October 2nd 1997

"Fuckin' hell!"

"Watch your language, Angus," his mother scolded. The man sighed at the advice and threw himself carelessly on the couch.

"What comes out of my mouth doesn't matter, Mum. I'll spit fuckin' fire if I want."

"It certainly doesn't help none, does it now?" She threw a glare at him. Her arms drew themselves around my shaking frame. Thoughts turned in my mind like the wheel in the sky. None of them formed in a way that made sense, and I couldn't express them anyway. All ability to speak had run away without a glance. The ability to see had been obstructed by the painful gloss steaming down my face.

She was dead. Just as she was on her way over he crept out of the shadows and killed her. Right as she was getting along better with her family and forming new relationships she was murdered. The phone was still swinging from the cord nearly two minutes after I had gotten the news. A dial tone rang out like a flat line. Might as well have been. The weight of the news brought me to my knees and Mrs. Young rushed over to catch me. I choked out what I could before succumbing to a numbing mute. Justice Sercoya was dead.

"Can't get rid of that piece of shit. First he wonks himself out with meth, tries to take a girl's innocence, now he takes her fuckin' life!"

"Angus! Please, you're stressin' her out!" Mrs. Young turned her head to me and brought the corner of her apron to my eyes. "My goodness girl, you're drownin'!"

"Like I ain't stressed out myself? I can't stand to see her this way! I'll bet that guy tryin' to do away with Hannah helped him."

"You think so?" Mrs. Young asked with sorry eyes. Angus sat up on the couch and gripped his hands together. A frown crossed his face before his eyes met mine, instantly replaced with melancholy. My breathing had sharpened to rapid hiccups and he winced.

"Hate to say it might be better if he did," he answered much more quietly. "Couldn't think of two separate groups makin' their way over here."

"You told the police?"

"Last month. Obviously hasn't helped." Mrs. Young sighed and stood up.

"Her family must be crushed. A young lass like that just- taken away..." A fresh set of tears came pouring at her words. She excused herself to clean something. Her own little silent distraction. Angus took her place by my side and wrapped his arms around me.

"Shhh... you're okay. We'll find him, you're okay," he whispered. I barely heard him. That voice on the other end of the phone was still playing in my mind. That voice wasn't the police or the grieving of her family. No, that broken, manic voice was none other than the killer himself, who changed my life with just six words.

love,

Mike