SAVIOUR

Death Pays A Visit

The TV blared heavily. News reports flooding the airwaves as every second passed. Water slowly dripped from the rusted once silver tap, every drop rippling across her eyelids.

Sleep. The most dormant state of death. The gap between the life we live now and the other known as the afterlife. She looked calm, serene. Perhaps dying wasn’t so bad after all. Perhaps maybe one day death could become something people accepted and not feared.

Her mouth hung open loosely like a symbol to the world saying:” I have swallowed the terrors of death and have met a new life”.

Everything seemed perfect. The only disturbance of piece was the TV. He slowly walked over to it and switched it off. He looked back at her. This time, feeling hatred and anger. Where did that small hint of peace go to? It flew off like a dove and was replaced only with crows.

“Koscher… where is Gladia?” his voice was weak, shaky and emotional and echoed throughout the large, finely adorned bathroom he was in. Something was wrong.

“Sir… don’t you remember? She couldn’t come. The last victim distressed her too much.” Koscher said this was his gaze averted from Archer’s bloodshot eyes. This was not a time to piss him off he thought.

Archer swayed slightly in his tall stance. Sitting on the edge of the luxurious toilet seat trying not to look back into the sink where her head lay, and the bloody ground where her body lay.

 “Sir, if you want I can handle this with Lance. We’ll work with the research team and figure it out. You need to get some rest Sir.” Koscher looked Archer in his eyes for the first time in days “Sir, it’s okay to be sca-“

A loud crash, pain and a small whimper.

“Shut the fuck up! Shut the fuck up Koscher!” Spit spewed from Archer’s mouth as he screamed at Koscher, his arm barred against his chest and his whole weight pressed against Koscher’s body as he held him against the richly patterned bathroom wall.

Koscher struggled to breathe with Archer’s large body against his but decided to hold out. Choking he strained to say something.

“Sir… I- I didn’t – mean to offend you,” his breath was beginning to shorten more. Is he going to kill me he though light-headedly. “I’m sorry sir” Archer let out a remorseful sigh and let go of Koscher. Koscher slumped to the ground, barking to regain his breath.

“The police will be back in here any second. We need to analyze the victim before they mess up the scene.” Archer should have said sorry but Koscher knew better than to point that out. Koscher rubbed his throat and gasped for air one more time.

“Well sir, there’s not much to analyze… The victim’s been beheaded. And like the previous 4 cases, her heart is missing and on her face the word hate is engraved and on the rest of her body is the word love. Her name is Victoria Serity. The wife of Peter Serity; Global Minister of Gospel.” Koscher stopped in his sentence to look up at Archer.

“I’m guessing that Peter is missing isn’t he.” Archer’s voice was empty, cold; he didn’t even have to ask. He knew Peter was missing, in fact that was about all he knew right now. Over the past two weeks everything was a rush, a tornado of lost thoughts, theories, blood, autopsies, severed bodies, missing people, confusion and an ever present reminder of the death threat he had received.

“You’re next Archer.”  Two weeks ago. At the scene of the first victim. Bianca Vettori.  4 people missing. Gone, nowhere to be found. No proof, no trails and absolutely nothing to go  on. Why am I not dead? he thought. The note said “next”, 4 people have passed since. What is going on?