone that could be volatile, but she still liked things like any other kid. And for her to be getting hurt by her family was disgusting beyond all measure. And if Nick was somehow hurting Mia too was enough to make her blood boil.

    But what could she do about that? Be it Mia¡¯s parents or even Nick, given the principal, nothing would change.

    This was going to drive her up the wall in aggravation.

    Though it stopped, momentarily, when Alastor came once again with this same charming smile and many suits that he wore.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Miller.¡± He said as he entered the classroom and placed Amalie¡¯s finished work on her desk. ¡°You seem tired today. Everything alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡± she admitted with a bit of a smile of her own. ¡°How are things on your end?¡±

    ¡°Nothing new, thankfully.¡± Then to her surprise, he went to leave. ¡°Have a good rest of your night, Ms. Miller.¡±

    That¡­ that was different. Usually, Alastor would stay and talk before saying that he would see her the next day, not just leave like this.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Gina shot up from her desk as Alastor had begun to walk away. ¡°Don¡¯t you need the assignment?¡±

    Alastor looked at her with a puzzled smile. ¡°Ms. Miller, you don¡¯t give assignments on Fridays.¡± He then smiled almost slyly. ¡°Have a good weekend.¡± And then left, he said nothing about coming by on Monday to collect anything, which could only mean one thing.

    Amalie would be back.

 Chapter 36 ~Elain~ (Slight Rewrite)

    For the past few days since the whole incident at Kaya¡¯s school, Amalie¡¯s father had asked if Elain was alright keeping an eye on Amalie for a few hours during the day since the girl wasn¡¯t even remotely ready to go back to school yet.

    Not that Elain could blame the kid in the slightest.

    Things at Elain¡¯s home also had their own issues to deal with, from Kaya¡¯s subsequent role in the fight between Amalie and Mia.

    While Kaya felt really awful there was nothing that could be done now with what happened. But with it all, their Mom was a bit different from the norm, they all thought that it had to do with what happened, but their father Jair also gave off the vibe that this wasn¡¯t that at all. the three soon found out why when their mom came to see them one by one.

    Where she told them a story, a story about her life and how she came to no longer speak or even remotely mention her family.

    When Zuri was young, she had an uncle named Charles, he was a kind caring man and loved by everyone in their community. But things slowly began to take a turn when Charles fell in love with a woman named Rose. Zuri liked Rose, but the other family members didn¡¯t, it soon became clear to the young Zuri as to why.

    Roze was of Mexican origin and moved to the United States with her mother to start fresh, but that wasn¡¯t the reason for the family¡¯s hate, it was for the one small factor that Rose could easily pass as being White.

    And it soon came to a head when Charles was murdered in cold blood, by his own father when Charles tried to stop his family from attacking Rose and her mother. They wanted to make it a robbery gone wrong, but instead, instead of seeing the woman who stole their son, they saw Charles instead and in response his father killed him with a knife to the heart.

    Zuri didn¡¯t go into much detail about the crime itself, mentioning that after Charles died, they made it look like a hate crime to try and get the police on the wrong trail. But it didn¡¯t work, thanks to one determined detective, and a young six-year-old Zuri who overheard her uncle¡¯s family talking with her parents about getting rid of Rose.

    Perhaps they only meant to scare her, but in the end, someone died. And Zrui became the family outcast after that. whatever she did, no matter what, she¡¯d be looked down on. The biggest straw was falling in love with Jair before she cut ties and moved across the country to be with him and his family.

    Elain found herself angry at that, angry at the people who killed someone just because of who they loved. It was like it was the 60s all over again where you couldn¡¯t even marry anyone outside of your own race.

    The look on Zuri¡¯s face as she told each of her children what happened, spoke volumes.

    The reason for this was mainly for Kaya¡¯s benefit, simply because they did all they could to keep her away from all the horrible things that happened to Elain, and the aftermath of it. Afraid that it¡¯d only frighten Kaya, but after what happened in school with Amalie, Zuri felt like this was someone that needed to be talked about.

    Elain found a twisted sense of irony in it. So many people claim they want to fight racism, but can perpetuate such racist thoughts when those they know and were supposed to care for don¡¯t agree with their ideals.

    Land of the Free, what a farce. It all just seemed to be getting worse by the day.

    The sudden move to Canada also made a lot more sense now, as both parents agreed it was the best course of action to get away from those people as far as possible, and what better to do that than to another country?

    Most of it was because their Dad had dual citizenship in Canada, which made the moving process a lot quicker than it would have been if they were only American Citizens. And with it, it meant that even the children had dual citizenship, which was good to know.

    All this new information made Elain¡¯s head spin, but even still, she was glad to have been told, and it seemed to affect Kaya too. Who, after this whole debacle came to light, had been effectively grounded until further notice by the powers that be. Being an angry/disappointed Mom, Kaya seemed to accept this punishment with little to no retaliation, if anything, she just wanted to try and talk with Amalie again but seemed to have no success.

    Later that Thursday afternoon, Elain paused when heading to the kitchen to see Kaya on her laptop trying to look something up. ¡°What are you doing Kaya?¡± she said causing her baby sister to jump in her seat.

    ¡°El!¡± Kaya gasped as Elain came into Kaya¡¯s room. ¡°I... I thought you were looking after Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Not in the afternoons I¡¯m not,¡± Elain stated before looking at the girl¡¯s laptop. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mom say you can¡¯t go online unless it was for school? What are you trying to look up?¡±

    With a squeak, she partially closed the lid of her laptop. ¡°I¡¯m doing research!¡± she said very quickly. ¡°For a school project on¡­ m-missing people! Yeah!¡±

    Elain didn¡¯t believe a word of it. ¡°Kaya?¡±

    She smiled trying to hide what she was doing. ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were being bullied by those kids?¡± Elain asked suddenly. ¡°The very same kids who bullied Amalie, they did something to you too, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    Kaya broke eye contact, making what Elian thought to be true.

    ¡°Kai,¡± she knelt down and placed her right hand over both of her sisters. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything if that was happening?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be blamed.¡±

    Elain frowned. ¡°Why would we blame you?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a bad friend!¡± tears began to form in her dark brown eyes. ¡°I¡­ after the first day of school, Mia, the girl that hates Amalie the most, said something really bad¡­ that bad word. The N-word. She called me that and¡­ and said things about what she¡¯d do if I kept staying near Amalie¡­ it happened every day. And I listened! Like a dummy. I just¡­ I was scared. I know what I did was wrong¡­ but I kept thinking if I just pretended it wasn¡¯t happening that nothing was wrong then we wouldn¡¯t move again.¡±

    ¡°Move?¡± Elain repeated, rather confused. ¡°You thought we¡¯d move?¡±

    Kaya nodded as her shoulders shook along with her voice. ¡°And¡­ even though I haven¡¯t really made any friends¡­ I didn¡¯t want that to happen. At least¡­ not until I apologized to Amalie. But she¡¯s not in school and her dad won¡¯t let me talk to her!¡±

    ¡°Kaya, we wouldn¡¯t move because of that, if anything we would have done everything, we could to help you get out of that situation,¡± Elain tells her. ¡°But we can¡¯t help unless you talk with us.¡± Just like I did when we were still in the States¡­ ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but if something bad happens you need to tell us right away. No matter what, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡®Kay¡­¡± was all that Kaya said in response, she still didn¡¯t feel like she could be open with what happened at school and what led to it. Whatever else this Mia girl kept telling Kaya for over a whole month and a half must have really stuck with her in the worst of ways. Elain didn¡¯t know how to even help her sister out.

    And since Kaya didn¡¯t seem to be willing to talk more than she already had, Elain thought it was best not to push it and take it slow. For now, she changed the topic. ¡°So, you said you were trying to look someone up?¡±

    Kaya wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and arm. ¡°Yeah, I was. Because the person seemed to be really important to Amalie.¡±

    Elain scowled faintly. ¡°What¡¯s the name?¡±

    ¡°Someone named Lauren,¡± Kaya turned back to her laptop. ¡°But that name is so common I¡¯m not sure which Lauren. I looked through our school¡¯s photos online, for the school yearbook. But the only Lauren I saw was a girl in sixth grade and one in kindergarten.¡±

    ¡°Davenport,¡± Elain said, drawing her sister¡¯s attention. ¡°Her name¡¯s Lauren Davenport.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± and went to see what she could find, but Elain beat her to it.

    ¡°She¡¯s missing Kaya,¡± Kaya froze and slowly looked back at Elain with surprise. ¡°She¡¯s been missing since the summer. No one knows if she¡¯s alive or dead. But it¡¯s been in the news that she was being mistreated by her family and an investigation is ongoing.¡±

    The look on Kaya¡¯s face was telling as something clicked into place. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Elain knelt by her sister. ¡°Kaya, I get you feel bad that this happened, that you want to make up to her. But I think it might be good just to give her some space when she comes back to school. You can try and talk to her but only if she¡¯s up for it. Okay?¡±

    Kaya just nodded.

    Elain kissed her sister¡¯s temple. ¡°You know I love you, right?¡±

    Kaya nodded again and Elain just hugged her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell Mom or Dad what you were doing, but you got to be careful. Don¡¯t want the Angry Lioness to come back, do you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± she muttered in agreement and closed her laptop. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ Amalie hasn¡¯t been to school since Monday. And I¡¯m worried. What if she¡¯s really hurt because of me?¡±

    ¡°Kaya, Amalie¡¯s okay now, at least physically. You just have to be patient and wait for her to come back. You can do that right?¡±

    Kaya nodded.

    Elain hugged her baby sister again while silently wondering when Amalie would remain at home, she hadn¡¯t spoken about it, only to say sorry that Kaya was even involved, but it wasn¡¯t Amalie¡¯s fault for that but hadn¡¯t spoken about it since. It made Elain wonder what went on in that little girl¡¯s head.

    * * *

    On Friday, Elain continued to do her morning school work in the Hilmarsson home, an agreement with Alastor would be that she would come in the morning to do her school work and keep an eye on the little girl.

    The first time she saw Amalie after what happened, Elain¡¯s heart sank, Amalie looked so exhausted with the world and her eyes were red from crying, the poor kid. Yet even after all that, Amalie did her schoolwork. Though today, Amalie seemed to have recovered well, there were still signs of bruising, but it was almost gone. The kid had a fast recovery speed.

    Today she was dressed in a black blouse with a frilled collar and long sleeves with a forest green long skirt that had suspenders that stopped at her knees. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a matching green bow and black socks on her feet.

    She was currently sitting on the floor reading a book, she had already done most of her schoolwork and was now having a break.

    Though she looked a little tired.

    ¡°Say, Amalie,¡± Elain spoke. ¡°Do you, want to go to a park near my school?¡±

    Amalie looked puzzled. ¡°Your school?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, get some exercise, and that way your Dad won¡¯t have to drive me to school. Would you like to see where I go to school?¡±

    ¡°Is it far?¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Nope, just a bit of a walk and a bus ride away. Though I should check with your Dad first because just to be safe.¡± She said as she pulled out her phone before looking at Amalie. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± though Amalie¡¯s expression was clear. Her silver-grey eyes were wide with curiosity, wanting to know where Elain went to school. ¡°Let¡¯s see what your Dad says.¡±

    Hi, Mr. Hilmarsson, I hate to bother you while you¡¯re at work but I was wondering if I could take Amalie outside near my school? There¡¯s a park and I thought it¡¯d be good for her to get some exercise and fresh air. If that¡¯s alright, I mean, it¡¯s okay if you say no to the idea.

    Then she waited.

    For only ten seconds.

    I see no issue; all I ask is that you forward me the location so I know where to pick Amalie up. You both be safe on the bus.

    The man could type insanely fast, wow.

    Elain smiled. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re good to go.¡± She then put her stuff away, she was pretty much done anyhow. ¡°Go get your shoes.¡±

    Amalie rushed off but stopped and asked. ¡°May I bring a snack?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Elain said as she made sure she had all of her things in her bag for school before going to the front door where Amalie was all set with a bag of cookies, freshly made, in a baggy for Elain to carry.

    Then they headed off to the nearest bus stop after Amalie locked the front door with her own house key that she kept with her at all times. Amalie had never been on the bus before, so Elain gave Amalie the basics about taking the bus, how to watch for times, and even using apps to see how far the bus was from their current location.

    Amalie seemed interested in riding the bus, seeing so many people on it, while Elain had her take a seat as she stood in front of her, keeping her mismatched gaze on her surroundings while Amalie peaked around looking at people and listening to small bits of conversations. She reminded Elain of a cat with how she looked around and paid attention to the smallest of things.

    When they got off, Elain held Amalie¡¯s hand as they walked, feeling Amalie¡¯s smaller hand squeeze slightly as they walked past people, but also remaining alert.

    Given her father¡¯s status as a local celebrity, her being aware and cautious must have been ingrained into her from birth. Elain could only imagen what that might have been like. Then again, given the incident back in New York, it could have ended up the same way. With the many eyes peering at them with wonder, passing interest or intent.

    It made Elain all the more grateful that they weren¡¯t there anymore.

    * * *

    When they reached Elain¡¯s school, she walked Amalie around the outside of the building, pointing out some of the classrooms that she could recall from the outside. And seeing some students practicing outside for some kind of performance. Amalie seemed amazed at how big the building was, she seemed interested in the history, so Elain told the girl as much as she could remember from when she learned about her new school while still settling in.

    Then she took the little girl to the park that was situated near a wooded area, to Amalie it was more like a small forest than just a part of a park. The playground, while maintained, was still relatively old. The only bright side was that nothing was broken or rusted over. Perhaps the school was keeping it maintained as a number of teachers or students would come here, well away from the trees to smoke and talk.

    Elain had come across this place by chance when her classes felt too overwhelming. Just hanging out sitting on the swing set while looking at the small patch of trees and listening to the leaves rustle in the wind, made things peaceful. It made her feel at ease. She hoped this could help Amalie too.

    ¡°Hey, El!¡± Elain paused when hearing Victoria¡¯s voice, seeing the girl waving frantically with Robin not too far behind. ¡°What the heck are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I could say the same thing to you. Don¡¯t you guys have class?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Vic proclaimed almost triumphantly.

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re ditching,¡± Robin said when they caught up. ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you have online classes in the morning?¡±

    ¡°I do but,¡± she looked to Amalie who was sitting on the swing reading, while Vic then came over and stood on the swing next to the girl and began to make it move with the momentum of her body. ¡°Some things came up,¡±

    Robin seemed to understand what Elain meant, at least by a bit. ¡°So, you¡¯re babysitting your neighbour¡¯s kid for the next little while?¡±

    ¡°For the mornings, at least for the next few days since her Dad doesn¡¯t want her to go to school after what happened.¡±

    Robin looked to Amalie, noting the faint bruising, who was marvelling at what Vic was doing on the monkey bars. ¡°She¡¯s being bullied?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and my little sister got roped into it by said bullies.¡±

    ¡°Oof, that¡¯s rough,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me, though my sister wants to apologize, I don¡¯t think Amalie is even remotely ready given what those bullies said and how it affected everyone, even my sister, who while she didn¡¯t take part, just watched from the sidelines.¡±

    ¡°That must be tough,¡± then Robin eyed Elain. ¡°Are you holding up, okay?¡±

    Elain gave a half shrug. ¡°Life is complicated, Kaya knows bullying is wrong, but she still just¡­ stood by and let it happen. I get that she was scared, anyone would be, but I just wished she talked to us, me or my brother, our parents. Someone.¡±

    ¡°Were you bullied?¡± Robin asked after glancing at Elain.

    ¡°I was.¡±

    ¡°Then you should know it¡¯s never that easy. No matter what, be it being the victim of bullying, or being on the sidelines and roped in by the bullies themselves. Things like that, no matter how simple they sound, become ten times if not a hundred times more difficult to speak up about. Even more so if it¡¯s online with how everything is online now. You can¡¯t just turn it off and ignore it, not anymore.¡±

    Robin had a point, things like that were incredibly difficult, especially just trying to be heard by others. Elain tried to take things into her own hands and look what happened.

    For Elain, it just happened all at once, not a gradual thing that blew up when it went too far. If it had, maybe things would have been a lot like Kaya¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Elain!¡± Amalie called who ran up to her from the monkey bars. ¡°Did you see what that girl did? It was amazing!¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, I missed it.¡± She looked past Amalie to Vic. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I summersault jumped off the top of the monkey bars,¡± she looked to Amalie. ¡°Don¡¯t do that okay, kid?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Amalie nodded then asked. ¡°Um, miss, can I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go for it.¡±

    ¡°Are you and this other person,¡± she said referring to Robin. ¡°Dating?¡±

    ¡°Kid¡¯s pretty on point,¡± Robin said when Amalie turned to them. ¡°Yeah, we are, have been since last year. Why? Do your parents not like that kind of thing?¡±

    Amalie shook her head, sending her ponytail about. ¡°No, my Dad always says it¡¯s okay to love who you want within reason, or not at all if you don¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t feel like you have to because someone wants to. Vivian tells me that too whenever she¡¯s dating a boy or a girl.¡±

    ¡°Is that a girl in your class?¡± Robin asked.

    Amalie shook her head. ¡°No, Vivian¡¯s someone my Dad works with, though she¡¯s on the late-night for the radio. But she¡¯s nice. She¡¯s like a second aunt.¡±

    Both Vic and Robin seemed to stare at Amalie as though a record had halted before Robin asked. ¡°Wait¡­ what¡¯s your last name?¡±

    Not at all to Elain¡¯s surprise, Amalie curtsied to the two of them. ¡°My name is Amalie M¨ªranda Hilmarsson. It¡¯s really nice to meet you both.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s related to the angel!¡± Vic gaped in shock.

    ¡°Angel?¡± Elain asked, very confused as Vic then went on to proclaim that Amalie was one too with how cute she looked making the little girl very confused and telling Vic that she¡¯s not an angel but a human being.

    ¡°Vic¡¯s an Alastor fan.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Elain said in understanding. ¡°Well, he is handsome,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll give him that, though personally, he¡¯s not my type when it comes to dudes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your type?¡±

    Robin didn¡¯t so much as stall on the answer. ¡°Big and muscular, like a bear. And while Alastor is pretty and all, pretty don¡¯t do it for me.¡±

    ¡°But Victora does,¡± since Elain always thought, that while Vic was a bit chaotic, she was pretty with such an outgoing personality.

    ¡°She¡¯s a special case.¡±

    Elain looked back at Vic who then said. ¡°Okay fine, then, how about Princess! Because you look like one!¡±

    Amalie still looked confused but seemed to roll with it. ¡°Sure¡­?¡±

    Vic then went down on one knee with a bowed head as Robin walked up behind her. ¡°This humble servant vows to do what they can to keep you safe!¡±

    ¡°You moron¡­¡± Robin said lightly smacking Vic on the back of her head while Amalie looked confused and flustered.

    ¡°Watch out Princess! The Dragon has come to take you away!¡±

    Robin looked at Vic with an arched stare and placed one hand on their hip. ¡°Why am I the Dragon?¡±

    ¡°You got red hair. That makes you a dragon, that¡¯s just simple logic. Duh.¡±

    Robin scowled. ¡°That¡¯s discriminatory to red-haired dragons you know.¡± Robin then made a stance like they were holding an imaginary staff. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m a sorcerer as well! And for this rude injustice that you have brought, I shall take the Princess!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Vic laughed. ¡°Over my crispy corpse, you will! I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m her appointed knight and as such, I have a great deal of strength boosted by being near her and her angelic presence!¡±

    Robin scoffed. ¡°¡®Knight¡¯ my scaly foot, you¡¯re a Rouge and always will be! You just have an obsession with cute things!¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that?!¡±

    ¡°Um, Sorcerer Dragon, Miss Knight, please don¡¯t fight. Can¡¯t we talk this out?¡± Amalie asked. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want you both to get hurt because of me.¡±

    Elain laughed seeing how quickly they changed their tune and went down to her level to have some kind of diplomatic talk. Then she suddenly felt like someone was behind her. And when a familiar sing-song voice filled Elain¡¯s ears, she knew why.

    ¡°Well, they seem to be having fun.¡±

    Amalie¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Daddy!¡± and rushed towards him as Alastor knelt to receive his daughter¡¯s hug.

    ¡°Hello, my Dear.¡± He chuckled and kissed her cheek. ¡°Are you having fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Hey Mr. Hilmarsson,¡± Elain said as he continued to hug his daughter. ¡°My friends were just talking about you.¡±

    ¡°Whoa¡­ never thought I¡¯d see him in person,¡± Vic whispered, her voice strained only for Alastor to glance at the two. In which Vic merely held up a hand. Trying to act nonchalant and failing spectacularly. ¡°Sup?¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I take it you¡¯re both Miss Ortiz¡¯s friends?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re friends by now,¡± Robin said with a bit of a smug smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so El?¡±

    ¡°Given the fact you guys bought me the largest brownie I had ever seen when we first met, I think it equates to us being friends.¡±

    ¡°Brownie Buds for life!¡± Vic said with glee.

    Alastor gave a small laugh. ¡°So, what were you all going on about angels and princesses? I could hear it from the parking lot and it made me wonder.¡±

    Robin pointed at Vic with a jab of their thumb. ¡°Victoria here¡¯s been calling your kid an angel, but since she¡¯s human, she diverted to Princess instead.¡±

    ¡°Can you blame me?¡± Vic motioned to Amalie¡¯s form in a grand gestuer. ¡°Look at her! She¡¯s totally adorable! Anyone would think that too! Not just me!¡±

    ¡°Vic chill, she¡¯s not actually a Princess,¡± Robin stated, but Elain noticed how Alastor didn¡¯t say anything to that.

    ¡°Amalie, do you want these two lovely individuals to play with you for a bit? I need to speak with Miss. Ortiz.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Robin began only to stop when Vic grasped their left hand and pulled them to the playground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a stick in the mud, come on! Let¡¯s show the little lady the best spot here.¡±

    Robin could only groan in response but complied. ¡°Fine, just stop pulling, you¡¯ll pull my arm out of its socket at this rate.¡±

    Amalie, on the other hand, looked back to her Dad and Elain to see if it was okay, both giving the okay to go which she did leaving Elain and Alastor standing near the park.

    ¡°They seem like wonderful friends, Miss. Ortiz, I¡¯m truly happy for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m happy that I just get along with them,¡± Elain said. ¡°I actually wanted to do something for you as thanks, from before for what you did. But uh¡­ it¡¯s going to take a bit longer than I thought it would.¡± Because I suck at baking¡­

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Elain said. ¡°But I want to.¡± Her gaze went to see her two new friends and Amalie who were showing some interesting spots on the playground. ¡°You didn¡¯t deny it¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon, Miss Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°That whole thing about Amalie being a Princess, I mean there¡¯s no actual way she¡¯s a¡ª¡± only to trail off when seeing Alastor¡¯s slight shift in his smile. ¡°Wait, really?¡±

    ¡°In a sense, yes. Amalie has royal blood flowing through her veins. Not from my side but from her mother¡¯s. The d¡¯Orl¨¦ans family. You may not be aware of this but that line goes all the way to being related to Louis XIV, The Sun King.¡±

    Elain¡¯s mouth was left hanging agape. He was serious, Amalie¡­

    Amalie was royalty?!

    ¡°Although, the family here is considered an offshoot branch, not one with a lot of power as they came here to Canada, specifically fleeing to Montr¨¨al during the French Revolution. Even still, that side of Amalie¡¯s family is very influential and holds a lot of power here in Toronto and Montr¨¨al. And while they don¡¯t hold the title of a King or a Noble, it¡¯s best not to cross them. Well, a few of them. I know at least two from that family that are good people. Amalie¡¯s grandfather and aunt, they¡¯re decent folk. Unlike the others who I¡¯d rather not speak of.¡±

    Elain understood what he meant, but would never openly say it, not after how he revealed what his wife did to him. And somehow, that stupid thing about money made a lot more sense now. Why else would nobles or royals want to have more children if not to expand on their own territories, power and wealth? But these weren¡¯t the days of old, yet there were those that just seemed to be stuck in that mindset no matter the era.

    ¡°Well, I think Amalie, would make an excellent Princess, and a wonderful Queen when she grows up.¡±

    Alastor¡¯s gaze became warm as he looked at his daughter. ¡°I think so too.¡±

    Shortly after Alastor called his daughter, telling her it was time to go home.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she looked to Robin and Vic. ¡°Bye, it was really fun!¡± then went to catch up to her Dad but not before stopping and saying bye to Elain as well. ¡°Bye Elain, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± And then continued to catch up to her Dad.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later, Amie.¡±

    Amalie stopped in her tracks. ¡°Is that¡­ my nickname?¡±

    ¡°Best I could come up with, I hope you like it.¡±

    Amalie turned around with the biggest smile Elain had ever seen from her. Worth the wait. ¡°I do! I like it a lot.¡±

    ¡°Amalie,¡± her father called. ¡°Come now, you can talk more with Miss. Ortiz later, we need to prepare for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Okay, bye El!¡± Amalie ran to her father¡¯s side, still smiling and grasped her father¡¯s hand as they left leaving Elain in the park near her school.

    ¡°No!¡± Vic proclaimed as she hit her fist into the sandy ground. ¡°Our Princess has fallen for the Dark Warlock, we have lost!¡±

    Robin placed a sympathetic hand on Vic¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We were never going to win; such a man is far too powerful for the likes of us.¡±

    You guys are really into DnD. ¡°Maybe you both should shelve the role play until after school, the bell¡¯s going to ring soon,¡± Elain said while pulling Vic towards the school.

    ¡°Damn you curricular schooling!¡± Vic continued while being dragged by Robin. ¡°You shall forever be a menace to our adventures! I will not let this stand!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Robin interjected sarcastically. ¡°You keep telling yourself that, don¡¯t forget that we still have a math test next period.¡±

    ¡°Not the dreaded math! Anything but that!¡± Vic was clearly making a bit of a joke about all this, really just having fun with the whole situation as Robin egged her on going on about stats that they had, something that helped Elain not think about the worst of the world. Yet her thoughts drifted back to Amalie, and the new information she had learned entirely by chance.

    That just put things in a whole new perspective.

    This made all the more sense as to why Alastor was so protective of his daughter, and why he wanted to keep her safe. But perhaps that was always in his nature when it came to Amalie.

    Either way, Elain hoped that things would get better, at least, that¡¯s what she wished, not wanting to see Amalie¡¯s smile disappear.

 Chapter 37 ~Kaya~

    Amalie hadn¡¯t come to school on Tuesday.

    Or Wednesday.

    When Thursday rolled around Kaya began to become really worried, Mia didn¡¯t seem to care one way or the other, and from the looks of things, was now being excluded by the other kids, even when she would get mad, they¡¯d just ignore her. Word spread fast of how Amalie fought almost Mia¡¯s whole group and came out almost unscathed. Some of the older kids joked that Amalie was secretly a superhero given how, Mia, Jill, Nancy and the boys were hurt.

    Kaya did what she could to stay away from them as well as regretted even sticking with them after all the horrible things they said to her thinking it would stop. One boy, Lukas, told Kaya that Mia was going through a lot and while he didn¡¯t know what, it was why she lashed out. It didn¡¯t excuse her behaviour, but it made it understandable.

    There was a rumour that Mai¡¯s parents hurt her, physical abuse as they called it, but she would never confirm it, she would tell the others who asked to shut up and fight them into silence. It was something Mia didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone about.

    But Kaya didn¡¯t care about that, she hated Mia, hated her for dragging Kaya into this whole thing, hated how she left Amalie alone, hated how a part of her just let it all happen. She wanted to just talk to Amalie, tell her that she didn¡¯t mean to laugh. To apologize.

    She even said she wanted to try and find Lauren to make up for it. Even though Lauren was missing as Elain told her the previous day, a person just couldn¡¯t vanish. There had to be clues. There had to be!

    Kaya puffed her cheeks in annoyance, why couldn¡¯t she be like that genius boy detective in Detective Conan or Batman!? If she was smart like them then maybe she could solve it!

    By Saturday, Kaya felt like her frustration was going to hit the roof.

    She felt like banging her head on her desk, but just propped her chin on top of her arms while staring out the window in frustration, she could hear the distant sounds of kids playing, probably from the nearby park where she went with her sister and met Amalie.

    She felt her heart tighten with regret; she should have been better. She always talked the talk of standing up for others, but when it came down to it, she was nothing more than a stinky coward. And she hated that about herself.

    As she mulled over what she could do, she saw Mr. Hilmarsson putting something into the back of his car, then looked to his garden, for a second it felt like he was glancing at her. But that couldn¡¯t be the case since he was wearing glasses. And normally meant that people with glasses had poor eyesight.

    As quickly as she could, Kaya left her room, snuck downstairs and as quietly as she could, opened the front door and rushed outside. Since she was still grounded, she couldn¡¯t go outside or leave her room to eat or use the bathroom because her parents grounded her for what would feel like an eternity. But this was also an emergency.

    And as scary as Amalie¡¯s Daddy could be, this was important.

    ¡°U-um, ex-excuse me¡­ Mr. Hilmarsson?¡±

    He paused when reaching the door to the house and turned to face her. Kaya kept her distance, remaining on the sidewalk. As much as she did want to talk to Amalie, she was still wary of the girl¡¯s dad.

    ¡°H-hi¡­ um¡­ is-is Amalie¡­ is Amalie home, sir?¡±

    Alastor looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°No, she¡¯s currently not. Why? Do you wish to speak with my daughter? Don¡¯t you think enough damage was done?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Just standing by and doing nothing was just as bad as taking part in the actual bullying.

    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± she said as she gripped her pink sweater. ¡°I should have done something to help or stop it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to.¡± Kaya looked at the man, puzzled. What else could it have been that she had done wrong by Amalie?

    It was then that he spoke after a moment of silence grew between them.

    ¡°Why did you laugh when Amalie was being tormented by those children?¡±

    Kaya suddenly felt cold. As though a snowstorm had struck her in the back.

    He was referring to when before the fighting took place. When Jill, Nancy, Mia and the boys, and so many others decided to gang up on her before Jill spoke about Lauren, the girl who disappeared, Amalie snapped in response.

    Never in Kaya¡¯s life had she felt more scared, but what made it worse was that Kaya might have been in part, a trigger for the chaos that took place.

    Alastor let out a sigh as he turned to head back inside. ¡°Kaya you should go home, you shouldn¡¯t let your parents worry. And, I think it would be best if you left my daughter alone.¡±

    ¡°But I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to laugh! I don¡¯t even know why I did!¡± Kaya said before he closed the door, which brought him to pause and open it again. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have, but I did. I didn¡¯t want to but I couldn¡¯t stop even when I covered my mouth with my hands¡­ I don¡¯t know why I did it¡­¡±

    ¡°Involuntary laughter,¡± Alastor told her as he opened the door fully. ¡°Things like that can happen when you¡¯re scared. It¡¯s an auto-response from the body when a person is placed in a great amount of fear. But you didn¡¯t stand up for her, you just let it happen. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s just as bad as those who bully and harm others?¡±

    Amalie¡¯s Dad was right again, it was just as bad. And she just let it happen even though Kaya was always against such things. It was an excuse, Kaya knew that but she was afraid, scared that Mia would say those horrible things again, and she didn¡¯t want to deal with that. She had no friends here, no one she could trust.

    She had Amalie but then backstabbed her in the worst way possible. Still, she needed to fix this somehow, she just needed to talk with Amalie first, then try and go from there.

    Meaning she had no choice but to wait till school started to even attempt such a thing.

    *    *    *

    When Monday came, Kaya waited like she had ants in her shoes, Amalie didn¡¯t come in the morning and wondered if she was going to come at all, but then, after lunch, Amalie was seen in the classroom, putting an assignment on a teacher¡¯s desk. Dressed like she always did, in a long skirt and blouse and flats. With it getting colder the colours became darker, with a long brown skirt, black stockings and matching flats, a dark blue blouse with a red ribbon, her long hair partly pulled back and held in place with a dark red French-Berret.

    The injuries that she had were still visible, but healing well, if anything it made her seem almost more intense with her silver-grey eyes. The other kids who saw her all took three steps back when she looked at them.

    She said nothing to them as she walked past and headed to the library.

    Amalie seemed alright now, yet now, there seemed to be a coldness to her. Like she didn¡¯t want anyone to be near her. Distant and calm, but underneath that calm, there was anger, underlined with something Kaya wasn¡¯t sure of. When she came to school, she seemed to be looking for something. Or someone.

    Kaya even noticed how Amalie was trying to speak with Jill but didn¡¯t seem to go far as Jill just began to cry and a teacher, Mr. McCrea brought her inside to calm down.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Jill had been like that recently, ever since after the big fight, when Jill came the next day, something changed. Kaya wasn¡¯t sure what happened, but it was like all the joy that girl had was just gone and in its place was fear and worry. Like she was scared something was going to get her. She used to love gym class but now didn¡¯t even want to go and would hide in the library.

    Something that she never used to do.

    A bunch of the other kids thought that it was because Jill was afraid she would be made fun of since Amalie took on five kids at once and won. Mia would tell the kids who¡¯d laugh to shut up but it never went further than that.

    Yet Amalie would try and try again to talk with Jill.

    Then, during one recess on Wednesday, Kaya took the plunge and approached Amalie in the hallway. She was wearing a black turtleneck and dark forest green dress with embordered leaves while Kaya was wearing a long white sleeved shirt and dark pink overalls.

    ¡°Um¡­ Amalie? Can I¡­ talk with you?¡±

    Amalie was silent for a moment, something about her was different, cold, distant. Kaya didn¡¯t like it. ¡°If your mom told you to apologize, don¡¯t bother,¡± Amalie said softly as her grey eyes cast a glance. ¡°You don¡¯t care, or mean it, so I won¡¯t accept it. Do what you want with the others. Just stay away from me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop till you talk you me!¡± Kaya yelled from across the hall, but the little girl refused to look back and merely kept going. Kaya stomped her foot in annoyance, this was really important, and yeah, Kaya was a jerk, a big stinky jerk, but Amalie needed to hear her out. What Amalie was doing was weird, yeah, but there was a reason behind it. And that nagged at her. She wanted to help Amalie, as a way to make up for being such a brat. But there wasn¡¯t anything Kaya could do unless Amalie was willing.

    Then, she recalled the teachers, maybe someone, anyone, would be willing to hear her out! She rushed off to try and talk to any teachers that might know what was going on.

    *    *    *

    It was a disaster.

    A complete and utter failure.

    None of the teachers Kaya spoke to knew anything. Or at least were willing to share.

    Meanies.

    This was important and not a single one seemed willing.

    All the teachers were acting like nothing was wrong, well, not all of them, the history teacher, French teacher and homeroom teacher Ms. Miller seemed to be worried about something but weren¡¯t willing to share because they were a bunch of kids.

    Kids weren¡¯t dumb though¡­ well¡­ some of them. Some kids could be pretty dumb, especially the boys, but Kaya felt that it was done on purpose. Dorks.

    But that didn¡¯t matter right now!

    She needed to find someone she could talk to about Amalie, about all of this and how to get the girl to hear her out but also give a sincere apology.

    And she was so immersed in thinking this, that she was suddenly yanked out of her deep thoughts when a bellowing voice called out. ¡°Whoa, Kaya! Watch where you¡¯re going!¡±

    She stopped and looked down; she almost fell down the small number of stairs in the school. Kaya looked behind herself to see Nick Green, grasping her tiny shoulders so she wouldn¡¯t barrel down the stairs.

    ¡°Mr. Green, thank you.¡± She said when he let her go.

    The gym teacher smiled. ¡°Hey it¡¯s no problem, you looked deep in thought there. For a second, I was worried you might seriously hurt yourself.¡±

    Kaya had never interacted with this teacher much. But a lot of kids liked him, Mia didn¡¯t but she would never say why. Still, Mr. Green seemed to know a lot about the other kids, so maybe, he might be able to know how to talk with Amalie?

    ¡°Um, Mr. Green? can I ask you something? It¡¯s about Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Amalie?¡± then Kaya noticed a shift in his tone when he said Amalie¡¯s name. yet when she looked at him the man was smiling at her as he had before. ¡°Sure, what is it that you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kaya began only to stop when other kids began to walk by as well as two older teachers talking gossip. ¡°A-actually, is there we can talk so no one can hear us? It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t want others to know.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a place that I go when I don¡¯t want others to find me. Think of it as my own secret base.¡±

    A secret base?! And it¡¯s in school!! ¡°Really, where is it?¡± Kaya¡¯s eyes shined with interest; she had no idea something like that existed within the school. It sounded so cool!

    ¡°You want to see it?¡± Nick asked.

    ¡°Sure!¡± Kaya then followed after Mr. Green, completely unaware that Amalie was watching them from a distance.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± Nick said when he opened the door to the school¡¯s basement. This was where his secret base was? It didn¡¯t look all that special. Seeing it she remembered Ms. Miller instructing the kids that under no circumstances were any of the kids allowed to go down to the basement. This was told recently. Last week Ms. Miller seemed to have changed, it was small but the kids noticed and since Ms. Miller was spending more time with Mia, and even talking to Amalie since she got back but didn¡¯t get much since the girl avoided her, all the kids in her class listened and avoided the basement at all costs.

    Kaya didn¡¯t know why, but the way Ms. Miller said it, made it sound like there was a monster hiding in the basement that would eat kids.

    ¡°Mr. Green, I¡¯m not allowed to go down there,¡± Kaya told him. ¡°The other teachers said it¡¯s a place kids shouldn¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°Did Ms. Miller tell you that?¡±

    The way he sounded caused Kaya to look at him. He sounded almost angry.

    When Kaya didn¡¯t answer Nick gave an exasperated sigh. Like he was expecting it.

    ¡°Kaya, you really shouldn¡¯t listen to what that old woman has to say.¡±

    Ms. Miller¡¯s not that old though¡­ Kaya thought thinking of her parents, they were just a bit older than Ms. Miller, or at least, looked it. She¡¯d never ask a Lady her age though, it was rude. At least that¡¯s what her Mama always told her.

    ¡°Besides, you were so excited a minute ago, weren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you like secret places? I heard you talk about it with other kids when you play pretend like you¡¯re an adventurer finding a new place to explore.¡± He then walked into the basement, stopping five steps down and holding out his hand for Kaya to take. ¡°I¡¯ll show you that there¡¯s nothing to fear down here. I promise you¡¯ll be safe with me.¡±

    Something about him now seemed weird. Kaya wasn¡¯t sure why, but everything inside herself screamed not to follow him.

    Nick looked back with that same smile that somehow looked different now. Creepy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kaya? Come on,¡± he continued to hold out his hand for her to take. ¡°You wanted a place to talk where no one would listen in, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    She hesitated, yet as her hand went to reach for his, only to pull away out of surprise when hearing the sound of the fire alarm going off. During her confusion as a few of the kids who stayed inside during recess and teachers rushed to get out of the building in an orderly fashion, another hand grabbed Kaya¡¯s, pulling her away from the man. The girl was stunned to see who it was that pulled her away. ¡°Amalie?!¡±

    Without a word, Amalie continued to pull Kaya down the hall, past the other kids and outside school and away from all the other kids playing to go around the corner near the red brick wall where they stopped. Both were trying to catch their breath from running so much.

    ¡°Why did you¡­¡± Kaya didn¡¯t manage to get the rest out when the other girl snapped.

    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Amalie demanded. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t follow people like him!¡±

    Kaya¡¯s shoulders squared off. ¡°I was going to ask him about you! You don¡¯t wanna talk, and he seemed to know all the kids, so¡­¡± the rest of her words fell short when Amalie grabbed Kaya¡¯s shoulder¡¯s tightly and nearly squeezed so hard that her nails could have drawn blood.

    ¡°Never follow him down to the basement!¡± she almost screamed. Her eyes were holding a look of pure desperation, fear and anger. ¡°Never!¡±

    Confusion and shock filled Kaya¡¯s face when seeing how desperate Amalie looked at that moment. But that brought a question to mind. ¡°What did he do?¡±

    Amalie moved away, her back facing Kaya. ¡°A lot of bad things, bad things that I¡¯m not even sure of. I just know¡­ I know that any kid who goes down into that basement doesn¡¯t come back the same. Unless another teacher is waiting or with them.¡± When Kaya didn¡¯t respond, Amalie added. ¡°You know the girl that used to be in your group? Jill? Haven¡¯t you wondered why she¡¯s suddenly alone at recess or lunch?¡±

    She did. Jill was one of the girls who made fun of Amalie but now just went off to be by herself. But she had seen Amalie talk with her, how she would just keep trying with Jill again and again.

    Yet if that was true, why not speak up? ¡°Then¡­ if it¡¯s that bad, and you know, why not tell someone?¡±

    Amalie turned to look at her. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t?¡± her words were heavy. ¡°I¡¯ve tried. I talked with teachers, even the principal. And nothing changes. They don¡¯t believe me. And before you ask, that man has told those kids to keep quiet, or he would do worse to them. They won¡¯t talk. Even Jill, but I haven¡¯t stopped trying with her. No one deserves what happened to her. Even if she did take part in bullying me.¡± Her silver-grey eyes glanced to the ground, seeing a wildflower struggling to remain alive with the coming fall as they could hear the sound of the school¡¯s fire alarm, as all the other students came out with teachers shouting, trying to get the kids in order. ¡°You can try Kaya, but until then, just stay away from him. For your own safety, please. I don¡¯t want what happened to Jill to happen to you too, whatever it may be.¡±

    She then walked away to join her class before Kaya had the chance to speak up, to ask why she never told her dad. He would have believed her, right? He would do something about this, wouldn¡¯t he?

    But the question was, would he even listen to her after what she did to his kid?

    ¡°Tell someone,¡± Amalie¡¯s voice echoed inside Kaya¡¯s head. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t believe you, someone has to eventually, even if you have to scream it.¡±

    Kaya shook her head. No, he would have to, given what just happened, he had to believe her! With that thought in mind, she knew what she needed to do next.

    While the teachers were preoccupied with the students¡¯ Kaya rushed back inside and went right to their classroom and to Amalie¡¯s desk, where she kept her phone, found Amalie¡¯s Dad¡¯s number, and saved it in her phone before putting it back where she found it.

    ¡°Kaya?¡± she jumped when hearing Ms. Miller¡¯s voice looking rather confused and slightly worried. ¡°What are you doing? There¡¯s a fire alarm. We have to be outside, come on.¡±

    ¡°C-coming¡­¡± Kaya said as she kept her phone close to her chest. She took a picture of Alastor¡¯s number and would try calling later, hoping, sincerely hoping, that he would at least be willing to hear her out.

 Chapter 38 ~~~~~

    It had been over a week since I hadn¡¯t come to school. In just one week, everything felt different from the teachers to the students.

    And since I was gone, another kid was hurt, and it was Jill at that. When I realized what happened to Jill, I felt like it was my fault. If I didn¡¯t explode the way I did, if I had held it in like all those times before, then maybe, Jill wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.

    The only reason I knew it was her was because of how she acted now, as compared to before, just like all the other kids who had been hurt by that monster.

    Added to how the class and so many other students treated them after I fought back, Jill was alone. And that left her open to being hurt at his hands.

    It made me feel sick.

    Would he not stop, not even after I called him out in the principal¡¯s office? Did he think nothing could hurt him? That he was untouchable?

    I felt useless. Absolutely useless.

    Angry and frustrated I leaned against the brick wall of the school, feeling the sudden need to smack my stupid head against the brick behind me.

    What could I do?

    Jill was like all the others, too scared to talk, afraid of what that monster would do if anyone knew the truth. Anyone important that is. Since she hated me, I wasn¡¯t important, and no one would believe me anyhow. Just like before.

    I hated this, I wanted to do something. I promised myself I would. Yet here I was, unable to do anything. All because I was a kid.

    So frustrating!

    Why? WHY?!

    Just because I¡¯m a kid, doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t be heard, that I shouldn¡¯t be ignored! Why were so many adults like that? Like my mother? Like my grandmother and uncle?

    No, calm down, acting out would just prove them right and that was the last thing I wanted. I had to do something, and soon. If this went on any longer¡­ then Kaya or another kid might be next¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to think about it. If I did, I might end up picturing it so clearly, as if it were real. If I let my imagination wander too much it may cause others to worry. It¡¯s one of the reasons why Mia didn¡¯t like me because I could easily figure out what was wrong and the possible cause.

    Because of what happened yesterday I managed to get Kaya to play with Lukas, at least that way she wouldn¡¯t be alone. Had I not seen Nick purposely interact with Kaya, making it look like he caught her when all he did was pretend to when he pushed her, my mind started to picture things, things I didn¡¯t want to happen but feared for the worst.

    Even with my imagination, I could always picture things easily, solve puzzles when seeing the pattern, and figure out what I needed to do with little clues in point-and-click games like in Nancy Drew or even when I¡¯d read in children¡¯s mystery books too. It wasn¡¯t hard for me to know who the ¡®bad guy¡¯ would be. But this was real life and not a game or a story in a children¡¯s book.

    I had no special powers I was just good at picking up things quickly from a person or reading, music, language and other things. It didn¡¯t make me special, it¡¯s just how I was.

    I leaned against the school¡¯s brick wall, looking up at the blue fall sky, trying to think of something that could work when I heard something. Something that didn¡¯t come from the kids that screamed or shouted as they played. Or of teachers keeping an eye on them. No, this sound was small as if someone was trying to make it impossible to hear. But with my hearing, I could.

    Someone was crying.

    I followed the sound of sobbing to a hidden spot in the school. Rounding the corner of a part of the outside no one goes to, I saw Mia sitting on the ground, curled up and crying as she hugged her knees.

    ¡°Mia.¡± Her head snapped up, tears running down her cheeks as her green eyes were red from crying. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be by yourself.¡±

    She glared up at me, and I noticed a new bruise peaking up from the collar of her shirt. There were probably more too. ¡°Go away, you freak; I don¡¯t want to deal with you right now.¡±

    It was rare to see her alone like this.

    I squatted down, ignoring her demand. It wouldn¡¯t be good to leave her alone where anything could happen. ¡°Too bad, I¡¯m not going to.¡±

    ¡°Leave!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°No,¡± I said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you alone in a place like this. Something bad might happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Like you care!¡± Mia screamed. ¡°What, you think you''re soooo big because of what you did to Jill and the others and me?! Do you think that changes anything?! You¡¯re still a freak who should disappear!¡± When she said that, Mia shoved me to the ground and started to run away.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first that was hurt by him!¡± I shout. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me. Her green eyes were wide with fear and terror. Like she hoped that I was lying.

    ¡°¡­what?¡± I almost didn¡¯t catch her saying that, with how tiny her voice came out.

    I stood up slowly before looking at her. ¡°I know¡­ I know what you¡¯ve been through. I don¡¯t know all of it, but I know you¡¯re not the first.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know?¡±

    ¡°Jill,¡± when I said her name Mia flinched. ¡°I know that man hurt Jill and about eight others. Making you the tenth¡­¡± Kaya would have been the eleventh if I hadn¡¯t caught her in time¡­ that alone made me feel sick. It made me glad that I decided to keep an eye on her.

    ¡°That many¡­?¡± Mia¡¯s question broke my thoughts. ¡°Even Jill¡­? Then that¡¯s why she¡­¡±

    ¡°Why do you think she left your group and sits by herself?¡± I finish for her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever wondered why I would go talk to her? Or why she¡¯d avoid you or other friends?¡±

    Her silence gave my answer. Then she gritted her teeth and snapped out. ¡°Then, if you know, why not tell the teachers? Why not help us? Why not stop him? Or¡­¡± her eyes went wide as she came to something. ¡°Or did you want it to happen to us? For payback for what we did? Yeah, that has to be it!¡± she pointed at me. ¡°I bet you gloated to Jill. I bet you laughed and told her she deserved it! I bet you¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± I growled back. I was tired of her stupid thoughts.

    She paled; the look I must have given her had to have been scary. ¡°Mia, if I wanted you to be hurt, if I wanted you to be in pain for what you did to me, I can tell you right now that what you went through is not what I¡¯d let happen to you or the others. Trust me. I¡¯d rather burn the whole school down with everyone inside, including you, than what you went through. What¡¯s more¡­¡± I closed the distance so that we¡¯d be inches away as I allowed all of my anger, and all of my hate to come out so she would see it in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯d do it myself.¡± She fell to the ground as I let out a breath. ¡°But despite that, I don¡¯t want to do that either.¡±

    ¡°W-why not?¡± her voice shaky as she looked up at me, no longer as someone she hated, but at that moment, feared. I didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not that kind of person, I don¡¯t enjoy hurting people as you do. I don¡¯t want to become something I hate. Like how you hate your parents for how they hurt you.¡±

    She looked away. She knew that I knew. Maybe it was why she started to bully me, or maybe she thought I didn¡¯t deserve the life I had, thinking it was perfect.

    If only she knew what my Dad was really like¡­

    Now that I think about it, she might have done it to get people to be on her side if I decided to tell others, making them think I couldn¡¯t be trusted.

    ¡°I never told anyone, and not because of what you did. But because I knew you didn¡¯t want anyone to know. Besides, that¡¯s something we have in common.¡±

    Mia frowned. ¡°What-what do you mean?¡±

    I plopped down next to her, something she didn¡¯t expect but didn¡¯t move away either. ¡°Not being believed, knowing something but people won¡¯t listen to you because they think that you¡¯re playing a joke or¡­ they just want to pretend it¡¯s not true. And¡­ I know what it¡¯s like to be hurt by a parent.¡±

    She laughed; she didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Yeah, right, your dad loves you. Everyone knows he would never hurt you.¡±

    ¡°I never said it was my Dad.¡± I let my words fill the silence and what I meant by the unsaid. When I looked at her, her eyes gave me the question of: ¡°What happened?¡± So I told her what she wanted to know. ¡°When I was three, my mom tried to kill me. She always pretended to be nice and sweet, but the truth was that she was mean. Never liked that I looked like my Dad and probably a lot of other stuff I don¡¯t even know about.¡± I raised my left hand to my throat. ¡°Sometimes, I can still feel her hands around my neck like they¡¯re still there. But¡­ my Dad saw, and then¡­ she was gone. I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡± I glanced at her. ¡°Still think everyone should have both parents?¡±

    Mia quickly shook her head.

    ¡°Good, stop telling people I should disappear. I get enough of that from myself.¡± I said that last part under my breath. I just wanted to get it out so I could maybe move past it.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, and leave Lukas alone.¡±

    She frowned again. ¡°I never bullied him, I¡­ I like Lukas. And I told the others that too.¡±

    I knew Lukas wasn¡¯t being bullied, but I did think that what she did to me might have also been because I was with Lukas a lot of the time when avoiding her and Mia¡¯s friends.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± she asked after a bit.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I told the teachers and the principal. Nothing changed¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not your Dad?¡±

    I opened my mouth only for my hands to cover it.

    ¡°Amalie?¡±

    I was going to lie. But I can¡¯t. My Dad hates liars, and I don¡¯t want to lie, but¡­ what if she didn¡¯t believe me? It happened before, of people not believing me.

    How dumb was that? After what Mia went through, what my Dad did, or still did, was something that even she could understand given her abuse.

    ¡°Because he¡¯d do something bad.¡± I managed to say when I lowered my hands. ¡°Really bad. And I don¡¯t want him to. That¡¯s why I kept talking to the others, to get them to go with me, to tell the principal. To record it on our phones and get those who care to hear us out.¡±

    ¡°Jill¡¯s parents would,¡± Mia said. I knew she was telling the truth, Jill¡¯s parents would do anything for her.

    ¡°I know, but she¡¯s scared. Afraid of what he¡¯ll do.¡± I looked back at Mia. ¡°Did he threaten you like he did with Jill?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I know it¡¯s bogus. He¡¯s full of shit.¡±

    I frowned at the word but chose to ignore it. I think that was a bad word adults used. Either way, that word felt sharp and uncomfortable to my ears. I didn¡¯t like it.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know the difference between what they mean. ¡®I¡¯ll kill your family if you talk¡¯? He¡¯s better off just killing me instead. But he won¡¯t because he¡¯s a coward like my Dad and Mom. If I die on accident, they won¡¯t be blamed.¡± She scowled down at the ground and looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Why do I have such shitty parents?¡±

    I remained silent, thinking over what Mia was saying.

    I couldn¡¯t answer her question. And though it wasn¡¯t something I should say, I believed that there were just some people who shouldn¡¯t be parents. I wasn¡¯t sure if my Dad was one of them, I knew he loved me with all he had, but something about it felt wrong to me, and I wasn¡¯t sure why.

    ¡°About what you said, about using our phones,¡± Mai spoke, as I turned to look at her. ¡°Do you think that¡¯d work?¡±

    ¡°It worked to get you guys to stop writing on my desk and locker, didn¡¯t it?¡± Mia flinched, looking startled, she and the other four were called to the principal¡¯s office when an ¡°anonymous¡± video was sent to the principal of them drawing on my desk and locker. They hadn¡¯t done it since I fought them that one time a week ago.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I have something that can help then.¡± Mai said, pulling out her phone. ¡°I ended up recording something I didn¡¯t intend, but¡­ you might be able to use it, on him and that shitty principal. I have a few recordings, should I send some to you?¡±

    I wanted to ask how many she had, but instead, I merely said. ¡°All of it.¡±

    Mia looked surprised only to nod.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I say, as I pull out my phone from my skirt pocket. ¡°Do you think you can also talk about how he acted around you? Or the others even? I¡¯ll do the same.¡±

    She eyed me for asking. ¡°Did he hurt you too?¡±

    I shook my head and she seemed to look a little relieved. ¡°No, but I can tell that he wants to. I don¡¯t know what, exactly, but I know it¡¯s bad, how he looks at me like I¡¯m¡­ food.¡±

    ¡°Gross,¡± Mai said her face scrunched up. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look at us like that, just smug and creepy and says that no one would believe us if we told anyone. Why do you think that?¡±

    I shrugged, I didn¡¯t know, it was just a feeling. If I were to compare my Dad to Nick, well, my Dad looks down on others how they were below him would outwin Nick¡¯s, also because I knew if my Dad was aware, he¡¯d do something really bad to Nick, not that he probably wouldn¡¯t deserve it, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t help but think that it would be too good for him. I wanted Nick to get everything he deserved and live with it for the rest of his life locked away suffering forever. Like the monster he was.

    * * *

    During the weekend I worked on getting what Mia had spoken about in the recording along with what she accidentally recorded with her phone onto a CD, I had four in total. One that I planned to put in place of the CD for the national anthem that our school plays just before our first class starts, the second was on my phone, a USB key and the last was on a computer that belonged to the school that I kept in my desk.

    I had asked Ms. Miller for permission one time we talked during recess. At first, I thought she wouldn¡¯t let me, but to my surprise, she did.

    ¡°Just so long as you don¡¯t take it home with you.¡± Ms. Miller told me. ¡°As long as you do that, I have no problem with you leaving it inside your desk.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really okay?¡± I asked, not sure if I heard her right.

    Ms. Miller looked at me like she was surprised that I was surprised. ¡°Of course, Amalie, and besides, I know you¡¯re a good student. I doubt anyone would have a problem with it either. Just¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°Just whatever it is you¡¯re doing, I want you to be careful. Okay?¡±

    I could only nod and place the laptop in question inside my desk, pushing it to the back and hiding it with textbooks I didn¡¯t need.

    With the recording I put together for the CD I had Mia listen to it on my phone, to make sure it was okay. If it was then I¡¯d see if I could sneak in early and put the CD that was in my locker underneath the one that¡¯s there for the school¡¯s national anthem. I knew how it worked as I was asked to do a reading of Flander¡¯s Fields for Remembrance Day last year, as it was also my birthday which the teachers thought would be extra special. I just thought it was weird but now I was glad it happened since I could still remember how it all worked.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± was the first thing Mia said after listening to it on my phone with headphones. ¡°You actually put this all together. How long did this take?¡±

    ¡°The whole weekend.¡± I knew how to do it thanks to Elain, but I didn¡¯t want her to be dragged into this as well. And I didn¡¯t want my Dad to know either, that¡¯s why I¡¯d never leave any of it on my home laptop. Besides, at a certain point, he¡¯d put it in his office and I didn¡¯t want to risk that chance.

    Mia just stared at me. Before saying with an annoyed look. ¡°You really are smart.¡±

    I gave her the same look back. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d cheat in school?¡±

    ¡°Duh. All rich people do.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t!¡± I snap back. ¡°My Dad always says to do what I can through my own merits! And cheating is wrong!¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok, geez¡­ you¡¯re such a Daddy¡¯s Girl¡­¡±

    I felt my face getting warm. ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡±

    Mia scoffed. ¡°Yeah, you are, my Dad this, my Dad that. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.¡± She gave a sly grin. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad. Hey,¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I ask as I put my phone away.

    ¡°Do you think your Dad could beat mine up?¡±

    I just looked at her. Understanding why she was asking that. ¡°You really hate your dad don¡¯t you Mia?¡±

    ¡°Him and Mom, they suck. They don¡¯t even care¡­ I don¡¯t think they ever did.¡± She then turned to me with a grin. ¡°So? Do you think you¡¯re Dad could do it?!¡±

    No, he wouldn¡¯t fight him. My Dad would kill him. Especially given how my Dad never took kindly to those who would hurt me, and to an extent, other kids. But I couldn¡¯t tell her that, she might just ask for him to do that. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to steer the conversation since the bell rang meaning recess was over. ¡°We should go before the teachers come looking for us.¡±

    Mia scoffed again but did so.

    It was strange, seeing Mia act almost nice towards me, I doubted it would last but I knew that Mia wasn¡¯t a bad person, not really. But I still didn¡¯t like her much, and I¡¯m sure she felt the same about me too. I doubt that would change any time soon.

    When we got back to class though, I noticed something off, I could smell something different in the classroom. Someone had been here while everyone was gone.

    And it was a smell I recognized.

    Nick had been here, but as I looked inside my desk nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. That made me feel a bit at ease since I still had two more classes before the end of school and decided to put it out of my mind as I placed my phone into my locker for safekeeping since I couldn¡¯t take it with me to my other classes.

    When I came back, however, the lock for my locker was on the floor. It had been broken. Panic hit me as I opened my locker but found nothing different. Everything was still there even my phone. Except for the CD, it was broken. Well, not smashed into pieces but it was scratched all over to the point that it was useless.

    A feeling of dread rested on my shoulders.

    Oh no¡­

    I wracked my brain as to how that could have happened.

    Nick must have done that, why? Did he somehow overhear me and Mia? I would have known if he were outside with my good sense of smell and hearing. I couldn¡¯t think of what could have been the cause for him to do this. Unless it was to make me aware that he was on to me because I kept Kaya safe? Was that it?

    I couldn¡¯t understand him, and I didn¡¯t want to. I just wanted to go home for now.

    Yet as I gathered my things to go home, I kept feeling like I was forgetting something, even though I knew I wasn¡¯t.

    It didn¡¯t make sense, I always made sure that I didn¡¯t forget anything. I guess the whole thing with Mia, putting the audio together on the weekend and just keeping up with my school work was making me a little confused.

    It still stuck around when I had finished dinner and Elain came to watch me for the night as I worked on my schoolwork. I did plan to try and check all the audio one last time. But then I realized what it was that had been bothering me so much.

    The USB key that I had attached to the laptop.

    I left it in the laptop inside my desk at school.

    What the heck?!

    How could I forget something so important??

    It was because of Nick. I worried that he might have been snooping through my things I didn¡¯t think to grab the one thing I needed. I looked at the clock on the wall in my room that was in the shape of a sun and moon, as the big hand moved close to eight PM. The school would be closed, no one would be there. Yet, for whatever reason, my mind kept flashing to Kaya, thinking about what would have happened to her if I hadn¡¯t gotten her away from Nick.

    No, I didn¡¯t need to be worried, I had the recording on my phone I would be¡ª

    I felt my heart sink as I looked at the file that should have had the audio file that I had on my phone that I had Mia listen to. It was gone!

    GONE!

    How? It couldn¡¯t have been gone, I wouldn¡¯t have deleted it, it should have been right here. So how could it¡­

    My locker. The broken lock. That¡¯s what it was. He went into my locker and managed to delete the file from my phone and left the scratched CD to distract me. And it worked. Not after all that, it couldn¡¯t have been gone. No, no it¡¯s okay, I still had the USB key inside my desk. I was still fine. It would still work out, my plan was still in motion.

    But is it really safe? My thoughts came through asking myself. Are you absolutely sure Nick doesn¡¯t have the USB?

    Darn it!

    I couldn¡¯t panic! I couldn¡¯t let myself fall down that rabbit hole like Alice. I couldn¡¯t let myself go mad thinking impossible things that I knew nothing about!

    But it remained and grew. And grew. And grew until I could no longer take it.

    ¡°Elain!¡± I ran out of my room and down the stairs, where Elain had rushed out of the living room looking worried. ¡°Elain, I need to get back to school!¡± I tell her. ¡°It¡¯s really important! I have to get something from the classroom!¡±

    Elain looked even more confused. ¡°What? You forgot something at school? Amie, can¡¯t you wait until tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I said it in a way that was a little too loud. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± What if it¡¯s gone? ¡°I need to get it now or else¡­¡± What if Nick took the USB? What do I do then? ¡°I need to get back to school and get it back right now!¡±

    Elain noticing my growing panic gently rested her hands on my shoulders. ¡°Hey calm down Amie, it¡¯s not the end of the world, okay? I¡¯ll give your Dad a call, tell him you left something really important at school and you need to get it back.¡± We headed down to the living room where she grabbed her phone and called my Dad, it rang a few times, about five, he must have been busy with something.

    Then he picked up.

    ¡°Evening, Miss Ortiz, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, nothing¡¯s wrong per se. It¡¯s just that¡­ Amalie left something important at school and wants to see if we can get it back.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so? May I speak to her please.¡±

    Elain handed her phone to me. ¡°Hi, Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Is what you left at school so important you need to go back and get it right this instant?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I tell him. ¡°It really, really, really is!¡±

    ¡°Does it have to do with your locker today?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He was quiet. And as the silence grew, I frowned myself growing worried, that he was going to say no. ¡°Alright,¡± he said.

    ¡°Really?¡± I said unable to hide my surprise.

    ¡°Only you must have Miss Ortiz with you at all times, no matter what. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡± then I heard something else in the background but it was too muffled to catch what it was. Where was he right now?

    ¡°Now,¡± he spoke drawing my attention from the sound. ¡°Please hand the phone back My Dear. Oh, and one more thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond, I just froze. By the sound of his voice, I knew, because he knew. He knew what I was planning. How I wasn¡¯t sure, but it didn¡¯t matter right now. He was letting me go and I wasn¡¯t going to second guess anything for it. ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Good girl,¡± I then handed the phone back to Elain. ¡°I will come to collect you both when I¡¯m finished here,¡± he says to her. ¡°I¡¯ll only be a few moments longer so I won¡¯t be dallying much further with this.¡±

    ¡°So sorry for interrupting your night, Mr. Hilmarsson.¡±

    ¡°No apologies needed, given the situation, these things tend to happen from time to time.¡±

    * * *

    Alastor ended the call with a press of his gloved hand. Well, this was a rather interesting turn. And a worrying one at that.

    Amalie was always so good at keeping track of her things, so for this to happen was a cause for concern, on top of which was that man.

    Nick Green.

    It made Alastor wonder just what it was that caused the tone of worry and concern in his sweet daughter¡¯s voice. He hadn¡¯t heard something like that from her in a long time. Whoever caused that from her, well, he¡¯d have to take care of it. Especially if it was because of Green.

    But first¡­

    ¡°I suppose I should finish with this first and foremost.¡± He says with a smile as he tilts his head back slightly at the sight before him. The sounds of sobs and dripping of liquid could be heard as the thick smell of copper filled the air as he readjusted his medical mask.

    * * *

    Thankfully, Elain¡¯s older brother Nathan was nice enough to give us a ride to the school. Saying he needed a break from his studies to go buy something to eat.

    ¡°Hey, do you want me to stay and wait for you guys?¡± Nathan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Nate, Mr. Hilmarsson will be coming to get us so you don¡¯t have to hang around,¡± Elain told her brother as I went to the front doors of the school.

    ¡°Still, you sure you don¡¯t want me to hang around just in case?¡± Nathan sounded concerned.

    Elain was quiet, I noticed that she was looking at me before answering. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be okay. It won¡¯t be that long of a wait anyhow.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said still sounding unsure. ¡°Call if you change your mind.¡±

    ¡°I will, thanks Nate,¡± but he didn¡¯t drive away, not right away. He merely stayed watching us as Elain walked over to me. ¡°It might not be open,¡± she said, indicating the fact that there were no lights on inside, which was normal around this time.

    I tried the door, and to my relief, and confusion, the door was unlocked. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡±

    Elain frowned. ¡°Huh, how¡¯s that for some luck?¡± she said as we entered the school, she waved to her brother before he drove off. Elain then took her phone and put it in flashlight mode. Lighting our way in the dark hallways of the school.

    There was always something about how scary the school was when it was nighttime. No, when it was dark. I don¡¯t think it had anything to do with the time of day or night. It would be scary even if it was sunny, I think. Even Elain seemed on edge.

    ¡°I always thought schools were creepy at night,¡± Elain whispered to me as we walked through the hallway.

    I stared up at her. ¡°Then why did you agree to come?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d leave you to do this by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a kid?¡±

    Elain shook her head. ¡°No, not because you¡¯re a kid, well, there is an element of that, but that¡¯s not the full reason. No one should be in a place like this alone. Who knows what might be skulking around the corner?¡±

    I looked back up to Elain, even though she was on edge she still came with me. ¡°I think you¡¯re really brave, Elain.¡± I tell her.

    Elain gave a short laugh. ¡°Yeah thanks, but maybe save that for when we¡¯re out of here and you have what you need.¡±

    We picked up the pace and went to my classroom, where Elain stayed not far behind me, keeping an eye on the door as I went to my desk.

    It was the same as I had seen it before going home. Elain commented on how organized it looked as I removed the textbooks and notebooks to reveal the laptop I had hidden. And there, still attached to the computer was the USB. Removing it, I found myself breathing a sigh of ease. Thank goodness it was still here.

    It was strange though, why was my locker broken into but nothing had changed with my desk? Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. What could that mean?

    ¡°You have what you need?¡± Elain asked me as I put the USB into my yellow dress¡¯s pocket that had a zipper in it so I wouldn¡¯t lose it along with my phone already set to dial my Dad if I needed to. Something he always told me to do if I felt unsafe.

    I nodded at Elain but froze the moment I heard someone walking towards our classroom and everything inside me suddenly began to grow cold the moment I realized who it was.

    Nick Green was here.

 Chapter 39 ~~~~~

    Why?

    Why was Nick here? He had no reason¡ª

    Understanding hit me like I had been punched in the stomach.

    Did he plan this?

    My locker, being in the classroom, the CD. All of it.

    Nick wanted me to be here, for me to come back when no one else was around.

    I swallowed. This was bad.

    Very, very bad.

    He did this on purpose so that I¡¯d be here, but why?

    Why was he after me like this?

    For now, I remained silent, the USB was hidden in the pocket of my yellow long-sleeved dress. I¡¯d rather wait and see what he would do than just jump to something that might be wrong. I needed to be careful.

    I gripped part of my dress, pressing my hand to my phone and pressing the number 2 button twice would send a message to my Dad. He told me when he first gave me my phone that if I hit that button twice on its own, it would send an S.O.S. He told me to do this if I ever felt unsafe.

    And I felt that now more than ever.

    ¡°Amalie, what are you doing here? You should be at home.¡± He said while ignoring Elain.

    I gripped Elain¡¯s hand. ¡°I forgot something that I needed to do for school. Someone messed with my locker and I didn¡¯t remember until later.¡±

    ¡°I heard about that. You were being bullied a lot by that girl, Mia, right? I guess she and her group had something to do with that.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond, Mia still didn¡¯t like me all the much, and the same for me, but we ended up on some kind of understanding. I think¡­ she might have been glad that I was trying to do something that others wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°But if that¡¯s true,¡± Nick continued. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±

    My grip tightened on Elain¡¯s hand; his tone of voice changed when he asked about my Dad. It made the hair on my neck stand up.

    ¡°Her Dad¡¯s on the way,¡± Elain said suddenly, drawing Nick¡¯s attention, Elain had kept herself between me and Nick while watching him. Her face was blank with emotion not giving anything away. I knew it was a bad time to think this but she looked cool. ¡°He¡¯ll be here in just a few minutes.¡±

    I noticed how Nick¡¯s expression changed faintly like he was annoyed but it quickly went away a moment later. ¡°Is that so? I thought it was a little strange for her to come with someone else besides her father.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her babysitter,¡± Elain told him as she nudged me to stay behind her as we walked towards the door and into the hallway past Nick. ¡°Excuse us, sir.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s strange,¡± Nick said suddenly causing us to stop. ¡°Is her father really coming? Or are you just lying to try and buy more time?¡±

    I froze, worried about how this was going to go, but then Elain did something unexpected. ¡°I could ask the same thing¡­ it¡¯s strange that it¡¯s just you here. Normally there would still be teachers or cleaning staff but there¡¯s no one. So I can¡¯t help but wonder.¡± Her blue and brown eyes glared at Nick. ¡°Just what the hell are you planning to do to Amalie?¡± she growled at him like an animal. I never heard Elain sound so mad before¡­

    That surprised me even more.

    It even surprised Nick.

    He then ran a hand over his face, like he couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard.

    And that¡¯s when his mask fell off.

    His dark brown eyes became cold, and scary, as he looked at Elain, as though he was no longer interested, who didn¡¯t let go of my hand this whole time. ¡°What gave it away?¡±

    ¡°The way you¡¯ve been looking at Amalie this entire time, you never paid me any mind and just stared at her. Even when you spoke to me. I¡¯ve seen that same look in your eyes before.¡± The way she said that made me feel like it had something to do with what happened to Elain when she was hurt. ¡°Even before that, when I¡¯ve picked her up from school, I¡¯ve seen you staring at her wherever she goes, every time.¡±

    Nick scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve got some eyes; I¡¯ll give you that. You¡¯re a hell of a lot better than the majority in this shithole of a school. Or her for that matter, but she started to wise up. It¡¯s all because of her, maybe if she¡¯d done what I told her I wouldn¡¯t be feeling like this.¡±

    I scowled at the word ¡°shithole¡± I guess he didn¡¯t like this school all that much like a lot of kids that went here.

    ¡°What the heck are you going on about?¡± Elain said but was ignored.

    His gaze became cold as his voice sounded empty. ¡°But do you think someone like you could even stop me?¡±

    Elain then grabbed me, carrying me as she ran as fast as she could to the door that we came in, but found that it was locked. ¡°No¡­!¡± she snarled under her breath, not letting me down as my feet dangled off the ground. She was about to turn, possibly to go another way, but I could smell it. Nick. He had caught up to us.

    ¡°El behind you!¡± I yelled and she quickly moved, avoiding being hit by Nick¡¯s fist, only to grab my upper left leg and kick Elain in the stomach. Her grip on me became loose as the man pulled me towards him, I screamed from the shock of it as he kicked Elain again when she landed on her hands and knees. He clamped a hand over my mouth but I bit him the moment he did that. He was going to take me and I wasn¡¯t going to go down into that basement willingly.

    And I was hit for it, my cheek stung as he staggered away into the classroom near us. It was for kids in kindergarten. The room was filled with big beanbag chairs, soft blocks and small chairs and tables for little tiny kids. The floor felt spongey, making my landing a bit softer, had it been the hard floor, it would have hurt more.

    I gasped for breath, breathing heavily as I could taste copper in my mouth. Like I had put pennies in my mouth. I looked at him, and he looked angry as he shook his hand from where I bit him, he looked like he wanted to hit me or do worse.

    And for a moment, as I looked at him, I saw it.

    I saw myself dead on the floor, lying on the floor between us. Like a broken doll tossed aside. My clothes were ripped, a shoe missing, and my neck was red, I had been strangled, that¡¯s what killed me as my eyes were open. A void of nothing, emptiness, cold and lifeless.

    Is that how he kills me?

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Is that how I die?

    At the hands of such a monster¡­

    Just like with mom¡­

    Yet, with all that he had done, what he wanted to do to me, what he did to Elian. Something pressed in my mind. Something that came out before I could stop myself.

    * * *

    ¡°Who hurt you?¡±

    Nick stopped, freezing in place at Amalie¡¯s sudden words, her gaze boring into him as if she were seeing past his flesh and straight to his soul. He didn¡¯t know why, but for whatever reason, her gaze bothered him. As the rain began to pour heavily, thunder rumbled in the distance.

    ¡°Who hurt you to make you like this?¡± her soft voice cutting through the heavy rain like a serrated knife.

    He could only stare, a brief memory from his childhood flashing in his mind, of his mother, alcohol, cigarettes and men. He shook it off, before laughing.

    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± he had no intention to ask, it just slipped out.

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s all because of her.¡¯ That¡¯s what you said. Did your mom hurt you too? Like mine did with me?¡±

    Wait, what?

    Nick staggered and backed away from her, what the hell was that supposed to mean? The kid was seven for fuck¡¯s sake. Why did her words strike too close to home?

    He was talking about Gina, not her.

    What did it matter, what did any of it matter? Those kids believed no one could touch them, he just proved them wrong, that¡¯s all. If anything, it was their fault, not his!

    ¡°Listen here you little¡­!¡±

    ¡°¡®If only she didn¡¯t exist, I would have been free¡­¡¯¡± he stopped again. She was saying the words that once echoed in his heart which had long died.

    ¡°Stop that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡®It¡¯s their fault, not mine. I was hurt first, they thought nothing would hurt them.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I SAID STOP!¡± he went to strike her but froze when he saw her expression and what came out of her mouth next.

    Yet instead of seeing her in that bright yellow dress, he saw himself when he was younger. Battered, bloodied and bruised, clothes dishevelled and torn with eyes filled with rage.

    ¡°¡®They should all just disappear¡­¡¯¡±

    How? How could this kid, this brat know something like that?

    What the hell was she to make her like this?!?

    This little girl was a monster, she had to be, how else could she have known all that?

    But before she or Nick could do anything else, that bitch from before grabbed him, used some kind of judo move on him to make him let go of the kid and pinned him to the ground.

    ¡°Run Amie!¡± hearing the woman¡¯s voice seemed to snap whatever Amalie was in out of, and she was back to being an average kid. ¡°Run!¡±

    Amalie did so, as fast as her little legs could carry her.

    Nick shoved the bitch off him, she rolled to stand, wiping the blood from her mouth as her mismatched eyes burned with anger. She wanted to kill him.

    As if she could. From the looks of things, she already had one foot in the grave. He had heard from those mouthy annoying teachers, the ones who liked to gossip about everything and anything regardless if it was fact or not, of Kaya and why they had to move, or more specifically who they moved for.

    So this was the sister with some kind of gang ties huh?

    She didn¡¯t look like she belonged in a gang. With how scrawny those arms of hers were, hell even her legs. She didn¡¯t even look like she hit puberty. Well, even if her tits were small what did it matter? He¡¯d easily break her like a twig¡ª

    Only to be taken by surprise with her swift movement and nearly being kicked in the head by this damn woman. She shifted back and kept her distance while remaining in some kind of stance, the Arab bitch knew martial arts.

    Fuck. He didn¡¯t expect that.

    Nick had his share of fights and knew how to take down those through intimidation, a few solid punches or just having to grab hold and squeeze the life out of something smaller until they just gave in. But this girl was different.

    Every single time he tried to grab the bitch she¡¯d just weave out of the way, surprising her with a strong kick to the stomach was out of the question as she seemed to be expecting it. The way she was constantly shifting her feet, practically bouncing, adrenaline pumping as she kept her arms slightly raised, not as fists, but open and ready to grab if need be.

    The look in those mismatched eyes looked at him with anger and determination, a kind that Nick hadn¡¯t seen in someone so young. As if this girl had seen hell and was waiting for the chance to beat the shit out of someone.

    And before he could act, she did, moving in close and going for an uppercut, only to realize too late when he dodged it moving back, that she had taken another step forward and punched him right in the face, the sound of cartilage in his nose snapping and popping from impact. As thin as this bitch was, she could pack a punch.

    Blood leaking from his nose as she kept going, hitting him again, this time hitting him in the stomach, but he managed to grab hold of her, pushing her back before attempting to backhand her, only for the girl to lift her arm and to block it, wrap her arm around his and sweep her feet causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor. But what she didn¡¯t expect, was that the moment he had, he rolled, taking her with him until she was the one pinned beneath him.

    ¡°You¡¯d think I¡¯d let you keep hitting me like that?¡± he said as she struggled, kneeing him repeatedly in the stomach but he didn¡¯t move. Instead, he responded by wrapping his hands around her throat and began to squeeze. Nick had the fullest intention to squeeze the life out of her, but such thoughts were short-lived when she gabbed her thumb into his eye. He screamed and grabbed her arm with one hand and slammed her head into the floor with the other.

    ¡°You fucking bitch!¡± he roared. ¡°Where the fuck you get off, huh? Where the fuck do you think that¡¯ll save you!?¡±

    To his shock, the girl laughed, a cold bitter one as she looked him dead in the eye with her mismatched gaze. ¡°Piss off and die. You pathetic bastard¡­¡±

    With grounded teeth, he gripped her arm, during the fight he noticed how she had been using her right less than her left, she had been guarding it every so often, with her left hand shielding it. Meaning there was an injury that caused it, as it quivered, peaking out of the sleeve he saw a bandage, and when he pulled back the sleeve, he realized what it must have been. After all, he had heard on the news that some chick lost a chunk of flesh from her arm, who would have thought it was the girl that he had pinned underneath him. In response, he gripped the part of her arm, and with a twisted grin, he told her. ¡°You deserve this.¡±

    He then tore off the graph to her arm.

    Elain screamed. A high visceral scream from the sheer force that Nick used, blood pouring from a now open wound as the man seemed to take a great amount of enjoyment in her pain, but even still, she clawed at him with all that she had, telling herself over and over again that she couldn¡¯t let herself fall unconscious. If she did, then he¡¯d go after Amalie, she needed to stay awake, needed to keep him back just a bit longer so Amalie could get out¡ª

    Only for the man to kick her in the chest, causing her to lose what air she had in her lungs as everything around her began to grow dark. No¡­ Amie¡­

    Nick then stood when the girl had gone limp before kicking her one more time for good measure. Fucking bitch.

    He wanted to keep hitting her, bash the teen¡¯s skull in, and more, but he wasted enough time. This woman wasn¡¯t his target. He then left the classroom without so much as a glance at the unconscious bleeding woman as he ran through the halls.

    She couldn¡¯t have gotten far, after all, he made sure the doors were locked from the inside, making it impossible to open for anyone without a master key. A key that Nick just so happened to have, he almost expected to find the girl at one of the few main doors to lead outside, but to his surprise that wasn¡¯t where she was.

    Amalie was in another classroom leading to the parking lot trying to climb out the window after using scissors to cut through the screen.

    The girl was clever, he¡¯d give her that. Shame that he was faster, and grabbed her by yanking her arm and hoisting her up by the scruff of her neck. She made a high-pitched gasp, reaching for his hand trying to get her neck free. It did nothing but annoy him as he made short work to the one place he knew she would never come back out of.

    Alive, at least.

    He dragged her down the stairs to the vast expanse of the basement, closing the door and locking it so she couldn¡¯t escape even if she reached it as she struggled relentlessly in his hold, the little bitch wouldn¡¯t sit still!

    Not that it mattered she couldn¡¯t¡ª

    She bit him again as she let out a feral scream, but this time when she did so, she bit as hard as she could into his forearm. Those tiny teeth pierced his flesh like he was being bitten by a wild animal, not a human being. What the fuck was wrong with this kid¡¯s teeth?!

    How could they be so sharp?

    And these were baby teeth!

    Before he could pry her face off his arm, she kicked him repeatedly. Her feet landed square between his legs causing him to gasp as Amalie kicked him again in the stomach, dropping her as she tumbled out of his hold onto the grimy concrete floor, she scrambled up as he remained prone where he was, that was the second time he had been kicked there.

    Fuck!

    Amalie took the chance and ran, further into the school¡¯s basement. She probably thought she could get out some other way. Just like all the others had before her when they realized they were trapped with him down here.

    Only there would be no escape, especially for her, he¡¯d take his time and show her what he had wanted to do all this time to her.

    Nick found himself smiling at the prospect of that, of what her expressions would be when he¡¯d catch her.

    And now, after all that.

    She would finally be his.

    And there wasn¡¯t a damned thing anyone could do to stop it.

    All the while completely unaware that someone else had entered the school and was now peering down at the unconscious bleeding teenager.

 Chapter 40 ~~~~~

    Nick followed the sound of those tiny running footsteps that reached his ears, the things he¡¯d do to the little rabbit when he caught her in his grasp, how he¡¯d squeeze the life out of that tender little neck before he snapped it like a twig. The look on her little face would bring him sweet pleasure as he caught sight of her.

    There was nowhere to go now. She was trapped.

    No matter where she ran there would be no escape.

    He paused when hearing the loud crash of thunder as it rumbled through. It almost sounded like something heavy had fallen to the ground. It couldn¡¯t have been the door that led to the basement; an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t have been able to force open the door easily, it was far heavier and thicker than the rest of the school. Still, the sound freaked him out, like the roar of a monster announcing its arrival.

    Not that it mattered, he kept going, listening to the sound of Amalie¡¯s steps, only to see something small and dark come his way, slamming into the concrete wall near his head. What the fuck was that? To his shock, he saw that it was a child¡¯s black shoe. The same shoes that were on Amalie¡¯s feet. The little bitch was chucking her shoes at him?!

    Did she think something like that would work?

    That answer soon came when he heard another sound in a different direction, he followed it only to find the other shoe waiting for him and nothing else.

    Nick stopped, then frowned. He couldn¡¯t hear Amalie¡¯s footsteps anymore. Was she hiding now?

    He found himself smiling at the thought, did she think hiding would help her? After all, she was wearing that bright yellow dress, she could be spotted a mile away with something like that, even more so if he turned on the lights.

    He reached over to the circuit breaker that was nearby and went to turn on the lights in the basement. But to his confusion, the lights weren¡¯t working.

    Shit.

    This wasn¡¯t right, Nick had purposely messed with the surveillance cameras the moment Amalie and that bitch arrived. But it shouldn¡¯t have messed with the whole electrical system. The storm must have knocked out the power.

    Thankfully it wasn¡¯t completely dark, and if anything, it would work to his advantage. No kid could stand the dark, especially in an unfamiliar place. He¡¯d just have to entice her to come out. And the best way for that was to mock what they cared about most.

    ¡°You know, even if I don¡¯t find you, I could easily leave you trapped here, no food, no water, and go back and deal with that girl. She told you to run, and you couldn¡¯t even do that right. You could have done anything else but try and climb out a window. How stupid do you think that was? She¡¯s unconscious thanks to you, bleeding out, think they might have to lop off her arm if that keeps up. That is if she lives. Because if I don¡¯t find you, it¡¯ll be up to her, do you want that on your conscience? Sacrificing her so you can just keep hiding? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s selfish?¡±

    Nick intended to keep going but stopped when felt someone watching from above, he looked up to the shelves but saw nothing, no way, could she have somehow climbed her way up without making any noise?

    And the feeling of anger he got, it was in this direction, but there¡¯s no way she could have done something like that.

    Until he heard the sound of small feet, he turned to see Amalie staring at him, with only her black stockings covering her feet. Nick then realized that she must have taken off her shoes on purpose, to not only try and distract him but also to be silent.

    Yet the closer he looked at her, he realized that some of her clothing was torn, had she climbed up the shelves?

    Had been watching him the whole time? Then the feeling that set him on edge, was from her. Was she trying to see if she could find another way out from atop those shelves? What a terrifying little girl. Something like her couldn¡¯t have been a normal human. But who cared what little things she did now? She fell for it and was back on solid ground now meaning she couldn¡¯t get away anymore and was now all his!

    His grin grew only to falter briefly, for he expected to see the terror in her eyes. Instead; he saw anger, a type of rage he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d see in the eyes of a seven-year-old girl. Even better! She wasn¡¯t the type to show fear. Even as her tiny body quaked it didn¡¯t show on her face, it was a shame, he didn¡¯t want to kill her now since he wanted to have more fun with her, but he had no choice at this point. He had to kill her before fleeing the country. Her expression gave him such a feeling of euphoria.

    She was beyond angry with him. Good.

    ¡°Aw, are you mad at what I said, that I¡¯d hurt your fwend?¡± he asked her childishly to demean her, but Amalie didn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s your fault, if you had just gone with me from the start she would have been fine. But don¡¯t worry Amalie, when I¡¯m done with you, I¡¯ll treat her real nice, I promise.¡±

    He expected to hear her shout, a tiny squeak demanding that he not hurt her if only she knew. But instead, what he saw was her little form stopped shaking and followed with it was a look he never expected.

    She was smiling.

    The little bitch was smiling at him.

    ¡°What the fuck are you smiling at?¡± he demanded in anger. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be, not at all. She was supposed to quake in terror, in fear, to beg for her mommy and daddy as he laughed in her face like when he grabbed her. Not this. ¡°Well?¡± he roared as he took a step forward. ¡°What the fuck are you smiling at?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡± Another voice hissed in his ear as he felt something rest on his shoulders, sending a chill down his spine as if he were hit with a bucket of ice water. Before his face exploded with pain and fell to the floor, when he had, he was greeted with more jabs from a steel-toed shoe that kicked him hard in the gullet, causing him to gasp for air. Out of his good eye, he could make out the form of another. It wasn¡¯t Elain. It was a man.

    Amalie¡¯s father.

    ¡°Disgusting,¡± He heard Alastor growl as he was grabbed by the throat and pulled up against the wall, surprised at the sheer brute strength of the lean, slender man to be able to drag a man of his weight. But then if he trained his body for strength and not make his muscles bigger there wouldn¡¯t be a drastic change to his body. Nick never pegged such a man to be a strength trainer. He shouldn¡¯t have assumed but it was too late for that now.

    Through his one good eye, which hadn¡¯t been good for long being punched there a mere second later, he could only see the calm, composed anger that radiated off the man¡¯s body, but his eyes held the violence that threatened to break out. His smile taught as if he were a ferocious animal containing his teeth from view.

    The man gave him more blows to his face, as Nick was too incapacitated to fight back, each time he tried, he just got knocked down more. He could only feel his face swelling up and bruising all over. He wasn¡¯t too sure if his jaw was still intact.

    Suddenly, the blows stopped as the man dropped Nick like a stone. Alastor moved away from his now crumpled form to the little girl. Nick could just barely see through the swells around his eyes. But he could make out the man had turned his full attention to his daughter who had barely moved from where she stood. Alastor knelt to her level and gently, lovingly, cupped her tiny face with hands clad in black gloves as he softly whispered a question.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Did he touch you?¡±

    Dread filled Nick. If he got a beating from just threatening the stupid brat, God knows what else this man would do if she answered truthfully.

    Nick caught her glancing at him, a worried expression clear on her face before Alastor tilted her head back towards him slowly. He covered her eyes from the side like the blinders for a horse so she could only look forward at her father.

    ¡°Sweetie,¡± he says in an almost endearing tone. ¡°I need you to be honest with me. You know I don¡¯t like it when you lie.¡± When she remained silent, hands over her mouth as if to stop herself from saying anything, Alastor leaned forward, his forehead touching hers as he gently pulled her hands away from her mouth. ¡°Amalie, please answer me. Did. He. Touch. You?¡±

    She closed her eyes. Was that an expression of regret? No, he doubted that was it. It was more like defeat as she finally parted her lips and softly said. ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    Then silence.

    Long suffocating silence.

    When the man looked at Nick, it was the most horrifying thing he had ever seen.

    Alastor was smiling, eyes his smile tugged on his features, splitting wide open to show teeth in an almost maniacal grin with his grey eyes filled with fury.

    He looked more monster than a man. Like a demon.

    Alastor looked like he wanted to devour Nick in that instance, rip him limb from bloody limb. But that didn¡¯t happen, instead, he turned his attention back to his little girl, his expression returning to normal the instant he looked at her. His smile never left, not even in his voice.

    ¡°My Darling Dear, I want you to go and wait in the car,¡± he says. ¡°Elain is already there. No need to worry about her at this moment. She¡¯s safe, she¡¯s in the back seat, still out cold, but no permanent damage was done to her.¡± He then placed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Go on now.¡± She scampered away, only to stop and look back to her father merely made a motion of his hand, telling her to get going.

    As her tiny footsteps echoed in the distance, the man slowly stood to his full height, silently waiting for something. It took Nick a minute to realize what that was. He was waiting till he no longer heard Amalie¡¯s footsteps, just how sharp was his hearing? What kind of monster was he facing?

    ¡°Now then,¡± Alastor drawled in a hiss as he made his way over to Nick¡¯s crumpled form and knelt to the broken man¡¯s level, elbows resting on his knees. ¡°I need you to answer my questions, Sir. It¡¯ll do no good if you lie to me, understand? I want us to be completely transparent with each other.¡±

    Another moment of silence.

    ¡°Where did you touch my daughter?¡±

    When Nick didn¡¯t say a thing, too terrified to answer, he was hauled up to his feet, back pressed against the wall and backhanded across the face. Hard.

    ¡°Where?¡± Alastor hissed out.

    ¡°H-her chest a-and thigh¡­¡± It was barely even that when the other girl tackled him to the floor before attempting to choke him out. The bitch. He didn¡¯t even get that much barely even touch of that little brat¡¯s skin.

    Without a second¡¯s hesitation, Alastor dragged the man by the throat towards the back exit door, a metal door that was so heavy and old, caked with rust. Alastor slammed him so hard that Nick¡¯s bones rattled against the old rusted metal. This man was a monster, a demon. No normal person had such strength, yet Alastor made it look effortless.

    ¡°I should kill you¡­¡± he says rather plainly, only to then drop the man, falling to his knees and hands like a dog as Alastor looked down on him as though he were lesser. ¡°Every fibre of my being wishes to do so, so badly. To drain your flesh of blood like the pig that you are. Perhaps with that drain over there.¡±

    Nick¡¯s eyes flicked to the very drain; it hadn¡¯t been used in years.

    What made it all the worse was how Nick pictured it, of Alastor dragging him to the drain, forcing him to kneel with his throat exposed as a knife pressed to his exposed flesh as he screamed for bloody mercy at the hands of such a terrifying being as his throat sliced with a knife to be bled like a pig. Was that how Alastor intended to kill him, as Nick had imagined?

    ¡°But,¡± Alastor drawled in that singsong voice of his that somehow made it chilling to Nick¡¯s ears. ¡°A death for you would be far too quick, too simple. Too easy. After everything you¡¯ve done, I have half a mind to rid the world of your pathetic existence, yet I cannot help but think of something far better for you, especially after what I was told from a rather helpful source. With that in mind,¡± He knelt to the man¡¯s level, grey-silver eyes wide as if to swallow Nick¡¯s soul as his smile was covered with his hand as if deep in thought. ¡°Would you care to know? My pedophilic friend~?¡±

    Before Nick could answer, the old door metal opened, and from where Nick was all he could make out with the swelling of his eyes was that of combat boots as dark blue jeans were inside the neck of the boots the smell of rain filled the air. Someone had managed to pry open the metal door from the other side.

    ¡°Ah, too late. You took too long to answer,¡± Alastor told him as if he got a question wrong on a quiz show. ¡°Now you¡¯re going to find out no matter what. I was going to be lenient somewhat given the history I found of your familial background, but I changed my mind. As did this individual. And really¡­¡± he leaned in close and whispered like a snake flooding his brain. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    Before Nick could respond before he could even let out a scream, he felt a sharp prick in his neck and his head began to spin as he collapsed to the ground. They drugged him with some fast-acting narcotic. And as his consciousness slowly began to fade, he could hear Alastor speak to this other person.

    ¡°Do what you will, but don¡¯t kill him. Not yet, I¡¯m sure a certain someone would be more than willing to have fun with him. You know what to do¡­¡±

    Whatever it was that they were planning Nick greatly wished, that he would never wake up, for he felt the nightmares of his childhood would be far more preferable than what would be in store the moment he opened his eyes.

    *    *    *

    As Alastor walked quickly through the school¡¯s open doors to the parking lot, he saw his daughter sitting in the car, in the back seat with Elain. She wanted to make sure that the teenager was alright. Bless her little heart.

    Tapping the car¡¯s passenger window, he waved when his daughter looked at him through the car window. He opened it, and kneeling, he asked her.

    ¡°What do you want to do, Amalie? Home? Or hospital?¡±

    It didn¡¯t even take her a second to answer. ¡°Hospital. I want to be sure that Elain is okay. She was hurt because of me.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    She nodded.

    He stood up. ¡°Very well, hospital it is then.¡± He then closed the door to the back of the car before entering the driver¡¯s side, looking at her through his rear-view mirror. Seeing that she was already wearing her seatbelt. And even have Elain wear one while the girl¡¯s head rested in Amalie¡¯s lap. His smile grew faintly. She was such a smart girl.

    As he pulled out of the parking lot and began to drive to the closest hospital that he knew of as fast as possible, he had to be convincing after all, he glanced back to see Amalie looking out the back passenger seat blankly and asked. ¡°Is he gone?¡± she didn¡¯t specify what kind.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he tells her simply.

    ¡°Good¡­¡± was all she said, and that caused his smile to grow, showing teeth.

    She really was a good girl.

    *    *    *

    Elain thrashed about, her mind panicked lungs and throat burning, right arm hurting. But none of that mattered. The only one who did in that very instant was one little girl.

    ¡°Amie!¡± Elain bolted upright, heart hammering in her chest, only for her to instantly become dizzy and lightheaded. Grasping the railing of the bed she didn¡¯t recognize as she tried to clear the fog from her mind. Trying to get her bearings in her surroundings. It didn¡¯t look like the school. The moment she looked around she knew precisely where she was.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Miss Ortiz?¡± Elain froze before turning to see Alastor sitting by her side. Dressed in a white dress shirt with a light blue sweater overtop and tanned slacks. She reached for his hand with her right, only to stop and stare at her arm. The bandages were different, crisp and clean. Tears welled up in her mismatched eyes as she remembered what happened.

    As that bastard of a man, no, he wasn¡¯t even that, tore her graph off her arm in response to her trying to gouge out his eye for strangling her.

    ¡°You deserve this.¡± His words echoed in her mind as grief, frustration and anger filled her, as her throat burned with a need to curse the worst expletives she knew of.

    She then shook her head; this wasn¡¯t the time to think about herself. ¡°Amalie!¡± she says, swallowing her tears as she pushes aside her frustrations. ¡°Where¡­ where is she?¡±

    Alastor gently placed his hand over hers, his smile reassuring. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine. Your mother is with her getting looked at.¡± When she paled, thinking the worst, he added. ¡°As a precaution, she wasn¡¯t hurt. She managed to get away as you told her to do.¡±

    ¡°And that man?¡± she asked as he removed his hand from her shoulder.

    Alastor was silent for a moment. A hand covered his mouth as he spoke. ¡°On the run, I heard the commotion when I arrived at the school to collect you both and saw him chasing her. He knew that he had no chance of getting away with what he had done, so he ran to the basement. I chased after him, but he ultimately escaped through an old fire exit.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± she said as her body began to shake.

    ¡°Miss. Ortiz?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she said, her voice shaken and filled with shame as she looked up at him with tears falling. ¡°I should have done more. I should have¡­¡± her words stopped as Alastor leaned in close, gently pulling her to his side and hugging her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He says softly, his words whispering in her hair. ¡°You did everything you could. That is all I could ever ask. You were brave, you were wonderful, and you went above and beyond for my daughter and me. If anything, I should have gotten there sooner, then both of you wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.¡±

    She continued to sob, uttering apologies as he continued to hold her close as he ran a hand through her hair she gripped his back tightly with her left hand, clawing at his clothes as she cried uncontrollably.

 Chapter 41 ~Amalie~

    It took a while for the hospital doctors to believe nothing was wrong with me. Besides the few bruises I got from Nick and the scrapes I got from climbing the metal shelves, I was okay. I had a few colourful band-aids of different sizes; the biggest one was on my cheek from where Nick hit me and a bandage on my wrist and ankle from when Nick threw me and when I landed on the stairs trying to get away from him. the adults wondered how I could even get up there, but it was easy for me. Because even in the dark, I could see easily. I was always able to, for as long as I could remember. Just like my Dad.

    The reason I climbed up on top of those shelves wasn¡¯t just to hide, but it was because of the loud sound I heard when the thunder boomed. I heard something crash open, when I reached the top of the shelf I could see the door was now wide open.

    Followed by my Dad¡¯s smell.

    I knew I¡¯d be safe, it¡¯s why I climbed down. Not because of Nick¡¯s words, but because I knew my Dad was here and wouldn¡¯t let Nick do anything to me.

    When I left the basement, I saw the door and just how badly it was damaged.

    The metal of it was dented with many heavy blows, and the doorknob looked like it had been smashed open with a hammer. But my Dad didn¡¯t have any tools on him and there weren¡¯t any lying around the door either, which meant one thing.

    He opened the door by force alone from his own hands.

    I knew my Dad was strong, really strong, but I didn¡¯t think he could destroy a door so easily like he had. It made me wonder just what else he could do that one else knew about.

    My Dad had stayed with Elain the whole time while Elain¡¯s Mom was with me when I was getting looked at by other doctors.

    Worry clear on her face, fearing what unknowns might have happened to me. But again, besides the bruises I had, there was nothing else. Then the police showed up, including the same two detectives from before. They asked me if Nick had done anything to me. If he had touched me in places he shouldn¡¯t have. I told them what I told my Dad, but nothing else happened. They seemed relieved, but also annoyed, not at me, but at the person who did this. It was when Elain¡¯s Mom was taking me back to Dad that I overheard some other police talking about Nick.

    Nick was on the run from the police.

    My Dad didn¡¯t kill him¡­

    Why?

    He said that Nick was gone, so what happened?

    My Dad looked like he wanted to kill Nick, to make him disappear like all the others, but he didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t understand why he would do that.

    What was his reason?

    Why?

    We made it back to the room where Elain was, a private room so no one else would bother her if someone from the news or nosey people in the hospital were to come by and try and talk with her.

    I didn¡¯t get to talk with Elain right away, since she woke up the detectives wanted to speak with her about what happened to get her side of things. My Dad and her Mom switched places so Elain¡¯s Mom could be with her.

    While we were waiting in the waiting room, the rest of Elain¡¯s family came, Elain¡¯s Dad looked at my Dad who pointed to where Elain was. Elain¡¯s Dad nodded and went faster with Elain¡¯s brother who was carrying Kaya. As Kaya looked at me, I noticed how her gaze shifted from me to my Dad. And I couldn¡¯t help but notice the look in her eyes.

    I wondered how my Dad could have known, and now I knew.

    Kaya told him.

    She didn¡¯t know what Nick was doing, just that it was wrong and that I was failing to get him to stop.

    My Dad must have known about it after I pulled the fire alarm to get Kaya away from Nick. Now it made sense as to how he knew when I asked to go back to school to get the USB. But, why would he let me if he knew?

    I clung closely to my Dad, I couldn¡¯t understand him. But that was probably for the best.

    My Dad hugged me back, running a hand through my hair. I think he was trying to get me to fall asleep, but I just couldn¡¯t even though I knew it was soothing.

    My body wanted to fall asleep, but my mind didn¡¯t. I wanted to be sure that Elain was okay. When Dad put her in the car, he had covered Elain¡¯s arm with a towel. A towel that just kept bleeding while he called the police on the way to the closest hospital from the school.

    When the detectives finished, Elain¡¯s mom came and told us we could see her for a bit but would have to head home soon. When we entered the room, Elain smiled at me, it made my heart feel tight.

    ¡°Elain!¡± I said as I ran over to the bed. ¡°Are you okay? Do you still hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± her voice sounded a bit crackly, there were bandages on her neck, and some peaking out of the hospital gown. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, I¡¯ll be good as new in no time.¡±

    She was lying, she didn¡¯t want me to be upset.

    But it only made me feel worse.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I said as tears began to fall, my hands tightly gripping the sheets of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Elain¡­ I should have just waited¡­ I should have¡­¡± The rest of what I wanted to say stopped when Elain touched my face, the white bandages looked harsh on her skin.

    ¡°No, Amalie, don¡¯t apologize. You had no idea something like this would happen. You couldn¡¯t have known.¡±

    I should have though. I should have known that something was wrong. If I had just thought things clearly, then none of this would have happened.

    ¡°Amie,¡± Elain¡¯s voice sounded hard, as her expression was the same. There was no sadness in her eyes, or anger, or worry, it was something I¡­ no, I could understand. It was determination, a word that meant to not give up or back down. ¡°Don¡¯t go there. You can¡¯t blame yourself for this. As easy as it would be, this is not your fault. The one who is, is the one who caused it, not you.¡±

    That¡¯s right, it was Nick¡¯s fault, he was the cause. ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Amalie,¡± Elain cut me off, as she leaned closer, her forehead nearly touching mine. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think that for one second I regret what I did. Sure, there are some things I wish I could change, like placing a firm kick between his legs. But not for one minute did I ever regret doing everything I could to keep you safe. And if I had to do it all over again, I would.¡±

    My tears fell anew as I reached for her. Climbing the bad to hug her tightly, not wanting to let her go, afraid if I did so, she¡¯d disappear.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± her voice sounded scratchy again as she hugged me, her right arm shaking as her left firmly held on to me. ¡°We made it out alive, and right now¡­ that¡¯s all that matters.¡± I could feel my hair getting wet, she was crying. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re here.¡±

    * * *

    It would be a while before Elain could leave the hospital.

    From what I overheard from Elain¡¯s Mom, Elain¡¯s stitches on her right shoulder had to be replaced, as the wound had reopened from her fighting, Elain hadn¡¯t even noticed it when facing Nick. That something called ¡®adrenaline¡¯ was so high she didn¡¯t even feel the pain, until, of course, Nick ripped off the graph on her arm.

    The police had found it right where Dad told them they would, the reason he didn¡¯t take it with us was because of the damage it received from being ripped off and crushed, it couldn¡¯t be used again. Elain would have to get a new one.

    The rest of her injuries were mainly along her throat, chest, and stomach. From what I heard there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with her insides, that she was lucky. But given her arm, I¡¯m not so sure many would say the same.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    My injuries were much smaller than Elain¡¯s, but everyone kept making mine a bigger deal than her¡¯s.

    Even after talking to a lady whose job was to know about a kid¡¯s mind. A child psy-cho-log-ist, a word I didn¡¯t know all that well, but the lady was nice. She told me that her job was to see to the child¡¯s mind and well-being. She just wanted to be sure I was okay.

    And¡­ I was.

    I didn¡¯t know if that meant something was wrong with me, because I was no longer scared, or if, because I understood Nick, in that small moment, I understood where he came from. It didn¡¯t change all the bad things he did, I still hated him, and I always would, but I felt¡­ sad.

    If that never happened to him, would he have been different? Would he actually be a good person, or was that all just an excuse, that deep down he was always going to be like that?

    Such questions were useless though, it wouldn¡¯t change what happened.

    I would never forgive him. Never.

    From the news on TV the next day, Nick was hiding from the police, and to find him, the police were asking regular people to contact them if they hear anything about him. A tip line was made to keep track of all the calls. A reward of fifty thousand dollars was made to catch him, from what my Dad told me, money was always a motivator for trying to catch the bad people that were running away or hiding.

    I still hadn¡¯t asked my Dad what happened that night.

    I don¡¯t think I could, even though I could tell he wanted me to ask him, I could see it in his eyes. But I wouldn¡¯t. I just¡­ I just felt tired. I felt like I could just close my eyes and sleep forever, and never wake up.

    Part of me wanted that too, to close my eyes and never wake up.

    But¡­ that would never change anything either.

    So I¡¯ll keep moving, no matter what. Even if it¡¯s hard.

    During all of this though, I had completely forgotten about going to school, when I did remember, I realized it had been three days since then. Somehow the school was still open, after everything that happened. But when word got out on the second day, no families wanted to send their kids to school. I couldn¡¯t blame them. Even my Dad kept me home and away from that place.

    But I needed to go back.

    As much as I didn¡¯t want to, I still had questions, and for once, I wanted answers from the people who kept hiding what they knew with the guise of an ¡®adult¡¯.

    I wouldn¡¯t let them use that anymore as their excuse.

    My Dad, strangely, agreed to take me, he had been going to school and collecting my homework when I got into that fight with Mia, but this time hadn¡¯t done any of that and just stayed with me, not asking if I wanted to go back or anything. He just stayed with me.

    When I did ask him about going back to school, all he said was: ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do Amalie, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± I don¡¯t think other parents would have done that.

    I dressed in just a simple dark blue dress with a black long-sleeved T-shirt, my hair pulled back with a black French beret as I wore black flats. I just wanted to wear clothes that would bother any of my healing bruises. As they were already dark but fading along the edges. My Dad always said I could heal quickly. Just like him.

    And when we arrived at a school, from the parking lot I could see some kind of setup with cameras and a lot of people. I guess the Principal couldn¡¯t hide this. It made me happy, only for that feeling of happiness to be taken by anger. The fact something like this happened for even the principal to take it seriously made me sick.

    I wanted to throw up but I pushed it down.

    ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± My Dad asked, drawing my attention away from the growing number of reporters and parents calling out for answers.

    ¡°No thank you.¡± Say as I take the papers from my bag. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± he got out but remained by the car. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here, call if you need me, Sweetheart.¡±

    I just nodded and headed into the school. No one seemed to notice, or maybe they just didn¡¯t care. Either way, I went in and walked past the classrooms. One I stopped at, it was covered with yellow tape, ¡®police tape¡¯ as the door was wide open. Inside that room, the very room where Elain and Nick fought. The blood from her arm was still there on the floor, nothing had been cleaned. It was like time had frozen in that place.

    For a brief moment, I saw Elain, on the soft padded floor, bleeding, her hair covering her face. Even though I never really saw that such images could come clearly to my mind. It was like that whenever I read a story, I could easily picture what was happening as if it were real.

    But this wasn¡¯t a story. This had happened. Was still happening. And it wouldn¡¯t end until Nick was finally caught.

    I kept walking past the room where I tried to escape, and¡­

    ¡°Hmm? Amalie, what are you doing here? You should be at home.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be here in just a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her babysitter,¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s strange, is her father really coming? Or are you just lying to try and buy more time?¡±

    ¡°I could ask the same thing¡­ Just what the hell are you planning to do to Amalie?¡±

    ¡°What gave it away?¡±

    ¡°The heck are you going on about?¡±

    ¡°But do you think someone like you could even stop me?¡±

    Pieces of the conversation filled my mind as if I were hearing all again as I stared down the open doorway to the school¡¯s basement. The door was now gone, and I could see down the dark depths of that horrible place. I then walked away, leaving that horrible place behind, I¡¯m sure the police would find more than enough evidence of what Nick had done down there.

    After I handed my work to the other classrooms, leaving them on the teacher¡¯s desks, the last one was my homeroom class, and when I reached it, I saw no one at all. The chairs all waiting to be filled, and now only echoes filled the halls, but something deep inside me said that wouldn¡¯t happen any time soon.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± Ms. Miller sounded surprised when she saw me in the classroom, I had only come back to the classroom to leave an assignment that was due, and I didn¡¯t expect to see her so soon after what happened. But a question pressed down on my chest. ¡°Why are you here? I thought you were recovering in the hospital.¡±

    The news of what happened spread quickly, though I wasn¡¯t surprised that some of that information was wrong.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t badly hurt. It was the girl who looked after me, Kaya¡¯s older sister, Elain. She did what she could to keep me safe from that monster. I knew he was bad, but no one believed me until now.¡± I adjusted my paper on the top of the stack and looked wherever else but not her face. ¡°It¡¯s almost funny, no one seems willing to hear out someone like me for whatever reason then become shocked when what I tried to warn others about turns out to be true. They¡¯re all hypocrites¡­¡±

    Ms. Miller looked at me with surprise. ¡°You know what that word means?¡±

    I just looked down at the papers that needed to be marked, but I knew, these wouldn¡¯t be, at least, not for a while. I moved away from her desk to my own, the old marks of what the bullies had done were all but gone now, but a few remained from the permanent marker. ¡°It¡¯s a word I learned recently,¡± I say as I run my hand over my desk. ¡°I was trying to think of a word that should fit with those who knew what was going on and chose to ignore it. So I looked it up online to find it. Did you know the word comes from the ancient Greek word for ¡®actor¡¯? I found that interesting, mainly because that¡¯s what Nick Green was, that¡¯s what all of them were. Actors, pretenders, they didn¡¯t care about the kids that were hurt, not at all.¡±

    ¡°Amalie, what are you talking about?¡±

    I ignored her question. ¡°Which is why I can¡¯t help but wonder, some of the teachers knew but chose to ignore it, not all but some, but what about you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I could hear her voice quiver.

    ¡°How much did you know?¡± I asked, keeping my back to her. ¡°About what he was really like? Are you a hypocrite too? Or just ignorant?¡± I then turned to look at her, showing her all of my anger, all of my hate for that man and what he did. ¡°Of what Nick did to those children in the basement?¡±

    She flinched and took a step back looking both shocked and scared. ¡°Amalie I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t play dumb,¡± I say, never looking away from her. ¡°You¡¯re a teacher, you¡¯re smart. The reason I ask is that I knew that you were with Nick, I don¡¯t know for what, but a bunch of kids thought you guys were dating, so I¡¯ll ask again.¡± I was now standing in front of her, I had slowly made my way to her, where Ms. Miller hadn¡¯t moved at all. ¡°Did you, or did you not know what Nick truly was?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t moved as she looked at me like she was one of those frightened kids, but I was too angry to care. Her eyes said it all. ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t ask him¡­ I was too afraid of what he¡¯d do¡­¡±

    Hearing that just made me angrier.

    ¡°You call yourself a teacher¡­ you¡¯re supposed to protect the kids while we¡¯re here. You¡¯re supposed to keep us safe¡­¡± I say softly before looking at her with how I felt about her in that instance. ¡°How could you? How could you betray us for someone who just used you?¡±

    I could see she wanted to say something, to defend herself maybe, but how could you even try to defend your actions when that man lay his hands on kids without making you sound just as bad if not worse?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say, not anymore. You now know that what he did was wrong, you know that this shouldn¡¯t have happened. You, the other teachers who knew and did nothing and that principal. People like you¡­ deserve everything you get coming to you and then some.¡± I stopped at the door to glance at her over my shoulder and speak. ¡°If you hated it so much you should have never become a teacher¡­¡± and left, could hear her whisper ¡°I know¡­¡± but I didn¡¯t care, now that it was out in the open of Nick¡¯s actions, I had no reason to be nice, not to those I told over and over again what he was like and was ignored. I knew Ms. Miller never liked her job much unless it came to art, but other than that, if she didn¡¯t like it, she could have left. At least that way, she wouldn¡¯t have been hurt the way she had by Nick.

    Not all the teachers here were like that though, Mr. McCrae saw me as I walked through the empty halls of the school, was taking the books back to the library, along with our French teacher, Madam Andrews, they knew what was happening but tried to stop it but something happened to make them turn silent. But it didn¡¯t stop them from protecting the kids.

    When I reached the outside the first thing I saw was the principal standing in front of the large crowd, talking to the people from the news.

    All the while looking like he was filled with regret.

    That made me so angry because I knew the truth, and there he was pretending to care.

    What¡¯s the saying that Mia would use to call him? ¡®He¡¯s full of shit¡¯? Though I would never say something so vial, something so gross, I couldn¡¯t help but at least feel tempted. But my Dad raised me to be better than that.

    I should have just gone back to the car. But seeing him act like this compared to how he responded to me trying to get him to listen made my anger spill out and caused me to do something reckless. But I didn¡¯t care, not anymore.

    So, I waited and listened as I moved closer where I could hear the principal say that he didn¡¯t know that they let such a monster in the school.

    And with a deep breath, I shouted at the top of my lungs. ¡°LIAR!!!¡± that brought all eyes to me, and I could see the principal look both shocked and scared.

    Good. Serves him right.

 Chapter 42 ~~~~~

    The principal looked surprised; he didn¡¯t seem to know what to say when he saw me. But then his words finally came out as he said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here young lady! Where are your parents? You should be at home!¡±

    ¡°What did she mean by ¡®liar¡¯?¡± a lady asked, she had black hair and a lean figure, a bit taller than Elain, she must have been a reporter. I think I had seen her before. Her blue eyes looked at me. ¡°What did you mean when you called him that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t talk with her unless her parents are present.¡± The principal stammered. ¡°You¡¯ll get her in a lot of trouble if you do this against their wishes.¡±

    ¡°I only have my dad,¡± I said to him. ¡°You should know that since he¡¯s on the radio every morning.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± the lady eyed me. ¡°Are you¡­ Mr. Hilmarsson¡¯s daughter? Amalie Hilmarsson?¡± When I nodded, the woman came over. ¡°I thought so, I was part of the news crew who looked into your mother¡¯s disappearance, you look so big now.¡±

    Was she?

    I couldn¡¯t remember much of that time, there were a lot of people who kept coming to our house and wanting to talk to my Dad.

    Seeing my confusion, she handed me a card.

    Diane Verity.

    Besides her name is gave her number and what she did. She was a reporter and journalist

    I don¡¯t think I talked with her, but her eyes felt familiar.

    She then knelt beside me so we could be eye to eye as she took out a recording device, one similar to what I had. ¡°Tell me, why¡¯d you call him a liar?¡±

    I looked right at the principal, he looked even paler than before. ¡°Because he is one, I told him before that I thought Mr. Green was doing something bad to the other kids, but he and a few other teachers didn¡¯t believe me, I didn¡¯t tell them all because¡­ I didn¡¯t want them to lose their jobs or be forced to quit. Mr. McCrae had tried too but was told he¡¯d to be quiet and was threatened, same with Madam Andrews, they even went to the police.¡± I glared at the principal. ¡°But you threatened them, and made it all go away.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± he stammered but I kept going.

    ¡°What¡¯s more, I have proof!¡± I held up my phone, with the audio ready to be played. ¡°Do you want to hear it? On the night Mr. Green attacked my friend and tried to hurt me before my Dad saved us, I was going to have this be played instead of the national anthem the next morning, but then you all know what happened.¡± My shoulders shook as I remembered Elain being hurt and his scary smile when he looked at me. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t there if he didn¡¯t follow us¡­ she wouldn¡¯t have been hurt. It¡¯s my fault that she got hurt¡­¡± I could feel the tears in my eyes but I refused to cry, I wouldn¡¯t cry. I had to push through, to get it all out. ¡°And it¡¯s your fault too!¡± I yelled. ¡°I told you! Again, and again! But you wouldn¡¯t listen! Even when an anonymous email was sent I bet you didn¡¯t even look at it, you just deleted it to make it all go away like before! TRY DELETING THIS!!!¡± before he could even get close when he finally moved to try and stop me, reporters and parents grabbed hold of him as the other reporter went to shield me only for all of them to freeze in place when I pressed play and the first thing you hear is a little girl¡¯s scream.

    Mia¡¯s scream.

    She screamed and screamed, then cried and whimpered, begged wanting it to stop, while Nick just made strange sounds and said mockingly as he had to me when I ran from him.

    ¡°Go ahead, keep screaming, no one is gonna believe a little bitch like you. Do you think that dumbass principal gives a shit about you? Any of you? Give him enough money and he¡¯ll always turn a blind eye to anything---¡±

    I stopped it there, even now I still couldn¡¯t listen to the rest. It made me feel sick, I could barely bring myself to listen to the others, just the first few seconds and that was it. But it had the evidence that would make anyone pay attention. When Mia talked to me about what happened to her, and what Nick did to her, I¡­ couldn¡¯t bring myself to listen to it for a second time. It was awful. Even then I don¡¯t think Mia was telling me the whole truth. I think in her own way, she trying to spare me from knowing it all. She didn¡¯t have to, but she did, and I would do everything in my power to make her heard. Originally I was going to keep to the plan I had, making a new CD and placing it underneath the one for the national anthem, but seeing the crowd, that plan changed.

    I looked at him again, with a knowing look and flatly asked. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡±

    The principal didn¡¯t say anything, only turned back to the crowd of people and saw how everyone else looked at him, eyes and expressions filled with rage as they wanted to hurt him badly, but before that could happen another person spoke up, a voice I recognized.

    ¡°Stop, unless you want to get arrested alongside him!¡±

    It was the woman from before, the two detectives that came to our home when Lauren went missing. And¡­ the lady detective who came to my house when my mom disappeared.

    * * *

    Things happened quickly after that, the principal was arrested and brought to the police station, and my Dad and I were too, not arrested, but the two detectives wanted to ask me things about what happened, like after the attack Elain had from Nick when trying to protect me.

    The lady detective asked me about what I had said when they came to the school, about the principal and the teachers that might have known, that word bugged me.

    Might.

    As if saying they didn¡¯t know, when a number of the teachers did, they just didn¡¯t care about the kids, like the principal.

    I even gave the detectives a list of names of those who knew, those who weren¡¯t aware, and those who suspected and were threatened by the principal to keep silent or lose their jobs and probably couldn¡¯t teach. To the kids that were hurt by Nick and included if they had moved away or were still here. Very few kids had stayed.

    The lady detective sighed; I think she went by Song. She was looking disappointed in me before saying. ¡°Look, kid, I¡¯m not mad, but if you had something like this before you should have said something sooner, talked to someone.¡±

    I looked her right in the eye. ¡°I did.¡±

    She looked uncomfortable but didn¡¯t seem to take my word. A look I¡¯ve seen before. ¡°I know, but what I mean to say is, you should have talked to the police, they would have listened.¡±

    ¡°Like you did when my Mom hurt my Dad?¡± she reacted to that with a scowl, while the other man who worked with her looked sad. It wasn¡¯t on them, I knew that, but I wanted to prove my point, that this stuff, trying to get others to listen and take it seriously wasn¡¯t easy. It never was, and it made it all the worse. ¡°It¡¯s only until I was hurt you wouldn¡¯t believe it, how is that any different from this? A lot of the kids that were hurt by Nick didn¡¯t want to say anything because they were scared and afraid, afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be believed. That¡¯s why I went around trying to get evidence so that those who refused to listen would actually believe it. Mia¡¯s the only one who decided to work with me to get him to stop. The others were either too scared or moved away.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    She leaned back in her chair, looking at me then at my Dad and back to me. ¡°Then why not your Dad? Why not tell him? Did you think he wouldn¡¯t believe you?¡±

    My Dad who sat next to me, merely looked at me with a faint smile. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t trust him, he was my Dad, after all, I knew he¡¯d believe me. It was what I didn¡¯t want him to do that might cause all of what Nick did to disappear that I wanted to avoid. ¡°What would your parents have done if it were you? How do you think they¡¯d react, or if it was your kid, what would you have done?¡± I asked this so I wouldn¡¯t outright call my Dad a murderer. Even though I knew he was one.

    ¡°Beat him to an inch of his life, probably.¡± The other detective said under his breath, it was super soft, but I could hear it, and I knew my Dad could too, given how his smile twitched in response.

    ¡°You know exactly what you¡¯d do, police or not. Why do people ask those questions, thinking it¡¯s easy to answer when they know it¡¯s not?¡± I asked but didn¡¯t wait for an answer, I merely changed the topic slightly. ¡°Are the principal and teachers going to be in trouble?¡±

    Ms. Song sighed again, I guess she figured I wasn¡¯t going to answer that question or answer the one I gave her. ¡°We¡¯re looking into it, but from what you¡¯ve told us in your statement a good portion of them will be. I still find it hard to believe that a total of nine teachers knew and didn¡¯t believe you.¡±

    I gripped my dress tightly in my lap, fighting off the urge to shout at her as I looked down at the table.

    ¡°But it makes me wonder why some of these people were even teachers if they didn¡¯t listen to a kid that brought up these claims while they were at the school.¡± She continued. ¡°Though I imagine that principal also made it hard for the word to get out about it if he¡¯s been covering for this long.¡±

    I relaxed; I don¡¯t think she was blaming me. ¡°When can I have my phone back?¡±

    Ms. Song looked at her partner before answering. ¡°Probably in a few days give or take, is all of the evidence on your phone?¡±

    I nodded; I did have it on a school¡¯s computer but that was already taken by the police. I had it in case my phone was taken and destroyed by the principal, and the disk, but that was destroyed by Nick when he attacked me and Elain, so it couldn¡¯t be used again.

    I wasn¡¯t about to use my laptop for that since my Dad would have discovered it.

    Ms. Song¡¯s phone beeped and when she looked at it, showed it to her partner who then asked me. ¡°Hey Amalie, are you thirsty? We have a caf¨¦ here in the precinct that makes the best hot chocolates, you want one?¡±

    Part of me frowned at the sudden question, it was like they wanted me to be away from the room so they could ask my Dad something. When I looked at my Dad his smile merely grew. ¡°Go on my Dear, I¡¯m sure you''re thirsty from talking with the detectives.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± was all I could say before getting out of my seat and leaving with my Dad giving me a cheery smile as he spoke.

    ¡°Go and enjoy sweetie, I¡¯ll see you in a little bit.¡±

    I glanced one more time at my Dad and the detective lady before following her partner.

    * * *

    Kira eyed the man who sat across from her. His smile was ever-present.

    When the police had spoken to him after Alastor brought his daughter and Elain Ortiz to the hospital after he said that he chased off Nicolas Green from trying to harm his child and a teenager, his smile was still there, much like now as his grey eyes looked at her knowingly. For reasons she couldn¡¯t understand, it set her on edge.

    ¡°I take it there¡¯s a reason you wished to speak with me without my daughter present?¡± he says. ¡°Does it have something to do with my daughter¡¯s phone? Or are these merely follow-up questions about what happened a few days before with that man? Were you ever even able to find him and drag him off the streets?¡±

    Kira then silently placed Amalie¡¯s phone on the table, sealed in an evidence bag. Alastor merely looked at it with a faint smirk before he eyed her once more and in a cold tone asked.

    ¡°Am I supposed to guess?¡±

    Kira continued to watch him, eyeing him fully. This man¡­ there was just something about him that she couldn¡¯t place. ¡°We managed to get the evidence from her phone, however, the IT guys found something that I wanted to ask you about.¡± She waited and when he gave no response she continued. ¡°Why is there a tracker app hidden in your daughter¡¯s phone?¡±

    He tilted his head slightly. ¡°Detective, is that a necessary question? I¡¯m a single father, raising a seven-year-old girl and have high notoriety as a radio host with many fans. And though I don¡¯t make this a public matter, I have had issues regarding some of the more enthusiastic ones, more so than others. While I get fan-mail or emails, there are some filled with¡­ less than kind words about my daughter from a very select few. Those in particular have no returning address, so I have no clue as to who they are. Many of those letters go on to say that if it wasn¡¯t for my lovely girl, I would have taken the stage in the world of acting by storm.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°Your daughter¡¯s being threatened?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I have sent several emails to your police department, you should have several files. So, to be safe, I placed a tracking device on my daughter¡¯s phone. For her protection,¡± his fingers interlaced as he looked down at his hands, his smile faint. ¡°She¡¯s the only family I have left. And there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for her.¡±

    ¡°Including murder attempted?¡± regardless if he had been in the right to do so, the law was the law. The evidence, and his hands, pointed to the fact that Alastor beat Nick Green bloody before the man escaped. Alastor didn¡¯t deny it, and it was clear he¡¯d do it again, if not worse.

    His grip tightened as his gaze snapped to her, becoming focused on her as the air around them suddenly felt cold, almost terrifying. Like being trapped in a room with a vicious animal out for blood. ¡°What would you do, detective, if it was your child at the mercy of a predator?¡±

    Kira didn¡¯t respond, no answer was needed, they both knew what would have happened in this hypothetical question. Alastor then changed his question.

    ¡°How long would it be until my daughter can get her phone back?¡±

    Kira took the phone in question off the table. ¡°Not for a while, you¡¯d probably be better off just getting her a new phone instead. We can email you any photos or videos that don¡¯t pertain the to case so she can have those back. In case you were wondering.¡±

    Alastor merely chuckled in response. ¡°I take it that I can go, then? Unless you have something else, you¡¯d like to ask me, detective?¡±

    Kira was going to demand what transpired back in the school¡¯s basement between him and Nicolas Green the events didn¡¯t add up and bothered her greatly. But instead of demanding, as it would get her nowhere, she asked.

    ¡°Did nothing else happen between you and Mr. Green, when your daughter fled the basement?¡±

    His closed-mouth smile grew faintly. ¡°No, nothing at all. It¡¯s like I said, he managed to escape before I could knock him out and since I was worried for my child and Miss. Ortiz, they took priority. Was that wrong of me to do so Detective?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the video surveillance had been disconnected by Nick before Amalie and Elain Ortiz arrived at the school, so it was only Alastor¡¯s word to go by. Yet something about all of this nagged at Kira. The way the scene of the crime looked, the state of the basement while pointing to a man fleeing, it almost felt like that should have been impossible.

    ¡°Really? Because it sounded to me like you¡¯re blaming me for his escape. Regardless of the reason, I will never abandon my child.¡± He then said something odd. ¡°If I had a choice of saving the world or my daughter, I would always choose her. Even if it means I let the whole world burn. To me, only she will ever matter, regardless of who wishes to be saved. Even if it costs my own life.¡± His eyes became cold as his smile became tight, almost mockingly. ¡°If that makes me a monster, I suppose there¡¯s nothing I can do to change your mind.¡±

    * * *

    I took a sip of the hot chocolate the other detective bought for me as we sat across from one another in the lunch area of the police department. I knew it was an old building that had an addition so that the original wouldn¡¯t be lost, but I thought it was kind of odd to have something like a coffee shop in a police building. Then again, maybe this was normal given that a lot of police officers drank coffee, like in the shows on TV.

    But what surprised me was that the other detective who went by Fredrick Louds said if I wanted, I could call him Freddie. But since I didn¡¯t know him well, I called him by his last name.

    ¡°Mr. Louds, um¡­ I mean, Detective Louds, is my Dad going to be in trouble? For beating up Mr. Green?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry little lady,¡± he said with a warm smile. ¡°Your Dad was just mad that someone tried to hurt you. I know I would have acted just as he did if it were one of my kids.¡±

    I remained silent, I don¡¯t think anyone could act the same way as my Dad, but maybe I was wrong on that given how many people lived in the world.

    ¡°Amalie, can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Nick intended to do to me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, not that,¡± he responded quickly. ¡°Back in the other room, you sounded as though you didn¡¯t like Detective Song when you were talking about what happened.¡±

    He noticed. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike her,¡± I say as I then finish my drink. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel anything to her. But I don¡¯t trust her.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She called me a liar. Or that¡¯s what I think because of how she looked at me like I was making something up. I told her something, something really important four years ago and she didn¡¯t believe me. I haven¡¯t told anyone since.¡±

    ¡°You mean about your Mom hurting your Dad?¡±

    I shook my head, looking at the now empty cup in my hands. Should I tell him? My eyes went from my empty cup to the detective that sat across from me.

    Though a few people were walking about minding their own business, their own lives, my grip tightened on the cup. I felt that this might be my second chance.

    After a moment I finally spoke up. ¡°My Dad killed someone,¡± I said to him, I wanted to try again even if nothing came from it. I just wanted to try. ¡°That¡¯s what I told her.¡±

 Chapter 43 ~~~~~

    The detective looked surprised, I suppose anyone would. Who wouldn¡¯t ignore a child¡¯s words, given how so many saw my Dad, he was liked by a lot of people. I looked away not wanting to see him suddenly laugh almost mocking-like, like the detective lady. Who would believe a three-year-old after she was just attacked by her mother? But the man that was with her, the other detective with blond hair and blue eyes, seemed to listen. But then he was gone.

    ¡°Who¡­¡± the detective asked. ¡°Who did your father kill?¡±

    Now it was my turn to look surprised. Would he listen to me? Hear me out and not judge me because of my age?

    The problem was my Dad hurt many, so many that I couldn¡¯t keep track, too many to count. I don¡¯t even know all of their names. I didn¡¯t know what he did to them, only that if they were rude, or something like it, towards him or me, then they would be gone not long after. I wasn¡¯t even sure how many he had done this to. Only that it was something he seemed to enjoy.

    So, I could only say the one that I was most certain of and go from there.

    ¡°My mom, probably¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± he repeated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember too well, she tried to kill me, tried to strangle me to death and my Dad saw it,¡± I say as I reach for my throat with my left hand. I could still feel my mother¡¯s hands even after four years. But I couldn¡¯t remember my Dad¡¯s face, that¡¯s the one thing I couldn¡¯t remember. There were a lot of things during that time that were hard to remember, if at all. ¡°The next thing I knew, I woke up with him taking care of me, and she was gone. But then, that always seems to happen.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°People who hurt me, disappear. But for my mom I¡¯m not sure¡­ deep down I feel like she¡¯s dead but I¡¯m not sure why I think she might not be.¡±

    The detective was silent, thinking, before asking. ¡°You mentioned other people, did you see your father do this? To someone else?¡±

    I opened my mouth to answer only before I had the chance to say anything else, my Dad¡¯s voice called for me.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± I turned to see him, smiling happily, looking at me with love before extending his hand. ¡°It¡¯s time to go home, Sweetie.¡±

    His soft smile said it all.

    He heard everything I said to the detective.

    Without a word, I got off of the chair and placed my paper cup in the recycling bin before stopping to look at the man still sitting in shock. ¡°Goodbye Detective, I hope you catch Mr. Green and give him what he deserves.¡± I then went to my Dad¡¯s side and took his hand as we turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± he shot up from his chair, looking worried. ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson did you¡­¡±

    I gripped my Dad¡¯s hand tightly while looking at the Detective, silently asking him not to say it aloud. That if he did, at some point, he¡¯d disappear, just like those who were mean or rude or did something to anger my Dad. I didn¡¯t want him to die.

    ¡°Freddie, just let him be,¡± the lady detective said, coming over with a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s free to go, we have nothing else to ask him.¡±

    The detective looked like he wanted to say something, but when he looked at me, his expression changed, he realized that he shouldn¡¯t, at least, I hoped he did.

    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, we will be going now. Goodbye, detectives.¡± My Dad then looked down at me with his smile before we continued.

    But I could hear the detective talk to the woman in a hushed voice. ¡°Song, I thought you said that what was on the girl¡¯s phone was suspicious, why are you letting him go?¡±

    ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like the guy with his smug attitude, I¡¯m trying to get over that stupid bias, and just like you¡¯ve told me he¡¯s just a father trying to protect his kid from threats from overzealous fans. He¡¯s only doing what he needs to for his kid. I¡¯m not going to fault him for it.¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer, probably because he knew if he spoke aloud, people might not believe him. After all, my Dad is well-known and well-liked, and many would think that he would never do anything bad to anyone.

    If only they knew¡­

    *    *    *

    ¡°Think he¡¯ll listen?¡± my Dad asked, as he stared facing me from the driver¡¯s seat in the car, arms propped up on the headrest his smile ever-present. ¡°Detective Louds, do you think he¡¯ll believe you?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t stop me,¡± I say. ¡°You didn¡¯t stop me from saying anything to him. Why?¡±

    My Dad hurt people, killed people, I knew that those who did such things wouldn¡¯t want anyone to know, so why would he let me?

    He gave me my answer.

    ¡°Why would I stop you? If this is something you want, I have no reason to do so. Besides,¡± he leaned forward to extend his hand as his fingers brushed my healing cheek. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting, if he listened? Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting how he¡¯d react if he found out the truth? And what he would do to get that out to the world?¡±

    My hands clutched my dress. ¡°Dad?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I looked him right in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be hurt because he¡¯s doing his job.¡± If he did, I don¡¯t think I could forgive him. Even if he did save Elain and me from that monster in my school.

    He chuckled, but still looked at me with love as he kept smiling. ¡°I have no intention of doing so. Just as long as he doesn¡¯t threaten you any harm, or do anything¡­ rude. Like illegally breaking and entering our home without permission or a proper search warrant, like the other one. He will be fine. The detective is a smart man. It makes me wonder how he will go from here. And you as well, you¡¯ve grown so much. I am deeply proud of you, and what you¡¯ve accomplished. With that in mind, I should make a feast.¡± He then sat properly in his seat and started the car. ¡°Shall we go home?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry.¡± And I wasn¡¯t, I just felt sick to my stomach. I should have felt proud that I said something¡­ that I spoke up again after four years, but¡­

    His gaze looked worried even as he smiled. ¡°I suppose that makes sense, after everything that¡¯s happened one after the other, it would be hard on you. Then I¡¯ll make us breakfast for dinner, why not Huevos High Life with sausage, it¡¯s been a while and I think you deserve a little more decadent meal tonight while watching your favourite musicals. How does that sound?¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond, I only nodded as my eyes now looked out the window as we drove away from the police station, wondering if I made the biggest mistake of my life.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    I hoped it wasn¡¯t.

    For the detective¡¯s sake.

    *    *    *

    My Dad did as he said he would, breakfast for dinner.

    Soft rolls where the center was partly cut out and an egg was placed inside the roll and cooked in a pan alongside the sausages. And instead of eating in the kitchen, we ate in the living room where he put on the musical recording of the Broadway show Anastasia.

    I ate the food my father made as he sat close to me, I could feel his voice vibrate along my body as he hummed to the songs being sung by people who performed. Something he¡¯d often do; I didn¡¯t eat much. I didn¡¯t feel hungry.

    I should have felt happy that I told someone, but that feeling of worry overtook me, what if the detective didn¡¯t believe me? What if he¡¯d brushed it away like that of Detective Song?

    It was four years ago, things could have changed, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t trust her.

    I felt my father¡¯s hand touch my forehead, before doing it again with the back of his hand. ¡°You¡¯re a bit warm, Amalie are you okay?¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, I didn¡¯t feel good.

    ¡°Amalie?¡± he took my plate and placed it on the table with his before his hands touched my cheeks, as some of his fingers rested along my neck feeling the beating of my heart in my throat. ¡°Can you open your mouth?¡±

    I did as he looked with a worried gaze before picking me up and taking me to the car. Next thing I knew I was in the hospital that Elain was at, being examined by a doctor.

    ¡°Looks to me like it¡¯s a fever brought on by stress.¡± Says a doctor after looking me over. ¡°Any idea what could have caused it?¡±

    My Dad had a hand over his mouth as he spoke to the doctor. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot these past few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯d prescribe some Tylenol or Ibuprofen and a stress-free weekend with cartoons and fun times with your Dad.¡± She said to me with a smile before handing my Dad candy. ¡°That¡¯s for her for when she¡¯s better, as long as she¡¯s not allergic to anything.¡±

    He smiled a bit. ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± He said before taking it from the woman, then he picked me up to go home. ¡°Thank you, doctor,¡±

    My Dad walked slowly as he carried me, rubbing my back as he did so but stopped when someone we knew called out.

    ¡°Mr. Hilmarsson?¡± Elain¡¯s Mom was in the hall, looking at me and Dad. ¡°What are you doing here? Is something wrong with Amalie?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully not for long.¡± He says with a faint smile. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright after some medicine. Too much stress, as the doctor put it. I was worried since it¡¯s rare for her to become sick but it seems I overreacted a bit. It wasn¡¯t something truly awful. How¡¯s Elain?¡±

    ¡°Resting,¡± she looked worried as she looked at me. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment, but thank you, Mrs. Ortiz.¡±

    After saying goodbye my Dad picked up his speed to get back to the car and then head home. When we returned home, he gave me medicine with a warm drink before helping me dress into pyjamas and had me sleep with him. But I began to feel worse and ran to the bathroom where I threw up what was in my stomach.

    ¡°Amalie,¡± my father was quickly behind me keeping my hair out of my face as I continued to throw up. ¡°It¡¯s okay Sweetie, just let it all out.¡±

    When I couldn¡¯t throw up anymore tears began to fill my eyes as my breathing hitched.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± I managed. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Amalie.¡± He went to his knees as his hands went to my face after wiping it with a towel. ¡°Why would you think I¡¯d be mad at you?¡±

    ¡°Because of what I did¡­ because I didn¡¯t tell you¡­ what happened or what I¡­ thought.¡±

    ¡°Dear,¡± he pulled me into his arms as I cried. ¡°I could never be mad at you for such a thing. You should know that.¡±

    I shook my head not believing it. ¡°But I¡­ I lied¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Sweetheart, you didn¡¯t lie. You only did what you thought was right.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I should have¡­ I should have told you. But I¡­ I was scared!¡±

    ¡°Of me?¡±

    I quickly shook my head again. ¡°No¡­ of Nick¡­ he was scary¡­ really scary¡­¡± My hands shook as I gripped his shirt tightly as a feeling of fear overcame me. ¡°I thought¡­ of what he wanted to do¡­ how he¡¯d kill me, and I pictured it¡­ I saw myself¡­ dead. I never thought I¡¯d see that so clearly from my imagination¡­ seeing that¡­ made me think it¡¯d become real¡­¡±

    His hold tightened, as he began to kiss my head as he rocked back and forth. ¡°You''re safe now Amalie, that man will never hurt you or anyone else ever again.¡±

    ¡°But you said he ran away¡­¡± I managed between breaths as the tears kept falling. ¡°That he¡¯s on the run¡­ hiding from the police¡­¡±

    His smile was faint but the anger in his eyes was clear. ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    I looked at him as he carried me to his room and placed me on the bed, he went to move away from me, probably to get the medicine I needed but before he could I grasped his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to die for what he did. I want him to live, and suffer for with his actions for the rest of his life.¡±

    His smile twitched. ¡°Some would say a fate worse than death.¡±

    I looked away as I let go of his hand. ¡°Does that make me a bad person?¡±

    His eyes then became warm as he gently made me look at him. ¡°Never. I fully agree that he should suffer for the rest of his life for what he¡¯s done to those children, and you.¡± His eyes looked at me for a moment before asking. ¡°Do you think you can manage to eat something? Medicine on an empty stomach is never good you know.¡±

    I sniffed back my tears. ¡°I can try¡­¡±

    He kissed me again. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± He came back moments later with a bowl of Icelandic chocolate pudding. My favourite.

    I ate it slowly and then took some medicine before finishing the rest. He then came back with a mug of hot chocolate, the homemade kind, not like in a store. I could taste the chocolate, the milk, and hints of cinnamon. It made me feel relaxed.

    ¡°Want me to read to you?¡± my Dad asked when I finished, I nodded.

    He soon came back with a leather-bound book, red with gold trim on the edges of the paper and gold design on the red leather itself. Alice¡¯s Adventures in Wonderland ¨C Through the Looking-Glass ¨C The Haunting of the Snark ¨C Phantasmagoria and Other Poems by Lewis Carroll. It was something my Dad had when he was a kid, well-loved and cared for as if it were more important than gold.

    Something that belonged to his Mom, my Grandma who I never met.

    He¡¯d often read the Christmas poem that¡¯s inside, every year, before opening gifts, a family tradition.

    My Dad would read the story to me in different voices depending on the character, it made me think of Lauren since it was something she would also do. I wonder if it was because I was sick that was making me think of her. I hoped she was okay.

    I started to feel sleepy, I think the medicine was starting to work. ¡°Dad¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm?¡±

    ¡°You''re really not mad?¡±

    ¡°At you? No, I could never. No matter what you¡¯d do, I would never be mad at you.¡± He then kissed my cheek. ¡°Sofeu vel og dreymdu lj¨²fa drauma, elskan m¨ªn.¡± Sleep well and dream sweet dreams, my darling.

    ¡°N¨®tt, n¨®tt pabbi.¡± Night, Night Daddy.

    He ran his hand through my hair as I drifted off to sleep.

    *    *    *

    Alastor remained sitting on the edge of the bed brushing his daughter¡¯s hair as she was fast asleep, he remained there for an hour before getting up taking his phone and silently going into his office before looking at his pocket watch and then calling who he intended.

    ¡°Bob, evening, apologize for calling so late, my daughter? Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling, I¡¯ll need to take some time off again. Yes, yes, it¡¯s because of what happened at the school. I do apologize for this. Oh, alright. I¡¯ll see what I can do, Henry¡¯s been saying he needs more work, I think he¡¯d be fine with it, best to check though. Thank you, Bob, have a good night.¡± Once he hung up, Alastor tapped his phone into his other hand as he moved further into his office where he sat at his desk, and then touched a hidden switch that would open a compartment where a burner phone, an SD card and a few other things that resided. Taking the SD card, he put it into the burner phone and sent out a text with an address.

    He kept it sparse with few details, but the one on the other end of this text was smart and would know what to do.

    They would bring the package to the aforementioned site to be dealt with by a third party. Someone whom he had a chance to meet with, but wouldn¡¯t waste on such an open invitation.

    This was something entirely different from what Allen Huxley and his sister would do for him on occasion, and, luckily for them, they wouldn¡¯t need to be involved this time with it being so high profile.

    Alastor couldn¡¯t help but feel some form of irony, his daughter didn¡¯t want people to die, ranging from those who were decent and kind to those who should live out their lives to pay for the bad things that they¡¯ve done. Where Alastor would just want that person, regardless of who harmed his child, to no longer exist on this earth. And in turn, be turned into something far more¡­ tasteful. But not him, such a man like Nick Green didn¡¯t deserve such kind treatment.

    His daughter¡¯s words then came to his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to die for what he did. I want him to live, and suffer for his actions for the rest of his life.¡± The way his daughter looked, her expression as her face was dampened with tears. Her silver eyes burned with a want to keep others safe, regardless of her well-being.

    It sent a chill down his spine, not of anger or rage, but one of admiration.

    His baby girl was becoming her own and wanting of her desires.

    A hand went over his ecstatic grin to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape so as not to wake her from her much-needed sleep.

    It made him so happy!

    Truly, he has such a wonderful daughter!!

    (End of the Introduction Arc)