AUTHOR NOTE: Dear Webnovel reader. You may have noticed that the genre this novel is labeled under has changed from Action to Fantasy. The reason for this shift can be found within this chapter. Consider it part of the story itself.
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"Good evening, sir. I'm here to leave Jack in your care," officer Sprout said to Elise's dad.
The officer had my suitcase in his hand as he rang the doorbell. Elise and her dad opened the door shortly after.
I was standing next to the officer, holding the vase with amaryllis flowers in both arms. My eyes were still red from all the previous crying.
When Elise's dad saw me, his expression remained relatively neutral. Elise's reaction was however far more intense, one full of surprise and concern.
I would be flattered if my pitiable face was the only cause for that look on her face, but that was sadly not the case.
I had shown up to her house with the vase housing my mother's ashes, evidence that could get me arrested. Of course that would elicit a response. However…
She kept giving alternating glances between the vase and me, with that look on her face. It's way too obvious. Luckily, the officer and her dad were too focused on each other to notice anything amiss.
"We appreciate you doing this for him. He's been through a lot today," Officer Sprout continued.
"It's alright. He's welcome here for as long as is needed," Elise's dad answered, and then continued.
"Elise, why don't you take Jack inside already."
"Oh, uh yes. Jack, let's go inside," she responded, snapping out of her previous state.
I nodded and said thank you, then stepped inside the house and followed Elise to the living room. The officer and doctor continued talking at the front door about various things.
The TV was on, showing the news. Elise and her dad must have been watching it before. From what I briefly caught, it seems that a panel was currently informing everyone about supernatural crimes and incidents going on in the country.
We continued walking, and once we were outside of earshot from the front door, Elise hurriedly asked.
"Why did you bring the vase here? What happened? Are you alright?"
"Calm down. Everything's fine, and I brought the vase here because what's in there might be discovered at my house if they continue investigating."
"But, how did you…"
"Let's sit down and I'll explain."
We sat down at the dining table, where I also put down the vase. I briefly explained how I went back to the house with the officers to grab some stuff, and then faked an emotional breakdown to trick them into giving me the vase…
Uh, I might have emphasized the 'faking' part too much, but I somehow didn't want her to see me as a crybaby…
"Okay, I understand. But, what will we do with your… vase now?"
…She didn't notice. Thank god!
"Don't worry. I've thought of something. But, we'll discuss it later. Your dad's coming towards us."
Just after I'd finished speaking, he entered the living room. He then walked towards me and started talking.
"Jack, as I've said previously, you're welcome to stay here until your mother is found. Feel free to treat us as family. Don't hesitate to ask us anything, alright?"
"I will. Thank you, sir."
"Please, call me William."
"Alright, William. Thank you for letting me stay here."
"It's alright. I left your suitcase in the hall. We have some guest rooms upstairs. Elise can come with you so that you can pick one out and unpack your stuff."
"Alright. But first, if I may, I'm actually quite hungry. I haven't eaten since… since everything happened. Can I use your kitchen to make something for myself? For you guys too if you want?"
Parent and child briefly looked at each other, and then William responded.
"We've already eaten. But, you don't have to make anything for yourself. Elise will cook something for you."
"No. I appreciate it, but it's no trouble for me to cook. I enjoy doing it, and I think it will help calm me down and clear my head a bit. But maybe Elise can help me, if she wants?" I finished speaking, now looking at her.
"Of course I'll help. Shall we go over there?"
I nodded, and then walked to the kitchen, leaving William behind. Elise led the way and I followed. I now noticed she had her hair in a high ponytail, likely because she had been cooking.
I watched it sway around the entire time we walked, and my heart started beating loud in my chest. Not because I thought it was cute, but because I realized something I had forgotten.
That was what filled me with dread and terror.
She…she had long hair, right? Yeah, it had to be, otherwise she wouldn't have put it in a ponytail. And the color…, I couldn't recall. I tried looking, but I was incapable of noticing it.
I thought back, and realized that I had noticed that her dad's beard was blonde. Was…was her hair also blonde? I felt that it made sense, it had to be that…
I briefly looked her all over from behind, but couldn't notice anything else anymore.
GODDAMNIT! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING ALREADY! IT…IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A FEW HOURS.
And then, my heart almost stopped. Because I suddenly realized that I had also forgotten what my mother looked like.
Only green eyes were left of her in my memories. The rest of her appearance was void.
NO, no, I… had to calm down. I couldn't panic and lose control now. I had to stay composed. I couldn't let the shadow notice any oddities in my behavior. If my father figured out I was onto him, there would be no saving us.
My mother was dead. Her appearance didn't matter anymore. But…there…there still had to be something of Elise left in me.
I dug deep in my memories, grasping at straws, anything at all. And then, my heart calmed down.
I had remembered her blue eyes, what I found the most beautiful about her. As long as I could keep recalling that, I would not be lost.
Determination filled me anew. I had to deal with my father as soon as possible, before this got any worse.
Once we were in the kitchen, out of earshot and sight of her dad, she turned around. Her expression didn't change. I don't think she noticed anything off about me.
As I kept staring into her blue eyes, Elise asked in a whisper.
"So, what do we do about that vase?"
She wants to keep our clandestine conversation ongoing. It's best to oblige her, and shove what just happened to me to the back of my mind. Stressing on it will only interfere with my behavioral regulation.
"The police could still extract my mother's DNA from the dirt in the vase. It's highly unlikely, but why risk the police ever finding out when we get rid of it once and for all. There is a creek near your house. We'll sneak out at night, wash the dirt in the vase away in the water, and replace it with new dirt."
Elise looked at me with a stunned expression.
"Do you really want to wash your mother away in some creek!? Would the police really investigate that vase!? It's even here now, not at your house anymore!"
No. Normally, it's ludicrous to consider the police zeroing in on that vase. But, at this moment, my father can still point them towards it, even if the vase is now in this house.
Even if I store the dirt with ashes somewhere hidden, I have to assume the shadow is always here, watching me, and thus my father will always know where the ashes are.
The only way to get away with this would be to get rid of the ashes entirely. Washing them away in flowing water is one of such ways.
It has to be this way, but how will I communicate this to Elise? She didn't know yet the everpresent threat that the shadow is. That it can be here at this very moment, listening in to our entire conversation, without us two noticing anything at all. That it can appear out of thin air and murder us all, without us being able to do anything about it.
Should I just come clean and tell her about it, tell her the truth? No, I'll put her in more unnecessary danger, and I also don't think she can handle it.
When she first saw me again when I had the vase in my hand, she couldn't keep her composure. What would happen if I tell her the far more worrying truth?
Her behaviour will change, and my father could notice. The only advantage I have against him is that he doesn't know yet that I know he is spying on me. And without that advantage, I can't imagine how to deal with it.
And also, Elise's dad will become suspicious of her too. Her dad will be the one to notice any changes in her behavior first, even if she's able to hide it well.
Even if my father doesn't realize it, William will, and he'll question his daughter. Elise is a pure soul. She's not a liar. So, she'll crack. Then my father will know for sure, and doom us all.
I couldn't tell Elise the truth. But, what excuse will I use then? Something reasonable, but not threatening so that her behaviour stays consistent.
If the truth in reality is one that creates an unwanted fantastical threat, then I will let a lie in fantasy create a desired realistic threat.
"Of course I don't want to do that to her. But, think about it. With what's going on in the world, a police investigator might get some sort of ability like your dad that makes him able to locate my mother's ashes. Because of that, I want to get rid of evidence that could make my father pin a murder on me."
Elise looked at me in surprise, and then in understanding. It was an angle she had not considered yet. But, she had a retort.
"If someone had a power that could be used in investigation to really know what happened, then they would know the truth that your father is the murderer right?"
"Yes, but my father has the police in his pocket. The truth won't matter. But, evidence is needed to make an arrest. If there is no proof that my mother has died, then I can't be arrested for murder."
"But even so. If the police can really use some sort of investigative power, then they would know you got rid of the evidence too, and arrest you all the same."
"...You're right. Whatever we do, I could always be arrested. But, we can make it as difficult as possible, thereby buying as much time as possible, to be able to deal with the root of the problem."
As long as my father is around, I'm never safe, I'll always be in his control. To regain my peace and get justice for my mother, I have to get rid of him.
"Then, what will you do about your father then?"
It's a dangerous question for me to answer right now, since my father might be listening in to this conversation at the very moment. However, I have to answer, in a way that gets Elise to believe that I want to deal with my father and let my father believe I won't feasibly oppose him at the same time.
"I don't have to do anything, so I won't do anything."
"Huh?" Elise looked at me in total confusion, so I explained further.
"My father can put the murder on me, but he hasn't done so yet. It's because it would also draw attention to him. I always have a right to defend myself in court, to tell the truth of what happened, even if I'll be convicted regardless. The truth will become public knowledge, and people my father isn't able to control will investigate my side of the story. If they discover the truth, my father will be arrested, and I'll be set free again. The truth will always come to light, in whatever shape or form. So, if my father wants to avoid that scenario like he has done thus far, he'll leave me alone as long as I won't do anything to implicate him either."
"But, you'll let your father get away with this then!?" Elise asked with a face full of indignation.
"No, even if I don't do anything, my father will get arrested. My mother is considered kidnapped, and the whole country will be searching for her. As long as they don't find her, or the truth keeps getting suppressed, the search will continue escalating, because my mother was just that famous a person. Eventually, forces like for example the FBI, something beyond even my father's control, will dig up the truth and arrest him. The truth exists, and will always exist. Even my father cannot change that fact."
Elise looked at me blankly, like I was some sort of alien.
"You… you thought that far ahead?"
I nodded.
"The truth of what really happened can't change, my father can only hide, suppress or let people misinterpret that truth. But, by making it so my mother is kidnapped, a crime that can't be solved, the investigation will escalate until my father has no control anymore, and the real truth will come out, leading to his arrest. The only things left to do until then is to not provoke my father, let time play its course, and finally dispose of my mother's ashes so it cannot be used against me. So, with that last part, will you help me once again?"
Elise blinked a few times, really coming to terms with the situation, and then spoke softly.
"Of course I'll help. I'm so glad that everything will become alright, that you'll be alright. So, so glad…"
She exhaled, breathing out what seemed to be a great weight off her shoulders. She believed me, even though my entire explanation was completely bogus.
She believes me, because we are friends and she trusts me. But, more tragically, she believes me because she is a good person.
The truth will always come to light, justice will always persevere, criminals will always get punished.
It's the naivety of a good person, who hasn't witnessed true evil yet.
What I had proposed will never come to fruition. If I get arrested, it will lead to a closed trial, the truth never coming out of the courtroom. If someone found out the truth, they'll be threatened to keep it to themselves. If someone accuses my father, a shadow will murder them.
In the hands of true evil, the truth doesn't exist. They will only allow a truth that is of benefit to them.
And my father will control and murder anyone if it is for his benefit.
If I do nothing like I had proposed to Elise, my father will never see justice. He himself will make sure of that.
The fact that no shadow has appeared to murder me yet, for proposing to defy my father, is proof of that. Even if he had listened in, there was no need for him to do anything. Nothing will happen to my father if we just keep waiting.
In fact, the more time passes, the more my father will be able to control me. I'm not so naive to think that this is all he's capable of.
This is just the setup. My instincts screamed at me, that he's preparing something that will put the final nail in my coffin.
I don't know what, and I don't know if I've already missed something. But I do know that if I'm too late, I'll have no choice left but to obey my father.
To prevent that, I'll have to take justice into my own hands to punish the monster that is my father.
But, that's for later. For now, I had convinced Elise, and deceived my father that I'm either a fool for believing he'll be brought to justice, or a genius that could suck an explanation like that out of thin air.
Either is fine. A fool is easier for him to control, and underestimated more. A genius he will want by his side even more, leaving him more open to attack.
"So, when will we sneak out with that vase then?" Elise asked when I had just finished my thought.
"Tonight, when your dad is asleep and the least amount of people are still outside. Let's go together at around 3 o'clock."
Elise nodded, agreeing. That was one thing set in motion. Now, as for what's next…
"We'll discuss the details later. But first, let's start cooking. I'm really hungry, you know, and your dad will get suspicious if we take too long."
The everpresent threat of the shadow. I must continue with my plan as to how to deal with it.
I've already taken the first step, and getting to this kitchen is the next step in accomplishing that.
AUTHOR NOTE: Dear reader. An interpretation of what is stated in each chapter may extend beyond what is written on the surface. If you enjoy piecing things together and discussing possibilities with other readers, there is a Discord server where theories and interpretations are welcome. The link is in the synopsis and on my profile.