[We Are Legion]

Watch Out! He's Coming to Town!

BRRRRING!

I swear the bell sounded like a fire alarm sometimes, so much urgency, I mean I guess I am in a hurry to leave this hellhole at times,
"Joey, could you help me study for the test next week?", Susie asked, running once again to my side. Susie had wildly different subjects to me besides history, but I never had the guts to turn her down,
"I know practically nothing about music you know", I said glancing at her musical notes for a song called 21 Guns.
"Knowledge isn't everything, I'm sure you can be of some help", she patted my shoulder,
"Is it because I'm black?", I asked, a hint of sarcasm resting on my tongue, Her reactions to something like that are priceless,
"Hell no! Silly", she laughed.
No one around us could say the same, everyone stared at their phones with a worried look, some people were about to vomit. Including Susie.
Her eyeliner was dripping a little from wet tears, the news on her phone showed a front door with a knife stabbed into it. We're Not Done , was written underneath in a suspiciously red liquid,
"Mom!", Susie screamed and suddenly sprinted away, I knew her parents well, they're my neighbours after all. I couldn't let her run into a death trap like that alone.

Every time Susie challenged me to a race, I would win, she just wasn't fast. But something was up, there were times I could barely keep up. Her house was now something to behold, forensics and police and so many other divisions of crime and emergency surrounded the front porch.
"Step back miss", a cop held Susie back from the door,
"You psycho! My mom's in there! Let me go!", her struggle looked desperate. Her sprinting was abnormal but her strength was basically gone. I shoved the cop away and pulled the door open almost collapsing from the immediate stench, Susie pushing past me and just standing there. A couple forensics officers lay by her mom's body, her stomach cut open and blood pooled around her. My hearing went numb, I could barely hear the echoes of Susie curled up against the wall crying her eyes out, the forensics officers in shock at our arrival and the cops pulling me from the door. What happened? Why did it have to happen, even?!  God knows nobody deserves this.

That was weeks ago, thinking about Julie, asking her out, laughing off rejection with Susie and being there for her darkest times. I wish it could be different, but I bet she does to. Her entire family bought there own written eulogy to the funeral, its her turn now.
"I loved my mom, that should be obvious", she blinked back tears,

"Nobody deserves this sudden cut off from life, even if we were pricks to each other at times, I never overlooked all the good things she did. I know I seem like a disconnected emo teen. But my life is never going to be the same after now, I know that. I don't care if the killer is bought to justice or not, all I need is for them to apologize to my face, then maybe I'll feel a little bit better. I love you mom, nothing will make me forget you",

I felt a tug on my sleeve, Julie,
"I'm sorry about what happened to Susie's mom", she did seem truly sad about it,
"Well", I sighed, "No use apologizing to me",
Julie's hugs were warm, I do remember those at least,
"I don't know, I feel like she'd just push me away if I tried to tell her directly",
Susie and her dad left the venue with a wave in my direction, she wouldn't hurt a fly that girl,
"Reminds me", Julie said, letting me go,
"I need you to come to my place for a sec",
It was a bit sudden but the funeral was pretty much over and Julie lived oddly close to cemetery.
"I want to find the killer", Julie spoke randomly,
I was stunned for a moment, Julie's never really been the headstrong type, and I could already tell we'd find ourselves in hot water pretty soon if we went down this path.
"You realize we're probably going to die right?", I reminded her,
"I'm fairly sure that's the outcome of putting yourself in a murderers cross hair",
Julie laughed. I guess she's more daring than I thought.
"It'll be fine, plus I called in some help, in fact he offered to",
"Are you going to tell me the name of this mystery man?",
"He's coming to my place as well, you'll see him there",
Julie's house was always pretty grand, the paint job was always immaculate and the garden well maintained, Julie never seemed to show it though. Her family encourages her to dress up a bit more but she seems to be fine in the most casual thing she can find.

"Hey Dad!", Julie exclaimed down hall, "I'm home",
Describing Julie's dad in one sentence? Lumberjack that's actually a lawyer. He definitely looks like he cuts wood for a living but he got someone innocent off death row so I'd say that's slightly more significant,
"Hey Joey!", he came out from the kitchen all exited like he used to do when he saw me,
"Long time no see", before I could say no I got his signature vigorous handshake, again, lumberjack. The only thing that stopped it was the noise of an aggressive sounding car outside.
"Oh Julie, your boyfriends here",
I saw the classic OMG dad exchange before it hit me.
"Boyfriend?", I thought, "Oh Jesus",
I opened the door to a familiar looking chiseled guy in almost entirely leather. Frank.
"Watch out!", he said, "He's coming to town!",