It was barely dawn when Nathaniel decided to wake everyone. They had their breakfast in the diner for about thirty minutes, before the group found themselves on the road once again.

Sheldon remained calm throughout the night, up until they left the Inn, but his silence worried Nathaniel, it's as if the man was slowly regressing unto the Sheldon from before. The rapid movements of his eyes and the constant twitch and turn he did on his seat, only proved the old marine's theory.

As he drove, the inside of the car was on mute, Maximillian and Protacio were both asleep, while Sheldon kept his eyes on the side of the road.

Nathaniel debated whether talking to the man would help or only worsen the situation, but fearing Valerie's reaction to a zombie inspired Sheldon gave the marine the push he needed.

He cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on the stirring wheel, before he threw Sheldon a glance, then asked, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Sheldon did not reply, he instead pulled out a letter from his jacket and moved sideways-closer to the car's window. After he assured himself that Nathaniel couldn't see his face, he began to read.
***

Dear Maria,

How are you? Are you still alive my love? I'm sorry for asking such a thing, but a prisoner here was recently taken to the isolation chamber. He went into a fit of rage after receiving a letter from his cousin, stating that his wife had died.

I don't know this prisoner Maria. I have never spoken to him before. But the pain in his eyes was immeasurable. I watched how the guards dragged him out of the prison food court, trashing and screaming that his wife was dead and that he had nothing left to live for.

It made me think about the possibility. Are you still with the living my love? If you are, then I'm glad. If you aren't-can you see me?

Maria, it's the month of September. I'm in the library. The prisoners who are spending their days inside this space which I call paradise are getting fewer by the day. I guess the books do not appeal to them as they did to me and the previous prisoners here.

The prisoners who used to visit the library are long gone. They were released and are probably living a new life. Do I envy them, Maria? Sometimes I do, but I have nothing to come home to like the others.

I don't even have a home. I have no one to await my release. Most of all, I fear my freedom will once more, force me to your side.

It's not that I don't want to see you. I'm dying to see you. My only hesitation is the belief I have. I'm not good for you.

I can't be in the same place as you. You bring out the best and the worst in me. Here is where I belong. I'm doing this for you and me.

A separate peace.

A separate life.

I love you, but I can never be with you.

Hi, my love, it is the month of December. This month is always cold. I'm glad this prison provided us with a thick long-sleeved top. Yes, the warden catered to our needs. He always made sure that we were all comfortable. I often wonder, where does he get the money for all of these?

It's December 23, my love. I hope you have prepared everything for Christmas. I wish I can see what kind of decorations are hanging on your tree. Do you put up lights in your front yard? You know, like the ones you used to decorate your house back in Marreta.

I've been hesitating to talk about this, or ask you about it, but do you still like Christmas? I know this time of the year, might bring you sadness.

I made sure to greet you every Christmas because I fear-that one incident which happened on a Christmas eve-years ago, left you hating the holidays.

Do you remember what I'm talking about? It is that Christmas when your in-law wanted to introduce Valerie to a man. A man whom they wanted her to marry. They wanted to sell your daughter off, to gain a footing in that man's company.

Can you remember it now? Yes, my love, I'm talking about Albert. The man who almost took your daughter's innocence.

Do you want to know how he ended up inside that drum?

I have told you everything, I see no reason to hold back.

Allow me to tell you how it all began.

It was Christmas eve. Your in-law arrived around five in the afternoon. I saw how shocked you were when that Albert guy stepped out of your father-in-law's vehicle. Did you know Maria? Did you already have an idea why that man was there?

You probably did. The fear in your eyes was enough to make me believe it so.

That night, your dinner table was so grand. I wish I could have seen the totality of it, but perched on a tree with only a telescope in my hand was not enough to make me see everything from your windows.

I was lucky that you always kept your windows open. Maybe, that was heaven's way of showing, I still had their attention. It was probably God's way of consoling the minuscule shred of humanity, left inside of me.

I had no intention to keep watching over you that night. I knew being seen by a passing person, would result in something unpleasant-and that was me, having to stain my hands once again.

I was about to climb down when I heard you scream. I heard a lot of yelling and multiple sounds that seemed like furniture and cutlery thrown.

Then, I heard your pathetic husband scream, "Let this happen."

I wanted to run inside your house and see what was truly happening, but I hesitated. After a few minutes, I saw Valerie running out of your house, with you and your father-in-law trailing behind her.

I heard that old fart yell to Valerie, "You're as worthless as your mother."

At that moment, it was not only Albert who needed to die. I understood that perfectly.

Your in-laws needed to go. They had to disappear. Every last one of them, because they were the shroud that kept you in the dark.

On that cold December night Maria, I made a decision. I will make them all go away. All the reasons for your pain. I should have done that sooner.

I began with Albert.

On the eve of Dec 26, 1967, after my shift at the butcher shop. I came home with ten pieces of knives.

Following that day, I studied every move that man ever made. It was easy, he was at your house, to begin with. How dare they plan to marry your daughter at such a young age? They wanted her to become a child bride! It was against the law, wasn't it? Or was it not? I'm not sure. What do I know about the law? All that mattered to me was your safety. I have thrown the idea of waiting for you to beg for help. You will never do it. It was painted in your eyes love. Despite gaining a bit of courage, you still held back. That night, you sat inside your house, defeated-with a voice that was completely tamed. So, when that Albert guy went out for his evening jog, I waited for him in the shadows. It was stupid to run during the night. Yes, there were lights everywhere, but I knew, a vicious and selfish man like him will always be too confident to worry about his surroundings. That was his biggest mistake.

When he reached the curve of Lesma Street, I pulled him towards the bushes. I stabbed his throat with a knife. He was so pathetic Maria, he was nothing, but a scum. A man who was willing to take a young child as his bride. He was a monster, a monster worst than myself.

After multiple stabs on his body, that man died. He wasn't even allowed to let out a cry. I made sure of that. I carried his body towards the glass lake. You do remember glass lake right? It was a few meters from Lesma Street. I shoved him inside a drum and pushed it towards that body of water. I thought the current that night was enough to drive the drum further from Marreta, but I was wrong. That was probably the first failed calculation I ever made.

Did it make you happy when the police found his body inside that drum? Because I saw you smile. I saw relief in your face, it was probably in a split of a second, but you looked peaceful.

Merry Christmas Maria! I hope you're celebrating with your kids.

Love Forever

Your Silent Knight.