Chapter 12

5 DAYS LATER

The curtain raised as the cold breeze ruffled its edges; Vivian slightly shivered and cuddled into her lover seeking warmth. Her eyes fluttered open as the cold was becoming unbearable although the heat emitting from her lover.

She untangled herself and stood up, her cold feet slid into her bunny slippers as she walked towards the window left open.

As she held the panes to close, she noticed a figure standing opposite the house, still and unmoving. She felt like she was being watched as it felt like it stared back at her.

She quickly closed the window and heaved a sigh to stabilize the rising fear. Arms wrapped around her torso, she squeaked and turned around only to gaze into the eyes of her lover, Jack's father. She placed her head on his chest.

"Don't scare me like that" she hit his chest lightly. The deep chuckle that emanated from his throat resonated in her ears; his voice was like a drug she was already addicted to. She hugged him back as they swayed in each other's arms.

"Why are you out of bed?" he asked her whilst hugging her tight like she would abscond if he let her.

"It was getting too cold, so I had to close the windows" her voice was muffled against his broad chest; she inhaled his scent basking in his scent of masculinity.

"That's strange; I remember shutting it before we went to bed". Vivian glanced up at him, he had his thinking face on; lips drawn into a straight line, and his eyes fixed on the window like he was trying to uncover the mystery behind the open window.

"Maybe the wind blew it open" Vivian shrugged as she untangled herself from his arms but still stood close.

"Maybe" he said as he drew her into a lust filled kissed, her hands got tangled in his hair as she deepened the kiss. She felt his smile as they kissed. The window flew open, Vivian jumped on him as she yelled.

He chuckled, "it was the wind after all". He dropped her on the bed as he went towards the window to lock it. As he closed the window he saw a figure step out of the shadows, the figure glanced at him and stopped walking.

"Babe are you okay?" he turned towards Vivian "huh? Oh yeah I'm fine". He looked at the spot where the figure was but it was gone.

"I'm going to get a glass of water" Vivian stood up from the bed, grabbed her phone from the bedside table and walked out of the room towards the kitchen.

She flick the light switch, power was out. She increased her phone's brightness and hovered her phone on the floor to illuminate her path.

She opened the fridge, stuck her hand in to grab a bottle of water placed behind the fruits. She closed the fridge, Jack stayed, poised leaning against the kitchen counter. Vivian turned and screamed on seeing Jack.

Jack's dad came running from his room; "Babe are you…" his voice got caught in his throat as he noticed Jack.

He rushed towards him to engulf him in a hug, as he wrapped his arms around Jack, Jack never hugged back, and he stood still like a mannequin.

His father slowly retracted his arms as he noticed his son's lack of emotions. He slowly took a step back when he noticed his brewing anger. Vivian stayed still frozen in time, the spilled water, long forgotten.

"You know, I saw the signs, the day you claimed you came over to see me, the day I found the conversation between you and my dad, you know, the date and time of the conversation showed the exact time you left Max's house when we planned to meet. I knew within me that there was something going on but in my wildest dreams I would never have pictured you sleeping with someone old enough to be your father and one of your best friend's dad for that matter" Jack was yelling at this point, spittle flying from his mouth.

His dad stepped in front of Vivian in a protective manner, "Jack you need to calm down, let's talk about this".

Jack snickered, "there's nothing to talk about Dad", and the way the title rolled out of his lips suggested pure mockery. "It's already done".

Jack brought a gun from his hoodie pockets and fired it at his dad's head. Blood splattered on Vivian's face, the only thing saving her from eminent death was her height factor.

She screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran out of the house. She dialed the police as she informed them of where she was heading to for safety, the church.

Running with her bunny slippers was becoming difficult, she quickly slipped out it and kept running.

She glanced behind her as her bare feet kept hitting the tarred road, Jack wasn't following her.

The crucifix plastered on the wall came into sight as she ran towards in; she pushed the wooden doors back and slammed it shut. The doors where always left open because the Reverend felt that the urge to talk to God could come at any time. She ran towards the altar hiding behind the pulpit.

She covered her mouths to stifle her cries. She heard the doors open and a squeak escaped her lips, tears rolled down her eyes as she prayed to God to save her.

"Don't you consider it ironic that you're about to die in church?" Jack's voice echoed through the empty church, his voice devoid of warmth and happiness.

He laughed, a maniacal laugh. His footsteps echoed in the empty church as he made slow movements as if tormenting Vivian.

The footsteps would get close to the pulpit and turn away.

She shut her eyes and clammed her two hands over her mouth as tears flowed freely.

The movement of his feet dragging against the floor stopped, Vivian tried to overcome the temptation of peeping to see the direction he had wandered into.

"Found you", his breath fanned against her left ear ejecting screams from her lips as she turned to run, she felt his arms around her as he held her tight.

He turned her around as her cries mixed with her screams reached a higher octave.

He punched her straight in her face knocking her out.

~A FEW MINUTES EARLIER~

Max's phone rang interrupting his conversation with Chris. He answered the phone and placed it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"I'm I speaking to Maxwell Thompson?"

"Yes, who I'm I speaking to?"

"It's Officer Hank, I'm calling to inform you that the person who sent the package to you was indeed Jack"

"What!? How's that possible? Max and Chris asked in Unison

"Well we are still trying to fix the puzzle pieces together but I'll like you to relate the information to Mr. Hogan, his dad, his line is not going through".

The line went dead, Max stared at the phone as his mouth gaped open. He looked up at Chris to see that he reflected the same befuddled look, as if they were communicating with their minds, they stood up and dashed towards Jack's house.

***

They opened the doors of Mr. Hogan, "Hello" they both called out "Mr. Hogan?", they walked slowly moving towards his room to inform him of the news when they noticed the crimson liquid pooling beside the counter.

They glanced at each other as they made their way into the kitchen pushing aside their rising fear.

"OH MY GOD" the words slipped out of Max's lips before he could comprehend the scene before him.

Jack's father was on the floor, lifeless, blood sipping out of his head. Chris felt acid rising to his throat; he quickly rushed to the sink to empty the contents of his stomach.

Max feared the worst. He quickly rushed to his room to check for Jack. As he opened the door, clothes strewn carelessly on the floor cuaght his attention.

His eyes squinted as he noticed Vivian's favourite sneakers on the floor,a shirt with artic monkeys, her favourite band.

His eyes widened as he fixed the puzzles pieces together.

He brought out his phone as he scrolled through the internet on ways to track a person.

Seconds later, they were running towards the church.

~~

Vivian felt something cold on her skin, the smell of petrol hit her nose but she couldn't open her eyes, her head was banging like they had used it for a parade on the Fourth of July.

The cold substance was drying too fast to be water.

The cold she felt turn to heat, heat over her body like she was on a beach basking in the summer sun but the sun was beside her.

Her eyes shut open as she felt the pains, she was being burned alive, she wriggled on the floor trying to quench the flame.

Jack stood over her pouring the gasoline he found in the vestry.

As the flames died, he struck another match and ignited the flames. Vivian's struggles became weak and dull.

"You should count yourself lucky that he chose you as his living sacrifice, he considered it symbolic to be burned at the altar, in front of the image of Christ you devotedly worship".

The doors flew open as Max and Chris rushed in.

Few minutes later, the police escorted Jack in handcuffs. The only question in their mind as Jack was thrown into the car was 'is Jack possessed?'.