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The Beak turned my head, forcing me to look at Ricky’s dead body. I hadn’t taken a good look at him before, and Ihadn’t intended to either, but The Beak was trying to show me something. But what?
“Speak up! What am I looking at, huh? He’s dead! Just speak up!” I was trying to reach for his mask and tear it off him. I didn’t care what he would do if I found out who he was, but I needed for him to tell me what he wanted me to see by staring at Ricky’s body. I needed him to help me understand how on earth he wanted to have the police to believe that it was suicide.
He slapped away my hands every time I reached for his mask, and when I managed to grip his beak, he grabbed my wrist and twisted it until I couldn’t move my arm anymore. I cried out in pain, giving in to him to not get hurt any more. He pointed toward Ricky with his free hand, and I followed his finger with my eyes until they locked on Ricky’s hand holding our biggest kitchen knife.
The tip of the knife was pressed against the side of his neck, making it look like he had just sliced it himself. His fingers were loosely gripping the handle, and there was blood all over. As much as it looked like suicide, I wasn’t sure the police would fall for it.
“They will never believe it,” I whispered, unable to raise my voice anymore. I was exhausted. Physically and mentally.
The Beak turned my head back to face him, and he held the note up to my face again to make sure I read it another time. I shook my head another time, and when he finally moved away from me, I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my chin on my knees. He was gone for only a second before he knelt in front of me again, this time holding my phone in his hand. He held it, tapping his finger on the screen. He wanted me to unlock it, and without questioning anything anymore, I did. From there on, everything happened quickly. He dialed 911, handed me my phone, caressed my cheek with his thumb, then he disappeared.
6
HADLEY
I didn’t leave my apartment for the next week, and while I was running out of food, I couldn’t get myself to go outside. The police believed every word I said, and even Ricky’s friends weren’t suspicious about his sudden death. I knew the truth, and while I was mourning for a person I once loved, I was glad I wouldn’t have to live with that kind of abuse anymore.
It was quiet in the apartment. Too quiet. And while most people would’ve left the place where something so traumatic happened, I stayed. Maybe it was the wrong choice because almost every night, I was having nightmares. Not about The Beak but about Ricky. Even when he wasn’t physically there, he still hurt me. The Beak was still present in my thoughts too, which should’ve bothered me but it never did. He saved me, and now he was gone.
The doorbell rang twice, and I stared at the front door, wondering who that could be. I didn’t feel like getting up and facing anyone but I pushed myself up and headed over to the door to look through the peephole. Wilson was standing there in his usual evening outfit. I had seen him the day after Ricky’s death, but we hadn’t talked. Just like I hadn’t talked to my other neighbors. I wasn’t ready to, but I knew none of them blamed me for Ricky’s death. Secretly, they probably all knew what was going on between us, and while I never said anything, they never asked about it either.
I opened the door and smiled tightly as I locked eyes with Wilson. He had both his hands in his sweatpants’ pockets, and the look on his face told me how sorry he was. “Hey, pretty. You doing okay?”
I shrugged, truthfully not knowing what to say. So I kept quiet. Lying wasn’t necessary.
“Figured. I’m sorry for what happened. I’m sure it’s not easy, but I wanted to let you know that I’m here for you if you ever need to talk. I’m not very good at giving advice but I’m a good listener.”
I teared up at his words. Maybe letting someone know how I felt would help me deal with all the different emotions I was bottling up inside of me, and maybe Wilson was the right person to open up to. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Without thinking about it twice, I moved closer to him, stepping right into his arms. He didn’t hesitate or push me away. He immediately wrapped his arms around me and held me. The side of my head was resting against his chest. His heart was beating loudly in his chest. An overwhelming feeling washed over me as he continued to hold me while he gently rubbed my back. Never had a person been this compassionate and gentle with me, but I couldn’t get used to it. I would only get hurt again, and I’ve had my fair share of pain in this lifetime.
“I don’t know if I’m being insensitive asking you this…but would you like to come over? I don’t like how you’re all alone with your thoughts in there.”
I shook my head and wiped away the tears that had rolled down my face, and I turned my head to look up at him while we kept our arms around each other. “I think I’d like that.”
Wilson smiled and lifted his hands to cup my face. “Good. Do you want to come right now?”
I dropped my gaze to see what I was wearing. I hadn’t taken a shower in days, and my heart wasn’t as clean either. “Maybe I should go take a shower first.”
“Take all the time you need. Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
I shrugged. As hungry as I was, I would’ve eaten anything at that point. “Anything. I’ll eat whatever you have to offer.”
“Not a picky eater, are you? I like that.” He grinned at me and I bit back a smile. “I’ll surprise you then.”
“Okay.”
He studied me for a moment and brushed back a strand of my hair before he pointed to his door. “I’ll see you over there. Knock and come in. The door will be unlocked.”
“That’s not very safe,” I stated, swallowing hard as I thought about Ricky’s death. “Ricky never locked the door when he came home late. Maybe if he would’ve locked it he wouldn’t be…” I stopped myself when I realized that I almost messed up about the lie The Beak made me promise to tell. I cleared my throat and let out a nervous laugh. “I…I’ll be over in a few.”
Wilson wasn’t suspicious about anything I just said. Thank God.
“Take your time,” he urged before he walked back to his apartment.
