XVI.IX.MMI

XII

Kenneth

I finally arrived in the city at 2 a.m. There were not much people out here in the early morning, everyone was fast asleep in their soft beds and theirs comfy houses while I was out here covered in blood, drenched in pools of sweats of nervousness and panic that made me reek of human blood and the dirty musk of my own scent. I drive the car around, searching for somewhere I could call a 'temporary home' before even moving on, running away again. Running was the only option that I had in my mind right now.

I spotted a series of hotels but one caught my eyes in particular, it looked so much more affordable than the other hotels around it. That would do then, I needed to get my body up onto a mattress, I was tired of being chased. Rest was something I needed at the moment. Parking the car beside the road, I got off from the car. There was a tap on the alleyway beside the hotel, I should need to clean myself from the blood before even going in. Walking up to the tap with my bad sling around my body, I twist the handle around, making water flow through the tap. Water came down rushing as I started filling my palm with water to clean the blood. My hands run through my face and hair to get the blood off, the smell of the blood filled up my nose and I had to hold myself from breathing in the horrible stench.

After having cleaning myself, I walked out from the alleyway. Standing in front of the hotel, I guess my wants to just move out suddenly became true. Because in speed of lightning, I never knew that the time flew so fast that I am here now. Alone. 

Walking inside, the bell to the hotel rings indicating a customer presence. A man dressed in a suit came from a room behind the counter table. There was no one in here, it was empty in the lobby. My feet walked to the counter, approaching the man.

He looked at me in delight. "Hello there, sir. Welcome to our hotel. Do you need a room?" My eyes looked the room plans behind him, not much of it were taken, I figure not a lot of people goes here.

"Y-yea, I am, room for one please," I answered. I fish out my wallet from my pocket, I figured that I do not need to use Aunt Susan's money first since I have my own for now. Thank god that I save some during high school. 

He looks at me, smiling. "Room for one, coming right up. Do you need anything else? Food? We can cook for you," He asked in a polite manner. I was kinda hungry from all the chase, but I did not want to spend money too much.

"No, a room would do just fine," I answered with a thin smile. 

"Alright...,"

Once getting a key to my room, I bring myself to the elevator. I have decided to stay here for only three days. It would be a good span of days before moving on to another place. But where should I go next? My mind thinks of places that I could go to save myself. Uncle Adam's place? No, I cannot risk that too. Every place I go would be a risk to the surrounding people. Tapping my feet on the floor of the elevator, a part of me wanted to call for Christian. I had his number, all I need to do was dialled for him. But he must be busy, there were thousands of cases on his sleeve, involving mine would cause him trouble. But he had been in mine since the first day.

The door to the elevator open, arriving at the second floor. Walking out, I watch as a worker brings a wheeled clothe hanging wardrobe, hanged with black outfits to a room. I approached the hanged clothes, making sure to not let any cameras watching as I take one out sneakily from it. Grabbing one for my own, I continued my walk straight to my room. 

Room 16. I put in the keys, opening the door to the room. I bring my body inside, closing the door and making sure it was locked. My hand threw all the stuffs in my hands onto the bed. Cautiously, I walked from room to room in search for anything. Making sure that I was all hidden from the eyes of the public. The only view that I have was the window beside the bed, giving me a sight of the road outside. There were people coming in and out from bars.

My body sits down on the soft mattress, I needed to do something. Anything that can help me be hidden in the eyes of the murderers. I know that the one that chase me was not the only one, there were others, I could feel it because these guys... they are not just any killers. They were occult members, killing for something. This necklace. They want this. I reach for my bag, taking out a hair dye, if I want to be hidden, might at least change something from what I looked. 

Standing up, I reach for the bathroom. My hands started working on mixing the hair dye in a container given in the room. After mixing the hair dye, I covered my hands with gloves. My hands dipped into the black liquid hair dye. Looking at myself in the mirror, I move my hands close to my hair, almost hesitant that I will colour my hair entirely black. Mom always love the brown colour of my hair, it reminded her of the woods. Hers was a blonde shade, matching the green of her eyes. 

*

"You have a really beautiful hair colour, Kenny. Why do I feel so jealous?" My mom pouted, playing around with my hair as I lay on her lap.

"Mom... it's not... if anything. I want to look like you!" 

She chuckled, placing a kiss on my forehead. "Honey, there's no need to change yourself. You're handsome enough. Promise me you won't change the way you look," My big brown eyes look at her, thinking about her words. She then put out her pinky finger.

"Okay! If you say so, I promise," I respond by intertwining our pinky fingers together.

*

With my eyes being red and sensitive from crying. I close the gap between my hands and my hair. "I'm sorry mom," Slowly, the brown hair of what I used to have were covered in black hair dye. It was a change that was little but meant a million words to me and what memories it had. 

I put my hands on the sink, looking at myself in the mirror again. I was alive. But it does not felt so good when knowing you have just saw a family member of yours who was at the brink of death in front of you and you cannot do anything to save them because you were scared, tongue-tied and being a whole shaking mess. 

My body slowly move down to the floor. I let out a loud cry, thinking of what had happened. All of this has just gone too far, and I was so young to see all of this happening in front of my eyes. To be this independent and have no one to guide you since you were a child was terrifying. Now that I have no one left to be here with me right now, I must stay strong. The world out there is full of evil things that changes every person lives day by day. I was not the only one suffering. It took some while to gain back my self-control but once I did, I made sure to never break down again. My mom and dad, even Aunt Susan would not want to see me in this state of a mess. 

Crawling up, I stand on my feet again. I reached my face, wiping away the tears that I just let out. Soon, the dye was starting to set on my hair. I washed the black excess dye away, the sink was full of black water stained by the hair dye. After that, my body decided to take a shower, while crying silently as the sound of the water rush down onto my skin, filling the whole bathroom. I just can not seem to stop the cries... the sad howling of a young adult who just lose everything he had.

Walking out of the bathroom, I use the towel to dry off my wet hair. I put away the clothes that was smeared with blood. Taking out a clean one, I put myself into it before laying down on the bed. I stare at the ceiling for hours before I could even get my eyes to shut down. The impassable silence was the only thing filling the room. I tried to hold myself from sobbing. Thinking to myself that I should sleep, maybe it would make the grief go away. Even when right now I should be grieving but I can not. It would eat me up alive.

Slowly, I closed my eyes as I drift off to sleep. Wishing that this was all just a nightmare that was haunting me.

"Let's go to sleep, Kenny,"

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