Phoenix’s POV
I opened my eyes, my eyesight was blurry, but it became okay little by little.
I am here in a hospital, and many things were injected into me while lying on the bed.
A few minutes later, mom entered the room. “You’re finally awake,” she said while walking towards me, “I’ve talked to your doctor earlier, and he told me that you have selective amnesia, and until now, your older brother is missing,” she added that made me frown.
“Older brother?” I asked her. I am not going to lie; I am confused right now. Based on the way she acts now, I know she cried earlier.
I have selective amnesia; I cannot remember some details about my life, including what happened before I was diagnosed with having it.
“Your brother’s name is Nate Keehl,” she said to me, “He was missing since your prom night last Friday,” she added.
Older brother? “Nate Keehl?” I asked her again. I am annoyed with myself because I don’t want to see my mom sad.
“Phoenix,” she said, and she took a deep breath and continued to talk, “What happened during your prom?” She asked me.
I forced myself to remember every detail that happened during prom night, but I cannot remember any, “Mom, I’m sorry, but—” I did not manage to continue speaking when she started to talk.
“I understand,” she said and smiled at me. I know my mom, and I know that her smile is fake. Sadly, I cannot do anything to find Nate Keehl, and I don’t even know who he is.
………………………………………………………………….
I was discharged from the hospital Monday morning, and even though my mom told me don’t go to school, I still went because I did not want to stay home.
I am a grade twelve student at Emmanuel High School; I have created beautiful memories in that place. While walking towards my classroom, I saw many students standing outside of its door, and it seemed like they were watching something inside of it that made my curiosity force me to go there to see what it was.
Many police officers are in the classroom because a man wearing formal clothes is hanging inside, but his feet are touching the floor.
A few minutes later, a policeman walked towards me, “You must be Phoenix Keehl?” He asked.
“Yeah,” I answered. I feel like I know the person hanging in the classroom.
He raised his hand, “I’m SPO2 Patrick Smith,” he said. I did not touch his hand, so he just lowered it, “Look, I know you have selective amnesia, you don’t remember some details in your life, your mom told me, but I want you to know that the man hanged inside is Nate Keehl, your older brother,” his revelation made me close my hands.
“Impossible!” I said to him, and I entered the classroom to come closer to the man’s corpse, but some policemen stopped me, “Let me come!” I pleaded.
He can’t die! I am sure mom will be sad once she learns what happened to my older brother! A minute later, my tears started to fall because of the emotional pain I was feeling. Honestly, I cried; I cried like a toddler. Even though I don’t remember him, I’m sure we are connected, and he was in my heart.
“So, it’s true,” I heard a woman’s voice coming from the door of the classroom. My heart became broken even more when I saw mom there, she was crying while pleading to the cops to enter, but they were not allowing her to do it.
“Let me in!” She said to the policemen while crying, “Please!” She pleaded while students outside of the classroom were whispering with one another.
A few minutes later, mom passed out, so cops helped her. It cannot be happening! I ran towards her and helped the policemen to carry her.
I know and feel that what happened to my brother is not suicide, so I promise mom that the person who did this to him will pay a heavy price! He will rot in jail!
We took her to the school clinic, “Please, help my mom!” I pleaded to the nurse there while crying, so they entered mom in the clinic.
I was about to enter also, but it did not happen when the nurse I talked to earlier stopped me, “Sir, just wait outside,” she said, and she entered the clinic and closed the door.
I am so annoyed! I cannot do anything! Thirty minutes later, the nurse and my mom left the clinic, so I hugged mom tightly, “Are you now alright?!” I asked her. I am so worried about her right now.
“Yes, Phoenix,” she answered. I know that she is still sad about what happened to my older brother.
A minute later, the nurse took a deep breath, and she spoke, “It will be better for Mrs. Keehl to go home and rest,” she said that made us look at her.
Mom looked at me, and she spoke, “Yes, I just need to rest,” she said, and she smiled bitterly. She was about to leave, but she stopped when I talked.
“Mom, I am coming with you,” I suggested, so she looked at me and spoke again.
“No need,” she refused, “I just want to be alone,” she added, and she left as quickly as possible.
After what happened, I returned to the classroom and sat beside its door. I looked at nowhere while cops were doing their best to find out what happened to my brother.
What did my brother do for him to experience that?
A few minutes later, Patrick came closer to me, “Hey,” he said that made me look at him, and I returned looking at nowhere.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked him.
“Sure,” he answered, which made me take a deep breath, and I spoke.
“Why do some people can kill others?” I asked him.
“I don’t know,” he answered me, “Maybe because they don’t have a conscience,” he added and sat beside me, then he talked again.
“Don’t worry, I know someone who can help us to find out what happened to your brother,” he said, which made me look at him.
“Who?” I asked, so he smirked, he was about to talk again, but he stopped when someone suddenly spoke.
“Me,” a man said in the door.
Phoenix’s POV I looked at the man after he said that, while Patrick stood up and they handshake, “S!” He said happily to the man. He is wearing a black-faceless mask. I stood up as well, and I looked at him, “Who is he?” I asked Patrick that made him smile. “I want you to meet S,” he introduced the man, “He is a detective that solved many criminal cases not just in the Philippines but also in the other countries,” he added to me. “I don’t care,” I said sarcastically because I only asked who the man was, I did not ask him what he accomplished, and I feel that the man he introduced to me is so arrogant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Phoenix,” he said, “And I think I don’t need to introduce myself to you because Patrick already did that,” he continued to me. He is using a device right now to change his voice to hide his identity. He is very arrogant! He walked towards my broth
Phoenix’s POV Sebastian took a deep breath, and he spoke, “Nate is so annoying; he still made a mess even though he is already dead!” He angrily said, which made me look at him. “What did you say?” I asked him. My blood quickly went to my head. He looked at me irritably, and he spoke, “Did I lie?” He asked sarcastically to me. “Sebastian!” Melody intervened, “Stop!” She said to Sebastian. He just laughed and glanced at her irritably instead of following what she said. “So, is it my fault?” He asked sarcastically and glanced at me, “It’s your brother’s fault!” He retorted. So, my body moved towards him. I don’t know why it happened. Perhaps I could not take what he said to Nate anymore. “Say that again, I dare you!” I angrily said to him. I will not lie; I want to punch him right now! He smirked and spoke, “Are you deaf—” he stopped talking when I punched him in his face. So Melo
Lincoln’s POV I left my condo unit at 6:00 p.m. I was here in the parking lot, and a few minutes later, my phone started to ring, which meant someone was calling me. So, I answered it. “Hello,” I said to the person in the other line while walking towards my car. “Where are you?” Patrick asked me. He is the one who is calling me. When I came closer to my car, I rode and tried to start its engine, “I’m on my way,” I answered him; I was so annoyed because it was not working. I heard that Patrick took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said to me, “Just call me once you’re here,” he said and ended the phone call. I tried to start my car’s engine again, but it did not happen. A few minutes later, my phone rang again. I don’t know who it was this time, but I still answered the phone call. “Hello,” I said to the person who was calling me. “Hello,” the person said that made me frown. He is using a device
Patrick’s POV I stood up, and I took my phone in my pocket, then I called S. I am still here outside of the building where Teacher Lincoln’s condo unit is there, “Hello,” I said to S. I looked at Lincoln’s dead body on the roof of my car while the people in my surroundings had a commotion. “Where is he?” He asked, which made me close my hand. Someone already died because of this case. I will not allow other people will be killed as well due to it. At this moment, I know that S is using a device to change his voice to hide his identity. “He is dead,” I answered, and I heard that he took a deep breath. I know that he is disappointed right now upon learning his sudden demise, “I’m sorry—” I did not manage to continue speaking when he started to talk. “I need to move,” he seriously said, and he ended the phone call. I don’t know what he is planning to do, b
Phoenix’s POV It’s already late night; I am here in my room, sitting on the bed. I am still scared when someone threatened me earlier through a phone call that he would kill mom and me. I don’t know what’s his problem. Why did he kill my older brother? The door in my room is not open right now, a few minutes later, my phone rang which meant someone was calling me, so I took it in my pocket and answered the phone call, “Hello,” I said to him. “Miss me?” He sarcastically asked, which made me close my hands. He is the one who called me earlier; it’s obvious he is using a device right now to change his voice to hide his identity. “Who are you?!” I asked him; I want him to feel right now that I am tough, “What do you need from us?!” I asked again, so he laughed sarcastically. “You don’t need to know who I am and my motive,” he said to me, then he took a deep breath and spoke, “What do you need to do i
Phoenix’s POV The policemen took mom to the hospital because her stab wound was a bit deep, while I was left in our home together with other cops who were investigating what happened earlier. It’s already late night, but cops are still investigating. I am sitting on the floor beside the door of my mom’s room, and a few minutes later, SPO2 Patrick Smith walked towards me, “The killer is not here anymore,” he said, so I closed my hands. I am not going to lie; I am so annoyed. I feel that the blood in my body is starting to go to my head, “What kind of cops are you; you cannot catch a criminal!” I irritably said to him. He did not speak upon hearing that. I am just telling the truth; until now, they are still not done solving my brother’s case! What kind of cops are they?! A minute later, detective S arrived; he was wearing a black-faceless mask, “We still have not arrested the culprit
Phoenix’s POV Sage and I are here in the swimming pool area of the school; every time our school joins swimming competitions, I practice here. I tried out swimming here because the school guaranteed me a scholarship, and the foods are free and vitamins. We are wearing swimwear, and the swimming pool here is like in the competition, “Whoever manage to go here first will win,” he said, “Are you ready to lose?” He sarcastically asked me. His arrogance will be gone once I win in swimming against him, “What stroke should we use?” I asked him. “Butterfly,” he answered me, and we looked at the swimming pool, and we ready ourselves to jump there, “At the count of three. One… Two… Three,” he said, and we both jumped in the pool. I swam towards the other side of the pool using the Butterfly stroke. I cannot lose to
Patrick’s POV I am here in Sage’s condo unit. I am sitting on the chair while he is on the sofa. At this moment, he is not wearing a mask, his real name is Sage Taylor, and right now, he is solving a white jigsaw puzzle on the small table. He is wearing eyeglasses. “What is your plan, Sage?” I asked him, “Why did you tell Phoenix your real name? You also confronted him in the flesh,” I added.