Anti-Social

Today is September 2004. It marks the season of fall. The golden, vibrant leaves fall onto the floor and are scattered like pieces of garbage; the chilling wind scatters the leaves like wildfire, and the leaves follow the direction of the wind, and its essence would make the locals shiver from the chilling temperature that could closely match the temperatures of winter and spring. Throughout the streets of Manhattan, New York, lies a building called Larry & Co., a company that is known for its successful businesses. However, it is a small-time company that is not widely popular but is well-known by locals of New York City. A man sits at his desk working with the papers on the table; he is constantly working to meet the expectations of everyone, and as he minds his own business, a loud, steaming voice erupts in the lobby and calls someone’s name.

“CARTER! “The man yelled as he took the attention of his employees in the room. Carter immediately ran towards his boss.“What do you want, boss? ” Carter questioned with a keen curiosity.“Two words: Office. Now.”

Not a second wasted, Carter is sitting in a chair facing his boss, where his fingers rest on his desk in his office.“Did you know what you just did? ” His boss sternly asked.“I don’t know what you’re saying, boss. I was doing my job and doing your tasks,” Carter replied politely.“Don’t bullshit me! Carter. You messed up. Those papers I gave you last week were a mess.” His boss aggressively drops the papers on his desk; it startles Carter slightly as he drops the papers.“What do you think? ”“I see nothing wrong in it. Boss, I did what you just saw. Also, it wasn’t me who did that.”“Then who did it? ”“I don’t know. It wasn’t me. Now, will you let me go? ”“Sure, oh, and Carter... you’re glad that you got off easy... if I saw you do this act... I don’t know what I would do to you.”Carter stood up from his seat and instantly bolted from his office.

***

Just as the day couldn’t get better, I have to face my boss’s douchebaggery in the office. I used to work as an accountant at this company; that is, until I got demoted by my boss because he is constantly playing favorites with his employees. I used to earn big cash, an amount of what an engineer makes per month. I used to like this place until reality hit me with a boss so vile as a human being. Larry Henderson, always the boisterous boast. He thinks he is better than anyone else in the Company just because he is the boss. My own boss. As I was working over the paperwork as a salesman at Larry & Co., this day couldn’t get any worse.

***

“What are you telling me for? “His boss asked Carter inside the office.“Look, Boss. I want to go out in this place,” Carter replied as his boss continued to read the resignation paper. He waited for his response just as he continued until he stated it.

“No. You are not yet done with this company. Even though you want to go back into your job as an accountant. We both know that someone has already gotten the job you want. Also, we have a contract where you have to finish your job until I say so.”“But Boss... I wanted to leave this place.”“Shut it! Carter. I’ll also cut most of your salary, and you’ll be working overtime, starting now.”

Following those harsh words from Larry, Carter’s chest tightened, his heartbeat shifted from calming to beating like a drum, the skin of his body was subtly covered in a flood of sweat, and the soles of his feet turned cold. What Carter could do is to admit his boss’ statement of new management as things are about to change, for better or worse.

The morning breeze blows through my skin like the temperatures of spring and winter; the golden, vibrant leaves falling from the tree leave a scattered mess on the floor, and the temperature is following those harsh words from Larry. Carter’s chest tightened, his beating shifted from calminginto beating like a drum, the skin of his body slowly covered in a flood of sweat, and the heels of hisFeet turned cold. What Carter could do is to admit his boss’ statement of new management as things are about to change, for better or worse.

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***

Throughout the days of hard work, Carter spent the entire weekdays working for almost full hourswith no breaks, underpayment, or help from anyone who works at the company whatsoever. Ihaven’t had any rest due to the constant workloads with no pay from Larry. He had to endure themassive toxicity and the hardships of this company. Eventually, it didn’t last as soon as the contractended. In an instant, Carter resigned from the company and stormed off completely. He had packedhis belongings and blocked contact with his coworkers, aside from his boss, Larry. He still hasconnections with him, and for an unknown reason, he kept tabs on his former boss.

***

Following the satisfying resignation from the company he worked at, Carter had suddenly received a call from someone he knew. At the telephone booth, he stands inside. His hands are holding the telephone.“Hello, is this the number for Stephanie Georgia? ”“Who’s asking? ” the caller answered.“This is Archibald. Archibald Carter, a co-worker of hers. I’m just asking if the date is still ongoing tonight.”“Date? Ms. Georgia is here; wait a few seconds, Mr. Carter.”Seconds later, Stephanie’s voice spoke through the phone, alerting Archibald’s ears.“Hey, Babe. Sorry, I didn’t call early. I had a meeting with someone I knew. Don’t worry though, it was handled.”“It’s okay? Mind if I ask? Is the date still ongoing tonight? It’s okay if you’re busy. We can reschedule it some other time.”“No, it’s okay. The date continues tonight. I’ll come to your apartment by around midnight.”“Oh. If that’s so, I’ll start preparing then.”“I’ll see you... Archibald.”“I’ll look forward to it.”

It must have been three weeks since I resigned from the company I worked at for 5 years. It felt great. Really, I am content with the deed I did, but I am not sorry about the resignation. I am satisfied with the fact that my boss has already found his favorite to replace me, which I am fine with since he would have already replaced me by the time he finds out their work performance. Stephanie, on the other hand, was my co-worker at the company. She had vain looks and a flirtatious, soothing voice that came out of her mouth, and her beauty was often compared to that of a girl named Ophelia. Many of my co-workers would fall to their knees so they could woo her heart, and some would even sell their souls so they could be with her. On the other hand, the question is... Out of all the people Stephanie can choose to be with, she chose me. Why is that?

During my hellish weeks at the company, she kept engaging whenever we had a conversation. I don’t know how she is so interested in me when I am nothing. I almost look like nobody could even see me nor care to ask me. Her alluring appearance brings a hellish aura that many men would avoid marrying because of how obnoxious and unpleasant Stephanie is. She looks like she owns the damn building; hell, at this point, she could be called a “maneater” because of how soul-sucking it would be for a woman like her. According to her so-called “friends,” Stephanie had 6 ex-boyfriends, and those ex-boyfriends had broken up with her because she demands a lot, and their financial status had been sucked up by her vagina, leaving their souls high and dry.

The time is 5:00 pm. I have to meet up with Stephanie by midnight. I have to wipe the dust from my room. It hasn’t been checked ever since I underwent hell week. Got to do it necessarily; the place is almost about to burst into a radioactive stench due to weeks of neglect. Now, I finally got to clean the place.

It didn’t take too much time to tidy up the place; I just happened to wipe off the dust from the floors, furniture, and many of the things that were covered in dust, which were cleaned by a broom and mop that I borrowed from the lobby. I installed brand-new fresheners to make it lively and to have a great impression on Stephanie’s thoughts about me. It took me an hour to fully tidy up the place immediately after I polished the apartment. I went outside not too far from the apartment to a store and bought a suit. a fancy suit that charms ladies. It’s a black charcoal jacked suit with a red tie, a plain white shirt with long sleeves, and brown moccasins. It cost me $3000 for the suit, but I managed to afford it due to the resignation giving me $5000 for the rest of my salary. Not bad for a salary but a shitty salary from a shitty boss.

A few hours passed; Archibald had placed pictures of Stephanie in his room, the sweet natural fragrance of florals on the tables, and the warmly lit candles that lightened the room along with the electrical lights that cast a shadow on the surface, and his furniture was covered with plastic. Strange, what are his plans for the future? Does he have a hidden agenda with Stephanie? Soon, the truth will be discovered.

***

The moon hung in the sky like a quiet observer, pale and watchful of the activities on earth. It casts the Earth with its silver glance, painting the structures, such as buildings and rooftops, in a pale light. Clouds on the surface are subtle, drifting away like the deceased folks. Sometimes it shows its color, and sometimes it fades away like a ghost. Beneath it, there is light in every darkness, wherever the path may be. The huge moon cast its pale light onto Archibald’s face.I wonder if I can feel more alive. I hope I can feel more... connected. I hope Stephanie loves me. I hope it’s not true what people say about her.He thought just as the moon gazed at him in the window of his apartment.

Just then, a loud chime disrupted the peacefulness at the apartment. It awakened Archibald back into the reality he’s in. It emitted from the doorbell as it kept buzzing, and Archibald approached the door and opened it to see Stephanie. His eyes glanced at the alluring appearance of Stephanie. Her dress reflected upon her beauty like a divine figure; her eyes speak of the elegance of man-made beauty, and her voice soothes the toughest men so that it would make them submit. With a calm, soft voice, she spoke.“Hey.”“Hi, loved the place? I decorated it just for you.” Archibald smiled with the tips of his teeth, and both of his eyes smiled.“Yes.” Stephanie returned it with her silver teeth grinning and her eyes gazing on Archibald’s silky and fancy look.

Archibald lets Stephanie inside of his room. She took a long gaze that made her lips beam with joy.“I liked the place. I love what you did here... and you made a portrait... just for me? ”“Yes,” he replied with his lips smiling with a face that speaks fleeting joy.Then she looked at the furniture that was covered in plastic wrap, and she remarked with her face that signaled curiosity.“Why are those covered in plastic? ” In which Archibald chuckled dryly at her remark. “Oh, heh. I covered those in plastic because I just waxed them after removing dirt.” Stephanie nodded in response. Following this, the silence that occurred in Archibald had to make him think quickly, or else it would immediately end up as boring.

“Why don’t you just sit down and enjoy the scenery, eh? “He spoke courteously.“Sure, I like the sound of that.” In response, Stephanie sat down on a couch while Archibald walked away and went to his room. As he entered his bedroom, he opened the case of a fire ax that was lying on the floor. He grabbed the metallic case of the ax and picked it up; then he placed it on his bed. As he is preparing for something, Stephanie speaks loudly through the room that Archibald hears.“Hey, what are you doing there? ”“I’m just fixing something here. Just be patient, Barbie.” He spoke loudly while having his tone in check.“Now, I’m getting bored. I might leave here.”

Archibald is in the other room, preparing for something. Stephanie sat on the couch, waiting for the time to pass by until she couldn’t bear it; she pulled her phone from her pocket and called her friend.“Hey, are you free today? I’m about to leave Archibald’s place.” She spoke through the phone as her friend mumbled through the phone.“It’s because it’s getting boring. Why did I choose to have him as my boyfriend when I can have Paul as my boyfriend? At least he can financially sustain my needs. Are you saying that you are not available right now because it’s midnight? Come on, girl. You can do this. We did this a couple of times, but now you’re hanging up on me? Whatever.” The phone hung up.

Then from the other room, Archibald’s fancy clothes hung on his bed. He wore a black shirt with long sleeves, a black apron, brown pants, boots that shouted combat, and gloves that were shrouded in dark cloth with an axe in his hand. Before he could go outside, he moved to a list of music records on his shelf. He picked one of Stephanie’s favorites: Lovefool by the Cardigans. He placed it on the record player. The needle dropped, static hissed, and it started playing. Stephanie looked behind at the source of the sound while waiting for Archibald to finish whatever he was setting.“Hey, you remember this song? I remembered this was your favorite,” he initiated.“Oh wow. You remembered? I’m baffled,” Stephanie replied. However, he is still not finished with his task.

A few minutes later, Archibald stepped outside with a complete change in his clothing. Stephanie turned back and looked at him with an eye filled with curiosity when she said it.“Why did the outfit change?”“Don’t worry, it’s one of those specialties I had on this date,” Archibald scoffed dryly.“Really? Care to share? ”“Well, it’s one of those types where people went missing; it’s called The Last Dance.”“Archibald... are you sure? ”“Don’t worry, Barbie. Be patient. One day, you’ll be all over the place.”“You’re... scaring me.”“Don’t worry, it will be over soon.”

Stephanie stood up from the couch, and Archibald instantly swung his axe in her direction, but she dodged it barely. She immediately rushed towards the door. When she twisted the doorknob. It wouldn’t open for her because it has been locked. Archibald looked Stephanie in the eye. He blocked her only way out. She could barely catch her breath after the first swing; she could only think of running away as much as possible. He breathes in and out. They exchanged looks, then they ran towards one another, but Archibald grabbed her by the neck and slammed her body to the floor.“This is going to be your last day on Earth, Barbie. I waited for this moment just so you could realize how much of an awful bitch you are.” He spoke aggressively.“If they found out about this—they’ll realize that they’re right about you.” This is the moment where Stephanie’s colors had shone through Archibald’s eyes.

“Good, then I am going to enjoy hurting you into pieces.” As she is on the floor, she attempts to break free from his grip by flailing her hands pointlessly in the air. He grabbed her up from the floor and pinned her to the wall, but then she kicked Archibald in the stomach. It staggered him for a while, and she finally opened the door. When she opened the door, she immediately bolted from the room, finding the direction of an exit. But then, Archibald regained himself, and he immediately ran towards her just by the sound of her clicking heels. By the time he caught up to her, he tackled her body and sent them both into the floor. She tries to resist again, but his grip is strong, and they stand up, but he drags her towards the path of his room. On the way there, she screamed, kicking down to the floor, but his grip was strong enough to break wood. As they entered the room, Archibald closed the door, and his finger pressed the lock button. The door closes, and all of her screams were effortless as they were muffled, andTHUD,each swing from the axe had screeched the sounds of the room where Archibald stays. Then silence immediately occurred in the room. Whatever Archibald did to Stephanie is unknown. Whether he did malicious things to her afterwards is unknown.

Following the execution, Archibald sat back on the couch, apathetic. Stephanie’s corpse hung on the floor, lying motionless as if it were a mannequin at a local clothing shop. Blood spattered around the floor like an unfinished painting; it covered Archibald’s face, but it didn’t seem to faze him... at all. He calmly lit a cigarette. The flame flickered—it cast a soft shadow across the room. He took a long drag; he inhaled and then exhaled it, a stream of smoke curling up in the air as if nothing had happened.I always wondered about doing this, but now I’ve done it, and I have never felt more alive.He thought while taking another drag, the cigarette smoke rising in the air like an entity as a sinister grin crept across his face. A moment later, he picked up his phone and dialed someone in his contacts only to meet with a voicemail.“This is Richard Boston. I don’t know what to say, but leave what you are going to say at the tone.” A deafening beep followed. He tried multiple times to phone Rick until he picked up the phone.“What do you want? ” Rick asked.“I need your help,” Archibald answered concisely.“What exactly do you need your help with? ”“Just come to my apartment, alright. No questions asked.”

Minutes later, Rick arrived at the apartment. He stepped inside and he stopped. Stephanie’s corpse hung like a mannequin in a shop window, spots of cigarette burns on the floor, blood pooled all over the floor, making a grotesque mess. Archibald stood there, unbothered, blood still soaked onto his face as if it meant nothing.“Jesus, what the fuck just happened? ” Rick exasperatedly asked. Archibald stood up without a word and then spoke calmly.“You know what happened.”“This is not the reunion I always expected.”“You don’t say.”“But what happened to her? How fucked up did you doher? her?”“Just bad enough... Now, help me get rid of this corpse, then help me clean up the place.” Rick rolled his eyes in frustration. They start placing themselves over her corpse. Rick carries Stephanie’s lower body while Archibald lifts her upper body.

***After two hours spent the night cleaning the apartment and dealing with Stephanie’s corpse, Archibald and Rick are at a riverbank carrying Stephanie’s corpse over and throwing her corpse at the heart of the river. They glanced at her corpse as she floated away. During two hours of cleaning the apartment, they equipped themselves with cleaning tools that could remove the amount of blood in his apartment. They brushed, wiped, and mopped the mess in his room as they were busy with the cleanup. They didn’t mind communicating with each other until they stopped cleaning.

“Again, I never thought this would be our reunion after 5 months of distance. “Rick spoke, attempting to liven up the mood.“Yeah, I’m sorry. I had to drag you out of this mess. ” Archibald answered warmly.“Just lay low, man. Cops will find out. “Rick replied. Underneath his support lies an internal war within himself about his friend. What will set him apart from Archibald will set him free once this keeps going. As they kept cleaning the apartment, they managed to clean the blood or dirt off from the furniture due to the fact that they were covered with plastic sheets.“Good thing you brought plastic sheets for the furniture. “Rick,” he remarked.“Yes, I was setting it up for her,” Archibald admitted. Unfortunately for the floors, it took them time enough to clean the blood off, as it wasn’t covered with plastic by Archibald, to which Rick added another statement.“The floor is an interesting spot to spill blood. You didn’t think of covering it? ”“There weren’t enough sheets to cover the whole floor. ” Archibald replied.“What did Stephanie do to you? I’m curious.”“She was a bitch. Too much for people like her ex-boyfriends. I never liked her anyway because she was a narcissist and a liar. Above all else. A liar. ”“Touche. But she didn’t have to die—like this. You could’ve just run away and cut all of her contacts. “I can’t...”“What do you mean you can’t? ”“I can’t go through it. She has wronged me in ways she wouldn’t be aware of. Now, we need to get rid of her corpse at the river. ”“The river? Do you think it’s a good idea to get rid of her corpse by the river? ”“Yeah, we’ll use those plastic sheets with blood and wrap her body with a garbage bag... But first, we need the axe to chop her body. “Rick looked at Archibald in disbelief. Archibald immediately added.“Don’t worry, you’re not gonna see it. You’re not going to take part in the mutilation. But you’re taking part of her disposal.”

Rick walked away following his statement, and he continued to scrub the mess off from his furniture. On the other hand, Archibald started swinging the axe on her corpse. The metal hit the bone through the floor. Rick pretended not to hear it as his mind couldn’t process the events happening to him. His hands turned cold, his voice became hoarse from the conversation he had with his friend, his eyes alert at bay, and his heart beat slowly.

***

At the riverbank, Rick and Archibald glanced at Stephanie’s corpse like a leaf drifting away on shore. They looked at each other; Rick’s widened eyes looked into Archibald’s eyes. Void of feeling and detached from reality, it was the first time Rick saw darkness in Archibald, and for how long he would tolerate his newfound nature would be uncertain... But it’ll come to an end. Silence broke as Archibald spoke.“We need to get out of here as fast as we can. before someone would see us.” Rick agreed; he immediately entered the car and sat in the front passenger seat. Archibald sat in the driver’s seat, and they immediately stormed off from the riverbank.

Three days later, morning sunlight spilled over the city like a pool of blood. messy, bright, and blunt. The air howled like it attempted to speak over the authorities, just enough to curdle the skin of locals. Sirens are blaring like a loudspeaker. The seas were waving like they could speak. But unfortunately, no one could interpret what it tries to convey. But then at a shore, a human-shaped figure is washed up by the tide. A couple walked by the beach hoping to strengthen their bonds only to meet with an interesting sight; as they approached the ‘garbage-wrapped figure,’ the man uncovered the plastic wrap to see a woman’s corpse chopped into pieces. The man instantly retreated back to his girlfriend; she asked only for her question to be answered with a disturbing sight. Not an hour wasted, the police arrived just in time at the exact spot where the body was found. Immediately, the beach is surrounded by sirens blaring at the beach. Yellow tapes that sayDO NOT ENTER&CAUTIONsurround the woman’s corpse. Forensics is busy with the inspection of the woman’s corpse. Police are interrogating locals and potential witnesses, and a man walks straight through the crime scene unbothered by the crowd covering the corpse; he wavers over the crowd to see the corpse and asks the officer in charge of the scene.

“Excuse me, NYPD! Move along people,” the man shouted as he came in front of the crime scene and stepped over the crime scene tape. The officer saw him, and his mouth started moving.“Hey, John! Nice to see you,” he exclaimed in joy.“Yeah, never thought I’d say this. But good to see another dead-ass corpse.”“It’s been a while since I stepped into a decorated corpse.” John crouched in front of the corpse, taking a closer look.“Crap! How fucked up did our suspect kill the victim? ”“That I don’t know. They used an axe or a cleaver to chop off her body parts. He wasn’t very good at it. But he’s pretty solid at chipping up the woman’s pieces.”“He must have been a surgeon.”“False. A surgeon wouldn’t be impulsive at chopping into pieces. They would be... methodical and compulsive. What do you think? ”“Okay, it’s your lead. But then, I’ll have your statement passed to the police captain once you leave the crime scene.”“No worries, I’ll have it stated to him. I know him very well.”

Afterwards, the woman’s corpse caught the attention of local news, and eventually, it skyrocketed. Gaining the attention of the locals of New York, it immediately reached sales on the newspaper; the public showed interest in the woman’s corpse, and upon hearing this, Archibald sat at a bench in a local park, his hands holding the newspaper, and his eyes wandering the contents of the newspaper. The Newspaper Headlined:WOMAN’S BODY DREW ATTENTIONThe woman’s body, not yet identified, had already drawn the attention of the locals of New York. Witnesses found the body washed up ashore on the beach. Police immediately swarmed the beach like wildfire as they interviewed locals and potential witnesses. Forensics crouched on the corpse for further inspection of the corpse. As of right now, the police are on standby, and the case is still on standby.

They’re onto me. Once the police knew the suspect was one of her acquaintances, it was over. I would be caught. Rick was right. I have to lie low before the law gets onto me. I don’t know what my next plan is then if I get caught. As I continue reading the newspaper, one thing they didn’t know is they didn’t know the suspect—yet. I don’t plan to get caught, never. I have to cover my tracks, and things should go smoothly as I am planning to. But first, I have to call Rick to inform him of the news. I pulled my phone from my pocket to call Rick. I called him and I kept hearing a sharp ringing tone. It kept ringing until it stopped. He spoke bluntly.“What Now? ”“Have you seen the news, asshole? Let alone read the newspaper? ” Archibald instantly retorted. His voice turned aggressive and deep.“No, I haven’t read the newspaper because I don’t give a shit what happens.”“Well, turn on the TV or buy a fucking newspaper outside. I don’t care. But I need your help.”“What is it? ”“Read the newspaper first or watch the news, then we’ll talk.”Their call ended, and I aggressively hit the reject button and then put my phone back in my pocket. I’m not yet over, not yet. If I am going to get caught, then I’m going to get caught screaming and Giving a middle finger to everyone. This is not over yet. I have to wait for Rick to pick up the phone, or should I call him and ask if he knows? A few seconds later, my phone rang uncontrollably. I picked it up to see Rick on my phone... calling me. I picked it up and answered, “Hello?”“I bought a newspaper outside—some dude told me to get an apple, but I sold him a lemon,” Rick joked, to which Archibald dryly chuckled.“Haha. Very funny. Did you see what I’m saying? ”“What is it? ”“Read. The. Newspaper. then tell me what you saw.”“Bullshit, Bullshit. Tell me what it is then. I bought a newspaper for nothing unless you tell me what’s happening.”“Stephanie’s vagina skyrocketed up the news. They already found her body, but they didn’t identify her—yet, just not yet.”“Give me a minute to find her in the newspaper.”Rick rummages through the newspaper he bought while Archibald listens to the call despite him not speaking until finally, Rick finds out as he reads the newspaper article about Stephanie.“‘Woman chopped into pieces; police immediately swarmed the beach as forensics are busy examining the corpse.’ Okay, you’re right. I’ll bite.”“You see the point? ”“Yes, I see the point. So what is your plan then? and please don’t involve someone being your fall guy.”“No, it’s not like that. We have to talk. Meet me at the apartment later.”“Right, Booking.”

Days passed, and the police eventually found out about the woman’s identity due to an autopsy of her mutilated corpse. John is at the morgue talking to the coroner as they’re beside Stephanie’s corpse. he glanced at her corpse like it spat on his Cheerios“Jesus,” he muttered.“That’s about the size of it.” The coroner joined in. putting on his gloves, his mask, and his headcap.“Are you sure? ”“We found out that the woman’s name was Stephanie Georgia. I am 26 years old, Caucasian, and English. They’re onto me. Once the police knew privately that the suspect was one of her acquaintances, it was over. Iwould be caught. Rick was right. I have to lie low before the law gets onto me. I don’t know whatmy next plan is then if I get caught. As I continue reading the newspaper, one thing they didn’t knowis they didn’t know the suspect—yet. I don’t plan to get caught, never. I have to cover my tracks, andthings should go smoothly as I am planning to. But first, I have to call Rick to inform him of thenews. I pulled my phone from my pocket to call Rick. I called him and I kept hearing a sharp ringingtone. It kept ringing until it stopped. He spoke bluntly.“What now? ”“We found out that the woman’s name was Stephanie Georgia. I am 26 years old, Caucasian, andEnglish. I couldn’t say the details because of privacy, but that’s Stephanie Georgia. The police will be able to find out about her, and since I’m not a cop or a detective like you. I’ll leave the grunt work just for you.”“What did the autopsy say? ”“Mutilation isn’t your first answer. I’d say a heavy blunt to the ribcage and sternum and the repeatedblunt work of an axe did the heavy lifting. followed by the post-mortem mutilation.”John and the coroner take one glance at the corpse.“Well, whoever did this isn’t a surgeon,” John said.“You’re right, a surgeon would be more... methodical, and they wouldn’t be impulsive like oursuspect here; he wasn’t good, but he did a fine job of being a lumberjack,” the coroner remarked onJohn’s previous statement.

***On the other hand, Rick and Archibald are in their apartment. They stayed in their polishedapartment after they cleaned up the murder of Stephanie Georgia; it had no traces of blood inthe walls, ceilings, or floors. There were no traces of blood, as if the murder hadn’t happenedpreviously. Rick walks up to Archibald, who is sitting at the edge of his bed. Rick spoke nonchalantly.“Look, about what we talked about previously. We need to lie low, or else things may go awry, and Idon’t know, we will get caught for her murder,”Archibald responded, also nonchalantly. “Okay, we lie low. I liked that, but first I have to dosomething.”“What is it? ”“I have to whack my boss.”“Fuck you, I’m not gonna help you with that.”“Touche. You’re not going to be involved, but I plan to once this heat dies out.”Archibald stood up from the edge of his bed, walked up near to Rick, and spoke.“I guess we have to lie low for a while. They wouldn’t inspect the place.”“Okay, don’t try anything stupid.” Rick walks away and leaves the door open for Archibald only forhim to close the door in an instant. Archibald circled around his room, his hands crawling onto hisface, and released a soft sigh. With his hands placed on his hips, his mind planning on something, hiseyes staring at the wall, his fingers constantly tapping on his hips, and his hand tapping on his chin,whatever he plans will be uncovered soon.

A few moments later, Rick eventually arrived at the apartment. He sits on his bed, legs crossed, hands holding a book titledAmerican Psycho,and his eyes moving across the ink of the book. But Then a sudden loud knock banged on the door, alerting Rick to his relaxation; he immediately stood up from his bed, then, his hands constantly nudging the asleep Archibald, he muttered. “Hey, hey, hey. Wake up, someone’s knocking on our door, and I don’t know who it might be. But stay sharp,” Archibald responded groggily. “Fine, I need to sleep.” He slapped Archibald. Enough to wake him up.“What if it’s the law? It’s broad nighttime.”“Fine, I have to dress up. I’m half-naked.”Shortly afterwards, Rick reached the door and twisted the doorknob to see men in police uniforms.“Good evening, Mr—” the officer spoke before he got interrupted.“Boston, Mr. Boston,” Rick replied immediately“Right, Mr. Boston, is this your room? ”“Yes, Sir. This is my room. Why is that? ”“We have received reports of the disappearance of Ms. Stephanie Georgia and her eventual murder. We have the warrant to investigate your room. If we may.”“If you may,” Rick gulped. This is the moment where fate decides to play on Archibald and Rick. His hands subtly shook, and the temperature suddenly turned cold for Rick as his hands and feet turned cold. The officers entered the room, and Archibald immediately covered up his abs with a cloth that shouts, “IAm a Good Person.”Then the officer said.“Sir, would you please step back from the room? We have a search warrant to inspect this room.”“I’m sorry, I’ll step back.” Archibald retreated to the hallway, and Rick leaned against the wall with his leg bent and his hand holding a drag that he inhaled long enough and exhaled. He immediately puts out the lit cigarette, and Archibald approaches Rick close to him.“So what’s the plan, Genius? What would happen if they find something relevant to Stephanie’s? “Archibald spoke in an aggressive yet mumbling tone.“Play it cool. Then, I’m not the one who committed the actual crime—” Archibald immediately covered Rick’s mouth so the officers wouldn’t hear their conversations.“Pipe down or else I’ll cut your throat if you keep talking,” but then Archibald instantly uncovers it and feels a wet liquid touching his skin“Ew! Did you just lick me? ” he asked.“Yes, I’m nervous,” Rick responded with a smirk that signals a remorseless act on him. Archibald shushed him afterwards.

As the police searched the room, they rummaged through their belongings, the sheets of their bed, and the contents of their drawers, and there was nothing the police could investigate until the axe. One of the officers went back and called the two straight to their rooms. They entered the rooms to see the officer handling the axe. That same object that was used to kill Stephanie. Archibald’s eyes saw the axe; he thought,They knew. It’s over.As his eyes focused on the axe, his heartbeat pacing faster than ever, his hands subtly shook, and sweat started to form at his back. On the other hand, Rick’s eyes widened, his hands trembled, his mind froze from the numbing, and coldness struck Rick like a bullet in disguise.“Is this the weapon that killed Miss Georgia? ” the officer sternly asked. Archibald and Rick looked at each other..“No, Officer. It’s... mine,” Archibald replied weakly.“Did you use it to kill Miss Georgia?”“No.”“Then why is the ax dangling at your apartment? ”“It’s for–”“Lumberjacking! “Rick joined in after thinking of a sentence that could justify the officer’s question. The officer raised an eyebrow in curiosity.“According to her associates, Miss Stephanie’s last known location was here. Now, since there are no cameras here layered on the apartment, we fortunately managed to find camera footage just outside of this apartment. In addition, her associates said that this apartment here was her last known appearance. “I have a few questions just for you to answer.”“Sure, officer. ” Archibald replied.“Were you responsible for Miss Stephanie’s murder? ”“No, Sir. It wasn’t me. Nor my friend here. We would never do that.”“Yes, we wouldn’t hurt her.”“Are you sure about that? ”“Yes, we didn’t hurt her, nor were we responsible for killing her. We would never do that.”“This was her last known location. What did she do in the apartment? ”“Stephanie and I were hanging out, getting a few drinks and a couple of chatter, that was all we did.”“And then?”“And then she stormed off. She didn’t tell me where she went afterwards.”The officer looked Archibald dead in the eye, dead serious. He took another peek at the axe in his gloved hand to see anything suspicious. Surprisingly, the axe didn’t have a single drop of blood nor a trace of it. He lowered the axe and dropped it.“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Boston and Mr.—”“Carter! Rafael Carter.” Archibald interrupted so he could answer him. Then the officers left the room, and they closed the doors not before adding a remark. “We would like to apologize for the mess we made. I hope you understand the gravity of the situation.”“Don’t worry, Officer. No harm done.” Archibald cheered dryly.

The officers left the room and closed the door. Once the door was closed, the two let out a burst of relief from their noses. Rick lets out a huge exhale as his heartbeat keeps pumping repeatedly. Sweat formed on Archibald’s forehead until he wiped it from his hands. They couldn’t believe it, but it was the first time they had evaded suspicions, but until then, this was just the warm-up. Archibald added a statement.“I couldn’t believe it, but we managed to evade their suspicions—barely.”“Yeah, soon enough they’ll know that a serial killer is in Manhattan,” Rick remarked.“We need to lie low, keep our heads down, and act normal.”“What happens if they found out? ”“It’ll be too late. or too damned to care.”

***

A few weeks had passed, and the murder of Stephanie Georgia remained a mystery. Authorities had to eventually drop the case due to a lack of evidence and witnesses to make it even a crime. The case was immediately dropped; sadly, we couldn’t catch the suspect. They got away; it’s easy for them to do that.

***Meanwhile, at the former workplace where Archibald worked lies his boss, Larry Henderson. Even though Archibald left the company, Larry remained the same: his constant grumpiness, greed, and treatment of employees remained unchanged. It seems like Archibald was right about him. Larry is at the phone in his office, speaking aggressively and rudely as ever.“Yes, I have the files. Don’t whine at me that you have less salary and I’m paying you less. Get back to work.” He slammed the phone shut on his table. He takes a few deep breaths and then exhales. Suddenly, his phone rang; it pierced his eardrums. He immediately grabbed the phone and placed it to his ear; he answered in a calm tone.“Hello? “A familiar voice alerted his senses as he replied.“Hello, Boss... Larry.”“Hello, Archibald, what do you want?” Larry spoke monotonously.“Mind if I ask if there is work that I can do? ”“No, you forgot that you resigned in an instant after the contract.”“You’re the one serving emotional trauma.”“Well, if someone resigned from my company, I would be happy to hire you as one of my assistants so I can show how much power I can have over you.”“I’ll be happy to serve you, your majesty.”

The call ended. I hung up the phone following the call from my boss; it didn’t go as I planned. I thought Larry had changed, but I can tell he hasn’t changed ever since I resigned from the company. But who am I to judge when they refused to change despite their need to? People had the choice to change, but it’s up to them if they can keep up with their act of change. I clenched my fist like a wrecking ball, my mind twitching into doing something sensible. I’m breathing raggedly; just the thought of doing something that I would do again: kill. After Stephanie’s death, I don’t know how I acted. As I was smoking a cigarette in front of her corpse, my mind numbed just as I inhaled the nicotine coursing in my lungs; I never thought about how void the results of killing her would be. As I know the consequences, I chose it. I did it.

On the weekends, the days where everyone can enjoy their personal time, whether with themselves, their loved ones, or their companions. They are free with the things they can do for 2 days. The morning sun shines brighter than before; the wind gushes over the leaves scattered on the floor, and Central Park of New York City is crowded with joggers, pet lovers who love walking with their dogs, and people who are genuinely trying to be better for their physical health. Inside of the Park

Lies Archibald sitting comfortably on a wooden bench, his eyes searching like an owl. Searching for someone he wants. As he observes the environment in front of him, his boss suddenly appears from the frame in his surroundings. He stood up from the bench, and unbeknownst to his boss, someone from a distance lurked behind him. Larry walked up to his 1992 Fleetwood Mac and entered; then seconds later, he instantly stormed off from the park.

It’s been an hour that I have been following my boss, but I have discovered a lot aside from having a 1992 Fleetwood Mac as a vehicle. In addition to the discovery, I found out he lives in Greenwich Village, one of those apartments that I see in the newspaper, and he occasionally initiates social activities with someone around the neighborhood. Hell, he even drinks coffee in the afternoon and reads a newspaper every now and then—the almost entire day is spent stalking my boss, preparing for what I am going to do. Just as I thought that he had decency underneath the cold-heartedness of his. Instead, He is just like that. the same old Larry I always knew at work and even by now. I saw him bumping into someone and didn’t apologize as the person was just passing by and didn’t even mean to bump him; he gave him the cold shoulder instead. Even outside work, He still acts entitled. Entitled to own the world. I found out more about it, so I wrote it in a note:He reads a newspaper after walking for 30 minutes in Central Park; casually drinks coffee in the morning; eats lunch at McDonald’s, usually alone in his house, between 12:00 and 1:00; occasionally drinks whiskey; usually smokes cigarettes while watching TV, reads a newspaper at his house; and sleeps on the couch.That is how I found out about him during half of the day. It’s almost 7:00 pm, and the sun is lying down to rest.

One day after he followed Larry, Archibald was approaching the door of his apartment just as he was about to depart; Rick rushed behind his back and called him. “Hey, hey. Where are you going? ”Archibald turned and looked at Rick. He replied.“Leaving.”“So you’re leaving... in the middle of the night.”“Yes.”“Would I ask why? ”“Business.”“What sort of business? ”“It’s something you don’t want to know.” Archibald continued to close up the door and opened the knob and was about to leave—again, Rick intervened.“Are you going to kill Larry Henderson? ” he hushed angrily.“Yes,” Archibald spoke concisely.“I knew it. I told you to lay low after Stephanie, man.”Without a word, Archibald retreated back to the door and went back someplace else in the room. Rik continued to follow him afterwards, and then he said.“You’re going to screw things up even more if you do this. I mean, we barely evaded the cops, but this? How the fuck are you going to–”THUD. AloudTHUDknocked Rick out courtesy of Archibald. While Rick attempts to plead, Archibald suddenly lands a hook on Rick’s face, and he immediately lands on the floor. Afterwards, Archibald grabbed Rick’s unconscious body and placed him in his bed, then tucked his warm, pure blanket around his body.

Not long after, Archibald instantly left the apartment and drove off to Larry’s. address. Still, unknowingly, what happens to Larry? He is inside of his house taking a sip of whiskey after a day of bitterness. One sip is enough to remember the bitterness of the world. He sits on his couch contemplating something in his mind, but he instead grabs a newspaper beside him and begins reading the contents. But then a loud bump alerted Larry’s hearing. He put the newspaper away and stood up to immediately investigate the source of the noise. As he went to the source of the sound, his lights instantly flickered into darkness. Without a word, Larry tries to search for the switch. It didn’t take long to find the switch, as he instantly turned the switch, and a familiar figure stood in front of him; he spoke monotonously.“Hello, Larry.”“Archibald? What are you doing here? “Larry raised an eyebrow.“To kill you,” Archibald replied bluntly.“Wh-what are you talking about? ”“Don’t act stupid. You damn well know why.”“Whatever you’re planning to do... please, we can talk this out.” Archibald began walking towards him, then slowly circling him, which would send him in a defensive stance.“No, just exactly what you did to me and my co-workers. I don’t want to. Because you want things to end, right? ”“Wait, Archibald. Please, we can talk this way–”“You put me through the deepest pits of hell, and you expect me to come back as if nothing happened? You should be ashamed of yourself. I’m pretty sure my replacement would find the resignation letter a satisfactory decision.” Archibald spoke calmly, but his hands slightly trembled and his chalky skin turned cold. Larry’s skin is filled with sweat. His hands trembled as the temperatures of winter spiked in his skin; his heart was beating heavier each second that passed, his feet could feel the warmth and sweat of his skin, and his thoughts were pacing. Every minute now feels like seconds passing by. Larry defused.“Archibald, please calm down. You can walk away and none of this will ever—” He gets interrupted by Archibald dropping the bomb on him.“YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH BULLYING EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING?! NEWSFLASH ASSHOLE, BEING A BOSS DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU CAN MINDFUCK SOMEONE’S MIND AND DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT.”

Those words from Archibald made Larry break. Maybe shed a small tear, but then he spoke calmly as if he knew already something was wrong with Archibald.“You were always a strange case, Carter. The first time I saw you, you had the eye of a predator. You think you can get away with this? Think about the consequences you’re making. I always knew that you are a weird asshole, and they were right... you’re just a lonely weird man that they always state.”The moment Larry revealed his true colors is the moment Archibald guaranteed him a fate that’ll plague him forever. He instantly grabbed a fire poker close to him and swung it at Larry’s face. He dropped down on the floor. His body shambling to the floor and flailing pointlessly, Archibald repeatedly swung the poker down at his body with no one stopping him until he stopped—suddenly, he dropped the fire poker to the floor beside Larry’s body. He retreats a few steps away from Larry, and his eyes look at the mushed face of his former boss, blood covered Archibald’s face—again. Larry’s body is on the floor, motionless and lifeless. On the other hand, Archibald’s eyes widened to the point that his mind froze. But he immediately snaps out of his gaze, and he has to think fast. Fortunately, his clothes blended in with the blood splattered on him (he was wearing a black long-sleeved polo, maroon shoes, black pants, and gloves.) Moments later, he bolted from the apartment.

During his stay at the apartment, he wanders Larry’s apartment before departing as he moves room to room for any valuable thing until he reaches his bed that’s filled with jewelry that is expensive enough to make the richest feel average. Then he turned around and couldn’t expect a small safe in front of his bed. He approached the safe and looked for a code that could unlock the safe. It didn’t take long to figure out; Archibald unlocked the safe, and a wad of cash waved at Archibald. He couldn’t believe it but took it instantly and grabbed all the money he could have.These are our salaries Larry kept from us. Since he’s dead, we’re going to enjoy robbing his corpse.He thought to himself. Estimatedly, it is 200,000 dollars that was dangling from the safe.

What have I done? I killed my former boss. The thought of killing my boss was good and satisfactory before this—what’s happening to me? I didn’t expect this to happen brutally, and this was far from what I imagined. I had fantasies of butchering Stephanie to death, and look what happened... It didn’t give me anything but void and misery; maybe an act of desperation made me act like this. I wiped the blood off from my face, and my clothes blended with the color of my clothing. On the way driving somewhere, I didn’t turn the radio; just the quiet streets and the loud engine of my car set peace in me.

Following Larry’s murder, he stands outside in front of the convenience store; he lights a cigaretteand takes a long drag. He inhales and then exhales it. Rain spiked in; it fell like rocks. tappingviolently against the windows and rooftops as if it wants something desperately. Midnight coveredthe world in its dark and abysmal nature—only to be broken by the vibrant gold of streetlights thatbrightened not the floor but the entirety of the sky, which was reflected in puddles. The wind isswaying, carrying the smell of wet asphalt and petrichor. Pipes come out, like oozing with water; itslides down like tears rolling down from the human eye. Somewhere in the distance, from above, aloud cackle roared as it attempted to communicate, but sadly, whatever it attempted to convey, itfailed to comprehend towards humans. Despite the gloomy weather, Archibald continues to take thedrag on his mouth. He tossed it out onto the floor and stomped on it; then he pulled out anothercigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. Suddenly, beside him, someone approached himand asked him to turn on“Hey, do you mind if I borrow your lighter? ”Archibald replied. “Sure.”He looked at the man and gave him the lighter. John ignited the light at the end of the cigarette.Unbeknownst to the two, they’ll meet... when the time comes back for them to meet at theproper place. After he lit the cigarette, he gave the lighter to Archibald.“Thanks,” he said to him.Archibald didn’t respond. Silence spoke loudly outside; neither of them wanted to engage in aconversation as the two enjoyed inhaling the tobacco in their lungs until Archibald spoke.“You know, life can be harsh. I don’t know why, but it’s harsh. Whenever I get up, it sends me torock bottom, where I’d struggle even more. I see no point in living life today... because it is alwaysthe same.”“Life can be harsh. It’s how you respond to such circumstances. I have a wife... she won’t talk to me.I tried speaking with her, but I can’t go through with it. I tried to be the decent man that I can be,”John answered.“Is she treating you well?” “She’s a fine lady, sweet but a canary that constantly cries every day. She treats me well, and I treather just fine. It’s work...that holds us back from bonding.”“I wish to have a wife like yours.”“Trust me, you’ll have one like mine. Someday.”“You know, when I was a child...it wasn’t the brightest experience I had, unlike any other child whohad a decent upbringing. It was...horrible. I don’t know how to explain this—it was horrible. I triedto become an independent person, but a part of me feels like I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve helpand continue suffering like I did when I was a child.”“Whatever you say...whatever you’re facing will eventually work out.”

After the conversation, they parted ways. One might wonder where they’ll meet, but it’s a certain fatethat they will meet. Not later, but soon.

Meanwhile, Rick is in his room, inhaling a long drag from the cigarette in his mouth. A thick smoke lights up in the air, and Rick’s mind thought of nothing but relaxation. Then a loud knock interrupted everything, and Rick threw away the cigarette; he instantly stood up from the couch and walked towards the door, and then he opened it. when he opened it, Their tenant is at the doorstep and sports a smug smirk in front of Rick.“What do you want? ” Rick said exasperatedly.“Rent,” the tenant said politely, still smirking and eyes blooming with arrogance.“I don’t have the rent, Michael. Come back when our money covers enough of our rent.”“Well, give me the rent, and I’ll add more rent for both of you! ”“You can’t do that! ”“I’m the tenant. I’ll add 500 dollars to your rent starting now.”“Please, you can’t do this. We don’t have the money to pay it.”“This is nothing personal. Feller’s gotta earn cash to feed me.”Instantly, Michael stormed off from their doorstep. Upon hearing the increased debt, Rick’s face soured to the point of actively attempting to numb himself from the pain, but as he closed the door, his hand suddenly stopped from completely closing, and it pulled the door open, revealing Archibald in the process.“Sorry, I’m late. Just went to a store to buy some cigarettes and beer. What did I miss? “Archibald spoke as if he didn’t read the room.“Why the long face? ”“Michael upped the debt. He upped it to $500, and now we don’t know how we are going to have $500 in our pockets. “Rick replied dryly and tired. to which Archibald answered deadpan.“Great, I have another person to put onto their early grave.” They instantly entered the room, and Archibald closed the door right after giving a quick glance to the hallway.

Eventually, one day later, Larry’s corpse was found by locals and authorities. It skyrocketed again, just like the death of Stephanie Georgia; only this time, the news of his death struck a higher chord than Stephanie’s. Newspaper companies already wrote a headline immediately after the news was broadcast.

From The Newton Yearner Times:LOCAL NEW YORKER POKED TO DEATH

A local New Yorker identified as Larry Henderson was found dead at his apartment. Larry Henderson was well-known for being the boss of his own company called Larry & Co., which succeeded in the 80s until it fell down in the mid-90s. Authorities are still working on the investigation and still looking for the suspect, and as of today, evidence is still being gathered by experts.

The day started fresh. The aura of the sun shone bright through New York City, and everything was vibrant and colorful... except for the murder of Larry Henderson. At the crime scene, cameras constantly flashed towards the corpse of Larry Henderson; yellow tapes that readDO NOT ENTER AND CAUTIONclung to the walls as if they had a purpose. Authorities, especially police officers, are on the scene looking for evidence in his room. John immediately arrived at the crime scene just as the work performance of the day was passing by; John sped up due to his presence. He crossed over the yellow tapes and wore white gloves in his hands, closing up Larry’s corpse. His eyes gazed at Larry’s corpse, followed by a quick remark.“Victim was bludgeoned to death. Multiple times. Suspect was impulsive in terms of using the tool to kill Mr. Henderson.”His co-worker answered aloof, “Okay, you’re the smartass here. Now continue doing it and give us some intel.” Afterwards, his co-worker left immediately to talk to someone, whether a witness or his other co-worker, who knows, as John kept examining even further. In contrast, his co-workers are incompetent utmost and illogical in simpler terms because they’re behind the tapes taking a sip of coffee, watching John do the grunt work.

Minutes of the constant pictures of the crime scene, forensics chatter in the back, and officers asking residents around Larry’s house. In his thoughts, John explained as he looked and stood at Larry’s corpse. “A fire poker was used to bash Henderson in the first place because Larry owned a fireplace in his apartment; his head turned into tomato mush because he was bashed with a very long and blunt object like a fire poker. Also, no traces of DNA somehow... maybe our guy wore gloves to avoid being identified. He also went here undetected until he wanted to because maybe he wanted something; it’s because there was no broken object nor glass shattered into pieces...” Outside, John is at the verge of zoning out until his partner joined in and spoke. “Well, seems like you’re you’renjoying this game of ours, huh? We don’t get paid to stand there like a fucking statue.”John responded. “I’m analyzing, Jack. By the looks of it, I have intel on this case.”“Shoot. I’ll be here stating the facts. might serve me as a reality check over your wide-eyed idealism.”“Whatever, so our killer used a very long and blunt object like a poker to kill Mr. Henderson, which is also the reason why his face turned into a mush of blood here. Poor Larry. Our killer went in his apartment smoothly until he decided to get caught because he wanted to, perhaps. There are no traces of DNA in the fire poker, nor were broken objects in the vicinity because, again, he went in there undetected.”“How come you thought a fire poker was used to kill Henderson? ”“Larry owed a fireplace.”

They distanced themselves a few steps away from Larry’s corpse. Then, Jack noticed a ‘mark’ on the floor. “Wait, do we have DNA identification yet? ” Jack remarked.“No, Not yet,” John answered“Why is there a footprint here in the halls? ”They looked down at the floor to see a footprint in the hall. John knelt to the floor for a glance. “This is good. but not enough evidence to find who the suspect is.”On the other hand, Jack left John in the hall for further clues, and as John examined them, he added. “There was a footprint because of dirt. Maybe because they have to sneak in undetected. Who knows? In the other room, Jack shouted, “The safe is empty! John, come over here!”

John followed and saw Jack standing beside Larry’s open safe. The room was Larry’s bedroom, and beforehand, Jack noticed all of Larry’s valuables were missing from the jewelry box. John stands at the doorframe, he asked.“What is it, then? ”“Our guy stole his money,” Jack responded.“How much? ”“How much? I’m not a magician here, Barton. Maybe this is a break-in.”They opened the safe and peeked at the empty contents of the safe. John remarked again“Well, we can’t conclude just yet.”“I’m keeping my options open here, Barton,” Jack said satirically.“You don’t say,” Jack chuckled in response following John’s answer.

Moments later, one of their co-workers joined the room and spoke. “Well, what happened here? ”“It’s a break-in. My first and last guess,” John deadpanned.“What about you? ” His co-worker pointed at Jack.“Nothing. Maybe a break-in and a homie-cide, I think.” Jack shrugged his arms and instantly laughed from what he said.“You’re going to need to work on your jokes, Jack.”“Yeah, I know.”“Have you got anything else by the way? ” his co-worker asked.“Not everything, Paul,” John replied to Paul. He gave the evidence to him, like the photos, to which Paul nodded.“Great work, Barton. Donovan. I’ll send this to James.”“Yeah, yeah, make sure I’m credited for the photos, and I’ll explain to you later how it happened.”

Paul leaves with a thumbs-up without even looking at the duo. From that on, Paul left the crime scene with the photos of evidence in his hand. Jack looked at John blankly and couldn’t help but ask.“So what now? ”Well. James will be the one responsible for the press conference, and I won’t be there because I don’t want my face to get identified,” John replied calmly“In that case, we did our jobs well. I wonder whoever the killer is.”“I wouldn’t expect much; almost every killer gets away with it, but who knows.”

But then, Paul comes back without the photos in his hand. He approached them with an aura of coolness and calm like blood on the floor.

“Oh look, who came back crawling? “Jack snarked at Paul.“Listen, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But relax, I’ll tell our superiors that you have the evidence. Before I leave again, may I ask why they are considered evidence? “Paul speaks long enough to be a rant.“Well... Henderson, our victim, got bashed to death with a very long and blunt object. Killer was impulsive doing it; who knows if he left his DNA on the weapon used against Henderson? He left the apartment with almost no traces...almost. Because he left a dirt track on the floor when he was about to leave because it was near a window and the safe Larry owned was wide open. All of the jewelry too, so I conclude it’s a break-in perhaps. Who knows? “John explained to Paul, and he nodded in response before he was about to leave again,” he said.

“Well, nice observing skills. I sure hope we get to catch the killer one day, and nice work, Barton.” “Thanks, Salmon. “Paul then leaves John and Jack from the crime scene.

Following the investigation, authorities are on the lookout for any potential serial killings; it has gotten too rigorous and vigilant. The streets of New York turned quiet as the crime rate dropped as it went from 32% to 28%. The case of Larry Henderson and Stephanie Georgia is left ambiguous; authorities still have no clue on catching the serial murders, and the identity of the suspect is still left unsolved. Meanwhile, Archibald lies low for approximately four weeks following the murder of his boss and girlfriend/co-worker.

A lot happened during those estimated weeks. Rick left New York and spent a hiatus in New Jersey in which Archibald took over their apartment and used it to lie low from the authorities. Not only that, but he also entertained himself with indoor activities such as occasionally smoking cigarettes, drinking a bottle of whiskey, and doing an hour of exercise alleviates his boredom. Furthermore, he sits on his chair, grabs a newspaper, and reads the content about the events outside his surroundings, something he couldn’t do because he couldn’t risk getting ID’d.

FROM THE NEWTON YEARNER TIMESWOMAN FOUND IN A DUMPSTER

A woman in her 20s-late 20s was found dead in a dumpster. The woman’s identity is still being identified by authorities, and witnesses stated that they found the woman’s corpse due to the growing smell of the corpse. One individual described it as ‘the woman’s smell was rotting like a dead rabbit. ’ Another individual stated that there were suspicious noises around in the area where the woman was murdered as it sounded like ‘someone is having an aggressive passion for sex.’ Police are still investigating the crime scene, and the case is still on standby as of today.

Just as he was reading a newspaper about events in the outside world, a loudthudoutside his room attracted Archibald’s attention and sent him to investigate the noise alone. He stood up and dropped what he was doing earlier; he approached to open the door to see nothing suspicious. only a flower vase that fell off from the table.

I grabbed the vase from the floor, and just as I was about to grab it, I was suddenly pushed by my larger-than-life roommate, Johnny Rubens. He moved in recently. I don’t know when he moved in, but I already abhor his presence, just as he moved into this apartment. His voice sounds like one of those parrots that speak absolute bullshit. We exchanged looks, and Johnny spoke calmly. “Gee, sorry, mister. I didn’t know there was a cowpoke in this apartment.”“I’m sorry, mister. I didn’t know there were adults playing teenagers in this apartment,” I retorted, following the response, only for Johnny to laugh from the response.“You’re a funny guy, mister. What’s your name? ”“Raymond. Raymond Dexter. What’s yours? ”“Johnny Rubens of New York City. Nice to meet you, Raymond Dexter.” Johnny offered a Handshake gesture. I responded with a handshake afterward.“Oh shoot, I got to fix my things. Got to go.” Johnny giggled as we parted ways from the hallway.It went better than what I was expecting. I thought Johnny would put someone into the humiliation conga. All I could do was tolerate Johnny’s behavior as long as he was around the apartment.

***

As I was taking a long drag from the window, enjoying the scenery in front of my eyes. Outside of my room, loud music is constantly invading my sense of peace; likely Johnny Rubens is the culprit for the source of the loudness. I walked outside and went to his room, but not without knocking on the door multiple times until Johnny answered by opening the door. He asked, “What do you want?”“Turn off the music; some of the people here are minding their own business,” I answered as politely as possible. But then he said,“How about this?” Johnny gives him the middle finger, and he closes the door shut, which sends Archibald into a ball of fury as his fists clench tightly, forming like a wrecking ball; his breathing becomes rapid and ragged, as if he’s breathing abnormally, and his heart pounds heavier with each beat. He instantly storms off outside of his room and retreats back to his room. Afterwards, the music continues blaring through the hallway. Inside, Archibald could barely function in peace due to the constant noise. There’s nothing he could do about it but could only tolerate the loud music invading his peace.

One day later, Archibald is in front of the window, his body leaning on the frame of the window; his hands are busy holding a cigarette due to the amount of thin white smoke that fumes out from his mouth, and his eyes enjoy the sightseeing view from his viewpoint. Just as he is taking a long drag, he sets his eyes on his roommate, Johnny Rubens. His eyes locked onto Johnny Rubens’ movements; his antics continued as he kept pushing objects off from the table and continued to shove people out of their way in the streets. As he kept watching him from above, Archibald remarked to himself,"Today’s the day. it’s gonna happen.”Afterwards, Archibald throws out his cigarette outside and leavesfrom the spot.***

Outside of the apartment, Johnny is wandering. walking in the park with his arms swaying playfully and jumping around, then he continues to shove passerbys aggressively. They mutter words filled with contempt and impolite but Johnny couldn’t care less as he kept shoving locals and annoy them by scaring them unnecessarily. Unbeknownst to him, Archibald is at a distance observing his movements like an owl hunting it’s prey. His presence doesn’t alert Johnny as he wears clothes that shroud him in darkness( He wears a black hoodie, shirt, pants, and shades.) he continues to watch Johnny from where he is sitting at. he continues at what he does best until one of the locals approached him with his fists clenching like tight balls and the stranger immediately strike a blow on His face. Afterward, Johnny instantly stood up and ran away from the stranger, and Archibald stood up in an instant and sprinted while maintaining a long distance from Johnny. As he pursued Johnny in the distance, his sight on him got sidetracked as dozens of locals added up behind Johnny’s back, which blurred his sight on Johnny but left him no choice but to increase his pace on him, and so he did. He sprinted past the local mob, and only Johnny was in his sights, but he slowed himself to avoid detection.“Johnny’s been a bad boy. Let’s give him a lesson that he’ll never forget.”He spoke to himself, and then he added,“I’ve seen enough good people and bad people, but worst of all... idiots.”He kept chasing Johnny in the distance until he stopped himself. He added. ”Let the man wander on his own. He’ll tire out, eventually.”To his surprise, the stranger from earlier approached him.

“Hey, mister. Have you seen the guy? ” he asked without explaining further.“No, I haven’t seen him,” Archibald answered exhaustedly.

***He retreats back to his apartment room, immediately drops his jacket off, and throws it on his bed. Without missing a beat, he slides all over the objects on his table, which tumble and thud loudly. He threw a few solid objects at the wall. Archibald doesn’t speak until his voice lets out a hoarse and snarly “FUCK!” Before throwing a box in the wall so fast that the contents from the box fell out on the floor. Finally, he released a soft sigh before his mind realized the damage he caused in the room. Immediately, he fixed the mess in his room: he collected the thrown papers and placed them onto the box and picked up the thrown objects from the floor and placed them where they belonged. There’s one thing that caught Archibald’s sight. It’s white and envelope-shaped. In curiosity, he opened the envelope, and his eyes read the letter:

To Archibald.We invite you to our high school reunion on October 19. We hope that you will come to our party, which will happen at Edgar Yates’ Place, which is at 4587 Radcliff Ave. Oakley, NY.

See you soon. From Edgar Yates.

I haven’t received letters from Edgar for a long time since high school. He was one of those people who tormented my years in high school. I was a shrinking violet back then. Why did he suddenly write an invitation to me when he bullied me all those years in high school? Maybe this is a way to make amends with the past, possibly.

Archibald immediately finds the nearest chair and he sits down. Pondering the news. What could this possibly mean? Is this a way for Archibald to make amends with his past? Or is this a way to plunge his newfound darkness into his dark past?