20XX/10/04 – Night
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With a loud thud the two of them tumbled to the ground. The pair of scissors slithered across the stone floor as they fell from the woman’s hand. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAII2fD0WhWX
“Let go of me you bastard!” Liz screamed under his weight. She struggled to get away, desperately wriggling herself and trying to kick at him. But in contrast to the other night Leon had no intention of letting himself get hit by her this time. Play time was over and he now brought the full weight of his body on her as he held her down by her wrists. Her resistance went on for a while but it was futile. She couldn’t escape his iron grip and her attempts began to lose their force and ferocity. She was using up her strength fast and soon the journalist didn’t have any energy left to push back. Breathing hard, she stared daggers at him. Her eyes were cold as ice and once more Leon was glad that the saying “if looks could kill” was just that.
“Are you done now?” he asked, sounding not the least bit tired. 231Please respect copyright.PENANA7LMjM6Kq8k
“Screw you!” she spit at him. Her voice was full of disgust and hatred.231Please respect copyright.PENANAwHI6OpZlR5
“My, this side of you really is quite ill-mannered.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAoEf4w14Cbd
“And you’re even more infuriating than I ever dreamed you could be.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAIF9KYz5VOl
He scoffed, biting back the So you dreamed of me? on his lips. She probably wouldn’t be very receptive to his teasing right now. “I see you haven’t lost your snark in all your madness.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANA2B8Q433Vmi
“Tch.” The brunette turned her head away, staring holes into the wall instead. “What happens now?” she mumbled. No sooner had the words left her mouth, the sounds of footsteps could be heard from afar, drawing ever closer. As both pairs of eyes turned to look down the hallway they could see the flickering lights of several flashes. 231Please respect copyright.PENANABRupGNYvqC
“Now,” Leon started, a somber tone in his voice “you will face the consequences of your actions, Ms. Glaze.”
“There they are!” a rough call echoed off the walls and the next moment the lights returned with a buzzing sound, almost magically. Running towards them were maybe a dozen men in blue police uniforms, led by Leon’s superior in his trademark trenchcoat - the real Detective Matthews. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAjMuRrZKo4T
“Leon! Are you alright!?” he yelled from a distance before he came to a halt in front of the two.231Please respect copyright.PENANABcEgcn6po0
“I’m fine, Joseph. Don’t worry.” He chuckled as he slowly got off the journalist. Immediately two officers jerked her body up from the floor, yanking her arms behind her back. Secured like that, she had no way of getting away. Not that she would have attempted an escape anyways, she wasn’t stupid after all. Although she hated to admit it, Liz knew she would stand no chance against this many armed members of the police.
“Don’t worry!?” Detective Matthews yelled, as he took another step towards his colleague. “Don’t worry my ass!!!” Fuming with anger he grabbed hold of Leon and promptly forced him in a headlock, rubbing his bare fist against the younger man’s head. “You reckless piece of shit!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAHKkoSlgD0z
“Ouch, hey-“ 231Please respect copyright.PENANA343r9Y1ziH
“How many times did you go and pull off stunts like that without telling anyone now!?” “Joseph, you’re hurting me-“ 231Please respect copyright.PENANAnXosqgg2nZ
“Good! You’re gonna end up dead in a ditch somewhere one day, if you continue like that! Might as well prepare you for that pain!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAYXR5s7tAlg
“Urgh, how cruel! Heeeelp…” Leon cried out weakly from the detective’s grasp, wheezing at the lack of air. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAZJOFk9i50Q
“Pathetic” Liz mumbled, her irritation at having gotten caught by this man spiking to a new high. 231Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ch1V56FAd
His superior sighed in annoyance but loosened his grip nonetheless, allowing his subordinate to escape. The older man crossed his arms, his brows still furrowed. “Stop being such a pussy. And request back-up immediately next time!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAYErulVB9Xn
A wry laugh escaped the officer’s lips as he loosened his cravat, allowing him to breathe easier. “Will do. Promise.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAc1K3nZBAT7
“How many times have I heard that before?” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAlnAXu6CUrh
“I don’t know, I lost count, really.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAVC233qpVv2
Detective Matthews groaned in defeat. There was no going through this thick skull.
Liz had watched the rest of their banter, which apparently seemed to be a regular thing between them, in silence. It was one of the officers holding her who spoke up after a while. “Officer Enfield, you still have to make the arrest.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAIbMhIdGmkT
Leon turned around. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAVEWM0vMar4
“Go ahead. You did take her down after all.” Detective Matthews encouraged. 231Please respect copyright.PENANALS8ZJDvuDl
However, the dark blonde only chuckled as he shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. You do it, Officer. I’m not fond of the whole handcuffing business.” His colleague nodded and promptly pulled out a pair of metal cuffs, swiftly applying them to the woman’s wrists, while the other man began to read her rights. 231Please respect copyright.PENANADfeoH97IrZ
“Before you take her away though,” Leon began after they were done, “I do still have a question I would like to ask Ms. Glaze. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“What difference does it make? Go ahead.” Liz replied in a bored tone. She was done resisting. She would end up behind bars and nothing she could say would change that.231Please respect copyright.PENANAIAGB43DOFs
He took a few steps towards her. “Why did you do it? And don’t fob me off with some lame excuse like mommy issues. We both know you’re not the type for that.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAWqeRoaLpU4
She scoffed. “Why are you so hung up on that? I killed six people, that’s a fact. It’s not like it matters why I did it.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAViwRFrui9u
“Because I’d like to understand.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAztEbV5ksJe
The way his blue eyes focused on her while he spoke, made her draw in a sharp breath. Once more she felt like he was staring directly into her soul. Like he could see right into her heart, behind all the lies and deception, through the armor she had built herself over the years. Like he saw her for who she truly was, and not for the person she had created for the world to see. At that moment she realized. There really had been no point in all this. He had known everything from the start. That game of theirs, it hadn’t been a game at all. At least not one she had actually participated in. No. She hadn’t been a player, she was merely the playing piece of the real one. From the start she hadn’t stood a chance. What a pathetic display she must have made.
The realization hit Liz like a brick, but instead of feeling despair or self-pity, the only thing she could do was laugh. At first it was a soft laugh, a small chuckle, that soon started to grow into big waves. Soon the ringing of her laughter echoed throughout the whole building. If she hadn’t been restrained, she would have bent over, but like this the only thing her body could do was shake from the forces that ran through her. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAuwRsPPAohA
“There’s no need to ask me that though, right?” She wheezed with tears in her eyes. “You already know. You know why I did it. Because you know everything.” Her chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as she struggled to regain her composure. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAxjAmTh0ZUl
Leon watched her crazy outburst with a wry smile. “I’d have liked you to confirm my theory though.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAxN4sgkcmyB
“That smart and still in need of validation, hm?” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAIN10ZVum26
“No, comment.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANA34NKI85wAe
“Heh.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAI8G26zWBZ2
For a few seconds the two of them looked at each other. It may have been a strange sight for everyone else present but there was a certain acknowledgement for the other person between them. And for the first time they both truly smiled. No play, no mask, no deception. Just an honest smile. And just like that Liz felt a piece of the block of hatred in her heart break and crumble. It was by no means a magical revelation that would bring a complete change of her character, and she still didn’t feel any remorse about her actions. But it was a start.
“Well, I believe this is yours.” Leon broke the silence as he pulled something out of the pocket of his suit jacket. Looking at what he held in his hand made her eyes go wide in surprise. It was the black fountain pen she had lost at the crime scene. The very thing that had brought upon her downfall. Liz scoffed. “Keep it.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAJHiMxEGTbn
“Are you sure?” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAFt6X5ud3la
“Yes. Absolutely. After all, it didn't exactly bring me any good luck.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAwDa3d4f7BV
“Heh, I suppose.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAcceMXFtiHM
“For you however, it seems to have brought quite a stroke of good fortune.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAMCQrsIvnmV
“How so?” 231Please respect copyright.PENANA5pilM5g4Kg
“Well, what else would you call that blackout earlier if not sheer dumb luck.”231Please respect copyright.PENANAUYgKkop052
“Oh that…”
Just like that Leon’s trademark grin returned, as he ran a hand through his hair. The sight sparked a suspicious feeling inside the young woman. “Wait, you don’t mean-“ 231Please respect copyright.PENANAOLvGnxfeob
“Yeeeah… That was no random blackout. I had a little help from a friend of yours.” “What-“ 231Please respect copyright.PENANADCJgY2XzUz
“I’m afraid, she must be feeling really guilty right now.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAfb3dkFKXtj
“Wait- Who?” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAuWl0Miu36B
“I had to do a lot of persuasion to even get her to accept so, I hope you won’t hold it against her too much. She only had your best interest in mind and-” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAQuMmRxQs3f
“WHO HELPED YOU OUT, LEON!?” she screamed and the officers holding her had to tighten their grips to keep her from struggling. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAdmgpWuBBCk
“Well, who do you think? You don’t strike me as the type who has that many friends, so...” Realization dawned on her and her eyes widened in shock. “Chrissy… No. It can’t be.”
“Enough with the talking. We don’t have all night. You can continue this at the station.” Detective Matthews interrupted them, finally having enough of standing around waiting. However, Liz ignored him, her mind only focused on Leon and what he was implying. “Leon, listen. It’s impossible.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAYjUYW5YQKW
“Take her away.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANALH001JyFTL
The officers nodded at their superior’s command and began pushing the young woman down the hallway, away from Leon. They ushered her to keep quiet, as she struggled under their hold. She kept looking backwards at him, desperation in her eyes. On and on she screamed at him. 231Please respect copyright.PENANARohPqHc2wH
“It wasn’t Chrissy!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAyQU8gEsicd
“There’s no way!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAUrgEgYk8g0
“It’s impossible, Leon!” 231Please respect copyright.PENANA4JjPty8q0Y
The further they kept going, the louder she cried. But to no avail, they didn’t stop. And she received no answer. The man she was calling for stood frozen in place and only watched her getting dragged away. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAMAOzoI1xmA
“LEON!!!”
It was only after her voice became a faint whisper in the distance when he finally spoke in a quiet murmur. “Don’t worry Elizabeth, I’ll take care of her soon.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAQfVsF5hOnZ
Obviously she couldn’t hear him anymore and there was no reply. The only thing his ears heard in return was the faint rumbling of thunder in the distance. Suddenly he realized that he had forgotten something. Something important. He drew a sharp breath and turned his head towards the old window. However, his eyes were only met with the dark of the night and the faint light of the street lantern outside.231Please respect copyright.PENANAaHQgHYxpkV
She’s gone…
The figure in the black rain jacket stood still under the big tree outside the abandoned hospital. She was drenched from head to toe. However, she didn’t seem to mind. She only stared into the night. A while ago she had watched a group of policemen drag a woman outside of the building. She hadn’t been able to see much as she had been standing too far away. But they had pushed her inside one of the many police cars that had been parked in front of the entrance. And soon after they had all driven off. She knew what was awaiting the woman. She also knew who the woman was. Or who she once had been.
“You’re still here?” A soft voice resounded beside her. “You’re all drenched… I’m sorry you had to be outside during that storm.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAzO0k2s8ZlH
“It’s fine. I won’t get sick after all.” She heard a rustling sound and the next moment she felt that something was draped over her head. Surprised, she looked up and saw Leon standing next to her without his jacket, but with a worried expression on him. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAid9gDvDQmY
“That may be, but it’s still uncomfortable to be wet from head to toe, especially in this cold.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAEgkRV8Qg9Y
Not having expected to be treated that kindly, her cheeks grew rosy in embarrassment and she quickly turned her eyes to the ground, murmuring a quiet “Thank you.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAx689YiHVQH
“No, it’s me who has to thank you, Christina. If you hadn’t switched off the electricity, I’d have gotten skewered by those scissors.” He tried to make light of the situation but the blonde didn’t show any sign of brightening up. To the contrary, the air of gloom around her only seemed to grow heavier.
“Ah, that wasn’t a very considerate thing to say, was it?” Leon said, scratching the back of his head. “I’m sorry. Comforting people isn’t exactly my strong suit…” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAEODJArC5IN
She shook her head. “No, it’s, it's fine… I guess I just need a little time to process everything.” Her voice grew so quiet that by the end of her sentence, he had trouble understanding what she was saying at all. But it was clear that she needed rest. The exhaustion was written all over her face and he feared that the young woman would at some point faint if he kept her here any longer. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAwDxrh63ACy
“How about you head home for the night and try to catch some sleep? We can meet up tomorrow at the café.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANAwiJlnpQ4M2
“Yes, that sounds good.” She nodded at his suggestion and made a motion to slip off his jacket. However, Leon interrupted her before she could hand it back to him. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAMb3fEZEYse
“Keep it. You can return it tomorrow.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANALOqMQsM2BH
Christina attempted to protest but was quickly shut down by the officer. In the end she had no choice but to keep hold of it. And as she started her way home the blonde thought about whether it was actually possible to dissuade this man after he had set his mind on something.
Leon watched after her as her figure slowly disappeared into the night, his right hand in his pant’s pocket. He ran his fingers along the cold surface of the metal object in it. Before he had draped his jacket over the young woman, he had pulled out the fountain pen from it. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAtS4wTKeXTD
A lucky charm, huh…. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAgZ1t8Sk773
He didn’t really believe in charms or any similar superstitions. But surely it wouldn’t hurt to hold onto it. After all, one could easily find themselves in need of a pen. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAM32M61MIGf
A wry smile appeared on his lips. It wasn’t like him to make up excuses like that. Maybe Elizabeth Glaze had made more of an impression on him than he had thought. 231Please respect copyright.PENANABjLIctaR6l
The Paper Cut Killer… It really is a ridiculous name. He chuckled to himself before turning his attention upwards. 231Please respect copyright.PENANAuweVbpwDTh
“How long do you intend to keep hiding up in that tree like that?”
The black-haired woman stared down at Leon from her spot on the thick branch, her face devoid of any emotion. “I wasn’t hiding. I simply waited until your conversation was finished.” 231Please respect copyright.PENANA6xFoppBNhf
“Heh, sure you were. Now come down here. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. And now that you finally decided to show your face, it’s time for you to take up a more active part in this, Melinda.”
231Please respect copyright.PENANABbF8bPZGZ8
I'm standing on a ledge231Please respect copyright.PENANAe3xqdRSu8R
Above a fall I can't face231Please respect copyright.PENANAvKIXt4vjgK
But you pushed me anyway
You got me in a free fall, you're my sweet surrender231Please respect copyright.PENANA3qtx0JCTPo
You wrapped me in a white flag in my darkest hours231Please respect copyright.PENANAhlWVE1Al2W
So tell me will you stay now?231Please respect copyright.PENANAnbRl5tEqbu
'Cause I feel like I'm saved now231Please respect copyright.PENANAR1g8wdIJ0v
Against The Current - Sweet Surrender
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You’ve reached the end of this playlist.231Please respect copyright.PENANAOAYuTCOPlx
“Against The Current”231Please respect copyright.PENANA6cc3xxkBhb
Infinity231Please respect copyright.PENANAZA4FqBJmve
Wildfire231Please respect copyright.PENANA1ojfQVCYmA
Forget Me Now231Please respect copyright.PENANA4hXLHM5XKi
The Beginning (ONE OK ROCK Cover)231Please respect copyright.PENANAwjkx6HVCok
Brighter231Please respect copyright.PENANA1DMuwn3kgT
Jump231Please respect copyright.PENANAqnvtUxPGHx
Weapon231Please respect copyright.PENANACHspSHQAGt
Demons231Please respect copyright.PENANA15omYQudVJ
again & again231Please respect copyright.PENANA1WWYXDK7YP
Sweet Surrender
Would you like to continue with the next playlist?231Please respect copyright.PENANAAm9YkSVp8F
→ Yes231Please respect copyright.PENANAiElf4FgMxo
→No
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