Lakewood: The Next Chapter

What the hell?

Charlie, Joe, and Dad arrived at the fire, consulting with the Fire Marshall. Dad spoke to the light Marshall while Charlie took notes, and Joe spoke to neighbors. No one had anything to tell them, considering the victim was a hermit who drank and smoke.

"After I conduct the investigation, I will send a copy of my report," the fire marshal said.

"Sounds good," Dad told him as he and Charlie walked over to Joe.  "Anything?"  Dad asked Joe.

"Nope, no one saw anything. The neighbors said the resident was a hermit and didn't speak to anyone. It seems like an open and shut case," Joe said.

"Maybe, but doubtful," Dad said as he looked at Charlie and Joe. It was the first time a significant incident happened since that night at the house. It had been two weeks.

Eventually, dad and the others went back to the station, checking on the sheriff. They were in for a shock when they found the sheriff hanging from his cell with his sheet.

"Jesus," Charlie exclaimed as they opened the cell and got the sheriff down.

"Call the ME and a forensics team in Joe," Dad ordered Joe, who did. 

Charlie loosened the noose and removed it from the sheriff's neck.

"I will take a wild guess and say this wasn't suicide," Charlie mentioned to Dad, who knelt, examining the marks on the neck.

"I don't think it was," Dad added as he stood up. He went to check the cameras to find any evidence of who was at the station. The problem was, the taping stopped, then started again, eliminating any possibility of who was in the place.

Dad stood there as Joe walked over to him. "The ME and forensic team are on their way. Do you think a killer is on the loose?" Joe asked.

Dad thought about it. "A hermit's death resulting from a fire, then the Sheriff.  What are the chances of both happening the same day, causing us to leave?"  Dad asked, looking at Joe questionably.

"Slim to none," Joe answered.

"Until the forensic team shows up and we get confirmation of the Sheriff's death, I want this kept quiet.  As of now, the sheriff committed suicide. I want that report from the Fire Marshall," dad told Joe as Charlie walked over to him.

"Gabe? What if we didn't catch the killer?"  Charlie asked.

"Then we have a severe problem on our hands. Tell your kids if they think something is amiss, they need to tell us. If the killer is out there, we need to capture them before someone else dies," Dad informed Charlie and Joe, who both agreed.

The problem is, how do you catch a killer when you don't know who they are?  You don't until they find you. It was something we would learn when we encountered the killer at the wrong time and place.

*******
While Dad was busy trying to figure out what happened this evening, I was busy dealing with Niko. Don't ask me why?  I didn't know myself. All I wanted to do was itch myself to death, stupid cast.

"So, if I talk to Damon, maybe we can come to an understanding, but then there's Taylor who is sweet. I don't feel anything for Taylor, the way I feel about Damon. I don't understand why this is difficult," Niko rambled as I shoved items into my cast, trying to itch.

"Malia!  Stop itching!" Luka ordered me as he kept taking my items away from me.

"It itches!"  I yelled as I slapped Luka's hand away.

Niko stopped and looked at us.

"Can you yep stop for a minute and help me?"  Niko asked.

We looked at Niko and rolled our eyes.

"I'm having a love crisis, and you two are yelling about Malia itching her stupid leg," Niko huffed.

"Excuse me, but you didn't get stabbed in the leg by some insane person," I snapped.

"You lived, didn't you?"  Niko asked as I looked at him incredulously.

"I think the problem is, Damon is worried about labels. You're gay, he's confused, and Taylor's a pawn. Figure your shit out," Luka ordered Niko.

Niko glared at him.

"How did I get stuck listening to this bullshit?"  Luka asked.

"Because Niko's your brother and Damon is your best friend. It's the law of nature that it screws you," I said.

"Nature my ass," Luka grumbled.

It's a vicious cycle when you date someone, and your brother is having a love crisis that is best friends with your girlfriend. You get dragged in by proxy.

Luka isn't the person that you drag into a mess. He prefers to stay out of it. I prefer to itch. Yeah, we argued about it as he kept trying to stop me. It wasn't working. I need this cast-off, like now.

Niko eventually left, thank god.  Luka helped me upstairs so that I could change. Mom made sure he didn't stay in the room with me as she helped me change into my clothes. I was feeling helpless sucks, especially when you need to clean, which I wanted to do.

My OCD was acting up big time. It was driving me nuts, which meant my medication needed altering. Every piece of clothing Mom handed me, I refused, claiming it's not clean. We argued.  No matter what she did, we discussed. I hated arguing with my mom or anyone, but I couldn't help it.

I got up and hopped to the bathroom, closing and locking the door. I needed to clean myself if I couldn't clean my room. I turned in the water and proceeded to scrub myself raw as Luka and Mom pounded on the door.

"Malia!  Open the door!"  Mom yelled on the other side.

"No!  Not until I'm clean!"  I yelled back.

"Malia!  I will help clean your room!"  Luka yelled.

"No!  You don't know how I clean it!"  I yelled.

I had to get cleaned. What Jeremy did make me feel dirty. My wound needed cleaning, and I was determined to get this damn cast off. He used a dirty knife. I know he did. Oh god, what if I get tetanus?

I searched the drawers until I found something sharp and started hitting my cast with it. It cracked the cast as they pounded on the door. I managed to get the cast open, then I saw it and screamed.

********
I woke up panting as it drenched me in sweat. I looked down to see my cast intact and furrowed my brows. What the hell?

My light turned on as my parents looked at me with concern.

"Malia?"  Dad asked.

"I had a dream I removed my cast, and my OCD got bad," I said as I looked at my parents.

Dad walked over and crouched in front of me. "It was a dream. You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow," he reassured me.  I nodded as he looked at me.

My parents stayed with me until I felt calm, then they went to bed. I grabbed my phone and called Luka.

Malia?

"Hey, I was thinking about you," I told Luka.

Did you have another nightmare?

"No," I lied.

Malia?

"Okay, maybe," I said, trying to avoid a conversation at two in the morning.

Okay, I'll listen, and you talk.

I laid down and started talking; then I heard snoring. Leave it to Luka to fall asleep mid-conversation. It would be a long night.