Footsteps in the Night

Chapter 6

I am furious. Angrier than I ever have been in my life. Then, I remember that he killed my family. That they are dead because of him.

And I am scared. 

I am terrified. 

Because he knows me just like I know him. 

I start to shake. I am so scared.

This is not the fake fear you get from going down a zip line or jumping off the high dive. This is real fear, the type that makes you want to get down on your knees and pray "Please, please let me live. Oh dear God, let me live."

He introduces himself as Mr. Akeldama. 

I type the name "Akeldama" into my Chromebook to see if he has any record of crimes. 

Unable to find anything crime-related, I click on a link about name meanings.

Akeldama means "field of blood".

How fitting.

I am still shaking. James wants to know if I'm okay. 

I whisper "That's him. The man who killed my family."

James' eyes go dark. Darker than I have ever seen them. He looks dangerous, angry, bestial. 

"Are you sure?" he whispers back. 

"Yes, but... don't do anything." I murmur. "Don't get hurt."

He blinks and looks at me. "I won't."

Mr. Akeldama takes role. He pauses when he comes to my name. 

"Lila?" he calls. "Lila, are you here?" He says my name slowly, tasting it. "Li-la, Li-la."

"Here." I say, not looking at him. "I'm here."

"Wonderful... Wonderful..." he says. He looks directly into my eyes and I see my father's, brother's and mother's deaths. His eyes. So dark. They make me think of dark tunnels. Empty. Cold. Deadly. 

Suddenly, my vision goes blurry, black at the edges. I am brought back to the night when I saw him in my house. I relive my family's deaths.

Somehow, through the vision, I see his smiling face. Grinning. Sharp teeth. His eyes boring into my soul. 

"Lila! Lila! Are you alright? Lila! Can you hear me?"

I snap out of my reverie. James is calling my name frantically. My classmates are staring. Mr Akeldama is at my side.

I didn't see him get there. 

His hand is on my shoulder. 

"NO!" I scream. "Don't touch me! Don't come near me! I know who you are! You... you did this to me! It's your fault. DON'T EVER COME NEAR ME AGAIN!" I stop, chest heaving. Mr. Akeldama has backed away, "concern" in his dark eyes. Someone snickers. People laugh. James puts his arm around me and looks at those giggling with disgust. 

"You need some air." he says. 

"Yes..." I croak. "Air, yes, ummm... air. Right."

He takes me outside and sits me down on a wooden bench by our classroom. 

James speaks quietly. "Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Calm down. Calm. Breathe. It's okay." 

I obey and begin to feel a bit better. 

Mr. Akeldama comes outside and tells James to go in. 

"I need to speak with her alone." 

James looks at me and I nod, shakily.

Mr. Akeldama talks about my outburst. 

"I don't know you, Lila. I've never met you befo-!"

"Stop." I interrupt him. "I know that you know who I am. You killed my family. I know it was you. I SAW YOUR FACE." I am shouting again. "Don't you dare try to get out of this! This is ALL your fault! You are-!"

"Stop. You do not know what you are talking about. I understand that you have been through a dreadful ordeal, but that does not give you license to act this way." 

It is not the statement he makes that unnerves me, rather then the note of fear in his voice. 

He killed my family. 

He killed my mother, who wanted to go to Hawaii this year.

He killed my father, who wanted to go sailing. 

He killed my brother, who wanted to design airplanees and NEVER GOT THE CHANCE.

Because HE killed them. 

Fear leaves my body and my mind to be replaced with anger. 

"I know it was you. I saw your face." I say, my voice low, deadly. 

Then, he confesses.

"But you can't prove it." he spits. 

I gasp, my eyes widening with realization. 

But, what he doesn't know is that I can prove it.