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(!Disturbing themes!)

BANG!

The bullet only brushed against Melody's upper arm slightly, but the shock stopped her whole body from moving even an inch. It was just a graze, but Melody was scared. She was never in control. Even thou she tried to convince herself that it will be fine, from the moment Jack murdered someone in front of her, she knew she had to face reality someday. It was foolish to think that she could control a serial killer who didn't show any sort of weakness or opening towards her. She was able to convince him to help, but idealistically speaking she was just dependent of him. She felt useless and afraid at the same time.

- You do not know me. Heck I don't even know myself, so how could you do what I have been trying to do for my whole life? I asked if you know what I did before our little alliance. I am a serial killer. But not just any plain murderer who kills out of hatred or the heat of the moment, not any boring reason like that...

When I was eight years old, my parents died in a car accident. I was an orphan, left alone in this cruel world. I was taken in by a man who said he saw potential. I wasn't the only one, he took a lot of us in with him. He paid much money so the staff would keep his identity secret and not ask any questions about us.

We arrived at a big villa, where we began training. All of us trained there for three years, we learned how to use different weapons, and we were trained to become experts at solving problems, manipulating people and every other aspect you could imagine. After three years we were brought into a room underground, scientists and people dressed in military uniforms, as well as politicians and other people from high society were looking at us through a window. It was our final exam. But as you can imagine, our final exam was not just a test on paper you would take at a normal school. We were told to murder each other. That was our task. We were trained to become killers. We should assassinate politicians and other people in positions with power and follow orders by whoever payed the most. But killing each other... We were like a family. All of us grew up together, none of us were ready to kill our brothers and sisters. We stood there in silence.

Mary was the first one. She wasn't killed by any of us. She just took her gun and shot herself. She just turned 10 days before that... That was the moment when we realized how fucked up our existence was. Our lives would be hell even if we survived this, so suicide was an actual way out of this. Some of us took that opportunity, following our little sister and the blood pool on the floor grew bigger as time passed... The eldest of us were the first to start the massacre, going after the younger children. It was a horrible scene, some teenagers around sixteen to seventeen years old murdering kids, some not older than eight. They stabbed them with knives or shot them with their guns. Some even used their own hands and snapped their necks. All of them were crying and apologizing. The ones of us who were just watching began to puke with tears in their eyes. After a while this massacre stopped with each of the elder ones having blood on their clothes and the corpses of the children lying on the cold floor. They were expecting to graduate, now that each one of them had killed one person, but they misunderstood. They wanted all of us to turn against each other. Having the blood of one of our siblings on their hands wasn't enough. The ones that were spared to this moment started to beg for mercy crying desperately hoping this would all just end. Others began to follow the example of the elder and beginning to shoot each other.

This is my most horrible memory. Not because of my family brutally killing each other. But because I was just standing there, not feeling anything. I was always like this. Not having emotions, but I thought maybe I had feelings towards my brothers and sisters. But I was wrong. I looked up and through the window where we were observed and our future, if we were to survive, was decided.

Then a knife nearly hit me. I was able to jump away, but I was bleeding. It hit me right here, over my left eyebrow, leaving behind this scar. I started to shoot. I hit the girl that was trying to kill me. Her name was Sophie. I shot right through her head. She died immediately. And I was beginning to hate myself. I had never felt real emotions, but when I murdered someone this close to me, I felt pure hate toward myself. I was beginning to smile. I had felt emotions. Something I always wanted to do, and I archived it. I was feeling something. And I just began hating myself more. I was happy for feeling emotions, but I murdered my sister. It was a downwards spiral, but I began to shoot. Each one of my shots was a direct hit. That day I murdered twelve of my siblings. Only five of us were standing in the end, each one of us bathed in blood. To survive this massacre we needed to use the corpses of our family as cover, and do horrible things that... But we survived. Each of us survived.

I was sold to someone who used me as an assassin and made money with me murdering people. I became famous in the underworld, but I needed to live a normal life. That was a high priority of my buyer. So he put me into one of the best schools of the world, telling me to life a normal life, while trying not to stand out. I guess he became something like a father to me...

Melody was still standing on the same spot, crying while listening to Jacks story. She completely forgot about her bleeding arm, she was just overwhelmed with emotions.

- Why...?

- Am I telling you this? Well I wanted to make one thing clear. You will never know me. And you should stop trying to put me into a good position for yourself. I don't know why you do it, maybe because you want peace for your mind, telling yourself you didn't make a deal with a monster, but just a misunderstood person. Just stop. When this thing is over you will never hear or meet me again. Because if you and I should meet again, then it will be to take your life. I hope you understand that.

Melody had sunk to the floor, still crying facing toward the ground. Jack didn't wait for a response from her, but just continued.

- But this isn't the only reason I told you this. The person who "adopted" me, has a lot of influence. When you asked me out, you mentioned how incompetent the police seemed to be for not finding out who the real murderer was. I mean they didn't even know it was the same person responsible for all those murders. But each of them was killed in a similar way. So how come they didn't notice? It's because they did notice. But they were bribed. My, let's say 'boss' has a lot of influence, not only in the underworld, but also politically and of course in the police. It's just a hunch but what if they do the same with those murders as they did with the other ones... My plan was to kill the corrupt people from Harm Inc. who deserved death because of their actions. With three higher ups from the same company dead and one of them even having a message, the police must investigate Harm incorporated. But what if the police will get bribed by Harm?

Melody was finally looking up. Her eyes were still teary, but she looked at Jack, who had meanwhile started to mess with the papers on the table again.

- What do you mean? All of this was wasted? We killed three men for nothing?

- I killed three men. Stop trying to get involved. And from what you told me, they deserved death. Also I was just saying there is a possibility. Nothing about this is for certain.

He began drawing and writing stuff on one of the blueprints.

- However, there is a chance, and for that exact reason I am making a back-up plan. So please don't bother me, I need to work. Oh and by the way, the first aid kit is in this drawer, don't worry it's just a graze.

He pointed toward the kitchen and Melody realized that she was still bleeding. She was focused on Jacks story and was flooded with emotions while hearing him talk about such painful and horrible things, that she totally forgot about the pain she was feeling in her upper arm.

- Oh, yes... thank you...

This was the real Jack Dream. Of course she knew she was delusional. But she needed someone to hold on. Jack was her only anchor saving her from despair. She needed him, but wasn't aware that he had his own problems. She was abusing him for her own needs, while in reality Jack was definitely the wrong person for this. It was a messed up relationship that could explode any second, Melody realized that now. But now, she was just more determined to make this work, because if this didn't work, what would that mean for her?