MONSTER OF THE UNKNOWN

A SECRET RENDEZ-VOUS WITH THE ASSAILANT

"Mathéo was shot."

* * * *

The taxi doesn't waste time to get Sara and Aaron to Hôpital Albertyn-the hospital where their dear friend has been admitted. They hurry into the building and quickly spot Lyam and both his parents standing at the front desk, waiting for the nurse to come and update them on Mathéo's state. Joséphine (the mother) is visibly in tears, and although the other two aren't crying too, the melancholy in their faces is very evident.

"I'm so sorry about Mathéo," Aaron tries to console the family as Sara and him meet up with them. "Do you know what exactly happened to him?"

"The police believe it was an armed robbery gone wrong," Mrs Badi answers in between her tears. "They found a dead cashier and proof of struggle in a mini-mart close to where Mathéo was found. Fortunately, the girl that was with him was able to dial emergency services before the attacker got to her too. The woman that picked up the call reported hearing screaming and traced the location of the caller's number, but when the team arrived at the scene, the criminal was already gone without a trace and the two of them were on the brink of death." The parent stops as her sobbing intensifies. "If only I had been a better mom to Mathéo, this wouldn't have happened."

"It's not your fault, mom. You didn't do anything wrong," Lyam comforts his mother as he hugs her tightly. "He wouldn't be in this state if I had just driven him home instead of being such an asshole brother."

"But is he alright now? Can we see him?" Sara asks, still holding on to the hope that there's still some good news despite all that.

"No, he isn't alright," Aldéric responds to the question, shattering the girl's fate. "The last we heard from the doctor, his condition was still critical. He hasn't even regained consciousness."

A tall young dark-skinned female officer comes over and cuts the conversation short. She requests to ask the family some more questions in private, so Aaron and Sara move aside in order to give them some privacy. They go over to an empty bench where they both sit quietly for a longtime. They don't know how to react to the information they just heard. After all, they're still having a hard time processing it. But it's not over yet and they get an unexpected visitor.

Aaron and Sara both feel some kind of weapon pressed against the back of their heads all of a sudden. They think it's a gun, but they aren't sure. Sara tries to turn to catch a glimpse of the wielder's face, but he pushes the object harder as an indication that she shouldn't.

"Hello again. I see you came with a friend," a masculine voice whispers into their ears, sending chills down their spines. "It's good to finally meet you in person."

Aaron instantly recognizes the voice. It's the creepy guy that called him earlier tonight using Mathéo's number, there's no doubt about it. 'Why is he here?' the boy wonders.

"I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't care, but it seems you don't realize you're in a public building," Sara points out to the man while trying to sound as confident and poised as she can possibly be in this scenario. "If you kill us here and now, the security cameras will immediately capture your identity and you'll be in a cell in no time."

"So, she's gutsy," the psycho laughs. "It also seems that you don't realize I'm zegen like the both of you. My ability is currently preventing every person and device in this building from seeing and hearing me, apart from you two of course. Therefore, if I did decide to kill you guys, nobody would know it was me that did it. No one would even know I was ever here." Sara's feeling of security and self-assurance instantly vanishes after hearing that. "Don't worry. If I came here to murder you, I would have already done it by now."