Again, with the bad dream

It was cold, numbing like a needle penetrating through my flesh as I make my way inside the room, it’s empty except for the mirror hanging at the grey wall.

Darkness crept in, that even the light couldn’t penetrate it. I walk not knowing what led me here, stood in front of it, and saw my wicked reflection. This can’t be happening again.

I tried to run, but my body won’t budge ceasing motion. My gaze stuck on her wicked smile and brooding eyes; I couldn’t avert it.

Once the darkness completely skulked to my body, I began to shake—attempting to free of her doing. I keep shouting and shouting but my voice won’t recede as if it was consumed by the darkness, until it covers the entirety of my body, turns out it was just another nightmare.

I jump out in the bed, panting, catching my breath. I heard footsteps coming closer and when it opens the door, Mia came in with a worried expression on her face.

“I heard you were screaming, are you alright?”

“Yeah,” said Kate “Just, having a bad dream.”

“You kinda exhaust yourself last night. Gilt left his regards to you and appreciated your help. He also said you should rest and don’t strain yourself.”

“Doesn’t sound like him. By the way, what time is it?”

“Six-thirty-four in the morning.”

“Crap,” Kate stands up “I haven’t made your breakfast.”

“Uh, you don’t have to worry about it. I kinda finish cooking it.”

“You do?” Kate said in disbelief.

“Oh, yes, I do.”

“Really?” Kate asks again, with her eyes narrowing.

“You don’t believe me, do you? Go on, taste it, let your buds judge my first-class cooking.”

Five minutes passed. Kate is enjoying eating Mia’s risotto.

“I gotta admit,” pauses Kate as she gulps, “this is pretty good.”

“Right?” Mia stood behind her and hugs her. Kate couldn’t believe that her sister would nail it. “Where did you learn this?”

“YouTube.”

“Of course,” Kate muttered. She just now noticed that it’s been taking too long for Mia to let go of hugging her. She already knew what this means.

“What do you want?” She tiredly asks her.

“What?” said Mia, pretending to be innocent.

“You only hug me like this when you want something. Spill.”

“Uhm, I kinda short in money…”

“Since when?”

“Heh-Heh, I kinda need more ten dollars-ish,”

“Where are you going to use it?”

“There is this store…” Mia hesitantly continues “that sells…”

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“You want me to take it back?”

“No-no-no. Thank you very much, sis.” Mia kisses her, and she bolted before Kate could ask again.

***

His eyes laid into the eagle, soaring, high into the sky, flickering, as it bathes in the rays of the rising sun. Bend its back with its wings open wide, arching, diving in until it’s finally beyond his perception.

Van postured, stretching his arms, flexing it to snapped. It was quite a day, just like any other normal teens would do, engaging in usual routines and after he finished it, he left their apartment and goes out, walking.

Just like what the police said before, he avoids streets that were gangs usually hang by and chose a field were crowded are into.

There, he came across the lane where there’s a bar where there’s a note “closed” hang onto the see-through glass door. Plants hang laden onto the brick walls. Moving close, he peeks, wandering eyes saw a certain woman inside the dim bar, her busty chest stretches on her black tops and red skirt started to covered by an apron.

He leaves knowing he might think as a stalker. He stopped by in magazines and newspapers. The headline of the news is still about the mysterious incidents, even though the police claims that it’s just a wild animal the press still believes that this is just a façade aims to cover some serial killer that is on the loose for the reason to not make the public go in the state of panic.

Come to think of it, this is like seventh or the eight times that this occurred, and many times the culprit had outwitted the police, if this sums up, the masses wouldn’t stay quiet and possibly, they will question the authorities about it. Even as much as Van wants nothing to do about it, still, it is bothering to know the fact that there are still creatures or someone that has the appetite to kill in a streak, thus he cannot be careless.

While walking, he’s in deep thoughts how the hell did the culprit manage to outwit the police, asking himself in a ‘what if’ situations. So deep that he seemingly ignored Kate as she waves at him, not until Tim and the rest of the gang upset him. Like always, as he entered the campus he was greeted by Tim and his friends, one meeting would be enough for him, but proved that they could be persistent as they also joined him during recess, he is silently eating, listening to them talking about what should they wear tonight for the party.

He only notices now that the only member of the gang is not here is Lester, he didn’t bother to ask to know what happened to him as if it would even matter. The only thing that caught his entire attention is the recent murders at the Maryvale Forest. To be honest, Van is a little bit of a detective himself. Besides running, solving puzzles is one of his things. Let just say that it’s his inner child that motivates him.

He was focusing on earing so much he didn’t pick up the atmosphere and the gang slowly move out and left. Van lifts his head and saw the poker face of Kate, the tray hardly lands making him cringe.

He greeted. “Uhm, hello there.” Still, he is silent “Did something happened?”

Kate shot him a blank look. Van could feel that a chill strike onto his spine, creeping through his heart. “So, you’re just gonna sit there? Silently minding your business. Great.” She frowned. “My god, you’re impossible to reach.”

“Reach what?” Finally, his senses came back to reality.

“Forget it.”

“Uhm. Okay.” Van was about to leave but the frowned Kate asked him. He went back to sit properly.

“Have you ever had this feeling that someone is hiding to you, but it seems like they’re acting normal.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Is someone lying to you?”

“It’s my sister. I think she’s hiding something from me. She’s oddly sweet to me earlier.”

“Yeah. That is weird.” Van said.

Glancing down he could feel the sharp look from Kate. “Not that I intend to offend you.”

She sighed.

"Have you asked her?”

“If I would, then she would never tell me or rather she would lie to me.”

“Of course, not that would be obvious.”

Out of nowhere, Kate asked, “So are you going to the party?”

“I’m going to think about it.”

“Why? You should come. It would be fun. Your brother would also be there.”

“I rather stay at home. The last time I went to a party, it didn’t go well.”

“You know what you’re spiraling. You need to go out if you want to make friends.”

“I kinda promised to my dad that I wouldn’t make trouble here, so…”

Kate pauses then decides to stop convincing him. She doesn’t want to leave a bad impression on him.

“Alright, that’s cool. Totally, cool.”

“Sorry.”

“Oh, no-no. It’s cool, alright. I get it.”

“I kinda did something bad back there. You know juvenile act.”

“No need to talk about it, for real.”

Oblivious to the change of atmosphere, the students began to apart, making way to the teacher heading towards them. The two stops talking and looked at the man standing behind Van. He could already tell that it’s not good news for him as he can already guess by the way he looked at him, a straightforward look. “Mr. Koelson, if you don’t mind. Would you spend your spare time with the principal?”

He thinks for a second, trying to remember whether he did something bad or not these past few days. But again, it wouldn’t matter now that authority is calling him, not that he remembers he did something bad.

Inside the principal office, Van sits on a comfortable brown cushion chair at the side in front of the principal. He read the name crafted on a standing wood, the name of the principal is Enrick Malfis. Even though he wears a formal tight suit, he would be less look like a gentleman with his plumpness sticking out on his shirt. The suit is not tidy well indicating that he may be living alone and didn’t have much time to properly do a chore.

When the Principal notices his gaze, he stares back at him and he avoided it. For a few minutes, the only sounds that filled the room are the clock hanging on the wall and the pen continued clicking back and forth on the principal’s hand.

“Do you have any idea why you are here, Mr. Koelson?”

Finally, he asked.

“Not that I remember doing delinquent things, s-sir.”

“You are considered as a person of interest regarding the murder that happened in the Maryvale Forest.”

“Excuse me?!” He questioned in disbelief. “Not that I disrespect you sir, but I was at home that night.”

The door opens and a police officer entered followed by two teachers. Van looks at her, it was the police he met before.

“Mister Van, I believe we met before. My name is Officer Bella Hemlock.”

“Yeah, I remember you.”

“As you already know, there’s a recent murder case on the Maryvale Forest.”

“Why does it have to do with me?”

“You’re a person of interest.”

“Again, what?”

“It means, there’s a possibility that you’re involved with the murder.”

“Wait. Are you accusing me? And what makes you think that I’m involved?”

“Well. We found footage of you running on the streets.”

He stuttered as she shows the video on the phone.

“It was recorded on a dash camera of a police officer patrolling there.”

“No, I swear. I was j-just doing parkour.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“Yes.”

“Then you would likely consider as such.”

“I promise I don’t know anything about it.”

The door burst open and Van’s aunt Dally came in rallying with her strict face.

“You can get out Van.” She spoke.

“What?”

He asked unable to comprehend what is happening.

“Just go and close the door.”

When he finally left, Dally confronts them.

“What are you doing?” She asked. Her infuriation is ungovernable.

“I know this is a bit much but for your niece is a suspect. One of my men caught him last night.”

The principal said. The three of them stood firm to their case.

“Before you rushed to investigate at him, you should have come at me first.”

“This is the reason why we wouldn’t tell you. Because you would let your emotion rule first before anything.”

She sighed heavily “Okay. That kid is trouble one, he doesn’t have any friends back on his previous school. So, that would make sense as to why he is like that.”

“We can’t take that risk, Dally. What if he’s working with them?”

“No, he’s not. He’s just another trouble kid that needs attention not to be detained. We are not the law, we’re part of the constitution that helps nurture students.”

The three stumbled by the fact of their positions.

“Don’t you guys ever do that again alright?”

When the rest leaves Dally talks to Enrick.

“I know that you’re afraid that they will come back but there’s no need to be afraid anymore. We defeated them.”

“But at what cost? We didn’t defeat them, Dally. We just managed to screw them out of this city.”

“I know. But it doesn’t need to be like this. Not to him, not to everyone.”

At that moment, she knew that Van’s course will flow differently than what she and Mick envisioned for him.