'Hurry! Hurry! I have to hurry!' thought Edgar. As of this moment, he was in a mad dash towards the school. Clarissa was dead, and Inuwa would likely follow suit if he didn't reunite with him in time. Somehow, this killer had gotten away with killing a student.
'But what are the chances Inuwa's already been sent to the Hospital?' What would he do then? It's already late and going to the school– a public building in the dead of night was extremely risky. However, that had to wait. There were no guarantees that Inuwa was in the hospital. Therefore, Edgar needed to confirm Inuwa's whereabouts.
As a result, the plan had changed to fit this new dimension. First, he'd locate Inuwa and confirm his whereabouts. Then, he'd call friends and relatives to warn them about the killings. Then, he'd make sure to call emergency services. Clarissa was dead now; it was up to him to be responsible for everyone now (not like he hasn't played such a role before).
Finally, he had arrived at the school gates. He had never been to the school at night before. As such, he was slightly unnerved by how gothic the school looked.
The gate had long vertical spikes adorning every appendage and the dark green colour assimilating into the black of the night. The only way one could comfortably discern that it was a school building would be the rather menial but isolated yellow light emanating from one of the rooms.
'That must be Inuwa's room.' Edgar thought.
Now what he needed to do next was figure out how to enter the gate. He couldn't climb over, otherwise he'd risk getting impaled by the spikes of the gate. There, he was at a loss. With that realisation, he decided to run around the school building looking for any sort of entrance or opening. Nothing. The school was surrounded by a gate around its entirety. It was like a medieval castle surrounded by a moat. Who on earth would design a school like that?
Shaking his head, he trudged back to the entrance point and sighed. He scanned his environs, looking for everything and anything that could aid him in his time of need. Yet, even the night decided to ignore him, no longer whistling with purpose. He remembered his time with Clarissa and Inuwa, walking to the school. By walking through this gate, he had guaranteed himself countless warm memories and bonds. That was why he would pass this gate and seek to perpetuate them.
He clenched his fist. The memories broke through like water against a dam. To his left, memories of teasing and playing with his friends. To the right, memories of walking to school and running before the bell rang. There was also a rather large tree to the right, with many protrusions and branches. It had been there for as long as he could remember, so it was likely to be pretty stable–
"That's it!"
Clambering excitedly, Edgar climbed up the tree. It barely towered above the gate. If he wanted to avoid injuries, he would have to take off his blazer and cover his backside with it. The branches were thick and rather strong, so he had plenty of time to jump off. Doing so, he landed squarely on his feet and nimbly ran towards the entrance.
For some reason, the cameras at the front of the school seemed to be deactivated. However, that was likely to be the result of how late it was. Finally, without trepidation, he entered the building.
It was completely pitch black. The only thing aiding him with his search was the piercing luminescence of the night. Within the protection of the dark, Edgar decided that he'd call the police here. He told them that a break-in had occurred near the school and that they should be on high alert.
With that settled, he trudged through the empty school. It was rather unnatural for a school to be quiet, he thought. A building where so many people gathered to spend 8-10 hours was rather hard to imagine as empty.
There were no leftover teachers, who would be preparing for the forthcoming day; there were no students, likely all resting at home. In fact, there was a distinct lack of security with deactivated cameras and guards. It felt like all the people who were supposed to be here had been taken. Or at the very least, removed.
Finally, Edgar had found the source of the light– and just as he predicted, there rested Inuwa. Alone.
His breaths were shallow and strained. It looked like it took a great deal of effort just to survive for the poor boy. Yet, the contours of his face betrayed that idea. For Inuwa had never looked to be so at peace. Edgar thought. Here Inuwa was, alone but safe. He was safe. That reassured him; he was still alive. There was nothing to be worried about anymore. Since he'd gone and confirmed it. Safe. He was safe. Edgar smiled.
But there were still things to make sure of. He was unsure why Inuwa hadn't been transmitted to the hospital yet; the boy had sustained an injury that could've killed him due to the blood loss. It was a miracle in and of itself that he had survived and that the wounds seemed to be healing.
However, he had to ensure that Inuwa remained safe. As such, opening his phone, he dialled Anyasu– the most reliable person he knew. It rang for a few seconds before it was picked up.
"Yo! Edgar, what's up?"
"Hello."
"Wow, cold as always! Well, what did you need to call for?"
Edgar decided to ask an obvious question about Inuwa's whereabouts. By doing this, he could ascertain how much Anyasu already knew and use it to piece together a bigger picture.
"Do you know where Inuwa is?" he asked.
"Yeah," Anyasu replied. For a second, Edgar let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. But his hopes were dashed by what followed: "I was told that he'd be over at Clarissa's for the night."
It appeared he didn't know anything about what was going on.
"But Anyasu… Inuwa's still at the school." Edgar replied.
"What?!" Anyasu replied, outraged. "But…! The doctor told me that Inuwa was going home with Clarissa!"
Since they reached double digits, Inuwa and Clarissa had often visited each other's homes to play games. As such, to Anyasu it was more of a common occurrence that he'd visit.
"What do you mean by doctor? We don't have a doctor; we have a nurse."
Then that raises the question–
"Who was the doctor?"
"Who was that doctor?"
The pair said at the same time. Immediately, Edgar sprang into action.
"Anyasu! Call Larkins and Davee! Tell them to meet at the school. You can get inside by climbing the tree!"
"Edgar! Make sure Inuwa remains safe until we get there! Do what you must! Protect him at all costs! We'll then carry him back home."
"Why can't I carry him now?"
"We can't risk his wounds re-opening! Now hurry!"
At that moment, Edgar cut the call. He was beginning to feel tired. He had spent an entire day panicking and being frenetic, and now it had begun to catch up with him. Therefore, he steeled himself for what would happen next. He couldn't keep watch of Inuwa for long without becoming tired. He also needed to be acutely aware of his surroundings.
There was only one solution he could think of that would allow him and Inuwa to remain safe that night. Adrenaline. Opening the medicine cabinets, he spotted it. It was an EpiPen. The tool that would save both his and Inuwa's lives.
Without hesitation, he directed it towards his thigh vein. Then, he slowly reared his arm. Then, in a flash, he punched his thigh with it. The contents flowed into him seamlessly. The effect was instant.
He could feel his heart pounding against his chest like a jackhammer. The room tilted like he was in the middle of an episode, then suddenly everything became clear. Clearer than they'd been just moments before. That lingering fuzziness had seemingly disappeared. Replacing that fuzziness was an all-powerful clarity. However, that clarity wasn't a gift. Every vibration, every creak, every change in the atmosphere and the room around him was picked up. He was aware of everything. And perhaps, that scared him more than being aware of nothing.
Then, snapping himself out of that spiralling array of thought, he decided to go outside. He needed fresh air. A place to breathe. At least outside he wasn't confined. He could run. Recklessly, he charged through the hallways. Knocking chairs, tables, laptops, bottles, shoes and flower jars. Outside was the only answer; outside was the place he needed to be. He couldn't take it anymore. The claustrophobic, suffocating, isolating feeling of school.
Sure, his friends would be arriving soon. But that was soon. This is now. And what if they didn't arrive? What if he met someone who wasn't his friend? What if he was killed, stabbed through the head and left to bleed out on the ground? What would happen then? Breathe. Breathe. The adrenaline was a horrible idea. He needed to keep breathing. In and out. In and out. Keep doing that.
His shoulders heaved as if he were lifting duffel bags full of dumbbells. His eyes flickered, scanning his environs less like a human and more akin to that of an advanced camera. Capturing movement, frame by frame.
Clarissa didn't deserve to die. The only way someone of her calibre could've been killed would've been through trickery and deceit. She was naive after all. That's why he wouldn't let himself be tricked. He wouldn't end up like her. He couldn't. He needed to live, and therefore, he'd use her death to any means. It didn't matter how horrible it made him; he had to survive.
His breathing had begun to calm down.
His eyes scanned his environs lazily.
"It's rather chilly tonight."
Only now did he notice how cold it was. He started doing jumping jacks to warm up. It was still summer, yet he was freezing. How juxtaposing. He thought, slightly amused.