REMI HOOD

Chapter 36

Remi

I stare at my reflection on the mirror in my bathroom. I have exactly thirty minutes till I have to go to the airport, I don't bother packing any bags since I'm not going to Florida to stay, just to find the truth. I'm not wearing any make-up, looking like shit. My throat tightens and gut-wrenching sobs tears through my chest. I fall to the floor in a disheveled heap, my grief pouring out. Ugly foreign sounds come out of me as I pull my hair into my hands. Snot runs down my nose into my mouth but I don't care. My body is wracking and shaking from an onslaught of sobs and tears that won't stop from falling. I scream out loud to myself, my chin trembling. My cries haunt the bathroom walls and I sit on the floor, crying my eyes out.

Minutes by minutes passes by as I cry, full of mixed emotions. Trembling, I try to stand up but I trip on my own feet and my mouth hits the corner of the sink.I moan in pain and I stand up to see blood flowing out of a cut on my lips, mixing with my snot and the salt from my tears. I violently wipe at my lips with my broken hand, staining the cast on my hand with bright blood. I try to wipe away the tears with my other hand.

Why am I even crying?

I breath slowly, in and out for a few seconds. I splash my face with water a couple of times and I nod my head at my reflection, determined.

I'm going to meet mom after 19 years....

Should I be happy when I see her? Or should I be mad at her for pretending to be dead?

What if she doesn't want to see me? Maybe that's why she never came back...

No! It doesn't matter if she wants to see me or not.

I just have to know the truth.

Nothing is going to stop me from finding the truth.

I'm so sorry Will and Finn.

I have to go to her before dad does.

My mind swirls with thoughts but I try my best to block them. I get out of the bathroom and I check the time, about twenty minutes till I have to leave, which means I had a mental breakdown for ten minutes. I now have full control of myself and I mentally promise myself not to break. I remember Finn's Ted Talk.

"You need to fall apart to pick up the broken pieces to make yourself stronger."

I smile at the memory of us dancing in the hospital room, one of my best memories.

"Just don't ever lose yourself to sorrow Remi, always find yourself and fight back."

His words play in my mind.

"You'll be okay Remi, you're stronger than you know."

I nod, agreeing with Finn's voice inside my head.

I'll be okay.

I pay for the taxi that had dropped me off at the airport. It's 5 AM and Will has not texted me yet. After I told him the truth, he always texts me goodnight after he's done with his detective work back at Malé. I guess since he's back here, he's more busy.

He's probably still doing detective stuff...

After an hour or so, I manage to board the plane. To my dismay, I don't get the window seat and I instead get a middle seat, between a baby and his mom and what looks like a businessman. The baby starts to cry and I get this feeling that he's not going to stop for the rest of the flight.

Great.

Will

I yawn, stretching my arms, back at headquarters. Gem and Finn are looking like zombies next to me and I'm sure I look the same. After we questioned all the witnesses of all eight dead bodies, all of them were slit across the throat and stabbed multiple times on the back. We had waited until the forensic results came back in and just as I thought, there was no evidence that points to anyone. The only thing the forensics had gotten from the bodies is that all of them were drugged by a drug that could cause a person not to move any muscle but feel pain, that's why none of the bodies had any defense wounds. The serial killer had wanted the women to be vulnerable.