All Monsters are Human

Fifth Fatality

I awoke the following morning, but I was in the guest bedroom. I vaguely remembered falling asleep in front of television last night. Had Andy carried me in here?

Sitting up, I listened intently for any sounds. I glanced at the clock to find it was still quite early. I clambered out of bed and opened the door. There was no sound. Everything was peaceful.

When I got to the lounge I realised Andy must have left for work, or whatever he classed as work. I wondered what he did. Was it illegal? I made myself some breakfast and ate in silence.

I had no idea what I would do whilst Andy was gone. It was a Monday morning and normally I'd be at college. I got dressed slowly so I could stretch it out. I decided against watching the tv. I didn't want to see anymore news reports about my own disappearance.

A part of me was deeply afraid. How long would they search for me? What if they gave up? I was making my way down the hallway when I noticed the second bedroom door was ajar. I knew I shouldn't, but I was so tempted.

I paused at the door and knocked, waiting for a response. No answer. I opened the door more and snuck inside. It was strange being in Andy's room.

The room was tidy, eerily so. There were posters on the wall, mostly of bands I had never heard of and there was a large Batman poster on the wall opposite the bed.

The walls were dark blue and a shelf across the way was full of books, most of them looked like graphic novels. I started to explore, hoping to find a set of keys or maybe some information regarding Andy.

I explored with care, putting things back where I found them to avoid being found out. I couldn't find any keys. I deduced that he had taken them with him. On the desk next to the bed was a file.

I ambled over and flipped it open. It seemed to be medical records. I leafed through it, trying to find anything that could justify abducting someone. I got to the last page and had found what I was searching for:

Andy Biersack is an eighteen year old white male. He was referred to the Henderson mental health unit three weeks ago. Quite recently, he underwent a routine psychiatric evaluation with myself, and Dr Leah Patil. This evaluation addresses the issues Andy has been having at school and with the medication he takes. It also will address the issue of his violent tendancies and seek to resolve them.

Andy had demonstrated an unwillingness to participate at school and this has made him lash out. Prior to this meeting he was suspended for attacking another student on school grounds. The school subsequently suspended him following an investigation into the incident. Andy dislikes being told what to do and can be very obstinent. He has also demonstrated sociopathic tendancies which include feeling little to no empathy.

Further action to be taken to assist Andy out of the unit will be to increase his mediaction to a safe level. Andy will undergo an anger management course and counselling to assist him to move out of the unit and to be part of society again. He has expressed an interest in doing so although he is reluctant to return to school, citing that bullying was always an issue.

The shock I feel at reading this stuns me into silence. I flick through the file and find several more of these reports, each from the same psychiatric unit. They detail, at first, Andy's unwillingness to get better.

The final one shows an improvement though, but the dates between it and the previous one are so close together that it seemed strange for someone to improve in such a short space of time. It seemed the doctors could scarely believe it:

It has been two weeks since our last meeting with Andy and he seems in better spirits this morning. He is very chatty and jovial. Since our last session he has demonstrated a new interest in school, participating far more in the onsite school. He has been opening up far more in the counselling sessions and had completed the anger management course.

It is a startling turn around from the past few months. Andy seems to be interested in going back into society and continuing with school. When asked about the bullying he is very open and honest, a very different story from last time.

I would be happy to allow Andy to leave the unit given how well he has done and how much he has improved. Dr Patil does not share my views and feels Andy needs more observation. She belives this sudden turn around is a part of his sociopathy and we were incorrect about how severe the above condition is.

I feel ill suddenly. They must have allowed him to leave, not expecting what would happen. I wondered if Dr Patil was still working at the hospital. If I could contact her then maybe she'd help.

I turned the page and discovered a piece of an old newspaper article. It had been cut out of a local paper. My blood ran cold when I read it.

Local doctor goes missing
One of the doctors from the Henderson psychiatric unit has gone missing. Dr Leah Patil was last seen four days ago as she made her way to work. Colleagues say that she didn't arrive for work that morning. Her husband, Mr Abdul Patil is said to be in shock. He has been quoted as saying that his wife was an outstanding doctor and her patients adored her. He has pleaded for her safe return. Police are searching the local area and as far afield as London. If you have any information then please call the number below.

Bile rose in my throat, but I pushed it down and let out a shuddering breath. Had andy harmed this doctor? She had refused to let him out. Perhaps he had decided she knew too much about him and had to get rid of her.

I couldn't imagine him killing someone. I guessed it was because the thought alone made me feel sick. I flicked through the file again, hoping to find some kind of clue as to what happened to Dr. Patil. There were no more articles left. Instead there was a photo.

It was small, about passport sized. The teenager in the photo was very familiar with his striking, blue eyes. Younger Andy had shorter hair with a fringe that covered one eye. He wasn't smiling in the picture and his eyes remained cold. What were his thoughts when this photo had been taken?

There was some writing on the next page that looked like a biography. I read through it and found no new information aside from the face that he had been born in 1990. I shut the file and left the room.

I closed the door and sat on the couch. I did put the tv on this time. I went straight for the news channel. They were still looking for me. I needed to escape and my mind started to plan what to do.

I hadn't failed to notice that Andy had relaxed significantly. He was obviously starting to trust me and my mind began to work. If I could gain his trust then he may leave me alone without locking the doors.

I could escape. I just had to play along and I would see my parents again. I convinced myself this would easy despite the fact I was starting to like Andy. I had to forcibly remind myself that he was a sociopath.

**************************************************************

"And you're certain she didn't have a boyfriend she would run away with?" The police officer asked.

Lynn rubber her temples. She had been over this so many times with the police and it was becoming aggravating. The house had been turned upside down by the commotion.

"No, I've already told your superior officer that Felicity didn't have a boyfriend, and if she did we would have met him." Her husband, Will, snapped.

The younger officer looked affronted, "We are trying to cover all angles."

"Christ, next you'll be suggesting we hurt her." Will seethed.

None of this was helping find Felicity. She had been missing since Saturday evening, that much had been established, but this wasn't helping.

The police had questioned her school friends and found nothing of much use. The whole process seemed to be going in circles.

The doorbell rang and Lynn stood, leaving Will to deal with the younger officer. She opened the door and was face-to-face with an older gentleman. He looked to be in his early fifties with salt and pepper hair. He had a scruffy looking beard.

Next to him was a younger man with watery brown eyes and a receeding hairline. He looked too young to be loosing hair. There was something about him that made Lynn uneasy.

"Can I help you?" Lynn asked, looking from one to the other.

"Yes, my name is Detective Aaron Crane and this is Detective Samuel Clark. We've been chosen to personally look into your daughter's disappearance." The older gentleman smiled, his eyes did not smile.

"I assumed officer Loake would be the one assigned to our case." Lynn rather liked officer Loake. He was kind and he seemed to care a great deal about their case.

"Given that this is a missing persons case then I'm afraid officer Loake will be unable to deal with it." The younger man, Samuel smiled.

Lynn disliked how he smiled and she shuffled uncomfortably. She supposed she should invite them in. She stepped aside and they walked in.

A shiver passed down her spine, but she fought it off and went back inside.

Notes