Sentry of the Arcane

Chapter 14: Fitz

When I open my eyes, it's still nighttime, with no sign of sunlight gleaming into my room. I frown when I realize that the reason I awakened is because my wound was bleeding- heavily. Grunting softly, I hoist myself up in the darkness. I spread my legs out a bit as I reach to the side for any object to hold on. My fingertips brush against the smooth wall as I slowly trudge through the blackness to the light switch near the door. I feel the doorknob, then move my hand along the wall until I feel the switch.

I turn the light on, the entire room brightens abruptly, causing me to groan and cover my eyes. When my eyes finally adjust to the sudden change of brightness, I shake my head and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Remembering that my bandages are still bloody and that my wound is most likely still bleeding, I swiftly remove my shirt and bandages, quickly throwing the soaked bandages away. I realize that I'll need to take a shower to wash all of the blood off, and head to the bathroom to do so.

After I've taken a shower, I change into a pair of dark jeans and don't put my shirt on yet. There's no way I'd be able to fall asleep after a shower, I tell myself. Making sure that I don't bleed onto the floor, I don't hesitate in wrapping my lower torso in fresh layers of gauze. I put away the medical supplies and walk over to my desk. Some more research couldn't hurt, right?

Once I open up the search bar, I lean back slightly in my chair, tapping my chin in deep thought. "What would I type if I need to find out about something..?" I ask myself. I press my lips together and type in 'Michelle Barrera and David Grahams'. Of course, the links that show up just say how they're the two victims of this case. "So they finally told the population about David, huh?"

I then type in additionally 'Romantic Couple'. This time, biographies about each victim show up on the screen of my laptop. I sigh and cover my irritated face with my hands. I mentally curse myself for still being too broad. Especially since not too much has been revealed about either one on the Internet.

I raise my head out of my hands. Sighing half-heartedly, I delete the entire search entry and stare blankly at the empty search bar for a moment or two.

Then it clicks, and I type in the words 'David and Michelle Grahams'.

And that's when it happens. When the articles I actually want pop up on the computer screen.

A full-fledged grin appears on my face as I click on 'Images'. Almost instantaneously, a plethora of pictures appear in front of me. All the pictures, although different people are in each photograph, have one constant- the actual bride and groom.

I raise an eyebrow, still smirking. The chestnut-brown hair they occupy won't fool me- the bride and groom are still Michelle Barrera and David Grahams.

Well, Michelle and David Grahams. Mr. and Mrs. Grahams.

I stand up so abruptly, my chair almost tips over. Gazing down at my laptop. I say to myself, "They were married! Not boyfriend and girlfriend." I shake my head. "Why didn't I think of that possibility earlier?!"

Suddenly, I frown. Slowly sitting down in my chair, I move the mouse and click on the last photo on the first row of pictures, where it's a close-up of Michelle and David exchanging rings. Both were just silver with diamonds adjourning it completely. Nothing unique.

Wait a minute.

Rings.

Rings.

In the photos, they were almost done exchanging their rings. So that means that they should still have their rings on their ring fingers.

I lean back in my chair again, exhaling sharply. CLosing my eyes briefly, I decide on one thing.