Pessimism (Book One)

My Valentine

Where could they be? I was in the bathroom now and I searched every room and toilet. No sign of blood. No sign of him being here. I was starting to wonder if this was apart of their plan, if he ever wen tot the bathroom. Did they go somewhere else? No, Ethan cried for help. But that could've been a code or message. I hate not knowing anything, it aggravates me. I got out of the bathroom. I was defenseless. If anyone came to attack, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I took the nearest staircase. If I was the killer, where would I hide? Obviously Ethan and Kaitlin already figured it out. I was still trying to process. Where? I repeated in my head. The roof? No, to open. The cafeteria? No, too easy. Somewhere that no one would find me. Somewhere I can easily contact someone and kill them. Somewhere like... like a control room. The radio room. Where was the radio room? I heard Ethan and Kaitlin talking about it the other day. Room R10... I can't remember the rest. The rest is just a jumble of extra numbers. It could range from 0-9 including the extra rooms in between. I'll have to check each one. No, I can't. If I do then I'd get caught and even die. The bell, the yell, the three notes, the three dead kids. William Shakespeare's quote from Macbeth. "The bell invites me." The bell rang coincidently when they found the kid dead. There was a chime of someone's phone when the kid also died not too long ago. That's when Ethan made his move. He wasn't just sleeping, he was talking to Kaitlin. It was Morse code. Incredible, those two. I hate them so much right now, but I can't get mad for no reason now, I have to find them. Room R101. I think that was it. I ran down the second floor, and down the stairs. There it was, R101. The door was worn out. The handle had been touched, no dust. I opened it and slowly walked inside. It was bright, the lights gleaming.
"Took you long enough." Kaitlin said. Ethan was there too. They were waiting for me.
"We missed them." Ethan told me. "It was only one of them, he left in a hurry. He looked buff, probably had enough stamina to make the perfect get-away."
"You're joking right?" I laughed. "I just bumped into someone not too long ago." They stared at me with disgrace.
"And you didn't catch him?" Kaitlin started out. "Idiot." Her voiced trailed away. Ethan and I followed. Everything felt so strange. It was like a game. A game of chase. The lights all lit up, as if inviting us. We all stopped in the middle of the cafeteria.
"Welcome, Kaitlin, Ethan and...oh Ian." The man smiled. "Long time no see you two." He was talking about Kaitlin and Ethan. "Here to spoil another one of my killing sprees?" He laughed.
"You can't kill us remember?" Kaitlin reminded him. Kill? What are they talking about. "But you probably killed your little messenger."
"Well she was scared, and I hate scared people." He walked around us. He kept looking at me. "I enjoy this, when you two catch me and threaten me and foil my plans. But this, this isn't my plan. This is my invitation."
"Invitation?" Ethan asked, more with thought than anger.
"Yes, 'Happy Valentine's Day'." He grimaced. He pulled out a gun. Ethan and Kaitlin quickly covered me.
"What's going on?" I asked in anger. "Is this some sort of joke?"
"Yes, to Almery it is." Kaitlin explained.
"Almery?"
"Yes, that is my name." He pointed the gun at me. "Oh don't worry Katy, Ethan. I can't kill him either."
"What!?" Kaitlin gasped. Can't kill me? I didn't know if I should be happy or upset.
"Yes, Ian is... well let's just say he is very 'special'." Almery said. The room became quiet. "Well it was nice chatting with you all, but it's time for me to leave."
"Just like that? You aren't leaving that easily! Not until you explain yourself. Don't you feel guilty for killing all those children!?" I yelled.
"Guilty?" He laughed. "Guilty? Oh dear, you have a lot to learn, Ean." The lights went out and by the time it came back on, he was gone.
"That guy, who does he think he is? We have to go after him." I demanded. I was in tears. I didn't know why.
"No." Kaitlin took my hand. "He isn't the one. He isn't the one that killed them." Kaitlin looked into my eyes. "The arrow?" She whispered.
"What?" I questioned.
"Nothing, let's get back to the class room." Ethan suggested. I followed them. I knew fighting with them would be pointless. Almery? Who is he? Even, what is Kaitlin's and Ethan's connection with him?

We got back to the class room. Everyone had left. No one was in the room except the messenger. She was hanging out the locker. Her shock expression was worse than her dismantled body. Her neck broken, her arms bruised deeply, her body blood stained. I tried to look away, but the sight was hard to look away from. Its gruesome condition looked promising.
"Poor girl." Ethan rubbed her cheek. "She didn't deserve to die. Not like this."
"No time to get sentimental over a stupid girl. Life's full of decision making, and the wrong decision will get you dead. You need to know how to play the game right and she lost." Kaitlin's cruelty was miraculously hard to counter argue with. "We have bigger issues. We don't know who the killer is."
"I have a feeling I know who it is." I told them. They waited for my answer. "It might be suicide."
"Suicide?" Kaitlin mocked.
"Yes, except for her. But everyone else, it must've been suicide. Valentine's Day, no love. It could lead to a heart ache."
"And the self burial?" Kaitlin asked.
"Easy, it wasn't self burial. They killed themselves. Judging from the way she was dug, it was done by someone else. Someone that liked her, and felt bad."
"And the lock down?" Ethan asked.
"Paranoia and misconception." I explained. I was getting a good feeling in my stomach.
"So now what? We just go home?" Kaitlin asked.
"Might as well." Ethan picked up the blanket. "It was a nice Friday, don't you think?" He laughed. I couldn't find the humor, but I tried to laugh.
"You know Ian," Ethan started. I looked at him. "I never really expected anyone else to think on our level." He continued to pick the blankets up. He was such a kind hearted kid, but he never had great emotions with it. His smiles were archaic.
"What does that mean?"
"I mean, everyone else is narrow minded. You know the society we live in today, it's all the perfect idle, the perfect happiness. I personally don't believe in this Utopia. Paucity lies between our happiness and how we are happy. If everyone is dying, how is this happiness? How can I feel happy, when the ones near me are dying? How can I laugh if there is no reason to?" Ethan put the blankets in a corner.
"You think too much Ethan." Kaitlin laughed. "Then again we are the only ones who do, except now there is another among us."
"Another?" They were talking about me.
"It's nothing Ian. Nothing to concern yourself now." She left the classroom. Soon Ethan had left. I was alone, standing between the blankets and the body. Ethan's right. Happiness is over rated. It doesn't exist here. Not when we can't understand unhappiness. Why can't I cry for her. She dead and hurt and must've yelled, cried, screamed in agony. But the waterworks weren't going off. I looked at the time. It was 2:00. Mom will start to worry. I got home quick. It wasn't too long of a walk from here.
"Mom I'm home!" I yelled. I was glad to be back inside the comfort of these walls. The comfort I was starting to disbelieve.
"So what was the lock down all about?" She asked. The coffee was brewed and I had my hot chocolate.
"Just some suicidal attempts. Nothing serious." I reassured her. There were heart-shaped marshmallows in my cup. I smiled.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ian." She smiled.
"Happy Valentine's day, mom." I sipped my hot cocoa. I stared at mother. I stared at the empty chair that she should be in. "I miss you." I smiled at no one. Happy.