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Some months had passed and winter gave way to spring thus the early morning sun arrived casting its bright morning glow through the cracks of the windows in the dark cell-like room. It cast a light on the figure of a tired-looking man who was sitting on the bed looking at the floor with red eyes. A few hours later his roommate woke up and was shocked to see him awake.
“Were you awake this whole time?” he asked and when the man nodded, he groaned. “Are you crazy?”
The man didn’t respond. The bed creaked as his roommate got out of bed, undressed, and went to the public bathroom situated in the old apartment. Luckily, the shower wasn’t occupied for the moment so he took a quick shower and walked back to the room where the man was still sitting with his red lifeless eyes.
“Are you okay man?” he asked.
The man shook his head and reached out to grab a bottle of pills but it was empty. Uncomfortable, his roommate got dressed and left the room to catch the train to work leaving the man behind to battle his inner demons. The clock struck 9.00 AM when the man finally stood up and walked out of the room on his way to the building's exit.
“Darling,”
The high-pitched tone of a woman made him thrash his head to the direction of the sound and stare at a woman who was talking on the phone. Sensing eyes on her, she turned and froze when she saw him staring at her before ending the call and walking away.
"Is she talking to…” he shook his head rapidly. “No. It can’t be. She doesn’t know her. Nobody knows her.”
‘Nobody knows her,’ the statement made him shiver because it was comforting and scary. Wearing a tired face and ragged clothes, he walked out of the building and straight to the park where he watched people walk about. Some looked at him, a few whispered and others ignored him. There he sat until the sun went down and he walked back to the apartment which he shared with his roommate.
His roommate arrived at his room by 9:30 PM and was shocked to see his roommate sitting on the bed looking down.
“Were you sitting there the whole day?” he asked.
The man nodded and his roommate sighed before taking off his shoes and clothes. Dressed in his underwear, he sat down and stared at the man who continued to stare at the floor who was replaying what the doctors told him about his child many years ago. The lights turned off the lights and under the cover of darkness, the man shuffled before lying on the bed leaving the man in the dark. Unbeknownst to him, once the lights were turned off the ghost of his wife’s rivals appeared to torment him.
Sakura Medical Group was born in the early two thousand in Tokyo City and grew to be one of the best medical centers in the whole of Japan. Aside from having the best doctors and physicians, it was also famous for having psychiatrists specialized in child psychology and mental well-being.
Doctor Tachibana was one of the most successful child psychiatrists. Tall, hardworking, intelligent, and an expert in handling children, he was considered one of the best in the whole country but two dark secrets were eating him alive. Looking at the Detective he sighed and typed on his laptop.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
The Detective took out the worn-out sheet of paper and placed it on the table. “Care to explain this?”
“Yes, I can.” He replied without taking a look at the paper. “I drafted that report.”
The Detective glared at his blunt reply. “We both know that this is a fake DNA report. Care to explain?”
The Doctor nodded.
“Why did you do it?”
“I was paid to draft out that report by your mother,” he answered while rubbing his eyes.
The Detective couldn’t believe his ears and silence overtook the room as he slowly recalled the nightly arguments his parents had. Sighing deeply, he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked back at the doctor with guilt written in his eyes.
“Explain yourself.” He ordered.
It was the Doctor's turn to sigh deeply and after taking off his glasses, he finally said. “Your mother came to my office on a Sunday afternoon many years ago. I was a practicing doctor when she came to me asking for a DNA test for your brother but when I saw his picture, I knew there was no need for that because his hair was white and had no features of your father.”
He paused to take a deep breath to control his breathing. “We did the DNA test and the results were obvious. She looked angry for a while before bursting into tears, lamenting how your father was going to throw her out of the house with nothing. So I suggested drafting out a fake DNA test to ease her pain.”
“Really?” the Detective furrowed his brows while taking in the information. “How did you do it?”
“It was a little complicated. I asked her to get the DNA sample of relatives from his family with the same brother and we could use that to draft out a fake report. I don’t know how she did it but she did it along with the pictures for reference.” Then he gestured with his hand. “All that was left was money to bribe the lab technicians and we got the fake DNA report that was concrete enough to fool your father.”
The Detective balled his hands into a fist and bit his bottom lip as dark memories of his family life flooded his mind. Despite putting up an image of a happy family, his parents argued non-stop every night because of trivial matters; parties being thrown every night for his business partners, his father’s frequent business trips, and the fact they had western names but for some reason, it was his mother who started the fights.
“I am sorry.”
The Doctors voice pierced through his thoughts and when he looked up, he saw tears in the Doctors eyes.
“I am sorry for what I did wrong.” The doctor wiped his eyes. “I have no excuse.”
His words made the Detective bow his head chuckling ruefully. “Indeed.”
“Your mother called me some years later.”
The Detective's head snapped up in shock.
“She called to say everything was crumbling down because of me. According to her, your father had known all this time that your brother wasn’t his son and wanted to use that to leave her.” Then he laced his fingers together. “But from what I heard, your brother was killed in Akademi High before things could be finalized am I right?”
“Well…yes but…” he paused for a moment. “That’s not what happened.”
“What actually happened?” inquired the doctor.
He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t tell you that. It’s personal.”
“Well, I have some more information if you are interested to hear.”
The Detective sighed again. “Let’s hear it.”
“You see when we took your brother’s blood sample, it showed a different type of blood type. It was like it wasn’t human.”
“What do you mean?”
The Doctor dug into his personal file cabinet and handed the Detective a file.
“His skin was cold to the touch and it was too pale to be human but his blood…” he paused for a while. “He didn’t have a single blood cell in his system and when he spoke, he talked about the creatures underneath his bed, his friends, and a strange man with white hair like his who always came to see him at night. I asked your mother about it and she replied with how your brother never made any friends because of his appearance and lack of intelligence. I don’t know why she said because he sounded intelligent to me.”
This brought another memory he had with his brother. When he was nine, he always ran away from the other children in the playground and was drawing strange symbols in his notebooks in school frustrating his teachers and his mother. As usual, his father ignored it and solely concentrated on his work leaving him and his mother to carry the emotional burden.
“I helped in my little way but it wasn’t enough,” he muttered out loud as he walked down the hospital’s corridor. “I need to know why my brother was acting this way and why he was sent to Madeline High. Maybe I should go to the Kindergarten we went to many years ago but what was its name again?”
Then he bumped into someone nearly knocking the person’s glasses off.
“Oh I am so sorry sir,” he apologized.
Magic huffed and adjusted his glasses. “What are you doing here Detective?”
“I should be asking you that question, Master Alexander.” He replied.
“I will have you know that I am a picture of health thank you.” then Magic replied irked at the disrespect he had just received. “Do you know of a boy by the name Jake Othello Brandon?”
The Detective's brows furrowed. “No, I don’t.”
“Too bad. I want you to look into him.” Magic handed him a picture of Jake. “He looks like someone who could kill.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He is one of the boys who was part of the mad general’s plot to ‘prepare’ Japan for another ‘World War’ and he is currently dating a girl by the name Emma Cross-wood.” He pointed at the picture and added, “Call me when you have anyinformation on him understood?”
The Detective shot him a glare as Magic walked into the doctor’s office and looked at Jake’s picture before folding it and putting it into the pocket of his brown jacket. Driving back to his office, typed Emma’s name and was surprised at what he saw.
‘There is almost no information on her,’ he put a hand on his chin in thought. ‘Does this girl exist?’
He typed the name ‘Cross-wood’ and various names came up but none of them was linked to Emma or had any information on a home invasion gone wrong many years ago. His eyes widened and squinted in the computer’s light as he reread what he had just seen. Then he picked up a phone and dialed a number.
“Hello?” a young male voice asked.
“It’s me, Detective Walsh. I need a favor from you.”
“What is it?”
“Can you look up the name Emma Cross-wood? I want the full information on her and her parents.”
The person on the other end sighed deeply. “You know why I can’t do that.”
“Please,” he begged. “I will pay you whatever you want. Just bend the rules for me this once. Just this once.”
The person groaned again. “I will see what I can do.”
“Thank you,” he ended the call and turned his back on the computer to pick up his coat. The monitor behind him flickered and showed static before he turned around to turn it off. Outside his office, he entered his car and was about to start the ignition when a ghostly figure appeared in his backseat. The grey-skinned pink-haired girl with sunken eyes and parched lips stared at the review mirror as the car’s engine roared to life and continued her gaze as the Detective drove into town looking around for anything unusual until he spotted a familiar figure wearing a long red flowery skirt with a white long-sleeved shirt. Slowly pressing his foot on the brakes, he slowed down to get a proper look at the figure and immediately pressed the horn to get her attention.
“Ms. Cross-wood! I want to talk to you.”
Emma turned around and her eyes widened in fear. “Sir?”
He stopped the car and stepped out slamming the door behind him. “What you told me about your parents, is it true?”
Still in shock by the ghost, Emma quickly adverted her eyes and nodded. “Yes. My parents died when I was seven.”
“I thought you told me your parents died when you were five?”
She frowned in confusion. “But I never told you my age, sir.”
The Detective sighed in frustration and removed his hat. “This is…this is insane.”
“Is anything wrong Detective?” she asked.
He took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s best I just lay out my cards. I checked the database and your parents aren’t there.”
Emma’s eyes widened at that. “What?”
“We keep data on citizens in this town including those who were born and those who have passed away,” he explained. “I typed in your surname and got nothing. It’s like your parents didn’t exist.”
“Th…that’s impossible!” Emma babbled in bewilderment. “I could have…”
“Who are you?” he asked shocking her again and furrowed his eyebrows when she didn’t reply. “I asked you a question.”
“Detective I…”
Then the distant sound of the school bell rang. Without another word, Emma turned around and made her escape. Detective Walsh tried to run after her but quickly changed his mind and entered his car instead.
“I’ll get what I need when I get my hands on her information,” he muttered.
It was only when he made an attempt to adjust the review mirror that he saw the ghostly apparition in his car but when he turned around, it disappeared.
Meanwhile, Emma quickly entered the first store she found. Slamming on the door behind her, she sighed deeply to catch her breath and the Detective’s words rang in her ears.
‘He just told me my parents don’t exist! This is impossible! I can remember them clearly! I…’
”Excuse me, ma’am, can I help you?” a voice boomed.
She looked up and noticed the shop’s owner; an old man with a huge white beard staring at her with a gruff expression on his face. Emma shook her head embarrassed and politely asked for a place to sit which he provided near the window.
“Just don’t make too much noise alright?” he ordered turning his attention to the potted plant on the counter.
Emma nodded and took a seat. The more she thought about the situation, the more she slowly realized the memories of her childhood were in fragments with no way to pick up the pieces. If her parents weren’t written on the Government’s record, could this mean she didn’t exist?
If she did exist, why was she born?
Was she made to be someone’s plaything?
Just the thought of it made her stomach churn.
Suddenly, her phone rudely snapped her out of her train of thought. The ringing tone was different so she knew who it was when she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Beloved, are you alright?”
Emma bit her bottom lip, “No.”
“It’s okay. Take a deep breath and relax,” Jake said. “Breath in…breath out….”
“Relax…obey…”
“Breath in…breath out…”
“Relax…conceive…”
The voice in her head overwhelmed her so she ended the call and covered her head as tears pricked her eyes. The memories of her murdered parents unlocked the pain in her heart adding to everything she had endured so far.
Maybe she was a plaything for someone.
“Are you alright?” the shop’s owner asked.
Blinking away the tears, she nodded and looked around the shop taking note of the different types of plants. There were huge potted plants seated on the floor and near the door and a few small potted plants seated on the display shelf placed near the window. Most of the plants were overgrown with some growing to the ceiling and others covering the pots. Emma stayed in the shops for two more hours before she left the shop and continued on her journey to Andrew’s house which was located in the rich suburbs but found it was empty.
‘Don’t tell me…’ she thought before rushing to the neighbor’s house and knocking on the door until a forty-year-old woman opened the door.
“Good morning how can I help you?” she asked warmly.
“Please can you tell me what happened to the family staying in the house next to yours?” she asked.
“Oh them? They moved out in the middle of December last year.” She replied.
Emma’s eyes widened at that. “Do you know why they moved out?”
“I am not so sure. I am sorry,” she replied.
Emma watched her shut the door before turning to go to Brianna and Ralph’s house. On her way through the quiet streets, her instincts perked up and she quickly changed her direction to the train station and blended in with the crowd who were waiting for the train to arrive. Despite the bustling noise and the movement of individuals, the hairs on her skin refused to subside which caused her to frown and narrow her eyes.
The person was still tailgating her.
She instinctively moved away from the crowd and walked towards the end of the station where fewer people were waiting for the train. The hairs on her skin continued to stand and her eyes darted around the crowded station trying to find someone who was out of place.
‘Where are you?’
Meanwhile, Ayano Yamada clenched her fist in anger at this sudden change. She struggled to move through the sea of people before the train arrived but it was too late. The crowd shoved and pushed past her to get into the vehicle on time making it impossible for her to keep an eye on Emma who continued to stand at the end of the station. All it took was one blink and her target disappeared. The crowd finally dispersed into the train leaving her and a few other people in the empty station.
“Damn it!” she grunted balling her hands into a fist. “Damn it!”
Unbeknownst to her, Emma was only standing a few feet away watching her reaction and taking note of the thirty-one-year-old woman’s outfit: green shirt, black shorts, a pair of black gloves, and a mask covering part of her face. Taking a deep breath, she confidently walked out of the station and headed to Brianna and Ralph’s house but it was empty.
“Brianna? Ralph?” she knocked on the door repeatedly. “Brianna it’s me, Emma. Please open up!”
She got no response. Taking a step back, she took a good look at the house. It was an old building with white paint chipping from the front and sides and the windows were dark with no signs of life inside the house.
‘They never mentioned their parents before,’ she thought to herself, ‘I didn’t even see them during the school’s festival last year. How can I be so stupid?’
“Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in. How are you? Are you having a great day?”
Emma refused to look at the owner of the voice. “What are you doing here?”
“You seem lost. Are you looking for your trashy friends?” the smirk was obvious in her voice. “I warned you about these kind of people. They don’t last long when they hear something bad about someone close to them. It’s such a shame they left you alone when they had the chance. Some friends eh? What a shame.”
Emma said bowed her head and said nothing.
“Where is your boyfriend? Did he leave you alone to visit your friends today?” She chuckled ruefully. “This place is dangerous for a girl like you. So where is he? Don’t tell me he is a coward.”
“Are you trying to mock me?”
Agatha shrugged nonchalantly and looked at the house. “Don’t bother looking for them here. They left town when they realized what a trashy, pretentious person you are.” then she looked at her. “You were so deranged that you clung onto me all the time but I tolerated it until that incident and what did you do? You abandoned me and disappeared leaving me alone to bear your shame. It’s a good thing you are…..”
“Agatha, I don’t have time for you,” Emma calmly said before turning to leave, “I have to go home to my boyfriend.”
Agatha watched as Emma slowly disappeared down the road and chuckled to herself. ‘The look on her face was priceless! I can’t believe she thought she would still have friends after this!’
Her chuckle slowly transformed into laughter as she imagined the pitiful figure of Emma resting in her palm. “Everything is going to plan! All I need to do is to get rid of that ‘boyfriend’ of hers and boom!” she clenched her fist in victory “You will belong to me!”
The kitchen knife showed Jake’s grinning face before he brought it he brought it down on his helpless strawberry lying on the wooden cutting board. The red juice spilled as he continued to cut it into quarters before placing it on top of the whipped cream.
“Something sweet will cheer my Beloved up!” he said holding up his masterpiece; strawberry cheesecake. Then there was a knock on the door. “Ah! Just in time!”
Still holding the cake, he walked over to the door and opened it expecting to see his Sweetheart but it wasn’t her. The tall handsome boy with pale skin, black hair cut to a flowing haircut, and peach-like lips stood before him by the doorway. His black shirt was slightly unbuttoned to show his chiseled features with a silver chain dangling from his neck and it complimented by a silver chain dangling by the side of his black jeans and shoes.
“Who are you?”
“I should ask you the same thing.” He took off his glasses revealing his hazel eyes and slightly heavy eyelashes. “This is Emma’s apartment, right? I want to see her.”
“You haven’t answered my question.” Jake’s voice went cold. “Who are you?”
The boy shot a sly grin at Jake before tilting his head right showing his arrogant flare. “I am Neco Aioki but my friends call me Neco and you are?”
Upon learning this, Jake’s eyes flashed and a toothy grin appeared on his face. “Neco eh? I must admit, you have a lot of nerve coming here.”
Neco smiled back and shoved his hands into his pocket. “Yeah, I do.”
“Weren’t you expelled from your former school?”
“Huh?”
The school’s Guidance Counselor got you kicked out for sexually harassing a student there.” He folded his arms and leaned on the door. “She caught you red-handed getting handy with the female student on school grounds and called the police. From what I heard, you have a criminal record now right?”
Neco’s eyes widened with fear and Jake relished in it although his thirst for blood slowly crept up on him. Looking at the one who tormented his Beloved during her days in that school he imagined millions of ways to make him suffer before sending him to his early grave but he had to maintain some level of self-control and rely on psychological warfare to keep people like him, Agatha and Julia away from his Beloved.
“How did you know that?” Neco asked loosing his composure completely.
Jake grinned. “I am her boyfriend. So I know everything about her: her past, her present and our future together and this is just the tip of the information I know about you.”
“What the…”
“Emma isn’t here and she will never be at your beck and call again." Jake narrowed his eyes at him showing his rage. "Leave or do you want me to give you a hand?”
“What? No! No of course not! I’ll go.” Neco stammered taking a step back. “I’ll go.”
“Good.” Jake slammed the door and placed the cake on the coffee table. Taking a deep breath, he sighed and slumped on the couch thinking of what Emma went through in his hands before she had her heart broken by Agatha.
“It must have been terrible,” he muttered as tears dripped down his face. “But not as terrible as the thought of her leaving me.”
Then another knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and this time, he looked through the peephole before opening the door in excitement.
“Beloved! You are back!” he wrapped his arms around her. “I missed you so much!”
“Jake I was only gone for a few hours.” She said in a flat voice.
“But you were gone for so long!” he moaned tightening his embrace for a few minutes before releasing her. “How are Andrew and Brianna? Are they doing well?”
Emma walked inside and hung her bag on the coat hanger next to the door. “I couldn’t find them.”
“Oh,” he said masking the sudden happiness welling up inside him. "Did something happen to them?”
She didn’t respond and laid her eyes on the cake sitting on the coffee table.
“I made you strawberry cheesecake,” he announced bringing out a knife from his back pocket. “Do you want me to cut you a piece?”
Another round of silence was his answer as she slumped on the couch. “Jake?”
Concerned, he sat next to her. “Yes, Beloved?”
“Who am I?”
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