HELLO, STRANGER

CHAPTER 21

JACKIE’S POV

"This is what you're looking for." I handed Ollins three folders containing the information he was asking the investigator to find.

It's 8:47pm and it's good that I've talked to Ollins and he's already given a side of what the suspect might look like. I wanted to stop Ollins because he still hasn't recovered from the incident, but here he is, sitting on the bed reading the papers.

"You know, Ollins, you can tell me what you want to do. Instead of resting," I said, but he ignored me.

"Ollins," I said, and touched my temple. He was always very stubborn.

"Maybe this is the reason why this incident didn't end. You thought Karl was like you? tsk." I said and crossed my arms.

"Why? Am I Karl? No. Why am I doing this? Because I made a promise and that's what I stand by. After all, it's not for me, it's for the person who believed in my ability before and since he's gone, I'll be the one to stand up for him, not because I want to be like him." He said and I didn't answer.

After the confrontation, he laid some papers on the table and showed them to me. I felt disgusted when I saw the photos of the students who died at the university.

"Sh*t." I said.

"Look closely at each student's forehead," Ollins said. I looked at him first before I looked at the photos.

Then I realized that there was a symbol on each forehead of the dead students.

"You see?" He asked and I nodded.

"It looks twisted like a spiral, if I'm not mistaken," I said, and he nodded.

"Yes, it looks like a real spiral symbol even here in the last dead student, but the only difference is that it was seen as the spiral behind his back," Olins said.

"But what does spiral mean?" I asked him and he looked at me and leaned against the wall.

"You will find out what that means." He said, and I was in agony.

"Are you serious?" I said.

"Well, it's just the two of us handling the case," he says.

"Alright, I'm doing it. What are you going to do?" I asked him.

"I'll look for other clues. After all, I can't leave the hospital yet." He said and handed me an envelope containing information that I would use to find out what the spiral symbolizes.

"You think this is a cult?" I asked.

"I hope not." He said, and since I had nothing to say, I left his room.

_________________________________________

PAUL’S POV

It's been a while since Kai hasn't answered me. I mean it's not that I'm hoping he'll answer my message and I know he's still upset with me and I can't blame him. After I visited Layla, I thought of going home first because I was tired. After all, Layla's father didn't want to let me in and I hadn't showered yet, so I thought of going home first.

It's good that they haven't reached my dad yet and I don't want to tell them yet because they might be shocked and I'll be scolded. When I got home, it was surprising that there was no light on outside the house. Did they leave? I parked my car and looked at the house and the rooms had no lights. They may have left, but why didn't they even inform me that they were leaving?

When I got to the front door of the house, I was surprised because the door was slightly open, it was not locked. I cursed myself that the thief might be inside, so I looked at the CCTV that is attached to the corner above the door but it lit up red, which means it is alive. I was even more surprised. I prepared myself because the thieves might hurt me. I slowly opened the door but the house was too dark. I couldn't see anything. The first time I stepped inside, it immediately sounded like broken things.

"Mom? Dad?" I called but no one answered. I heard some broken glasses on the floor when I stepped on it and I fumbled around the side of the door and got a baseball bat.

"Mom! Dad!" I called, but no one answered. I packed the baseball bat that I was holding and hit those thieves.

I stepped back to flick the light switch on the wall. I counted three times in my mind and when I turned on the light I saw a mess of things that were broken and a few broken glasses.

"What the hell?! Mom! Dad!" I shouted, but no one answered. I looked at the things that were broken, almost like expensive things were broken. I went upstairs and saw a mess of things in my room but I didn't see anything missing.

I looked at mom and dad's room but it was surprising that their room was in order, there was no mess, almost everything was in order, including the bed was neat and clean. I went to my sister's room and saw that it was a mess, some of her things were broken.

"Mom! Dad! Pauline!" I screamed and almost looked at the whole house because they weren't really there.

I took out my cell phone and called mom and dad but he just left a voice message.

"F*ck!" I said angrily.

I immediately dialed Pauline's number and I was very happy and it was ringing. I was walking left and right as I was frustrated by what was happening. I stopped walking when I heard a ringtone from upstairs, in Pauline's room. I immediately ran upstairs and entered Pauline's room. I looked for the sound of her cellphone and I looked for it under Pauline's bed. I picked it up and the screen of her cell phone was broken. I hung up and opened her phone and she made several calls to mom and dad and to me as well.

"Pauline.." I whispered to myself and I felt strange so I immediately turned around and fell to the floor due to the vase hitting me hard.

My vision blurred and I felt the blood flow from my head. Even though my vision was blurry, I still saw the bulk of the black man who walked away and came back holding something I didn't know.

*Groan* I can't speak and I'm weak, I feel so dizzy that I want to sleep.

*Duct Tape sound*

*blackout*