The police officer, Mark, and Alex stood in front of the door. The officer knocked, and after a moment, a woman answered.
"Ma'am, these are the men I told you about. They need to talk to your son," said the police officer.
The woman seemed vexed but replied, "Why, of course, officer. Please, gentlemen, come in."
The men entered the house. From the corner of his eye, Alex saw a young boy in the living room, nervously describing the killer to another officer. The woman took a deep breath and began speaking to the detectives.
"My son is a good kid and wants to help, but he's very traumatized by what he saw last night. He was afraid to tell anyone at first, but I convinced him to talk to the police. Please, don't overwhelm him with your questions."
"I understand your concerns, ma'am," said Mark. "We promise not to overwhelm him."
"Oh, thank you so much, Mr. ...?"
"Daniels, Mark Daniels. And this is my colleague Alex Turner."
"Thank you both."
"May I ask you a few questions, ma'am?" asked Alex.
"Yes, of course.""How did your son see the killer? Why was he the only one? And why was he awake at that specific time?"
"One at a time, sir," the woman said with a slight giggle.
"I'm sorry, but I'm confused and need answers."
"Alex," Mark interjected, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Don't go overboard—"
"No, no, it's okay, Mr. Daniels. Your colleague is just doing his job."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Alex. "So, could you enlighten me?"
"My son suffers from insomnia, so he barely sleeps at night. As for the rest, I think you should ask him yourself."
"I understand. Thank you, ma'am. I believe your son will be a big help in this case," Alex said, pleased with the information.
Just then, the sketch artist entered the room where the other officer, the woman, and the two detectives were gathered.
"Morning, gentlemen," he said, extending his hand.
"Morning," Mark and Alex replied in unison.
"The boy is ready for your questions," said the sketch artist.
"Very well," said Mark.
"We'll get right to it."
"Oh, and here's the sketch based on the boy's description," he added, handing it to Mark.Both detectives walked into the living room and sat on two couches facing the boy."Good morning," said Alex.
"What's your name?"
"M-Morning," the boy stammered, his expression shy and scared. "My name is T-Tommy."
"Nice to meet you, Tommy. I'm Alex, you know, like the lion from Madagascar, haha. This is my colleague, Mark."
Tommy managed a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Alex and Mark."
"How old are you, Tommy?" asked Alex.
"I'm 12 years old."
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"Y-Yes, some."
"What are they?"
"Playing with my friends, watching cartoons, and other things."
"What do you play with your friends?"
"Mostly football. We like it a lot."
"What cartoons do you enjoy watching?"
"I like all of them, but one I really like is Adventure Time."
"Very nice. What grade are you in?"
"7th grade."
"Do you like school?"
"Yes, I think."
"Are you good at it?"
"Yes, according to my teachers.""I think you know why we are here, don't you?"
Tommy nodded. "Y-Yes, sir."
"Great," said Mark. "Can you tell us how it started? Like, were you already awake, or did you wake up?"
"I woke up in the middle of the night. It is getting... more and more common. I usually go to the kitchen."
"Why? For a snack? To drink water? Or just to walk around?" asked Alex.
"I try not to walk a lot to not disturb my mom. Also, I like a snack at night."
"Okay, very good. Tell me how you saw the killer."
Tommy started breathing heavily and began to sweat. He spoke with many pauses, fear evident in his voice."I heard a noise outside. At first, I thought it was probably a cat or something. Then I heard very horror movie-like noises. I like horror movies a lot, so I knew it wasn't a pleasant sound. I then..." He stopped talking.
"Please, Tommy, go ahead," said Mark. "We want to help you. Don't be scared, okay?"
Tommy nodded and continued."I opened the entrance door and saw a man standing over a woman. At first, I couldn't see what he was holding. I thought they needed help, so I went outside and asked if he needed any help. He looked at me and started coming toward me."
Tommy's breathing became more rapid.
"Then? What happened next?" asked Alex.
"H-He kneeled in front of me, saw that I was terrified, and I started going back inside as fast as I could, and then—"
"Then what?" asked Mark.
"What did he do?"
Tommy stood up, trembling, and turned around. He took off his shirt, revealing a huge wound on his back, covered in a medical bandage. Mark and Alex's eyes widened in shock.
"H-He told me I should be more grateful for what I saw because I could learn from it. He said he gave me this as a gesture to remember what he did for me."
Mark was speechless and petrified by what he had witnessed. So was Alex, but he got up and helped Tommy put his shirt back on. He sat him down before sitting down himself.
"D-Did he do anything else or say something else?" asked Alex.
"No," said Tommy, his expression blank.
"Does it hurt a lot?" asked Alex softly.
"Yes."
"Get well soon, Tommy, and thank you for the information you provided us with."
"Y-You're welcome."
Tommy's mom took him to his room. When she returned, the detectives and the police officers thanked her for her and her son's help, then stepped outside.
"What are you planning to do now?" asked one of the police officers.
"We'll probably go back to the station, analyze the sketch and the blood samples, and take it from there," said Mark.
"Very good," said the police officer.
"Good luck. I hope this nightmare ends as soon as possible."
"Thank you, sir."The police officers and the detectives headed to their cars and drove away.