The Criminal Diaries

      “No, please, don’t do this…” Helene begs in despair in a shaking voice and makes a quiet sob. “No, don’t do this…”       “Everything was decided a long time ago, my sweetie,” Marcus replies quietly. “I should’ve just waited for a good moment to make my plan come true. And the time has come.”       “For God’s sake…”       “You’re weak enough not to run away from us. The guys told me you kept crying yesterday as they had fun with you, but you did not resist and break free. They didn’t have to knock you out, tie you up, or drug you for the first time to enjoy your beautiful, gorgeous body.”       “They gave me pain…” Helene doubles over from the stomach pain. “My whole body still hurts… Too much…”       “Don’t worry, my sweetheart, your torture will be over once and forever tomorrow.”       Marcus strokes Helene’s hand with a slight smile, but she gets it out sharply with a sense of frost that runs over her pale skin shortly.       “You just have to survive this time and wait until tomorrow evening. And then some of my people will come here and follow my instructions, which they will get from me.”       “I don’t wanna die…”       “I don’t exclude that your death will be recorded on the video that I will show Peter. Show him how his sweetheart dies tragically without any chance to get out of the trap.”       “It’s not happening to me…” Helene pronounces in a shaking voice with a heavy breath, shaking her head sharply. “I’m sleeping… This is my nightmare… Yeah… I’m sleeping… Sleeping…”       “Alas, shorty, it’s not a dream,” Marcus replies. “You are not sleeping. And tomorrow, you will have to say goodbye to this world. And at the nearest time, your close people will get the sad news about your death. They will be crying bitterly and embracing each other. Well… Maybe someone will cry for Peter, too. Or maybe everyone will not care. Maybe, everyone will think you deserve it!”       “I wish your dreams were ruined…” Helene shows aggression. “I wish something had happened and ruined all your freaking plans.”       “M-m-m, you are starting to show aggression… Realizing that you are powerless. Understanding that you are close to your death.”       “You are an evil, vengeful, and bloodthirsty man! You must pay for everything you have done! It’s unfair that you have killed hundreds of people but haven’t paid for that, and you keep living as if nothing has happened. It’s unfair that you haven’t been arrested and sentenced for life or actually executed.”       “Didn’t your grandmother tell you that you can’t tell adults what to do?” Marcus sneers evilly. “Younger folks have no right to teach older people and criticize them.”       “I don’t. You know everything about you well.”       “Of course, I know. I do not have a doubt that I am doing the right thing.”       “Maybe, I can’t do anything now, but Peter can do this,” Helene replies much more confidently. “He can tell his friends everything so that they all come up with something. Find a way to save me and get away from you.”       “If Peter has brains, he will not take his friends with him. They will not leave my home alive if I see them.”       “Do you naively think they would let you deal with them so easily?”       “I shall do my best for them to be powerless in front of my people. Who will be happy to satisfy themselves and make cutlets out of these bastards.”       “Do not be so sure, Mr. Longbottom. Your people saw what those guys could do to protect those who meant a lot to them.”       “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we remember how hard they saved Peter and didn’t let my people scare him a little.”       “Didn’t let your people kill him, did you mean?”       “Not at all! My goal was not murder. And even if he hadn’t escaped on the day of his kidnapping, Peter would have survived until tomorrow as well as you. Yes, he would’ve been tortured every day in all possible ways, but he would have died when I planned it.”       “Anyway, don’t be happy so early.”       “You kind of suddenly got hope for salvation.”       “I will believe it while Peter is alive and free. While the men are near and ready to help him. While the girls support them actively.”       “Well, I think the girls are smart and will not meddle in the business of someone for their own safety. But their sweethearts love asking for trouble and are not so smart. And they will pay a high cost if they do not use the last chance I am giving them.”       “They will go with Peter even if he protests.”       “It’s okay,” Marcus shrugs with an innocent smile. “It would be worse for them. They will make their families and their cuties cry with their stuff and photos in their hands.”       “I will be praying every minute that you do not do this.”       “I agreed on the meeting tomorrow at five o’clock. So… I think my boys and I will get rid of you two once and forever somewhere by six or even o’clock. And his friends, if they ask for trouble.”       “Why?” Helene wonders and puts her hands on her forehead. “Why? Why is it me?”       “First, you’re Peter’s girlfriend, who means a lot to him. And second, you’re a bitch, who harmed a lot of innocent people and made your grandfather and grandmother blush and agree with your victims and apologize to them for your tricks. Yes, it doesn’t have to do with me. But I must use the chance to make your victims feel better by making you pay for your sins.”       “How could you love murdering someone? How could you just think about pointing a cold gun at someone? How heartless are you supposed to be not to regret anything?”       “Think of all your sins and ask yourself the last question you asked me. Remember that you should think twice before you do something.”       Helene says nothing and just sniffs loudly, embracing herself tightly with both arms.       “Alright, shorty, stop crying,” Marcus sighs tiredly. “Your eyes are red from tears. And you rub them all the time. As they say, don't cry over spilled milk. You cannot pity the one who made up his mind a long time ago and is not going to give up on their goal.”       “Please, Mr. Longbottom…” Helene pronounces in a shaking voice.       “You must be grateful to me for not killing you on the day of your kidnapping and letting you live for a little longer.”       “Seriously? I’d rather die than live in the condition I have to exist for nobody the hell knows how long!”       “I think everything is not so bad.”       Marcus looks around the whole room.       “You have a bed, you have a table, you have a window… We bring you candles regularly so you don’t spend time in the dark. You also have a blanket and a pillow. What do you need?”       “My home with everything I need and my close people. Food, drinks… Shower, in the end. I wanna wash off all this dirt. I wanna put on something different.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, you will have a lot of this in the afterlife,” Marcus assures, clapping Helene on the shoulder. “Well… Maybe you will not have some of your close people. But the others will join you.”       “The guys won't let you win!” Helene squeaks in a loud, high voice. “They will find a way to end all of this! You and your accomplices will have to pay for everything you do.”       “Nobody can prove anything. We’re all officially innocent before the eyes of justice, and all your attempts to blame us for something are nothing but attempts. The police are just wasting time. And even if they have some clues, they will not establish that it’s our work.”       “I am sure they will come up with something.”       “They haven’t done it while you are here. In the opposite case, you would’ve been found and brought to your precious Peter.”       “The guys will not leave me, I know it! I know they will not give up on their attempts to find me.”       “They can keep wasting time looking for you. And they can waste much more time looking for your corpse, which the guys will get rid of for sure.”       “I will not stop hoping.”       “No wonder! You are a girl. A weak and naive girl who believes in tales and dreams of a prince on a white horse, even at an adult age.”       “Even if it’s true, what can you do?”       “It’s your right, dolly!” Marcus raises his hands in front of himself. “If it’s easier for you to accept your death like this, I don’t mind it at all.”       “Pity me, Mr. Longbottom, please…” Helene begs in despair. “Let me go… Don’t kill me… I’d do anything… But don’t make me a victim.”       “Alright. If you can come back to the past and do something not to meet Peter Rose and not to become his girlfriend, I will be happy to do this.”       “Please…”       “Do you think I really want to deal with you? Ha, why would I the fuck need you? If you didn’t have to do with this thing, I would not bother you at all.”       Marcus bends slightly to Helene, leaning on the bed with his hands.       “I need you for just one thing, Helene. To torture Peter. I want him to suffer. Suffer like never ever in his life. Since the boy is tightly attracted to you, I provoke him by using you. At first, he went crazy because he thought you were not loyal to him. And now he cannot calm down because he cannot save you from your inevitable death. It fucks his brain hard, it has him more exhausted, and it brings him to the critical point. That’s what I need. My plan works perfectly.”       “Peter was on the edge before!” Helene breaks into a cry. “He hasn’t recovered and keeps fighting with himself and his demons, not even going to deny it.”       “I know,” Marcus smiles slyly. “Even his beloved girlfriend, who gave him her blood, could not heal the boy forget his unbearable pain. Your love did not heal him, girl. Maybe, it even drowned him.”       “I will be taking him out again and again. Until he is absolutely healthy.”       “You will do this in the afterlife. Your tale will be over once and forever in the real world tomorrow.”       “This cruel world doesn’t deserve such a wonderful man, who’s never done anything bad to anyone, but whom everyone loves giving a strong pain.”       “Peter is just like a pimple on the face in this world: no matter how hard you pop it, it does not leave. Vice versa, it gets much brighter and bigger.”       “Don’t dare to say it about that man!”       “Oh, alright, dolly, I think we can end this talk now,” Marcus sighs tiredly. “I came to tell you that your death will take you in its strong arms tomorrow. And now you know it.”       While Helene sniffs quietly and wipes tears under her eyes, Marcus gets up from the bed and pulls down his light shirt.       “So, my sweetie, see you tomorrow. Enjoy the last hours of your life. Later, I shall tell some of my guys to come here and do their business quickly. While I shall be accepting Peter at my home and telling that asshole why I’ve been cursing him for twenty-seven years.”       Marcus steps away from the bed and comes to the door slowly.       “Bye-bye, baby!” Marcus waves his hand. “I give you time to say goodbye to everyone silently. And ask for forgiveness from those you have ever hurt.”       Laughing evilly, Marcus leaves the room and locks the door. And when she stays alone again, Helene stops holding herself down and starts crying loudly and bitterly, pressing her knees to her chest, wrapping them with both arms, and putting her head on them.       “No…” Helene pronounces in a shaking voice. “No, it can’t be the truth… It cannot be my last goodbye… I don’t wanna die… I don’t! I wanna go home! I wanna be with those I love.”       Helene makes a couple of sobs.       “God, why do I have to get through all of this? Did I really deserve this punishment for my tricks? That I regretted a long time ago! It’s unfair! That man cannot get a victory. He can’t kill me and my man. He can’t avoid the punishment and walk outside as if nothing happened again. He must not!”       Helene sniffs as she starts shaking strongly from fear, and every single muscle is tensed with the pain.       “Please, Peter, do something!” Helene begs in despair. “Don’t let that man do what he wants. We can’t die. Try to do something with the guys’ help. I’m sure you’ll find a way to avoid the worst. Find a way to get me out of here. I am counting on you, boys… Please, don’t let me down…”       Helene presses her legs much tighter to her chest.       “Daniel, Terrence, Edward… I need you like never ever. Please, don’t leave Peter. Help him. He can’t do this all alone. Please… Be with him. Show him how much you appreciate your friendship with him. I helped you bring Peter back one day, but now I need your help. I can’t get out of here without your help. I can’t hug my grandma. I can’t see the girls. Can’t caress Sammy.”       Helene swallows nervously.       “God, how’s my baby doing there? My heart bleeds at the thought that he’s been far from me for more than one week. And the girls… They’re probably worried, too. And the men… It’s so hard for them now… They have to comfort my friends and make sure Pete doesn’t do stupid things.”       Helene exhales slowly with closed eyes.       “Everything depends on you, guys. On how you well get ready for tomorrow. As I understand, Peter has gotten the message and told you about it. It means I will believe that you will do something in time.”       But no matter how hard Helene tries to reassure herself that she keeps believing in the positive end of this story, her belief is weak now. She does not believe that she can get out of here. She does not believe that someone will find her. Because nothing has happened that would help her over all this time. Though the realization of the fact that tomorrow may be the last one in her life brings her to a hysterical condition. And the girl struggles so hard with opposite feelings, denying the reality and thinking it’s all just a dream, or getting ready to give up and leave this world with the unbearable pain in her heart caused by the reluctance to make her close people suffer.       

***

      The next day, Terrence and Natalia decide not to stay home and to spend time together, while Raquelle and Edward are busy with their business and cannot join them. But first, the friends go to the small café to meet Victor Johnson, who keeps working on looking for Helene and does not doubt that his colleagues and he will get what they want early or late, even if they do not see the result and any hints on the chance to move off the dead point.       “Now there is no chance to move off the dead point,” Victor says with sadness, drinking coffee from the small cup at times. “The police are doing their best, but nothing works yet.”       “And hasn’t Elijah been found yet?” Terrence specifies.       “No, sadly. My colleagues have come back to that place several times, but nobody opens the door of the apartment, and his neighbors say they haven’t seen that man for ages.”       “Maybe, you know something about the other accomplices?” Natalia asks.       “We know about the other accomplices, but they are kind of swallowed by the ground, too. We managed to find out where Darren Garfield and Shawn Oldman, whom you talked about, were working, but their colleagues said they all got a vacation for different reasons and will not show up there in the nearest time.”       “Hm, everyone became silent at the same time…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully, frowning slightly. “Hoping nobody will catch them…”       “While Elijah has the official registration, Darren and Shawn are not and are supposedly renting an apartment or a house. Most likely, they weren’t born in this city and arrived here from another. But it’s the approximate information that we are checking yet.”       “I guess they know the police are looking for them,” Natalia assumes. “That’s why they’re hiding in a different place that you will hardly know.”       “It’s alright, we will find those people anyway,” Victory assures. “The police have all the possibilities to find any person.”       “They likely changed their phone numbers. They know you will check it. I don’t even exclude that they’re registered with someone, who doesn’t have to do with this story.”       “Maybe. But there are many ways anyway.”       “These cads are really going to be super careful and will not show up just in case,” Terrence replies confidently. “And people, who may agree to cover them, don’t even guess that they literally become the accomplices.”       “Hey, what about Marcus?” Natali specifies. “Did you find him?”       “Yes, we did,” Victor nods confidently. “By the way, he also got a vacation from his work. But finding him was much easier. Unlike his accomplices, that man is living where he is registered officially. His own house. That he bought many years ago on the money, the source of which we could not establish. We know that the house was bought for an amount that was big back then, but Marcus earned ten times less money.”       “Maybe, he saved money?”       “Hardly. To save the amount of money he spent to buy the house, he should’ve worked like crazy for like fifteen or twenty years. And it wouldn’t have been enough. So, we don’t know how the regular worker got so much money.”       “But did you question him?” Terrence asks with hope in his eyes.       “We did question. But first, he denies all the charges categorically and pretends that he doesn’t understand which crimes we mean. And second, that man provided himself with a good alibi by saying he worked when Helene was kidnapped.”       “He's lying?”       “No, his colleagues at the pharmacy confirmed that he really worked on that day. But they noticed that Marcus came to his boss at some moment and asked them for permission to leave sooner. Like, he got a strong pain in his tooth and decided to go to the dentist immediately.”       “Don’t you know if Helene could be at his home?” Natalia asks.       “No, most likely, Helene is not there. Marcus probably understands it would be too risky. Moreover, some of his neighbors, whom we questioned, are suspicious because a young tough guy visits him regularly.”       “But you said Marcus was holy for his neighbors!” Terrence recalls.       “It’s true. They respect Marcus. He gets along with everyone and doesn’t conflict with anyone. He is especially close to one woman, who lives two houses from his home. They are united by the fact that both of them are widowed: his wife died, and she lost her husband.”       “That’s why the neighbors don’t take the words of the man, who doesn’t like Marcus so seriously,” Natalia concludes.       “Yeah, that cad is charming, I must confess,” Victor nods and drinks some coffee from his cup. “He washed everyone’s brain so much that he is considered holy.”       “And it surprises!” Terrence exclaims. “Everyone knows well that the killer is living next to them. The killer, who horrified the entire country in the 90s.”       “Sadly, his fault was not proved, despite the sketch and such proof as the criminal diaries that have a lot of information about the dead people. Moreover, Marcus disappeared somewhere at some moment. So that nobody could know anything about him.”       “But they knew the name and the appearance of the criminal!” Natalia throws her hands up.       “I don’t know, guys, this story is really strange. I also don’t understand how the police could let it happen.”       “No wonder he decided to pretend to be a victim of himself,” Terrence throws gloomily. “The victim who was missing.”       “Who knows, maybe he actually lived under a different name with fake documents for some time,” Natalia adds. “Or maybe, he just decided to leave the city or the country. Until things get better.”       “Anyway, the police don’t have any official claims for Marcus Longbottom,” Victor replies thoughtfully. “He has never been charged with anything, even if he has been questioned and suspected many times. He is a good inhabitant who works officially, earns money, and pays all the taxes. We have checked him out – he does not have any debts to the government or penalties. Even if he gets something, he pays for everything immediately.”       “Freaking snake!” Terrence swears. “It seems like he can get out of any situation.”       “We cannot even blame him officially for kidnapping and murder attempts,” Natalia adds. “We don’t have any real proof, and words mean nothing.”       “Alright, at least now, we know the names of all the members of the criminal gang. We didn’t know what to do when it all just started. When we didn’t know any names.”       “As if we can do something now…”       “We can do many things, Natalia,” Victor replies confidently with a slight smile. “Those people should not think the situation is hopeless for you. There is a way out – you just need to work a little harder to find it.”       “Oh, honestly, I'm not sure if we can do something,” Natalia sighs heavily. “It’s been more than one week, but nothing has changed. Marcus is just mocking Peter by sending him bunches of explicit photos and videos of Helene and telling him how his accomplices have fun with her.”       “So, is he not going to go further?”       “Nope. It seems like he’s happy with everything.”       “Yeah, that asshole enjoys the way he provokes the poor guy again and again,” Terrence agrees. “The one who is gonna go crazy soon.”       “Honestly, my heart squeezed when I saw the video from one of your shows,” Victor confesses with sadness in his eyes. “He sang and played like some kind of robot and said what made me literally cry.”       “Trust me, Mr. Johnson, not just you. The guys and I barely held ourselves down as we saw Peter in that condition. He feels so bad that he is not shy of crying with our pretense.”       “I hope he no longer threatens to kill himself after the incident at Mrs. Marshall's apartment?”       “Thank God, no,” Natalia shakes her head. “But we’re worried that it may happen again. So, we try to watch him carefully, talk to him often, and don’t stop reminding him that we’re near.”       “Though we’re afraid of what may happen if Helene dies, heaven forbid,” Terrence adds. “This is the moment when we can do nothing. When we lose two people, not one.”       “Gosh, poor guy…” Victor exhales sharply, fixing the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “So good, kind, and decent, but he’s so unhappy and unlucky…”       “He takes someone’s problems easily, but the guy breaks down because of his own problems. Just like in the case of Daniel, for example. It made up the illusion of his full recovery.”       “I wonder why Marcus hates him so much? Why does he want to get rid of him?”       “I wish we knew the answer to this question…” Natalia leans back in the chair.       “I don’t understand, how could his wife live with that bastard?” Terrence wonders. “I would understand it if he had the power and money. But that man is nothing! Just a regular worker! Though he somehow got a huge enough amount of money to buy the house.”       “She was probably afraid to leave him,” Natalia assumes. “She was afraid that Marcus would love to kill her in anger.”       “Sadly, I did not find out why that woman died,” Victor says with sadness in his eyes. “As his neighbors said, as you know, Marcus doesn’t like to talk about it. And actually, he gets super nervous and can barely connect words when the talk is about Julia Longbottom. However, he spends a lot of money on bouquets of flowers that he leaves regularly on her grave. They are always big and beautiful.”       “Hm, he killed that woman, but he pretends to be a victim…” Terrence frowns strongly. “You’d do anything for everyone to pity you. As Raquelle said, he’d get a benefit.”       “One thing is clear – Julia died at such an early age for a reason,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “Yes, of course, we can assume she was ill with something serious. But knowing Marcus, it’s not the only version.”       “Yeah, according to the signature on the grave, Julia died on April 11th, 1991,” Victor recalls. “If I’m not too bad at the math, it’s been twenty-seven years.”       “Wait, you said, April 11th, 1991?” Terrence asks surprisingly.       “Yes, this date was on the grave of the late woman. And she was born on December 4th, 1964.”       “Interesting…” Natalia frowns slightly. “Peter was born twenty-seven years ago, but Julia died twenty-seven years ago…”       “Yeah, what a coincidence!” Terrence agrees.       “But when’s Peter’s birthday?” Victor specifies.       “April 10th. The same year as the one Julia died in.”       “Indeed… It’s really interesting… She died the next day after the guy was born.”       “Anything happens,” Natalia shrugs.       “I wonder if Julia had some relatives?” Terrence asks. “Mother, Father, brothers, sisters… Someone else…”       “I cannot say anything,” Victor throws his hands up. “Marcus’ neighbors knew nothing about that woman, and he does not rush to tell them this information. The only thing they got out of him was the fact that Julia was very kind, shy, and caring.”       “And she was a housewife, as was said by those who lived near them before he suddenly disappeared and she suddenly died,” Natalia adds. “They also thought she was very good, as the article the guys and I found on the Internet one day said.”       “Anyway, I will try to find out more about Julia,” Victor promises. “I wonder what the reason for her death is and whether Marcus has to do with it.”       “Just for curiosity.”       “By the way, Mr. Johnson, do you remember you told us something about Peter’s blocked memories?” Terrence asks, folding his hands with the spire down.       “Yeah, I do.”       “You were definitely right. There’s something we don’t know about Peter yet. Something that’s probably the main reason why he is not alright.”       “You found out something?”       “The fact that Peter doesn't know what’s happening to him,” Natalia explains. “And he cannot remember anything from his childhood.”       “That’s how…” Victor pronounces with interest.       “When the guys and I asked Peter about it directly for the first time, he started to shake and choke,” Terrence confesses. “And it happens every time we talk about it.”       “And after yesterday’s talk, we found out that Peter feels the strongest anxiety with the pretense of men,” Natalia adds. “He fears girls, too, but he fears men, especially unfamiliar ones, like a fire.”       “Pretense of men?” Victor rounds his eyes. “Interesting… Do you want to say a certain man harmed him in his childhood?”       “Most likely. So much that he preferred to forget about it.”       “But now it’s clear why he was distanced at first when we met him,” Terrence notices. “He was running from Daniel for a long time because he was afraid that Perkins would harm him. He didn’t rush to get close to me. And Edward was also terribly shy and wasn’t close to any of us. But we didn’t kinda pay attention to this back then. We just met. People always act shyly at first with a wish to give you a good impression, showing the real you as long as you get to know each other better.”       “I guess something really serious happened,” Victor replies confidently. “Since his psyche kind of saved him and blocked his memories of that case.”       “It’s sad that Peter sees a threat in us,” Natalia notices quietly. “Thinks we’re waiting for the moment to harm him. Yes, he says it’s okay, and we aren’t guilty and dreaming up. But that guy is afraid of us anyway, even if he’s always nice and kinda relaxed.”       “Yes, Peter is much tenser with those he barely knows,” Terrence adds. “It’s clear how much he wants to solve the problem and leave quickly.”       “But he doesn’t look like an introvert. Peter definitely wanna meet new people, talk, and make friends. But something stops him. He is afraid. Afraid that someone will harm him.”       “We’re all afraid to be betrayed,” Victor replies quietly. “Nobody can take a betrayal with a smile on their face and their head proudly raised. Even if someone does, they suffer a lot deep inside.”       “We really want to help Peter, but we don’t know how. If we knew what happened to him, we’d do our best to make his condition better.”       “Since the memories are blocked by the psyche, you can do nothing until Peter is ready to come back to that. Since he still remembers nothing, it means your friend is not ready to get through it.”       “But if he remembers nothing, he will keep having nervous breakdowns!” Terrence throws his hands up. “Peter is going to wonder what the hell, pardon me, is happening to him.”       “I get it, Terrence, but nothing depends on you now. Peter is the only one to unblock it and understand what’s happening to him. His brain installed it to protect him in childhood, and he must remove it.”       “Do you mean doing something is worthless in this case?” Natalia opens her eyes widely.       “Of course, you can suggest that Peter go to a psychologist, who would help him remember everything and accept it. But therapy is going to work if he wants it and is ready to figure it out. And it’s going to take more than one, two, or three visits.”       “Of course, we will try, but most likely, it really will not work,” Terrence promises.       “The only thing I can advise you is just to be next to Peyer and support him. Show him that he can completely trust you. Do nothing that can make him doubt you.”       “We will, undoubtedly!” Terrence sighs heavily. “But Marcus is pressing on Peter, assuring him that we don’t wish him anything bad and are holding him in this world against his will. Like, if we wished him the best, we’d let him die.”       “Peter doesn’t believe him yet, but if he keeps getting provocations, he will turn his back on us in the end,” Terrence adds. “To be clear, he sometimes talks about us not forcing him to suffer.”       “If you do nothing that could make him doubt it, Peter will not turn his back on you,” Victor replies confidently. “Any wrong thing or word may lead to the consequences that will be bad for you and make him think Marcus is right.”       “It’s clear that he’s just trying to turn him against us. At first, Marcus said dirty things about Helene, and Peter believed them, sadly. But now the guys and I are his victims. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that asshole actually came up with some false accusations toward us.”       “When you are innocent and clean and have nothing to hide, you remain quiet and confident. You don’t have to prove something like crazy. Being sure about your innocence is already enough for you.”       “We have nothing to blame ourselves for,” Natalia replies.       “Keep insisting on what you want. And if Marcus Longbottom doesn’t prove his words and keeps talking and provoking, Peter will get doubts.”       “Anyway, we will all be by his side,” Terrence promises. “Even if he blames us for all our sins and pronounces us the worst people in the world. Peter can always count on us and be sure that we’d come to him if he just called our names.”       “I support you fully. No matter what, Peter needs your support and care like never before. Helene is in danger, and someone wants to kill him, and his old scars don’t let him forget anything. Can’t assume how men could hurt him, but it was definitely something horrible. Moreover, Peter was a child whose psyche was not strong enough to take it all.”       “I guess Rose would hardly be alive now if he didn’t forget that case,” Natalia assumes with anxiety.       “I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t try to kill himself for the first time. Maybe that horrible event from his childhood made him think about it for the first time.”       “Who knows, Mr. Johnson… Anything is possible.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Victor drinks his coffee, and Terrence and Natalia look at each other with sadness in their eyes.       “Oh, alright, guys, sadly, I have to come back to work,” Victor says thoughtfully. “My lunch break is about to end.”       “Thank you so much for keeping us aware,” Terrence thanks amicably.       “If I know something else, I will call you shortly.”       “And we will contact you if something changes,” Natalia promises.       “Deal!”       Victor fixes the glasses slightly on the bridge of his nose, gets up from the table, and takes his cell phone lying on the table.       “Goodbye, Terrence, goodbye, Natalia.”       “Goodbye,” Natalia and Terrence pronounce at a different time, shaking Victor by the hand.       “Take care of yourself.”       Victor turns around and goes quietly further and further from the table, while Terrence and Natalia keep sitting in front of each other and look at each other after he leaves.       “I wonder if the fact that Julia Longbottom died the next day after Peter’s birth is just a coincidence?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “Are you hinting that’s all connected?” Natalia rounds her eyes.       “Nope, but I personally have some questions about it.”       “Well… I’m not sure about it, but… May it happen that everything just happened at the same time?”       “Of course, it may. But I’d think about it better.”       “We can read that article with all the materials about the case of Marcus Longbottom again, just for curiosity.”       “Damn, how much we’ve gotta connect!” Terrence exhales sharply, leaning back in the chair. “Peter’s mother’s tricks, Julia Longbottom’s dead, Helene’s secrets, Rose’s past…”       “Agree, a little bit before I have my brain explode.”       “And that old bastard decided to haunt at such a bad time when we’ve got so much to do. We’re just a little time away from the album release, but we can’t promote it and play concerts. We played the latest ones, biting the bullet. And Rose had a nervous breakdown before the eyes of the overwhelmed crowd that pictured it all on their cameras.”       “That’s good George sees and understands everything. You can always agree on something. He’d never make you do what would make you feel discomfort.”       “George always says our well-being is more important to him than money,” Terrence flashes a slight smile. “And he always agrees on concerts at the incredibly cool places. Photoshoots, interviews, appearances… He knows what gives us pleasure.”       “You’re really lucky to have your manager.”       “Now we understand he’s just a gem.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Natalia sighs heavily, but Terrence glances aside.       “So, what do we do now?” Natalia asks.       “No idea…” Terrence replies thoughtfully. “Maybe, just walk in the city for nothing and breathe in the fresh air.”       “I have nothing to do now and have nobody to talk to. The girls are busy, and the relatives are.”       “Same… I thought Raquelle and I would go somewhere together, but I forgot about the photoshoot she’d have today.”       “And she’s not gonna work alone…” Natalia smiles mysteriously.       “Yeah, my bro is taking his first steps in building his modeling career,” Terrence laughs.       “Having such a wonderful teacher as my friend, Edward is gonna learn everything quickly and shine bright on photoshoots and fashion shows.”       “Edward is always told that he would be pretty good at modeling.”       “People are right. Having such an attractive appearance, such a gorgeous body… M-m-m…”       “As if I am worse…” Terrence crosses his arms over his chest, pouting with offense. “God Himself told me to work on photoshoots and walk on runways in clothes from the best designers.”       “M-m-m, I see someone’s jealous…”       Natalia slaps Terrence slightly on his nose and pinches him by the cheek.       “Nervous because of how popular his little bro has become.”       “I ain’t jealous!” Terrence protests. “Vice versa, I’m really happy for Edward. Glad he’s getting more successful. He’s got a good chance to build a career that doesn’t depend on the band.”       “He’s our hard-working guy. He can work hard for hours and never complain about anything.”       “Yeah, I can’t even find freaking fault with him…”       “You shouldn’t complain about a lack of work. You work on photoshoots, give interviews, participate in some entertainment shows…”       “And I am actively examining all the suggestions about filming in movies. If they offer me an incredibly cool role, I will be happy to work on it. Even if it’s a guest one.”       “Your fans would whoop from happiness if it happened.”       “Yeah, but they’d whoop much louder if Raquelle and I worked on a photoshoot together again. We’ve had several ones, and all of them are really successful and beloved by our fans.”       “Don’t worry, Terrence, you’ll work with Raquelle many times,” Natalia assures with a slight smile. “You’ll have a chance to show everyone your big peacock tail.”       “It’s a shame that I didn’t get a chance to show it today instead of that little rutrag.”       “Can’t wait to see the photos of Raquelle and him. I’m sure they’re both gonna be gorgeous. Edward looks stunning in the photos for the promotion ‘Against The System’s music!”       “Raquelle will shine, undoubtedly. Just like always, however. She’s a real professional and can put herself together when she has to. She’d work hard even when her mood is freaking bad.”       “And when two professionals work together, they’re gonna get something really cool.”       “Maybe, Edward really looks good in photos, but I always say he will never outshine me,” Terrence says with his head proudly raised. “Because I am the perfection. The man, who is much sexier than the largest banknote.”       “Starting to show off and pretending to be Apollo again?”       “I ain’t pretending to be Apollo, Natalia. I am Apollo. The dream that will remain a dream for all the girls. Because my heart belongs to your sweet friend.”       “Not all of them, MacClife, not all of them,” Natalia smiles slyly.       “And you cannot drool over me, sis. Your mission is to take care of my little bro. I trusted you with him in the hope that Edward made the right choice.”       “I don’t doubt my choice. And Raquelle will deal with you since she could not and did not want to get rid of the ballast. Such a beautiful but irritating one.”       “You just can’t escape your fate. Even if Cameron decided to hide from me on the top of Everest, I would climb up there to take that bitch with me.”       “Relax, bro, everyone has understood that you’re a maniac, pervert, peacock, rooster, and just an asshole.”       “I love you, too, Blondie.”       “You love many people. But you love yourself much more.”       “Can’t deny it.”       Terrence and Natalia say nothing and just laugh shyly. Then they decide to drink the cups of coffee they bought as they keep talking about something nice to distract themselves and not to go crazy with the thought that the current situation may lead to some sad consequences in the end.       

***

      Edward and Raquelle are spending time in the photo studio, where they arrived in the early morning for a photoshoot together. Even if the soon-to-be relatives are working together for the first time, everything turns out to be very nice. Being more experienced in this thing, the girl becomes someone like a teacher for the man and gives him some pieces of advice that help him get a much more wonderful result. However, he is doing pretty well and does not feel any kind of discomfort, acting like a real professional who treats his work with responsibility again.       Raquelle and Edward make themselves forget everything that’s happening now and focus on the work fully. They talk to people who prepare them for the shoot, get along with the photographer, and do everything they should as if nothing happens. While the girl tries on gorgeous designer clothes and jewelry that may cost ten thousand dollars, the man walks proudly in expensive shirts, jackets, and pants, and highly appreciates one of the models of a watch from an elite brand. Sometimes stylists fix their hair or makeup, and the staff members fix the light according to the order of the photograph. Raquelle uses the moment to give Edward some advice and encourage him, and he tries to cheer her up somehow, help her relax, and get rid of all the bad thoughts. They pose confidently against the white, well-lighted background alone and together, standing, sitting, and keeping serious faces or more relaxed and positive ones. Not forgetting to listen to the photographer, who helps them strike the poses he needs.       Everything goes without a hitch for a long time, but at some moment, the lighting equipment stops working after giving some signs of the forthcoming “death” by blinking irregularly. That’s why the photograph has to announce the break until everything is fixed. Using the moment, Edward and Raquelle go aside and ask their assistants, Blake and Deidre, who are talking nicely, to give them a bottle of water, which they drink a little from to wet their dry throats.       “Good job, Edward!” Raquelle exclaims with a slight smile. “You did it brilliantly!”       “It couldn’t be otherwise, sis,” Edward replies with his head proudly raised, limping slightly due to the wrong shoe size. “I can do anything. And I am handsome and sexy. And of course, I have such a wonderful teacher with a great experience of work.”       “The guys are right when they say you’re very hard-working and remain professional in any situation. The stylists confused the shoe size, but you worked in them silently, with no claims.”       “If the result is excellent, I won’t even think of worrying about a couple of bubbles and areas skinned to the blood on my feet.”       “Don’t doubt, bro, your photos are super gorgeous,” Raquelle assures, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “Natalia is gonna be delighted. And Terrence’s gonna get a little attack of jealousy.”       “Oh, I do feel how much he hates me now for not being instead of me,” Edward smiles widely.       “Who’s guilty of the editors wishing to see you and me on the cover of the magazine?”       “No wonder they chose me, a young and hot guy with such a beautiful face.”       “If MacClife was somewhere near, he’d kick your ass, for sure.”       “Yeah, but Terrence is not here. So, I may not be afraid and can feel like a kind of ball.”       “Alright, MacClife, use the moment while you have a chance.”       “I must confess that you and I are a wonderful team.”       Edward puts his arm around Raquelle’s neck as they leave the photo studio and go down the long, wide hall full of people.       “I’ve had many partners for the years of my work, but working with you gave me much more pleasure,” Raquelle notices with a slight smile. “I really like the fact that you work super hard.”       “I just don’t wanna let down those who put great hopes in me.”       “Anyway, if you keep doing the same, you may build a brilliant modeling career. You have everything for this.”       “I’d be happy to participate in a photoshoot again. And I wouldn’t mind becoming the ambassador of a fashion brand.”       “After the album’s released, the guys and you are gonna start promoting your music actively. You’re gonna do this together and by one.”       “I know. George told us about some suggestions that our team and he are discussing now.”       “And your first solo promotional photo ended without a hitch.”       “We’re gonna have many of them. Not just me, but also the guys.”       “Terrence’s gonna have a lot of fun.”       “Let the boy have fun.” Edward smiles slyly. “But he can’t outshine me anyway.”       “He would say the same about you.”       “I ain’t care! If I get a chance, I use it! Moreover, I am interested in trying to work on something else besides music. I don’t wanna get stuck on one thing.”       “I’m sure you can do this,” Raquelle replies confidently. “You’ve shown yourself as a talented songwriter and written several successful songs for other artists. And if you wanna try to work as a model, you can build a successful career.”       “I also started to get piano lessons just for curiosity. I don’t know what it’s gonna lead to, but if I can do this, the guys and I could think about some lyrical ballads.”       “M-m-m, are ya gonna sing some beautiful songs for Natalia every evening?”       “She loves me singing for her. And I am happy to fulfill any wish of my beloved girl.”       “It’s not a secret to us that Rochester got a crush on your voice first and then everything about you.”       “And after a few vocal lessons, it became much sexier.”       “Don’t dare to say it to the guys. Especially, your brother.”       “No, Raquelle, I must say it,” Edward protests confidently. “Thanks to my effort, Terrence hasn’t ended up in the stratosphere from admiring everything he has.”       “Can’t deny it,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “Many people try to deal with him, but you can do this much better.”       “You also know how to bring him back to the earth. He’d do anything you tell him.”       “You know, you and I are really a cool team! We work together so well and kick Terrence’s ass with no problems.”       “That’s what I mean, sis!”       Edward raises his hand with the palm to Raquelle, who gives him a five.       “We did what Father and Mother could not do. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t tame that penguin. But we did it!”       “Moreover, it turned out to be super funny.”       “The girls and you wonder why I do this so often. Because keeping my big bro on the lead is freaking cool! Endless pleasure! That naive guy thinks he keeps me on the least, but he actually has his ass kicked.”       “Oh, my God…” Raquelle rolls her eyes.       “It’s all under control, Cameron, don’t worry!” Edward exclaims cheerfully. “I ain’t gonna use violence and torture. I am a sweet and kind guy who loves his brother so much. Even if he plays on my nerves all the time.”       “We consider your fights the tradition we live every day for nothing without.”       “I get it. I can’t live without it, either.”       Edward and Raquelle laugh shyly, starting to get downstairs and walking by some people who are working at this studio.       “So, let’s go to eat while they solve the problem with the lighting equipment?” Raquelle suggests.       “Oh, yeah, I’m super hungry!” Edward exclaims. “And I wanna sit down ‘cause these shows hurt my feet to the point of pain. They’re harsh, and the size isn’t mine.”       “I will give you a patch later. I always keep it in my bag for these cases. I often have to wear uncomfortable shoes, as well.”       “Thanks, darling, you’re just a gem.”       Raquelle says nothing and just smiles shyly as she and Edward go to the floor they need. Then they pass some distance down the wide halls, meeting some people, some of whom know the girl. And later, they end up in a large spacious room with tons of tables for four people, machines with clean water, coffee, sweet water, and other drinks stands with trays full of food so everyone can take anything as much as they want.       After they take clean trays, plates, spoons, forks, and glasses, Edward and Raquelle run their eyes quickly over everything that seems so tasty, take what they like more, and choose a drink, talking about everything in the world and saying something to those who go by them. After checking out all the trays that get emptied before their eyes, the girl and the man choose a table in a more or less quiet place of the cafeteria so nobody bothers them, sit down, and start eating and drinking.       “I wonder if Mr. Johnson is gonna say something new?” Raquelle asks herself, mixing what she has on her plate with a fork. “Terrence and Natalia are supposed to meet him.”       “I think nothing’s changed,” Edward assumes, takes something with a fork from the plate, and eats it.       “But they’ve got some information about Marcus’s accomplices. They must catch them somewhere and question early or late.”       “Most likely, they’re acting very carefully and trying not to show up anywhere. These assholes probably guess the police are looking for her.”       “Marcus is hiding, too. And provoking Peter with his messages.”       “We’ll lose control of him early or late. Pete won’t believe us forever if Marcus doesn’t stop washing his brain.”       “He already doubts it.”       “That guy is now in such a depressed condition that he can believe any shit. He has some unsolved problems, and Helene is under the threat of death.”       “Do you have some assumptions about what some men could do to him if he’s afraid of them so much?”       “I don’t know, Raquelle, I have no idea,” Edward shakes his head, leaning on the table with his elbow and running his hand through his hair. “Maybe, a crowd of men attacked him? Robbed him? Beat him?”       “Attack a little child in a crowd?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “But what’s the meaning? What did they need from him?”       “Who knows! Moreover, we know that Peter lived in a disadvantaged area where some shit lived. Banditry probably flourished there, and criminals felt confident ‘cause nobody cared about them.”       “Maybe, you’re right… And don’t forget about the fact that nobody wanted to protect him and teach him to stand up for himself.”       “Yeah… I guess if he wanted to kill himself at that time, nobody would’ve even cared.”       “I wonder if something has changed there? Or someone is working on it now?”       “Hardly.” Edward drinks a little bit from his glass after eating something from his plate. “Especially if the neighborhood is somewhere far away.”       “Maybe, you know the approximate place? You walk somewhere all the time and have already examined at least 80% of the entire city!”       “There are some neighborhoods. Alcoholics, drug addicts, robbers, and other shit are living there. I barely escaped one of them one day. I wasn’t lucky to run into a drugged one, who tried to rob me and beat me for nothing.”       “Peter somehow mentioned that it was something like a village where there are small wooden houses.”       “If it’s so, going there would probably be really dangerous.”       “Agree. And Peter associates that place with something horrible.”       “I know he isn’t ready to remember anything now. But we should push him to that somehow. We should end all of this before we lose him.”       “If he forgot it, it means it should’ve happened. He wasn’t strong enough to get through that.”       “Sorry, have you always remembered the time you spent in prison for nothing? It was a painful experience for you, too.”       “Right, but I’ve always remembered that. I haven’t forgotten any little thing. I remember all the bad things that have happened to me.”       “It means your psyche thought you were strong enough even for that hell.”       “Or I got through nothing like something that happened to Peter. In early childhood.”       “Maybe, he dropped some hints even if he didn’t know this? Maybe we can get deeply into it if we remember all the suspicious moments?”       “I dunno… At least I can’t remember anything like this.” Edward frowns slightly. “All the problems we know about have to do with his relationship with girls and mistrust of people. He expects a betrayal even from his close friends and doesn’t especially let unfamiliar people come to him.”       “What could happen?” Raquelle wonders, mixing the food on her plate with the fork. “What?”       “Alas, Raquelle, we will not know it until Peter is ready to remember everything and get through it.”       “But when’s he ready?”       “Hard to say. But it’s clear that Pete wants it so badly. He wanna know what’s happening to him. Why he has a panic attack every time someone talks about something he hasn’t said.”       “It’s definitely something awful that’s gonna have our hair standing.”       “Why would we guess? We can do nothing now! Persuading him won’t impact him at all. Our attempts to make Peter remember everything are gonna look like a force.”       “We can do nothing now…” Raquelle sighs heavily. “Neither in the case of Peter nor the case of Helene’s kidnapping.”       “I hope she’ll reveal all her secrets when we find her. Let Peter know whether he’s worried for nothing or has a reason to do it.”       “I guess Natalia has already told you the girls and me know her secrets?”       “Yup, I know. But don’t worry, I will not insist on telling us everything.”       “We’re really sorry, but Helene would rather confess all of that. Yes, she won’t be mad at us if we speak. But let’s Marshall do this when she thinks it’s time.”       “The important thing is that it doesn’t harm Peter. That Helene is not the one who we could expect a knife in the back from.”       “No, no, Edward, don’t worry. It doesn’t have to do with Peter. And he will not get a knife in his back from her. Helene regrets everything she has done. We see that she’s really changed and become a different person.”       “It’s amazing that the girls and you forgave her so easily.”       “I don’t personally wanna carry the burden of offences. I lived with it for years and tried to prove something to everyone who wouldn’t see and appreciate it. But now I forgot everything and forgave everything, and my life got much better.”       “Natalia, too?”       “She doesn’t need all these fights. She’s our super-sensitive girl who takes everything that happens to her too seriously. That’s why Natalia isn’t mad now. And as for Anna, Marshall has always gotten along with her. Though they could hardly be called the best friends.”       “I hope the men and I will also understand and forgive her. I wouldn’t like to be disappointed in the girl whom we called good and praised a lot for Peter. And I wouldn’t like him to blame us for making the wrong choice because of us.”       “Anyway, you, Daniel, Terrence, and Peter are the only ones to decide. Helene must just tell you everything. And we must confirm everything.”       “Let’s come back to this when the police find Helene and get Marcus and his whole gang of jackass arrested.”       “Okay.”       Edward flashes a slight smile silently and, like Raquelle, keeps eating what they took for themselves, deciding to change the subject and talk about something nice. And while they try to distract themselves and each other, some of those who work here come to them quickly and tell them that they have to wait for a little longer because the issue with the lightning equipment is going to take much more time.       

***

      Meanwhile, Anna and Daniel try to distract themselves from the problems by going to the supermarket together. Walking in the whole large room with no rush and passing by shelves full of food, drinks, household chemistry, and other stuff, the lovers take everything they have on the list and put it in the basket they push forward by one. At some moment, it gets filled to the brim with various things that may be little and big and cheap and expensive.       But walking in the shop does not help them distract from the sad thoughts. To be clear, the girl cannot get them out of her head and seems a little sad, and the man does his best to comfort her somehow, even if he is also upset by what’s happening and a lack of chance to solve at least a part of the problems.       “Gosh, why does something always go wrong when you plan something grandiose?” Anna sighs heavily, coming to one of the freezers, taking a big pack of steaks, and putting it in the basket. “We planned so much, but we got one problem after another.”       “Trust me, I’m tired of them, too,” Daniel replies quietly, pushing the basket forward. “And I wanna solve everything as soon as possible.”       “We can hardly solve something in the nearest time. It seems that Marcus isn’t gonna give up. And he doesn’t wanna go further. He likes being stuck in the same place.”       “No matter how hard he denies his fault for all of this, that asshole will get what he deserves. And his henchmen won’t hide and pretend to be innocent forever.”       “I’m starting to doubt that Helene is really alive. What if those stinkers killed her and are hiding it so hard?”       “No, honey, I don’t think so,” Daniel shakes his head. “Helene is still alive, but she is probably in a very bad condition.”       “I’m even afraid to imagine what they’re doing to her.” Anna swallows nervously. “Raping, torturing with starvation, beating… Keeping her nobody knows where…”       “Maybe, they’re bluffing? What if nobody raped Helene?”       “What do you mean nobody raped her? We saw all those photos and videos!”       “Yeah, but they didn’t show the process. Yes, that girl was lying on the bed naked. Yes, those assholes got their batons out of their pants. But it could’ve ended with this.”       “I’d like to believe it’s true. But something tells me you’re wrong.”       Anna opens one of the refrigerators and takes some yoghurts and a couple of packs of cream.       “It’s not Natalia’s case when they didn’t put it to an end. Her offenders were stopped, but who wouldn’t let Marcus’s accomplices do any dirty tricks?”       “I dunno…” Daniel sighs tiredly. “It’s just my assumption.”       “God, if they did it, how’s the poor girl gonna get through that hell?”       “Maybe, they use her when she’s unconscious? When Marshall can’t resist and run? She is not crazy to give herself to those stinkers.”       “You think those people will do something for her not to remember the process?”       “It’s better than seeing, hearing, feeling, and remembering.”       “I would bet.”       “Anyway, Helene is not alone,” Daniel replies confidently. “We’ll be near to help her come to herself after everything she’s gotten through.”       “Thank God, Mrs. Marshall knows nothing about her granddaughter being raped. She won’t take it.”       “Yeah, that woman hasn’t gotten out of bed lately.”       “I know, she feels too bad.”       “If Helene isn’t found within the nearest time, Mrs. Marshall may end up in the hospital or actually die.”       “She doesn’t literally do anything. All the food the guys and I buy for her remains untouched in the refrigerator.”       “That’s good someone watches her all the time. She must not stay alone.”       “My parents often visit that woman at home. Just like the Rochesters. Mr. Cameron and Mrs. Middleton.”       “And Mr. Johnson doesn’t stay indifferent. He goes to her home and brings something for her.”       “And he doesn’t care that Helene’s grandmother calls him multiple times per day and asks him if he has any good news about her granddaughter.”       “That man would be happy to tell her good news. But alas, he can’t do anything. Except comforting and promising everything is gonna be okay. But Mrs. Marshall would hardly feel better at these words.”       “Nevertheless, she must not be alone,” Anna notices. “And that’s good our relatives, so to say, came to help us and watch her when we can’t do this.”       “That’s right,” Daniel agrees and takes a box of eggs from a high shelf that Anna cannot reach due to her short height. “Watching several people at the same time is a hard and exhausting thing.”       “Yeah, we must watch Peter all the time. And Sammy. He’s lately looked so bad.”       “Sammy eats and drinks in just one case – if you insist on it. A little bit.”       “But I understand him completely. I understand how much he’s worried.”       “That’s good his wound was not serious, and he recovered quickly enough.”       “He would survive ten attacks like these, just to know that his owner is okay.”       “I imagine how desperate he felt when those scums wounded him and took Helene away right before his eyes.”       “And when they took Peter away… When he could do nothing, as well.”       “They really learned from all the mistakes since she is not as lucky as Peter.”       “Yeah. Though her chances are not so high.”       “I’m starting to be worried about him more and more, Anna,” Daniel confesses thoughtfully and puts a couple of packs of milk in the basket. “The blond’s condition is getting worse and worse every day.”       “Agree, we have to pull every word out of him by force.”       “He probably moans every time we text him, call him, or visit him. Don’t let him stay alone and withdraw into himself.”       “No, we must not let it happen! Rose can do and think what he wants, but we must check him often and talk to him.”       “I’m afraid we’ll really have to take his stuff personally and drive them to our home.” Anna takes a small pack of cheese, examines the information on the label, and puts it back. “So, he’s under our view all the time.”       “I’m starting to think about it. If the situation of Helene isn’t solved, Peter is gonna go insane. And if he stays home alone, he may do any stupid thing and do his best for us not to know it.”       “I’m afraid that this problem will remain unsolved even if Helene is found alive and healthy. He won’t recover after this.”       “I know, but that guy will try to put himself together for her. All the time, he was holding on ‘cause she was near and took care of him.”       “It seems like her effort is not enough to help him,” Anna sighs heavily.       “She did everything she could do. But there’s something Rose should do himself.”       “Remember what kind of pain he got from men in childhood?”       “I guess it all started with that, but the school bullying added fuel to the fire.”       “I don’t understand, what could be worse than being insulted, humiliated, and beaten every day? Worse than the case of the girl, who showered him with mud.”       “He’s gotten so many psychological traumas in his whole life that his psyche just decided to erase a part of the memories not to overload it.”       “The brain forgot, but the body definitely remembers. He shakes so strongly when we talk about it.”       “I believe something really horrifying happened. Since he’s afraid of the guys and me. And waiting for us to harm him.”       “I have no idea what to do,” Anna sighs heavily and asks Daniel to get a pack of small bottles of clean water from the high shelf. “And whether can solve it.”       “By the way, since Edward asked Peter about whether he tried to kill himself before yesterday, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” Daniel leans on the basket handle with his hands after he puts a pack of water in it. “What if he’s tried to kill himself before?”       “I wouldn’t be surprised. And I kinda get the feeling that Marcus knows something about it.”       “Marcus?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “He says often that the world is kinda trying to get rid of Peter, but something or someone saves that guy all the time.”       “You think he knows what happened to Rose in childhood? He knows what the guy decided to forget to keep his psyche safe?”       “There’s definitely a meaning to it.”       “Maybe that asshole is the man who harmed Peter once? Or the one who knows Longbottom, did it?”       “Sounds logical enough…” Anna pronounces thoughtfully. “It would explain such a strong wish to get rid of Peter and give him pain.”       “And if it was the truth, we could assume that it all started a long time ago. That man didn’t start this game two months ago.”       “Maybe. And Peter could not even guess it.”       “Maybe the world is not the one to try to get rid of him? What if that’s Marcus? But at first, he did it so that nobody suspected anything, but now he decided to show up and declare open war.”       “Listen, Daniel…”       Anna thinks for two seconds after she stops in front of the counter with vegetables and fruits and starts putting some of them into plastic packets.       “I know my words are gonna sound like some nonsense. But… Don’t you think there’s something strange about Peter's attempt to kill himself. I mean, his recovery.”       “What makes you confused?” Daniel surprises.       “We know that Helene gave her blood for Peter, who was perfect for him. And he was supposed to get well after that. But then we found out that he suddenly got worse and was about to die.”       “His doctor said that the one who transferred blood to him for the second time made some mistakes in safety and the process itself. That’s why Peter’s organism was infected with something that almost killed him.”       “Have you never thought they could do it on purpose?” Anna suddenly asks.       “On purpose?”       “What if Marcus found out what happened and told someone to end Peter with no suspicions?”       “And how did he know which hospital he was in?”       “What if some of his accomplices worked there? Maybe that’s one of those who are mocking Helene now. Because… We know that the doctor was young. And… As I understand, Marcus’s henchmen are almost the same age as ours. It’s possible that they aren’t even thirty yet.”       “No, Anna, it cannot be the truth,” Daniel shakes his head. “No… It cannot.”       “Yes, I may be wrong. But I’m starting to consider this story kind of strange. It couldn’t happen that the first transfusion was successful, but he got worse during the second one.”       “Anything happens! Doctors are humans and can make mistakes, because of which patients get worse. Because of which they may actually die.”       “I know, sweetheart, but I've been obsessed with this thought for several days.”       “But how could it happen?” Daniel throws his hands up. “A whole team of doctors probably works on this type of thing. Even if someone really wants, none of them can inject someone’s organism with something on purpose.”       “Didn’t Rose’s doctor tell you about how that doctor had his organism infected?”       “Nope, he didn’t. We only know that he was young and inexperienced, but he was suspended after that case.”       “Does it mean they knew it was him?”       “Yeah, it happens.”       “What if the doctors knew about the attempt to kill Peter but decided to close their eyes to that and tell you nothing not to upset or scare you?”       “Hardly. Why would Lewis hide it? Yes, we aren’t Rose’s relatives, but Peter doesn’t have them! It means his close friends were supposed to get all the information about his condition!”       “Who knows, Daniel. But we can’t exclude that’s possible.”       “I don’t know, Anna…” Daniel sighs tiredly. “On the one hand, I can assume it may be the truth. But on the other hand…”       “We had a hope that he was about to wake up. But then we found out that a miracle didn’t happen out of the blue.”       “Yeah, right, you’re right. But… It’s hard to believe it.”       “I don’t wanna say it’s the truth. I’m just trying to understand how many times they’ve tried to get rid of him.”       “Anyway, let’s take a note about this version. We can even talk to Peter himself about it. Who knows… Maybe he heard or saw something. Because… He wasn’t unconscious all the time he spent in the hospital and woke up at times.”       “Hey, didn’t you notice anything suspicious during the tour with ‘The Loser Syndrome’?” Anna asks, puts several packets of fruits and vegetables, and wants to take a little more. “Maybe, you try to remember some strange cases?”       “Nope, nothing happened,” Daniel shrugs. “There were always many folks from the security at every concert. No fly would fly by them, remaining invisible. And when we walked in the city, we were sometimes accompanied by some tough guys. But if we only walked with Liam, Zac, Brad, and Nate. If Peter, Terrence, and I walked in the city alone, there was nobody.”       “Nothing really happened?”       “Nope, nobody was gonna attack us.”       “Maybe Peter was strange not just because of the comments on the Internet? What if someone attacked him first, but he preferred to be silent about it?”       “Why would he need it?”       “Well… They could, let’s say, terrify him. Say he’d be dead if he told the guys just one word.”       “Yeah, but Marcus doesn’t care if we go to the police.”       “But he does care about Edward, Terrence, and you. Don’t forget, he threatened to deal with you if you kept helping Peter and protecting him.”       “No, my love, I can believe the version of the purposeful infection, but everything is hardly possible in this case. Peter was just insulted by those mean comments about his appearance, talents, and other things.”       “I dunno…”       “Don’t find suspicions about everything that’s ever happened, princess.”       “We should do! Any little thing matters now!”       Anna puts a couple of packets in the basket with food and keeps walking through the whole supermarket along with Daniel.       “And I would recommend that you remember the entire period of your communication with him before meeting Terrence, Edward, Raquelle, Natalia, Helene, and me. Maybe something suspicious or interesting happened.”       “I knew literally nothing about Peter back then ‘cause he was too withdrawn and didn’t tell me anything even after I managed to win his trust.”       “So… I see…”       Anna runs her hands over her face with a tired sigh and looks at what’s in the basket.       “Oh, so, did we take everything or forget something?” Daniel asks.       “I dunno…” Anna replies thoughtfully and goes aside with Daniel not to bother other people. “I walk and take anything I see before my eyes like a robot.”       “Don’t be upset, my sweetheart.”       Daniel comes closer to Anna and caresses her shoulders softly, while she looks at him with sad eyes.       “I feel depressed, too, but I try not to lose the belief in the best.”       “It would be okay if we had a solution to this problem. But we don’t! Whatever we do, we’re gonna be stuck in the same place.”       “It won’t last forever. Something will happen early or late and give us a chance to solve it all.”       “Or make us freaking frightened.”       “Anyway, the police are investigating the case now. We aren’t the only ones to try to find a solution. We aren’t the only ones to try to find Helene and punish Marcus and his whole gang.”       “It doesn't make me feel better.”       “Whatever happens, the guys and I are ready for any turn of twists. If we have a little chance to end this shit, we will use it, undoubtedly.”       “The girls and I can’t stop having a sense of anxiety. The thought that something terrible is gonna happen soon.”       “Don’t think about bad things, Anna,” Daniel advises softly and tucks tenderly a strand of Anna’s hair behind her ear. “You shouldn't be stuck on this.”       “I can’t… I can’t keep calm. And when I think this case is hopeless, I really wanna cry.”       “When we come back home, I suggest we text the guys on WhatsApp and invite them to our home. Sit, talk, discuss your theory… And Edward and Raquelle can tell us how they worked on their photoshoot together.”       “Ah yeah, I forgot they should’ve worked together today,” Anna replies thoughtfully.       “Now staying together and not being apart is as important to us as never ever. It would be easier for us to keep calm and not to go crazy.”       “You’re right, huh. We can really suggest that everyone go to our home. Not sure if I have the strength to cook something, but we can offer them some kind of snacks. We can see what we can buy.”       “We can also go to Mrs. Marshall’s home on the way, leave some food for her, and offer our help in taking care of Sammy. We can take him out and spend some time with him. So, he knows he’s not alone, he’s not forgotten.”       “Good idea…”       “Don’t be sad, sunshine, we can get through this.”       Daniel kisses Anna sweetly on her forehead, grabbing her face.       “The important thing is that we’re not alone. We can always ask each other for help and support. When we have our close people by our side, we can fear no tsunami or tornado.”       “Right…” Anna smiles sadly. “I fear nothing next to you.”       “And I feel calm next to you.”       Daniel takes Anna in a strong hug and caresses her head tenderly, while she snuggles her nose in his shoulder and puts her hands on his back.       “Even if my life is turned upside down, I will be happy at least because I have my beloved girl by my side. The one I love very much.”       “Daniel, sweetheart…” Anna pronounces softly.       “It’s gonna be okay, my princess. Everything will be solved early or late: Helene will come back home alive, and Peter will remember what happened to him in his childhood. Marcus will be arrested. He will pay for all his tricks. Even if the cost is gonna be his death.”       “What if not?”       “Wainwright paid for what he did. The Potters are now serving the sentence. Michael actually got a life sentence. Simon is in prison, too. He became a vegetable and can’t do anything.”       “Not all criminals get what they deserve.”       “My mother always said every person would pay for everything they did on their Judgement Day. None of their actions will remain in the shadows. If they don’t pay for it on earth, they will pay for it there, in heaven.”       “We’ve got a too tough nut this time.”       “It’s okay, we’ll crush it anyway.” Daniel kisses Anna on the top of her head, putting his hand on the back of her head. “Crush him like a pearl. Early or late.”       Anna says nothing and just keeps enjoying Daniel’s hugs, putting her head on his shoulder with closed eyes. She feels a little better, while the man presses her closely to his body and runs his hand over her back, or runs his fingers through her red hair brushed in a ponytail. Although some people going by see what’s happening and glance at them in a different way, the lovers do not care about it. They have actually never been shy of showing their feelings in public.       “Okay, my love, let’s go to pay,” Daniel suggests a few seconds later, steps away from Anna, and caresses her cheek with his thumb. “And go home then.”       “We took everything?” Anna asks hesitantly. “Or we forgot something? My head barely works now…”       “We kinda took everything…”       “Oh, I forgot why we actually came here…” Anna puts her head on her forehead.       “You have the list of purchases?”       “Yeah, I think so…”       “Let me see if we took everything. And give me a pen. So, I can strike out what we have in the basket.”       “If I can find it…”       Anna opens the bag hanging on her shoulder and checks through it for two seconds before she gives Daniel a little piece of paper and a pen. He unwraps the list and starts running his eyes carefully over every single item and striking out everything he sees in the basket. While the girl just watches him with sad eyes and shifts her foot from one foot to another.       “Almost everything!” Daniel says and strikes out something else. “We should only get a dish soap, a pack of microfiber towels, a couple of packs of coffee, spices, toothpaste, toilet paper… And… A tool for cleaning pipes… We’ve got water issues in the kitchen.”       “But you say we took everything…” Anna shrugs without emotions on her face, while she and Daniel start going straight and pushing the basket forward.       “We spent a lot of time walking by the food sections, but we haven’t reached the chemistry one.”       “Oh, I can’t remember where we walked, what we took…”       “Hold on, Anna, we’ll buy everything for one week or two and then forget about shops for a while.”       “I can spend hours walking in cloth shops, cosmetic shops, shoe shops, and jewelry shops. But I don’t like food stores. I wanna take everything quickly and go home.”       “You and I are the same in this case. I ain’t also a fan of spending hours in a food store.”       Daniel puts his arm around Anna’s neck.       “But I can take it for some delicious things on the shelf. To come and enjoy all of that.”       “May God bless the one who came up with the idea of delivering food at home!” Anna raises her hands. “Go to the site, take anything you want, pay for it with your card, and wait for a delivery guy.”       “Sitting at home all day long is not good, either. We should go somewhere and walk.”       “I know. Of course, I can’t distract myself at all, but it’s just something.”       “The sooner we take everything we don’t have in the basket yet, the sooner we go home.”       “Yeah, let’s solve it quickly. I wanna eat already.”       “Me too, honestly.”       “Let’s go home and organize something then.”       “As you wish, my princess.”       Anna kisses Daniel on the cheek with a sweet smile, puts her arms around his waist, puts her head on his shoulder, and keeps walking in circles around the whole large room of the supermarket. They do not spend too much time finding everything they are missing in the basket. And they also decide that nothing bad would happen if they took something they did not add to the list to please themselves a little. And when all the items are struck out of the list, the lovers go to the cashier to pay for their purchases. And they are not too happy with having to stand in a short queue of people who decided to buy food for one week or even one month. Nevertheless, they find one to be more or less fast and get busy talking about something that does not let them think about everything that is happening at the moment.       

***

      Closer to five o’clock, Peter is going to leave home and go to the meeting with Marcus to save Helene and find out the reason for what’s happening in his life. Being determined to do this all alone, the man has not told his friends about what he is going to do. Not to distract himself from his goal, he turns off his cell phone and decides to leave it at home. By the way, the blond saw all the messages from Daniel and Anna, who suggested that the friends join them at home and play with Sammy. But he decides to ignore them and not to answer.       Peter understands that he is risking a lot and may not come back home alive, but he does not want to let his friends suffer because of the dangerous man. The guy is also not sure that he can get what he wants. Nevertheless, it does not stop him from wishing to do his best to find his girlfriend and let her come back home to her grandmother, who suffers so much without her.       “I’m so sorry, guys,” Peter says quietly under his nose. “But I have to go there all alone. If I told you everything, you would go with me. But I can’t risk your lives like this. I won’t forgive myself if you suffer because of me. That’s why I’m gonna meet Marcus face to face. I’d do anything for Helene. I’d do anything to see her alive.”       Peter exhales slowly with closed eyes as he clenches his hand into a fist.       “Please, sweetie, just hold on… I’m getting closer. Whatever you are, I will save you. I will not miss a chance to get you out of the grip of that old bastard and his gang of jackals. If one of those bastards stands in my way, I shall throw them against the wall. Take revenge for everything those bastards have done to my girlfriend all this time.”       At some moment, Peter glances at the reflection in the mirror and pulls down slightly his blue t-shirt and black denim jacket.       “Don’t be mad at me for doing something wrong, men. Don’t be mad if I’ve ever hurt you, girls. If I’ve ever done something wrong, I ask you to forgive me with all my heart. Forgive me for everything that has happened. I’m really sorry you had to become witnesses to my breakdowns and hysterics. I tried to hold on, but it was beyond me.”       Peter swallows nervously and puts his cell phone on the writing table.       “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in my life. My life is full of fucking shit. If not for you, I would’ve been dead in this world for several years. Because I don’t have any other meaning in living.”       Peter flashes a slight smile, moving his eyes aside.       “I love you, guys. All of you. Very. Very much. You’re really like my brothers and sisters. You’ve become… My second family. Or… The first one… Since I’ve never had it.”       Peter stops his eyes on one of the bracelets on his hand.       “Not sure if I’ll come back after this meeting. I… I’ve got a bad presentiment. So… Anyway… Forgive me. Forgive me for everything. I’ve never wanted to harm anyone. I’ve never wanted to do or say something bad.”       After hesitating for a few seconds and glancing at the electronic watch placed on the bedside table and seeing it’s almost four o’clock, Peter exhales sharply with the thought that all his muscles are squeezed with the pain, his hands are sweaty, and something is pressing on his chest and not letting him breathe deeply. Since he understands there is no way back, the man takes the keys from the car and the apartment prepared in advance, turns off the electricity in all the rooms, goes to the hall, and looks around. When he makes sure nothing will burn, and he has forgotten nothing, the guy leaves the apartment and locks the door with the key. Then he goes hesitantly down the empty halls, calls the elevator, and goes to the first floor all alone, feeling some kind of stiffness in his whole body and embracing himself tightly with both arms when he shakes from the coldness that strikes him shortly.       When he is on the first floor, Peter leaves the elevator quickly and passes some distance down the hall before he comes to the hall door and leaves the apartment, ending up outside. He does not pay attention to what surrounds him and quickly goes to the large parking lot with all the cars of those who live in this building. He walks by two old, gray-haired women sitting on the bench near the entrance. At first, they talk about something and laugh shyly, but when they see the guy, they forget what they were talking about and watch him, waiting for him to greet them.       “Oh, look, Hillary, Rose passed him and pretended that we were not here,” one of the old ladies resents. “No hello, no good day!”       “Oh, Marta, you’re right!” the woman named Hillary exclaims, holding something that she is knitting with spokes. “He has gone really insane because all those little folks literally choke on saliva as they stare at this creature with feathers.”       “He used to greet us, even if it was cold and toxic. But now he did not even turn around and ran as fast as a meteor.”       “Aha, he is kind of in a rush.”       “Oh, he probably is going to go crazy with his friends again. The same non-educated idlers that don’t wanna do something nice.”       “Aha, yesterday, they went to his home all together. And they took their girls with them.”       “Are they better? They dress up like, heaven forbid, prostitutes! Shorts let us see their ass, but their shorts are short enough so that we can see their bellies. They have the decollates that the breasts are about to be released.”       “But these walking spermatozoids walk happily and barely have time to wipe off saliva.”       “Oh, these men should just see a half-naked lady to lose their minds and scratch their genitals with a wish to get them out.”       “Girls did not dress up like this in my time!” Hillary states. “They all were very shy and wore super closed clothes. God forbid, collarbones were seen – no! Shame and disgrace!”       “Yeah, they used to be so beautiful. They remembered that shyness was the best thing a person had. But now these gals do a bright makeup, dress up like whores, and act like it’s normal.”       “Aha, and then they go to shows and complain they’re poor because they’ve been raped.”       “You must not provoke men! You send them a sign that you are for them.”       “That’s what I mean! If you dress up well, nobody will look at you.”       “Oh, you’re right!” Marta waves her hand.       “Talking about it doesn’t make sense now… They should’ve been educated and understood these things at an early age. But now they are all adults who think they have the right to fuck you off.”       “Well, Rose’s friends have the brains to talk to us gently enough. And the girls pretend to be educated. But he does what he wants and never regrets it.”       “Oh, we will probably never exhale with relief,” Hillary sighs heavily. “Rose will never get out of here. You and I would get old sooner than he would love to do this.”       “By the way, Hillary, did you notice that his girlfriend has lately stopped going to his home alone and with her dog?”       “Yeah, that girl has disappeared. I haven’t seen her for a long time. One week or a little more – that’s for sure.”       “What happened between them? They fought? Or they broke up at all?”       “Who knows, honey… But she doesn’t even come here with his friends.”       “It’s strange…” Marta frowns slightly. “Rose’s girlfriend was here with bright makeup and dressed up the last time. But she was a little sad, as I noticed.”       “Do you remember both of them came here half-wet?” Hillary recalls. “As if they fell in a river.”       “I do, I do, they did. The girl was kind of scared to death, but Rose was anxious. And the dog didn’t leave her alone.”       “And he was carrying her in his arms!”       “Yes, she looked half-alive back then.”       “Ha, it’s not surprising!” Hillary sneers. “You see how she was dressed? Like a whore! Shorts, a tiny top, through which I could see her nipples even without glasses, and her breasts that were about to get out.”       “You think that girl was raped by someone?”       “I wouldn’t be surprised! She does provoke men!”       “You’re right, though. But Rose’s friend used to dress up much shyer. I thought she was normal.”       “She must keep Rose near her somehow! It looks like the focus with brains doesn’t work anymore.”       “Has she ever had them? Besides, don’t forget who her friends are. As they say, with whom you lead, from this and pick up.”       “You’re right, as always, my darling!”       “Her disappearance probably has to do with all these clothes provocations. The girl probably walked by some young guys, who wanted to have fun with her since she was dressed up like that. So, Rose got sick and pissed her off in the end. Still… What man would love to share his woman with someone?”       “No men, of course!” Hillary exclaims. “When I was married, I didn’t even look at other men. I could not even think about anyone else. And I was so shy that it was super hard for me to undress myself, even for my own husband.”       “It seems like she went so far that the guy just sent her on the pedestrian erotic journey.”       “Probably, this is why he looks so gloomy and notices nothing and nobody around.”       “It’s alright, he will learn a lesson! He must choose a normal, decent, and shy girl! Not a prostitute that only thinks about clothes and cosmetics.”       “With such a disgusting character, no normal girl will pay attention to him.”       “Yeah… His destiny is to spend his whole life all alone, having nobody who would give him a glass of water at his old age.”       “It will happen, sweetie. It will happen.”       While Hillary and Marts keep talking about his personal life and judging everyone and everything, Peter comes to his car, unlocks it, sits in the driver’s seat, starts the motor, leaves the parking lot backward, turns around, and goes on the road. He presses on the gas pedal so strongly and does such sharp twists that the wheels make a disgusting squeak that gets attention from his neighbors, who frown strongly and keep criticizing and showering him with mud. They keep sitting on the bench, even if it gets a little cold outside, and the sky is now covered with thick gray clouds.       The road that Peter’s car is driving on is almost free now. It lets him drive at the maximum speed that is allowed here and leave behind many transports that prefer to go slowly. Even if he tries so hard to focus on the road, holding tightly the steering wheel with both hands and watching what’s happening before his eyes closely, negative thoughts keep getting into his mind so hard. The longer the man drives, the stronger he starts to doubt that he can complete the mission he got. Since there is nobody near him now, the blond feels a stronger anxiety. Because… He can feel safe only with his friends.       Nevertheless, remembering that Helene is in great danger and probably counts on his help so badly, Peter tries so hard to forget all his fears and doubts. He promises to do the possible and the impossible to save his sweetheart, praying again and again that he does it before Marcus and his accomplices want to get rid of her. However… The fear of meeting his enemy face to face without any support is not weak. Maybe it’s even as strong as the fear of letting his beloved girl die. As strong as the fear of something that he does not know and does not remember for a certain reason.       At some moment, Peter starts to doubt that he did the right thing by deciding to say nothing to his friends and going to the meeting with Marcus all alone. He doubts his strength and is not sure if he can get away from the accomplices of this man if they surround him from all sides and want to attack. It reminds him of his school days when a crowd of evil and heartless students took him in a tight circle and bullied him, making him feel unprotected and unhappy. And even if the adult people were witnesses to all of that, they could not do anything. Well… Or they did not want or decided that children should have learned to solve their problems on their own, so that they considered all of this some kind of life lesson that the bravest and most determined people would learn.       “What if something like this didn’t happen in school only?” – the question Peter gets on his mind. The one that makes him seriously think about what happened to him in his childhood that he cannot remember, not talking about short flashbacks. His friends’ words made him think about what he had preferred to ignore and lock somewhere deep inside for a long time. Rose truly believes that all his problems are connected with the school years only, but everything inside protests against it so hard. As if this case is much more complicated than it seems. On the one hand, the blond wants to try to find out what or who made him so weak and cowardly. But on the other hand, this wish makes him feel a strong anxiety that surpasses it.       While he thinks about all of this, Peter starts to understand that he gets a panic attack again, breathing heavily enough, squeezing the steering wheel much tighter with his sweaty and shaking hands, and feeling a little dizzy. Although the symptoms are mild yet, he is not able to control them and succumbs to them more and more, hearing his own heartbeat in his head and understanding how hard it hits his temples. Every muscle cramps from tension, the skin gets pale sharply, the chest is kind of squeezed by something heavy, he feels nausea in his throat, and all the sounds reach out to him through the deaf wall. The world starts to seem something like unreal and slow. Rose does not feel himself and gets obsessed with the fear of losing control of what’s happening and going crazy.       Due to the panic attack that is growing rapidly, Peter weakens the control of the road, even if he feels driving at high speed thoughtlessly. His shaking fingers become kind of numb and barely obey him, and he does not feel his legs. Every signal that the drivers make makes him tense more and more. The salon of his car becomes kind of small, squeezing the man in it more and more so that he can barely breathe. When a motorcycle passes by him fast, he changes lanes in fear and almost cuts off the driver, who shows their resentment by pressing the horn on the steering wheel hard. He starts to think that all the people who go by him look at him badly, surround his transport from all sides, and say something that he cannot hear due to his hearing issues.       Everything gets blurry before his eyes. That’s why Peter is not able to drive the car now. Panic clouds his mind more and more, and there is nobody who can help him come to himself. Vice versa, people do not understand it and press on him more and more. He can hear someone’s orders to learn to drive and not to do this if he is drunk or drugged by something through the deaf wall. It does not obviously help him calm down and makes all his symptoms much stronger. Even being in a half-conscious condition, the man understands he may not reach the final destination if it keeps happening because he may lose control of the car and crush something or someone and suffer serious trauma. But Rose keeps pressing the gas pedal so hard, trying desperately to breathe in some air that he lacks catastrophically due to the thought that someone is strangling him strongly.       At some moment, Peter distracts himself from the road and doubles over due to the pain in his abdomen that strikes him sharply. The pain that he cannot explain at all. The thought that he is all alone now makes his panic attack much stronger and awakens an unbearable fear of death. The invisible rope tightens on his neck, and his muscles are kind of squeezed so that he feels a strong discomfort. His widely open eyes run from side to side, seeing cars passing by and drivers who get out of the windows, turn on the guy, and shower him with swearing words. The picture changes so fast that the clouded mind cannot just work it out – that’s why a real mess is happening in his head now.       But his mind gets more or less clear when Peter moves his eyes to the road and barely realizes that he ends up in the oncoming lane and is about to get into a truck with a tank, which has the signature “DANGER OF FIRE” written with large letters. He turns the steering wheel so sharply that the wheels make a disgusting squeak, and his car almost crushes another that goes aside magically. Having a fast heartbeat caused by the horror and heavy breath, the man magically avoids crushing someone and does not drive into the railing that separates the straight road and the one that leads to the bridge. Then he presses the pedals sharply to slow down to a minimum.       The pale Peter scared to death and still suffering from a panic attack understands that he must stop somewhere and wait for all of this to be gone. Looking around with widely open eyes, the man starts driving on the rightmost lane and finds the turn that leads to the woods. Not thinking a lot, he goes there and passes some distance before he decides to stop the car, being happy that there is nobody around. Rose turns off the motor with shaking hands, gets the key out, and puts it in the section for a cell phone, Then he leans back in the driver’s seat and closes his eyes, still suffering from the lack of air and the dizziness that gets stronger, seeing everything blurry, and asking himself if all of this is really happening to him.       When he feels a sharp pain somewhere between the ribs, Peter opens the door and leaves the salon. At this moment, his legs get immediately weak, forcing him to lean on the car. The man only takes several steps before he succumbs to the wish to get down to the asphalt powerlessly, leaning on the closed back door with his back, and runs his hands over his hair with a quiet moan. He wipes the drops of sweat off his forehead and puts his hand on his heart that is still beating like crazy. Nevertheless, the peck is already over, and all his symptoms get weaker at this moment. Thanks to this, Rose’s consciousness gets clearer little by little, and his vision is no longer blurry.       Not thinking about the possibility of coming too late, Peter decided to spend some time here and wait for the panic to be gone to be able to drive the car and go to the home of Marcus alive and unharmed. Although the man is now in a much safer position, the problem is that he cannot hear any sounds in this desert place. That’s why he feels a strong fear that makes his battle with bad symptoms longer. The unexplainable pain in his stomach does not make him feel happy and makes him think of just one wish – to lie down. But Rose makes himself forget all of this and do his best to calm down, after all, and do his best to calm down and remember his main goal, which he must reach, no matter which barriers stand in his way.       

***

      Helene remembers that today is the day of the meeting between Marcus and Peter. The girl does not know what time it is now, but every second makes her sense of anxiety and fear stronger at the thought that her boyfriend is about to die, and she will not get any small chance to get out of here alive. She prays so desperately that Mr. Longbottom does not become the winner of this battle and does not avoid the punishment for his terrible crimes again.       She would definitely be horrified if she knew her boyfriend had taken a serious risk, saying nothing to his friends about meeting Marcus. Who surrounded himself with several helpers, whom Peter would not deal with all alone. The helpers, who brought her to exhaustion and forced her to be hungry. Helene tried to walk through the whole room, but now she does not have the strength to do it. She is just lying on the bed powerlessly and thinking about something terrible, dreaming of being saved, or just trying to sleep a little. The nightmares keep torturing her, but she sometimes sees something good and nice that warms her soul and makes her get out of the hell that she can hardly find a way out of.       “God, please…” Helene begs with closed eyes, lying on her side and putting her hands under her cheeks. “Do something for this story to end well. For Peter to find me. For the guys to help him get away from Marcus. For this man and his whole gang to be arrested. He can’t win and deal with us. It would be unfair.”       Helene swallows nervously.       “The guys should’ve thought up something. They should’ve found a way. The police should’ve come up with something. One of those men said something about searches, questioning, hiding… It means they’ve been looking for me all this time. They didn’t forget me. I hoped they’d do something for the reason. I believed Peter wouldn’t refuse to save me for the reason. I’m sure he would come for me shortly if he knew where to find me.”       Helene stops her eyes on the fly that just landed on the bedside table and starts walking on it.       “But who could find me in this deaf place? There are woods around, it’s as silent as hell, the city is too far from here… And I have nothing that could help me give them a sign. If I had a phone, I could try to send my location to someone. No other way. That’s why I only have to count on the guys. They’re my only hope to get out of this place that is gonna drive me crazy soon. Where it’s so cold, hungry, scary, and lonely.”       At some moment, Helene’s nose starts tickling, and later she sneezes quietly, closing her mouth with a hand.       “I hope I won’t get ill while I am here. Though I think I have a sore throat… Not a strong one, but swallowing is uncomfortable… Though I’m not surprised, knowing that nights are cold now.”       Having nothing to do, Helene decides to take a little, twirling in a ball on the side, closing her eyes, and telling herself to relax quickly. But she cannot fall asleep due to the tension cramping every muscle of her body, her fast heartbeat, and the growing panic caused by the meeting of Peter and Marcus. And the stomach pain does not help her fall asleep quickly.       And some time later, she actually has to forget about sleep because she hears the familiar squeak that notifies her about someone wishing to open the door and enter here. But Helene does not react to this: she does not shake, she does not push herself into the corner, she does not try to use the moment and run. She keeps looking into the distance when Elijah looking absolutely quiet enters here, deciding not to brush his long hair into a bun, as he usually does, and has them gartered in a tail.       “You again?” Helene pronounces quietly, without emotions on her face.       “Me again!” Elijah exclaims, comes confidently to the bed, and sits on the edge. “But don’t worry, you will no longer see Marcus, the men, and me. And you will no longer have to spend time at this place.”       “I still don’t want to die.”       “And I repeat that I’m not the one to decide it. Marcus is determined to deal with Peter Rose and turn him to ash.”       “Why does he need it? Why are you doing this? Does it make sense?”       “Your boyfriend will know everything surely. My lord decided that it would be wrong to bury him in the ground without letting him know the reason for that.”       Elijah puts his finger on his lip.       “But he hasn’t decided if he wants to tell you that.”       “But you know it,” Helene notices. “You know why he started it all for.”       “I know. But I will not say it.”       “Drop me a hint. How Peter harmed Marcus. Who had to do with it. Why. What’s actually going on?”       “Don’t be so curious, Marshall,” Elijah advises and slaps Helene on the nose with his finger. “If you should not know something, you will not know it.”       “I’ve understood that his mother has to do with it, but I can’t figure out the connection between that woman and Marcus.”       “I can say just one thing: her story is going to be very interesting to your boyfriend. And Marcus will tell him about it, even if that asshole doesn’t want to hear anything.”       “He’s been told that Peter’s mother must pay for her tricks without getting her son involved in it.”       “Alas, but that guy was involved in this case against his will. Yes, Rose thought he’d live a quiet life, dating you, playing in his talentless band, and planning to create a family. But he ran into a great failure.”       “Why did he start it all for money?”       “The problem is not money, shorty. It’s much harder. The case is about the ruined life of the person.”       “Peter has never done anything bad to anyone!” Helene protests. “He’s always tried to be kind, gentle, and sweet to everyone. Even if everyone wants to hurt him.”       “Sadly, every person has a different destiny,” Elijah throws his hands up with an innocent smile. “Someone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but someone is lying at everyone’s feet and enjoying little pennies.”       “It’s unfair that everyone thinks they must give my man a pain. They’ve been doing it since he was a child.”       “M-m-m, there’s something about your words…”       Elijah puts his finger on his lip.       “So much has happened in the life of your sweetheart that he probably decided to erase at least a part of his memories from his mind. Not to go crazy.”       “Wrong, sir. Peter remembers everything clearly.”       “No, cutie, you are wrong. Peter believes that he remembers everything, but that’s actually not true.”       “I don’t understand you.”       “Did you all really think he recovered fully and was ready to move on? That the guy learned to be strong and confident? He told you about all his problems?”       “What do you want to say?” Helene frowns slightly.       “I want to say that Rose has something to hide.”       “It’s your fantasy.”       “Yes, I’m going to say that the information is not 100% true. Marcus knows something about it, but he is not sure if it’s as true as the story of your bullying over other people.”       “If you know something about it, speak now.”       “Do you really want to know it?”       “I want to know everything about my man.”       “You will see him again! Why would you need it? You will no longer have a chance to save that guy from what he has wanted so badly for many years.”       “I will always be near him to save him from bad things.”       “You didn’t save me, babe. You just made him suffer longer. You didn’t let Rose do what should’ve happened a long time ago. Though you can’t play with your fate forever.”       “Peter wasn’t just lucky to end up among heartless jackals, who chose the weakest victim. They knew he couldn’t stand up for himself, and others gave a fuck about him. So, those people used the moment.”       “Do you think he would’ve lived and enjoyed his life in the opposite case?”       “This cruel world broke Peter. Didn’t protect him when he needed it. Didn’t send him a trustworthy protector, who should’ve taken care of him and taught him to be strong and answer his enemies with dignity.”       “So, maybe, it’s true,” Elijah replies thoughtfully. “Or maybe, it’s not. Maybe, as Marcus said himself, this world is trying to get rid of Peter. Just like in the case of the body that tries to get rid of something foreign that doesn’t let it work correctly.”       “But even in this cruel world full of injustice, there are people who love Peter and wish him the best. Those who would suffer if they lost him.”       “He has nobody but you and his friends, Helene. Nobody else needs that freak.”       “Come on?” Helene pronounces surprisingly. “What about the band’s fans? They love him so much and always support him actively!”       “It’s out of pity/ These so-called fans got the sympathy for him after his emotional stories about his psychological traumas. He mentions them at least once in every interview. Using the fact that people may be very compassionate. Some of them are actually worried about everything and everyone.”       “If you want to think so, it’s alright. But the band’s fans really love Peter and are still afraid that he will do something to himself again.”       “It’s alright, he has a little time before he can stop trying to kill himself again and again. Before all these people have no meaning in holding him.”       Elijah smirks evilly.       “Besides, there’s no doubt that he will lose the meaning in fighting after you die. He will be begging us to kill him. Rose is fretting and fuming like this because of you. He doesn’t care about himself. The blond only lives for someone. Someone, who he must make happy.”       “Maybe you will tell me what you mean when you say Peter doesn’t remember everything?”       “It doesn’t make sense, shorty.”       “Besides, I haven’t forgotten your words about the hospital where he was tried to be killed on purpose during the second blood transfusion.”       “Wow, how curious you are…” Elijah shakes her head. “You are so interested in everything…”       “And even if Marcus doesn’t confirm he’s killed hundreds of innocent people, I know everything. I know he should’ve been executed for such terrible crimes.”       “Since his fault hasn’t been proved for more than twenty years, it will never be proved. As well as nobody will prove his fault for killing you and Rose. All the tracks will be covered, and your corpses will be buried where nobody will find them.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised if Marcus started to harm Peter a long time ago.”       “Huh, don’t say everyone mocked him because of him,” Elijah crosses his arms over his chest with a contemptuous sneer. “The alcoholic woman drank and his schoolmates bullied him all together because of Marcus.”       “Good explanation of his words about the whole world literally trying to get rid of him. But the case is not about the world, it’s about the one who is chasing the guy, who’s always wanted to live a quiet life and be surrounded by loving people.”       “Alas, sweetie, if the information that we have is true, Peter Rose will never live a quiet life. He will never get rid of all his demons. He will live his whole life in the skin of a certain sociopath who doesn’t trust people and expects something bad from them.”       “I can understand him. It’s hard to trust someone after everything he’s gone through. After he’s been stabbed in the back many times.”       “Do you know why he started to fear people?”       “It’s been said many times.”       “Are you sure it’s true?”       “Peter wouldn’t lie. He is not that type. He always tells the truth, no matter what it is.”       “Does someone say Peter is lying? No, he is not lying. He’s just hiding something. Though this is a controversial question, of course, knowing that a bigger part of his memories is blocked.”       “You say you aren’t sure about anything yet, but you’re acting like this is the information confirmed by several sources.”       “Not sure, but everything fits.”       “Listen, I don’t understand you!” Helene exclaims. “What are you talking about? What blocked memories?”       “The childhood memories. Did he tell you a lot about it? Or did he start all his stories since his school years?”       “You care?”       “It’s happening because Rose cannot remember his childhood. I mean, he made himself forget it not to go insane. Otherwise, he would’ve died when he was weaned away from the pacifier.”       “Stop dropping hints!” Helene demands a little louder and sits up so sharply that she feels a little dizzy, but does not show it, though. “Tell me everything you know directly! Reveal all your secrets now!”       “Are you sure you want to know it?” Elijah smiles slyly, setting his eyes on Helene.       “Since you decided to kill me today, you can finally open all the cards.”       “M-m-m…”       “Come on, honorable, what are you waiting for? Speak! Tell me another lie of yours! Keep covering the tricks of Marcus, who wants to drive my man crazy on purpose. Even if he tries so hard to cling to the edge of the board hanging above the abyss and not to fall, even if everyone wants to push him so hard.” Elijah says nothing for a few seconds and just smirks evilly, stroking his chin and looking at Helene with interest, while she sets her wet eyes determinedly on him. The girl is not sure if this man really knows something, but she comes up with so many assumptions since the voice inside tells her that everything is really not clear about Peter’s story. Moreover, even after the detailed story of his life, the man did not feel better, despite all the attempts of his friends and girlfriend to lessen the blond’s pain and make him think that he will never be alone.