The Bounty

Six

Just as I was beginning to lose control over the monster my phone rang making me jump.
I answered the phone and turned my back to Alex. I kept my head down so he couldn’t see my yellow eyes.
It was the hospital. “Miss Lydia?” The woman asked. I didn’t give them my last name so they only knew my mom’s last name. I had her maiden name.
“Yes, this is she. Is this about my mom? Is she okay?” My mind was racing. The hospital didn’t call me unless it was an emergency.
“Yes. I am so sorry to inform you that you mother had just passed away a few moments ago. She had a seizure. I am so sorry for your loss.” The woman’s voice sounded robotic and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a robot.
I could feel a warm tear sliding down my cheek. My eyes burned and I knew the monster wasn’t gone yet. “How did this happen?” I asked more to myself that to the woman.
“If you are not busy, would you please come to the hospital to collect you mother’s personal belongings. We can have someone there who can help with the funeral arrangements.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I know exactly what my mom wanted.” I angrily wiped the tear and ended the call.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Alex asked behind me.
I pushed past him without him seeing my eyes. “I have to get to the hospital.”
“Why? Should I come with you?” He followed me into the room and I had to start controlling my emotions before he saw the monster.
I took a few deep breaths as I grabbed a coat and boots. “No,” I said calmly. “You have to stay here and rest, okay?”
My eyes stopped burning and I dared to look into his eyes where I only found confusion. For some reason he just sat on the bed and let me go.
At first I was worried that he might have seen the monster but when there was no fear mixed with the confusion in his eyes, I felt relieved. Grabbing my backpack, I left Alex and the apartment.
I almost had an accident or two on my way to the hospital and I had to calm myself and use my strength to keep the motorcycle upright.
When I entered the hospital my mother’s doctor, Doctor Warren was waiting for me in the reception of the hospital. When I approached him he said, “We were not sure whether you would have wanted to see her one last time before her body was removed.”
I did want to see her. “Okay, thank you.”
The doctor led me to her room and waited in the hall when I went in. The first thing I saw was the dead monitor. I always checked the monitor when I came in here because it told me how my mom was. She looked peaceful which set my heart at ease but only a little. I took her hairbrush from her bedside table and combed her greying black hair neatly. As I braided it I started telling her the story. “Mom, I’m not sure if you can hear me, but if you can… you deserve an explanation. When you got sick, we lost a lot of money. You had hospital bill after hospital bill to pay. I wanted to leave school but you insisted that things will turn out all right. You always believed in a silver lining.” I wiped at the tears rolling over my cheeks.
“I got a job to help pay the bills, but by that time we were drowning in debt. You started getting sicker and the bills only kept getting worse. I finished high school and after that I was supposed to get a real job, but for some reason every time they saw the amount of debt we were in, I got declined. I had just about given up when a man named Miller approached me. He told me that he was a lawyer and that he could offer me a job. I was ready to decline, already knowing that he wouldn’t hire me. It wasn’t until we were in his office when I understood what kind of job he had for me.” I took a deep breath.
“You see, we had lost the house and everything by then and I was practically living on the streets. Miller gave me a picture of a man. A murderer. He had killed more than twelve children. He was a really bad man who deserved to rot in hell. Miller told me that if I killed this man he would give me half a million dollar. That was more than I would make in a few years. I was desperate and I took the job. With the monster in me it would be easy and the man wasn’t even that strong. I thought killing someone would haunt me for ever, but it was too easy and I was too emotionless.
“After I received the payment Miller introduced me to Shaw. He told me that they could give me a permanent job. I was hesitant to take the job at first, but it was an easy job that paid well so I took it. Shaw gave me the next few targets. Mom, I’ve killed seven people by now. I really am nothing better that the people I assassinate.” My whole body shook wildly as I cried.
I sat down on the chair next to her bed and took her cold, lifeless hand. “Mom, please forgive me for what I’ve done and for never telling you about it.”
I wiped my face. “I love you, mom.”
When my emotions and breathing was under control again I opened the door so Doctor Warren could come in. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Lydia.”
I managed a smile and started gathering her things. “Thank you.”
“You know,” Doctor Warren said. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you deserve to know. Before your mom died she showed signs of response.”
My eyes went wild. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“We were going to but we didn’t want to give you false hope. Then this morning she had a visitor and seconds after he left she passed away. I don’t want accuse the visitor of anything, though.”
“Who was the visitor?” I was desperate for information. My mom didn’t have anyone other than me.
“We are not allowed to tell you.”
“What? This man could have killed my mother or he could have been the last person to see her!” I roared.
“Maybe you could check the book where he signed in.” The doctor said and left the room.
I’ve gathered all of my mother’s belongings and I was just about to leave the room when something caught my eye. There was red plastic rosebud on the bed by my mom’s feet. I took it and examined it. It seemed like a normal plastic rose but something about it gave me chills. The rose must have been left by the last person who saw her.
When I signed out, I checked the book. There was nothing familiar about the people who checked in and out. On name caught my eye just as I was about to close the book. X. Nothing more, just X. X checked just before my mom’s time of death.
It was just a hunch, but it could lead to something.