I inserted a toe filler inside my bunny slippers as I slid my feet into the house slippers and walked downstairs towards the coffeehouse and sat down, facing Aunt Inara and Grandma. With the Children of Balance Bible in her hands, my aunt gaped at me. "Could you explain to me again about this group?" she asked. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIFI60DdXC
"The Children of Balance is a doomsday cult," I reiterated. "Where they believe that their 'messiah', Nathanel Roth would bring balance to the world."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vGKK8sMkW
"That sounds ridiculous," Aunt Inara snorted. "This Nathanel guy is just a con man."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2g6jA7X0d
"Exactly," I agreed with my aunt's statement. "But his followers just believed him like a bunch of sheep."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDavXqoUVp
"Idiots. I bet they give up all their money to Nathanel."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtutqEAvgf
"Nathanel even persuaded his followers to commit murder."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRUirZ1Mfb
"Is it true?" gasped Grandma. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9IL8TGj9H
"It's true, Grandma," I nodded. "I was at the cult meeting."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvgrbXhMia
"First, what are you even doing at the commune anyways?" questioned Aunt Inara. "You could have gotten yourselves killed."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUJal4aeNm
"Well, I encountered the Children of Balance on Naomi's birthday at an abandoned cabin."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpGft99nlh
"An abandoned cabin?" she raised her voice. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUJhwh7osT
"Calm down, Ina," Grandma placed her hand on Aunt Inara's shoulder. "Bugsy, what did you hear at the meeting?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1Q9Ih9wv4
"They planned to wipe out the vermin that caused the imbalance on Earth," I recalled. "Then, we offered a drop of blood on the fountain."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKGoeEeo9G
"What else did you saw?" Grandma held my hands. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOfVJ5uw6j
"They all wear white hoods and chanted on how Nathanel Roth was our saviour and the Chosen One. I almost got caught but Ferdinand, Naomi and Lisa managed to save me."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRpYxKGTFA
"Thank God," Aunt Inara sighed in relief. "I'm just glad you're safe."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPeruoTpOr
"Aunt Inara," I looked at her. "I know they were responsible for Malcolm's death 29 years ago."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKqFM9kMwj
"The police might not believe you, but maybe they'll believe David."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7qtYkPBxY
I raised my eyebrows as Aunt Inara put on a beige coat. "Who's David?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtYPu4riE4
"The mayor," answered Aunt Inara. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fLRvTXHfU
"You mean Mayor Yearns?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPCj4vz2VS
"Yes, Bugsy," she waved as she left the Little Owl Coffeehouse. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen, pouring two cups of warm water. I walked towards our seat and placed our warm water on the coffee table. Grandma thanked me as she sipped her warm water. "Grandma, did you know Malcolm Nguyen?" 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoz1YD6BKF
"I knew his parents, Eric Nguyen and Martha Trans. Eric worked as a clerk for the town council. Whenever they came to this coffeehouse, little Malcolm would always jump about."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UIh9WJOk2
"That's sad. What happened to their parents?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTYxtyS5gx
"I don't know," Grandma sighed. "I never saw them since the boy's death."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGtNf89wRB
"Do you know anyone else in town who disappeared or killed?" I sipped. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl1rWTtRPm
"Do you remember Jessie?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQsq0TVAcK
"I do," I let out another sniffle. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVc9Y6fVK8
"Her parents, Mr Khan and Mrs Abbasi disappeared after her funeral, never to be seen again."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFb9YhQaa9
"I always thought they moved to the city," I stared in disbelief. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2EpqaOJJn
"Most of the people I've known personally disappeared, Bugsy. Amara, Zuko, Ezra...."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX8lFppF5Z
I stood up and put on my blue jacket and a white beret as I opened the front door, letting in a breeze of snow inside the store. "I'll be at the archives, Grandma," I assured her. "Be back in a few hours."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfZRYenvmt
"Wait," Grandma stopped me at the front door. "I'm coming with you."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa1e9WMwVZ
"But it's too dangerous," I protested. "You might slip on the icy pavements and break your bones."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAa4QO2ZvF
"I'll be fine, Bugsy," she insisted. "Besides, the more the merrier."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXFKPlDdMA
I sighed as I watched her putting on layers of woolly cardigan around her and walked outside of our townhouse. I closed the door behind me and held her hands as we strolled along the pavements together, admiring the crimson lanterns hanging above us. "Lunar New Year's in another 3 weeks," noted Grandma. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkq4sMXjWc6
"I know, Grandma," I chuckled. "Can't wait."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeclWEdlpPM
"We should get new clothes for you," she gazed at the store mannequin, clad in rose- red cheongsam with flowery motifs. "You're out sizing some of your clothes."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TwKAUlBHw
We passed the clothing store and headed inside the archives building, only to notice Ferdinand seated on a table in the middle, studying. I snickered as I tiptoed towards him and poked both his waist, causing him to jump from his seat. "Good god, Bugsy," he freaked. "You scare me."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxII1EOkUEx
"But it was funny," I amused. "Your reaction is priceless."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpNIXHsuLN
"Whatever, Bugsy," he rolled his eye. "I'm currently studying cults."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrucV0kXicR
We sat down, facing him. "Did you find anything about the Children of Balance?" I asked. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OOZxKSKKV
"Unfortunately, no," Ferdinand shook his head. "All I could find was The People's Temple, Heaven's Gate and the Manson Family."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmpALfjIhF
"Keep searching, Ferdinand, while I'll search for the missing and murdered people in Slaborough."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyRFfyAqai
I walked towards the counter and rang the bell, prompting Miss Yves to put down her newspaper and look at me. "Morning, Bugsy," she greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you today?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBaYqyHBtn
"I need reports of missing and murdered people in Slaborough from 1969 to present," I specified. Yves got up and walked through rows of shelves while I got back to my seat and grabbed an article Ferdinand was going through.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWExvNehmTj
"SIGNS YOU'RE IN A CULT", I read. "By Amara Onyo."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MeX1bZznl
This must be interesting, I thought as I took out a triple five notebook and a pen. "Absolute authoritarianism, no tolerance for questions," I listed down. "The leader's always right, fear of the outside world, no financial disclosure."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZOzanm6wD
As I read another article, Yves approached our table and placed a pile of newspaper clippings next to me. "These are the one I could find," Yves wiped her sweat with her handkerchief.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx0uAinHpv
I thanked her as I unearthed each newspaper clippings and filled up the entire table, making Ferdinand remove his articles away. With the dates of the clippings following the chronological timeline, I counted all the people of Slaborough missing or murdered. "There are 35 of them," I stated. 'Ferdinand, could you look at articles about Malcolm?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4voY79P2N
Ferdinand took out his magnifying glass and analyzed Malcolm's article. "According to the article, Malcolm was found dead on January 20 approximately at 10.43 a.m," Ferdinand read. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0GyiiWAeW
"Grandma," I called her. "Do you recognize anyone here who you suspect was taken or killed by the Children of Balance?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡModm9fznvv
Grandma put on her spectacles and scanned the clippings, placing them on top of each other, making a mini mountain. "I could be wrong," Grandma doubted. "But I think these were the ones taken by the Children of Balance."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqmdjp4qY8
Ferdinand pushed the remaining clippings to the side and spread them out on the table, filling three-quarters of the table. "29," I counted. "29 was the number of years Malcolm was found dead."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjvWyfuHCC
With his magnifying glass, Ferdinand read the second article and jotted down the date on his glitter notebook. "January 20." 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0S1qfOOaEs
He goes through the next one, and the next, and the next, until he reaches the last one. "January 20," he repeated throughout the whole time. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60aqKF5jei
"All the murder and kidnapping that the Children of Balance had committed were done on January 20," I noticed. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgKHyrrJ5J
"But why the same date?" Ferdinand questioned. "If they wanted secrecy, they could've committed those things randomly."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHgU37uM4E
"Good question, Ferdinand. The police would've noticed this pattern by now but yet no actions were taken."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi3KDrLwq0
"And how did they get the guns?" 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsgmfCeGr8
"What do you mean by guns?" Grandma raised her eyebrows, her hands trembling.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQde5Oe8Vjn
"The other day when we were in an abandoned cabin, we encountered the Children of Balance. They threatened us at gunpoint."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH2U4OExsr
"But we can't have guns," Grandma expressed her surprise. "How did they get those rifles?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81LbJtpKjM
"That is the questions we couldn't answer," I lifted my shoulders. Grandma took one of the newspaper clippings on the table and stared at a picture of a dark-skinned woman, with frizzy hair and a grin on her face. "Who is that, Grandma?" I asked. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L8oY90OJG
"Amara Onyo. She was always carrying a notebook everywhere."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM3dzRqL7s
Amara Onyo. Now that sounds familiar to me.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4Ywzt6xRO
"So now what?" Ferdinand wondered.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWyziulE9K
We sat at the waiting room just outside the mayor's office, feeling slightly warm, with the sound of the secretary typing on a computer as background noise. Then, we heard the door swung opened, revealing Aunt Inara and Mayor Yearns.581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZNies5An7
"Thank you for making time with me, David," said Aunt Inara, in a warm tone when she turned around and noticed us. "Mom, Ferdinand, Bugsy," her jaws dropped. "What are you all doing here?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetacsVd3s7
I stood up, hugging my notebook. "I have something extremely important about the Children of Balance," I spoke. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdpNIxHHDN
"Alright," Mayor Yearns answered. "We'll discuss this in my office."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUxXAMBdjr
I faced Mayor Yearns as he sat down. I slipped a notebook on his desk and opened it, showing and explaining all we've found in the archives. "So you're saying that the Children of Balance kidnapped and murdered 29 people each year on January 20?" he guessed his conclusion. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmWrzNUb4c
"It's true, Mayor Yearns."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1klQ7jcpl
"If that's so, then why didn't the police noticed this pattern from 29 years?" he placed his clasped hands on his desk. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnQabjtfO1
"That's what I wondered as well."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsefNgF6OPa
"And they have guns as well," Grandma pointed out. "Isn't it illegal?"581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaACpcZHSJe
Mayor Yearns opened his drawer and flipped the pages of his law book, and showed us the page for reference. "According to the firearm's law," lectured Mayor Yearns. "It is legal for a citizen to bear arms, but they must go through various tests. After they successfully obtained a gun, their guns would be in an ammunition centre. And if they want to use it for practice, the gun owner must inform the police or else face a fine or suspension of gun license."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCdZ6E2Kx3
I pouted my lips. "That sounds difficult."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OrfNfFri8
"It is," said Mayor Yearns. "Which is why I'm making a police report based on the evidence provided by a witness of the crime."581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkAytHUnnv
"That's great," Ferdinand gleamed. 581Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQXprfFwR9
"Now all of you just go home and rest while the police would take care of this."
"Yes, sir."
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