The two got seated at a booth and then everyone in the restaurant’s heads turned to see the TVs, as something startling was being shown.

“Last night a Bug family was brutally murdered…”

Despite the clearness of the reporter’s voice, Alba couldn’t hear a word. The crime was blurred over, but he knew that something was wrong. That’s not how they left the crime scene, they didn’t put them on the couch like that nor write a message. After Eryi passed out both he and Andri ran away.

“He went back,” Alba said under his breath, his expression growing terrified. “He went back to the house.”

Lumi’s heart raced as only one phrase repeated in her brain: I made the weapons that did that.

“That’s why I can’t leave,” Lumi whispered.

Alba turned to her, and saw her eyes shining with a certain light that could only resemble excitement.

She continued to whisper, “No one could ever do this with my weapons besides Andri.”

Alba stood up instantly and stormed to the bathroom, leaving Lumi stunned. His breath was harsh and he collapsed over the bathroom sink. He took a long time to console himself, saying, “It’s okay. It’s okay. Calm down, drama queen.”

He looked at himself in the mirror and he could have sworn his overly pale skin was splattered with blood. A man with dark eyes, standing beside a man who could never betray the other, stood behind him each holding bloodied swords. Heads of the family hung on ropes from the ceiling, each with dislodged jaws.

They howled at once, “Murderer!”

Alba screamed and turned around to see only an empty bathroom staring back at him. He felt a rising in his throat and he stormed into the stall and puked his guts out. After he was finished he sunk to the tiled floor and leaned his head on the wall. He sobbed for a while, far too long for him to not grow anxious. Lumi had ordered for herself, and when Alba returned to his seat across from her he had an absent look on his face.

She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I can’t run away after all.”

Lumi took a bite of her ketchup covered breakfast sausage, smearing red across her mouth. It was as though she bit someone’s head off.

Andri took out a notepad and ripped out a page. He scribbled down something and handed it to Eryi. Eryi’s voice was still hoarse, but he asked anyway, “An address?”

“Yes. I want you to show me you can do this, by yourself.”

“Okay…”

Eryi turned around to grab a baseball bat bag, which Lumi had found for the boys to put their swords in. Suddenly Eryi felt Andri’s arms wrap around him and embrace him from behind.

Andri whispered in Eryi’s ear, “Do this for me, kay?”

Eryi bowed his head and felt his body tremble. His cheeks burned through, causing his body to feel uncomfortably hot. His heart thumped wildly, unable to find peace.

“Okay,” he quietly responded.

The day was clear, as no clouds covered the sky, spreading blue across the horizon. Strangely, Eryi found this not comforting but rather anxiety inducing. There was no fog to cover the crime he was about to commit. Eryi stepped up to the driveway of a nice house. It wasn’t too big nor too small, it was comforting and sweet. He covered his mouth with his hoodie, using it as a scarf to protect his cheeks from the harsh breeze. He looked up, and saw that on the second floor a window was open. Eryi turned around to not see anyone on the cul-de-sac, but it wasn’t that no one could see him from their windows. Eryi took a risk, and threw the baseball bag on the roof. He then scaled up the wall and picked up the bag, and swiftly, without looking, crawled into the house through the window. He found himself in an indoor gym. He took out his sword from the bag and then paused. All of the swords were in that bag, what if he took another as well? And, that’s what he did. He zipped up the bag and fastened it to his back, and slowly walked out the door with his two swords. He made sure not to grab Andri’s sword. He wouldn’t dare risk breaking it. He heard something from a nearby room and slowly inched his way by the wall toward it. He peeked in and saw something that made his stomach twist. There was a man on top of another, and they were softly kissing each other as the one on top thrusted back and forth. Eryi felt as though he was going to throw up. But for some reason, he couldn’t help but stare.

“I love you,” the one on the bottom said.

“I love you too.”

The one on the bottom turned their head, as a strange feeling of being watched made their hair raise. They saw a teenage boy with back hair covering their eyes staring back at them.

“A ghost!” They screamed.

The one on top turned to see as well, and just as he asked, “What,” a blade cut through his skull.

Eryi tried to take the sword out, but it was stuck. He huffed a sigh and looked at the trembling man next to him. The man screamed and stumbled to the bed frame, holding on to it for dear life.

They repeated, “Ali! Ali!”

Eryi felt like his ears were near bursting. He managed to rip the sword out of the other man’s skull and yelled, “Shut up!”

Eryi pointed the knife at the man’s throat and blood was drawn. The man grabbed the blade, cutting his palms, and managed to push Eryi off the bed. Eryi tumbled, and tried to get up, but the man kicked and stomped him.

“How dare you! How fucking dare you!”

The man was crying, and tears streamed down his cheeks on to the boy he was beating. The man’s pupils divided into thousands, and his strength only grew. He kicked Eryi through the wall, and Eryi fell so far he tumbled down the stairs. He hit his head at the bottom and couldn’t breathe for a good minute. The world buzzed loudly but still, despite his pain, Eryi stood up and ran up the stairs. The man was on the phone, most likely with the police. Eryi was still tightly gripping on to his swords, unwilling to ever let go. He slashed forward, cutting off the man’s hands. The man screamed loudly, and Eryi kept on cutting until the man no longer screamed. Eryi huffed deeply and then turned to the phone, to see that someone was still on the line. He stormed out the back door and heard someone yell, “Someone’s running through the back!”

Eryi hopped the fence, and felt as though his lungs were about to burst. The freezing air refused to enter his mouth, trapping him in a never ending cycle of inhaling. Eryi kept on running and hopping fences, until he reached a park. The children stopped playing and turned to him, all with eyes of curiosity then fear. Eryi heard something behind him, and saw a policeman standing right behind him with his gun drawn. Eryi instantly slashed at his face, blinding him on the spot. The man shot forward, but it missed and hit the park, sending children running everywhere. Eryi stabbed the police repeatedly, stole his gun, and then ran off. Eryi managed to find a desolate alleyway and put his swords, and newfound gun back in the bag. Eryi turned his head and saw Andri standing outside of their garage. Eryi had accidentally found his way home.

Eryi stumbled forward and asked, “Andri?”

Andri had his arms crossed and he asked, “Did you kill the Bugs?”

“Yeah. Yeah I did,” Eryi said as he reached Andri’s side.

Andri smiled and said, “Go get changed.”

Eryi blinked and then after a pause said, “Okay.”

That was it?

After Eryi finished getting changed and put his clothes in a plastic bag he turned to Andri who was fiddling with the gun Eryi brought back.

“Where did you get this?”

Eryi panicked.

“A cop! The Bug called the cops, and after I killed them and ran away one followed me. And I killed him.”

Andri looked up darkly to Eryi and asked, “Did you see anyone else following? How come only one would follow?”

Eryi was agasp and Andri immediately stormed to Eryi’s side and punched him across the cheek.

“You fucking idiot! If they find us here you’re dead.”

Eryi was speechless.

“You hear me?”

Eryi nodded and whimpered, “I’m sorry.”

Andri grabbed Eryi’s cheeks and said, “You know damn well what saying sorry means to me! It means nothing! Actions are the only thing that matter in the end. You’re digging your grave here, Eryi.”

Eryi held back tears that stung his eyes and nodded his head. Andri let Eryi go and began walking away when Eryi said, “I killed them. I killed the Bugs. Even a cop.”

Andri turned around and said, “I know you did.”

Eryi continued, “I didn’t get caught.”

Andri asked, “Why are you bringing this up, are you looking for compliments?”

Andri shut up immediately and pulled up Eryi’s shirt, revealing a stomach covered in black and blue. Andri then lowered it and looked at Eryi, a strange smile appeared on Andri’s lips.

“Right, I guess I should compliment you.”

Andri patted Eryi’s head and said, “Good boy.”

Eryi bowed his head and smiled.