Blood! Its thickness my eyes have already grown accustomed to. Tonight, these hands of mine have soiled deeply in a pool of it. Yes! Literally speaking, my target and his family met their demise – an event designed by fate.
For some unfathomable reason, I can't help but wonder about the feeling I will get after finishing my bloodthirsty revenge. Will I truly gain the sense of fulfillment or achievement I desire, or will this emptiness that has inhabited my heart extend further? Why am I even having these conflicted thoughts? Where lies my ego if I allow those thoughts to distort the principles I vowed to uphold? And most importantly, the promise I vowed to pay obeisance to? Well, one thing is crystal clear to me: I will never lose sight of my goal.
****
In the living room, where the Fadeyi family were all present, a cold silence seemed to have enveloped the atmosphere. All eyes were pointed at the TV. Linda just stood in awe, while her parents, who were seated, had an unreadable expression. Still, their dumbfoundedness to what they must have heard on the news was a little bit apparent.
The moment felt as if time had stood still, as each minute of silence had the weight of a millennium. Indeed, it was taking forever. Suddenly, Linda moved her gaze from the TV and pierced it at her parents, who seemed unmoved in their tracks. "What could be swirling in their minds?" she thought, as tears began to find their way from her eyes. In that instant, they were all grieving. Soon, tears began to rush from Linda's eyes, as her gaze still remained on her parents. She began to sob slowly, as if trying not to break the unceasing silence.
It was a matter of time before tears started forcing their way out of Mrs. Fadeyi's eyes. Mr. Fadeyi, on the other hand, remained unmoved, but deep down, his emotions were too heavy for him to control. He summoned all his might to not allow a tear to drop. Finally, the silence, which persisted for so long, finally came to a halt immediately Linda started uttering words so loudly.
"Why? Why him?!" she shouted at the top of her voice. "Why did he take him away from us? Mom, Dad, do you think we're still safe? I know what has been going on, although you two never tried bringing up the topic in my presence." She said, a mixture of anger and sorrow in her tone. Her mother, who was moved by her words, shifted her gaze to Linda and displayed a remorseful expression that could melt ice.
"We know you're aware of what must have been going on. We were only scared to bring up the topic in front of you. We didn't want to create fear in your mind," Mrs. Linda said. "But mom, I'm already scared. Saying nothing about it will never make me feel any better or less scared. I know both of you are scared behind the tough faces"
Mrs. Linda tried to utter some words in response to what Linda said, but words could not form in her mouth. She stopped mid-air, trying to say something. She then wore a downcast expression, piercing her eyes down on the transparent glass table before her.
Linda stood there, witnessing her mother's reaction to what she said. She decided not to push it further until her gaze shifted to her dad, who had remained silent since.
"Dad, why are you not saying anything?" she said, her voice audible but not loud. Her dad could acknowledge the emotions submerged in her tone, but still, he kept mute. "Dad, you don't want to say anything, right?" she asked in annoyance and waited for her dad's response, but still, it was futile. In anger, she stormed away from the living room to her room.
Immediately her presence left the living room, Mr. Fadeyi let out a sigh, frustration evident in it. His wife then shifted her gaze to him, searching for words in his eyes. He stared back at her for seconds and removed his gaze away from her and fixed it at the table. His tears, as if trying to be free, came out of their cage, and his sob followed, filling the room. It became louder each second that passed. He could see the reflection of his sorrow on the transparent glass table. He felt that his heart betrayed his resolve to be strong, not to cry. His wife, on the other hand, was busy staring at him. It was her first time seeing him cry like that. She, who sought consolation as well, knew that her husband needed it the most. So, she took it upon herself and consoled him with no words, just her hands doing the work, rubbing his back in a manner of affection.
Linda, who seemed to have left the living room, could hear her father crying, as she stared from afar, her door left ajar. All she felt at that moment was more sorrow. Her father's cry seemed to have instigated it.
****
Roland's mind seemed to be in a wondering state as he sat comfortably in his office. His expression was one of utter seriousness, with both hands joined in a knot, resting on his chin. Documents were scattered all over his desk.
The recent killings of the infamous serial killer seemed to have struck his nerves. His mind was on the latest victim. "How is Mr. Frank Abimbọla connected to the past victims?" Knowing he wouldn't get any answer by just pondering the question to himself, he decided to skim through the man's social media accounts. He took his phone from the desk and went straight to the Instagram app on his phone.
While on the platform, he began searching for Frank Abimbọla's account in the search section. It didn't take him too long to find it. With that, he began skimming through his posts, searching for something that connected him to the past victims. It seemed to take all the time in the world as he kept skimming through a thousand posts. Suddenly, he froze in his place. Immediately, his eyes caught something – what seemed like a very important piece to start off his investigation efficiently. The question is, what could he have seen?