Prologue Part 1: That's Life

TW:

This prologue talks about abuse both physical and mental, rape, murder, alcoholism, prejudice (Racism, Homophobia), mental illness, and cheating.

Every plant has a seed, the seed is the root of all life, however, it takes time to plant those seeds, nurture them, give them sunlight, and water them. One little plant never got any nurturing, sunlight, or water, all of the other plants showed nothing but disrespect towards the plant. The little plant was miserable, until one day, the little plant found his calling.

  ***

"Bitch, shut your goddamn mouth!" "'Fuck you talkin' to me like that for, you alcoholic piece of shit?!"

Noir opened his eyes, in the dark, isolated closet that he was sleeping in. Noir slowly stood up from the pile of clothes he was sleeping on, feeling the torn-up walls that surrounded him. He opened the closet door and stepped into the kitchen. His mother and father were fighting, they didn't even notice Noir, he didn't even appear to be fazed by the ruckus from the fight, he just appeared slightly affronted.

He started to walk out of the kitchen, until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

Noir turned around and saw his father, he was holding a bottle of whiskey in his other hand, his white, wife-beater had beer stains on it. Noir looked onto the floor, pondering about what he did this time. Noir's father said, "Why're you in such a rush to leave, boy?" Noir responded in a monotone manner, saying, "No reason." His father bellowed, "YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"

Noir looked up from the ground. Noir's father slurred, "First my wife disrespects me, sayin' that I'm not a good enough partner for her and then my second born child doesn't even look at me, who's next huh, is the baby gonna call me a horse-fucker? Is the damn dog gonna bite my balls off? It's not a rhetorical question, boy. ANSWER ME!"

Noir muttered, "Sure hope the dog bites your balls off." Noir's father said, "What did you say to me, boy?"

Noir looked towards his mother, who looked frightened.

Noir looked back to his father. Noir said, "I didn't say nothin', sir." As Noir was walking away from his parents, his father said, "Yeah, that's what I thought." Noir stopped walking, he then turned towards his father. He had a smug smirk on his plastered face. Noir began to approach his father. Noir's father looked pleasantly shocked, his father said, "Boy, if you have somethin' to say to me, say it now."

Noir clenched his fists and said, "You prey on the weak, you're a coward through and through, you drown what little time you have on this earth in liquor, you are a depressing, vile, piece of filth."

Noir's mother gasped. Noir's father was frozen, his face of shock hastily turned to anger. Noir's father set down his bottle of whiskey on the kitchen counter, clenched his hand into a fist, and punched Noir right in the nose.

Noir fell onto the white, tiled floor, everything was blurry, he swore he could see a puddle of blood at his feet. Noir felt as if he was about to pass out. Noir looked up at his father, he felt the blood dripping down his face. Noir's father picked Noir up by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall.

Noir's father said, "How, dare you make a mockery out of me. I'm your father, this family's main source of income, while your mother does her modeling shit and fucks her co-workers, I'm making an honest living. YOU HAVEN'T WORKED A DAMN DAY IN YOUR LIFE YOU LITTLE FUCK!"

Noir had regained his focus, his mother was looking outside at the window, it sounded like she was whimpering. Doing her best not to break down. Noir clenched his fists, he swung at his father's jaw, nearly dislocating it. Noir's father let Noir go, his father rubbed his bruised jaw.

Noir's father said, "You're gonna pay dearly for that, Noir." Noir's father swung at his son again, except this time, he dodged. Noir's father quickly attempted to punch him again, but Noir ducked and hastily countered his father's punch by upper-cutting his gut three times in a row. Noir's father coughed up a whole ocean of blood, most of it getting on Noir's face and his old, leather jacket.

Noir jabbed his father's gut as he said, "You got blood on my favorite jacket." Noir stopped ducking, he looked into his father's eyes, it was almost like he was reading a page of the man's very soul. His father was extremely agitated, he looked as if he was about to explode.

Noir said, "You aren't a real man, Harvey. You're nothing but a roach, and I am the boot that will stomp you out. I will watch you squirm and cower, and the best part. I will make my siblings, your children, watch as I slowly tear you apart. You may think of yourself as a god. But what's a god to a non-believer? It's not a rhetorical question, boy. ANSWER ME!"

Harvey grinned, and began to chuckle. Noir asked, "What's so funny, Harvey?" Harvey responded, saying, "You know somethin', boy. You sound just like my dad right now. He always used to beat me, rape me. Well like father, like son I guess."

Noir, dumbfounded, asked, "The hell do you mean like father, like son?" Noir froze for a moment, then something snapped. Noir said, "Wait… When I was a twelve year old boy, Milly was ten. I heard clapping and yelling from her room. Whenever I asked Milly about it she said that you and her were wrestling…" Atticus clenched his fists once more. He could feel something burning in his blood. Noir yelled, "YOU BASTARD!" Noir asked, "How could you? You molested your ten year old daughter. You sick, vile twat."

Harvey said, "Boy, there are somethings in life that you just won't understand." Noir said, "Oh I understand alright, I understand that you are naught but an insect, a stain on God's green earth. You're a plague, and I will be the one to cleanse this world of you."

Noir turned towards his mother who was still looking outside at the window. She was looking at a bird's nest. The bird was feeding her children, nurturing them.

Noir asked her, "Mother, how could you stand by and watch all of this happen?" Noir's mother said, "I'm sorry." They all heard a car pull into the driveway. Noir's mother said, "Dear god your siblings are here, quick go outside, I don't want them to see your father like this."

Noir asked his mom, "Are you gonna be okay while I'm gone?" She said, "Kid, you have about a minute to get out of this house before that man grabs his shotgun and shoots you dead. Get the hell out of here." Noir asked his mom, "Is Gavin's bitch ass with 'em?" Noir's mother said, "You know that your sister loves Gavin." Noir said, "Fine then, but I swear to god if he lays one finger on me I'll go full "Ghostface" on his ass."

She said, "Whatever Noir, just please get out of here." Noir ran out of the kitchen and into his living room. He quickly grabbed his cassette player and opened the front door and ran outside. He saw Gavin's damned '99 Cadillac. "Dammit." Noir said to himself,

Gavin stepped out of the car, opening the door for Noir's older sister, June. Noir's little sister, Milly, got out of the back, along with Noir's little brother, Jackson.

Gavin looked at Noir and said, "'The hell happened to you?" Noir said, "None of your business Gav', just go to school." June nervously asked Noir, "Why're you covered in blood?" Noir said, "That's not of your concern right now. Your concern right now is getting to school."

Gavin said, "Hey, you don't talk to us like that, in case you forgot, we're the ones in charge."

Noir grinned and said, "Let me ask you something, Gavin, I haven't met your family, but Milly's told me a lot about your uncles, how they always stare when you're not looking, however from what I've heard it appears that they mainly like to stare at you, especially whenever you drop a piece of trash on the floor.

I've also heard that they go to your football games a lot, it seems that they like watching you get tackled by sweaty men. So tell me, Gav', whenever you play football do you ever get a flash back to what your uncles did to you. Did they make you lick their scrotums, did they gangrape you? Is there a reason that they always seem to have a boner every damn time that they're around you?

Is there a reason why they always take you and your football buddies to the back alley of that old, abandoned restaurant?"

Gavin grabbed Noir by the shirt and lifted him into the air. He said, "So help me god, give me one reason not to kill you where you stand."

Noir said, "Is there a reason to why you're trembling, Gav'? Are you afraid that Uncle Lester the molester is going to sodomize you with a broomstick?" Gavin said, "Shut your damn mouth you freak of nature. You have no right to talk about my family like that."

Noir's grin widened, he realized that he had gotten into Gavin's head, and now, he can wear him down. Noir said, "Well, Gav' I've got to hand it to you, for somebody who says that God hates the gays you sure do like to put your hands on boys, don't you. Are you in denial?"

Gavin socked Noir in his eye, awfully bruising it.

Noir jabbed Gavin in the gut. Gavin, out of shere shock, let Noir go.

Noir said, "Gavin, do you really want to do this?" Gavin said, "Noir, if you weren't June's lil' bro, you'd already be dead." Noir said, "You don't want to test me, boy. Hate to break it to you, but most of this ain't my blood."

Gavin said, "Bullshit." Noir said, "Allow me to prove it." Noir slowly walked towards Gavin, Gavin got into a stance that showed that he was ready to get his hands dirty.

June said, "Oh guys, please don't do this." Noir looked at June, he said with excitement in his voice, "They're going to have to wipe Gavin's guts off of the pavement." Noir hastily approached Gavin, Gavin threw a punch but Noir swiftly dodged and countered with a grab, he had grabbed Gavin's left shoulder with his right arm.

He then got an extremely tight grasp on Gavin's shoulder. Noir savagely uppercutted Gavin's stomach so many times that not only was he coughing up even more blood onto Noir, Gavin looked as if he was about to pass out.

Noir was about to start punching Gavin some more when among the ruckus of Gavin coughing up blood, he swore he could hear the faint sound of someone stumbling into the driveway.

That's when out of the corner of Noir's eye, he spotted Harvey stumbling with a shotgun.

Noir quickly threw Gavin onto his car. Gavin screamed in pain. Noir began to run down the neighborhood, he told his brother's and sisters, "I'll see you all at school."

Noir ran for his life, the neighbors all looked at him in shock, they were covering their children's eyes, gawking in horror. As he was running he pulled his old cassette player out of his back pocket and played a good ol' tune, "That's Life" By Frank Sinatra to be exact.

As he ran past his old block the song began to play, he could hear Frank Sinatra's angel-like singing as he slowed down a little bit and paid more attention to the families that he was passing by. He saw a family of one mother and three kids, they were all burying their faces in their mothers legs, not daring to look at Noir. Noir waved at the young mother as she screamed and pulled a knife out of her pocket. She yelled, "Get the fuck away from me you psycho!"

Noir smiled and said, "That's life." perfectly in sync with 'Sinatra.

Noir saw many families run inside their homes to call the police.

Noir smiled and said once more, "That's life." He looked at another bird's nest, he saw a stone near his feet. He was extremely tempted to throw the stone at the little birds, but he managed to control himself.

He looked down the street and could see the beating heart of his old town. He said once more, "That's life."  He walked into the town, he saw the movie theater, the old pawn shop, and the church.

He told himself, "Schools just barely outside of this old town area.  Everyone in the area slowly started noticing Noir, all of them running away, some of them screaming, some of them hiding. He could hear the sirens of about two police cars behind him.

Noir began to chuckle as he sang, "Each time I find myself lying flat on my face, I just pick myself up and get back in the race. THAT'S LIFE! THAT'S LIFE AND I CAN'T DENY IT, MANY TIMES I THOUGHT OF CUTTING OUT MY HEART WON'T BUY IT, BUT IF THERE'S NOTHING SHAKING COME THIS HERE JULY, I'M GONNA ROLL MYSELF UP IN A BIG BALL AND DIE!"

The four policemen got out of their vehicles. They quickly pulled their pistols out of their holsters. Noir lifts his hands up high into the air as the song starts to end. He said in sync with Frank Sinatra, "My, my."

Two of the officers kept Noir at gunpoint, and the other two began to cuff Noir. One of the officers cuffing Noir said, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."

Noir asked the officers, "What the hell did I do? I haven't even committed a crime." one of the other officer said, "Disturbing the peace." Noir said, "What peace? Peace is an illusion that the government of the United States of America creates. Hell who knows, it could be a matter of minutes before half of Rhode Island gets blown up by Russia, or whoever the hell we're fighting now. I mean come on, you saw what happened in New York two years ago, Al-Qaeda destroyed the twin towers."

The officer holding Noir at gunpoint whispered into the other officer's ear, "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we might've found our killer."

They belligerently shoved Noir into the back seat of the police car. The cops got into their cars and they began to drive to the station, Noir asked the police officer who was driving, "What's the real reason you picked me up?" The officer said, "We'll explain more once we're at the station."

Noir noticed a tattoo on the police officer's neck. It was a heart with the name, Donovan, in the middle of it.

Noir said, "I can't help but notice the little tattoo on the back of your neck, officer." The officer looked at Noir and said, "None of your business, kid." Noir grinned, he could tell by the tone in the officer's voice that it was a vastly sensitive topic for the officer.

Noir asked, "Officer, Is your lover a man?" The officer said again, "None of your business, kid." Noir said, "How long have you and Donovan been together for?" The officer said again, "None of your business, kid."

Noir said, "You're beginning to sound like a broken record, officer. I know that you're not a broken record, you're just broken. I can hear it in your voice, you were once a young lad, dreaming for the big leagues, I'm sure that you wanted it all. You wanted to be the best agent there ever was, but then they did a background check, saw that your lovers a man, and then they sent you to this pitiful old town, didn't they?

You're a reject. There's a hierarchy in society, first there's the rich folk who rule the world, then there's the celebrities, then there's the then company owners, then there's the wealthy families, then there's families who are adequate in money, then there's poor family's, then there's dirt poor families, then there's the homeless, then there's the criminals, then, last and least in the eyes of the elites, there you are.

Trading saliva and semen with another man. You've always been treated like dirt, haven't you? Society broke you. Your family likely hates you. What do they call you, officer?"

The officer said, "Shut your damn mouth. How old are you, huh kid?" "Sixteen, officer."

The officer said, "How the hell are you sixteen and talkin' like that." Noir said, "I want to be a detective or a psychiatrist." The officer said, "Kid, you're not going to get very far with that mouth of yours." Noir said, "You sure about that officer, because I can already tell that I'm in your head."

"Shut it kid."

"I don't think I will… Hmm, what should your name be?"

"My name's Abel."

"Too bad, your new name is Richard, Dick for short." "Hmm, well what's your name?" "My name's Noir, Noir Treyton." "Too bad, I think I'm gonna call you Hannibal."

"Fine then, but you better get me some fava beans and a nice chianti so I can properly feast on you and your boyfriend's liver." The other officer said, "Abel, I can tell what this little freak is doing, he's trying to get into your head, and it looks like he succeeded." Noir said, "Thanks for the compliment officer, I'm always happy to meet fans."

"I'm no fan of yours, cracka." Abel said, "Hey, was the whole cracker thing really necessary?" "Abel it was not a complaint against you, I was just trying to insult Michael Myers back here." Abel said, "Are you sure, because that's like me picking up a black kid and saying nig-"

"Don't finish that, part of this town's racist enough, I don't need my police partner to go out into the middle of the street and start chantin' "White power"."

Noir asked the black officer, "Say officer, what's your name?" The officer hesitated for a few seconds. Noir said, "If I'm not mistaken it's my legal right as a citizen that you tell me your name." The officer said, "Clark Tate Junior." Noir said enthusiastically, "Clark Tate Junior, as in the  Clark Tate Junior, as in the son of the legendary civil rights leader Clark Tate Senior?" Clark said, "Yes, you're correct, Noir."

Noir said, "I remember reading about you and your old man in a memoir, written by your little sister, Katy Tate. This is how the story went: In this ol' town everything was segregated, hell even the parks and neighborhoods were segregated. The white folk were thrivin' sippin' on their fancy red wines, and laughin' bout the day they had down at the office with their pretty lil' families, and then there was your family."

Clark began to imagine the scene in his head. His parents were basically starving, having to give the little food left to him and his little brother and sister, they were both infants at the time.

Noir continued saying, "Your family was dirt poor, same with all of the other negroes in this crooked old town. The only job that somebody like you could have was working on a white man's farm for a few cents an hour.

He said that even though you were only ten years old at the time you would mow the white man's lawn as they looked down upon you. Hell sometimes they would throw rocks or sticks or anything else that was throwable at you.

You would work so hard everyday, just to barely muster up a few nickels and dimes.

Then as you were riding on your rusty old bike home the white kids would throw rocks at the tires of your old bike. Then they would pull out their shanks and they'd carve their initials into your gut, all while callin' you the most prejudiced, vile things a kid back then could think of.

Where are those children now, Clark?"

Clark said, "They were thriving, they went down to New York, became businessmen, pianists, actors, and they continued thrivin' even all these years later."

Noir said, "And yet, everyday, you'd keep on working hopin' that one day you could bring back even a nickel or two to your old man. A few days the kids took breaks, probably because they had other negroes to torment. Your father and a few of his friends got enough and so they marched. If I'm not mistaken your father marched at the side of Dr. King in Montgomery, Alabama.

He had driven down to 'Bama for three weeks. It's a crying shame that he's no longer with us, truly an inspiration to us all.

I'm sure that you remember his unfortunate passing.

It was late at night, all was calm, segregation was no longer illegal, things were good. Then a rock was thrown into your window. You could hear yelling comin' from outside, you looked out of the window to your room on the second floor of your little, old house. You saw a flaming cross in your front yard, with a bunch of people with little white ghost costumes. Except, it wasn't Halloween, and those weren't ghosts.

You ran to your mother and father's room and woke them up. You grabbed your baby brother and sister while your parents both grabbed a shotgun, your dad put a little revolver in your pocket. Your poppa told you, "Whatever happens, promise that you will not let you or your little siblings die." You promised him that they wouldn't die. You all ran out of your house and attempted to run to your car, however the Klansmen had slit your Cadillac's tires.

One of them threw a flaming Molotov at your father's face, the glass ended up cutting and scarring his face, he even ended up losing one of his eyes.

Then, due to the flame on the Molotov, your father caught fire, he tried to stop, drop, and roll, however he met his end to a musket from one of the Klansmen.

The police had arrived at the scene, however they waited a minute before they decided to act on the situation, so the Klansmen shot your mother down, 9 bullet holes covered her head to toe. All of that blood, staining her old white nightgown.

After they had killed your parents they shouted in pride, "WHITE POWER!" Then whilst they were celebrating they noticed you, crying next to your mother and father's corpses. They saw how you were holding your little siblings.

One of the Klansmen approached you, he took off that old white hood of his. He was a fat, white, inbred, redneck fuck. That Klansmen pulled out his pistol, and blew your little brother's brains out."

Clark began to tear up at the thought of the event. They had arrived at the police station. Clark began to sob. Abel comforted him.

Noir continued, "Then, after your infant brother had been brutally murdered, you laid your infant sister on the grass, as you pulled out your poppa's old revolver, and then you, who was only ten years old at the time, shot that man eight times in the skull. Then the police finally intercepted."

Clark told Abel, "Get this freak inside the questioning room. I need time alone."

Abel got Noir out of the police car and into the station. He looked Noir in his eyes and said, "You're a dead man after that little stunt that you pulled in the car." Abel violently shoved Noir, he almost tripped, but was able to catch himself with his feet.

Noir said, "Watch it Dick, or else you might wake up missing your scrotum, and you won't be able to find it, you know why? Because by then I would've fed it to my dog." Abel said, "I have so many damn charges that I can file against you." Noir scoffed as he and Abel walked inside. The inside of the police station is pretty much what you'd expect for the time and location of the station.

Noir could view all of the security cameras from the insides of a room with a glass door; he noticed that there were cameras everywhere except for outside of the police station. There were a few people at the desks, one of them was a younger guy, he was reading the newspaper for the day, it said, "Police still cannot find Molesting Sam, the serial rapist and killer who's been terrorizing the Maine area for nearly four months."

Noir muttered to himself, "I wonder if they think I'm Sam." The officer looked up and saw Abel and Noir.

He asked Abel, "Hey, Count Fagula, shouldn't this guy be taken to the hospital?" Abel said, "Besides the black eye and the bruise on his nose, there's nothing wrong with him, physically that is, don't get me started on this freaks mental state." The officer said, "I bet that you haven't checked him for injury, have you?" Abel sighed and asked Noir, "Do you need to go to the hospital?" Noir slyly responded with, "Is the Pope Jewish?"

Abel said, "There, you have your answer." A female officer was clicking her long nails together, creating a very irritating noise. Noir took notice of this and said, "Hey officer Barbie!"

The female officer looked up at Noir, he said, "Stop clicking your damn nails like that, it's bad enough that these two numb-nuts over here won't shut their damn pie holes, now you have to be over here actin' like a pretty girl who just got her damn nails done, you are incredibly annoying."

The female officer flipped him off and said, "Haters gonna hate."

Noir said, "So help me god if it weren't for these handcuffs I'd give you a headache that you'd never forget."

The female officer gasped and said, "What the hell's wrong with you, you creep? I bet you are Molesting Sam." Noir clapped back and said, "Lady, the only thing I've stuck my junk in is a makeshift flesh light that I made using a box of rubber gloves and an empty Pringles can."

The female officer said, "Why the hell would you bring that up, see this is exactly what I'm talking about whenever I say that all men are creepy, narcissistic d-bags."

An older Hispanic officer yelled at her, saying, "Shut the fuck up Rachel, you're just a meddling dyke who's on her period!"

Rachel said, "I know that you aren't talking taco-head, if you're gonna complain so much then go back to Mexico!" "

I'm not from Mexico you slimy, slutty twat. I'm from Guatemala."

"Good, I hope that they send your border-hopping  ass to Guantanamo bay!"

"I didn't know that our police force hired cunty Klansmen."

"I didn't know that our police force hired illegal immigrants."

The chief of the police force walked into the room, He said, "What the hell is wrong with you people, can you stop bickering and being a bunch of jerk-offs for five damn minutes?! Everyone in this damn town thinks that we're narcissistic assholes, and by the way that you sissys argue, I can't even blame the townsfolk!"

The chief looked at Noir. The chief said, "What in the name of god happened to you?" Noir said, "Revenge." The chief said, "You're not Batman, idiot." The chief took a good look at Noir and realized who he was. The chief said, "Wait a minute, I recognize you; you're Harvey's boy, first born son if I'm not mistaken. What the hell did you do, son?"

Noir responded with, "I fought back." The chief worriedly said, "Oh no, please don't tell me that you're Molesting Sam." Noir said, "Chief Gary, I might be a little bit mentally ill, but I'd never molest anyone."

Chief Gary said, "Thank Jesus, you have no idea how much that would've tainted your family name." Noir snapped and said, "My family name should be tainted, dammit! My father's an abusive drunkard and my mother just sits back and watches him abuse me and my siblings out of fear that he's going to beat the life out of her!"

Chief Gary said, "Boy, I have known your old man since I was twelve years old. The only thing Harvey would do to you and your siblings is show y'all love and affection."

"I sleep in a closet filled with dirty clothes. So if that's your definition of love and affection, then I don't want any love and affection, not that I've ever even felt love and appreciated, anyways, I've been a burden since the day I could talk."

There was silence in the room. All of the officers were staring at Noir and Gary. Noir didn't even blink, he just stared at Gary's eyes. Chief Gary said, "You poor, lost soul. Go take a shower, then an officer will escort you to your holding cell."

Clark walks into the station, he said, "Noir, I have a proposition for you."

Noir looked back and saw Clark standing there. Noir could tell that Clark meant business. Clark continued, saying, "You are an expert at analyzing people. You analyzed me and Abel's past by taking a few looks at us, seeing how we talked, analyzing our names, you knew my past right off the top of your head. If you're not Molesting Sam, then I believe that you could be a major asset to us in this case."

Chief Gary said, "Clark, what the hell are you doing?"

Clark said, "I'm making a bargain with the devil himself."

Clark continued, "I want you to analyze the crime scenes, and I also want you to analyze letters that Molesting Sam has left behind. If you can help us catch this mad-man, you will be rewarded."

Noir said, "How so?"

Clark said, "You've obviously committed several crimes in the span of the last thirty minutes or so. I could help get you a great attorney, minimize whatever sentencing you'd get to a few months probation, your crimes will not be on your criminal record, and we will send recommendations to the best colleges in the United States of America, if you work with us that is."

Noir said, "Sounds like a deal to me, Clark."

Chief Gary steps in and says, "Clark, you just can't go around making crazy deals like that." Clark says, "Chief, Noir is obviously our best chance at catching this bastard. Everybody in this damn station sucks whenever it comes to catching serial killers, Noir is possibly our only chance at catching this bastard."

Chief Gary said, "Alright Clark, I'll entertain the idea. I want Noir to see the very first rape and murder, if he can tell us at least one thing about Molesting Sam, then it's a deal."

Noir grinned and said, "Let's do this."

Chief Gary said, "Noir, take a damn shower, you're covered in someone's blood." Noir said, "Actually it's three people's blood that's on me, including me and my father." "Who's the third one?" "The varsity quarterback of the only high school in town." Chief Gary worryingly said, "Oh no, is he not going to be able to play tonight?" Noir said, "I'm sure he'll be fine in a few games."

Rachel and the Hispanic officer escorted him to the showers. Rachel said, "I don't get why they have you investigating Sam. I mean, I'm not even a detective but I can guarantee that I would do a better job on this case than you, or better yet, we should just hand it over to the feds."

Noir asked,

"Then why are you guys still working on this case? The feds should already be involved." The Hispanic officer said, "This guy very obviously isn't a fan of the cops, so this is personal." Noir said, in a sarcastic, sadistic glee "I wonder why?"

Rachel said, "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Noir grinned he then said, "Quid pro quo, Rachel." Rachel said, "Don't you dare pull that Hannibal Lectar shit on me." "What was your relationship like with your mother?"

Rachel paused for a few seconds and said, "Not the best, but it could be worse." Noir said, "Did she give birth normally or did she do the C-section?"

Rachel said, "Mind your own business, creepo." Noir said, "I bet those surgeons enjoyed cutting up your mother. I bet that she was a little slut as well."

Rachel said,  "Shut. Up."

Noir slyly said, "Tell me, do you even know who your father is?" Rachel then responded with, "If you don't shut your mouth I will shoot you dead!"

Noir stopped walking and turned back to look at Rachel. Noir said, "You don't have the balls to kill anyone."

Rachel said, "Yes, I do."

Noir said, "Then prove it Cinderella, shoot me where I stand. Why don't you pull out that pretty little pistol of yours and blow my brains out."

Rachel looked concerned. Noir's grin widened as he said, "Do it, prove that you're a strong, independent, female warrior. Go on, slay the beast. Kill me, Shoot me you toothless coward. Prove to the rest of these cops that you're actually worth something, prove that you have something to prove, kill me!"

There was an awkward silence.

Rachel stared at Noir out of bewilderment. Noir said, "That's what I thought."

Rachel's face expression changed, she then slammed Noir into the wall. The Hispanic officer said, "Rachel, don't do it."

She raised her fist into the air. The Hispanic officer said, "Rachel, I know we don't get along, but please, you have a lot to lose, think about your boy. He's only seven and you're the only one he has." The intensity in the hallway was rapidly rising, everything seemed to be going by faster and faster, Rachel could hear a loud ringing in her ears.

Noir said hastily, "Think about it Rachel, I know how badly you want to beat me, so why don't you do it. To hell with that boy, I'm sure all he is to you is a burden in your wallet."

The Hispanic officer said, "Rachel, if you do this not only will you get fired, you'll also likely go to prison, after that who will take care of your boy."

Noir said, "Don't listen to him, just sell your body to everyone, and when I mean everyone, I mean everyone; from company C.E.O's to the janitor at Walmart, every little penny counts, dear."

The Hispanic officer said, "Rachel, please don't."

Rachel let go of Noir and screamed. She yelled at the top of her lungs, "GOD DAMMIT!"

She then laid her back on the wall and slowly slid down, as if she had been shot and wounded by a gun. She put her hands over her entire face and screamed bloody murder.

She then began to break down crying. She said in a broken voice, "You're right, I am a coward. And all I'll ever be known for is being the most brain-dead, weak, and slutty officer in all of the northern region. I am a loner who will be stuck with a dead-end job if I ever lose this one."

Noir said, "The reason I said, "I wonder why?" is because the police-force in this town is terrible. Think of me as your knight in shining armor, here to save you all from Molesting Sam."

Rachel began to break down. The Hispanic officer said, "You're a monster."

Noir looked at the officer. The Police Chief and a female detective rushed into the hallway to see what happened. Chief Gary and the detective that was with him ran towards Noir, the Hispanic officer, and Rachel.

Chief Gary asked, "Julio, what the hell happened to Rachel?" Julio said, "This fucker did some devil shit, and now Rachel's breaking down crying." Chief Gary asked, "How the hell did he do that? Rachel has an iron will." Julio said, "He pulled a Hannibal Lectar and did that quid pro quo bullshit."

Chief Gary agitatedly said, "Dammit Noir, could you maybe not do that?"

Noir said, "Listen Chief, she slammed me into the wall and I didn't even lay a finger on her." Julio said, "You instigated that!" Noir said, "I don't know what you're talking about, officer Julio."

Chief Gary said, "I'll stay here with Rachel. Violet, Julio, escort Noir to the showers, and don't let him get inside of your head!"

Julio and Violet said, "Yes sir." The two of them began to escort Noir to the showers. Violet asked Julio, "Seriously? This guy actually broke Rachel." Julio said, "I've never ran into someone like this before. He's almost something beastly, inhuman, he reminds me of a demon."

Noir said, "Oh stop it Julio, you're making me blush." Julio said, "Shut it freak."

Violet asked Noir, "Why the hell did you do that?" There was silence as they walked, the only sounds being the buzz from the old lights, the footsteps of the three of them, and Rachel quietly sobbing across the hallway.

Noir stopped in his tracks, he looked behind him and saw Detective Violet. She was just standing there, looking at Noir with a judgmental gaze.

Noir said, "Quid pro quo, Violet."

Julio said, "Hell no." And pulled out his Glock 22. He placed the tip of the gun in between Noir's eyes.

Noir said, "Let's continue walking, officers."

Noir turned around and felt the gun being pressed against the back of his head. Julio said, "Move." And thus they continued walking to the showers. Julio said, "Damn Violet, how come you're so sweaty?" Violet said, "Even though I usually don't have to do this, because I was the only one in the area I had to chase these stupid kids on foot who had TP'd some poor bastard's house."

Noir said, "I bet it was that ex-cop who killed that sophomore Richie a few years back. Poor kid was just smoking a cigarette, then the cop… Oh what was his name?"

Violet said, "Reagan." Noir said, "Right Reagan asked the kid to pull out his I.D, but when the kid was reaching for it the officer shot him dead. Even though several people witnessed it happen, Richie still got off scot free. Oh well, we all know what the police force's slogan is: "Shoot first, ask questions later"."

Julio said, "Shut it, Noir." They had finally arrived at the showers. Violet said, "I'm taking a shower as well. Creepo, so help me god if you touch me I will kill you."

Noir said, "Calm down lady, I only like strong women. You're a lot of things, but strong ain't one of them." Violet was clearly offended by Noir's out-of-pocket remark, she said, "How dare you, I am a strong woman." Noir said, "If you really are a strong woman then you wouldn't get so defensive about this."

Violet looked into Noir's eyes for a moment. Violet said, "You're hurting, aren't you?" Noir was bewildered by the question, he said, "Well I mean, my eye and nose still hurt a bit, and my fists are slightly bruised, but other than that I'd say that I'm fine."

Violet said, "I'm not talking about your physical well being, I'm talking about your mental well being. Tell me Noir, who hurt you?"

Noir looked away, he said, "I don't have another pair of clothes." Julio said, "You'll just have to deal with your blood stained ones until someone can bring you a new pair. Anything in your pockets?" Noir said, "A tape recorder with a Frank Sinatra song, and a picture with me and my little sister Milly playing catch, but that's it." Violet said, "So you have a close relationship with your little sister, yes?"

Noir said, "When we were younger we always had to stick together just to make it through in our home. I'm the son of Harvey Treyton, Noir Treyton."

Violet asked, "You're Harvey's kid, as in the guy who owns that sports bar, Whiskey Junkies?" Noir frustratingly said, "Yes, he's my father, now I'm getting in the damn shower." Violet Uncuffed Noir, telling him, "Just so you know, if you try anything funny, we will not hesitate to put you down like the animal you are." 

  ***

Noir and Violet were in the showers. The steam that the showers were generating made it hard to see. As they were showering, Violet said, "You're frightened." Noir asked, "Of you?" Violet said, "No, of your family. I can see it in your eyes. You're terrified of your father, I can tell by the way you talk about him."

Noir said, "I hate him, but I don't fear him, if he ever tried to hurt me again I'd kick his ass." Violet said, "You could care less about yourself. It's your siblings that you fear for, isn't it?"

Noir paused for a moment, he said, "I'm the punching bag of the house. Ever since the day I could speak I was figuratively and literally the punching bag of my house. But now I'm not there, I'm strong enough to take all of the abuse. But I don't know if my other siblings are."

Noir looked towards Violet. He couldn't make out anything except for her silhouette that Noir could barely see through all of the steam in the room.

Violet said, "You've been a burden since the day you could breathe. All you've ever felt in your empty life is misfortune and misery, So you spread that misfortune and misery with anyone who's unlucky enough to stumble onto your path of destruction. From what I've heard and seen you've been feeding off of the fear that you create. You enjoy causing chaos and disorder, your revel in it. Even though everyone else may see you as a monster who very well may be a serial killer, but I see you for who you really are, you're a scared teenager who fears that one day the people he loves will die at the very hands that gave them life, the very hands that gave you life."

Noir said, "You notice a lot of things, don't you Violet?"

The steam in front of Violet's face cleared up, Noir could see that the make-up that she wore began to come off of her face, revealing how she had covered up several bruises on her neck, eye, and face.

Noir said, "Looks like I'm not the only one who fears the man of the house."

Violet was at first confused, but then she snapped to what Noir was talking about. Violet said in a nervous manner, "Oh, n-no, th-these aren't f-from my h-h-h-husband, he's a really g-great guy." Noir said, "By the way you talk about him I really can tell that he's a g-great guy."

Violet said, "He'd never lay a finger on me without my consent." Noir said, "Violet, you are a horrible liar. So he beats you, what else does he do to you?" Violet said, "He doesn't beat me." Noir rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, I'm sure that he's never beaten you before. Does he love you?"

Violet said, "W-well, I'm sure that he-" Noir asked, "He doesn't love you, does he?" Violet said, "It's just that, well, h-he just isn't the same person when he drinks." Noir asked, "And how often does he drink, Violet?" Violet said, "Four times a week."

Noir said, "So he's a drunky, just like my old man." Violet said, "Listen, he's a decent person whenever he's not drinking." "Decent, I thought you said that he was great." Violet said, "Did I say decent, I meant terrific."

Noir said, "You poor, poor soul. I bet all he does is ignore you and beat you." Violet stopped. Noir could hear her whimpering, however she was trying to control herself. Violet said in a broken voice, "He just, it's like I'm nothing but an achievement in his life. He doesn't treat me like a real person, even when he's not drowning in liquor."

Noir said, "And let me guess, you're lonely and so you have to cheat. That's how you escape from your hubby." Violet said, "I-I know it's wrong, but I'm just so lonely, I'm suffering. He doesn't beat me much, but he always bickers and fights with me in front of our children. I mean I think that one of my kids might've found out about my affair. I mean, he's only ten years old, is he going to turn into some sort of monster and kill women?"

Noir said, "I found out that my mom had an affair when I was ten years old, and look at me, I'm great."

Violet begins to cry.

Noir says, "So, which one of them is your new man?" Violet says, "He's about ten years younger than me. He's not the best, but I just need an escape. I need to be loved, I need to be cared for. He's the young one whose desk is near the front door."

Noir asked, "The one who called Dick, I mean Abel Count Fagula?" Violet said, "He doesn't treat other people the best, but he's been through a lot of trauma, and he treats me really well." Noir asked in a petrifyingly, creepy manner, "So he's fucked you nice and good, huh?"

Violet said, "Alright, don't get all creepy on me now."

Noir said, "Whenever he puts his dick inside of your cunt, you feel complete, you feel as if you two are one strong unit. You feel loved. However when he pulls out you feel just as empty as whenever he came inside of you, and whenever you're not around him you feel even more empty. So what, do you ever cut yourself, just so you can get away from that nothing family of yours? Just because pain feels better than being empty on the inside?

Well I know how your story ends.

Whenever that officer's head ends up on a slab you'll feel even emptier than whenever you're not around him, your stuck with your dead-end job as a detective solving crime after crime, being the poor victim's white knight, however no matter how much good you do, no matter how many people you save, no one will be your white knight, and even if someone manages to come close, it just won't be the same.

You feel emptier and emptier, soon your husband and your other children will find out about your affair, and you will be left with nothing. No one to love you, no one to stick their fingers in your pussy whenever you're feeling lonely.

You sit there for the rest of your life, You aren't Violet anymore, you're just a poor, lost soul who forgot her identity, and so you put that gun of yours against the roof of your mouth as you cry out to the heavens, asking God why he's put you through such hardship and peril, and so you end your misery!

The only thing that awaits you now is an eternity in the lake of fire for all of the sin that you've committed! The day that your boyfriend's head ends up on a slab is approaching soon. I wonder how you'll react, maybe you'll end up killing yourself on the spot."

Violet looked at Noir with a blank expression, she said, "What the actual hell? No really, what is wrong with you, your brain is broken, and to put it quite frankly I don't think anyone can fix it."

Noir said, "And you think that cheating is a logical and healthy escape, see, we have a lot more in common than you'd like to admit, Violet. We both are afraid of the man of the house, and we both are insane. Whether you want to admit it or not you probably have a few disorders."

Violet became increasingly agitated with Noir, she told him,

"You really are one sick fuck, and I mean that. How does that little brain of yours even think of something that utterly cruel? I hope that you can't solve Molesting Sam, because in my eyes, you're a bigger threat than Sam." Noir asked, "How so? I haven't killed anyone."

Violet stated, "You've got the potential to become a serial killer. If you can solve Sam, I'm gonna keep my eye on you, because the second there's a new serial killer in Maine, you're going to be the first person I check on." Noir simply scoffed and chose to ignore Violet's claims. He had finished washing himself and was about to leave the shower.

Violet said, "Hey Noir," Noir turned around, Violet said, "So help me god if you ever run into my husband and tell him about my affair, we're going to have one nasty case of police brutality on our hands."

Noir said, "Hey Violet, try anything funny and we're going to have one nasty bloodbath on our hands."

Noir's socks, boxers, black tennis shoes, black tank top, brown, leather jacket, and his black jeans, and black belt were all waiting for him in a dry sub-section of the showers.

Noir put his clothes on and walked out of the shower, Violet's sneaky link greeted Noir. He said, "I'm officer Thomas, congratulations on winning the lucky asshole of the year award." Noir said, "Guess I could say the same to you, officer homewrecker. I must say, you have quite a weak, codependent little whore who loves you a lot."

Thomas asked Noir with a shocked tone, "How do you know that you punk?" Noir said, "Just call me a dickwad Thomas. No need to censor yourself around me." Thomas said, "Listen I honestly couldn't give a shit if you of all people know about my relationship, I do however have a problem with some of the other officers finding out about this, not for my sake, but for Violet's."

Noir said in a sarcastic, mocking tone, "How romantic, you are so selfless. Putting that slut's needs in front of yours. You and her really are a relationship goal." Noir switched up his face and tone and said, "I hate romance."

Thomas said, "You really are a Negative Nelly." Noir said, "Shut the hell up and take me to the questioning room, you ugly, little bastard." Thomas said, "Who the hell hurt you?" Noir was about to say a smug remark, but he decided to pause and ponder about the question that Thomas had asked him.

He thought of how he'd been wronged by his peers, and his family. Noir said, "It feels as if everyone I've ever met has managed to hurt me in one way or another."

Thomas snickered like a hyena. He mocked Noir, saying, "Oh woe is you, are you gonna cut your wrists?" Noir began to bite his tongue, hoping that Thomas would shut his mouth.

Out of the corner of Noir's eye he saw something, a creature of some sorts. Noir couldn't make the strange creature out very well, he could however determine that it was a humanoid, but definitely not human.

Whenever Noir blinked, the creature was gone. Violet walked out of the showers and had a new pair of clothes on. Thomas said, "Damn baby, you look amazing in that new, red suit of yours." Violet said, "Thanks hon', I do look good in red." Noir scoffed and asked them, "Are you two done jacking each other off? I'm here to catch a killer, not to watch a circle-jerk between two pigs."

Violet said, "Whatever freak. Are you ready to examine the first murder?" Noir said, "Ready as I'll ever be." Violet cuffed Noir's wrists extremely tightly

Violet cuffed Noir and they were joined by two heavily armored guards, they looked like S.W.A.T team members to Noir, he asked, "You're really using S.W.A.T armor? What the hell am I going to do? I don't even got a plastic shank, let alone a rifle of some sorts."

Violet said, "You've proven that you're a potential threat, even if you aren't a big threat physically, you're still a major threat due to how you've managed to mentally break two officers, rendering them vulnerable, by simply using words." They continued walking as one of the armored officer's said, "This whole case is hopeless." Noir snickered.

Thomas asked, "Why're you snickering?" Noir said, "Oh nothing, it's just hilarious how low all of you think of yourselves, and righteously so, you're all terrible cops, investigators, or whatever the hell you guys are calling yourselves. You need me of all people to help you solve this thrilling mystery, due to your own incompetence whenever it comes to your job."

Noir looked at the different doors in the all white hallway. The doors were a depressing , faded out shade of baby blue.

The whole station screamed of hopelessness.

The five of them had stopped. Thomas said, "Alright, in you go."

Noir opened the door to the interrogation room, the walls were a depressing, faded-out white. The only noise in the room was the almost deafening, exasperating buzz from the piss yellow light, which was the only thing illuminating the room. Noir sat down, they cuffed his right leg to the table and uncuffed his hands.

The feeling of his hands being uncuffed was an extreme relief, his wrists felt as if they had been strangled by a beefed-up drunkard, due to how tightly Violet had cuffed him. Almost all of them had left the room, everyone except Violet that is. 

Violet pulled up an old, almost rotten, wooden chair. She wiped the dust off the wooden seat before sitting down. Noir hadn't noticed before, but Violet managed to cover up the scars and bruises on her face with makeup.

Noir said, "You want to know something about makeup? Makeup is like putting a mask on. A mask that makes the world see you as a beautiful, gorgeous person. But whenever that makeup comes off, the truth is revealed, you're a disgusting, bruised up, middle aged detective, who may look beautiful with all of that makeup on, but whenever it comes off, you're just like the rest of those police officers, corrupt, terrified , weak."

Violet said, "Make-up can show the world how a person really is, even though they have scars and they're bruised up, they can still be beautiful." Noir said, "Out of all of the pigs that I've met today, I must admit, you're definitely the most interesting." Violet said, "Out of all the psycho's I've met, you're the most vile."

The door opened, Officer Clark walked into the room with a case file. He said, "Here's the first murder and some details about it." Clark sat down and told Noir, "If you're going to vomit, do us a favor and don't do it on the file."

Noir said, "I've seen some fucked-up shit, I highly doubt this is the worst I've seen." Clark handed Noir the beige file. Noir opened it up and saw a young girl, her name was Taylor Grace, she was only eighteen years old. She was mixed and had curly, brown hair. Noir said, "So Sam must like 'em young."

Taylor came from a low-income home, her mother working as a waiter at a diner, and her father hasn't seen her since she was eight years old, due to divorce. Her step-father is a bartender at Whiskey Junkies, the sports bar that his father owned.

Noir looked at the photo of the girl, he said, "This girl went to my school, she was a senior, I didn't even hear about her death, looks like our school just ignored it and hoped that nobody would bring it up, she was picked-on by the popular girls, I just assumed that she graduated and moved away from this town.

Noir looked at the next photo in the file. It was disgusting. The girl's pants were torn off by Sam. Judging by the bruises on her face it looked as if there was a struggle, there were cuts and bruises on random parts of the body. Noir said, "I'll tell you one thing, Sam is very sloppy, and there was an obvious struggle." Noir noticed that there were scratch marks above the girl's clitoris.

It looked as if Sam was pleasuring her with his fingers, but one thing didn't add up. The scratch marks were way above her clitoris, suggesting that Sam has long nails, similar to a female. Noir said, "Sam has very, very long fingernails. I can tell due to the scratch marks above the girl's clit." Clark said, "I assumed that he was touching her clitoris with his bottom palm, which is why the scratch marks were so high." Noir looked closely at her Clitoris, he could see black string on it.

Noir had an idea, an idea that would change the hunt for Sam entirely. He asked Clark, "What did the inside of her vagina look like?" Clark said, "See for yourself." Noir searched for that photo in the file. He saw black string inside of it, it was hardly stretched out, however, there were long scratches on the inside of the vagina.

Noir looked at another photo, this one being from behind, once again there were long scratches next to the bruises, suggesting that he was pressing on her back. There were more scars, scars that went extremely deep, but it didn't look like that these were from the knife that Sam was using. Noir looked at her butt, it was clear that Sam was dry humping her from behind , however there was no sign of a penis being involved with the dry humping.

Noir looked at the back of her legs, there were two long marks that spread across the back of her legs. Noir asked, "Did you get any fingerprints?" Violet said, "No." Noir said, "But that doesn't explain the scratch marks from the nails. Unless."

Noir looked back at the photos, all of the photographs that involved the nail scratching, also had a little bit of black string on them. Noir looked back at the photo of her butt, he asked the officers, "Were there any signs of penetration in her anus?" Clark said, "Yes, it was extremely thin, however it went very deep."

Noir frantically asked, "Were there any objects left behind at the crime scene? If so, what were they?"

Clark said, "A cue stick, like the ones you would see at a pool table."

Noir asked, "Why do you call him Molesting Sam." Violet said, "In a letter they referred to themselves as Molesting Sam."

Noir hastily pulled a photograph out of the file, this photo being Taylor's head. Her throat was slit by a knife. There was a slap mark on her left cheek, the hand print was smaller than the majority of men, above her fingers there were long nails. On her throat there was a hickey, and there was a little bit of lipstick near the hickey.

Everything came together in Noir's mind.

He said, "Dear god."

Violet asked, "What, what is it?"

Noir said, "You idiots, Sam isn't a man, Sam is a woman!"

Clark and Violet were appalled by Noir's outlandish claim. Clark, confused, asked Noir, "What in god's name makes you think that?" Noir said, "The reason there are scratch marks yet no fingerprints is because Sam was wearing gloves, however her long fingernails tore part of the gloves off."

Clark said, "Huh, I guess that does make sense." Noir continued saying, "The only signs of penetration are from her fingers, and that cue stick. Sam used the Cue stick to sodomize Taylor's anus and used her fingers to pleasure Taylor VIA her vagina.

The reason that there is black string near the bruises and scratches is because she was using black gloves." Violet said, "But what makes you think that Sam's actually a woman."

Noir said, "There's no sign of a cock or semen anywhere. There's lipstick near the hickey, the slap mark on Taylor's face is about the size of an average woman's hands. there's no sign of a penis whilst Sam was furiously dry humping Taylor's ass.

The marks underneath Taylor's legs suggest scissoring." Clark said, "Okay valid point, but girl's don't rape people."

Noir said, "Clark, your blatant sexism and stereotypes are blinding you, I understand that you're from a different generation, however all signs point to Sam being a female. Plus think about it, Sam may stereotypically be a male's name, however Sam is a gender neutral name, by calling themselves Sam the killer is pointing you in the right direction. Sam is a woman."

Violet said, "Clark, I'm utterly dumbfounded, however, I do believe that there's a slim chance that Noir may be correct. This also explains why in the other murders and rapes there isn't a sign of a penis or semen." Violet asked herself, "How the hell did I miss this?"

Noir said, "You entered this case with a closed-mind, automatically assuming that Sam's a male, you and all of the other police are blinded by your own incompetence and your judgmental minds, which is why you were never able to even consider the thought that Sam may be a woman.

I know I may have used words that are too big for you slabs of bacon to understand, so allow me to put it in away that you may be able to comprehend: You're fucking morons who can't solve shit. Congratulations on being the kings and queens of stupidity, I hope you're happy with yourselves."

Clark said, "We have to tell the Chief now, this is the biggest update in the case that we've gotten since it began."

Noir said, "Run along now little lambs, go tell your shepherd about the exciting new update on a case that should already be solved." The two of them left the room with large smiles on their faces. Noir didn't understand why they were so happy, all that they had figured out was that Sam was a female, that's nowhere near enough evidence to actually catch her.

Noir sighed and patiently waited for him to be released from the questioning room.

Even though it was just him in the room, he felt as if there was something else in the room. He could feel a wicked presence icing his veins. He felt a cold, soaking wet hand on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he could make out a man, thin as a skeleton, covered head to toe in seaweed and leaves.

The man caressed Noir's neck, he said, "A rope would look gorgeous on a neck like this." Noir asked, "Who the hell are you?" The man said, "That matters naught, Noir. The black water will purge this shattered world into madness."

Noir asked, "How do you know my name?" The man said, "We will meet once you're in a deep sleep, rest now my sheep, for a new frontier awaits, all I need is Sam's head on a silver plate."

The man vanished as quickly as he appeared, and thus Noir was alone again in the cold, moist, and empty questioning room.