Faceless Instincts

Diary of the Dead

I had devoured a good fraction of my night reading Dorian's letters to his mother and one to his brother. I wondered why those letters were still with him, however, the answer to this question came barreling down on me as I realised how hopeless Dorian had grown, he probably didn't even think that sending a letter would make a change.

After charring my eyes for hours I fell asleep only to wake up around three when my phone started to ring. I picked it up and Tanner's voice hit my ears.

"It's three, Tanner" I mumbled.

"Listen to me carefully"

The urgency in his voice alerted me, "what happened?"

"We just got a call from Nikolai" his words worked like a lethal dart.

"what are you saying?" I could scarcely whisper, I dreaded the thought of Nikolai finding of my instinctive quests in Goldbridge.

"He didn't call on your phone because he didn't want to disturb you, which I found sweet, but also aggravating because he disturbed me." He sighed,

"Tanner, skip to the point" I scolded

"Yeah, Nikolai said that the police was able to track down that boy who was seen leaving Eva's home that night"

My heart stopped, "and?"

"He was staying at one of his relative's houses, can you imagine how stupid is that" He deviated again, "Tanner" I spoke through my teeth, "Also that you need to be on alert now," he continued.

"Why?"

"He said that he was found to be in contact with Amy within last month range"

The blood drained as my hands turned icy-cold, "you don't mean?"

"Nothing is proven, but as much as it doesn't prove anything about Amy's involvement in all of this doesn't mean she's clean"

I was practically gaping at the information that had just been instilled in my mind, "Kiara" Tanner's voice turned soft.

"Though Nikolai just called to inform, we too want you to be safe, if Amy is anywhere related to this and if she belongs from Goldbridge then there's a good chance that she could be there."

"I mean we don't know but, yeah you are right"

"Yeah, I know but being on guard won't hurt" he paused for a moment "I was thinking something"

"Yeah?"

"Just to be on the safe side, maybe don't tell anyone about your purpose of visiting while you are asking people around and trying to find whatever you think you want to find."

I pondered over his words for a second and then mumbled a yes in answer. He was right, if I am going to do this I needed to do this with a proper strategy and a plan.

"I'll do it."

"And Kiara?" He paused, "be careful"

"I will"

After the call I settled back in my seat, the train had stopped at the station and I checked the schedule, with 15 minutes in my hands, I decided to step down and buy something to eat. The station was relatively desolate and not a lot of people were getting on the train. I made my way to a food vendor and ordered myself a box of chicken noodles and waited for him to mix it up.

"Where ya' headin'? He asked as he dropped noodles in the water.

"Goldbridge," I said sitting on a narrow bench

He gave me a half-moon smile, "Goldbridge,  vacation?"

"No," I was about to tell him that I am going because I need to find someone but Tanner's words came back to my mind, "on business" although, I forthwith realised that lying to this man wasn't necessary, "have you been there?" I asked.

"Plenty o' times"

"It's a good place?"

"For a holiday? Yes. To live? Na"

"Why is that?"

He shrugged as he placed food In the box, "I will not paint a picture, or carve an image" he said as he handed me the food, " 'tis just that, not all beautiful places have nicest people" coming from a total stranger who had nothing to do with my life, the words felt eerily odd. I took a hold of the box and paid him before coming back.

I sat in my seat and watched the vendor as he went on to do his work. When the first whistle blew and the train shifted a little I glanced at him again only to find him staring back at me, a paranoia settled inside of me, my eyes fixed on him and I couldn't look away. By the time the train picked up speed and my window was about to pass his stall I watched him glance at me with a  sinister smile and pull his phone towards his ear.

I knew I was just being paranoid and that there was no requirement for being so alarmed over something like this, but all the talks and events of the recent past had taken a toll on my mind. Despite the knowledge of everything being normal, I couldn't ease the apprehensive feeling rising in my heart.

I didn't eat the food, I wasn't sure if I wanted to eat anything that man cooked. However, as I watched the darkness pass me through the window, I opened Dorian's diary again and started reading. Luckily or unluckily his entries were heavily irregular. There was a time when he didn't make any of it for two years straight.

I found some entries that were dated to last year, I wondered if he made them while he knew me, or if they were for me.

There were only three entries from last year October till this year June. I turned the page and found the entries to be immensely progressive. Entries alone showed the rapid development in his life. If one was supposed to draw a graph of his life for the last year it would be a perfect triangle. It was clear how he went from low to high and then down the graph.

I read the entries and my heart felt like it was burning. I closed the diary and kept it back in the bag. The last entry churned my heart and a sense of dread crawled up as I realised the truth, if he did what he did then it wasn't sudden. He knew he was going to give up.

While I was wallowing in my grief something struck my mind. The letter.

How come Amy gave me that letter if Dorian had passed away six months ago?