SPLATTER (draft)

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When these killings became serial, Channing knew it would have been selfish of her to expect her husband home every night. Sure she figured it would only make sense that as her husband was a beat cop, but more two deaths meant all hands on deck she supposed. If she understood correctly, beat cops like John and Casey were just supposed to look for suspicious activity and be somewhat visible so that the public felt as safe as she did sleeping next to John every night. She knew that she'd married a pillar of their community, he'd never be completely hers, someone would always need him and she had accepted that when she had yes to the proposal six years ago last week. Channing wasn't the den mother type, but no one would be sure meeting her after this name change. John's reputation didn't mean all that much to him because he didn't seem to notice it. Channing noticed almost immediately after they started dating, people genuinely surprised that they were working, maybe because John was a good Catholic and Channing barely paid religion any lip service before she married him. John had this since of duty to the people of Cedar City and his concept of God. A good wife made peace with both if she loved her husband. And Channing loved her husband, so if he didn't come home for a couple of days, she hadn't a thing to worry about, he was just being a local superhero. Superheroes always came home.

The hero always comes home. Hamtaro ran away to join the hamster circus. Daddy isn't Santa Claus. Just a few of the simple lies a mother might tell her baby to get them through the common uncertainties of childhood. Object permanence was an infant's thing to learn, babies didn't understand things didn't stop existing if you didn't see them. Of course adults could still delude themselves if the information was unpleasant enough. If Channing didn't see the body then John couldn't be gone. When her precinct family had come by to ask her if she'd come down to check an identification, she'd outright refused. Just because she hadn't seen John in a few days... They didn't know what they were talking about. They were working with John to try pranking her for their anniversary, yes that had to be it...they were playing some sick precinct joke. But seriously who has that kind of sense of humor? No one, and John would never lie to her. Lying to Jonah, that was something a good parent did when to protect their baby. The lie she'd told Jonah the day that came to see her affixed itself to her tongue for the rest of that week.

The sudden passing of one's soulmate affects different people differently. For the wife of the late Officer John Rodgers it had taken the form of catatonia. She had just been lucky that there had been leftover tuna in the fridge, she always kept crackers where Jonah could reach them so all she had to do was manage to scoop tuna into a bowl to feed their toddler. Even those movements had been exhaustive and effortfull, Channing tried to feed herself and she sliced a whole into her hand and didn't know until her breakfast tasted faintly of rusty coins. She couldn't find her first aide kit that day, not the she'd been looking. The house phone rang and it was Reynolds...all she'd been able to say the same thing she'd told her little boy when asked where his Daddy was because he'd thought he'd seen his uncle Casey, "Daddy's at work baby, he'll be home soon." Her voice had been toneless, Reynolds had to know something was very wrong with her, because that had been her answer for every question. He had the forethought to come by and check on her and family arrived later that day. Her family was grateful.... Channing wasn't able to process things at that time.

It's funny how triggers happen after a traumatic event. Channing hadn't moved from her widow's bed once since her older brother lifted her into it and tucked her in somewhat. Her body was too heavy to move, just recovering from going to the restroom took a two hour nap. It was hard to be sure she was even in the house. The usually boisterous woman who always had at least three guest at her dinner table, was almost completely mute now and not taking any non-blood relatives. Her mother had not wanted to force her grieving child to do anything she didn't want to be, but she hadn't touch a tub in almost a week now. The behavior didn't make sense, Channing was avoid their master bathroom. What her family didn't understand... Was that place, their martial shower, was the last place things had been normal in her life. That Saturday morning, it had been their last place together. The last place they'd made love. The widow couldn't bring herself to allow anyone in the en suite. No that was their last perfect place she wasn't going have the memory tarnished or washed away. That's why her family had unplugged on of the televisions and cancelled her newspaper subscription.

Her mother made one more impassioned plea to get Channing out of the house yesterday, "Channing, amoure... li pa gen yo dwe isit la, men bezwen nan omwen pran yon beny. Mwen te pwomèt ou pral santi pi byen. Lè w soti nan kay la ap bon pou ou pou ou. Jan bezwen ou prezante pou Jonas... Se konsa eseye jis ale deyò epi yo jis jwenn kèk lè fre omwen." Channing didn't understand why she need to waste time with shower when she wasn't trying to leave the house ever again. How the hell would washing some cleanse her broken spirit. What did her mother suddenly believe in the value of baptism suddenly too? Channing could not think of a single thing worth doing with the whole city or edge like this? The Theater was probably not even reopened yet. What was she supposed to do? Go to the insurance office? Embarrass her husband's memory by going on Channel Five and pleading with this psycho to turn himself in? Yes, she knew that John would have wanted her to be there for their Jonah, but why did she have to be that one for him if they were here now? Couldn't she just sleep more, it wasn't hurting anyone. The Rodgers' had a shower chair for just in case an elder was visiting. Channing's mother and sister had picked her up and placed her in this chair in the guest washroom. She'd be wearing a one piece all week, it was nothing for anyone to pull down, but Channing was barely able to sit up straight. Those words echoed in her head now, "Pa fè nou yo menm ki fè sa, li se endiy!" Channing didn't understand in that moment why she needed to be dignified if she was expected to suddenly live without the love of her life? She had no memory of exactly how she got clean but she felt pounds lighter...

Channing was proud of herself for just getting dressed fully this morning. She had managed to get herself all the way downtown to the office where another victim of this barely human monster happened work. She knew the name because the beautiful woman had been a person of interest when this madness first began. Channing couldn't help having the sexist mindset that these gruesome crimes were just too messy to committed by a woman. She had seen her at the reception desk on her way to suite where an event planner worked. Why did Channing need an event planner? If she was going to give her hero a fitting farewell, the she'd have to have the wake somewhere big. She didn't want the whole of the Cider City Police force on her front lawn this weekend. What if this sicko had changed his M.O. and was now exclusively targeting law enforcement now?

She didn't want her Precinct family in danger since they were all she had here now that John was gone. It wasn't like Channing had any friends of her own, everyone that visited was a part of John's life. Channing as much as she tried to deny it, she didn't have roots in this city like John did, what reason did she have to stay here without him? Did Jonah count? He was three, he'd not remember Cedar City, she could go home to the Bayou, Jonah'd have cousins galore to play with. It would be better. It could be perfect except... Cedar City felt of John, everywhere she turned there was a memory with John. Would she be depriving Jonah of something if she left the City with him?

Channing was should have made an appointment, the event planner wasn't in. The mother had gone out of her way to not look a mess outfit wise, but she couldn't be fussed to think about make-up or blending her skin to match itself. She couldn't be fussed with much, skipping a jacket because he'd chosen a sweater-dress. Standing for a moment at the door of the event planner she sent a text to the immediate family, the Officers she saw most often..

To: Casey, Benny, Easter, Aaron, Mason
From: Channing Rodgers
Message: Thank y'all for... I am sorry if I scared anyone, I... I think I need more time..

The sounds of sirens outside actually made her jump a bit. Channing accidentally hit send on her message in her twitch. She hoped it was just a stupid car chase and nothing to with the monster. Channing wasn't sure if it were legal to ask how the case was going. All she knew for she was grateful that John had decided to put his DNA on file, she hadn't been trying to listen, but from the details that she had overheard, ensuring it was him would have been next to impossible. Why did she have to let herself think about this?

She found herself walking up to the reception desk. Channing knew the question might have came come off as out of nowhere but she couldn't help herself, "Miss Dumount, does this ever get easier?"