Saturday evening, 1:36 AM
After the concert
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Nox walked beside Vienna. They had been walking back from the concert together, which had ended less than an hour ago. They were on their way to the bus stop. Still laughing from the concert, though they were tired. Vienna grabbed Nox’s hand. She looked at Nox, who was staring straight ahead, but Vienna felt his muscles tense. Very slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder.
“You know? Maybe we should do things like this together more often…”
Nox glanced at her. At her flowing red hair, shining in the streetlights, at her hesitant smile, and her flushed cheeks. His gaze quickly averted as he looked into her eyes.
Nox cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand.
“You know, we can discuss this with Kieran… Maybe…”
“Shh… I don’t mean with Kieran. I mean just the two of us…”
Nox swallowed. He felt his cheeks flush as Vienna gently turned his face so he was looking into her eyes.
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“Just the two of us…” She repeated in a whisper, leaning closer to him. Close enough for Nox to smell the faint scent of her vanilla perfume.
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“Just the two of us?” The boy’s voice was husky.
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“Yeah…something like a date,” she replied softly as she leaned even closer. The world around him seemed to fall silent. The sounds of cars faded. The conversations of people ceased as he leaned toward Vienna. Nox felt her breath on his lips as they almost touched in a kiss. But their moment was interrupted by the sirens of an ambulance and the police.
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The two looked at each other and, almost as if understanding each other without words, walked in the direction of the cars.
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“Do you think it was an accident?”
Vienna shook her head.
“I suspect it was someone from the concert who had too much to drink.”
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Nox narrowed his eyes.
“So tell me, if it’s just some drunks, why is there such a crowd there? A crowd that’s being cordoned off by the police?”
The girl opened her mouth, but couldn’t find an answer.
“Maybe we should try to see what happened?” Her voice mixed with the wind. Nox just stared at the people. He saw the police cordoning off the area with police tape. He felt his breath grow stifling, and the world around him began to spin. He glanced at Vienna, who began walking toward the crowd. A girl could be seen lying on the ground.
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“No… No… I’ve seen this before… this is how they treated these crimes in my town… why here… why now?”
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Then he was there again: In the park behind his old school. He heard sirens and the despair of the parents of the girl who had just been found buried among the trees. Nox knew something was wrong… He approached the girl’s body, looking away in disgust. He didn’t want to look. Sweat was streaming down his forehead.
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“Why now?”
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Nox turned his head and opened his eyes, forcing himself to look at the murdered girl. Her legs, arms, and mouth were taped shut. Her throat had been slit, and numerous knife wounds were visible on her chest. Her clothes stained with old, dried up blood. Tears welled in his eyes, and he felt as if he were about to throw up. He knew this girl. She went to his old school with him.
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The boy fell to one knee, panting heavily. His mechanical hand clamped over his heart.
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“Vienna…” His voice was hoarse, and he felt his throat tighten. Luckily, the girl heard him. Her face paled as she ran to him.
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“Nox! Are you okay?”
Nox looked at her, still gasping for air.
“We have to go to Kieran…Preferably now.”
Vienna placed a trembling hand on Nox’s shoulder. Nox looked at her. “Nox, you should get some rest before you completely break down. I’m calling my mom to come pick us up.”
The boy felt his lips quiver as Vienna pulled out her phone.
“Vienna, you don’t understand, I remember…The disappearances…those girls from my old school…”
“Shhh…Tomorrow with Kieran…Before you break down.”
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“Hello, mom, could you come pick me and Nox up?”
Nox looked at the crowd again. He no longer paid attention to Vienna’s words. He only heard her thanking her mother. Then she knelt down next to him, hugging him gently.
“It’s okay, my mom will be here soon.”
Nox only nodded.
“I’m sorry, I ruined everything again.”
“No, Nox…You didn’t cause what happened.”
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They both looked toward the ambulance where paramedics had loaded the young girl’s body into a black bag and zipped it up.
“I feel like my death was never the end…”
Vienna just looked at him and hugged him tighter.
“You’re not alone, even if your past comes back. You’ll never be alone again. No matter what comes, no matter how painful the truth may be. Because you have me, do you hear me, Nox? You have me, and I won’t leave you. Never.”
Vienna looked up and pulled Nox back to his feet.
“Come on, Nox. My mom’s here.”
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and then Add to home screen.