"So do we have any questions?"
Jim calls out to the throngs of children, a smile lights his already jolly face and from my place, crossed legged on the floor with the kids I can't help but smile back as well.
A collection of grubby hands lift into the air energetically and I laugh out loud as some crawl into my lap and over my shoulders to get the vantage point.
Taking his sweet old time to choose a hand Jim pauses for a handful of seconds with his pointer finger on his stubbled chin, tapping it lightly.
"How about... you!" Jim finally decides on a young girl with pony-tails and a toothy grin at the front, looking no older than eight.
She bundles up the front and starts jumping up and down instantly in excitement.
"I-uh.. have you killed anyone before?!" The whole room is dunked in silence from shock.
Nobody moves for a beat while the little girl continues to look up at Jim with curiosity.
The teachers move first attempting to scold the girl and remove her but Jim still chooses to answer hesitantly.
"No, I have not killed anyone before. I protect in other ways." Jim looks highly uncomfortable as the girl nods in understanding before spinning and facing me.
"What about you?" At this I swallow loudly and feel sweat begin to run down the back of my neck.
"I-" I blink a few times and my eyes trail the room as I try to gain control of myself.
"I-" I attempt again as my eyes latch onto the box of scissors by the desk, multiple colours and only designed for children with dull blades but they still taunt me and throw me headfirst back to the day I murdered someone.
Those scissors were pretty blunt as well.
He and I both gasp as he drops his weapon and soon after his body follows as he begins twisting and turning, his hands quickly drown in blood as he tries to pull out the scissors and he can't form a good grip as he cries out in undiluted pain...
The worst part of all is that I can't even remember his name anymore.
I truly am a monster.
"I know! Sweetie would you like to hold my badge and go around showing your classmates?" Jim manages to recover with as my pale face remains staring off in space for a beat too long.
The girl squeals with excitement and that thankfully breaks me out of my daze and I dredge up a smile and un-clip my own badge handing it to a boy in my lap and he bounds up to show the back of the room.
My eyes follow the boys movement, not wanting to lose my badge but my focus is on Jim as he stares at me worryingly and I hate it.
I have to gain control of myself.
It's been a week since Oliver visited me, his card is resting on my bench and I often find my gaze lingering on it but I have no reason to call him.
It's just been an average week of low crime besides the occasional speeding fine.
"You good?" Jim questions as the school bell finally rings and children start fleeing the scene.
I focus on attaching my badge to my blue suit and my left hands tremors but I've learned to work around that and get the badge on eventually.
"I'm fine Jim. I-I'm sorry that I lost myself back there. It won't happen again." I hurriedly explain and dragging my soft blue eyes up to his near matching ones I find that they are still glimmering with slight worry.
"Katherine I.." Jim begins but a loud scream pierces the air from outside.
Hearing children screaming wouldn't be the first thing to cause worry, it happens especially at schools, children get overexcited.
YOU ARE READING
Descent
Mystery / ThrillerSEQUEL TO CACHE. If you have not read Cache then please do so. It's been four years since Katherine and Dana East were kidnapped from their local park and rushed to a trafficking ring in Russia. Twenty two year old Katherine is driven by a thirst f...
