FORTY-EIGHT

I looked at the message in shock as Mr Hanson told me this wasn't the first one.

"Well then, why haven't you told anyone yet?!"

"The superiors didn't want to spark a panic, the reason I told you the true story was that I trusted you."

"May I examine the crime scene with you?"

He nodded.

The small swat team around the corpse looked at me as Mr Hanson said I had his permission.

I looked at the body, the fingers of the young woman were missing, so as the thighs and lower legs, but the feet and every other body part were in surprisingly good shape.

I had to leave, to find out more.

I asked the chief if I could see the files on the other cases and he obviously didn't want to allow me, even Mr Hanson had his doubts.

I had no other choice, I reminded him of how my brother was murdered instead of me and how I bore the guilt everyday, how this was something which had become personal.

Mr Hanson agreed and made the chief show me the other eleven cases.

I looked at each of the bodies, each of them were missing a particular group of body parts in relation to another body.

The eyes and nose, the ears and tongue, the arms and toes, the most recent fingers and legs, were just a few.

Examining all of the case files in order, I realized a pattern, the dates of birth of all the victims were within the number twenty...

The first was on the twentieth of June, the second on the eighteenth of October, then the first of February, the fourteenth of December, and others, not more than the second decile.

Corresponding each number with its representative letter in the English alphabet, I got the word... Transcendent...

The police chief thought it was a coincidence, till I showed him the photos I had taken then he looked at me in shock, the only letters missing, were ' n ' and ' t '...and Roderick was born on the fourteenth of July...

A little later, Roderick was working on a new song when there was a knock on his door.

He opened it and saw three huge men staring back at him, one saying he needed to come with them...

At that moment, I ran and drop kicked one of them into another, then blocked the fist the third threw at me and double palm stroke him in the chest and back kicked the two behind, who were getting back up.

Roderick yelled to know what was going on and I grabbed him by the collar then said,"Roderick, you have to believe me, your life is in danger, I don't know what but something shady is going on in campus and I think you're the next target."

"What is going on?!"He yelled.

Before I could speak, the dorm master arrived and asked what I was doing, after I told him, he said those were actually his own men, whom he sent to protect Roderick, knowing he was a potential candidate for the assassination happening around.

I asked him why he didn't tell the police force of his findings and he said he had...they just allowed me to talk all I wanted, which was much of a bummer.

At that moment, a group of students ran into the woods for a blind kissing dare, a girl closed her eyes to kiss the closest guy to her when she heard chanting all around.

It began subtly, but increased in intensity.

The seven of them looked around as people with torches, in animal skins, began circling them.

They tried to run, but there was a bang as one of the boys dropped to the floor.

They began to scream as they snatched the girl and disappeared as suddenly as they arrived, and going to the boy who was shot, he had no pulse...

***

Lucy made sure to visit Luis almost every single day and brought Lucille as frequently as she could.

Lucille also brought her several handmade crafts which Luis actually couldn't get enough of.

He sat opposite her once then she smiled and said,"Luis, I miss you."

"Hey, I thought we agreed to wait."He said with a chuckle.

"I know, I know, but we never said it would be easy."

"Mommy, can I show him my present now?"

"Of course honey."

Lucille brought out a brightly coloured cardboard envelope and passed it beneath the barrier to Luis.

He took it out and opened it, then looked at her, surprised, it was of two parts, the first being a couple of pictures between Lucy and himself he had no idea she had taken and the second being a song too well written to be by that thirteen year old alone.

Despite this, he said he loved it and would never lose it, then saw Lucy seemed uneasy.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"He asked.

"...Luis, I know we agreed on not having anymore kids but... I'm pregnant."

"W...what?"

"I just found out a few days ago but didn't want to bother you since you were in jail, Luis I'm so..."

"Shhh, Lucy, I told you not to beat yourself up because of me and nothing and I repeat, nothing on earth that I could say could describe how happy I feel right now."

"But you said..."

"...that I wanted to marry you, and as such, I should think about your own happiness above my own, and knowing that you love children and that you would love to have this child, that makes me happy."

Lucy smiled as the bell rang, for the ending of the visiting hours.

Luis said it was time for him to go, then stood up.

Lucille called for him then he said,"Goodbye sweet pea, I'd love to hear you sing that song."

Lucille's face brightened up as she hugged her mother, then they left.

Luis, after going about his daily duties, had his sleep interrupted.

This was a life threatening mistake on the account of the warden, but trying to start a clean slate, he let it slide.

He stood up as his name was mentioned for a special visitor...at that hour, of course they didn't want Lucy to know.

He could swear that if it was Danielle then...who the heck was that?