Friday at Midnight (Levi x OC)

22

Tears welled in my eyes as I stood there frozen, unable to move. I stared at Hans' lifeless body. I couldn't move. Is this real? My heart stopped. My hands started to shake. I saw what looked like a bullet wound in his head, dried blood on his face, letters carved into his skin on his neck. The letters read, T.U.M. It looked like a horror movie.

I snapped myself back into reality, my breathing got heavier. My chest felt tight. I quickly called 911, "Please! He's- he's.... dead- help I can't-", I panted through the phone, "Miss, I need you to calm down, who's dead?", the operator asked. "Hans- the book shop on 23rd Street- please hurry- I don't...I can't... Why", I started sobbing, my breathing staggered.

"Please try to stay calm miss, help is on the way, I need you to stay on the phone with me", they said, I tried to calm myself, but it was no use. Panic was taking over, fast. "Is there a weapon anywhere? Are you alone? Are you safe?", they asked, "I'm I don't...I don't know- I- there's a gunshot in his head I think...Oh god there's so much... blood I can't- I need-", I panted.

I heard the sirens pull up outside, I hung up the phone and rushed to the officers sobbing. "Please- he needs... he's I don't know... I help-", I started to hyperventilate. One of the female officers approached me, "Are you hurt? Deep breaths, you're okay", she said calmly, "N-no I'm not hurt- I just-", I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. She helped me coach my breathing, I eventually caught my breath, but tears still poured out my eyes.

I watched the coroner roll out his body in a black bag, "NO!", I sobbed as I watched them roll it into the ambulance. I fell to my knees on the concrete. Hans is gone. Dead. The man who practically raised me these past few years. The old grumpy man that showed me the beauty of literature, books, novels. Knew every detail about me. Always made me smile. He was gone. Why?

My body felt weak as I sat on my bruised knees. My eyes hurt from all the tears. "Miss, we need to ask you a few questions", the police offer said to me, his voice blurry, I could barely hear it. It's like the everything moved in slow motion. The crows of people talking about the crime scene, the sirens from the cars, officers talking to each other.

"Miss", he touched my shoulder, snapping me back into reality. I looked to him, he helped me up. "Can we ask you a few questions?", he asked, I nodded. They asked me about my whole morning, I told them everything, not leaving out a single detail.

"Alright, thank you", he said, "You're going to find who did this right?", I said in a stern tone. "We believe it was a suicide", he said plainly, I looked at him with wide eyes. "Hans wouldn't do that- and what about the carved letters on his neck?", I said, he sighed, "He could've done that, it's a simple case, suicide", he said.

I looked at him as if he were crazy, "Why would he do that to himself? No there's something going on here- someone killed him, and you need to figure out who!", I snapped at him. "I need you to calm down miss", he put his hand up defensively.

I clenched my jaw and glared at him, "Someone did this to him... and you better find out who- or I will", I said sternly before I walked away.

Why the hell was the T.U.M. carved into his neck? Why would someone want to kill Hans? Who did this... and why? Why are the police so quick to call it a suicide? Do they know something I don't? Are they covering this up? Why would they need to in the first place? Hans didn't have nay enemies... no one that wanted to hurt him. So why, why did someone do this?

My phone started to ring, Jean, I answered. "Salem! Are you okay? I saw what happened on the news- I'm so sorry", he said through the phone. His words caused tears to well in my eyes, I sniffled, "I'm okay", my voice cracked, and a tear fell down my flat face. "Thank god, I was so worried something had happened- where are you? I'll come pick you up", he said. I looked around me, "Corner of 23rd and 57th, thank you", "Be there in 5, love you", he said, "Love you", I said before I hung up.