Echoes

24 Hours left - Morning

I woke up to find my apartment empty, the desolate silence making my ears ring and I felt tears sting my eyes. I figured Matt wouldn't come over like usual, but part of me hoped he would, hoped that even for a short while, life would go back to normal. I had lost all but one line on my wrist, signifying the last twenty-four hours I had before my fateful run in with the killer. The single line was a mocking representation of my current state. I was completely alone, my one and only friend might be gone forever, and I had less than twenty-four hours to make amends; or at the very least see him one more time. Spurred into action at the thought I race out of my apartment and head towards the police station. It was late in the morning, nearly noon already so he must be at work. I ran down the sidewalk, dodging past people in my desperate race to some kind of redemption. Once I arrive at the homicide building, I yank open the doors and walk to the front desk. The receptionist looking up at me in shock as I collapse onto the counter, heaving.

"Where is detective Hanniks desk?" I ask her between gasps.

"Two doors down that way, you'll see the name plate on his desk." She points down the hallway to my left.

I give her a nod in thanks and follow her directions, entering a medium sized room with five desks situated throughout. The room was a dull gray, with only the desks and overfilling file cabinets for furniture. I look around, scanning the various name plates until I find Matts. Empty, Matt wasn't here. Pain stabs through my chest and I close my eyes for a second. Maybe he was on a break, or possibly in the evidence warehouse, I think to myself. I open my eyes and walk to the closest detective.

"Excuse me." He looks up from his computer with a confused look. "Where is detective Hannik?"

He scoffs. "The newbie took stakeout duty, volunteered for it even. The fool."

"What does that mean?" I must have looked as lost as I felt because he spun his chair towards me.

"In short, it means long hours of doing nothing stuck in a car with your teammate, sort of like the movies, I guess; But not at the same time."

"When will he get back?" I knew the answer, but I still wanted to ask, the hope inside me dwindling like a flame in water.

"Probably tomorrow morning. The shifts last long but he was desperate to volunteer so the guys will keep him out there as long as they can." He rolls his eyes. "No one likes an overachiever."

I stood there staring at the man as he continued talking, but his voice faded away as I went numb, the cold spreading through my body like a current. I turned away and walked to Matts desk, dropping myself into the chair. The desk was covered in personal items and documents, and I smile. It was the perfect embodiment of Matt, overly sentimental. He had two photos framing the computer screen, one of us at the coast and one with his mom at Christmas, and in the middle, he placed the plushie I had made during court ordered therapy. I choked out a laugh and reached for it, the once bright red now a dull magenta from years of dirt and grime. It was supposed to be a ladybug, but it came out looking like an Angry Bird more than anything. As I looked over his belongings, I saw our entire lives spread out through the knickknacks. The small keychain from his first car, a small empty bottle of liquor from the one time he was brave enough to steal something; and the fake badge I made him when we were children after he decided he wanted to be a cop. I take a deep breath and stare at our photo, melancholy making me suddenly tired. I didn't know what would happen next, but I knew I didn't want to leave without saying anything. So, I grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen and began writing. I poured out everything, my thoughts, my regrets, and my wishes. At the bottom I hesitated, just for a second, before writing a final goodbye. I felt a tear fall down my cheek and I wiped it away quickly. I wouldn't break down now, not when we were so close. I left the note under the plushie and left the building, taking my time walking back home. Breathing in the fresh air, soaking in the sun, trying to absorb all the sensations I could. I walk past the neighborhood park and decide to take a detour, stopping to sit on one of the benches to people watch. It wasn't long before a dark figure sat down next to me. We sat there quietly for a while before I broke the silence.

"Hello, Damien." I look over and smile at the young man I had ran into yesterday. "Long time no see."

He looks over at me, his eyes full of hatred, and snarls. "Don't act like we are friends."

I toss my head back and laugh. "Of course not, my mistake." He doesn't respond, turning back towards the people milling about. I look at him and I could see the striking resemblance to his older sister, Annabelle. They shared the same nose, the high cheekbones, but the most haunting was that he had her eyes, when he glared at me it was as if she was alive again. I smirk and look away, thinking back to when I first met him. I wasn't allowed around the victim's family much after it happened, but I still remember the devastated screams when he learned of his sister's death. You could feel his pain carried through the halls, echoing through the building like haunting wail of a banshee. After a while I couldn't stand the sound anymore, so I ran around the place trying to find the source only to find him sobbing in the corner of a dark room. I didn't know what to do when I found him like that, instead finding myself suddenly overwhelmed by my own grief and fear of the situation. I broke down in tears and collapsed next to him, grieving together until his mother found him. I shake off the feeling of nostalgia and focus on enjoying the time I had left, reveling in the momentary peace. The wound of possibly losing Matt was still raw, and he was alive, I couldn't imagine how bad it would be if he was gone forever. I would want everyone responsible to feel that same searing pain. Therefore, I couldn't fault him in what he was doing, so I sat there, quietly enjoying the company of the man that would eventually kill me.

Next part - Sept 21st