Hazel didn’t come to school today. I enjoyed our little date yesterday. I held Hazel’s book in place of my own. Mushoku Tensei needed a little break anyways, I didn’t want to finish it too fast. Still, leaving the school not seeing Hazel once made me feel a little empty. I kind of looked forward to talking with her again and not seeing her bummed me out.

  Gripping the book tighter, I closed my eyes. Was it really okay for me to feel this way? My mother’s killers were still out there. Isn’t it wrong that I get to live my life, when…

  Police cars raced by; sirens blaring. My eyes shot open, and I whipped my head around to find the direction the cars were going, down the road back to the school where I was walking from.

  I felt sick. The howl of police sirens reminded me of my mother’s death and Tesha. A storm of feelings kicked up, and I decided to follow the cars. Something important might be happening, I thought.

  I raced after the cars.

  Why am I running towards the police cars? I’m being illogical, it’s not normal to run after police cars, I need to get home, I-

  I couldn’t stop admonishing myself every step of the way, but despite logic, I couldn’t fight the sick feeling of necessity. As I neared the unforgettable scenery from yesterday’s date, the trip to Hazel’s neighborhood, a possibility I feared troubled me.

  “Nwier?”

  Suddenly, I was face to face with my mother’s killer.

  “Tesha…” I froze, “Why are you here?”

  Tesha maintained eye contact, with an unchanging face when she first recognized me, but she did not speak. Not for a while.

  “Nwier…” is all she said.

  Before she could continue, I already bolted past her.

  “No, wait--”

  The police had already stopped when I caught up. That’s when I saw Hazel’s body. Bruised, cut, and…dead.

  Hazel’s dead.

  A hand grasped mine and wrenched me back. Out of sight behind another residence, Teshallah hurried me back, pushing on me.

  “I told you to wait.” she huffed, “You…”

  She clenched her fist and closed her eyes.

  “Go home,” she finished. “Forget what you saw and go home.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Forget, I thought, I have to forget? She wants me to just forget? Forget this? Forget Hazel? Forget my mother?

  No. I went home, but I did not forget.

  By this point, everything didn’t make sense. Every thought in my head disappeared, I couldn’t form a proper idea. Things went by in a blur. The girl I just went on a date with died the next day. I was sick, I was tired, I was angry, and I…I couldn’t forgive Teshallah. I needed to put an end to things once and for all.

  I sneaked into my father’s office, took the evidence he and my mother had gathered, and brought it to the authorities. Finally, every step I took felt like the right direction. Teshallah and her gang needed to stop. I was going to make sure the police understood the situation and took everything seriously. Then…everything will be over.

  The police officers cooperated nicely with me. One of them brought me aside and asked for details. I told him how my mother, father, and I gathered evidence of a serial murder case and how we may be able to win a case against them with what we had.

  "Thank you for bringing this to me," he said, "I'll take care of the rest. You should head home now."

  I thanked him and left the station. My heart felt lighter, as if a heavy weight had been unchained. I stopped outside the Hangman Café to breathe a little easier.

  Clearing my mind, I took in the sight in front of me. The clouds in the blue sky drifted by as cars drove past between parked vehicles along the road. Streetlamps coated in black paint had yet to turn on as the evening sun had yet to set. Only a short walk away, I could travel to the forested public park. I considered strolling for a bit, but a familiar face sat down next to me on the bench.

  Erfia, Mr. Hangman's daughter, bit into a sandwich before turning to me. Sauce and breadcrumbs stuck to her face, but she at least swallowed before speaking.

  "If you want to eat, you have to come inside first," she said.

  "Pfft-" I broke out laughing, "hahaha!"

  Erfia stiffened at my sudden laugh, then stared at me in stupor.

  I slowed my laughing by diverting my thoughts. Only a few days ago, I ate with Hazel here. Now I was alone.

  "I can't yet," I told Erfia, "I'll come back some other time."

  I took the path home. My father would be furious that I snuck away with all the evidence, so I formulated excuses. I needed to apologize to him, but we both knew the investigation was going nowhere with him alone.

  The sky grew darker the closer I got home, but as I neared the top of a hill, the source became clear. In my part of a neighborhood, a plume of smoke rose into the sky.

  For the second time today, sirens blared past me but from a fire truck this time. My walking pace turned into a run.

  My house was on fire.

  On my street, I fell to my knees. The unmistakable destruction of my house stole my strength to keep running. Where will I go? I thought while I gawked at the raging flames spewing smoke into the orange sky. My entire world was up in flames. Even the sky agreed. It was like everything was on fire.

  I wanted to wait there and feel the heat of the fire reach my face, but a fireman pulled me back. My books were still in there, I thought to myself.

  "Do you live here?" the fireman asked me.

  I nodded. Still watching the fire.

  Frantically, the fireman continued, "Did your parents make it out?"

  Wait. I whipped my attention to the fireman, "Did my dad not--"

  Across the street I saw her. Teshallah, with a finger on her lips, shushing me silently. Despite the first still raging, an incredible chill ran down my back. I felt so cold.

  I understood what happened, and I broke down crying.

  The fireman, an ambulance worker, and a cop tried to bring me away, but I refused to leave. By the time I came to my sense, the fire had already been put out. I still couldn't muster the strength to get up and I slept there for the night on the sidewalk.

  The nights in this neighborhood were always so dark.