‘A murder took place in a classroom on the second floor in April. It was raining that day so no one heard a thing. All I could remember was people screaming and running out of the room. I ran inside the room and saw two bodies, one was holding a knife with a stab wound to its neck and the other one with multiple stab wounds to its chest.
The hypnotist had struck again. More like the curse has claimed another victim. Besides the body of the murderer were a set of numbers: 2, 777, 444, 2, 66, 66, 22. The police tried to crack the code but to no avail so they closed it as another murder-suicide. I too had tried. I tried so many times using everything math could offer but end up with a dead end. It was a clue. A clue that will haunt me forever because the deceased was my best friend and I am unable to avenge him.
But there is something off about this school. Something besides the murders. I have noticed objects are moving all by themselves and rumors about mirrors reflecting distorted images of themselves. The scariest was a rumor that a student with stab wounds in her chest would be in the school’s computer room typing away and according to the descriptions, the student had red hair and that was it.
I am afraid of ghosts. I am afraid of the supernatural. They terrify me.
Yeah, they terrify me.’
I shut the book and stared at my notebook. ‘2, 777, 444, 2, 66, 66, 22. Is this a sequence or a number base? If so, in what base?’
Yawing and feeling exhausted, I put both books in my bag, turn off the lights and crawl into my futon.
‘Good thing tomorrow is Friday.’ I thought closing my eyes.
I open my eyes and get up from the cold floor.
‘Wait, what?’ I look around me. ‘I am in school?’
An eerie giggle was heard at a distance forcing me to look around the familiar hallway which transformed into a blood-stained corridor. Terrified, I take a few steps back as the giggle was heard again.
“Who…whose there?” I call out.
Then a dark silhouette appeared before me holding a knife in one hand and something round in the other. It tossed the round object away and brandished the knife in its hand.
“Who…who are you?” I ask.
It gave an ear-piercing laugh and rushed at me. I flee, running down the corridors and turning around the corners until I lost sight of the creature.
Then I heard its footsteps coming towards me. Rushing into a classroom, I hide underneath the teacher’s desk and wait for it to leave.
“Where are you little bitch!”
Its footsteps echoed through the classroom.
“Did you think you could steal him away from me? I know your secrets.”
My heart was beating fast.
“I know what you did last summer.”
I heard something move and realize it was the teacher’s table. Frightened and out of options, I move along with it until it was shifted from its original position.
“Come out and let's talk about it hmm?”
I stay put until I hear the door shut and emerge from my hiding place.
‘I have to get to the school’s exit.’ I run out of the room and through the halls. ‘If it catches me, I am as good as dead!’
With that in mind, I run, hide and cower until I get to the exit but the minute I get to where the shoe lockers were, I hear a giggle behind me.
“Found you!”
Refusing to look back, I rush to the door and grab the handle. Its maniac laugh along with its fast-paced footsteps came closer as I struggle to open the door but it didn’t budge.
Suddenly, I was grabbed by the back of my collar, violently tossed towards a locker, and grabbed by the throat. Gasping for air and losing consciousness, I struggle to pry its hands off me but to no avail.
Suddenly it released my neck and... kissed me?
The joints in my body refused to move as it deepened the kiss draining the little air I had left. Finally, it stopped and caress my face while chuckling in glee.
‘Wait…’ my tongue instinctively ran across my lips tasting something thick and metallic. 'Is...is this blood?!'
Then the creature leaned closer to my ear. “Emma…”
My eyes flew open and the first thing I see is Jake straddling me.
“Hello Beloved. Did you miss me?”
I did not respond because he was covered in blood and some of it was dripping on me from his hair.
“I overheard the discussion you had with Brutes yesterday my love” he caressed my face and grinned. “He told you to dump me right? Saying I wasn’t good enough for you. There’s no chemistry between us. That I am lusting over you.”
He chuckled and I feel my heart sink to my stomach.
“That’s kinda rich coming from a guy who is addicted to porn magazines.”He leaned closer to me and whispered. “Don’t listen to him, Beloved. Don’t listen to a word he says because he is a lair. I have proven my love for you. Do you want to see it?”
Without taking his eyes off me, he leaned back, grabbed something behind him, and showed it to me.
It was a human head!
“Someone tried to attack you on your way to school but I killed him. I saved your life. Have Brutes ever done that for you? Has he?”
I was too terrified to give him an answer because fear took my voice away and seized control of my movements. Its eyes were white and devoid of life. Its mouth was wide open with saliva drooling from it and blood was dripping from where it had been beheaded, seeping through the blanket and touching my skin.
“Still not convinced?” he tossed the head aside, clapped twice and the lights came on. “Look around.”
I did so and instantly regretted it. My room was filled with human heads and they were staring at me.
“See? I even arranged them in a heart shape just for you!” he cooed in glee. “And they are all staring at you, Beloved! They are admiring your beauty! Do you like it?”
My heart was beating too fast and I felt dizzy.
“They were so many men out to harm you Beloved but I killed them! Now you have nothing to worry about! Now you can see how much I love you! Now you can see how much I care!”
I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head and blacked out.
“This just in…men have been found dead…near The Middle Belt….An awful murder has occurred…”
Everywhere was blurry when I opened my eyes and after blinking twice, I see a man saying something but he rapidly changed into a woman, then a man then another woman.
“Is this what they are going to show all day?” a familiar voice asked sending a shiver down my spine.
“Oh! You are awake.” Jake looked down at me and grinned. “Feeling better My Love?”
My body shook violently as my heartbeat quickened.
“You were so shocked at my gift that you passed out my love.” he put the TV remote down and kissed me on the head. “I didn't know you could pass out from happiness my love. I saw tears of joy seeping from your eyes while you slept.”
I tried to look away from him but found my head resting on a hard surface. At least I think it was a hard surface. Slowly getting up, I discovered I was lying on the couch in the living room using his lap as a pillow and was about to back away from him when the TV caught my attention.
“…the police suspect this was a result of a gang war gone wrong…”
He grabbed the remote and changed the channel.
“The deceased were identified as members of the Yakuza gang notorious for kidnapping and robbery around the area…”
“The authorities are urging citizens to stay indoors until further notice…”
Annoyed, he turned off the TV and leaned back on the couch.
“Too bad I was unable to get rid of the bodies on time. They were so many of them and while we fought, one of them had to fire a gun.” He smiled. “At least I salvaged their heads to show you how much I love you, Beloved. It’s a pity I had to get rid of them and clean up before the police arrived.”
Something inside me fizzled away.
“They came here to talk to your Aunt but she wasn’t in so they tried to talk to you and I told them you were exhausted from our…nightly activities.”
He blushed madly at that part and I felt like passing out again but my body was too weak to go through that.
I wanted to pass out.
I wanted to go back to my nightmare.
I wanted to disappear and never see him again.
I wanted…to get out of here.
“You look exhausted Beloved.” he leaned forward. “Are you hungry?”
I shake my head. “I…I want to go to…”
“Work?” his eyes went crazy again. “Too bad you can’t.”
“W…why?”
“It burnt down.”
My body went numb. “Wha…what?”
“Well, a fire broke out and it burnt it to the ground. All that’s left is rubble and…”
My right eye twitch and he frowned after seeing the expression on my face.
“I know what you are thinking Beloved and I didn't do it. Although I was tempted to do that since the old hag was using you to lure in customers but…”
His words replayed in my head over and over again and I refused to believe he was innocent. ‘How…how could he? Does he know many people depend on that place to survive? What about Amanda? She has been working there for years and she will be held responsible for it! How could he?’
I wanted to say all these things but fear once again took my voice away.
“…Too bad it is all over the news. On the bright side, they were members of the Yakuza gang so I did everyone a favor.”
I curled up into a ball.
Three days later…
“Jake let's play a game,” I said out of the blue.
He looked up from the sink. "What game?"
I open the manga and show him the picture. “It’s called a Pokey Game.”
“How…how do you play it?”
“Well, we place the long biscuit in between our mouths and eat it drawing closer and closer to each other until we....”
I blush at that part and look away but when I looked back at him, his face was as red as a tomato and a smile appeared on his face.
“Where do we start Beloved?” he asked staring at me with eyes full of passion.
I force a smile. “Well, we can start by buying the pokey.”
“Okay! I will buy it!” he rushed out of the kitchen, and grabbed his coat and the keys to the house. “Wait for me, Beloved! I will be back soon.”
As soon as the front door slammed shut, I heaved a sigh of relief and walked into my room where an empty can of beer, a pair of scissors, and a moldable eraser with a key print sat on the reading table.
‘He refused to give me the spare keys after he changed the locks the night before last.’ I cut a huge hole out of the empty can and looked at the key print on the moldable eraser. ‘I hope this works.’
I fashioned a key out of the flimsy piece of metal and use it on the front door.
‘Click.’
My heart stopped as the vision of him catching me red-handed flashed before my eyes. I shake my head rapidly and turn the key.
‘Click.’
I open the front door and rush out with my school bag in hand leaving my phone behind. I take the bus to the diner and when I get there, I see an abandoned building covered in dark soot.
My knees shook and I fell to the ground.
“Hey, hey, hey! Whatcha doing pretty."
I turn around and see Stan staring at me.
“Don’t you know you are not allowed to be here? The cops will catch you you know.” he walked over and stood behind me.
"What happened here?” I ask.
“Geez! Where have you been? Under a rock?” he chuckled. "Yeah. The death of the members of the Yakuza gang took over so I am not surprised they didn't check up on this place."
The wind howled as I stared at him.
“The cops said something like a gas leak but some detective discovered that the fire was done on purpose, hours before the Yakuza gang was attacked.” he grinned. “I wish it was me who attacked them. It would have been a beautiful bloodbath.”
I watched him walk away and look back at the building, recalling the happy moments I had in it.
'Thank God no one was hurt but...' I clenched my fists as a fresh batch of tears rolled down my cheeks. ‘It’s all that boy's fault! Its….’
I stop and wipe the tears from my eyes. ‘It's all my fault! Me and my stupid body! Why? Why didn’t I kill myself when I had the chance? Why?’
Visions of my evil deed flashed before my eyes and I grit my teeth.
'No! Now is not the time to think about that.' I take out Adrian's journal and stared at it. 'I have to find a place to stay first. Somewhere far away from here.'
So I walk to the subway station and ride the train until I reached an unknown destination. Walking out of the station, I find myself on the Eastside of town.
The Eastside of the town was called the ‘Gambler’s Den’ for a reason for it's filled with cartels and hotels all belonging to a certain Loan Shark. The streets were filled with tired-eyed prostitutes calling to men for a quickie in exchange for money and drunks sprawled on the floor. Casinos brightened the night with their huge neon signs indicating the town was alive and ready to serve its customers.
After walking around for a while, I find a cozy motel and check in for a few nights.
'Are you sure he won't find you?'
I push the question to the back of my mind and go to sleep.
Meanwhile…
“Beloved I am back,” Jake said the minute he opened the door. “I bought a lot of Pokeys and some of your favorite snacks.”
He was greeted with silence.
“Beloved are you asleep?” he dropped the items on the coffee table and ran upstairs to an empty room. Confused, he ran to the other rooms in the apartment calling her pet name over and over again but got no response.
‘Where could she be?’ His heart skipped a beat as he opened the secret compartment in her closet.
It was empty.
‘The time from here to the convenience store and back is thirty minutes which is fifteen minutes at each interval.' he covered his face with his hands and sank to the floor. ‘I ran all the way here and changed the locks! How was she able to disappear within fifteen minutes? How?’
The minute he uncovered his face, his eye caught some strange objects lying on the reading table. After inspecting them, he ran back to the front door and found the makeshift key in the keyhole.
‘Idiot!’ he thought as he felt something in him crack. ‘You were so excited to play the game with her that you didn’t notice the front door was open! Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, IDIOT!’
He punched the wall and watched his hands bleed. Calming down, he took out his phone and tapped on it.
‘It says her phone is here.’ He sniggered. ‘Too bad she doesn’t know about the tracking device in the underwear she is wearing.’
He zoomed out on her location and discovered she was on the Eastside of town and grinned. Taking her phone and his duffel bag, he locked the front door and into the streets.
‘Don’t worry my love, I will find you and when I do,’ he smiled. ‘I will make you pay for deceiving me!’
ns 15.158.61.12da2
