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Oct. 28, 2054. Wednesday. 7:05 PM.
Kiyro sat in front of the coach in front of a large 80' T.V. in the lobby. Next to him were Alex and Eve, who were taking a break from the game of Growth and watching a special one-hour program that was more like news mixed with a reality show together. Since the last battle with floor 40's boss, they had pushed through the floors, quickly making their way to the forty-fifth floor.
They had planned to meet at the library to talk about the strategic battle to come inside the game of Growth, and now they decided to spend the last hour relaxing and watching T.V. Alex had a bag of popcorn in his hands, eating it slowly. At the same time, Eve's legs were curled up next to her.
"Breaking news. Another murder art that appeared in the local area in Springfield, Illinois, happened this morning in a rural area. Inside a small home, Miss Robinson was killed alive and tortured." A pretty lady with caramel-colored hair spoke. Sitting right next to her was an African American man in a suit holding onto a stack of papers, glancing down uncomfortably. "This has been the seventh chain murder case in America."
The screen changes to an older man standing in front of the camera, talking to the local newscast. "I have known Miss Robinson since she was born. She was a sweet child who did not deserve to die so cruelly. She was known as a brilliant bright child with a beautiful smile. You could feel calm and happy being around her whenever she spoke. Whoever did this to her is a sick bastard who must be sent to jail and given a death sentence!" The old man was fuming in anger.
"Truly a horror story in the making. So far, there have not been many clues of this pretentious attack, but we are certain there are some similarities in all these murders. We believe this killer is a religious fanatic that brands the dead with a black cross left behind on the person's skin." The lady spoke with her hands crossed in front of her. "What do you think, Mr. Samuel? You are the famous psychological leading expert who wrote The Demon and I. We heard that you are also taking part in this case. Do you think this is a religious statement against society?"
"I wouldn't say this is a religious war at all. Please don't misunderstand me; before we jump into religion, we should base this case on what this killer wants to portray to the viewers. This is called the Murder Art case for a reason."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Art is a form of expression, especially of oneself and the person's surroundings. This killer, in a sense, has an artistic taste; there is a high possibility he could be an artist. The way that he poses each body reminds you of activity. The first one was The Mother and Child, the Ballerina, the Yin and Yang, Box-in, Cat and Mouse, Caged Room, and finally moving onto the Kickball. We are not sure if this is just a random act of murder, but each time this has happened, the media has brought these 'Art' to life, bringing more attention to them."
"Then are you saying that Media are the cause of these deaths?" The lady was taken a bit back by Samuel's statement.
"Yes and no. Yes, in a sense that we are fanning the flame of the killer's ego by bringing his artwork to the spotlight. All artists, whether in drawing, music, dancing or any form of 'entertainment,' want their 'Art' to be known and viewed. It's a natural creative process that one wants to share with the viewers. One's art is not just for oneself, you know. It is a pleasurable experience that one shares in the moment of the finished product."
"So this is entertainment as a whole?"
"Exactly, A pleasurable experience that they want to show the world. The media is a powerful tool in bringing his art to the viewers. More and more people who watch this show or search the internet would be able to know why. Why does this person do this horrible thing? What reason? For what purpose? Even still, the humanities curiosity can not be quenched until this answer is answered."
"So by doing this show, we're just fuming the flames."
"Yes, though at the same time, we are using the media to catch this culprit that seems to elude us like a ghost. Our investigation is still pending right now."
"Why did you state that this might not be a religious statement?"
"Well, for starters, even though this person is possible of a religious nature, that does not mean that they are being condemned for not believing. It is one of the signatures left behind by the killer in every victim. The irony of this whole matter is that this 'religious' person is doing the opposite of the religious belief that One shall not murder on the Christian or Catholic aspect."
"Ah, I see."
"We're not completely sure what the killer wants to portray exactly; in any case, we believe the killer will eventually falter. We are confident in this aspect. One can only go so far in today's society, killing another human being after another without slipping."
"That's quite a strong statement." The lady smiled with a wide grin.
"We are confident in what we do, and we wanted to reassure the people that people are working diligently on this case and bringing justice to the criminal."
"Truly, what a heartwarming speech." With a gentle clap, her eyes were bright with expectation.
"Though, there is another interesting story that I wanted to share with you that has been
happening recently in South Carolina these past few months."
"What would that be?"
"Well, in all honesty, I find this creepy even talking about it, but recently there have been sightings in Greenville, South Carolina, of a clown appearing near the woods, enticing young children to come in and follow them."
"Ah, I heard about that recently as well. Although, it's not very often that you hear these stories of clowns calling people into the dark woods. This case has been reported since 1934, and some speculate even further than that. There have been many colorful histories of possible event in the past where a young man had held a house in the woods. Supposedly, he was one of the workers in the circus that usually came by in the past but died tragically in his home. Since then, clown cases have been reported in the local woods."
"Is that house still there?" The lady gulped as she clenched her hands tightly.
"Well, no. There is no house there, but these are all just superstitions passed down from mouth to mouth. Demons are a figment of one's imagination; all conjured up in mind. We fear and label what we don't understand as demons or monsters."
"Not many people would believe what you have to say."
"That's fine. I understand that my opinions and ideas do not fit with everyone else. However, I am ninety-nine percent confident in refuting such thoughts with scientific knowledge. In all actuality, if someone could disapprove of such thoughts, I welcome it with open arms." Sam joyfully stated. "If such an existence were even real, then this world would be put to the test, correct?"
"I'm not so sure if I want to know if there are such things as demons in this world. The thought terrifies me."
"That is a normal reaction that any human has. The unknown is frightening, but when revealed, don't you think that fear would eventually disappear, making it easier to defeat?"
"I..guess so?"
"Please be more confident." Sam smiled. "Bringing something under the light, we can see the source of the fear that bogs down our mind and heart. This gives us a fighting chance to turn it into a weapon."
"Ah, I see. Well, for viewers watching this, it would be best to remind your kids about the dangers of the clowns trying to kidnap them. I wouldn't want such things to happen to their family any time soon. Let's get off these spooky topics for now and instead thank you for joining us here at Solara." She sticks out her hands to shake Sam.
"No, thank you for bringing me to the show." He grabbed her hands and firmly shook them.
The program went into a commercial, leaving a silent atmosphere between the three. Each one of them was thinking about what they had just watched.
"I heard about the Murder Art." Eve was the first to speak up, catching Alex's and Kiyro's attention. "I didn't think that it would've gotten this bad. I mean, the last time was during the time….of the ….college." Her voice became smaller and smaller at the thought of the event.
Even Kiyro could remember that special event clearly in his mind. Even if he wanted to delete it from his mind, he couldn't. His amazing memory did not let him. "In total, there are seven. You think that he will continue with this show?"
"That's an absolute fact, isn't it?" Agnis's voice trembled. She, too, knew who it was that killed the two students, making her tremble in fear.
"Let's not talk about this. It gives me the shivers." Zero felt like hundreds of bugs were crawling up under the skin just thinking about Angel. Just being in the same room with him made him feel suffocated and fearful. That was a man who would kill without a second thought and was mentally insane—a sociopath to the core.
Eve nodded and unconsciously scooted a bit closer toward Kiyro in hopes of protection and comfort. However, Kiyro could feel her warm body temperature a few inches away from him. He suddenly became conscious of her body and couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
Looking over Eve's shoulder, Kiyro noticed Alex seemed troubled over something. "Alex?" He
called out, breaking Alex's silence.
"Huh?" Alex turned around towards him, a bit startled.
"Is everything okay?"
"I…." Alex took a deep breath to clear his mind. "Yea, thanks. I'll go on ahead. I got something
important I need to do."
"Alright, don't forget we're going to push through the next two levels tonight."
"I know. I'll see you in the next thirty minutes." Alex got up in a hurry and left the two behind.
"What's wrong with him?" Eve quizzically watched; Alex back left in a hurry.
"I don't know, but it might have to do with what we watched.
"Yeah, I think so too. I had never seen him so serious while watching T.V. before. Usually, he's uncaring and gets bored easily."
Kiyro thought it over for a moment, but he couldn't think of anything. So instead, he silently watched T.V. with Eve. Without him realizing it, Eve gently leaned on his shoulder.