The Serial Killer Named Time

2. The Nightlife

"I was blind but now I see."

The once bright and sunny skies turned to a deep and dark navy blue, the streetlamps flickered as moths clustered and crowded around them as if the lamp was the only sun. The sound of water dripping from eavesdrops intensified and echoed off of the tall and lonely buildings that were down Main Street, it was rare for Main Street to be deserted and empty in a town like this but tonight it was. A chill rose in the air and I regretted not bringing a sweater, the mosquitos followed me and attacked like a midnight stalker and the constant thought of my father in my mind and all the unanswered questions made me question my own life because everything wasn't how it appeared.

After a fifteen minute walk the University came into view and the tiny little retro restaurant near it that was scattered with teenagers who looked like they walked out of the movie set of Grease and an elderly couple who reminisced side-by-side about the good old fashioned days that were long gone behind us in the past. As I passed the restaurant I got a couple of odd glances from the elderly because I was a young teenage girl only wearing a shirt and a skirt who happened to be walking around in the darkness of night. Where I lived it would be bright for most of the night but at eleven thirty the sky was at it's darkest until three in the morning. The delightful scent of fries and cheeseburgers met my nose and excited my senses but I knew there was a more serious matter than of my stomach. The very thought of my father shot into my mind like a bolt of lightening as I approached the University, I was so close to it now I felt as if I could reach his fifth story office window and lift myself inside, I chuckled to myself as I thought of that. How daft I am at this time of night.

My grip tightened on the silver and cold handle of the entrance door that lead up a dusty staircase towards my father's office. The low hum of the vacuum cleaner brought back memories of me staying here after hours with my father but this time I wasn't allowed to be here and it was time to sprint up the stairs as I did every day after eighth grade and that was back when I was interested in science. I moved on from that phase and I realized I was incapable of doing anything in that field, I could feel it wasn't my destiny and I struggled with it immensely. It was something so vast I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

The low echoes of whispered danced off of the walls of the lonely and eerie appearing hallway, a cool midnight breeze passed me but what really worried me was that there were no windows. My shadows stretched and reached across the long hallway and the fluorescent lights flickered and buzzed that sounded like a fly. The voices I heard were drawing closer and closer to me as I was approaching them, they spoke in hushed tones but almost immediately I heard the deep and masculine voice of my old friend, Misha Ivanov.

"Father, it is time she knew and I had to tell her. She had a right to know and we couldn't leave without her." I heard Misha raise his voice on the other side of the door and the sound of scattering papers and footsteps.

"You're not going anywhere. This is too dangerous for you and Eva. You must stay home here and never speak of anything I am about to say, if this doesn't go the right way I bet you don't want to be tucked away in a North Korean prison living being punished for your crimes your whole life." Dr. Ivanov spoke aggressively but it was out of love, also his strong accent was instantaneously noticeable. I remembered Misha mocking him as a child.

I knocked on the door and waited for an answer, Misha's father opened it quickly and a shocked expression appeared on his face. "Eva Hoffmann, you grew up so beautifully!" I was confused for a moment in remembering that Dr. Ivanov would very seldom speak like that, the way I remembered him was that he barely gave any compliments unless it was about my mother's cooking. Misha lingered behind his father with his arms crossed and an emotionless expression on his face but somewhere deep inside I knew he was excited or perhaps overjoyed.