Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  “STOP IT!” she cried, jolting awake as if thunder struck her.

  Her heart had stopped for an instant. Sitting upright, she gasped for air, breathing heavily. Sweat pooled her back and moisturized her neck.

  “What she see this time, an adult-sized Chucky?” Cackle said, unperturbed, standing by the foot of her bed, in the midst of brushing his teeth.

  Serenity looked up at him as he stared at her indifferently. Sunlight leaked through the window, the curtains open. It was morning, at least 8:00 AM, and the other two were already up. Nightmares were a recurring malady that plagued her throughout her lifetime. The brothers were used to her waking up in a fright. These dreams normally afflicted her after a terrible incident, so her roommates most likely expected it.

  “We’re supposed to be out of here in twenty minutes, get up,” Cackle said, walking to the bathroom sink.

  Serenity wiped her brow and cheeks, exhaling in relief. Fortunately, the nightmare was over and morning had finally arrived. The memories of the events that transpired the night before rushed into her head.

  “You were fidgeting restlessly for a while,” said Kyler, sitting cross-legged on the couch, rebandaging his right shoulder; he was already fully dressed and packed up, ready to depart. “Was it the explosion or the gunfire you saw?”

  “Forget it,” Serenity mumbled, sliding out of bed.

  She reached into her bag, picking out her clothes for the day. She then took out her toothbrush.

  As soon as Cackle finished, she went inside with her clothes to brush her teeth and wash up. She had half-a-mind to take another shower, but they were in a hurry. As soon as she was done washing up, she put on her clothes and exited the bathroom. The TV was on, with Kyler and Cackle watching attentively. She looked at the screen, wondering what had arrested their attention. What she saw captured hers as well.

  It was the local news station, reporting live on the scene of the mansion. Video of the aftermath was displayed, as police, ambulances, and firefighters swarmed the scene. It then transitioned to the reporter who was standing live in front of the wreckage. Similar to what she had witnessed in her dream, the property was now a mess of debris and rubble. Police and CSI were investigating in the backdrop, scouring every inch. They must’ve been looking for bodies and evidence.

  “Currently, it’s been close to nine hours since calls came pouring in and police are still at a loss for words on how and why this tragedy occurred,” the reporter explained. “The death toll is still unknown, considering there are still estimated to be dozens of bodies missing and needing to be recovered, not to mention identified. However, at the moment, it’s close to about twenty-six. Sequim police recently issued a statement declaring that the investigation is still underway and will be continuing to be carried out for weeks to come. Now, we have interviewed a couple of witnesses—some of the kids, just traumatized, who were at the party; they all described hearing gunshots at the scene and seeing men in masks with assault rifles. Shortly after, the house subsequently detonated, most likely by a bomb. You saw the images, you saw how powerful and immense this fire was, and how difficult it was for firefighters to combat it. Among the deceased is the alleged host of the party, Tony Abraham. His family currently is still absent; officials say there have been multiple attempts at trying to contact them, but all ended in failure. Most of his peers all described him as ‘likable,’ ‘popular,’ and ‘charming.’”

  “Bullshit,” Serenity growled, seething.

  “Clearly, the Sequim community is just appalled and heartbroken at this disaster. Funerals and memorials are being prepared for the victims. Police say the key to unraveling this mystery lies in the witnesses; they’ve all been brought into questioning, but police implore those who haven’t yet, to step forward and facilitate in the investigation. More details to come as this story develops; hopefully, the police can get to the bottom of this. Back to you, Jimmy.”

  Cackle turned off the TV with a shrug.

  “We’re out of there, so I could care less,” he said tactlessly.

  There was a knock at the door. Kyler crossed over to it and opened it, revealing Desmos, Garen, and Agno. All of them were ready to go.

  “We need to hit the road,” said Desmos. “I need to check out of this dump, let’s get a move on.”

  Serenity zipped her duffel bag shut and swung her rucksack over her shoulder, following Kyler and Cackle out of the door. Now that it was sunny, there was a better view of their surroundings. They were indeed in the middle of nowhere. Off the road, there was a stretch of rocky land as far as the eye could see. Mountains were foggily visible in the distance.

  “You told me last time that you’d answer my questions,” Serenity said to Kyler, tapping him on the shoulder. “Can we start now?”

  “Not sure if I have all the answers,” Kyler replied dully.

  “Okay, where are we going for starters?”

  “Ask Desmos.”

  “How far is it?”

  “Ask Desmos.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Ask Des—”

  “I get it,” she snapped. “Don’t tell me, you liar.”

  “I mean it,” Kyler said. “I’m almost as clueless as you are.”

  They waited in the van for Desmos to come back. He had gone into the lobby to check out of the motel. Serenity wondered if the same recipient they had met while checking in was still working. She recalled how uneasy he had looked as he observed her all bloodied up and crestfallen, concerned that she had escaped or was in some type of danger. Desmos didn’t alleviate that feeling with his curt manner. The recipient was liable to call the police because of this; thankfully, he hadn’t.

  Meanwhile, the other brothers were immersed in watching something on Agno’s phone. She didn’t have the faintest idea what they intrigued in, until Agno turned up the volume. Serenity gulped nervously. It was the fight with Lindsey. Head down, she listened as the brothers reacted to the heated exchange of insults and words between herself and Lindsey. Then, the armbar came and the brothers went nuts. Genuinely frenzied. She burned in embarrassment.

  “Replay it again!” Cackle said feverishly.

  It was replayed again and again, until Serenity had enough.

  “Can you turn that off?!” she requested, angsty. “How did you guys even get that footage?”

  “How did you even execute that technique?!” Garen said, astounded. “Goddamn, Serenity! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

  Serenity analyzed the brothers’ faces with shock; this was the first time in her life, in memory, that the brothers were impressed with her and looked at her with respect rather than mockery and derision. Indeed, she had exhibited Carlisle behavior during the Lindsey incident. Never did she do so publicly.

  “It’s pathetic how flimsy that ugly girl’s arm was, but damn!” Cackle gaped. “Why can’t you be like that all the time?!”

  “She soaked you with booze and you almost walked off. You would’ve been a fool if you chose to ran!” Agno remarked.

  “Are you guys seriously praising me…?” she asked sheepishly. “I thought you’d be angry…well, Desmos at least.”

  “For what? Growing some balls for a change?! He’s coming right now, let’s see how he reacts,” Agno said, pointing.

  “No!” Serenity protested. “He’ll be pissed off, I drew too much attention to myself!”

  Desmos entered the van, closing the door and putting on his seatbelt. Agno handed him his phone immediately. Desmos held it still, eyes glued to the screen. Serenity waited in anticipation.

  Desmos was expressionless the whole time while watching the clip; but his lips curved into a small smile of amusement as he handed Agno back his phone. This was a spectacle. Desmos never smiled.

  “Wonders never cease,” he said, turning his head to look at her. “Funny how you retained BJJ, even though we only trained in a few grapples and takedowns.”

  “My body just moved on its own, I don’t even remember the learni
ng process much,” Serenity confessed truthfully.

  “That’s called muscle memory,” Desmos replied, turning on the engine. “Next time, snap your hips and lock your legs a bit harder. And you’re lucky we’re on the move anyway; otherwise, I’d have you in the Dungeon before you could even blink.”

  He couldn’t help complimenting her without critiquing her. Though, it felt odd being goggled by the brothers. But not for the right reasons. Injuring Lindsey like that was not something she was proud of. Committing any violent act would gain the brothers’ respect, it seemed.

  “Father’s going to meet us at a hotel,” Desmos announced. “In Portland, which is where we’re going. It’ll only take an hour.”

  “After Portland, where to next?” Garen inquired. “We should be farther away from Washington.”

  “That’s up to Father to decide, I don’t know,” Desmos said simply

  “You should make up your mind already,” Garen suggested. “We need to be at least two thousand miles from Sequim.”

  “I know,” Desmos said, irked. “I’m not a fool.”

  “That’s debatable,” Garen muttered.

  “Spit it out, if you’ve got any issues,” Desmos warned. “Go on, Garen.”

  “Forget it,” Garen sighed, unwilling to argue with his elder brother.

  “How did he react when you informed him?” Agno asked. “You never told us, so I assumed it didn’t go well.”

  “He wasn’t very expressive over the phone. We’ll see what happens once we see him in person.”

  Thus began the transitory roadtrip to Portland. Like in Washington, the countryside in Oregon was beautified by nature. Grassy hills, trees, and gargantuan snow-capped mountains scaled both sides of the road as she looked wistfully out the window. During her lifetime, they had driven almost throughout the entire country, traveling through rural areas more than urban. Although she disliked roadtrips, landscapes always appealed to her aesthetically no matter where they went. Herds of bison and deer were visible, grazing on grass. Once she lost interest in gazing out the window, there was nothing else much to do. Boredom encased her.

  Thankfully, they had arrived in Portland quickly. Desmos must’ve driven most of the way inadvertently throughout the night. The downtown area of Portland was busy for a Thursday morning. Interest revitalized, she looked out the window and watched the city life. It had been years since they were last in Portland. Museums, art centers, parks, bridges, bicycle paths, and coffee houses were prevalent.

  They stopped at a gas station, only ten minutes from their destination. Desmos needed to refuel the van and the others wanted to get snacks and use the bathroom. Only Serenity and Kyler remained in the car. Conversation was imminent; it always was when the two of them were alone. She generally felt comfortable chatting with Kyler; usually, she was the one who started conversations since he was always silent. Not this time.

  “You sure you’re back?” he asked bizarrely.

  Serenity looked at him mysteriously.

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “It’s unusual how fast you’ve recovered from last night, that’s all.”

  “I’m just trying to forget about it. So, don’t bring it up…”

  “Don’t repress it,” Kyler shook his head. “Get over it.”

  “Huh?”

  “You befriended a kid who nearly killed you, witnessed his gruesome death with your own eyes, along with the deaths of multiple kids and your best friend,” Kyler said bluntly.

  “You don’t need to remind me!”

  “Apparently, I do. What happened to all the questions you had? You just going to forget about those as well?”

  “Fine!” Serenity said, leaning forward. “How come you guys kept me in the dark? AGAIN.”

  “We couldn’t risk you compromising the mission,” Kyler replied. “We needed you to be unaware of everything. Therefore, the target couldn’t read you and our movements could pass unnoticed.”

  “So you used me as bait again,” Serenity scowled. “One day, I’m actually gonna die because of that.”

  “In the woods, the day I showed you your deceased cat, you were also used as bait,” said Kyler. “Tony, or whatever his name was, tailed us. He was the guy I shot at, but the kid can run. From that day on, it was clear that he realized you weren’t alone. When you gave him your number, he knew who we were. And I’m sure he knew that we knew who he was.”

  “Then why did he continue to go after me?” Serenity asked. “That would be suicide, knowing you guys had your eyes on him.”

  “That’s the thing, we had no idea,” Kyler said, folding his arms. “I guess he was an idiot. But he kept making moves on you, and that worked in our favor. When he invited you to that party, he didn’t expect you to come alone. Predictably, he made sure to have a ton of security specifically for us. He must’ve really wanted you.”

  She got goosebumps at this statement; a prickle of revulsion electrocuted throughout her body.

  “Couldn’t you guys have just finished him off at school? Why did you wait so long?” she asked.

  “We tried that on multiple occasions, but he was elusive. The guy knew what we were up to, and murder at school is too risky. But you know why Desmos ordered you to sit with us at lunch? One, to get him to come to us. Two, so you wouldn’t get merked.”

  “‘Merked’?” she repeated dubiously. “What?”

  “The Aurelian could’ve attacked you on school campus, we didn’t know how daring he was,” Kyler nodded. “Desmos didn’t want to risk that. Lunch is only thirty minutes in a school day, but it’s one of the most auspicious times to commit murder.”

  “I never knew he cared…” she said quietly, but sardonically.

  “Anyway, the night of the hunt, we infiltrated the party. We had to be stealthy, taking out the guards systematically. They were all patrolling the perimeter of the house. Killing them without alerting any of the others was pivotal, since the mission had to be executed covertly.”

  “You guys must’ve done a good job. He never saw you guys coming, but when he realized you were here, he was pissed.”

  “The two guys out in the balcony were sniped by Agno. That’s when I climbed up there and made it in time to save you. After that, it was a race against time. Desmos gave the order to retreat only minutes before; he went down the basement and found explosive charges. A lot of them. But I had to get you out of there first.

  Something you should know; you getting into a room alone with him was part of our plan. He had to be isolated. We had no guarantee it would happen but didn’t complain when it did.”

  “How did you know I was up there? Were you inside the house?”

  “Only Desmos was, since he was down in the basement. But Agno had eyes on everything, including you,” Kyler said. “Now that I think of it, I realize why Tony didn’t act sooner against us. He wanted us all there at his house; that way he could kill us all in one night easily, trying to lure us into a trap. The retard thought wrong.”

  “But who blew up the house?”

  “Not sure, probably one of the Aurelians still inside as a final, feeble attempt at eliminating us,” Kyler shrugged. “Well, that’s pretty much it. Satisfied now?”

  “One more thing,” Serenity said. “How long have you known Tony was an Aurelian? How did you find out? To me, he just seemed like the typical, popular, pothead, bad-boy teen.”

  “Simple analysis,” Kyler said slowly. “We noticed how interested he was in you. Whether in the halls, or at lunch, he’d always be staring.”

  “Wait, have you guys been spying on me?” she asked. “And that doesn’t even mean anything! What if he was just a regular boy with a crush?”

  Kyler didn’t answer the first part of the question.

  “There aren’t many guys that would be interested in you,” Kyler said blatantly. “So we had to do some investigation.”

  “Thanks a lot,” she said caustically, slightly offended.

  “I’m not
calling you ugly,” Kyler assured flatly. “I’m saying that you’re not extraordinary enough to the extent of being ogled constantly by some low-life delinquent that’s already constantly surrounded by girls. Cackle followed him one day and overheard him on the phone, alone by the bleachers, talking to somebody. He said enough to confirm our suspicions.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Something along the lines of ‘Carlisle’ and ‘dead.’ You really don’t want to know the details,” he summarized tersely.

  Serenity began musing, remembering all that she had learned in the past few minutes. It was a lot to retain, but it certainly felt better being brought up to speed and getting the context. But one thing bugged her and she felt it was an issue that had to be resolved from now on.

  “Why don’t we ever change our last name when we enroll into schools?” she wondered. “The Aurelians do it sometimes, don’t they?”