Since that day we did everything together, from watching movies, playing video games, doing homework, and creating the most outrageous pranks in class. We were quite mischievous back then it gave us indescribable joy. It was a surreal feeling … I soon realized that I did not simply have a friend but a sister who supported me at every turn…
16:30 PM, Kempton Park, An Open Park located in a very obscure neighborhood
“So, our final exams are around the corner, any thought of what you want to do after high school?”, a young lass sat atop a swing, rocking back and forth, smiling with joy. “I don’t know yet, maybe go overseas? “, another female voice harboring distress set the atmosphere into slight depression.
“You always overthink the overthinking, huh?”, the lass chuckled in amusement.
“Do you always have to remind me, Julia?”, she muttered under her breath with a sigh. “Yes. Yes, I must … “, the lass identified was Julia, uttering with indifference. Soon, silence ensued from both girls as they took a moment to appreciate the scenery before them.
The spherical glowing orb situated itself in the unblemished azure skies scintillating in its brilliance yet unobservable through naked perceptive abilities. Its luminescence lit up the earth to cast aside any shadows that lurked amongst the silhouettes. A gentle breeze sought to remedy the ultraviolet rays permeating unto the world and the abundant green vicissitudes of nature danced to the swirls of the audible breeze ensuing an atmosphere of tranquility. Such a serene and mundane scenery could not be tainted by mere man as its very craft was brought to fruition by the hand of God. The duo was mesmerized almost instantaneously as such a scene in their neighborhoods could only be considered a luxury but such thoughts were never once made conscious.
A vivid description of the utopian expressed gave both their lives meaning, something to look forward and believe that their dreams weren’t mere dreams, but could be reality exceeding their current reality. They both understood that they would have to be vastly different from others to obtain the same success or even attain something greater to ascend into a reality built by their dreams. One thing they both knew was that they wouldn’t walk this road alone but together.
“Hey, Julia, I think I’ve figured it out now ...”, Lauren smiled.
“And what’s that?”, Julia asked, intrigued by what her closest friend would say.
“I want to live for myself, you and Mom. Regardless of what path I will walk in the future, it should be one that can relieve all the burdens my Mom has carried over the years while at the same finding my inner happiness and finally living in peace without being judged,
discriminated, or prejudiced because of who I am. That is my only goal.”
“So, you don’t wish to be like those social media influencers online or those billionaires who own the world?”, Julia questioned.
“For what purpose do I have to lose those close to me for worldly pleasures?”, Lauren countered.
“Yeah, my opinion is the same”, Julia smiled widely. Her white teeth devoid of plague reflected even the sun’s rays which depicted her innocent and carefree personality that most would appreciate.
They both took refuge in this place enjoying this rare moment of tranquility as schoolmates, study buddies, best friends, and most importantly sisters.
Our bond was so deep even though we weren't blood-related. It surpassed even true sisterhood, something we were not even consciously aware of. Things of course could never be so perfect and we did get into fights and heated arguments from time to time but ironically that only made our bond stronger. I thought that if something were to ever befall onto her, I would probably never be able to live with myself. I found another hope in my life. Another person who meant sacrificing the world for their existence would be executed without hesitation.
But…. When things just began looking up for me,’ it’ happened.
17:00 PM, Kempton Park, ….
“Let’s get going, it’s getting late. We don’t your Mom to go bananas on your ass, right?”, Julia said in a condescending tone.
“Yeah …, we should be able to make it just in time”, responded Lauren.
The duo left the park in a hurry even running just so they could make it to the nearest bus stop. It was approximately 10 minutes away from their current location. The azure skies dissipated, and the blazing orb angrily voiced its goodbyes welcoming its more tranquil albeit smaller counterpart that took centerstage as nature’s once joyful attitude made a complete U-turn to unleash the hidden darkness that lurked within. Its darkness penetrated through every corner of the world and its cold indifference wet the backs of those that laid their eyes upon it. Julia and Lauren continued running…
“Let’s take the shortcut. I don’t think we will be able to make it in time if we take the normal route”, voiced Julia.
“I hate that shortcut…”, opinionated Lauren.
“We have no choice unless you want your Mom to beat you to death.”
“Fuck…!!”, swore Lauren in an irritated voice.
“Let’s go then ….”
The duo took a sharp left turn to run into a very eerie alleyway. Its silence seemingly infected Julia and Lauren making both of them resonate with the atmosphere ensued here. They both did not stop running and in fact, started to accelerate even more but as such they were never conscious of their surroundings and held onto the idea of reaching their destination whilst being oblivious to environmental factors that may oppose them.
Soon a voice of pain echoed.
“Ahh!! My leg…”, Julia’s voice echoed in the alleyway sharply.
“What’s wrong?”, asked Lauren as she came to a complete halt.
“I think I tripped on something. It hurts a lot ya know.”, Julia’s facial expression crumpled in various ways reflecting the pain that permeated her being.
“Let me check it out ….”, Lauren walked towards Julia with concern and kneeled before her injured leg to see a subtle shade of red visible on her right ankle.
“Seems you twisted your ankle and accidentally sprained it. It seems quite severe as well. You might need to check it out when we get home”, she said.
Julia stood up but to her disappointment she could not plant her right leg firmly on the ground as the pain came back to haunt her with each attempt so she decided to limp on her left leg and leaned on her best friend for stability. Lauren lent her a helping hand as she stood up on her feet then slowly moved towards the exit of the alleyway with her best friend in tow.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”, spontaneously, a devilish cackle overwhelmed the silence dousing it in complete and utter hostility. The atmosphere grew tense and the duo were immediately alerted to the evil within the shadows.
“Hehe…. fresh meat”, a deep, revolting voice took root after the hideous laughter expressing its disdain for the two young girls.
Lauren and Julia turned to the voices, their eyes swiftly attempting to locate the silhouettes of the opposers. They frowned in rising trepidation and slowly retreated to the exit whilst keeping their guard up.
“Ohhh….. scared already. I quite like your fear.”, the revolting voice was made apparent once more.
“Who…. What… what do …you people want?”, Lauren’s speech hitched between distinct intervals indicating the fear that overwhelmed her conscious mind.
“What do we want?”, the devilish cackle resounded with a touch of ridicule in its voice.
“WE WANT YOU!!!”, both men said simultaneously creating a petrifying effect on the two young ladies leaving them quaking in terror.
A subtle illumination lit up the abysmal alleyway making the figures in question evident and now perceivable. One could only look up and understand that the moon had awoken to bring the evil within the darkness into the light. The man who beckoned evil laughter was attired in ragged, dirty, torn blue trousers and a plain white T-shirt accentuating his rather slim figure, his pale white skin which ought to glisten unblemished was completely stained with disfiguring hideous marks that made one regurgitate by the mere sight of it. Blisters, acne, and puss that expelled a rather disgusting yellow fluid were made apparent on nearly every part of his body. His face had a long deep diagonal cicatrice ranging from his left eye to his right jaw. Scarlet coagulated blood remained vivid on the wound with shades of minuscule dark patches surrounding the wound’s entirety. No hair was made evident but his one functioning brown eye that resembled terror narrowed menacingly accompanied by a ridiculing smile revealing his dreadful fragmented yellow teeth depicting the image of an undead seeking to terrorize the living. Bare feet, he treads the terrain sitting at 6ft, and ‘terrifying’ only underwhelmed this individual…. He was simply a demon in human skin.
His counterpart was no better, he wore loose torn, dirty black jeans, accompanied by a tight-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt that revealed the below-average slim body he possessed, and casual unisex running shoes. It was obvious that he didn’t eat much or simply went out to spread misery around the world than to take care of his health. He had a slightly darker tone of skin than his counterpart albeit lighter and many grotesque cicatrices intertwined with terrifying tattoos blended in shades of red, black, and gold elevating his already mind-boggling image to something incomprehensible sparking a rather unique artistic perspective. No irises were made evident as an abysmal darkness beleaguered the entirety of his eyes. This was possible through a distinct tattooing technique to change the color of one’s eyes and it seemed this madman successfully conquered this endeavor. His inconspicuous face sought to conceal his depraved notions but his wide, contemptuous grin was all the two ladies needed to see to understand the evil that lurked within. He was but a ghoul risen from the nine layers of hell… A beast of cruelty was amongst us…
“JULIA, CMON!!!! FASTER!!! “, Lauren screamed in true terror.
“Ugh”, Panic ensued as both females ran towards the exit but immediately as they turned to run Julia accidently planted her injured foot onto the ground unconsciously and fell from Lauren’s grasp to hit the ground before scrambling back to her one foot.
“WE HAVE TO GO”, Lauren suddenly grasped hold of Julia and used her body to help her up as they tread forward towards the exit at a quicker pace.
“Hehe… Think you can run. I haven’t had my fun yet? “, a ridiculing chuckle echoed in the alleyway as the ‘undead’ man chased after the two girls with astonishing speed. It seemed he was being stimulated by a drug to maintain that sought of physical ability and soon after his counterpart followed behind him laughing in ecstasy.
“THEY ARE COMING. CMON JULIA!!!!. YOU NEED TO PERSERVE OR WE MIGHT….”, Lauren shouted once again using all her strength to help her friend out of the alleyway.
“I'M TRYING!! IM TRYING!!!”, tears dripped from the corner of her eyes as she persevered through the pain and ran with her friend.
“You can’t run from us”, stated one of them in a hoarse voice as they gained distance on the duo and were now only several meters away.
“NOOOOOOO. DON’T COME NEAR US”, Lauren and Julia screamed simultaneously and saw the exit as they both jumped out to land on the open road.
Cars sped past them in rapid succession as they lay flat on their stomachs on the open road. Sirens and horns of vehicles bombarded their auricles rousing them from their stupor. They looked at their new environment and saw a few vehicles completely stationary right in front of them as pedestrians looked at the duo with interest engaging in idle chatter. The two ladies stood up, relieved.
“We made…”, just as Lauren began to speak, a loud bang silenced her statement, halting the raging engines and silencing the cumulous chatter.
A loud thud followed …. Julia’s body lay on the ground, unmoving, unresponsive. Blood tainted the ground beneath her.
Lauren turned to look at her best friend, her sister, her eyes could only widen in shock and disbelief. This couldn’t be real, she thought. Tears already trickled down the corner of her scarlet eyes but remembered something so she turned her eyes to look at the man with those dark, indifferent eyes. Both of them smiled sadistically.
“Like I said, you can’t run from us. If we can’t have your bodies to play with then well… we can only send to your deaths. What we have set our sights on, no one can touch. Only we can touch and if we can’t have it then nobody can.”, the tattooed figure spoke in his revolting yet ridiculing voice. A cackle followed after sending the young lady into a pit of despair. She looked at the two figures in silence.
“So, we have determined you have no purpose to live”, the gun used to shoot Julia was aimed at Lauren’s forehead and a loud bang echoed once more…
In those few micro-seconds, before the gun was fired again, Lauren swung her head to the left to avoid being killed. The bullet grazed her left eye, and the heat, the centripetal force that enacted on the bullet affected her eye to a significant degree causing it to bleed profusely.
She blacked out as her body hit the ground with a loud thud next to Julia. She heard the sinister laughter of those two figures and her one functioning eye saw her best friend lying on the ground. She could do nothing about it …. She had no strength to check if she was okay… She had no strength to reach her and soon she went unconscious with a tear dripping down the corner of her eye.
‘Sorry, Julia. I couldn’t protect you. Please, forgive me.’
Nothing could’ve saved her. A bullet straight to her heart. She… died that day and every single day I think about how I could’ve done things differently. Perhaps we shouldn’t have taken that shortcut, perhaps we shouldn’t have gone to the park at all, perhaps...
It haunts me. Just imagining her face brings me so much misery and guilt. The only person in this world I called a friend, a sister, my family died because of one wrong choice. Even till today, I remember her …. Every day I wish she was beside me so we can go back to the days we laughed, smiled, cried, and played together. Now it is all memories of the past…
“She was shot in the heart; the bullet penetrated her Aortic Valve then exited through her Bicuspid Valve and finally lodged itself at her upper left shoulder. We tried everything to save her, but the excessive loss of blood and time to which she was attended to resulted in a pessimistic situation”, projected in sadness was the voice of the surgeon who operated on Julia for 2 hours attempting to save her life but unfortunately could not.\
In a hospital, heralded with cries of anguish were a man and woman who hugged each other seemingly trying to come to terms with their reality, one they wished never to have happened. Their dear daughter had unfortunately passed away and in the cruelest way possible, Murdered. They just could not understand how this had happened to their beautiful, caring, and benevolent little flower. Why, God? Why? A question that would always bewilder them.
“Your daughter suffered direct damage to her left eye leaving her blind in that eye but she survived although there was excessive loss of blood. She is a tenacious soul and her being alive right now could only be described as a miracle.”, the surgeon’s utterance was directed to a worrying mother with scarlet red eyes tainted with seared tears that rested on the corner of her eyes. It was Cheryl, Lauren’s Mother. At this moment, hearing this news relieved the weight that burdened her heart but she dared not express this feeling and only looked at the surgeon thankfully.
“Why? Why? Why does her daughter get to live but NOT MINE? WHY!?”, Julia’s mother’s voice was made apparent once more. It was one of anger, sadness, and pure grief. She shouted the same words repeatedly, getting louder with each successive interval. It was evident that she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, tears never sought to subside and only poured continuously while her husband attempted to comfort her under her unceasing remarks.
Cheryl could only look at the couple in agony. She knew that anything she could or wanted to say would only cause more chaos so she diverted her attention to look at the surgeon. The surgeon regrettably sighed towards the couple,” I will leave you both to find some closure. If you require anything please do not hesitate to ask. You shall be attended to.”
“Can I see her?”, Cheryl asked in a very soft voice, nearly inaudible to even herself. The surgeon heard her voice and nodded heavily.
Cheryl stood up from her seat and followed the surgeon acting completely oblivious to the couple as they walked down the hallway. It had to be known that Cheryl and Julia’s parents had been good friends, perhaps Cheryl’s only friends in this world but this accident may as well have severed this close friendship and she knew it but for all that, it was she held out hope, hope that at the very least no hatred would manifest between both families but rather peace would eclipse and help them all.
She walked down the hallway and made her way to her daughter’s bedroom. Her breathing grew hoarse with each step, her scarlet red eyes grew watery and an ocean of tears suddenly fell from her eyes. The surgeon remained quiet and finally came to a halt.
“She’s in there. A nurse will be attended to you should you require anything so please do not hesitate to ask for anything. All services will made available to you.”, the surgeon said and then proceeded to walk away leaving Cheryl alone.
She stood in front of the door, and took a deep breath before turning the doorknob and proceeding to enter, seeing her beautiful daughter in bandages especially the one that wrapped around her head to cover her injured eye was frightening. it made her heart stop momentarily as she could only look upon her with a multitude of emotions, sadness, relief, anger, anguish. She couldn’t understand how she felt but one thing she truly and well dearly felt was relief that her daughter was, in fact, alive That was all that mattered, she indeed felt like a complete failure of a mother for not being able to protect her daughter and even now she felt like she could’ve done more to prevent any of this from happening but feeling like that right now would bring no help for her or her daughter, she just needed to strong, strong enough to endure all the emotions, all the what ifs and could’ves and simply focus her attention all on her daughter and prioritize her recovery. Nothing else mattered.
And with that, she took a seat near the bed and watched her daughter in silence.
I remember a quote saying that a mother’s love is boundless like the universe, unending, always filled with the brightest stars in an endless darkness. Always there to support you even when you turn your backs on them. Always there to comfort you from all the pain, I knew deep down she could give up the world for me. A sacrifice she would give without a second thought. That is a mother’s love.
“So…, your.. best.. friend.. died…”, Lennox said in a soft voice.
“After I regained consciousness, I was told she passed on, I remember crying for 3 days straight. It hit me at the depths of my heart and finding closure was extremely difficult for me but I was thankful my mom was there for me at every step. A funeral was held a few weeks later but unfortunately, we were not invited. Julia’s mom blamed me for her daughter’s death and so after the whole incident, we never came in contact with them again. I still remember her even till today, and I always will until the end of time”, Lauren’s knees were closed together as her head lay on them reminiscing about her past, narrating each event as best as she could.
“What… about… the… killers…?”
“Well, both killers were identified by the public and from what I heard, the community in that neighborhood banded together to find both killers and when they did, they burnt them alive while singing and dancing.”
“ …”. Lennox was silenced and remained as such for a few moments before heavily sighing to then speak once more.
“If… you…don’t…mind…me… asking… again…, how… did… all… these… events… lead… to… you… becoming… an… orphan…?”, Lennox asked.
“I was getting there. After Julia’s death, a few months passed and it was then my mom suddenly fell ill.”, Lauren stated as her eyes narrowed.
“Ill…? How… so…?”
“This illness was something …. it was not normal…. I believed it to be something from beyond this world. Something ….”, Lauren paused.
“Something…?”, Lennox reiterated.
“Something supernatural”, Lauren’s voice expressed a seriousness Lennox had not expected would ever surface on her face.
