The Killer Among Us

Chapter 36

Five days left

Jacob

No matter how much my body ached, burned even, with the agony of my physical pain, it was nothing compared to the utter misery I experienced after finally remembering what I had done that awful night. My entire grief exclaimed that this wasn't how my life was supposed to be but reality slapped me in the face, reminding me that this is exactly what it was. It was up to me to decide what it might still become.

The chiming of my car and the steam of fumes brought me back to the daze of reality quickly. My head was throbbing with pain, having hit the steering wheel hard during the collision. A small wound on my forehead was evidence of that. Other than that, I seemed relatively unharmed, at least I couldn't find any serious injuries immediately.

Wanting to assess the damage my car suffered, I got out quickly. The late noon glow of the winter sun blinded my tired eyes.

A deep dent in the front of my car showed exactly where it had collided with the tall oak tree, but most of my car remained intact. I was lucky, really, to have survived that crash with just a few dents and scratches to my car and to myself.

My breath steadied slowly but my mind was still spinning. So, I reached into my glovebox, popped a few more pills and rested for a few minutes.

After that, I decided it would be best to call a tow truck. There was no way I could get my car out of this ditch on my own and I needed to move on fast, before the Solemn Serpent decided to finish what he had started.

There was no immediate danger around me, I decided after a while. The Solemn Serpent seemed to have moved on for now and there was no sign of any police surveillance.

Once the tow truck pulled out my car from the ditch, I hit the road again.

After the memory came to light, I needed to follow that clue, knowing exactly that Ava was tied to this case in some way or form. Ava had another boyfriend and I killed her. That was an obvious link, a logical one, to The Solemn Serpent. There was no way I could ignore that any longer, no matter how desperately I tried to avoid that truth. Aria was in danger and it was my fault. The repercussions of my own actions were finally back to haunt me.

Mindlessly, I drove to Ava's home, the house she grew up in and the house her life had ended - at my hands. I made the conscious decision to push down the ice cold feeling of guilt as I knocked on the front door. My stupidity can't cost another life, I told myself.

Slowly the front door opened to reveal an older man with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a hoarse voice and his eyes analyzed me meticulously.

I stuttered slightly, realising that I must have looked like a complete lunatic, "Uh- yes, actually. I am looking for Ava Collins' parents. I- I wasn't sure if they still lived here and I -"

He interrupted me, holding up his large hand, "Would you stop the stuttering, already? I'm Ava's Dad."

Knowing that there was no way he would talk about Ava with a stranger, I decided to be truthful, as truthful as possible at least, "I - Ava and I were ... friends in High School."

His eyes immediately lit up and his posture relaxed a little.

"I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions?"

Mr. Collins thought for a moment, before casually opening the door further and inviting me in.

Unlike the outside of the house, the interior had completely changed. The tasteful, expensive decorations and furniture have been replaced with a more casual, contemporary style of furniture. It suited the character of Mr. Collins - old school, with a hint of youth.