12 Lapse

Only if I wasn't being batty and paranoid, I might've assembled the juncture the moment he claimed that there was a possibility of the postal carrier mixing up our addresses; but the address written on the parchment ushered straight to the door of my vicinity- my alluring house. Was he paying a visit to a complete stranger, purposeless? Or was it to evoke suspicion within me?

Oh my God! Another dreading possibility winged its way in me. What if he was a burglar; or worse, a pickpocket? I immediately ran a check through my pockets. Nothing; but, a distorted tissue piece I had once harnessed to elude the unkempt smear on my chin.

Hold on a second... I was diverting myself. I still hadn't spotted-

Keys!?

Bloody swindler! He wasn't there for performing the acts of pure goodwill; dodgy rascal probably found my mail lying bare, open to all eyes and concluded his malicious scheme. What the heck?

I'm going to rip his throat. I perked up, and hastily ran into the direction of the beast who stole my keys. But a rattling sound made me halt immediately. The parchment I still held on too had disclosed the stupefying sound. I immediately inquired the box, and found my keys.

...

A sheepish grin escaped my mouth as I retraced my steps to the house. I suspected a guilt-less man due to thriving paranoia. But still- how did he get my mail? Does he live nearby? If he does, I wish to present my gratification. But something still made my stomach squirm. His stares, the school's rising suspicions if I didn't appear, Jamie's death... it was all too much.

I lived in a small, compacted community; thinking less people will cause dainty obstacles, and less of a sophisticated life, and now I feel compunction; a horrifying repentance of my faith. I have scarpered and quibbled from many compelling reasons time and time before, so I could say that this induced me to repent on my judgements again.

"I should go." I thought. In the end, Jamie was a friend. Maybe notifying clues (if I had any) to the school or anyone supervising her case would be benefitting for the serenity of my fatigued soul, and perhaps something more transverse; uncovering the maniac behind her murder. Dangling my car keys around my index fingers, I made way to the car. I was going against my conventional self after a very long time, asking myself repeatedly; would facing myself lead to the path of happiness... or just unlocking a detestable persona of myself? From the feel of it, I knew at once that I'd have to experience it myself to know.

.

.

.

My eyes landed on the watch, tightly clinged to my hand. I nudged it continuously, but it wasn't giving me a break; It was clasping my hands so tightly; it felt as it was trying to stop the flow of blood from reaching my hands.

At approximately 9:32 am, I arrived on the campus. Cold blustering winds were blowing. I blew on my hands and rubbed them against my jeans, but it still couldn't cease the cold from my hands. Maybe it wasn't the cold which bothered me... maybe it was the squinting pupils which watched from afar. I noticed my principal standing stiffly beside two murky looking men. They both were tall, and tough looking. Those people I recognized were the reason I was invited to the institution. Their badges twinkled from afar; they were more polished and more welcoming. More revealing on whom they were.