Chapter 14: Unforeseen

"When the number of factors coming into play in a phenomenological complex is too large scientific method in most cases fails. One need only think of the weather, in which case the prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible." —Albert Einstein

"The year 2100 will see eugenics universally established. In past ages, the law governing the survival of the fittest roughly weeded out the less desirable strains. Then man's new sense of pity began to interfere with the ruthless workings of nature. As a result, we continue to keep alive and breed the unfit. The only method compatible with our notions of civilization and race is to prevent the breeding of the unfit by sterilization and the deliberate guidance of the mating instinct, Several European countries and a number of states of the American Union sterilize the criminal and the insane. This is not sufficient. The trend of opinion among eugenists is that we must make marriage more difficult. Certainly, no one who is not a desirable parent should be permitted to produce progeny. A century from now it will no more occur to a normal person to mate with a person eugenically unfit than to marry a habitual criminal." —Nikola Tesla

"Life is no different than the weather. Not only is it unpredictable, but it shows us a new perspective of the world every day."

—Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

***

Grenoble and his men were humane enough to prepare Ergas for a proper burial after his death and when the rageful manners of the townspeople subsided. Samara and the other families of the victims were somehow satisfied upon attaining justice. There still lingers hate in their hearts, an unfulfilled void that they think would never be patched up again.

Ergas' body was cremated by Grenoble and others, who put his ashes in an urn and sealed the jar away inside Grenoble's house. The chief lives alone. He never had a girlfriend or a lover whatsoever. No one ever sees Grenoble with a woman in such a romantic way or flirts whenever he has the opportunity to do so. That was why people often think that Grenoble is attracted to the same gender, thus creating rumors circulating on the whole island. However, the gossip quickly died out when he was seen kissing a woman on his way home with a bottle of beer in his hand.

Right when the cremation ended, a stormy night struck the whole island with thunderous winds sweeping small trees under the ground.

Some feared that Ergas' wrath had fallen to the island and his soul was trying to take revenge against everyone that discriminated against him and framed him for the crime he did not do. Tall waves and screaming lightning caused terror and tremors to every Balmackian. And Xenia was there, hoping that the whole sea would engulf the people that believed and lightly took Ergas' life.

"I understand that you're very upset about your friend, Xenia. Truly..."

Under the light of a lamp that was giving illumination to their house, the father and son were having some time alone. Volcom felt the need to accompany his son when he witnessed how painful Ergas' death was to Xenia. Seeing his son break out in tears reminded him of the time when he lost both of his parents. Tears would not stop coming out of his eyes and the sharp pain in his chest does not seem to go away no matter how hard he tries to weep his heart out.

What truly breaks Xenia's heart was the devastating truth about how Ergas' parents decided to ditch their child right after knowing that Ergas' was detained and subjected to crimes regarding the series of murders that began 4 days ago.

His sorrowful heart wanted to burst with rage. His hatred for Ergas' parents needed someone to let everything all out. Xenia was barely hanging onto a thin line, which suppressed his desire for destruction.

"I'm so mad at them!" He uttered as he tightly clenched both of his fists while fighting the urge to slam them on the table, for he will wake up his siblings. "I just— how could they leave their son alone?! Ergas must have been feeling so lonely. They should be by his side when he is being punished!"

Volcom's relatively large hand ran through Xenia's hair. It felt nice and gentle as his father continued to caress his back.

"I feel the same way, son. I've known Ergas' parents for a few years and never have I ever thought they would abandon their child to avoid persecution. Ergas deserved to live. And his parents don't."

It was the first time Xenia saw Volcom become angry. Every time he was around, there was this chill and gentle vibe surrounding him. Even though Xenia and other people had done something to be upset about, Volcom never showed anger. He would always be a forgiving father and a wonderful parent in Xenia's eyes.

***

The heavy rain continues to destroy crops, filled tanks with surmounting amounts of rainwater, and all that could be heard outside everybody's houses were the splashing of big droplets and the clamorous thunder strikes. So, if something is to happen tonight, no one would know about it.

"Tonight is the perfect time to make up for the few days I was not able to kill someone because of the damn patrol around the island!"

Covered in a raincoat and wearing boots to travel conveniently in the stormy night, a man who only has himself and the grotesquely malicious smile on his face peregrinates to Gordon's household. Outside the house, while bathing under the heavy rain, the man guffawed that it was not heard due to the extremely bad weather. Every noise he made was rendered unheard by the storm.

"WAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS THE BEST!"

No matter how much he screams and creates noise, no one would know that he was there. He went away later on and did the same outside of the triplet's residence.

"Ideally, the Gordon family fits the number of people I need to murder to make up for the times I postponed the bloodbath. However, my actions would be going against what the prophecy says! Ahh! How I wish I could have slaughtered them all! But fret not my dearest self, for I am standing in front of Samara's house! I'm sorry, I kept you waiting for your family, Myla. Worry not because they will be seeing you again soon!"

A machete slipped out of his raincoat's sleeve. The man was equipped with a dangerous weapon and was carelessly approaching the door to Samara's house. Under the guise of a deceptive smile on his face, Samara opened the door for the man holding a machete in his hand.

All power on the island was down due to the storm. Every household was forced to use lamps and candles to fill their house with translucency.

"Who are you?"

At first, Samara did not recognize the man standing right in front of him. Not until a particularly bright lightning struck behind, which lit up the man's face. He was like lightning to Samara's suspicious look on her face when he brightened her expression, and she then recognized the man.

"Oh, if it isn't— bleugh!"

Her eyes fell on the machete that had pierced through her neck, which prevented her from completing her sentence and making unnecessary noise.

"Nothing beats the sight of blood gushing from someone's body!"

The man roughly pulled the machete away, scraping her neck even more and immediately killing Samara off to the floor. Her body thudded loudly, yet no one heard it.

"As expected of a bitch that used to sell her body in exchange for money. You're really well off. Oops, I guess I won't hear an answer from you, slut. Hahaha!"

He began to drag her around the house, grabbing onto Samara's hair and leaving a trail of blood on their way.

From the front door to the living room, the man found no one. The shelves were full of decorations and the furniture inside was all expensive.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

When he went to the kitchen and saw a silhouette of a person standing

next to the pantry, the man let go of Samara's hair and sneakily crouched his way toward the silhouette.

"Boo!"

Startled, the person in the kitchen screamed and panicked when the man suddenly showed up behind him. The next thing he knew was that he was being relentlessly hacked and stabbed by the intruder.

Blood splattered all over the counter, on the walls, the cabinet, and the floor. The poor guy could not even have the chance to fight back. Before he knew it, the wicked man was attacking him.

"There goes the second one. Two more to go!"

Killing without hesitation, an unhinged killer that gets off the sight of blood pouring out of a human's body felt no remorse whatsoever for murdering two people. And he will keep on killing humans until there is no one left to murder.

"Nobody is safe. The world itself is the danger."

And the man proceeds to explore the first floor of the house only to realize that the remaining two people he needs to slaughter were upstairs. Therefore, he gaily sings a song while taking the stairs to his next two victims.

~