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It was od d th e more Nathan thought about it . Sure it made things eas ier knowing he could follow one to learn about the other. But it was suspiciously easy. At the very least, Crystal had been right about the food not being poisoned, and he was thankful for that.
The following day, he had done more recon, where he learned the women had even lived in the same house. It was an older two-story structure in an unassuming block located in Helport’s college district .
For the first break-in, he waited for them to leave the house, and found one of the side windows unlocked. Unfortunately, he found the house was also a bit difficult to maneuver. When climbing in, the man had almost knocked over one of the many -and there were many- potted plants and herbs placed along the windowsill, and he had certainly knocked down some of the small crystals that were next to it. After he placed them back the way they were- to the best of his ability- he felt a shift once he completely set foot in the house. It felt surprisingly… light, and there was a sense of calm as he caught the scent of lavender and perfume through his mask. Upon walking around, he saw no room was painted the same; colors varied from slightly faded pastel hues to saturated jewel tones, the occasional flowery wallpaper between the kitchen and a stairwell to what he had assumed to be the basement. He pinned its location to the back of his mind; he needed to search the main floor first.
Investigating the living room, he felt a twinge of envy at the consoles and game collection lined up around the television.
I think I remember this game? Crystal muttered.
She had been more active as of late. W hen he had asked her about it, she had shrugged.
Something in the air, I guess. She responded.
She had crouched by the TV stand, tracing a finger along the plastic cas es . The woman then stood up and moved towards the bookshelves, where he was. There were polaroids and little charm bags , psychology textbooks and mass-market paperback s , and tiny kitschy ceramics of children holding lamb s meticulously placed along the shelves .
Oh! I thiink this is an incense holder. She pointed at a small wooden tray with little golden stars painted along its edges. There’s a small hole at the end, that’s where the stick goes, and then the ashes fall on that little gap in the center.
The man guessed it had to have been used recently, but he did question why one of them had placed it high on the bookshelf. It seems pretty impractical to me.
Next was the second floor, where the walls leading up the stairs were patterned with framed photos. Each of them included a girl, presumably Carla, throughout the years, and an older woman who he assumed to be her mother.
Everything seems so normal. They seem so… Happy. There was a slight strain in her voice on that last word. He noticed her gaze was at a particular photo. Carla seemed a bit younger, and next to her was a dark-haired girl with brown eyes. Both wore a white cap and gown, standing besides the two were the same blonde woman from previous photos, and another dark-haired stoic-looking woman. This must have been their graduation. The more Crystal spoke, the fainter she sounded. At least they got to have that… I wonder if their mothers kept the diplomas at their place, haha. The house felt colder after that. Neither of them said it, but he knew she was thinking about their own mother, their own graduation that never happened. He was thinking about it too.
“… We should leave. Before one of them comes back.” Nathan muttered
Huh? But what about the rooms?
“I’ll get to it next time, sis. Let’s go back.”
The walk back to the house is slow, and quiet. Nathan pulled his mask further up his face against the brisk wind and dead leaves, he kept his eyes ahead as the colors of twilight mix with the urban glow of street lamps.
Cities were usually troublesome to navigate; congested and noisy streets, crowds of people scurrying along concrete sidewalks, the constant destruction and construction of towering monsters of glass and metal. They seemed to eat more and more of the sky each time he happened to pass the same city twice. Sometimes it were like the places were alive. He didn’t only mean that in the ‘people are what give a city life’ sense. In his head, he recalled a conversation he had with Crystal.
It’s not just cities, Nate. You know that. She had laughed. Although, I will admit it gets… More noticeable in certain types of environments? The noise, I mean. Sometimes, it’s like an energy I can tune into, like getting a song on a radio. It could feel… harmonious. It could be neat, joyous, organic, or industrial. Other times it’s... grating, discordant, saddening, or suffocating….
The shift can happen so fast that it gets jarring. Those are usually the places where you can feel it too. Honestly, it’s why I like when we can manage to find a place in the woods… When there’s nothing and no one else to effect that frequency, that is.
Helport had many kinds of ‘frequencies’. Some places were as Crystal would describe; a pleasant high-frequency, a lethargic and mechanical energy, or a low buzzing. No district in Helport was the same, and it helped that it was easy to blend into the crowd. There were plenty of eccentric folks roaming the streets. Plenty of weirdoes too but you win some, and you lose some.
We’re here.
Nathan stops in front of single-story home, right at the end of the block. The outer walls made of rust-colored brick-stone, a half-torn porch roof hung over the front door, the windows barely protected by boards of wet and rotting wood. Home sweet temporary home. He thought. The hideout they had picked didn’t have any particular energy to it. When Nathan first asked his twin about it, she had described it as a dead zone, much quieter than the other abandoned houses on the block. It wasn’t quite bad to her, simply nothing but white noise.
The twins made their way to the back window, slowed to a stop when they saw the planks had been moved. The air felt colder around him. There was a burning sensation in his gut, his jaw clenched as his hand twitched to his side. He mentally cursed himself for leaving his pipe behind, rookie mistake but it’s not like he was unprepared. Nathan slowly crouched down, reaching for one of the pocket knives hidden in his boot.
We’ll have to make due.
He quietly entered the house, kept an ear out for the intruder. Over the sound of shoddy pipework, he heard a creak coming from the ceiling. His gaze immediately shifted towards the sound.
Someone found us.
There was a tremble in his hands when he tightened the grip around the handle. Nathan kept his breath steady, and he tiptoed towards the stairs. Then up, turned left. Down the hall, creaking footsteps had turned into a clatter. Then there was the sound of a panicked stumble, and the slam of an opening door.
“Oh my god.” Their voice trembled, echoed through the hollow walls.
Someone found us.
The dark-haired man stared down where the figure was, his back was against the wall opposite to the room door.
Voyeur.
Light flickers from the abandoned hard-hat at the figure’s feet. Nathan shielded his eyes as it bounced off the reflective surface of the figure’s vest. Without moving his gaze from the room, the figure ran a hand over his face, kept it over his mouth. His eyes were wide with horror. The figure hadn’t noticed him yet.
Intruder.
God-forsaken invader.
He’s gotta be one of them.
He’s seen too much.
He’s going to tell them, Nate.
We have to get rid of him, Nate.
“Don’t worry, sis. I’ll take care of it.”
As sudden as the figure had turned to faced them, Nathan rushed at him with the knife.
One; a slash at the hands, nothing vital but enough to make him bleed. A failed attempt at defense.
Two; a low strike to his gut. When the man put his bloody hands on his shoulders, Nathan swiftly pulled the knife up. The man shoved him, cried out when he was met with the knife being ripped out of the flesh.
Three; he didn’t hesitate. When the man groaned, placed his hands over the torn fabric and meat around his stomach, Nathan elbowed the man straight across the jaw. There was an audible crack, a tooth shot out of his mouth.
“Please-”
End it.
Without a thought, Nathan grabbed the man by his face and stabbed the knife into the man’s throat. The man feebly pulled at the cloth of his gloves, the fear fading alongside the light in his eyes. Nathan only stared back coldly, mercilessly.
“The job is done.”