Beyond My Control

Chapter 2: The Night

Hermeine and Nick decided to part ways to change clothes, and agreed to meet at the block next to Hermeine’s house. In a few minutes Hermeine arrived at her house. When she opened the door, she was shocked when she saw someone standing inside who wasn’t her father.

It was around 7:30 in the evening when everyone was so busy preparing themselves for the party in their own respected residences. Everything planned today went perfectly well and all that was left to achieve today is the success of the party later.

The night was perfect, and everything flowed smoothly, according to plan. The moon shone very brightly that night. The midsummer wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of trees. It was a wonderful, starry night, and everyone strongly believed that nothing wrong would happen, that everything was and would consistently be perfectly fine.

Nicholas was in his mansion, which he had built four years ago after solving several consecutive crime cases in different cities for about 7 years. He was already a detective before he met Hermeine, just not yet a licensed one. He was getting ready for the big event that they all prepared for that night. His hair was neatly combed and styled with class, he was already changed into his black tuxedo with his favorite azure blue tie – the one that Hermeine liked so much, it became his favorite, too. His black shoes were shined – though had always been shiny – and he wore the perfume that Hermeine gave him as a birthday present on his 25th birthday last April. In short, or rather in very plain English, he was handsome, and prepared for the party.

Going back to retrieve his phone and wallet, which he had left on his bed, his phone rang. Upon seeing the caller ID; Herman’s name in bold letters, flashing on the phone’s screen, he picks it up immediately.

“Hello...” Nicholas started while fixing his messy bed. He heard heavy sobs on the other line and other faint noises. Nicholas was surprised and confused and worried at once. “Sir? Is everything all right? Sir? Where’s Hermeine? Is she all right? What’s going on over there?” Nicholas asked, the worry in his voice the very most evident among the frightened feelings he was very much feeling at the moment. He was so surprised to hear Hermeine’s father sobbing heavily. And the more he worried that he wouldn’t speak.

After a long while of silence, Herman finally spoke.

“Her – meine… she’s…” Herman weakly said in between sobs, “She’s… Oh God…” and he paused again.

“She’s what?? Is she all right? Sir, please tell me she is.” Nick’s voice was beginning to shake, he felt like something was so not right at the moment. He felt like something just happened and that it would bother him for a really, really, REALLY long time. “Sir, what happened? What happened to Hermeine? Where are you now?” After hearing no words and only sobs from Hermeine’s father, he asked again, worried sick.

“I-I’m fi-fine… I’m al-already h-here at home,” Herman began slowly, stuttering unavoidably. The sadness and surprise were clear in his voice, and it somehow scared Nicholas more.

“T-there’s something you need t-to know… I-it’s about H-Hermeine...” Nicholas stayed silent, waiting for Herman to continue, avoiding the tiniest thought of what might have happened to her, and pretending it never crossed his mind, ever, telling himself repeatedly that everything is fine, and that Hermeine is alright.

“H-Hermeine is… she’s… she’s dead,” Herman replied in a brittle voice, sounding so fragile. He went silent for a while and soon enough, fell to his knees as he finally allowed himself to cry. It just broke him what with so strongly believing that as a father, and being older, he was supposed to kick the bucket ages earlier than his own daughter would. He believed that that was the only way it should go. It broke him to see that everything’s all twisted, that she just had to go earlier than he would. And he blamed himself for it.