THE ACCIDENT

The figure moved silently, rooftop to rooftop, easily skipping across the small gaps between buildings as they moved under the cover of darkness. His medium length black hair stood straight atop his head and waved slightly in the breeze. His black combat boots gently thudded across each flat rooftop, a desperation to the movements as he started jogging now. The rubber black suit they wore helped prevent the cold, but another part of their look was a large, thick black coat, the top around the neck and bottom completed with white fur. His breathing was slow, even as he ran in the chill of the night, being filtered by a gasmask that was fitted across the bottom of their face. It would be enough to scare most people senseless, but that was why he travelled by night. Less chance of him being spotted when he can stick to the shadows.

The buildings were slowly becoming single storied, making the roofs closer to the ground and easier for the man to approach his target. He knew that some kind of event was happening where a rich billionaire author and his friends were attending. Finally, a chance to strike where it would damage society. A beloved author murdered one night at a dinner event. The perfect situation, the perfect crime. His fur topped boots were more suited for rough terrain and snow, not night adventures and rooftops. He would replace them if they were to be ruined, although he doubted they would be ruined tonight precisely. He had his escape planned as well, but it was only a last resort. There would likely be no need for an escape so public, but it was for only if he were spotted. And he never was.

Quietly, he came to a slow stop and crouched at the edge of the roof, his eyes dark in the cover of night as he gazed at the restaurant in front of him, its red neon lights blazing the name where he would take his next victim: TRINITY

***

They turned up at the same time, the entire Family, all twelve of them. They decided to leave Cookie at home, although Jacob had practically begged and begged for Cookie to come along. He seemed to like the dog more than the rest of them combined, which Leila found difficult to believe. She was dressed in a simple white shirt and leans, looking out of place compared to Darcy's vest shirt or Rachael's black leather jacket that seemed to make her ten times badass than she already was. Mikayla was dressed in short black shorts and a yellow top with a spiked belt looped through the loops of her shorts. The rest just wore plain clothing like Leila, considering they were just here to keep Danny company at his little sister's birthday party. Danny was already waiting at the door for them, a goofy grin upon his face as he welcomed each of them inside before hurrying them over to the large booth for the Family.

"So, who else is invited to Ellie's birthday party?" asked Nicola as she sat across from Danny, and Danny shrugged. "She made all this fuss but only invited one friend," he said with a small frown on his face, and the others shrugged. "She may be your little sister but she's fifteen. Sometimes, teenagers only need one friend to make it the best night of their life," Sienna said slowly, as though carefully choosing her words to avoid stepping on a nerve. Again, Danny shrugged, and he leant back in his seat, gazing at each of them in turn. "So, what have you all been up to?" he asked, and Mikayla sat forward a little as she spoke. "Nothing much, chilling around the house, getting used to each other's vibes still. We've only all lived together about two years and I still can't believe we do."

Danny chuckled when Mikayla finished and slowly nodded, as though hanging onto her words interestedly. "Don't you guys ever get sick of each other's company?" Danny asked, his eyes glinting slightly in the light as though he were finding a general fascination about their home lives. Darcy shrugged to Danny's question, "Only when someone does something we've specifically told them not to," he answered, his eyes flicking to Jacob as he spoke. "Hey, I didn't know the buffalo wings were that spicy!" Jacob exclaimed, and Darcy sighed. "You're allergic to buffalo wings, idiot." Jacob shrugged as the others laughed, a blush of embarrassment lightening his cheeks as he replied, "They tasted good, anyway." Danny chuckled, and then returned his attention to the group interestedly, as though he were trying to pry information from them. "I need to go to the bathroom," Danny murmured slowly as he rose from his place in the booth and stepped out, stretching a little before turning to the person closest to him. Leila.

"Ellie and her friend are messing in the ally out the back. Said it was quieter back there so they could joke around and play music to each other. Can you go check on them?" Danny asked, and Leila nodded, rising from her place and stepping toward the back exit to the restaurant, where she already could hear the dull murmur of music and two loud, chattering voices. Danny walked off in the direction of the bathroom, and Leila stepped toward the door, her fingers closing onto the doorknob before slowly opening it. The air outside was cold and stale, making her shiver as her eyes refocused in the darkness. She let the door shut behind her, its snap as it closed feeling somehow unnatural and, just, wrong. Two teenage girls were in the ally, giggling with one another. Leila shrugged, knowing her job was complete, and turned back toward the door. It was locked.

She rattled on the doorhandle, but nothing happened. "Must be stuck," she muttered as she turned back toward where Ellie and her friend were. They were no longer laughing. They were sprawled onto the floor, eyes wide and glassy as blood gushed from both their slit throats. Leila screamed and backed up against the door, her heart beating against what felt like her throat as a figure slowly emerged from the shadows. They wore a black coat with white fur covering the top and bottom, his black hair waving in the wind and his breaths coming out in short gasps through the gasmask. A knife was held in their right hand like an afterthought, blood dripping from the tip steadily as the figure drew closer, his cold brown eyes taking her in. Leila desperately tried to open the door, but it was still locked.

She turned and banged on it furiously, praying someone might hear her against the loud chatter inside. The footsteps behind her were almost invisible, although she could still hear the quiet shuffle of his feet as he neared. Banging came from the other side of the door, along with what sounded like desperate shouting. Leila was sobbing as she slammed her shoulder against the door, the tears dripping down her face like a waterfall as a soft but firm hand grabbed her shoulder, and then the blade of something sharp and cold was at her back, slicing through her heart and appearing out the front of her chest. Leila's breaths were fast and desperate, but she could not scream. As much as she tried, her voice seemed to die in her throat as she struggled, a hand covering her mouth. Her vision was going dark, and she looked up, finding the cold eyes staring back, something like wonder hidden beneath them as her legs buckled.

***

Rachael and Jacob had heard the screams. Everyone else was busy lost in their conversations, but they both heard it. So now they were at the backdoor, banging their shoulders against it as desperately as they heard the banging on the other side. Then, the banging from the ally stopped completely. "Stand back!" Rachael shouted, and Jacob moved aside as she leant back on her left foot and struck her right foot against the door. It gave slightly, but not by much. "Do it again!" Jacob shouted, and Rachael did, striking the door as hard as she could with her foot. It nudged, and Rachael went again. The door sprang open, the lock smashed, and the door to the ally slowly sprang open. Jacob shouted something and ran forward to the body in the doorway, slumped over. Their eyes were wide, terror lingering in them as Jacob grabbed Leila's shoulders, sobbing.

Rachael staggered back and leaned against the door, the urge to vomit building inside her stomach like a storm. She looked up, taking deep breaths, and she looked up. She saw it. The figure retreating into the darkness of the shadows, his cold eyes surveying the grief she and Jacob were feeling as he slipped away. "Stay here. Get the others. Now," Rachael whispered as Jacob looked up, tears flowing from his eyes. "W-what?" he murmured, but it was too late. She was sprinting away into the darkness, after the man. Running footsteps came from ahead, and she saw the dark shape turn down another ally, most likely leading back to the front of the restaurant. She sprinted faster, her legs pounding against the concrete as she ran, and she saw the white fur of the coat stopped atop something in the parking lot. A motorbike.

The engine revved, and the figure looked over his shoulder, the cold eyes finding Rachael. For a moment, everything stopped. The two held one another's gaze intently, both staring as though nothing else in the world mattered other than making eye contact. The engine revved again, and the figure sped out onto the dark road. Rachael was not done yet. She raced over to her motorbike and swung her legs over it, settling down into the seat, slamming the keys into the ignition and revving the engine to warm it up. "Where the hell do you think you're going!" Chloe shouted as she ran out the restaurant to Rachael, terror in her eyes. "The murderous son of a bitch who killed Leila," Rachael whispered, and before Chloe could say anymore, she took off, the engine roaring with the force of a dragon as she sped down the road, tucked tightly against the roaring machine.

The headlights of other cars streaked past, but Rachael only paid attention to the vehicle several cars ahead, the red taillight almost burned into her eyelids as she twisted her hand upon the acceleration, the engine giving another screech as the motorbike spot forth like a bullet. She weaved between the cars, her hair flapping against the wind behind her as she sped up. Ahead, the man looked over his shoulder, his eyes spotting Rachael with a venomous fury. His speed increased as he dove out onto a side road, carefully avoiding the large trashcans before picking up speed again. Rachael raced through them carelessly, knowing she could fix the marks on the bike afterwards as she desperately tried to catch up, feeling the wind whipping her face as she raced forward. They dove out onto the main road, and the man drifted around the corner.

Rachael drifted around the corner, only to find the man had stopped and was in the middle of the road. She swerved to avoid him in a sudden panic, and the bike toppled over. She rolled along the concrete, feeling it bruising and scratching her skin as she came to a slow stop, the motorbike skidding to a halt next to her. She felt weak, her body fatigued as she coughed, blood dripping from her mouth as she raised her head slightly. The man stared at her from where he sat on his motorbike, man revved the engine, turned, and sped off down the street, disappearing down another road and out of sight. She had lost him. She panted, and went to get to her feet, but a wave of nausea hit her, and she fell back down.

She was on her hands and knees, gasping for air, and then she threw up whatever she had eaten as a starter. She was trying to breathe, and then threw up again, although her stomach was empty, clenching and churning over nothing. She fell to the side, beside the puddle of her own sick, just wishing she could lay down and sleep. She was too exhausted to do anything else. Red and blue flashing lights appeared, glancing off the surrounding buildings as footsteps approached. "Mark, call an ambulance!" a woman's voice shouted, and a police officer appeared in her line of sight, a worried expression on her face. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" she whispered, crouching down beside Rachael and gripping her hand comfortingly. Rachael was too tired to even move, and the woman seemed to sense that. "Sweetie, can you tell me what your name is?"

Rachael was struggling to even think, the surrounding lights too bright and the noises too loud, ringing off the inside of her head. She tried to remember her own name but could barely even remember where she was. So, she said the first name that came to her head. "L-Leila," she murmured, and then the blackness consumed her vision.