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Epilogue
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2024-10-29 19:42:56บทที่เกี่ยวข้อง
Over the edge Chapter 1
Chapter one. The dimly lit room smelt like rotting wood and puke. On closer inspection, one might even spot dried blood stains on the woodboard floorings and on the walls. The room looked like a low key abattoir..... For humans. And, that it was. A blood curdling scream pierced through the silence of the night. The source of the scream lay, spread out and naked, on the cold iron table. A girl, not less than twenty two. And, before her stood a burly man, clothed in a white singlet that now had blood splattered on it, and briefs. A silver knife glinted in the dark, as the moon poured in through the sound proofed window, just before it cut through the girl's skin and she let out a bone rattling wail. The young girl began crying.... Begging. She swore to do whatever he wanted. But the pleas fell on deaf ears. The man seemed to enjoy the torture. Slowly, he dragged the blade through her lips and across her left cheek. He did the same to her right cheek. With the gore slipping thro
Over the edge Chapter 2
She heard something rattling.. At least, that was what she thought that had her jolting awake on her bed. Paranoia had hounded her ever since her parents had died in their sleep. Scurrying feets didn't seem random to her, neither did rattling windows or doors. Slowly, Clarissa crept away from her bed. Grabbing her blue robe and a flashlight, she darted into her hallway, careful not to disturb the unnerving silence of the night. The stairs didn't creak as she made her way down to the living room. She'd had all the stairs fixed, just in case. Just as she neared the landing, she heard the rattling again. This time, it was accompanied by a loud bang that made her jump. Clutching her robe tight around her body with one hand, she gripped the torch tightly with the other and then, she slowly made her way to the kitchen. The sound had come from there.The kitchen was just as she had left it before going to b
Over the edge Chapter 3
The room was eerily silent and ink black. The air smelt like weed and crushed tobacco leaves. A girl lay, whimpering, on the ground. Suddenly, a door creaked open and the girl saw a shadow slip into the room. She knew who he was. And, what he was going to do. Noiselessly, she rolled herself up to her mattress. He hadn't seen her on the floor. While the shadow stalked towards her bed like a predator, the little girl shut her eyes tightly in a silent prayer. The shadow stopped right at the foot of her mattress and stooped down enough that he could see the outline of the child's face. She looked so relaxed and innocent. His hands shot forward and tugged at the girl's tank top. It slipped a bit revealing a bit of abdominal skin. Slowly, his thumb began to caress her skin, from one edge to the other. The teenage girl hitched an inaudible breathe in her throat. Unmoving, she willed herself not to cry. She was scared.. So scared that she felt she could pee in her pants. She heard him mak
Over the edge Chapter 4
‘Name: Chuck McGregor.State of origin: Illinois. Date of birth: 8th November,1976.Inmate number: 928.Charged with attempted murder, sexual abuse and exploitation, physical abuse, statutory rape and withholdal of vital information from government agencies.Convicted of attempted murder, sexual and physical abuse.Date of conviction: 6th may 2014.Expected date of release: 12th August, 2039.’ Flynn listened as Agent Sawyer listed off everything in the document he held in his hand as they drove down to the Chicago state rehabilitation center.Chuck didn’t exactly look like a sex offender but then even cubs look cute to idiots too. He didn’t know why the image of a bleeding fourteen-year old seemed to be etched on his mind. He shook his head as though it could clear his mind. Dressed impeccably in a three-piece black suit, he alighted from the black ford and made his way to the entrance of the gigantic prison, his face as expressionless as ever. The wardens had already been notified
Over the edge Chapter 5
The shrill sound of the alarm pierced through the steely silence of the room. That woke her from her dreamless sleep. Hitting the snooze button, Clarissa crawled away from her bed. Sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Apart from the occasional sound of vehicles driving by, the neighborhood was relatively quiet. She freshened up and dressed in silence. Only the sound of her ticking clock could be heard. The black gown she’d put on was loose in some places. She had lost some pounds. who wouldn’t after what she’d been through lately. At least, no attempt had been made on her life and she hadn’t received any auspicious gifts either. The FBI had nothing to say either. The radio silence was beginning to make her nervous. She had felt an ominous foreboding surrounding her. It never meant that anything good was about to happen. Shrugging on her coat, she rushed down the staircase. Skipping breakfast had become a norm for her since high school. She Locked her doors and as alw
Over the edge Chapter 6
The town was abuzz, with thanksgiving just some days away. Clarissa had decided to spend thanksgiving with Marley, so she spent sometime packing some things she would be needing for the weekend. They had formed the habit of spending every holiday together, just stuffing themselves with food and sharing stories on how their life had been all year round, they’d even visit Chance together. But this year, it felt like she was doing it to help her feel a bit of normalcy. Her doorbell dinged. She wondered if she had been expecting anyone that evening. But, no one came to her mind. Pushing the mound of clothes beside her aside, she pushed up from the ground. She gave herself a once over in front of the mirror before rushing out of her room and down the stairs. When she got to the landing, the bell stopped dinging. She walked to the door and took a peek out of the peephole but there was no one there. She did a double take to be sure, but no, not even a shadow.Weird.Maybe she had heard wro
Over the edge Chapter 7
‘visited Chance on the 19th of November.’ That was the last thing she wrote down before snapping the small diary shut and stuffing it into the pocket of her ash coat. She unfastened her seatbelt and climbed out of Marley’s ford. They had agreed to go see Chance before heading to Marley’s apartment. It was dreary and grey clouds hung very low in the sky. It wasn’t the perfect weather for a visit to the psychiatric home because it was common for patients to experience winter blues. The Osward home for the sick sign dangled from the top of the gate. Marley fell in step beside her. He had been silent since the ride over here. She understood the silence, so didn’t feel the need to make small talk. They walked into the compound together. They were met by a marbled trail. The click-clack of their shoes on marble was the only audible sound. Side by side on the trail, stood hulking green ash trees. Their branches sprung out in diverse directions, providing ample shade and giving an eery feel
Over the edge Chapter 8
The atmosphere changed as soon as they got Hydepark. Clarissa was in a better mood than when they had left the home for the sick. Maybe it was thought of binging on food or having a movie marathon that cheered her up. All the same, she was okay. A little bit happy, even. She opened the refrigerator and took out the apple pie she knew Marley kept in case of hunger emergencies. Her rumbling stomach proved she already had a hunger emergency. slicing a part of the apple pie, she cut it up into small pieces before forking some into her mouth. She smacked Marley’s hands and shot him a glare when he tried to steal some of the apple pie from her plate.‘Get yours.’ She snapped and sauntered to the sitting room.‘So much for being my sister. Tsk.’ Marley shot back at her and she shrugged.She slumped on the three-seater grey couch, careful not to spill the cake. Sighing, she concentrated on shoveling food into her mouth. Marley settled down beside her some moments later after p
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Over the edge Epilogue
The wind whipped her hair into her eyes.Her skirt wrapped round her legs and she clutched the lilies in her grasp tighter, wishing she didn’t have to place them on his grave. The weeks leading to his funeral, she had locked herself up, refusing contact with anyone. She didn’t even speak his name anymore.She wouldn’t even let her mind think of what they had. They were all memories too sacred and painful to be remembered.Her eyes roamed across the headstone searching, pinning for answers. Why did it have to be him? Wiping the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek, she muttered ‘Traitor.’ The damn tears never knew when to stop, she thought. The flowers fell to the grave with a plop and she crunched down to arrange them.Cincinnati, she mused, would make a nice place for a new start.With that thought, she backed away from Flynn’s grave and made her way to the Chevrolet she’d rented. It was going to be a whole era for her, hopefully.…If the darkness doesn’t follow
Over the edge Chapter 25
Silence…Nerve wracking silence filled the shed. Counting numbers had become her way of passing time. Outside, the macaws had stopped cawing and the trees stood eerily still. A shudder ran down her body. She had to get away from here. She had this gnawing doubt that no one knew where she was and if they managed to locate her, it might already be too late. And it in no way helped matters that Barry acted in a very volatile manner. Something might get him triggered and who knew what he would do. And Flynn…She wondered if he had already put two and two together. She wished she had taken Marley’s advice and invested in some of those security devices or taken those self-defense classes he had suggested. The neon light casted shadows on the bales of hay making them look bigger than they were. Marley and Serena…She wondered where they wanted to have their wedding. She might not even be alive to attend. The thought of that made her eyes burn. Somehow in the space of a few days, th
Over the edge Chapter 24
She felt something gnawing at her toes, a quick nibble here and there. As she cracked her eyes open, her first observation was how dim wherever she was. her skull throbbed painfully and when she tried to move her hands, she realized that they were bound behind her. And, she was sprawled face down with her legs spread too wide, and her right ankle twisted to an unusual angle. When she tried to move that ankle, pain shot up her leg. She heard the scurrying feet of rodents across what sounded like metal. Metal.That was when she felt the cold seeping into her skin from the flimsy clothing she had on. With her mind still processing information in 2G, she drew herself up with her left leg acting as her primary support. She blinked a couple of times to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Her hair lay matted to the side of her head and her whole body ached like hell. How had she ended up in this Godforsaken place?Just then, it all came rushing back to her.Claire drugging he
Over the edge Chapter 23
While the old couple sat in front of the TV - the lady knitting as the man tuned his radio- a news anchor broadcast the news of another missing young lady and advised the public to report any suspicious activity in their vicinity to the police. ‘We should probably call in that break in we witnessed yesterday Rupert.’ The old lady with her croaky voice said to the Old man without pausing her knitting. ‘The gunshot too. It could be nothing worth checking out, you know huh?’ Rupert argued. ‘Stop arguing and get the phone because now, I have the strongest urge to call it in.’ Without spitting another word, he walked to the telephone hanging on the wall by the bookshelf and called 911 to report what they had witnessed the day before. ******************** For Clarissa, the world had suddenly come to a standstill. It didn’t help matters that even after a day had past, they were yet to hear from Syd. There was nothing worse than a missing body. The sheriff, Sheriff Emmett, had already
Over the edge Chapter 22
It was December and it was drizzling. She didn’t run to find shelter because the rain had always settled her spirits. She hailed a yellow cab and it screeched to a stop right in front of her. Behind her, Flynn watched in his car, as she walked into the cab and it zoomed off, with him right on their tail. Her mind was racing with unlikely thoughts and her heart was beating too slow to be considered normal. It was something that always signaled the onset of a panic attack. She didn’t want that, she wanted to keep a straight head. So, she focused on her breathing. In, out. In, out. In, out. She did that till her head stopped feeling like it held more thoughts than the body mass of the heaviest man on earth and a semblance of normalcy engulfed her. She reached for her phone again. Still nothing from Sydney. Heaving a loud sigh, she turned to stare out the window. The buildings raced by in a blur. The skies had turned dark already, courtesy of the awful winter. The drizzling rain ha
Over the edge Chapter 21
The door slammed as Clarissa rushed out of the car and into the shabby looking apartment complex. Very aware that the ten-floored building had a very non-functional elevator, she took the stairs two at a time, Flynn right at her heels. It was well past ten minutes so she knew Sydney had to be in her apartment, waiting already. Pushing the people crowding the staircase aside, they frantically ran up the stairs not minding the weird look people threw their way. She couldn’t tell the exact moment the feeling of impending doom crept onto her, latching onto her with its suckers. Her heart plunged into her stomach robbing her of breath for a second or two. Her head swarm, the stairs swirled. Her steps faltered and she staggered backwards. Flynn’s hands shot out to break her fall but she caught herself just In time.‘Are you alright?’ A concerned Flynn asked, grasping her elbow.‘I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a bit lightheaded. I’m okay.’ She assured. ‘I can’t seem to shake off the feelin
Over the edge Chapter 20
she glanced down at her phone and then at the house number plastered on the sign post in front of the house, a bungalow. The text on her screen and the shiny black ink on the sign read the same number, 42. She had been spooked from the very moment the text had popped up on her screen. A text from her anonymous online friend who had introduced himself as a hacker. Backtrack to the day she had met him. Not met him literally. More like met him online. Just a random pop-up notification on her Facebook app and suddenly, they were close acquaintances. Well, what was the use of having a hacker friend if they couldn’t do one or two favors for her, she thought. She had sent him the mystery guy’s pictures and seconds later, he turned up lots of information on him. when she had asked how exactly he had been able to gather that info on the guy at such a short time, he responded with, ‘We have our ways.’She had come to know the Mystery guy as Kennedy Macaulay. But her mind often referre
Over the edge Chapter 19
The moment she stepped out of the kitchen to answer that call, it sent off the wrong signals in his mind. she was hiding something.He quickly pulled out his phone from his jacket and called Agent Sawyer.‘I need you to trace a call. Clarissa’s making a really secretive call. I need to know who it is and the exact location. I’ll meet you at the station in twenty.’ He said, picking his jacket and stomped across the kitchen in all seriousness.Maybe it was jealousy or some other emotion that he couldn’t just name, but something churned in his gut. Unable to stand still in the now empty kitchen, he walked out into the dining area, past the living room and out of the door, into the chilling cold.With Veronica, it had been all sweet and fun. He couldn’t really remember them ever arguing, veronica with her mellow voice and tactfulness made it pretty easy. With Clarissa, it was just a whirlwind of emotions, highs and lows. He gritted his teeth as he crossed the road and made his way to
Over the edge Chapter 18
He still reeled from the kiss he had seen Clarissa and Flynn share the night before. The thought of it had him kicking an empty can by the curb. Why the hell would she let him desecrate those lush lips? He thought. The skies didn’t look as gloomy as it did the day before and the snow came down in gentle flurries. The sun hid behind the low hanging clouds. Hands In his pocket, he strolled down the bustling street of 58th avenue. He eyed Clarissa’s apartment as he walked by, taking notice of the black, tinted vehicles sitting beside the curb. FBI agents. He glared at them. he needed to do something about the amount of rage in him before he did something as stupid as barging into Clarissa’s house and blowing his cover. Another empty can flew into the air as he kicked it and the helpless can landed a few meters from him. It wasn’t unusual for him to get that much pent-up rage. But often, he’d had ways of controlling them. Now? Not so much. The police were on high alert and the slight
