◈A D R I A N◈

The door closed with a resounding click, leaving me to stand alone at the empty hallway at the first light of morning. I turned the key clockwise before stowing away the jangling bunch in my pocket. As I walked down the aisle and stood in front of the rusty elevator doors, my heart was dead-set on one thing.

Kara must die.

That was the only thing I had in my mind on my way back after I had made sure that Logan was comfortable and wasn't in any life-threatening sleeping positions.

I'd spent hours sitting there unmoving, my eyes unable to leave his face. When the shadows on the floor started to grow darker, it was only then that I realized I needed to leave soon.

For I had a murder to commit.

As I climbed the dirty streets back to the shitty apartment, my feet slowed to a snail's pace. Logan's phone was growing heavy in my pockets, the guilt of theft seemed to pull stronger towards gravity with every step I took.

Stop!

I scolded myself while repressing that awful feeling. What I did was right. I can't have Logan interfering with my plans. Besides, this wasn't the first time I stole something.

Yeah, I did nothing wrong.

Taking a deep breath, my feet picked up the pace again after having my conscience appeased and continued my journey back home.

The house was cold and dark when I pushed the door open. Empty. As always. She had either gone out for work or didn't come home the night before.

Not that I cared, I thought as I entered my room. It was working in my favour anyway. I shrugged off my jacket and flung it across the room, the apparel landing on the bed with a soft thud. A wad of paper fell from the pockets and rolled on the ground, slowing to a halt a few inches from my feet.

Bending down, I picked up the paper and realised that it was the wedding photograph. Distaste and hatred possessed me all over again and I reached for my drawers and fumbled for the lighter. Right before I lose all of my rationality and set the photograph alight, I caught myself just in time and almost burned my thumb in careless haste.

The picture unfurled as my fingers smoothen it out, rubbing off the crinkles crisscrossing Logan's face. Carefully, I tore the picture down the middle, taking extra care not to damage his part. I laid it on the sheets and placed my pillow on top of it. As for the other torn piece, the ruthless fire consumed it within seconds.

My anger eased a little after seeing the residual ash fluttered down the bin. Having dealt with the eyesore, I knelt to the ground and dragged a storage box from under the metal bed frame.

I opened the top and a neat pile of hand-me-downs that could get me through teen years was revealed together with a couple of random stuff like an old cassette player and a tacky half mask.

I gave the mask a hard flap against the floor, sending a flurry of ancient dust up the air with my face upturned to avoid the assault. On second thoughts, I flapped it again for good measure and held it up to my clinical eyes.

The black fabric had grown pale from age with red thread embroidered into a jagged smile. Not as subtle as what I had hoped for but the red was dark enough and almost not visible unless the light hits on it.

I looked up the clock to see the hand strike twelve. It was already nine and I was still contemplating on my outfit like a girl on first date?!

Screw this, I cursed and chucked the mask on the bed and pulled out an oversized army green parka with a hood. The bundle joined the mask on the bed and I fled to the bathroom and started preparing for the grand act.

As I hummed a cheery tune to myself while shucking down the rough jeans down to my ankles, the light had penetrated deep enough to hit the tiny mosaic tiles on the wall.

I smiled as I stood under the showerhead and twisted the valve to allow the water splash on my skin. The tiles glittered like tiny fragments of forgotten hope. Hope that was once invisible to me had became crystal clear.

All of a sudden, the world seemed brighter by the minute. I sighed under the lukewarm shower and continued humming.

If everything goes well, the world will have one less shitty person before the day ends.

✴

It started pouring soon after I stepped out of the apartment as ominous thunderclouds rolled above my head like hay bales. Fat drops plopped down in successive rate, flooding the potholes rapidly.

As shivers ran down my back like icy snakes, I pulled the zipper up and let the large parka to envelope me in its warmth. The hoodie sheltered my face from the liquid bullets and the mask provided little yet necessary protection against the whooshing wind.

I hid within the safety of the shadow in a dark alley that provided a prime view of O'briens. The only downside of the spot was the continuous train of umbrellas cutting through my vision.

I had to peer not only through the sheet of rain but also annoyingly vibrant fabric mushrooms. The street was unusually busy despite the heavy downpour that I almost missed my target.

A woman dressed in a sunset yellow trench coat strutted across the street. I recognized the haughty air around her even if she was hiding under a red monstrosity of a parasol.

My body tensed in high alert as I watched her skipped over a puddle of dirty water before entering the restaurant. A waiter approached her and after a few exchange of words, he led her to a table near a potted plant by the window.

This is perfect, I thought.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I entered an old bookstore right across the street from O'briens. The store was perfect with a wide expanse of glass at the shopfront. There was a long table stretching along the window and a line of wooden stools for visitors to read and chill.

I shook a little at the entrance like a wet dog and grabbed a book at the nearest shelf. The book was heavier than I had expected and it slipped off my fingers, falling flat on the ground with an alarming thud.

The store owner peered over his glasses in annoyance from his seat at the cashier. "Sorry," I muttered and quickly retrieved the book and shuffled to the stool at the far right.

I shrugged off my parka and hung it on an empty coat rack before perching my butt on the edge of the seat. The air was unsurprisingly stuffy and dank from the rows of ceiling high shelves filled with books and comics.

Remembering something, I quickly looked over the street at the woman in the restaurant and breathed out in relief. She was still in her seat, taking a sip from a delicate porcelain cup.

Keeping my eyes trained on her, my fingers reached for the book and flipped it open in the middle. I propped the book up, hid behind it and watched.

The wait was unnerving. It was boring and my attention span wasn't long enough to save my life. However, I couldn't afford to slack off. I flipped the pages occasionally, not forgetting to keep up with the act. Twenty minutes later, Logan's phone vibrated in my pocket.

Kara was calling him. Looked like I wasn't the only one getting impatient. I ignored it, letting it to reach the voicemail. The incessant buzzing stopped but was quickly followed by two short vibrations of a text message.

I'm here at the O'briens. Ordered your favourite salmon croissant :)

I rolled my eyes. I doubted Logan's taste for French bread. In fact, I was dead sure she forced her favourites on him.

So lost in my mind, I didn't notice a girl was leaning over the table and staring at me until her tinkling voice sounded too close to my ear.

"Cool mask," she commented and unabashedly peered over my arm to look at the phone screen. Shell-shocked, the phone slipped off of my slack grip and rattled on the table. My fingers went autopilot mode and immediately pressed on the side button, turning the screen black.

The girl looked to be around eleven years old and her short legs kicked playfully under the table. I looked around the store for her chaperone but she seemed to be alone.

"You're late. Halloween ended like two months ago," she said and twirled a strand of hair loose from her ponytail.

I touched the mask self-consciously and frowned. This girl needed to be gone. ASAP.

"Everyday's Halloween if you're dead inside," my voice sounded muffled from the mask, hoping that my creepy reply will scare her off.

On the contrary, her smile widened and her blue eyes twinkled with interest. "Wicked," she whispered in awe. "You know what. I like you."

I groaned. This was going the opposite way I had intended to. I stole a quick look at Kara. She was leaning back against the posh upholstered chair fiddling with her phone.

Suppressing my irritation, I turned towards the girl and said, "Look, you really shouldn't talk to strangers like that. You could get kidnapped or killed."

"Are you a killer?" the girl asked.

I was taken aback. "N-no. I'm not," I stuttered. My eyes flitted across the street unknowingly.

Not yet.

The smile returned and she shifted in her seat. "Mommy said there are no real bad guys out there. Just ones who lost their way."

That hit me right in the guts. Seeing how a little girl spoke wiser words than myself made me into a bitter person. The righteous tone tinted with sympathy made her into a giant looking down on a slug like me.

Shame, inferiority, jealousy and other nameless emotions forced myself to look into the mirror of truth. The image of a foolish young hatchling struggling to soar with its broken, lame wings staring back at me.

I slammed the thick book on the table and said bitterly, "Go bother someone else. I don't have the time for you."

The girl pouted and whined, " But there's no one else here but you. Aunt Megan will only be back in an hour. She's off to see her boyfriend." Her nose scrunched up in distaste.

Groaning, I passed her the book I was pretending to read. "Here, read this."

She took a look at the title and curled her lips. "I'm ten. This is way above my grade."

She pushed the book back to me and I saw the title for the first time. Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum.

What the heck?

"Sorry, I'll go-shit!" I shot out of my seat in alarm. The once occupied table across the street was empty. My eyes scanned every tables frantically, singling out every yellow coat and saw the familiar red umbrella blooming under the red and white striped canopy.

Immediately, I grabbed the phone and snagged the parka off the rack, not caring when it tumbled and hit the floor.

As I dashed out of the store, I heard the little girl calling out after me. "Goodbye, stranger!"

I ran across the road while trying to slip my arms through the sleeves of the parka. Inadvertently, I earned a series of angry honking and gruff swearings from the drivers and the people on the streets as I bumped into them unapologetically to follow the red umbrella.

My hurried strides turned into a slow run when the target rounded a corner and disappeared. The rain became more intense and I was soaked through by the time I turned into the same corner that led to a lonely path.

The crimson was stark against the grey surrounding like a bull's-eye, goading me to take aim and shoot. Careful with my steps, I pulled the hoodie over my head and furtively scanned around me. We were deviating from the usual path and cutting through the town with a lesser known shortcut.

There were absolutely no one else. The adrenaline spiked in my bloodstream and I was getting jumpy. Flashes of white zapped through the sky accompanied by rumbling thunders. I realized that this was the perfect cover-up.

It's now or never.

I spotted an old baseball bat lying in the drain. Without breaking my stride, I picked it up and tested the weight. The bat was heavier from the accumulated moisture from the drain and the slim crack that ran along the barrel.

Holding the bat, I spun around on my feet to check for any unwanted presence and strode faster towards my oblivious victim when there was none. Closing one of my eyes, I cocked my head and gave the bat a test swing. The wooden barrel cut through the cold air with a satisfying swoosh.

The owner of the red umbrella sped up her pace when the rain started pouring in buckets. Not wanting to lose my momentum I followed her closely as I pulled the hood lower to cover my eyes.

My senses were heightened tenfold. The wind was blowing harsher, the lightning brighter and the thunder clapped louder. Everything was building for the crest of a climax, waiting for me to drop the beat and I don't intend to disappoint.

Puddles of water splashed noisily under her boots as she made way to the end of the clearing where a dark alley takes you through a tunnel to the hippest place in town. A new mall had just opened up two months ago, garnering interest and patronage from all ages.

Since it was almost noon, no doubt the place would be buzzing with activities and people seeking for entertainment. And that would be the safest place for her. Unfortunately. I swore under my breath, knowing I would miss my chance if I don't hurry the fuck up.

Quick! Before she rounds the corner, the devil urged. Long strides broke into a sprint as my feet carried me closer to her. Cold air rushed through my windpipe and into my lungs, steeling my blood for the impact.

I twisted my body, fingers gripping tightly onto the handle. The distance between us was shortened in a few quick steps. I raised the bat high above her head, making sure it was within the curve of my swing.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and swung.

✈

Author's note

Hey guys, I am terribly sorry for taking such a long time to update. I hope this longer chapter is enough to compensate for your time. Happy reading!

{Song: Sociopath by Lucas King}