The Loss Of A Broken Soul (1)

7

I inhale deeply as I stepped into the deserted town. The buildings are marked with dull graffiti and caked with dust and grime. I begin to investigate.
I stumble upon a decrepit yellow house. Its paint is peeling, and it's windows are shattered. As I enter, my eyes land on the carcass of a dead pig.

Disgusting.

I don't think much of it, but I can barely make out a carved symbol of some sort on it. Weird.
I walk through the house and see what looks like permanent marker writings on the wall. It's in Ivys old handwriting.

"Elise was here" is written. I look around at pretty stars drawn everywhere into circles.
Cute. I start to walk out until I smell cigarettes coming from a room I just so happened to have forgotten to check. That's odd..

I walk in to see a guy around my age with short brown hair and hazel eyes smoking a cigarette.

"Uh...hello?" I say awkwardly.

"Oh, hey dude, What brings you here?" He says.

"Uh...I dunno like uh...investigating?"
"HOLY SHIT YOU'RE A COP-"

"No! That's not what I meant. I knew a girl named Elise, did you know her?"
I ask.

"Oh...sorry dude. Uh..what do you mean by knew?"
He asks with a strange look.

"Oh uh hahaha she went missing like a year ago ehhehe..heh."
I say awkwardly. I'm a terrible liar.

"Alright man. Anyways, me and her used to hang around here. Smoke a couple joints.
He says hesitantly.

"Until she...well."
He trails off.

"What did she do?"
I ask.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you...what's your name man?"
He asks and takes a drag of his cigarette.

"Henry. Yours?"

I ask curiously. I'm getting mixed emotions...he oddly makes me feel comforted but at the same time I have this bad feeling about what happened.

"Steven. You can call me Steve if ya want."
He says and gives a small smirk.

"Oh- alright Steven. What exactly happened with Iv- I mean Elise?"
I ask.

"Well one night she ran off without telling me where she was going. Which was already crazy since she told me EVERYTHING. I was her best friend.."

He starts. I watch his eyes trail around the room.

"She ran off to a casino and went in with some guy, from what i've heard. She went in and shot up the place, taking all the money and leaving the guy she brought behind. Rumor has it he originally went to jail and broke out, having a wingman bring him to Oklahoma where he got arrested again."
He chuckles.

"I wonder where they are now."
He sighs.

"Interesting. Hey Steven...could you bring me to this casino?"
I ask.

"Not unarmed I ca-"

I pull out a pocket knife I had packed.

"What about now?"
I ask and smirk.

"Deal."

They start walking to the alleged casino.

We start to walk into richer neighborhoods and eventually arrive where the casino is located. It's a red building with big purple and yellow neon letters. "FRIDAY NIGHT CASINO"

"Huh..."
I mumble.

"What? The tacky letters?" He chuckles. I start to laugh with him.

"Come on, we have to be serious. Let's go."

I say as we open the door, half of the casino is rich sophisticated people, the other half gambling addicted tattooed dummies.

"wait...is that a cardboard cutout of people? Did they fall off that bad?"

I laugh and look at Steven. He chuckles.

"Yeah...it got pretty messed up after the robbery. Let's go interview my buddy Ronnie. He always gives me a good deal."

Steven brings me to a bartender with short black hair and cold amber eyes. He has a beard and tacky looking tattoos. Why does everyone have horrible taste in style here?

"Hey ronnie."
Steven says with a serious face.

"Hey man, bring a friend? You know only you get the deal."
Ronnie says.

"Nah man, actually we aren't here for drinks..my friend here has a few questions..."