Jessica stood in the doorway, a wide array of police officers behind her. Her hawk-like eyes scanned over the crowd in the bar. She spotted me for a brief instant but didn’t give away any reaction. Instead, she kept searching for whatever she was searching for.

The men all looked at the door, unsure of what to do. Whatever it was they were here for, they didn’t want to find out. Some of their faces grew pale and eyes turned lost as if something had just struck their heads like a mallet. 

Only one man stepped up to the officer. The only man in their gang without a black leather jacket. Thomas stepped up to the officers, his face grim and sweat dripping down his skin. His hands were clenched into a fist, but after a few deep breaths, he unfolded his hands. 

Jessica looked disgusted at his appearance, and her eyes darted toward his chest. She looked back up at him and folded her arms.

“Your name is Thomas, am I correct?” Jessica asked.

Thomas nodded. “Yes ma’am, you’re right. What’s the police’s business here?”

Answering his question, Jessica snapped her fingers and two officers approached Thomas.

“Put your hands behind your back.” One officer said. 

The men gasped and one shouted. “What’s this for!” 

Everyone erupted into an orchestra of jeers and name-calling. The way they yelled at the officers was no different from the abuse thrown at me in games, but it was so deafening that the slurs melded into nonsense.

“Shut up you fucking criminals!” Jessica shouted so loud her voice carried over everyone else. 

Everyone quieted down and some even cowered at Jessica’s gaze. Even I couldn’t recognize her. Her eyes shaped by anger and justice looked down on everyone in the room. The sense of being looked down upon by someone who sees themselves as larger than life pressed down on the bar. It seemed she wasn’t even looking at people anymore. If that was the case, how did she see us in those anger-filled eyes of hers? 

“Sadly, this cretin isn’t being charged with anything. We just have evidence that he may be involved in something that happened recently.”

She tried to be vague, but it was clearly obvious she meant the serial rape killings. What kind of evidence did they find for them to single him out? Harmony and I looked at one another, unsure of what was even happening. She broke away from my gaze and looked back at the door, then froze. Her eyes showed a layer of fear I’d never seen on her before. 

I looked at the door, and I was paralyzed by rage that wasn’t even directed at me. Jessica stared straight at Harmony, her anger piercing in Harmony’s heart. If stares could kill, no level of afterlife could hold Harmony’s soul from that look. She’d just cease to exist. 

“Boss,” One of the gang yelled out. “What do we do now!” 

“Yeah, answer us!” 

“Thomas, don’t leave!” 

Some of the men broke into tears at seeing their boss led out by the officers. As he passed by Jessica, he whispered something in her ear, and the disgusted look on her face appeared. Shaking her head, she placed a hand on his back and went to lead him out herself. 

“My people,” Thomas shouted. A look of shock passed Jessica’s face as he disobeyed her. 

“Anything you say-” 

“I don’t care,” Thomas yelled over the officer. “Everyone, get as drunk as you can and go wild like rabbits! This is the one day every week when we can finally let the harshness of life fade in the wind. Let no one hold you back. Don’t even let me hold you back!”

The gang cried out for their leader, but he was being pushed out faster. Before he left, he let out his last cry.

“Don’t let anyone in this world stop you! Smile as bright as you can, because once this day is over, there won’t be any room for laughs.”

The bar door shut and he disappeared into the night. Everyone was left staring slack-jawed at the door, words failing to surface. However, one decided to speak up amongst the silence and tears. 

“Gimme foozie jooze,” Miranda said, grabbing at a random beer. 

One of the men started laughing, then another, and the next thing I knew, the entire bar erupted in laughter. Meanwhile, Harmony, Zihao, Lai, and I looked at them with an expression that paled to our confusion. It was almost surreal the emotional whiplash that blew past everyone. 

“You heard Thomas,” One of the men yelled, holding a beer up to the ceiling. “We’re leaving for the old nightclub in thirty minutes. Our women are waiting for us, and we shouldn’t disappoint.” Everyone roared while holding their beers up, screaming like this was their last day on earth. “Let us laugh our hearts out and succumb to our carnal pleasures!” 

Not even I was immune to their boisterous positivity from such a bleak situation. A grin smeared across my face as I ordered a beer of my own. Zihao tossed me one and I turned to Harmony to celebrate such a turn of events, only to see no one sitting beside me. I looked around for her, and when I turned toward the door, I saw the faintest glimpse of that perfect ass of hers before the door shut. 

I was about to go after her but decided it was best not to. She already said she didn’t want to go to the party, so if she wanted to leave on her own, it wasn’t my right to stop her. Miranda waddled up to me, this time without a beer. I praised her for actually putting one down in my head. 

She walked up to me and looked down at me. I didn’t know what she was doing, but before I asked she acted first. She grabbed my hand and stuck it between her legs out of nowhere. I was about to draw my hand back from the shock, but her legs tightened, keeping me from leaving. 

Instead of drawing back my hand, I caressed her between her legs. Her pants became increasingly wet the more I rubbed against her, and she moaned with ecstasy with each jab at her clit. 

I was drawn out of my little world by someone touching my shoulder, and I turned to see Zihao. He had put a hand over Lai’s eyes which didn’t stop her coloring in the slightest. 

“You can get busy when you two go off with them,” Zihao said.

“Sure.” 

I brought my hand away from Miranda’s crotch, much to her disappointment. She sat beside me and laid her head on the table, her eyes gazing at my crotch this time. 

My mind wandered off to its own ecstasy-filled world. Soon, however, I’ll be able to dive straight into that world. 

***

Standing on the rooftops in the dead of night, the wind pushing at my hair, the taste of the chill atmosphere landing on my tongue, I stare at the street below. Police cars drove by carrying my new target. 

After seeing the police remove Thomas from the bar, I exited right after and jumped to the roofs. I don’t even think Ty saw me leave from how quickly I moved out, and I hoped he didn’t chase after me. Thankfully he didn’t, but there was always that possibility. Despite living with him for some time, I still couldn’t deduce his line of reasons for doing the things he does half the time.

Hopefully, he’ll go to that orgy, have a smashing time, and not worry about me. I try to get him to not worry about me by feeding him lies here and there. I couldn’t just let Jessica get the upper hand in searching for the cubbi, so I used the extra hour from Miranda closing early to search the city for clues about the cubbi. That wasn’t enough to maximize my searches as much as I could, so I told Ty that Miranda closed an hour later, essentially giving me two hours in the day to search the city. 

I wanted more time, but my schedule wouldn’t allow that. All I could do was use my time the best I could. Ty going to the orgy actually helped more than anything. I couldn’t get fed tonight, but it gave me extra time to search for the cubbi. 

Apparently, Thomas had some interesting information about the murders, and Jessica decided to take that chance to get ahead of me. When she looked at me like she did, for a second I thought she was thinking I was the criminal again. I came to a different conclusion after leaving. That stare wasn’t of parting blame. It was a challenge, saying that she’ll find the culprit before I did. 

I accepted that challenge. She said she wasn’t going to charge him anything, so she’ll let him go. When she does, that’s when I’ll strike.

Taking another deep breath, I stare at the moon. 

“It’s a gibbous today.” 

The moon showed three-fourths of its surface tonight. In some of the stories I read, there were beasts that were humans throughout most points of the year, but when the moon becomes full, and the light beams bright, they transform. Beasts of inhuman proportion and strength ravage the land. 

Cubbi aren't much different from them. Demons of lust that ascend to humanity to create sin of proportions unknown. Unlike Cubbi, however, the beasts are fictional. Cubbi also resided in porn books way more than the beasts. I’ve always known that was the case, but I’ve always wondered something about that.

How did things turn out this way? How have cubbi become nothing but a myth to humans, and how has it stayed that way for so many years? Clouds covered the moon, and the pale light faded from my eyes. 

It’s time to move.

***

“Are you comfortable back there?” 

Stopping at a red light, I asked Thomas that question to start a conversation. He didn’t budge, taking the opportunity to exercise his rights and not answer. He should’ve exercised that right long ago instead of saying that dumb shit at the bar. 

“There’s something I want to ask you,” Taking a deep breath, I asked the question. If my gut instinct was wrong, then I might come off as insane, or at the very least mentally unwell. “How much do you believe in the supernatural?”

Strangely enough, that got his attention. I noted that down, but it’s not like it told me much. As far as I knew, he just believes in ghosts.

“I believe in some things. Like the Easter Bunny. How did those eggs hide all by themselves?”

“I mean it.”

Thomas chuckled and leaned back in his seat. An insufferably smug smile stretched across his face. 

“I believe in God.”

The light turned green and I put my foot on the gas. Street lights reflected on the mirrors, hitting my face. 

“If you believe in God, how come you’re basically admitting he’s supernatural?”

“Because you don’t have to believe something’s real to believe in what it represents. Most people that participate in religion don’t do it because their fools that can’t see things clearly, not because they want something to excuse bad behavior, but because they want to believe in something more.”

“Are you drunk or not?” 

Thomas shook his head. “I didn’t even get a beer before you came, so you owe me one when you let me go.” He hiccuped, leading me to doubt the idea he didn’t drink at least one beer.

I wanted to hear if he had anything to say about the cubbi without any devices listening to our conversation, but it looks like that won’t happen anytime soon. At least not tonight. The police headquarters were just up ahead. Just a few more corners and cameras would look only at us.

Before we left the last place I could speak to him privately, I gritted my teeth and let righteous anger flow through me. My face reddened, and I could feel blood pumping through my veins. I was angrier than I’d ever been and Thomas’ face wrinkling in discomfort meant that I looked the part as well.

“You talk about God, but that sure didn’t stop you ten years ago.” Thomas’ eyes widened when I brought up that situation. “I’m somewhat acquainted with Karina, you see. There’s no way you haven’t heard of what happened to her.”

The sound of him gulping made its way to the driver’s seat. I wanted to dig into him further, but I stayed quiet. I wanted to hear his dumbshit excuses.

“Ten years ago. It’s been such a long time, but that memory is still burned into my brain. I remember the blood. The juices. The fear pumping through my body. It’s still fresh, and I don’t think it’ll ever go away. 

“When the police came and I was taken away by cuffs, I was nothing but a husk. Not a single thought rushed through my empty skull in fear that if, or when, I did, I’d want to kill myself. As you can probably tell, I didn’t.”

“Then why the fuck are you still doing those parties?” I shouted so loud that I was sure the police car behind me heard my shout. 

Thomas took a deep breath before answering. Most likely putting his excuses in order before he falls.

“I continue them not for myself, but for the people that call me their boss. Didn’t you notice something about those guys?” He paused as if expecting me to answer, but I stayed quiet. “They’re all immigrants that came here expecting something better. Almost everyone in my care has used the last of their savings just to start a new life somewhere they expected to be more welcoming.

“Sooner or later, they’d eventually find themselves in the Poorman district, and stumble around till someone takes pity on them, or they’re killed, either by people or the elements. 

“I was the one who took pity on them. I may not be the richest man alive, but I could offer them companionship, advice, and a place to stay before they get on their feet. At first, I did it out of the kindness of my heart, but then it sort of became a job of mine to help the unfortunate.”

“That doesn’t explain the parties,” I said trying to get the conversation back on track. 

“I’m getting to that,” Thomas grumbled under his breath. “Anyway, most of them suffered from depression, and they weren’t wealthy enough to contact someone that could help them. I was the farthest away from being qualified to help them with that mental crisis too, so I came up with a plan. 

“Instead of trying to fix their troubles, I’d distract them. I and the gang got together and came up with the idea of having a party once a week. It was a party where we could do whatever we wanted. No one could stop us as long as the cops didn’t catch wind of it. Because we couldn’t afford things like drinks, food, and other stuff, we just got together and pleasured each other with our bodies. The pleasure distracted us until the next day arrived.

“If you want to know why we did what we did, it’s because Karina reminded us of our own troubles. She wasn’t in the right spot mentally, so we offered her the chance to distract her from her problems.”

I gripped the steering wheel so tight that the rubber squealed from the pressure. 

“Whether that was the case or not, she was fucking fourteen.”

“I’ll be honest, that wasn’t the best decision we ever came to. After that, we set in law to only let in people of sixteen and older into the parties.”

However, fucking jackass, that was one second too late. No matter what he said, my fury refused to fade. As I pulled into the parking lot of the police department, I gave him a stern warning.

“I swear, once I find out the criminal behind these murders, I’m coming after you next. By next year, you’re going to be behind bars. I swear on my life.” 

Stepping out of the car, I looked back at him only to see him smiling. That only served to make my blood run faster as my anger fueled to record heights. I opened the passenger door, and the officers yanked him out of the seat. The questioning’s about to begin.