The line between dreamland and consciousness was still blurred for Kent even as he was pulled from the deeper recesses of his reverie. He was aware of noise, aware that someone else was there, but not the true depth of the reality. Any sense of danger he shouldāve been feeling was completely, utterly absent.Ā
Kent sat up slowly with a prolonged grunt. His eyes were screwed shut and, given the grimace on his face, he had no plans on opening them. The light beaming out from the cellphone, faint and gentle blue, was enough to keep them closed.Ā
āMmmph,ā was his first pathetic attempt at speech. Dumbly he pressed a hand to his face, winced at his lack of grace and how his palm edged against his eye, and tried rubbing away the tension in his cheek again with more success.Ā āMmm⦠Whātimeāsāitā¦āĀ
The question was half-hearted, the answer of no importance. It was late, he deduced past the fog. He was safeā an assumption with no basis. As far as his mind knew, however, he was at home. The idea of being in a hotel room was the last thing he was considering. Kent sank back down atop the mattress with an unintelligible noise.Ā
Upon being approached again, it was clear he stillĀ wasnāt asleep. With the beam of light Billyās phone emitted stronger up close, Kent was spurred to even more action. His whole freckled face pinched as he wriggled his nose in protest.Ā
āBleuugh⦠Go tābed, Randyā¦ā
HEĀ Ā ISĀ Ā INĀ Ā FORĀ Ā ITĀ Ā NOW -Ā Ā thatĀ Ā muchĀ Ā isĀ Ā clear .Ā theĀ Ā infamousĀ Ā serial killerĀ Ā isĀ Ā reducedĀ Ā toĀ Ā aĀ Ā shiveringĀ ,Ā solidifiedĀ Ā wuss .Ā theĀ Ā knifeĀ Ā isĀ Ā waveringĀ Ā inĀ Ā hisĀ Ā gripĀ Ā Ā ļ¹ Ā Ā atĀ Ā aĀ Ā cursiveĀ Ā glanceĀ Ā couldĀ Ā evenĀ Ā beĀ Ā describedĀ Ā asĀ Ā shaking .Ā `Ā Ā F - B - IĀ `Ā keepsĀ spellingĀ itselfĀ Ā outĀ Ā withĀ Ā placidĀ Ā chagrinĀ Ā inĀ Ā hisĀ Ā franticĀ Ā brain .Ā Ā š
šššĀ Ā šššĀ Ā šššĀ Ā ,Ā Ā šššĀ Ā š
ššššššĀ Ā šššššĀ Ā ,Ā Ā heĀ Ā screamsĀ Ā intoĀ Ā theĀ Ā abyssĀ Ā onĀ Ā theĀ Ā brinkĀ Ā ,Ā Ā hisĀ Ā eyesĀ Ā ,Ā Ā glassyĀ Ā ;Ā Ā Ā aĀ Ā CALMĀ Ā calamity .Ā Ā theĀ Ā pearlyĀ Ā whiteĀ Ā maskĀ Ā isĀ Ā noĀ Ā longerĀ Ā neededĀ Ā asĀ Ā he isĀ Ā aĀ Ā splittingĀ Ā recreation .Ā
theĀ Ā murderĀ Ā wasĀ Ā supposedĀ Ā toĀ Ā goĀ Ā Ā šššššĀ Ā ļ¹ Ā Ā š“š°šš .Ā Ā forĀ Ā startersĀ Ā ,Ā Ā stuĀ Ā hadĀ Ā supposedĀ Ā toĀ Ā beĀ Ā hisĀ Ā backĀ -Ā upĀ Ā ,Ā Ā butĀ Ā hadĀ Ā toĀ Ā stayĀ Ā homeĀ Ā toĀ Ā finishĀ Ā calculusĀ Ā homeworkĀ Ā dueĀ Ā tomorrowĀ forĀ Ā secondĀ Ā period .Ā Ā theĀ Ā oddsĀ Ā areĀ Ā Ā ALREADYĀ Ā stackedĀ Ā fromĀ Ā theĀ Ā startĀ Ā ,Ā Ā butĀ Ā heĀ Ā isĀ Ā pettyĀ Ā ,Ā Ā aĀ Ā š¼š“š°š½Ā Ā ,Ā Ā dangerousĀ Ā kindĀ Ā ofĀ Ā petty .Ā Ā billyĀ Ā waitsĀ Ā forĀ Ā hisĀ Ā targetĀ Ā toĀ Ā getĀ Ā FATĀ Ā ļ¹ Ā Ā Ā happyĀ Ā beforeĀ Ā HEĀ Ā STRIKESĀ Ā atĀ Ā theĀ Ā lastĀ Ā wakingĀ Ā moment .Ā Ā howeverĀ Ā ,Ā Ā heĀ Ā hadn`tĀ Ā timeĀ Ā beforeĀ Ā theĀ Ā fbiĀ Ā agentĀ Ā hadĀ Ā toĀ Ā leaveĀ Ā backĀ Ā toĀ Ā whateverĀ Ā hellishĀ Ā governmentĀ Ā rabbitĀ Ā holeĀ Ā he`dĀ Ā poppedĀ Ā outĀ Ā of .
theĀ Ā suddenĀ Ā wordsĀ Ā ofĀ Ā sleepĀ -Ā Ā inducedĀ Ā babbleĀ Ā hangĀ Ā ominouslyĀ Ā inĀ Ā theĀ Ā airĀ Ā ,Ā Ā echoingĀ Ā inĀ Ā theĀ Ā nuancesĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā mindĀ Ā withĀ Ā aĀ Ā particularlyĀ sharpĀ Ā reverb .Ā Ā billy`sĀ Ā lipĀ Ā hangsĀ Ā AGAPEĀ Ā ,Ā Ā unsureĀ Ā ofĀ Ā ifĀ Ā heĀ Ā isĀ Ā stupidĀ Ā luckyĀ Ā orĀ Ā thisĀ Ā isĀ Ā allĀ Ā hisĀ Ā deadlyĀ Ā demise .Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā ROOMĀ -Ā CLEANING ,Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā heĀ Ā spitsĀ Ā NASTILYĀ Ā withĀ Ā maliceĀ Ā ,Ā Ā kickingĀ Ā theĀ Ā backpackĀ Ā outĀ Ā ofĀ Ā viewĀ Ā ,Ā Ā theĀ Ā knifeĀ Ā stowedĀ Ā behindĀ Ā hisĀ Ā back .Ā Ā hastilyĀ Ā ,Ā Ā heĀ Ā processesĀ Ā Ā :Ā Ā Ā Ā whoĀ Ā theĀ Ā fuckĀ Ā isĀ Ā randy ?Ā Ā Ā hisĀ Ā sonĀ Ā ,Ā Ā billyĀ Ā wouldĀ Ā presumeĀ Ā ,Ā Ā asĀ Ā thatĀ Ā isĀ Ā onlyĀ Ā naturalĀ Ā butĀ Ā billyĀ Ā willĀ Ā biteĀ Ā hisĀ Ā tongueĀ Ā untilĀ Ā itĀ Ā bleedsĀ Ā beforeĀ Ā heĀ Ā willĀ Ā playĀ Ā upĀ Ā thatĀ Ā lowlyĀ Ā gag .Ā Ā he`sĀ Ā probablyĀ Ā aĀ Ā fatherĀ Ā toĀ Ā aĀ Ā normalĀ Ā wifeĀ Ā ,Ā Ā withĀ Ā aĀ Ā normalĀ Ā randyĀ Ā Ā ļ¹ Ā Ā aĀ Ā greatĀ Ā jobĀ Ā whereĀ Ā everyoneĀ Ā isĀ Ā justĀ Ā elated .Ā Ā billyĀ Ā holdsĀ Ā hisĀ Ā breathĀ Ā ,Ā Ā enduringĀ Ā theĀ Ā temptationĀ Ā toĀ Ā Ā ššš¼šĀ Ā šššĀ Ā šššĀ Ā ššš¾š¼šĀ Ā š¾šššæšĀ Ā evenĀ Ā more .