Criminal Case: Shadows of Qyshin

Sub-Chapter 2: Drive Me to Death

You have to know, sometimes, a smile could hide so many feelings. Ethan, he's included.

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It was June of 2010. Ethan's 10th birthday.

He and his parents were on the road, back to their house in Grimsborough. For your information, Ethan originated from Grimsborough (precisely after TC) but later moved to Nottingham with his mother.

"Today's birthday party was really fun!" Ethan shouted from inside the car.

"Glad you enjoyed it, Ethan." His mother turned her head to the backseat, smiling slightly to her son. "Anything for our honey bear."

Ethan looked so happy.

"Hey, Ethan, pass me the music player." His father said from the driver's seat.

Ethan grabbed the music player beside him, giving it to his father.

It was a memorable thirty minute ride.

It really was.

Ethan's father began to panic all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Ethan's mother turned around.

"I can't stop this car!"

Hearing that, Ethan began to also panic.

"Darling, darling, calm down. Everything will be alright." His mother calmed him down—even though that didn't work.

And boom! Their car crashed into a tree. Thankfully, everyone was okay.

Was.

"Are you alright, Ethan?" His mother turned her head to the backseat, checking her son's condition.

Ethan nodded, even though he felt a little pain in his arm.

"Everyone, out of the car, now!" Ethan's father suddenly shouted, taking off the safety belt, before running out of the car to get Ethan out of it. The mother could also be saved.

"What happened?" The mother asked.

"The brake wasn't functioning properly." The father answered.

"At least everyone's okay. Now come, we need to go home."

"How? We're still pretty far from it."

"I don't know, call a taxi, I guess."

Ethan was still too young to understand the situation, so he just listened to his parents while enduring the pain in his arm.

But...a gunshot.

During the discussion, Ethan's father was suddenly shot. Not fatal, but it did a lot of impact.

"Dad!" Ethan shouted.

His father grunted, holding his wounded shoulder. "It's okay, Ethan. I'm okay."

No, he's not.

And split seconds later, someone appeared behind him. They wore a fully black attire that not even Ethan could see through.

"Back up." They said. "I'm taking him with me and for his sake, do not call the cops on me."

They disappeared along with Ethan's father.

"Dad!" Ethan screamed.

"Darling!" Ethan's mother shouted.

***

"And until now...it still haunts me. I...I never imagined that someone would actually kidnap my father and left me and my mother clueless..."

"Since then, my mother and I decided to move to Nottingham, England. Living a new life, and also looking for my father. But... I had no idea it would be that hard. I kept on hallucinating, hearing voices of my father in my head...as if he's talking to me. He wanted me to...to save him."

"But my mother was too depressed...she...she ended her own life when I was 20, almost five years ago...and now, not only I could hear my father screaming for help... I could also hear my mother calling my name... I... I don't know..."

"Have I...have I...have I gone insane?"