fanqie novel
Chapter 31 (Beggar)
Chapter 31 (Beggar)
The chair next to Venus slides out as she pushes it with her foot, a silent invitation which I take as she
hands me a few pictures,
“See the nails are missing besides the index one.”
I look at the picture of the naked dead girl. Her body is blue, pale, it sends chills through my spine and
a shiver rakes up my bare arms.
I have never looked at photos of a dead person before. The freckles on her cheeks- dull, I examine the
characteristics of what made her- her.
My searching gaze doesn't miss the knife wounds around her upper right arm. One, two, three, four, I
count in my mind.
Venus hands me another and I take it. This one is a close-up of her nails that are indeed missing with
one nail on her point finger that is stained red, like someone did a piss poor job of removing her nail
polish.
“The Church girl was found near water correct? Where was this body found,” I query, my attention
trained on the pictures of a girl who probably suffered a painful death.
If there is one thing I am good at is finding a target, been doing it for years. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
“Yeah, by the community pool, two minutes away from Saint Nicols. This one was found in the Lake,
'bout five miles North from here,” Knight answers from the opposite side of where Venus, Killer and I
are sitting.
Zero walks in the room, and the air seems to thicken, but I know it is just me.
My eyes plant themselves down to the pictures in my hands. The stomping of his boots, the familiar
sense of foreboding as his imposing tall moody form encroaches our corner is not something I am able
to avoid.
“Just got a call from the sheriff, Stacy Ferns, sixteen years old, missin' since last night, parents said she
was supposed to be home yesterday 'round nine. Didn't rock up,” Zero announces.
My head remains down replaying his words, now is when I wish I had my hood to make me invisible to
him.
I touch my covered neck as I do a lot. The idea of getting it stops when I am reminded of a girl named
Cassidy. Met her only once at the bus station, I was fifteen, she told me she left home to run away with
a guy, said he was her first everything until she found out she was nothing but a free fuck, never saw
her again.
“Maybe she met some slouch, got hooked on his bullshit, and ran away, happens all the time,” After
voices my same thoughts, flipping her hunter knife in her hand.
My frown can't be helped as I tilt my head watching that knife, knowing I am going to be sparing with
her shortly.
“Not Stacy,” Hannah's voice filters through the room as she joins in.
I do lift my head this time, to see her approaching form, wearing a purple dress that looks pricey and
shit, like a businesswoman.
She takes a chair next to me and carries on talking, “That girl has never missed church, or had a friend,
let alone a boyfriend, especially with Radlyn Ferns as her brother, the guy would castrate any boy who
even blinked at Stacy.”
“Did you get a hold of River?” Venus asks Hannah from over me.
My big fuck up is when I look up to Zero's watchful eyes, he is staring right at me. It is unnerving and I
don't even know why I am looking at him, he makes my blood boil when I think of what he did.
It doesn't get better, when I turn to face Venus's knowing ones. So much for privacy.
“Yes, he can't come now, Storm and him are still stuck at the school, trying to figure out who started the
fire yesterday, said he'll text Killer.”
“We need to go back to the last three sites where the girls were found, Zero get Mercy here, can't have
anymore deaths in this town, it's already so fuckin' small,” Killer says.
“Texted her before I got here, I'll go with her to the girl's house, check if she left anything important
behind,” After announces as the scraping of her chair gets my attention.
The sound reminding me of another sound.
They all blackout, as my nightmare once again haunts me, cripples me in a way it has before, only this
time it is not me who is the one in pain.
“Beggar, kill me, Beggar please, please, I'm ready to die,” her voice, it chokes me, I need to get to her,
but his hand is around my throat squeezing to a point of close death.
My eyes feel like they're going to pop out, my neck inches from snapping, my face swollen, hot. Yet, I
still fight.
“See what happens when you run from me,” he whispers, torture on its own.
“No, please,” I beg as I only know-how.
Pulling at his fingers, why does it hurt. My hands are free, I thought it was tied. This isn't right but
knowing won't stop me clawing his hands.
Something hard hits the back of my head, voices of other people, this isn't right, “No, please, NO.”
Why won't it stop, please make it stop.
“Enough.” The word is echoed and I am lifted, who is lifting me, nobody was there to lift me, who is it. I
still pull at his fingers hurting my neck.
“I got you.” Three words, a familiar sound, not the one who makes me whole, but familiar, the devil who
saves me, even from myself.
It is then I fade away from it all, my mind black, with the heaviness of my shadows that would not leave
me.