The Secrets Hidden In The Scars

      Time is getting closer to the evening. The stranger is still hiding from everyone and tries not to show up, as he is afraid to be recognized by some of his familiar people and suffer somehow. In a few minutes, he is supposed to have a meeting with someone. The man walks in circles in his apartment for a long time and thinks about something, looking more anxious than before. Just because he recently got a call from his familiar and heard that one got some important news. That’s why the scared stranger scheduled a meeting to find out everything that one knows.       Some time later, someone loudly knocks at the door. The stranger braces himself quickly, pumps a lot of air into his lungs, and goes to the hall to unlock the door.       “Who is there?” the stranger asks loudly.       “It’s me,” some man replies.       “Alright.”       The stranger quickly unlocks the decrepit locker, opens the door, and sees an adult man at the same age or a little older than him. The hazel-eyed guest has fewer thin hairs on his head and wears square glasses due to vision issues and simple clothes that could be found at any low-priced shop.       “Good afternoon again,” the visitor greets and shakes the stranger by the hand. “Sorry for bothering you, but I thought you should have known it.”       “It’s alright, you did not bother me,” the stranger replies confidently. “Come in.”       The stranger quickly closes the door, and the visitor comes into the apartment and looks around with interest.       “Honestly, you scared me by your call,” the stranger confesses excitedly when he comes to his visitor and takes him to the small room where there is an old bed, a shabby writing table, a squeaky chair, and a small closet for clothes. “I thought something horrible had happened.”       “I was also terrified when I found it out,” the visitor replies. “And sadly, I really don’t have any good news.”       “Is everything so bad?”       “Not yet, but I’m afraid everything may get worse.”       “Oh, my gosh…” the stranger closes his mouth with a hand with horror in his eyes. “I’m getting afraid…”       “But you should know it. Know what to expect and be afraid of.”       “Erm, yes, sure,” the stranger points at a chair placed near a small table with a shaking hand. “Sit down, please…”       “Thanks a lot.”       The guest quietly sits on the chair and puts something from his things on the small table. And then the excited stranger sits in front of him on a chair.       “Speak, Victor,” the stranger says with sadness in his eyes. “I want to know everything! Did you find out something else but the fact that my close people are in danger?”       “I have two pieces of bad news for you…” Victor replies thoughtfully. “One of them is bad, but another is very bad. What do you want to hear first?”       “Very bad.”       “Alright, as you want.” Victor says nothing for two seconds. “I recently contacted my informant. And I found out that the person, who tried to kill you, is not going to stop after believing you died. Unfortunately, he is going to make an attempt to kill your close people.”       “My close people?” the stranger rounds his eyes, getting a little white from horror. “But who? Are his plans so serious? Is he going to destroy everyone to be connected with me?”       “Yes,” Victor nods. “He is not going to stop and is doing his best to find everybody, who is connected with you. I mean, that man has found some people, who may suffer at the nearest time.”       “Is that scumbag going to kill them?”       “My informant told me the man began to plan something and is discussing it with his helpers.”       “Oh, they’re rots! For the money, they’re ready to kiss his legs and bow down.”       “I heard his most loyal and closest helpers already suggested some ideas that might defeat all your close people.”       “No, no!” the stranger exclaims with horror in his eyes, shaking his head. “I don’t want anyone of them to suffer.”       “We’re doing our best not to let anything bad happen,” Victor replies confidently. “But I think everybody from your circle should know what’s going on as soon as possible.”       “What if we can do nothing? What if he chooses a non-typical way to get revenge or kill? I’m afraid that rot would tell his people to kill someone, and your informant wouldn’t manage to warn you.”       “It’s quite possible,” Victor replies thoughtfully. “Having good contacts and much money, he would get anyone down on the knees. Sadly, too many people love money and are ready to sell their parents for them.”       “And the money does not belong to him. That scumbag has no right to even one cent! He is actually supposed to wear ripped clothes and work for pennies all day long. But instead, he pronounced himself a king and bought much for the stolen money.”       “I’m assuring you, he will go to prison for getting someone’s money soon. He has done too many crimes, most of which you can prove thanks to the clues and words of trustworthy witnesses.”       “That’s right…” the stranger moans quietly and runs his hands over his face. “Gosh… That man believes money decides everything… As he’s always loved to say, when you have money, you’re God. But there is something you can’t buy even for much money. That scumbag is so disgusting that young girls don’t care about his money and don’t wish to be with such a scoundrel like him.”       “And there is what may be destroyed because of a wish to get much more. Jealousy destroyed him and left nothing good. Even pity.”       “Gosh, Mr. Johnson, what kind of pity you mean. There is nothing holy for him. He doesn’t know what a sense of shame and limit are. It seems like he needs a little to get money from strangers that do not have to do with him, my close people, and me.”       “We will surely get him caught in crime and put him in prison. They will quickly strike a crown off his head, and he will have to get on well with common people and stop pretending to be a rich man.”       “He is not a rich man!” the stranger throws coldly and tightly clenches his hands into hard fists. “That’s a robber! The real robber! I swear I will never forgive him for stealing almost everything from me and leaving nothing for me. Because of that bastard, my life was ruined, and I have to live like a beggar while he’s using what belongs to me.”       “That’s good he doesn’t guess you’re alive and wouldn’t find you. His people would not even think of coming here and searching this place.”       “I can’t be quiet anyway… That rot can get me out of the ground!” the stranger chuckles quietly. “He is probably smiling widely now… Thinking his greatest enemy died! But he doesn’t even guess I’m alive and healthy. I managed to survive after what he did to me!”       “Trust me, if you show up in front of him in time, it will ruin all his plans.”       “I know… That’s why I will be hiding here and making him think I’m dead. And probably, the others will learn it soon… Who doesn’t know all the truth yet… And believe that I was killed…”       “Yeah, by the way, I have something else,” Victor thinks for two seconds. “Do you remember I had another piece of news?”       “Yes, I remember…” the stranger nods. “Hide nothing and tell me all the truth.”       “Sure, I will,” Victor glances at the small window. “You said you didn’t want one of your close people to know about your alleged death?”       “Of course…” the stranger frowns slightly, getting much more nervous. “But why? Did that stinker tell him everything?”       “I’m sorry, my friend, but that man really did that,” Victor says with sadness in his eyes. “He told your younger son that you were dead. My informant confirmed it. They said that man called the guy today and made him ‘happy’ with this piece of news.”       The stranger almost jumps out of his skin, sharply opens his eyes wider, and starts to shake slightly.       “No, he couldn’t do it…” the stranger pronounces in a shaking voice, shaking his head. “He couldn’t do it… No…”       “I’m very sorry, my friend, but your younger son, Edward, already knows about your alleged death,” Victor replies with sadness in his eyes.       “And…” the stranger sighs quietly. “Don’t you know how he reacted?”       “As the informant said, that man told his accomplices that guy began to shout on the phone and threatened to kill him. But your offender just loudly laughed along with those, who were working on him.       “Do you think it’s true?” the stranger asks quietly with sadness in his eyes.       “I think, it is. Since you are his father, he couldn’t be indifferent to these words.”       “I knew he’d hear it early or late. But I wanted to do my best to keep it secret…”       The stranger sighs again, takes a hood off his head, and runs his hands through his hair. Despite not being young, it still has a perfect look and looks quite thick. But he already got the first white hairs on the sides that outstand against the dark head. The tall man has a good body for his age, and his gray eyes are not so bright due to his age.       “Don’t be so upset, my friend,” Victor says with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sure your younger son is really saddened by the news about your ‘death.’”       “And if my son knows everything, he will tell everyone about it very soon,” the stranger assumes. “Those, who are in danger… I don’t exclude that he will manage to find his older brother and his own mother and tell them all the truth.”       “Do you think he can do this?”       “Who knows… That boy is very curious and will get what he wants in any way. I am sure that he will find a way to find out who his family is.”       “If you managed to get on well with your ex-wife, you could tell him the truth.”       “Yeah, but I did not have time.”       “Do you think you cannot fix anything anymore?”       “Sadly… It’s sad to say it, but I almost accepted that.”       “You still love this woman?”       “Yes, very much. That woman is a bright light in my life… I’ve never loved anyone stronger than the mother of my older children.”       “She loved you with all her heart and was ready for anything to make you happy. That woman needed nobody else.”       “Ah, I’ll never forget us being young and spending time together,” the stranger says with a slight smile. “I quickly realized she was kind of my soulmate. Missing such a wonderful woman would’ve been a great mistake. But I’ve lost her… Not only because of me…”       The stranger runs his hands over his white, exhausted face.       “The one, who wanted to kill me, was also guilty of our breakup,” the stranger adds quietly. “He made our lives hell and did his best for us to break up… And because of him, I have to fight for my life and the lives of all my close people.”       “As far as I understand, he doesn’t know you’re communicating with your ex-wife. My informant said that man didn’t doubt that you and that woman did not meet after your breakup.”       “I hope he will not know it,” the stranger sighs quietly. “If that man finds out where that woman is living, she will suffer because of him as well as I almost did.”       “I think we should think about her safety. Warn her that she shouldn't leave home if she doesn’t need it so badly.”       “You’re right, Mr. Johnson,” the stranger nods confidently. “I’m quiet because the place where she is living is under good protection. Only trustworthy people are allowed to be on private territory. A stranger wouldn’t go further than tough guys.”       “And she has actually always been homely and doesn’t almost go anywhere.”       “Right. When our boys were born, she stopped leaving home and spent almost all her time with them. But now, after raising her older son, she has much more free time.”       “I think she also understands the situation is dangerous. So, she tries to be careful.”       “If that stinker does something to her, we’ll hardly help her somehow. Being careful will not make sense.”       “That man does not have a grudge against her. Now his main goal is you and your sons. I don’t exclude that he might find someone else that has to do with you. But I think it won’t happen soon.”       “No, Mr. Johnson, if that scumbag wants to deal with me and my sons, he will not stop and will destroy someone else to be close to us. So, we can’t be sure danger doesn’t threaten their mother.”       “Anyway, try to talk to her. She knows the situation, and it would be easy for her to say it to those, against whom that man has a grudge. And it would be easy for me because I’d also be able to talk with them.”       “I’m afraid I’ll have to do it.”       “The sooner they know, the better it will be for them, you and I. You wouldn’t even have to tell Edward everything because he is well aware of everything thanks to that man. But your older son doesn’t even guess what’s waiting for him.”       “By the way, didn’t your informant say anything about Edward’s wish to tell them everything?” the stranger frowns slightly.       “Erm, not yet, as I know. But your son will not be hiding it forever. As well as his mother.”       “Now I’m praying that my older son knows everything much earlier before someone attacks him on the street or sends something. I’m not quiet at the thought that he walks quietly and doesn’t know he may be killed at any time.”       “Don’t worry, my friend, we are carefully watching the actions of your offender,” Victor replies confidently. “And as I said, he has done many crimes, for which he may easily be put in prison.”       “Don’t think he could actually be put in prison,” the stranger hums quietly and leans back in the chair. “He’d find a way to bride lawyers, a judge, investigators, and everyone, so they pronounce him non-guilty. Give them my money that he insolently stole from me!”       “Believe me, I will not get bribed by his money. As long as I have been working in the police, I have never taken a bribe, even though I’ve gotten a suggestion to get some bandits out of prison for a lot of money. But I’m too honest and fair to cover the tricks of robbers, killers, violators, and frauds. And my colleagues have never taken bribes and will not do. A person immediately gets fired if superiors learn it. A few months ago, one guy agreed to get a lady, who planned a fraudulent scheme, out of prison. He got fired shortly after superiors learned about the bribe.”       “You can see what a person is if they agree to do it so easily,” the stranger chuckles quietly. “I guess he’d serve that rot, who would give him everything that actually belongs to me.”       “Who knows…” Victor shrugs. “But we are ready to get him caught and attested at any time.”       “Yeah, but there is no good moment…”       “The moment will be found, I’m sure. If that man began to make his plan come true, he will do what will help us get a benefit.”       “I'm trying to believe in the best…”       “Don’t stop believing, my friend,” Victor replies confidently. “We will surely make that man pay for everything and get back everything that belongs to you, not him.”       “Thank you so much for the help, Mr. Johnson,” the stranger thanks with a slight smile. “If everything ends well, I will owe you all my life. I do now, because you didn’t refuse to help me.”       “Could I refuse to help my old friend? We’ve known each other since we were very young.”       “I know. I still remember how much I liked to play with your daughter when she was a kid.”       “Good times…” Victor smiles slightly. “But my daughter grew up, and your sons aren’t little boys anymore.”       “Yeah, how fast time flies… I was holding my children in my arms some time ago and was happy with their birth. But now they are supposed to be adult men. I hope I'll see how much they grew up and changed someday.”       “Doesn’t your ex-wife have photos of your older son? She could show you something now.”       “I didn’t ask, honestly. I was more worried about the current situation. But I will later ask her to show me at least some photos of Terrence. I want to know who the little boy I had memorized before I left the family has become.”       “You will do, don’t worry.”       The stranger moves his sad gaze aside, and Victor says nothing for two seconds and looks at the watch he is wearing on his left hand.       “Oh, excuse me, my friend, but I have to leave you,” Victor says and gets up slowly from the chair. “Tomorrow, I need to go somewhere for work and do a lot of things.”       “Alright, I will not hold you,” the stranger replies amicably, getting up from the chair. “Thanks for telling me everything.”       “I promise I will keep you aware of what’s happening and tell you what my informant tells me.”       “I will be waiting for new pieces of news with impatience.”       Victor tightly shakes the stranger by the hand with a slight smile and slightly claps him on the shoulder.       “Goodbye, my friend, be careful,” Victor says goodbye.       “Goodbye, Mr. Johnson,” the stranger smiles slightly. “Good luck.”       After he takes some things from the table, Victor leaves the apartment when the stranger opens the door. When he locks it, the man leans on it with his back and raises his head, exhaling slowly with closed eyes. It’s madly unpleasant for him to pretend to be dead and hide from everybody. But he understands that if his enemies know he is alive, the stranger may really die and hardly get another chance to save himself. That’s what makes him patiently wait for the day his offender pays for everything he has done to him.       

***

      The next day, Raquelle went to another photoshoot, on which she was supposed to work with her good friend, Steven Appleby. Today’s photoshoot is taking place in a very beautiful, picturesque place. And the girl is going to try on a couple of gorgeous dresses and work with quite an odd partner. With an adult tiger. A wild animal that, however, has participated in many similar shootings. That’s why some people are closely watching the animal. Moreover, there are doctors, who could give anyone first aid in case someone gets attacked by a wild cat. Which, however, is very beautiful and confident.       Luckily, Raquelle quickly gets on well with this tiger that is not aggressive, even though it looks terrible. She tries to pose like a real model and forget about her fear of wild animals, at least for a while. Someone often fixes her long, slightly wavy hair and bright makeup made of black colors. The girl looks fabulous posing among the greenery in an awesome green floor-length dress made of weightless chiffon with a cut on the skirt and shoes with thin heels of the same color. People working on the set create the wind with everything they have, so the hair and the dress of the model blow up beautifully.       This time, Steven does not look so gloomy. As if he decided not to let his personal problems disrupt his work. Of course, he still has sadness in his eyes, but his mood got a little better, and he began to smile and even joke with those he works with during the photoshoot. Raquelle gets many compliments from her friend again and makes him happy with her hard work, striking poses that he really likes.       “Oh, yeah, I like it!” Steven exclaims cheerfully and presses the button. “Very good! It’s gonna be a good shoot! Wonderful! Now, look into the camera! Yes, yes! Yes! Awesome! And a couple of shoots!”       After a few minutes of shootings, it’s getting hard for Raquelle to work because the tiger starts to get sick of constant flashlights. It tries to run and growls quietly when some people try to calm the animal down and make him lie down. They manage to do this for some time, but then it stops working. So, after taking a few more photos, Steven decides to end the shoot.       “Alright, let’s not torture the animal anymore,” Steven says. “Last shoot – and it’s over.”       Steven takes the last picture and announces that the shooting is finished. Some people quickly take the tiger away and feed it with something on the way to praise it for a good job. The girl exhales with a slight smile, being happy that everything ended well. She liked working with it, but she had to put in some effort to act like a real professional and do her work brilliantly.       A few seconds, Raquelle slowly goes to a folding table, on which there is a pack of little bottles of water for all the people on the set. After getting one out of it, the girl opens it and takes a few sips, noticing people going from one side to another and getting ready to take away the things that were used for the photoshoot. And at some moment, Steven comes to her with a shy smile.       “How are you?” Steven asks. “Did you fear the tiger much?”       “Actually, much,” Raquelle confesses hesitantly with a slight smile. “But my work requires sacrifices and getting over your phobias.”       “That’s right. Some models often work with dangerous things and pests.”       “The thing I will never work with is spiders. I fear them to death and hate the network. I will not agree to do it and would prefer having snakes around my neck than spiders in the same room. Well, or shooting with that tiger, which, however, wasn’t as aggressive as I thought.”       “Even made of plastic?”       “Even them! I’d die, but I wouldn’t agree to do it.”       “Well, I haven’t photographed models with spiders yet. And I don’t know a photoshoot for a famous brand, for which models would be shooting with spiders. I had a business with horses, lions, bears, and a tiger…”       “I wanna shoot with a horse someday. I saw many beautiful photos of models and horses and want to have something similar.”       “Maybe, your managers would get a suggestion of shooting with a gorgeous Arabian horse. I’d be glad to photograph you being on that awesome horse.”       “I hope I'll get this suggestion someday,” Raquelle shrugs.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Steven and Raquelle just share a slight smile and look around, seeing the people being busy with their business and moving off everything they used for the shooting.       “Hey, buddy, does it seem to me, or did your mood get a little better?” Raquelle asks with a slight smile. “I didn’t think shooting would be so easy today.”       “Well, you’re actually right,” Steven replies thoughtfully with a shy smile. “Today I really have a good mood. Not such a terrible one that I had some time ago.”       “Really? Did you decide to keep moving on and meet a girl?”       “No, I didn’t meet anyone and think I wouldn’t date anyone at the nearest time.”       “But what’s the reason for your happiness?”       “Delancey. Two days ago, she went to my home and asked me to talk to her.”       “And you agreed?”       “Yes, I invited her into my apartment, made a cup of coffee for us, and we sat down to talk,” Steven says nothing for a while and smiles shyly. “You know, Raquelle, I really liked our talk. We talked quietly for the first time in a while.”       “And what did you talk about? Is there a chance that you’d be together again?”       “I think, no. But we talked as friends. Delancey apologized to me for her behavior and said she was just worried about her close friend, who she’s befriended literally since she was born. I won’t tell you what happened. But there was a reason to worry.”       “And what’s happening to her friend now? As I understand, everything got better, and Delancey calmed down?”       “Yup, everything is fine now. And she’s got no reason to worry,” Steven shrugs with a true smile. “So, we talked about everything, I showed my regret about her friend and asked her to trust me if something happened to her. And she let me know she regretted taking it out on me and bringing everything to our breakup.”       “And what’s gonna happen after this talk?”       “Hard to say. But I definitely got better after everything got clear, and we established our relationship.”       “Do you think you have a chance to get her back? Or is everything over between you?”       “It’s too early to talk about it, but the fact that we can talk quietly is a very great success.”       “It’s the first step to establishing your relationship,” Raquelle smiles shyly.       “Yeah, but you know, even if we aren’t together again, I’ll be glad to have such a good friend like her.”       “But would you keep loving her, wouldn’t you?”       “You know, Raquelle, sometimes I think the decision to make our relationship different was a mistake,” Steven confesses thoughtfully. “I don’t know why we believed we loved each other. Delancey is a wonderful girl, but… I can’t take her as anyone but my friend. Friendship and love are different things.”       “Maybe, you had a one-moment chemical react?”       “Maybe. But now, when I talked to her and came to myself after a breakup, I realized I did the wrong thing. And Delancey has the same opinion and believes we should’ve remained friends.”       “Anyway, you looked beautiful together. I’m sorry about your breakup, but it’s your life and your choice. I have only to wish you luck. You’ll meet a good girl, who's going to be your friend and lover. And Delancey won’t stay single and will find someone.”       “Thanks a lot, Raquelle,” Steven thanks with a slight smile amicably. “It’s nice to hear these words.”       “Friends always support each other.”       “And that’s great I’m lucky to work with such an amazing friend like you.”       “Photoshoots with you have always given me pleasure. I impatiently wait for a moment when we work together again.”       “Just like I do. It’s impossible to get on so well with all models. And not every single model knows how to pose or what to do to get a perfect shoot.”       “Yeah, we understand each other well. That’s why you and I have always been a good team.”       “That’s right!”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, and then a short, dark-haired cute girl comes to Steven and Raquelle, having a little tuck on her head, a straight fridge, and a thin black choker on her neck, wearing a dark blue denim suit and looking a little excited.       “Hey, Raquelle, aren’t you waiting for someone?” the girl asks.       “No, nobody,” Raquelle shakes her head and frowns slightly. “But why? Something happened?”       “I just saw a man was walking near your car. He was kind of looking for you, ‘cause I saw him looking inside of it.”       “A man?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Walking near my car? Are you sure?”       “Yes, I was going by the place where all our cars are parked and saw a suspicious man walking near yours.”       “Don’t you know who it could be?”       “I can exactly say it’s not your fiancé,” the girl shrugs. “I would’ve recognized him if he’d been there. But I saw that man for the first time.”       “Oh, shit!” Raquelle swears, putting her hand on her forehead and breathing heavily from the excitement. “I’ll go to check who is there.”       “Be careful!” Steven exclaims. “What if that man is very dangerous!”       But Raquelle does not hear Steven, sharply giving a start and going where she needs. When she almost comes to her car parked among a few more ones that belong to the people from her team, the girl sees the unfamiliar man is really walking near it. Tall, with a good body… Wearing dark glasses, has a slight bristle… Wearing total black clothes… His skin seems tough and shriveled.       The brunette is afraid to come closer and, getting confused for a second, hides behind a high fence placed where she is and starts to carefully watch what’s happening. Carefully looking out of the hideaway, Raquelle can see the man with by far not the nicest appearance standing near her car, looking inside through the glass on the driver’s side, and talking to someone on the phone.       “What does he need?” Raquelle asks herself, carefully watching the suspicious man. “Why is he walking near my car and looking inside? Is he gonna steal it? Oh… Well, at least there are no valuable things. Or he would break the glass, and I’d have to spend money for recovery.”       Meanwhile, the man leaves an envelope on the windshield. Raquelle sees it and frowns slightly, wondering what it could be and whether that envelope is for her. She wants to come and find out what it is, but she holds this wish down, because she does not want to run into that horrible man. That’s why the girl hides until he looks around, gets into his car that is parked not far from the place where it’s happening, and goes nobody knows where.       After waiting for this man to leave, Raquelle, raising the hem of her long dress, runs to her car and takes the envelope. Looking at this hesitantly and asking herself if the stranger did not confuse her with someone else, the girl decides to check what there is in it a few seconds later. She expects nothing good, but she wants to believe this envelope has nothing that could scare her. But after opening the envelope, she finds a little piece of paper with something written on it. Raquelle frowns slightly, unwraps it, and starts to run her eyes over what she sees on it, sometimes looking around scarily.       “You and those you love will be dead soon. You’ll die of torture. I think there are many secrets you don’t know yet. You can discover some of them by yourself if you know what to do and who to ask about what they probably know. If you try hard, you will probably find out something new about what…”       Then the letter stops. Guessing what the author wants to say is impossible. These words make Raquelle confused and kind of scared.       “Hm, the letter is not finished…” Raquelle whispers, moving her eyes off the letter, looking into the distance, and leaning on the car with her back. “Either it wasn’t finished, or there is a second one that could continue it. But does sending an unfinished letter make sense? What does the author want to say? This letter is bullshit! Did a hater decide to play a joke on me and terrify me?”       Raquelle shakes her head, glances at the letter, and starts to read it again. And then the girl frowns slightly and thinks about something for two seconds.       “Die of torture…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully. “Hm… Maybe, they confused me with someone? Did that man put the letter here by mistake? Or did he know this letter was for me?”       After reading the letter again, Raquelle unconsciously thinks of Simon Ringer, who was writing similar letters somehow.       “My God, is it Simon again?” Raquelle asks herself and shakes her head with horror in her widely open eyes. “No, no… I don’t want it! I don’t want that man to ruin my life again… Even if he is disabled, it doesn’t mean Ringer couldn’t do his business with his familiar people. I still see that man in my nightmares. Because of him, I made a lot of mistakes, because of which I could’ve lost my beloved people.”       Raquelle exhales slowly with closed eyes, breathing heavily and understanding she is shaking slightly.       “Maybe, am I wrong?” Raquelle tries to calm herself down. “Simon is in prison and disabled… What if he didn’t write this letter? What if someone else did that?”       Raquelle glances at the letter and runs her eyes over it.       “Damn, what secrets should I discover?” Raquelle wonders. “If you know what to do, and who to ask? Hm… Is there something else that may get me or someone else shocked? And yeah, it’s weird that the letter doesn’t have a mention: she or he. It’s hard to realize who these words are for when reading this text. It doesn’t have to be about me.”       Raquelle bites her bottom lip slightly.       “But actually, it’s unlike Simon,” Raquelle assumes. “Because he never broke letters in the middle and always let us know who was a letter for. If it was for me, there was my name on an envelope! And there’s no mention of gender! What if that’s really not him? I doubt he could write a letter by himself, ‘cause that man can’t do without someone’s help. I need to think in another direction…”       Raquelle looks at what surrounds her and exhales sharply, putting her hand on her forehead.       “Okay, I’ll think about this letter later,” Raquelle decides. “And show it to Terrence and find out what he thinks about it. If the letter wasn’t finished on purpose, I think we’re gonna get a second part soon. But I don’t like all these hints on secrets… It seems like something is not right…”       After quickly wrapping the letter and putting it in the envelope, Raquelle unlocks her car with the keys she took from her purse before. She hides what she found in a glove box, where she has many different things: from papers to a couple of music CDs. After locking the car and looking around again to make sure she sees nobody else, Raquelle comes back to the place where the shooting ended.       While the people from the team are still taking everything away and talking about something, Steven and the girl, who told Raquelle she saw someone near her car, are cutely talking about something with plastic glasses in their hands. But when they see Cameron, they stop talking and come to her.       “Is everything okay, Raquelle?” the girl expresses anxiety.       “You ran away so sharply that we understood nothing,” Steven notices.       “Who was that man, who was walking near your car? I hope, didn’t he crush it? He looked too suspicious.”       “Nope, my car is fine,” Raquelle replies with a slight smile, pretending that nothing happened. “When I came there, I saw nobody.”       “So, did he leave?”       “Maybe. I checked my auto, but it didn’t suffer. Maybe, that man thought of nothing bad and was just going by.”       “Oh…” the girl crosses her arms over her chest. “You know, anyone wouldn’t look inside a car and definitely look for something without a reason.”       “Even if he was looking for something, I had nothing valuable inside the car. And I always have the keys with me and keep my eye on them.”       “But I feel bad…” the girl says thoughtfully. “It would be ‘great’ if that man or someone else stole apparatus for shootings from us.”       “It’s okay, Deirdre,” Raquelle smiles shyly, caressing Deirdre's shoulder. “Don’t think about it. Thank God, my car and our stuff are fine.”       “Erm, okay then…” Deirdre shrugs. “I just thought a hater was chasing you. And decided to break your iron horse.”       “It’s okay, don’t worry.”       Deirdre smiles slightly and glances at two girls standing aside with plastic glasses and laughing at something shyly.       “So, as far as I understand, is the shooting with the tiger finished?” Raquelle asks thoughtfully.       “Yes, this shooting is finished,” Steven replies confidently. “But in a few minutes, we’ll go at a second shoot at the studio.”       “Alright, I’ll have time to change my clothes, remove my makeup and brush my hair.”       “I’ve talked to your stylists, and they said they prepared everything for the second shoot,” Deirdre says. “And I’m about to get a call from people from the studio where we’ll go now. I need to talk about something.”       “If you have questions, let me know, so I can talk to them.”       “Okay, as you wish.”       “Alright, I’ll go to remove my makeup, change my clothes, and take my stuff.”       Raquelle leaves somewhere with a slight smile, thinking about the letter she found on the glass of her car. Steven and Deirdre watch the girl questioningly and then look at each other.       “Do you think something happened?” Steven frowns slightly. “Raquelle looks anxious.”       “Maybe,” Deirdre shrugs. “Maybe, that man did something to her car?”       “I think we’ll see it when we come to our cars, and the guys get into them.”       “I didn’t lie when saying I saw that man near Raquelle’s car.”       “I believe you, Deirdre, don’t worry. Judging by her little scared gaze, something is not really right.”       “Maybe, she recognized that man? What if Raquelle lied when she said he left?”       “Who knows. Maybe, he left when you came to us. But I think she could see him. Or she would’ve come here and said it seemed to you.”       “If only she didn’t get into trouble…” Deirdre sighs heavily. “What that crazy man, who is now disabled, did was enough.”       “That stinker will not hurt her and her family,” Steven replies confidently and runs his hand over his hair. “The only threat for Raquelle is crazy fans and haters.”       “But thank God, her fans are adequate and speak to her well.”       “That’s right…”       Steven glances aside and drinks some coffee from his plastic glass, while Deirdre looks at him and then slightly claps him on the shoulder, saying:       “Okay, Steven, don’t think about it. It’s her life, and we shouldn’t meddle in it. If she wants, she’ll tell us everything.”       “You’re right, but I really wonder what’s happening to her,” Steven replies thoughtfully. “She’s my close friend… And I worry when something happens to her.”       “Me too, but if she doesn’t wanna say it, it’s her business.”       Steven silently shrugs and thinks about something for two seconds, glancing aside.       “Okay, let’s get ready,” Deirdre says confidently. “The guys already took the things away, but you didn’t even put your camera in a case.”       “Yeah, right!” Steven exclaims. “I need to put the camera in a case and take all the things for it.”       “I can help you carry everything in a car and place everything carefully.”       “You’re just a gem, Deirdre. I’d be glad if you helped me put all these lenses and cameras in the right places.”       “Okay, let’s go,” Deirdre slightly claps Steven on the shoulder. “Let’s quickly take everything and go.”       Deirdre and Steven turn around and go where they need, continuing to talk about something interesting and laughing shyly at something that definitely makes their mood better.       

***

      It’s about two o'clock. Terrence is spending time with Daniel at home. Now the young men are sitting in the living room, writing a song and picking up a melody and chords with a guitar both of them play.       “I think it’s way better,” Daniel assumes, writing something on the paper that is almost filled. “Now I really like it.”       “Yeah, I think it’s wonderful, too,” Terrence replies thoughtfully, slowly plucking strings.       “Listen, I didn’t think you could write songs so well. I’m delighted by what you wrote when we didn’t meet.”       “Yeah, the current situation definitely gave me a lot of inspiration for a few lines.”       “Agree, what happened impacted your work well.”       “I don’t know if we need it, but let’s have it to have what we could have a business with.”       “That’s right! The more material we have, the better it is. Anyway, we’d have something to shut Smith up with.”       “I hope Smith wouldn’t think of getting the stuff outta us ‘till the end of the two weeks he gave us to make a decision.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised.”       While Terrence keeps playing a quiet song on his guitar, Daniel takes a few more notes. But a few seconds later, he puts a pen aside and warms up his right hand, saying tiredly:       “Oh, listen, dude, do what you want, but I think we better take a little break. I was writing so much that I’m gonna get my hand dumb…”       “Yeah, I thought so, too…” Terrence says thoughtfully. “We need to have some rest and relax…”       “I think we worked very well. We wrote a little part of a song and came up with many lines that we could later use.”       “You helped me well…” Terrence takes the paper, on which Daniel wrote something. “I was reflecting on these lyrics all day long and couldn’t think up anything good.”       “Well, you worked cool first, and now I’m ready to give my help. I’ve got much energy and inspiration that I wanna use rightly.”       “Smith made us meet and start speaking again in time,” Terrence laughs shyly.       “At least something good.”       Terrence chuckles quietly, still keeping his guitar pressed to himself and playing a melody. But a little later, Daniel leans back in the sofa and raises his head with closed eyes.       “Oh, honestly, I still can’t decide what to do to the band,” Daniel confesses tiredly. “I was thinking about it for the whole evening yesterday.”       “Me…” Terrence exhales quietly, looking around the whole room. “And I talked with Raquelle about it.”       “I discussed it with Anna… She’s gonna get sad if we dismiss the band, but she thinks we should make a decision, and she’ll have just to accept it and support me.”       “Raquelle also promises to support our decision, but wouldn’t like us to give up.”       “Of course, I knew everything would be hard, and we’d have to work hard. But I wasn’t ready that it’d be so hard.”       “Huh, I realized it when nobody wanted to work with me as a musician. I thought producers were waiting for me with open arms. I thought I could start a musical career quickly. But I didn’t… It happened that nobody wanted to work with me just because of my name.”       “I get it… Did you probably start to doubt yourself?”       “Don’t deny. At some moment, I really doubted myself and began to lose hope. The contract of ‘Against The System’ with ‘Five Seconds Records’ gave me little hope, but then I lost it and started to think singing wasn’t my destiny.”       “As it turned out, it’s hard for a famous person to get into something. A common one could reach something only if that one had great luck. But even your former fame didn’t help you.”       “There are people, who reach for something thanks to money. They could pay a powerful person – and the entire world discusses them. Or get a suggestion to sleep with someone… But I ain’t ready to pay for work and lie in someone’s bed just to make my dream come true. I want to do everything by myself and make people appreciate my talents. I don’t want anyone to make them love my works. I’ve never paid anyone or slept with anyone for fame, and I will never change my mind.”       “Did you get a suggestion to pay something or have sex with someone’s daughter when you just started to try to get into the music world?”       “I did. Someone openly said that, but someone just hinted. But I had a short talk with them and pissed them off. One of them somehow told me I’d get nothing by myself and would get into the music world over a bed.”       “I’m sorry that nobody wanna notice truly talented people… Producers are ready to promote any talentless girl, who has no voice, for much money and good contacts. Because of them, people know only them, not even suspecting there are much more talented guys.”       “Sadly, it’s true,” Terrence replies tiredly, stops playing guitar, and puts it aside. “It has to do not only with the music business… It’s the same with an acting career. Talentless actors are known everywhere, but really talented ones rarely appear on the screen. It’s amazing that I was so lucky, went too far, and let people know that I had a talent.”       “Your words make me lose interest in working in the band more and more…” Daniel massages his neck for two seconds and turns his head on different sides. “You know, Terrence, on the one hand, I wanna give a fuck about the band… About its future… All my dreams… And just live my life… Live with my girlfriend… Spend time with her… Find a job and work as all people do…”       Daniel falls into silence, looking into the distance.       “But on the other hand, I don’t wanna give up on what I’ve dreamed about since childhood,” Daniel adds and smiles slightly. “I’ve always loved singing something. Especially when there was nobody at home… Turning on music at the full volume and starting to sing loudly with all my heart… I’ve always wanted to be on the stage and hear a crowd shouting happily… I love imagining someone announcing my performance and people whooping…”       “I get it,” Terrence smiles shyly. “I wouldn’t also love to give up on the business after passing half of the way. I’ll never forget the emotions I felt when our band began to perform as the opening act of the first show of ‘The Loser Syndrome’s in Chicago.”       “Yeah… I remember my legs shaking, and I was afraid to forget all the words and my bass guitar skills from the excitement. But after going on the stage, I quickly tasted it and started to play like I had been a part of the music business for ten years and stopped being excited.”       “I can talk about how I felt and what was happening on the show forever. I always think of that magnificent day when I view photos and videos of fans and photographers.”       “Anna and I love viewing them at times,” Daniel smiles much wider. “She likes listening to my stories about any show of the tour. Even if I repeat the same thing millions of times, she listens to me with great interest.”       “Oh, I always fight with a wish to play a song that we’d like to record at the studio for Raquelle. And she always asks me about it. But I say I’d surely play if at least one song was finished,” Terrence shakes his head and tightly locks his fingers. “But I doubt we’d finish this album and record final versions of songs.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which Daniel slowly moves his sad eyes to Terrence and gets straight.       “Hey, Terrence, what did you think about when George suggested three ways of solving the problem and two weeks?” Daniel asks with sadness in his eyes.       “You want an honest answer?” Terrence asks.       “Preferably.”       “Oh…” Terrence exhales slowly, looking a little tense. “No matter how much I wouldn’t like to say it, my first thought was about Peter’s departure. Yes, I really thought we should’ve kicked him outta the band and found someone to replace him.”       “I believe Peter knew it, ‘cause he confidently said about your wish to kick him out.”       “Most likely… But I thought so just because of my wish not to lose a chance to become a musician. I… I was ready to sacrifice my friendship with him for my career and get rid of the ballast.”       “Do you still wanna kick him outta the band?”       “I thought it was the wisest decision. But now I understand I’m not ready to do it and don’t wanna work with anyone but him. And I wouldn’t like to lose such a good friend like him.”       “I wouldn’t also like someone to be instead of him. Peter and I have always been a wonderful team and had similar points of view on many questions. I dunno… I got kind of used to having him as our drummer, who knows his business as well as five fingers.”       “Right… And I don’t wanna do the same thing that I did the last time. I mean the situation when I could’ve lost Raquelle. Not only because of our conflict, but also because I was obsessed with a wish to build a career as a musician. I can’t make the same mistake and lose such a good friend like Peter.”       “Me too… I can’t ruin our friendship. I’m really sorry I went too far and stopped seeing the line between a harmless joke and bullying.” Daniel sighs heavily and runs his hand over his hair. “Even though I was obsessed with anger, I’ve never wanted to do anything bad to him and still think he’s my close person.”       “What did you think when George suggested those solutions?” Terrence asks, moving his eyes to Daniel. “Did you want to kick him outta the band?”       “Nope… I wanted us to brace ourselves somehow and start to work. If Peter said he wanted to try, I’d be ready to reconcile and not to let our relationship make our work worse. If we decide to save the band, I’ll do anything for it.”       “And didn’t you think it would be better to kick Rose out and find someone else?”       “Well…” Daniel bites his lip slightly. “Maybe, briefly… But no more… I’ve been sure we should fight for the band.”       “I don’t think we’d get used to a new drummer. The case is not about the fact that it’s hard to get used to something new. The case is that we know each other too well, and our tastes and points of view are the same. But when a new drummer joins us, we may not have the style we chose first.”       “Yeah, I know, that’s why I don’t make it happen.” Daniel exhales sharply. “But it’s hurt that Peter doesn’t wanna fight and decided to leave at his wish.”       “He didn’t, Daniel, his depression did. That’s what pushes the blond to that.”       “But why doesn’t he ask for help? There are psychologies, doctors, drugs… Well, friends, at last…”       “Rose doesn’t probably just trust anyone and refuses to talk about his problems. I dunno… Maybe, he’s afraid of being judged or bullied… For example, by you… Maybe, he’s silent because of your mockeries.”       “But I would understand it if he told me everything and didn’t find excuses. If Peter confirmed he was really worried about what we’d talked about many times, I’d stop touching his nerve and try to help somehow.”       “But you could guess it without his confirmations.”       “I know… You and I talked about it… And I've already let you know that I’m ready to do something good to make amends. Rose can count on me.”       “If we refuse to search for a new drummer and decide to fight for the band, we must help Peter and not let him leave us.”       “I must confess that we really need Peter. Without him, everything would be ruined to the fuck.” Daniel falls into silence and runs his hand over his hair.       “Hey, did you get some ideas about how to find out what happened to Peter, except trying to find his friend?”       “Nope, I have no other ideas,” Daniel shakes his head. “And I don’t know where to find that friend. As I’ve said, I’ve got no number or home address of her.”       “Something tells me she could help us. That girl was probably the one George talked with.”       “I also think that’s her. Because it’s possible to count his friends among girls on fingers.”       “Of course, I don’t believe in miracles, but what if we meet her outside someday? And I’m sure she is looking for us, being sure we’re the only people, who Peter talked with very much.”       “However, we can’t say anything.”       “But she can think otherwise.”       “Of course, it’s possible, but I ain’t sure about your assumption. I doubt that girl knows who his friends are. She couldn’t memorize me ‘cause we’d met only a couple of times. Rose’s friend hardly guesses the famous man, Terrence MacClife, is his friend.”       “What if she knows? Peter probably told her much about us, and she knows who we are.”       “Well, I dunno… I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t know it. If Peter is so secretive and says nothing about his life or the people he knows, I doubt his friend could know much more.”       “Do you remember how that girl looks? Some features of her face, hair, height…”       “Erm… I remember she was a brunette with long hair. And I believe she isn’t very tall… She looked very short next to Peter…”       “Interesting… Is she beautiful?”       “I barely remember, but after I saw her for the first time, I thought she was cute.”       “Maybe, you try to remember more?”       “Nope… I can’t remember anything else… That’s everything I know about Peter’s friend.”       “Yeah…” Terrence scratches the back of his head. “Little information… There are lots of short brunettes with long hair. Anyone can fit this description…”       “Agree… There are so many similar girls that it’s impossible to differentiate them.”       “Listen, you mentioned Peter said very good things about her. Are they so close that he adores her so much?”       “Yes, the blond says very good things. He always smiles when the talk is about her.”       “Do you think they have a friendship?”       “He says they do. Somehow, I suggested he pays attention to Helene better and try to make up with her. But Peter said they could be just friends.”       “That’s how… How long have they known each other?”       “Well… When we met four years ago, they didn’t know each other. Peter met her one year later after our meeting.”       “Hm… So, they’ve been friends for three years… In this case, Helene is aware of everything about Peter’s personal life.”       “Maybe, but as I said, I doubt it. Helene and I have known Peter for ages, and met him a year apart from one another. But Rose has never told me about his personal life. Even if I got something outta him, his answers were very short. But I’ve always openly said who I dated, how many girlfriends I’ve had, who my friends are, and something like that.”       “Are you sure Peter didn’t say anything to you and Helene?”       “I dunno, Terrence, it’s just my assumption,” Daniel throws his hands up. “Maybe, I’m wrong. Rose didn’t really trust me so much that he was silent about half of everything that happened to him but told Helene everything.”       “Damn, we need that girl so badly!” Terrence exclaims, clapping himself on the forehead. “Now she’s our last hope to find out just something from Peter’s life that would help us understand what we need to do and what we must not do.”       “I know, but what do we do? How do we find that girl if we’ve got no contacts and no familiar people? Now we’re powerless! Time is going by, but we know nothing and can’t do anything. And the two weeks that Smith gave us will be gone quickly.”       “You’re right… We need to make a decision as soon as possible. We can exclude the decision ‘to brace ourselves and start to work hard.’ So, we have only two ways: getting our contract canceled or having to find a new drummer.”       “Yeah, but if we don’t make a decision, our contract will be canceled without our agreement or refusal. We’ll have to pay liquidated damages… Nobody knows what an account they’d give us. Maybe, I won’t be able to pay and will have to borrow money from all my familiar people to pay for violating the terms of the contract.”       “I’ll pay as much as they want. And I could lend you at least a part of the amount. In the worst case…”       “That’s why we need to find out what’s happening to Peter as soon as possible. If we lose a drummer, there won’t be the point in working as a band.”       “If only we knew what to do…” Terrence exhales quietly, leaning his head back.       Daniel looks at Terrence with sadness in his eyes, shaking his head, and softly claps him on the shoulder.       “Okay, buddy, don’t turn up your nose. I’m not sure if I can do it, but I’ll try to recall something else about that girl. But even if I remember how she looks, it will give us nothing ‘cause we don’t have common familiar people.”       “Let’s just believe in the best. Nobody said everything would be solved shortly. Maybe, something would be clear later.”       Daniel says nothing and just shrugs. But a few seconds later, Violetta enters the living room and comes to Terrence, holding something in his hands.       “Mr. MacClife…” Violetta pronounces a little hesitantly. “Sorry for bothering you, but it’s for you.”       Violetta gives Terrence the envelope, which makes the man frown strongly.       “It’s for me?” Terrence wonders and takes the envelope. “What is this?”       “I do not know, I just found it in the mailbox,” Violetta shrugs. “We check it every day and get what there is in it. And now I found this letter with your name on it.”       “Alright…” Terrence throws a slight smile at Violetta. “Thanks a lot, Violetta. You can go.”       “Sorry for bothering again.”       Violetta quickly leaves the living room and goes to do her business. While Daniel frowns slightly, Terrence starts to look at the envelope better, looking quite tense and even excited.       “Damn, I don’t like it…” Terrence says thoughtfully. “No name of the sender… But there is my name and the address of this house…”       “Hey, did a fan decided to scare you after you refused to marry her?” Daniel asks funnily.       “Not funny, idiot!” Terrence rolls his eyes. “This letter has nothing good… I’m sure it could give us some trouble.”       “But who sent you this anonymous letter?” Daniel wonders.       “I believe it’s a warm greeting from Simon Ringer,” Terrence simpers sarcastically.       “From Simon Ringer? He’s arrested and confined to a wheelchair!”       “You know, Daniel, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true! He could easily ask someone to write a letter and send it here.”       “Well, you first look at what’s in the envelope and then make conclusions.”       Terrence wraps the envelope in his hands for a few seconds, not finding the courage to open it.       “Yeah, no matter how much I wanna throw this letter off, I should find out what’s in it,” Terrence exhales sharply. “Even if it’s a greeting from Simon Ringer.”       After quickly tearing the envelope, Terrence finds a piece of paper carefully wrapped several times, so its edges perfectly fit. The man gets it out, unwraps it hesitantly, and runs his eyes over what’s written on it.       “…Some people that surround you are hiding. Some of the secrets may get you very surprised, some of them can make you dumbfounded, and some of them will get you so shocked that you will not be able to say a word. And I advise you not to yawl and to look around better when walking on the streets. Because who knows what or who you may meet on your way. Anything may happen… Remember this.”       “What the fuck!” Terrence wonders, frowning slightly. “I don’t understand anything! What kind of bullshit?”       “Oh, it seems like it’s not time for jokes…” Daniel replies thoughtfully, also reading the letter and getting a little shocked.       “I wonder why I should look around. And what secrets could make me surprised, dumbfounded, and shocked? What did the author of the letter want to say?”       “Hey, look, this letter is unfinished! It’s supposed to have the first part that will reveal the meaning of this freaking letter!”       “Yeah, but what’s the point in sending an unfinished letter? Am I gonna get another one soon?”       “Listen, MacClife, didn’t you stand in someone’s way?” Daniel asks. “What if a sick man or a vindictive girl got mad at you?”       “I didn’t stand in anyone’s way! And I didn’t fight with anyone!”       “You know, I think it’s not bullshit! You’re warned that you should be careful. So, someone knows you’re gonna feel bad.”       “Maybe, it’s not about me? What if I got this letter by mistake? Someone rushed and wrote the wrong name and home address…”       “Well, you can just calm yourself down. But this letter may really be for you.”       “But who is this from? There is no signature here! Moreover, I don’t know to whom the author of the letter addresses it: a woman or a man.”       “I get it, but you don’t better yawl and do look around when you go somewhere. I think you have a serious enemy, who knows your home address and name.”       “Yeah, I did know this anonymous letter wouldn’t give me anything good…” Terrence puts his hand on his forehead and exhales sharply. “I unconsciously called the memories of that bastard Simon, who was threatening Raquelle and wrote her letters a couple of times.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone really decided to take revenge on you and wanna destroy you.”       “But who?” Terrence throws his hands up. “I did nothing bad to anyone and have never meddled in anyone’s business unless they have to do with my close people. Just like in Raquelle’s case… I should’ve meddled… Maybe, I did it too late, but we avoided something bad.”       “Hey, are some accomplices of Ringer free now? Maybe, they did it on the order of that man? Nobody bans people from visiting people in jail… What if they came to him, and he asked them to scare you and Raquelle?”       “Nope, the police caught that guy, who was an accomplice of all of his dirty things, and his pals, who were doing tricks by his plea. I don’t know any other people, who could be free and threaten us.”       Daniel, frowning his forehead strongly, re-reads the letter that he takes from Terrence’s hand.       “You know, Terrence, Raquelle might be in danger as well as you,” Daniel assumes. “I’m sure the author of this anonymous letter definitely knows about her, and they might have a grudge against that girl.”       “Yeah, you’re right…” Terrence agrees thoughtfully. “It’s really very dangerous for her to stay alone. My intuition tells me it will harm her somehow, even if the author of the letter wants to take revenge on me.”       “Do you know where she is?”       “Raquelle is supposed to be on shoot… But I don’t know where she is currently, ‘cause she’s gonna have two or three photoshoots in different places. In the country, at the studio, and somewhere yet…”       “Maybe, you call her?”       “She won’t answer, ‘cause Raquelle’s phone is where she gets ready for the shooting. She wouldn’t take a mobile phone with her and shoot with it for the cover of a magazine.”       “Okay, but how long does one of them last?”       “Differently. They may finish everything for one hour or do that all day long and barely finish it.”       “Oh… Sorry… You could find out when everything is over and take her out.”       “I will go… I’ll undoubtedly go after I know where she is,” Terrence exhales sharply, rubbing his hands nervously. “I won’t let her go home alone. Knowing she’d suffer because of someone to wish to harm me would be too much.”       Terrence squeezes the bridge of his nose, doubling over and being seriously worried something bad might happen to Raquelle.       “Okay, okay, man, don’t panic so hard,” Daniel says quietly, clapping Terrence on the shoulder. “Moreover, Raquelle is not alone. A team of stylists and helpers is with her. Someone will hardly hurt her, while she’s surrounded by so many people.”       “I know…” Terrence pronounces quietly, putting his hands folded together to his mouth. “But I don’t feel quiet… When I read the letter, I lost my calm. And your words make me think better.”       “Listen, maybe, it’s really someone’s bad joke. Yes, being careful wouldn’t be bad, and similar letters must get attention. But you don’t have to become paranoid. You need to get anxious when something has already happened.”       “I dunno, Daniel, now I ain’t sure about being confused with someone. I’ve got a too bad presentiment about it.”       “Okay, let’s do something…” Daniel glances at the watch he is wearing on his left hand. “Now it’s thirty-five minutes third, but you call her somewhere at three or half past three. And then you will call a little later. Raquelle would see all your calls anyway and contact you when she’s free.”       “I think I’ll do this… Try to call her after three hours… But now I can’t calm down ‘cause I’m in suspense and can’t imagine what it might lead to.”       “Terrence, please, don’t panic earlier,” Daniel says quietly, clapping Terrence on the back and then squeezing his shoulder slightly. “I completely understand you’re worried about Raquelle and afraid someone might harm her. But don’t make yourself think of bad things. When she answers, or you reach her, you’ll take her away from shootings.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised if our nightmare wasn’t over. If there was someone to wish to destroy me or my close people. There are no names in this letter, but I think it might be a threat for Raquelle.”       “She’s gonna be fine. You’ll call her and drive her home.”       “Oh, I’d like to believe it…”       Terrence doubles over much more and runs his fingers through his hair, getting much more nervous and unconsciously shaking his leg. Daniel watches him with sadness in his eyes and slightly claps his buddy on his back, not knowing what to say to calm him down, but understanding his friend may have much more problems than it seems.       

***

      Meanwhile, Edward is sitting at home all alone and thinking about yesterday’s call from the stranger. Yesterday, he was excited and mad after he was told about the death of his father. But now the man does not try to break something or take it out on anyone. Edward is just lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling, still not believing in what he heard and wishing it was not the truth.       There were moments when his father did show his father’s love for the baby Edward. Lockhart memorized those moments very well. They always warm his soul and make him barely believe his father had a heart and some warm feelings for his son and did really care about him. Edward treated his father badly and never wished him anything bad.       “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell my father I’d always love and respect him, even if he never loved me,” Edward thinks, looking at the ceiling with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry I left my home and subdued my wish to say it to him. I will regret it all my life…”       Edward exhales slowly with closed eyes and starts to look at the yellow spots on the ceiling.       “I’ll never forgive that scumbag for daring to do that…” Edward thinks gloomily, barely holding his anger down. “I swear I’ll make him pay for everything he did. That rot will regret it… I’ll no longer let him hurt or kill someone else. I’d rather sacrifice myself than let him destroy those, who surround me.”       Edward glances at the slightly open window, from which the cold wind is getting into the room.       “Damn, do I have to tell everyone what that bastard wants to do?” Edward gets horrified. “If someday something else happens, I won’t be able to hide what they might guess. If trouble happens to one of them, those people will easily tell them I know everything. Yes, I’d have to confess everything, early or late… But holy shit, I don’t want it! Everybody’s got so many problems…”       Edward frowns slightly.       “I wonder when everything happened? Recently or much earlier? The thing that I understood is that the old bastard decided to wait for some time after thinking he got away from me. And when he thought it was time, he got rid of my father.”       Edward glances aside, scratching the back of his head and bending his legs under himself after getting up.       “Fuck, the situation is very hard. I don’t even have the opportunity to tell everything to my real mother. And my brother, whom I learned about thanks to the photo that I found at my father’s office. But the worst thing is that the bastard may wish to deal with them and those, who are guilty of nothing. Terrence, his mother, Raquelle… He said he would protect the people from my circle. So, it means I need to protect them somehow. It doesn’t mean I do my best for them not to guess anything. Early or late, I will have to tell them what that man is going to do.”       Edward runs his hands slowly over his face and looks around the whole room that he cleaned up after destroying half of it.       “Anyway, that bastard had a connection with my father. All the time, he knew how to contact him. I could use it, but I didn't want it. Because I was too mad at that man and didn’t wanna listen to him. Though, I really regret it now. If I had known that this man would love to kill him, I would have done a different thing.”       Edward exhales quietly and locks his fingers tightly.       “Oh, if only that bastard didn’t actually find someone, who could pretend to be my dead father to lie to my real mother. If they managed to establish their relationship and communicated for some time before his death. My mother may know nothing about it and keep talking to the accomplice of that old bastard if he thinks he can get some important information from her. Find out where she is living, who she is talking to, and everything. If it happens, a real danger may threaten her. She may be the next one, who is going to suffer because of that bastard.”       Edward bites his lip slightly.       “I wonder, how long has he been deceiving her? Does he really do it? It’s just my guess and imagination! I can’t confirm it’s the truth. Oh… The worst thing is that I can find out nothing. I can’t tell my family all the truth. I can’t warn them about danger and ask them to be as careful as possible.”       Edward puts a pillow, so he can lean on it, and then leans back, tightly pressing his back against it.       “And I can’t tell everything to my friends. All of them consider me suspicious, and the situation with the danger that is threatening them may make my reputation much worse. Raquelle is gonna be the first one to shout that I’m bad. She treats me much worse than the others, but she doesn’t show it openly. But I can’t hide it all. I will have to tell them all the truth. Yes, I can’t be silent about it forever, but I need time to get ready and explain everything. Terrence won’t caress my head. He may be mad because I'm not telling him what’s happening.”       Edward exhales slowly, putting his hand on his forehead and rubbing it slightly.       “But first, I can visit Mrs. MacClife and try to ask her to be careful as softly as possible. That woman treats me much better than the others and won’t attack me with questions and charges for agreeing with someone and betraying them. Though, who knows… My situation is bad now. I’m about to lose a little piece of trust that I managed to get.”       Edward falls into silence for two seconds and looks around the whole room.       “I know it’s gonna be hard to pretend that nothing happened to me, but I need it now to brace myself. I’ll do my best to play quite truly. Maybe, I ain’t an actor, but I can show any emotions. I ain’t as talentless at acting as my friend thinks. And I’m sure it’s gonna work ‘till some time, ‘cause Raquelle and Terrence care only about what’s happening in my personal life. So, I think it’s good for me. None of them will try to suspect me of anything and guess I have to do with the man, who may threaten them.”       Edward swallows up nervously and grabs his throat with a hand, breathing unevenly because of excitement and feeling a slight tension in every muscle of his body.       “Oh, sometimes I’m starting to think that I shouldn't have really meddled in it and should’ve just lived a quiet life…” Edward thinks and gets his back off the pillow, sitting up. “That the old bastard is right when saying that I waste my time on some bullshit and don’t wanna do something good. But… Since I started it all, I’ve gotta go until the end. I’ve gotta get out of this shit somehow.”       After sitting on the bed for a few seconds, Edward lies down again and sets his tired and sad look on the ceiling, folding his hands on his stomach and tightly locking his fingers. After he thinks of some nice and good moments of his life, the man quietly starts to sing a sad song under his nose. At some moment, he falls into silence and glances at his guitar placed on the chair near the writing table. The brunet looks at the one for a few seconds, literally hypnotizing it. But then he slowly gets up from the bed and comes to the instrument. At first, Edward carefully runs his hand over the guitar, slightly touching a couple of strings that make very quiet sounds, but then confidently takes it, sits on the bed, and starts to tune his instrument that is out of tune.       When he realizes the guitar sounds good, Edward counts down until the three and starts to strike the right chords and pluck strings, feeling confident almost at once and not being shy of playing for his pleasure, while nobody can hear him. After playing a short intro, the man starts to sing in his quiet, sad voice. Which sometimes gets a little bit of despair and pain. The pain caused by the loss of a close person, who cannot come alive.       A few minutes later, Edward finishes performing this song. After playing a short guitar solo and striking the last chords, the man sighs heavily with sadness in his eyes and thinks of something, still pressing the guitar to himself. Music usually helps him get better, but the song is too sad this time. However, nothing has lately made Edward happy. He has problems with his relationship with Natalia and has to fight against the horrible man. But the news about the death of his father knocked him off.       

***

      It’s about five o'clock. Natalia is spending her time home alone, while her parents are far from here. Even though meeting her friends always gives her happiness, the girl’s mood has lately been bad. She has less and less strength to pretend that everything is fine. Actually, some things are happening in her life, but she does not want or cannot talk about them. She really wants to share what she is worried about and explain the reasons for her sadness and the tears that she cries out secretly. But the girl does not do it because she is afraid of something and not sure everything would be otherwise if someone knew about her problems.       However, Natalia understands she is about to either tell everybody everything or let her depression get obsessed with her. She is doing her best not to do what she might probably regret and what might scare others. The girl is losing interest in life and understands she does not want to meet her friends. It’s not the fall depression that someone gets obsessed with when September comes. It’s something more serious that is dragging her down and making her think of horrible things.       Now Natalia is standing in front of the window and watching what’s happening behind it. But it does not make her feel anything nice. Nothing can make her smile truly. Even the breathtaking view of the sky with shades of red, yellow, orange, and pink, looking at which there is a wish to get a phone or a camera and take a few gorgeous shoots. Natalia stays indifferent and looks at this with dead eyes full of sadness.       “I wish I had lived the wonderful moments that happened to me some time ago,” Natalia thinks with sadness in her eyes, still watching the sunset. “I’d give much to get back to those days when I thought nothing bad would happen. When I felt truly happy and was more sure about the future… When I was different… Not what I am now… People say I’ve changed a lot in the past few months. And it’s true… Because there is a reason. But I’m afraid they will never know what made me change. Someone will hardly see me being the funny and loud girl that I was. I’m no longer able to be the one…”       Although all her life, Natalia thought she would overcome any difficulties and hardly let herself give up, she understands she was deeply wrong. It’s madly hard for her to overcome what’s happening in her life. Something that is literally destroying her more and more every day and pushing her to the hole, which she would hardly get out of on her own.       “Ah, I wish I was as strong as Raquelle…” Natalia thinks with sadness in her eyes. “So much has happened in the life of that girl, but she overcame everything. I thought I’d be able to keep moving on easily and not to think of difficulties. Looking at my friend, I tried to be strong, go ahead with my head proudly raised, and show anyone to dare to hurt me where they belong. But how wrong I was… I think many people were right when saying I was actually too sensitive and impressionable… I really need someone’s help and protection. I can’t do without it… But sadly, I can’t ask for it… But I feel it’s gonna be very hard for me to hold down these terrible emotions and pretend that nothing is happening.”       Natalia sighs heavily, feeling tears coming to her eyes from thinking of what she is literally obsessed with. What makes her shake slightly and makes her afraid of something only she knows about.       “I’ll never forget what I had to get over one day,” Natalia thinks. “It was the horror that I could see in my worst dream. I was such an idiot when I did everything that led to what happened. They won’t mercy me if I tell someone about it. I must be silent not to make everything worse. It’s madly hurtful for me to hide it from my close people, lie to them and make my relationship with everybody worse. But I have no choice… So, I’m sorry, my dears…”       Natalia sighs heavily and looks through the window for a few seconds before she hears a phone call in the living room. The girl leaves her room, goes to the living room where there is the wired phone, lazily takes it, presses a button, and puts it to her ear.       “Hello,” Natalia pronounces quietly.       “Hey, Natalia, it’s your mother,” a feminine voice says on the phone.       “Oh, Mom…” Natalia smiles slightly and comes to the sofa placed not far from her. “Hey… I wanted to call you…”       “I wanted to call you a little earlier,” Letitia confesses softly. “But I had too many things that I should’ve done. And now I did everything and decided to call you.”       “It’s okay, I get it…” Natalia sits on the sofa and leans back in it.       “How are you doing? Don’t you miss without me and your dad?”       “I’m fine. Of course, I’m missing, but that’s good my friends come to visit me, and we spend time together.”       “We miss you very much, and we don’t forget you. We always feel restless when we go so far and leave you alone.”       “It’s okay, Mom, everything is wonderful,” Natalia smiles shyly, tucking thin strands getting out of her hair brushed up. “I didn’t stay home alone for the first time… I have money and am always able to cook something and find what to do.”       “You know we should’ve left to get your grandmother ready for the moving and visit some doctors.”       “Sure, I know… By the way, how is Grandma doing? She’s fine?”       “Thank God, yes. Your grandmother is holding on and has a positive spirit, as always.”       “Great,” Natalia exhales with a slight smile. “And Dad? And you?”       “Everything is fine,” Leticia smiles shyly. “Don’t worry about us.”       “I’ve never hidden that I’m not indifferent to what’s happening to my family and am worried about you, Dad and Grandma.”       “Don’t be, daughter. Your grandmother will get well very soon. And when we’re back with her, you’ll be able to see her as much as you want and help me and your father when we work.”       “I’m sorry you didn’t agree to take me with you. Together, we’d do everything quickly, and you wouldn’t have to take much from what I could bring here.”       “No, my sunshine, don’t think about it. You shouldn't spend all your time with your grandmother and forget your friends and boyfriend. You’re young and should spend a good time and meets people of your age.”       “I know, but it wouldn’t be hard for me at all.”       “We know. But if you wanna help, you will do it when your grandmother is living with us.”       “Okay…” Natalia sighs heavily. “As you wish…”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Natalia looks around the whole living room.       “You’re kinda sad…” Letitia notices thoughtfully. “Are you okay, honey? You have a sad and depressed voice.”       “Erm, yeah, I’m fine,” Natalia nods energetically, as her voice is shaking slightly.       “Hasn’t your mood changed since your father and I said goodbye to you at the airport?”       “No, Mom, I have a good mood,” Natalia lies hesitantly, running her hand over her tired, little white face. “I need to sleep a little… I didn’t get enough sleep today…”       “Yeah? I do think you are not fine! For me and your father, it’s not a secret that something has been happening to you for a long time! And you know what I mean.”       “Mom, please, let’s not talk about it,” Natalia sighs tiredly, gets up from the bed, and goes to her room.       “No, Natalia, we will not stop this talk until you tell us what happened to you,” Letitia says confidently. “Stop lying so openly! I am your mother and can feel when you lie and when you say the truth.”       “But I don’t lie! I’m fine!”       “If you want, you can keep lying to your friends and familiar people. But you will not deceive Anthony and me. You know well that you’re lying, but you are trying to pretend that nothing happened. You can’t do this and have never been able to hide your feelings and emotions.”       “No, Mom, don’t say it!” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “I’ve never lied to you and always told you what happens to me.”       “But now you say nothing. Even a blind and deaf person would understand you’re hiding something. All your friends noticed something was not right with you and saw that you were openly lying to them. But you refuse to confess it and keep being silent for a certain reason.”       “Mother…”       “What are you trying to hide so hard? Why do you lie to everyone and make them think you’re a liar? I don’t get it!”       “But I’m not…”       “Remember, Natalia, when your father and I are back home, we will make you explain what happened to you four or five months ago,” Letitia says sharply. “We don’t doubt you’ve had problems since that period. You were fine before and worried only about your grandmother, Adriana.”       Natalia’s eyes run from one side to another, and she starts shaking slightly, recalling what happened during that period.       “Erm, f-five months ago?” Natalia asks hesitantly in a shaking voice. “But, Mother… Why do you think something happened to me five months ago?”       “Because it really happened!” Letitia throws with evil, a little irritably. “Your father did see all the changes because he was by your side. He doesn’t have reasons to lie, and I see clearly you’re trying to avoid an answer.”       “Please…”       “Now, I don’t talk about your relationship with Edward, which is not also fine. I care about it much less. Now the most important thing to me is to find out what you’ve been hiding for so long and why you’ve been silent.”       Natalia swallows up nervously, feeling how strongly her heart squeezes. She slapped herself in the face several times in her thoughts for lying to her mother. The girl has always tried to tell her the truth, but now there is something that stops her from explaining the reason why she has to be silent.”       “I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Natalia lies in a shaking voice with a scare in her widely open eyes.       “Don’t make me angry, Natalia,” Letitia throws coldly. “You know I love you very much and wish you all the best. But your behavior starts to make me much angrier. Is it so hard to tell your mother what’s going on? It’s okay if you say nothing to your friends! But why are you lying to me and your father?”       “M-m-mom…” Natalia pronounces quietly and sniffs, feeling she gets more and more tears in her eyes that are about to roll over her cheeks.       “You’re lying not only about that secret… You’re even trying to make everybody sure that everything is fine with you and Edward. But I see clearly something happened between you. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got sick of your lie and no longer wants to try to get just something out of you.”       “You know well that I really had a conflict with Edward, but it was stupid… We just had different opinions…” Natalia looks around the whole room with a heavy breath, unconsciously touching some parts of her face. “I said it before you and Father left.”       “You would’ve better said what happened to you a few months ago. Because it seems more serious. You’re shaking strongly when we briefly mention it.”       “Please, Mother, let’s not talk about it,” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “I don’t want…”       “Do not avoid the answer, Natalia!” Letitia says quite coldly, getting sick of the lie of her daughter. “Your father and I love you very much and could do a lot to give you what you want. But anything has a limit – as well as our patience.”       “But, Mother, I…”       “Mother, mother!” Letitia chants. “How long are you going to make yourself, your father, and me nervous? And lie to your friends and boyfriend? If you do not stop it immediately, you will stay alone. Nobody will tolerate your actions forever, my dear. Nobody.”       “Don’t say it, you’re hurting me…” Natalia begs in a shaking voice, sniffing.       “Aren’t you hurting me? Don’t you hurt me with your silence? I do have too many problems and tear myself between my work and your sick grandmother. And you give us more problems and make me the hell worry! Pity me, Natalia! Think about me at least once! About how hard it is for me! If I say nothing, it doesn’t mean everything is fine.”       “I know how hard it is for you… I know you apply effort to take care of Grandma and work not less than Dad does.”       “You know nothing! Because you have never worked and do not know what it is. Your father and I pitted you and decided that if you wanted to work, you would do that at your wish. But it seems like we chose the wrong way to educate. You became an egoist that does not think of others, what they feel, or what they worry about.”       “Gosh, Mom, what are you talking about?” Natalia wonders, rounding her eyes full of horror. “Why do you say such bad things about me? I’m not an egoist!”       “Egoist!” Letitia throws irritably. “Because you do not want to let people know what’s happening to you! It’s madly hurtful for me that you are lying to your own mother and do not say what’s the hell happening to you. You are killing me with your silence, Natalia. You definitely want to kill me with your disgusting acts.”       “No, no, don’t say it, please,” Natalia begs in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly, feeling tears coming to her eyes, and rolling down her cheeks. “Don’t have a bad opinion about me… I love you…”       “If you loved, you wouldn’t bring everything to this,” Letitia throws a little rudely. “You know what! Honestly, I am sick of being good and soft to you. If you are not ready to open yourself up, I am not going to help you. If you think you can overcome everything, God shall help! From now on, I am not going to meddle in your relationship with Edward or your business. Done! I am d-o-n-e! Now I worry only about my mother, who needs all my love and support.”       “No!” Natalia cries with despair. “No, Mommy, please! Don’t do that! Don’t say such horrible things!”       “Done!” Letitia throws loudly and irritably. “Done! I don’t wish to talk to you and doubt I will call you again! If your father wishes to talk to you, I will not stop him. But do not even ask him to call me because I do not want to talk to the daughter, who openly lies and definitely wants to destroy her mother, who has too many problems.”       “Mommy, no, don’t do it!” Natalia begs much louder with tears in her eyes.       “Keep killing yourself, but I will not even move an eyebrow. All the best.”       Letitia turns off the call, and Natalia hears only beeps on the phone, saying nothing more to her mother, who got very mad at her. The girl quietly sniffs and sharply throws the phone on her bed, starting to worry much more. Her heart is beating like crazy, tearing apart and bleeding from thinking her mother openly said she no longer wanted to talk to her. Hating herself much more for what she is doing from fear of something or someone, the girl starts to walk nervously into the whole room, grabbing her hair or putting one of them on her forehead and breathing too frequently while her wet from tears eyes, red eyes are running from one side to another.       “Gosh, no…” Natalia pronounces excitedly in a shaking voice with tears. “Not Mom… She can’t do this to me… If Mother gives a damn about me, I won’t take it. But if Dad also gets mad at me and leaves me, I don’t know what I’m gonna do… God, not my parents… They can’t leave me… Can’t… I need them…”       Natalia starts to give more frequent and much louder sobs and often blinks her eyes because tears make her vision a little blur.       “Or maybe, they’d do the right thing if they left me…” Natalia adds quietly. “Because I’m behaving disgustingly… Toward everybody… Instead of telling all the truth, I’m acting like a coward and making them believe they got in touch with the liar. I’m really deceiving everyone… Insolently deceiving… And I hate myself for that… Hate for lying that everything is fine, and I’m fine. Because I’m not fine at all. Not fine at all… I feel like I’m on edge… I have less and less strength…”       Natalia powerlessly sits on the bed and doubles over, running her hands through her hair and keeping crying bitterly and shaking from fear that she may lose all her close people. The girl would call Letitia with pleasure, apologize to her and tell her what happened to her. But unfortunately, her fears do not let her open her mouth. She has to suffer not to become a victim of someone or something, which is the reason why she has been restless and not able to sleep at night for a long time.       While Natalia is crying bitterly and cursing herself, her mobile phone makes a loud sound in her room. She believes Letitia sent her a message and let her know that she got too excited. That’s what makes the girl quickly wipe tears off her eyes, take the smartphone, and check the notification. She finds out that she got a message. Not from Letitia or Anthony. Someone she does not know.       “The more time is gone, the closer your death is. Your life will turn into hell very soon. But I guess you are already living like a volcano and are afraid of the moment when another eruption starts. Anyway, be careful when you walk alone on the streets. Because who knows what is waiting for you. We both know how it might be over…”       After reading the message several times, Natalia opens her eyes widely and gets sharply white from horror.       “What the hell?” Natalia asks herself in a little shaking voice. “The message from the number I don’t know… Is this a threat? Did someone decide to scare me one more before Halloween?”       Natalia thinks a little, moving her eyes off the screen.       “But who could it be?” Natalia wonders. “The men, with whom I shared my number with after their promise to call me, don’t have a reason to terrify me. I guess they forgot they were hanging out with me. My friends wouldn’t do that… But who is that? Who would threaten me and hint at a threat that’s threatening me? My God… Am I gonna overcome something horrible again? Is this the final end of my quiet life?”       Natalia falls into silence for two seconds and swallows up nervously.       “Well… My life has been hell in the past few months. I don’t remember when I was truly happy and relaxed the last time. When I didn’t think of bad things… Didn’t have to hide what happened to me… Since I must be silent, I can’t tell about this message… I’m sorry, my close people, but I have no choice.”       Natalia sighs heavily and sniffs quietly, understanding how hard it’s going to be silent about what happened to her. She does not know how long she would be able to hold on and pretend that everything is alright. But unfortunately, her fear of something horrible and dangerous is too strong. So, she has to do her best to keep her mouth shut and try to overcome what makes her anxious by herself.