The Last Wizard: Case Files (11 page)

THREE
Jordan

   Slamming onto the metal desk, Bill withdrew his hands instantly noticing his flare, "Wait wait wait, hold up. Raj was the only one carrying a flare? Isn't that kinda dumb?" He said to Alice whom started to tremble from the sudden outburst. Cowering similar to a wounded pup, she pulled in on herself hugging her legs.

   With her head down, she said: "Well, saying that after the fact is kinda pointless isn't it? Its like yelling at a character in a horror movie," I swear she was a bit condescending when she spoke back. She was definitely a teenager.

   “S'cuse me?" Bill said, his face turning a slight red. "Alright, I'm going to take a break, delinquents." He muttered leaving the room.

   Alice wore a smile on her face as she watched him go. "You want anything?" I asked, she simply shook her head and turned her attention back to her nails. I got up to leave, but my feet weighed on me as I stood by the door, I hesitated to grab the knob. There was no way I could leave. Not now,  not with
those
words hanging over me. I closed my eyes and saw them re-ignited in my gaze, 'We killed...' in a blistering orange hue. "Alice... What happened to Raj?" I said, turning back to her.

   Without hesitation she started, but I could see it in her eyes, those ice cold eyes. She was hiding something. "Once we finished making the sled out of our boards, we started down the mountain. It was a crap job for sure." Alice said maneuvering her hands to show me, "Mel and I held him from above while Jake pulled him down. It was the best way we thought of so he didn't slid all the way down... But, it was about quarter way when it happened..." She said, her voice drifting quieter as her lips began to tremble.

   "What?" I said approaching her, "Alice? What happened?"

   Tears formulated in her eyes, swelling enough for a single drop to run down her cheek. "We were trying to get past this edge. It was a really narrow pathway you see, everywhere else was blocked by forest. We couldn't pass him through at all, so it was really the only way." She said with a scoff. "We struggled, Jake got upset because he had to hold most of Raj's weight at the bottom. He started to yell while Me and Mel, we tried... but the floor gave out and he slid off the edge and tumbled down the hill." Alice covered her mouth as she gasped playing back the entire scene. "It was so steep, and rough. I couldn't believe it." Taking a moment to wipe the tear off her rosy cheeks, she continued, "Jake was the first one down there, we tried to find him, we couldn't just abandon him. We did try... But... we couldn't. So, we swore to get to the bottom, find the chopper and come back with help." She finished with a determined look, she held her index finger pointing down at the table, pressing so hard her finger turned pale.

   "It's okay." I said, reaching for her shoulder, "its okay now, everything will be fine."

   "Will you tell his mom?"

   "Yeah, I'll have to."

   "T-tell her that it was painless. Please, she loves him so."
    "I will." I said to her, "I'll be back." I continued before exiting the room. Holding onto the door as I closed it, I couldn't find the reason to move. I couldn't tell you why, but I waited there holding that door closed tightly. It was as if I didn't want what was in there loose. Once I finally recollected myself, I grabbed a fresh cup of brew from the lunch room, and crashed at my desk.

   Leaning back in my chair, sipping on the coffee, I read the headline of a file laying my desk. A death case, it happened a few months before. A missing body was found, it was ruled that the victim had been mauled by a bear and died from his wounds in the edge of the city. He was young teen, a mere boy. I thought something was definitely wrong with it, it didn't sit right in my gut, and I am getting the same feeling with this girl. No matter how much I fought it, my eyes found that little black book, it was like a magnet pulling my gaze. That book... be it the truth or fiction, everything gravitated towards it in the room. Even the steam from my coffee pulled in its direction.

   I couldn't help it. Picking it up, I flipped right to
that
page. I made sure that the words I saw were right, and unfortunately there they were, still red. Trailing back a few pages, I found the beginning of the trip, it was right after an entry she wrote about a failed date with a boy. Poor chap, he didn't fair too well.

Day one of trip

This. Is. Awesome!

As I stood on the edge, the wind pushed past me into a world of its own. A blanket of white surrounded me in every direction, resting at the bottom of my feet and upon my shoulders. Looking to the world beneath me, I could feel it, the beat my heart has been drumming to its whole life. It was this very moment that I finally felt the thing inside me speak.

P.s. I cheated, I snuck this in on top of the mountain, I will write something tonight too. Promise.

Day one of trip #Part2

Note to self: Start using hash tags, its cool.

I knew I shouldn't have came on this trip! First of all, Raj got knocked out from a tree and lost our flares, what a dumb ass. THEN! The bastard goes and breaks his leg! We had to fetch him down the mountain. Well, until... It happened so fast, how were we to know? He slid out my hands and he tumbled over the edge. It was horrible, his screams, I could still hear it echoing in my head. We climbed down to searched for him.

Jake and Mel were further away, searching, but I found him... What did I do? I can't believe it... Mel I'm so sorry. Jake, I really am. He was buried under some snow, his face was bloody and motionless. I was too scared to see if he was alive. And I lied to you. I'm sorry I lied, but! I was trying to save us. Yes, I was really trying, we wouldn't make it back to the chopper if we carried him all that way. We were going to come back for him, I swear.

Forgive me?

   I hadn't realized I was holding my breath. I flipped through the entire thing reading it all. That little black book slid from my sweaty palms and hit the desk like a brick. Slamming shut, and staying so. My hands were still held out as if I were still holding the book. The weight of it definitely did remained.

   She lied! Murderer...

   Bracing against the desk, I used everything I had to keep my body from falling into my chair. In that desolate room, nothing but my inner self yelling bloody murder.

   "Jordan, get out here! We got lawyers." I heard Debra yell from her desk.

  
Fuck
.

   No way in hell they are taking her anywhere. I grabbed my holster and strapped it to my waist and headed out the door. I made my way to Debra, two and a half strides away. "Where are they?" I asked, adjusting my belt.

   "There is the one in a brown suit, with a lady, maybe the mother?" She said as she tapped away on her computer, using her two index fingers. She also donned the very long nails, which made it that much more painful to watch.
   "Thanks." I said leaving her.

   "Yep." She replied with a hoarse voice before breaking into a coughing frenzy. Smokers…

   Pulling open the door, I entered the waiting room. He sure looked slick, the fella wore a fine brown suit, with dark brown shoes and a smile that one could only get from feeding on the weak. These criminals feed themselves by putting murders back on the streets. Then I am the one stuck with explaining to a widow that her husband's fate could have been avoided. I hate the lot of them.

   "What can I do for you?" I asked staring at the man in the suit.

   Peeling off his chair, "Ah, Constable, finally!" The lawyer said, taking a second to brush off his pants, "These chairs are very... uncomfortable." He continued extending his palm out to me.

   My gaze dropped to his hand before firmly resting back between his eyes, "What can I do for you?" I repeated, leaving his hand to fend for themselves.
   "Well for one," He started, retreating his hand. "You can hand over my client's daughter into our custody. Unless! You have charged her for something... Which I would find disconcerting."
   "There were four, now there is one. I want to know the story, so I can put some parent's hearts to rest." I said rather bluntly.

   "Yeah, well. No. I don't think so." He said with a coy smile of shining white teeth. "You aren't allowed to speak with her unless I am present."

   "Well, there's nothing I can do about it right now. You may have a seat and wait." I said pointing at the chair he rose from, "she is very tired and is currently napping. Once she wakes, we can both speak to her. Okay?"

   "Again, thanks, but no thanks."

   "Listen," I said turning to the mother. "Your daughter has gone through a lot, let her rest for a while longer is all I ask. Surely, you agree, as her mother."

   "Okay... Chris, lets wait for a bit. Please." She said holding his arm.

   Chris' jaw locked up as he gave her a tight smile, "Fine... I'll wait in my car." He said with a small sigh, "I have... some calls... to make."

   "Aha, Sure." I said turning my back before he could say another word.

   Gripping the butt of my gun, I raced back to room where Alice was held. I kept my pace slow, as the stinking lawyer still watched me, doesn't he know I'm a cop, who is he fooling with playing around with his phone. l will get to the bottom of this, and no lawyer will prevent me from doing so.

   Alice shifted in her seat when I entered, Bill following behind. I immediately took a seat. I pulled the gun out of my holster and dropped it onto the desk. The weight of my forty caliber pistol magnified the silence in the room. Bill stopped and stared at my gun, so did Alice. I rested my hand on it, "Sorry, the clunky thing can be uncomfortable to sit with." I said without looking at them, my hands brushing the gun in front of me.

   Both still stared at the glock. "So, Alice, could you continue telling me what happened?" I said getting right to the point, she looked at the empty cup in front of her. With a slight nose laugh, the one where you give out a short burst of air from your nose, she pushed it aside with a smile.

   "You know, it’s a dangerous thing, the mind that is." She started, looking at me then moving slowly down my gun, "It's never truly yours. It belongs to you sure, no one else can see it sure. But
you
aren't alone. If one delves within the depths of their mind for too long... You'll realize this. Inside everyone, there is more..."

   "What? What're you rantin' bout miss?" Bill said.
   "Haha... I sound like one of those daddy's angel psych students. You know," She said turning her attention to Bill whilst clawing at the table under her hand. "The ones who think they are these profound thinkers, that they know everything because they have seen the world. Well, I can tell you, that it's not the world that needs looking at, its the hearts and minds of those on it, and you should fear it... But what the heck do I know, I'm no expert."

   She simply smiled at me with wide eyes, I couldn't place her. "Get on with it please."

   "Jordan, I need you out here." Debra yelled from outside the door, "It’s urgent."

   Sucking the edges of teeth, I couldn't help but grip my hands with force, "Bill, Can you?"

   "Yea, sure boss." He said getting up and going to Debra. Watching him leave the room, I returned my lowered gaze to the woman in front of me.

   "Alright alright..."

TWO
Alice

 
By the time we reached the bottom, the sun was tucked away for the night, the helicopter came and went. Our attempts at yelling and reaching into the sky were wasted, I guess that should be expected. I bet once they confirmed we weren't there, they left instantly just get back and warm. It wasn't a big deal for them, it was procedure, the search begins the next day. They advised us so, it's why they made us pack food for three to four days, it happens all the time. Part of the adventure I suppose.

   Mel and I dragged our feet through a foot of snow, looking for a place to stay dry. The layers of cloth that wrapped my legs didn't help anymore. My teeth rattled so loudly that I kept thinking the helicopter was in the distance, I'd shoot my head towards the sky constantly looking for it. Before night came, we found a nice stone plateau surrounded by some thick evergreen trees. It was a nice place, it shielded us from the wind nicely. The silver moon floated under the howls of the wolves, huddling together, we slept as best we could on that slab, like a dish being served best. Cold.

   Throughout the night I woke up with a parched throat. That is, until I gave up and couldn't take it any longer. I stuffed some snow into my mouth and left it there till it warmed up before swallowing. It was damn refreshing, by the end, sure it burnt but it needed to be done. Jake and Mel were mostly quiet, hardly speaking a single word. It bugged me at times, how silent they were, but before I cared enough to do anything I found myself waking up to daylight.

   "We need to move," Jake said sitting up on the stone. "Dudes, if we stay still, we will freeze to death."

   The night tapped most of our energy, seeping on our force endlessly with each draft of the wind. Jake moved very minimally, only when he needed to. Mel and I mirrored most of his movements. At first we walked in circles around the stone hedge that kept our clothes dry from the creeping snow. A squirrel watched us from above on a tree, nut in hand, he ate his breakfast while we continued to pump blood through our systems. We ate our granola bars sparingly, not to conserve, but because of the lost of appetite.

***

   "What will we do? When are they coming back?" Mel said taking a bite from her chocolate bar, sitting atop the stone on the sleeping bags.

   "Anytime time now, they should have searched the top portions, and now they will head down here." I said, although I wasn't very convincing. Both Jake and Mel accepted it without thought, even I felt the loneliness of the words. I continued to heave through the snow, a trailed began to form that made it easier. The adrenaline from powering through it earlier, and now seeing the mark I left on the world still coursed through me. It was satisfying, "Sounded as if the wolves got closer last night didn't it?"
   "Yeah, I wonder if it'll be a problem. We should prepare for that." Jake said near the tree line circling us.

   "Do you have anything for that?" Mel asked.

   "Not really, I have this small knife, can't do much against a pack of wolves." Jake said, looking up to the squirrel that watched us.

   "Maybe we should move." I said, stopping in the snow. Looking outwards, there was a canvas of snow that awai-ted our mark.

   "But, won't they come here to search?" Mel asked, her voice shaking from the cold.

   "They will search the bottom." I told her, "but, there will only be bones to find if we stay here for them to come get us."

   That night, we heard more than the cries of wolves, the wind was too weak to conceal the noise they made sneaking through bushes within our vicinity. I didn't sleep that night. When my eyes decided to close for a second, I would hear something, and sometimes I caught a glimpse of their eyes dazzling under the moonlight. Their soft whispers were timed apart perfectly, to make sure they didn't wake us, their prey. My mind wandered aimlessly, as if it hiked through the depths of the Amazon forest. It would take detour after detour, it traversed through endless corridors arriving at no conclusion, or even the hint of it. The one thing that could save me now was a pale of ice down my spine freezing everything. So I did exactly that, I ripped off my jacket and bathed in the snow. The ice touched my body like a spark to a flame, each spot ignited with a furious fire that burnt endlessly.

***

   Sitting on the stone plateau, I traced a young intrinsic snowflake drifting through the drafts of the wind, being whipped around in circles eventually joining its colleagues on the ground, sitting together, yet existing independently. It wasn't until Jake came and stepped on them, melding them into a singular shape, unified they lost their unique beauty; they were just another flock amongst the herd.

   "Wake up Alice." A muffled voice said, "Get moving, or you'll freeze to death." It said to me, I think it was Mel. I couldn't pull my attention away from that disappearing snowflake that only started its life.

   As soon as the daylight checked in, it checked out again to night fall, everything was a blur. Our rations diminished fairly quickly, I guess we expected the helicopter to reach us by now. We heard them hovering above the mountain earlier in the day, but disappeared by midday. The peak of the mountain was cloaked by a layer of clouds.

***

   Howling winds pierced the forest around us, slamming into the mountain waking us from our not so restful sleep. We all scattered to cover, I huddled under the low hanging branches of a nearby brush, I cuddled with my knees, wishing it was a dream. Where did it all go wrong? I don't know why, but being there reminded me of when I was younger. Sitting in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, in its reflection I saw a lonesome girl that moved countless times in her life. Never long enough to settle, only a girl who constantly chased the dreams of her parents of a better life.

   Once the storm simmered, the silence of the forest was terrifying, it left a hole for the mind to manifest on its own. On one day, the forest could be a distant bird chirping in the trees. But today, its smelled of charred meat and the howls of a single wolf.

***

  Like an unsuspecting sneeze creeping onto you, we found ourselves walking in a blizzard. Shards of ice slashed my cheeks as the fringe wind moved wildly down the moun-tain range. Piles of snow migrated from atop the mountain finding its resting place in our path. My chest, wrenched with sweat as my face numbed to the cold. I felt my heart struggling to fight, Mel held onto my back as I held onto Jake's. I would feel her hand tug me right or left as she drifted in the wrong direction and corrected herself. Even though her arm was on me, she couldn't see. The heavy swarm of snow screened our vision of the natural world. Our world was more pure, it was a singular thing. White.

  
Wandering through a valley void of shadows, it was a small dip in the ground that sent us sliding to the bottom of what I think was a pit. Mel lost me, and I lost Jake. I didn't feel Mel tumbling behind me, I swore I would have felt her boot driving into my spine somehow, but I couldn't be sure. I tried feeling my way on the ground, I even tried yelling for Jake over the howling wind.

   "Here!" He returned, but I couldn't place him. The wind would have carried his voice farther than I thought. I snuggled into the side of the wall, escaping the wind and the storm, and waited.