A cold July morning fingered its way over the frigid landscape. The Pinewood police department still frenzy with cases. There is a public commotion outside the building and crowds of on lookers are busy gathering around. Nate is summoned outside and the sight that greets him is rather displeasing. The face that was staring at him was a face he knew well, the only problem was that, he was dead! It wasn't ghastly or repulsive, in fact, it was pleasing. It was as though they had travelled back in time to the play 'Romeo & Juliet'. Tomas Matthews Merlin lay supine, his hands folded neatly on his stomach, he had white gloves on, a red chevron, a white Deroy hat and red official trousers. He was also wearing make- up and he had a red rose on the lapel of his coat. Whoever the murderer was, he wanted it clean and neat. Perhaps a clean freak! Nate moved closer and noticed there was a note on his hand. The simple note read,
ReTsAm: Morf
MaSeVOloT
Just what kind of mad man was this now! Nate thought clearly, he still had cases to deal with, now another mad man appeared and made more deaths. He even dared to include a note! He was mocking the Pine wood police, just how dare, he dropped the body off with no one noticing! In front of a police station. This murderer had guts, big guts to perform such a huge stunt! Not to forget how was he going to break the news to the Merlin's? Ada was going to have a heart attack, first, her husband, her son, her two daughter-in- laws, now another son. However, the sequence had changed, this was a different murderer. Oh my, Oh my! Who was going to be his savior, the woman was old yet only the young were dying, not her! Ha! These murders were really targeting the Merlin's. He was still looking into Alayne Jalicia Ramsby, Jeremy Malcom De' veer, the MASTER'S, the MILES and the MIGUEL'S. Yet another bastard was on the loose, going berserk with a signature move from the past! Just how dare he insult the police. Nate exhales and instructs the forensics to take away the body, first thing he needed to do was figure out how to explain to the Merlin's on what had happened.
*. *. *. *.
It was around midnight, the cicadas widely producing high pitching sounds that irritated the ears. Gurdian was playing cards with Child and Analyst, while in the middle of the room, sat a man tied and blindfolded. Analyst took out a cigarette, and Child lit it up for him, and Gurdian placed Joker on the table. They all smile and turn to face the one person in the middle of the room,
"Hello, hello, my dear captive, welcome to our circus, today we have I Gurdian as the King, Child as the Joker and finally we have Analyst as the Knight. We will be giving you a grand performance, a show that you will never forget." Gurdian says exultantly.
"As we begin our show, you are our only V.I.P guest, getting the golden ticket, getting the fast pass. We will remove the blindfold; however, we will be binding your mouth." Analyst mocks wickedly.
"For the gold ticket, it is special for you are the very first guest who gets to see our faces, today is a chance for you to see what true happiness means!" Child shouts happily and joyfully.
"What do you want from me, quit with the chit-chat and get on with-
"Henry, Henry, don't try and cut me off when I'm speaking, I lose my temper quite quickly." Child says and his eyes are filled with annoyance.
"Come down, all of you, Child, stay quiet and cute, today it isn't your show, it is Guardian's show, so behave." Analyst says and Henry knows the people in this room are crazy, all of them.
"Henry Regan Pescoli, son to Nate Regan Pescoli and Magaret Pescoli Regan and brother to Maggie Regan Pescoli, however, they are dead aren't they. A part from papa Nate, Henry." Gurdian says with sardonic comprehension, "Perhaps Maggie isn't dead, isn't she Henry? I think I saw her, when was it, aah, why don't you remind me? Henry."
"I don't know what you're talking about, my mother is dead, my sister is dead, I don't give a damn about my father, coz he never cared about me or them." Henry responds his voice heavy with resentment.
"Henry is such a big liar, liar, Henry is a liar, liar, and Henry, do you know what I hate most is liars!" Gurdian says and smacks him hard across the face.
That slap bursts a small cut on Henry's lip and it dawns on him, this Gurdian has a very short temper, he remembers he's been here for around three days, He's been missing but that wouldn't arouse suspicion, he's always been appearing and disappearing. They called him jack of all trades; the huge problem right now was this man in front of him and his friends. They always play cards, smoke, gamble or sing, the routine goes on different when they start talking about each other, Child was the cutest and most innocent among them, however, he had a very bad temper that he hid behind his innocence and cuteness. He is playful and carefree, yet he carries ill-intent and malice. Henry was sure out of all of them, Child was the worst, then came Analyst, he was detached, yet very close to those two, according to Henry Analyst was emotionless, he let Child do anything he wanted, only stopping him, when necessary, he was strategic and he liked planning. Just how he planned that they should hold a circus since Child has never been to one. Here they were, toying with him, then the monster that surpasses them all was Gurdian. This one was a lunatic, he was too intense, too possessive, too charismatic, too prideful, too egoistic and most of all he was far dangerous than Child, that is what Henry knew. Nevertheless, Henry didn't know they were all dangerous, he wasn't aware that monsters, demons, fairies, goblins were far better than the people in this room.
"Don't try and ask why you are here, the last victim asked and oh mama, Child almost brought his brains out, back to the topic at hand, Henry, is your sister alive, it's a yes, no; question?" Gurdian says curtly.
"Yes, she is." Henry says passively, ignoring the tight gaze he feels coming from him. He hears clapping and he exhales.
"Good, who is she with? Who sent her, Henry."
Henry is quiet, very silent, and he hears a 'tick, tick' before something hits his stomach and he feels like vomiting, but what comes out is blood.
"Henry is no fun! No fun! No fun! Aaah, Analyst, he is no fun, no fun, no fun, I don't like him." Child shouts as he kicks him in the stomach over and over and over again.
"Child, what did I tell you, today it isn't your day, I am giving you a circus, so sit the fuck down and control your anger, do you get it!" Analyst shouts and Henry hears Child crying before Analyst says, "goddamit, your fucking crying, I'm sorry, okay, I'm fucking sorry. Come here."
"You spoil him too much, geez." Gurdian says and Henry bends and touches his stomach, there it was, he felt fear approaching, fear looming, fear whispering, fear touching him. Oh yeah! Oh my! This was an aura that petrified him on spot, what the fuck was wrong, he couldn't move, speak or flinch. Danger in the sense of death, no, no something worse; this malevolent intent, who was it coming from, Child, Analyst or Gurdian? What kind of people were these? Why was it silent and he felt that four people were staring at him? There were only three people in this room, four with him included, where was the fifth person coming from? He had to remove this blindfold, someone else was in the room with them, just who? Whatever Henry felt, he has never felt it, as though death was calling to him, the devil was there, pulling him closer and closer. The next thing he knew, he felt someone directly in front of him. Then a hand in his hair,
"You made Child cry; you are the first person to ever make him cry. Henry Regan Pescoli, who sent you and your sister." Gurdian's voice was serious, authoritative and heavy with anger.
"No one sent me, I just wanted justice for my mother, my sister Maggie is with Miranda, we just wanted justice for our mother. The Merlin's are to blame, all of them, including Samantha who everyone thinks is innocent! All of the Merlin's are to blame, my anger is justifiable! My fuckin' father claiming we are family, damn it, those bastards aren't my family, they killed my mother!" Henry shouts in resentment and anger. He exhales and continues, "you know what, you have no right to JUDGE me, I just want revenge, simple, that's why, that is why we all had it mapped out. They have no ounce of guilt nor remorse, listen here dude, if you have loving parents, I don't." He finally concludes. Gurdian gags his mouth and he removes the blindfold from his mouth. Henry's eyes go wide open in shock and he starts shaking on his chair. He is met with dead, dark eyes, emotionless and lifeless. Yet, there is this warm smile on Gurdian's face, its gentle and sweet. Calm and serene. Henry fears his gentleness, he fears his gaze and tries to break free, he fears the warm of his hands and the sweet atmosphere he is radiating. Henry shakes his head in disbelief as he caresses' his face. Gurdian kisses his forehead and moves closer to his ear and says softly, "I'm the JUDGE of today, JUDGE of yesterday & JUDGE of tomorrow, Henry, I love you, that's why I have to let you go, goodbye my love." Henry sees his life flicker before his eyes; so, this was what death felt like, it was peaceful and tranquil. He had only approached Samantha and Mark for revenge, solely because after S & D was at its peak, he would destroy it utterly. Henry would crash their company before crashing Grandma Ada Lu, yet these dreams were not yet achieved. Was a seven- year plan revenge this wasteful? He had only achieved the first goal, still more to go. Death wasn't kind, perhaps Maggie would give up eventually and have a happy life. Oh, how he would see his mother waiting for him to ran into her embrace. Would his father cry and finally seek justice for both of them? Rather not, he would still struggle to seek justice for the Merlin's, forgetting about his own family. What a delightful life he'd lived, life full of revenge and hate, full of planning and strategizing. Perhaps, if he had taken another path, he wouldn't be here watching his cinematic life. He wasn't dying happy nor sad, he was free, no more struggling, no more GUILT, because the JUDGE had already sentenced him!