Winding Roads {A Creative Writing Journal}

The Reluctant Villain (Part 2)

Later on, the only thing he would be able to remember was glancing at the street name being broadcasted on the TV and arriving at the scene. He couldn't recall pushing his friends out of the way as he ran out of the cafe. He couldn't even remember which turns he took or what street he went down. The only thing he could see in his mind's eye was the news on the TV and the rundown street overrun by cop cars as he panted for breath from running so hard. Everything else was a blur.

His eyes landed on the yellow crime scene tape blocking off a certain alleyway, and something told him that that was where he would find his sister. Zach pushed his way through the small crowd that had gathered, and he ducked under the tape before any of the cops noticed him. But as he stared down the dimly lit alley, a part of him wished he didn't come here.

Faith's body was sprawled out at an unnatural angle on the ground, her unseeing gaze staring up at him with lifeless brown eyes. Her school uniform was wrinkled and disheveled, and blood pooled beneath her from a slash across her throat. Zach couldn't tear his eyes away, even when the forensic pathologist pulled a white sheet over her body.

    "Kid! Hey, kid, you can't be back here!" an officer cried. A large hand clamped on his shoulder, effectively snapping him into action as Zach tried to pull away.

    "That's my sister! I have to get to her!"

  Two pairs of arms held him back as another officer came to pull him away to keep him from contaminating the scene.

    "I'm sorry, son, but it's too late. She's gone."

"No! You don't understand! I have to help her!" he yelled as he fought back. Hot tears clouded his vision but he refused to let them fall just yet. He continued to struggle, but a third cop came and helped pull him away from the scene.

Zach slumped to his knees and just continued to stare down the alleyway, carding a hand through his hair. His eyes followed the movement of his sister's body being loaded into a van so she could be taken to the coroner's office for a full examination. He had seen enough cop shows for him to know that much, but when the van doors slammed shut, he couldn't process anything further. All he could do was sit and stare at the alley, which was becoming more and more empty the longer he sat there.

The teen jumped when a hand gently came down on his shoulder, and tearful green eyes looked up to meet the familiar blues of Timothy. Zach narrowed his gaze in confusion and past him to see Bree, Jake, and Felix standing a few feet away.

"Hey, you okay, man?" Timothy asked. Without another thought, Zach gripped the older teen in hug. He didn't know why, but he knew he needed someone to ground him and bring him back to reality. Timothy quickly returned the gesture.

"She's gone," he hiccuped, allowing the tears to finally fall freely, "Faith—my sister—she's actually gone..."

The other three joined them on the ground and formed a protective huddle around their youngest member. Zach could hear Bree starting to choke up, which seemed to be the breaking point for everyone else that wasn't already crying.

"We were supposed to go shopping Saturday," Bree whispered, "There was this really cute purse she wanted so badly. We were supposed to get boba afterwards in the food court."

Jake and Felix shared a look.

"She tutored both of us on Tuesdays," Jake added, "I had a history test she was supposed to help me study for."

"She was helping me with my science project."

Timothy stared ahead as he took in everything that was going on. His voice was low, and Zach almost didn't catch what he said.

"I was going to ask her to prom. Now I won't get the chance."

"I'm sorry to disrupt this," a new voice spoke up. Five heads turned and glanced at the last officer on scene. The man's bushy gray eyebrows were scrunched in a way that implied sympathy. They pulled themselves to their feet but remained close together.

"Were you all friends of hers?" the cop asked.

"Yes, sir," Bree answered as she wiped her eyes, smudging the mascara that had stained her cheeks. "Her name was Faith Darager. We go to school together."

"She was supposed to meet us at Club Coffee but never showed," Felix added, "We didn't know what was wrong until Zach saw her car on the news."

"I'm her brother," he answered the unasked question, "I'd recognize that car anywhere. Do you know why she killed the way she was?"

   "I'm afraid I can't really answer that," he replied genuinely, noting the confused glances the others were giving the teen. He guessed that the dark haired boy was the only one who saw the body.

"Is it okay if I ask you kids a couple of questions? I know this is hard, but it won't take long."

    "If it will help you find out who did this, then sure," Zach answered for them.

   The next two hours were spent answering Officer Jack Harper's questions. The man was patient with them, something that was rare to be seen with the cops in this particular neighborhood. Once they finished, he made sure they all had a way to get home before leaving them alone, but not before giving Zach one more look of reassurance.

   "I lost my daughter to a drunk driver a few years back," he said, "I know it hurts now and that it won't go away, but it will get better in the long run. Trust me."

   Zach nodded but didn't reply as the old officer climbed back into his squad car and drove away. Without a word to the others, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and starting walking down the street, even though it felt like the last thing he wanted to do was leave that alley.

   "Hey! Where're you going?!" Jake called after him. Zach didn't bother turning around, and he kept walking.

"I'm going to walk home. Need to clear my head."

  "By yourself? That isn't very safe, man," Felix piped up, "What if someone tries to jump you?"

   At that, Zach paused and spun around to face them. Even with several yards between them, they could see the burning fury in his eyes.

    "Then they picked a very bad day to mess with me," he growled and walked away. He almost wished someone would step into his path just so he could release all of his anger on something instead of focusing on the fresh onslaught of tears sliding down his cheeks unbidden.

   Never before had he felt so helpless, unable to do anything. All he could do was walk and feel angry, and he couldn't let any of it out. As he walked, his mind traveled back to the last car ride he had shared with his sister.

"Bro, if something ever happens to me, I want you to avenge me..."

She had made him promise. At the time, he had agreed as a joke, but now, he couldn't help but think about hunting down his sister's killer and fulfilling the promise he had made to her. Zach stopped stared up at the towering skyscrapers cutting into the overcast sky.

"I made a promise to you, Faith," he whispered to the sky, green eyes turning dark, "I won't let you down."