12-02-2014, 03:24 PM
His head didn't hurt, thank God. But so many thing churned in his mind. In the light of day, the thought of him drinking really bothered him. He knew Aria's father had a lot to do it, pushing him down into that hole. But he had chosen to cope with alcohol.
Somehow, though, God hadn't given up on him. Aria called him when she needed him most- and from what he knew, it could have been so much worse, for both of them- and he had gotten out of there. Her hair was wet. She must have taken another shower. He could understand why she would. He shook his head. Serial killers. Monsters. And Aria a hunter. It felt almost overwhelming.
The girl was gone, sneaking out while they slept, he guessed. He wanted to go looking for her. The victims of this guy were usually runaways. He knew that life, knew the places and shelters that kids went to. Six years was a lifetime, on the streets, he knew all too well.
He sat up. "We need to find her. Can you do that? With your abilities or whatever? You said you tracked this guy."
He frowned, realizing how stupid he was. He grabbed his phone. "I need to call the police. Jeez, I wasn't thinking last night. He's still out there."
God, he just wasn't thinking clearly.
Aria grabbed his hand. "Someone's already handling it. And yes, I can track her if you want me to."
He looked at her. "What do you mean someone's already handling it?"
Aria took a deep breath and sighed, "The only reason I got out was because someone followed me, and saved us. He said he was going to take care of it."
He frowned. It was so hard to think right now. "What does that mean? I mean, seriously, Aria, this guy tortured and killed a lot of girls. We have to call the police."
"Please, Lucas. Can we wait, if it's not on the news by the end of the weekend, you can call."
She pleaded.
He shook his head. "We can't take the chance, Aria. These girls he takes, some of them were street kids like I was. Kids no one would miss. We can't leave him out there."
She gave him a weak smile. "I don't think he'll be out there doing anymore harm Lucas. The man who followed me was tracking me, I stand out, swords kinda do that. He wasn't like you, he was different, more like me."
She took a deep breath and continued, "More vigilanti though, less about the law than the police. He'll get what he deserves, I'm sure. You'll see. And I really don't want my name strung up in all that. Would be very, very bad for me."
He put his hand in his head. What had he thought about no headache? Because suddenly he had a very powerful one. Aria. He was so confused. He rubbed at his head. This was so out of his area, this nebulous world that she lived in, with fathers who tried to kill daughters and young women out hunting serial killers, of vigilantis and monsters. It had its own rules, its own logic. He didn't get it.
He lifted his head and looked her in the eye, searching, wanting to trust her. If she was wrong...."What if you're wrong Aria?
"I'm not wrong Lucas. Trust me. He wasn't going to make it out alive when I left."
There was a darkness in her eyes. "He was afraid, he knew it. He saw his death coming, I could feel it."
He sat there for a long while, just looking at her. It was like he was standing on a cliff and couldn't see the bridge. He stood at the edge for a long time, trying to figure things out. In the end though, he knew that she lived in a larger world than he did. For the first time, it terrified him that he had to trust her on this.
He stepped off the cliff. Now it was a matter of seeing if there was a bridge or not. The thought of waiting gave him a terrible sense of dread. He needed to clear his head. So much had happened. "I need to go to my meeting."
He ran his fingers through his hair and checked the time. There was a session in an hour or so. He still felt guilty though. Confused. "I need to go to confession."
Maybe God would forgive him. Maybe he'd find peace. He prayed that she was right.
Somehow, though, God hadn't given up on him. Aria called him when she needed him most- and from what he knew, it could have been so much worse, for both of them- and he had gotten out of there. Her hair was wet. She must have taken another shower. He could understand why she would. He shook his head. Serial killers. Monsters. And Aria a hunter. It felt almost overwhelming.
The girl was gone, sneaking out while they slept, he guessed. He wanted to go looking for her. The victims of this guy were usually runaways. He knew that life, knew the places and shelters that kids went to. Six years was a lifetime, on the streets, he knew all too well.
He sat up. "We need to find her. Can you do that? With your abilities or whatever? You said you tracked this guy."
He frowned, realizing how stupid he was. He grabbed his phone. "I need to call the police. Jeez, I wasn't thinking last night. He's still out there."
God, he just wasn't thinking clearly.
Aria grabbed his hand. "Someone's already handling it. And yes, I can track her if you want me to."
He looked at her. "What do you mean someone's already handling it?"
Aria took a deep breath and sighed, "The only reason I got out was because someone followed me, and saved us. He said he was going to take care of it."
He frowned. It was so hard to think right now. "What does that mean? I mean, seriously, Aria, this guy tortured and killed a lot of girls. We have to call the police."
"Please, Lucas. Can we wait, if it's not on the news by the end of the weekend, you can call."
She pleaded.
He shook his head. "We can't take the chance, Aria. These girls he takes, some of them were street kids like I was. Kids no one would miss. We can't leave him out there."
She gave him a weak smile. "I don't think he'll be out there doing anymore harm Lucas. The man who followed me was tracking me, I stand out, swords kinda do that. He wasn't like you, he was different, more like me."
She took a deep breath and continued, "More vigilanti though, less about the law than the police. He'll get what he deserves, I'm sure. You'll see. And I really don't want my name strung up in all that. Would be very, very bad for me."
He put his hand in his head. What had he thought about no headache? Because suddenly he had a very powerful one. Aria. He was so confused. He rubbed at his head. This was so out of his area, this nebulous world that she lived in, with fathers who tried to kill daughters and young women out hunting serial killers, of vigilantis and monsters. It had its own rules, its own logic. He didn't get it.
He lifted his head and looked her in the eye, searching, wanting to trust her. If she was wrong...."What if you're wrong Aria?
"I'm not wrong Lucas. Trust me. He wasn't going to make it out alive when I left."
There was a darkness in her eyes. "He was afraid, he knew it. He saw his death coming, I could feel it."
He sat there for a long while, just looking at her. It was like he was standing on a cliff and couldn't see the bridge. He stood at the edge for a long time, trying to figure things out. In the end though, he knew that she lived in a larger world than he did. For the first time, it terrified him that he had to trust her on this.
He stepped off the cliff. Now it was a matter of seeing if there was a bridge or not. The thought of waiting gave him a terrible sense of dread. He needed to clear his head. So much had happened. "I need to go to my meeting."
He ran his fingers through his hair and checked the time. There was a session in an hour or so. He still felt guilty though. Confused. "I need to go to confession."
Maybe God would forgive him. Maybe he'd find peace. He prayed that she was right.