by Keya Jay
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Obituary for Hank Paul Henderson
September 29, 1969 – May 9, 1996
Miami, Florida | Age 27
Hank Paul Henderson was your quintessential tough guy—strong, hardworking, and self-contained; he was your average Joe. His wife and friends describe Hank as being a dyed- in-the-wool conservative. He’s very opinionated but that has never been his problem.
On Thursday May 9th, 1996 Hank Paul Henderson’s life was cut shockingly—and so far mysteriously—short. Hank Henderson was killed without the slightest of remorse. The victim was found in his home surrounded by a two year old girl and a twenty-six year old woman who were both covered in blood and bound with twine at the hands and feet and a layer of duct tape covered their mouths. The perpetrator was without any sign of compunction as he fled the scene. Investigators are still looking into this devastating, yet mysterious murder.
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Skylar hovered over Hank’s name knowing that the pictured they showed would not be the Hank who had implanted himself here and stuck a limb in everyone’s lives.
She didn’t think it was remotely possible but she was at a loss for words.
“Who the hell is this man?” she whispered as she looked at the picture of the supposed Hank Paul Henderson.
“A better question would be who the hell is the man pretending to be him?”
Skylar was just about to dig a little deeper when she heard Ava’s frantic voice from down the hall.
“Hank! Hank listen to me! Can you just slow down for one moment?” she pleaded.
“Just my fuckin luck,” Skylar whispered as she closed the tabs she had opened and cleared the History of all her doings.
Skylar could hear keys indicating that Ava’s attempts of slowing down Hank had been futile.
Skylar looked around her in a sweep to make sure that she wasn’t leaving anything behind or leaving anything out of place before she turned toward the window of Hanks office.
“Oh gosh, if I don’t die by the hands of Hank then I’mma die of a phobia of heights,” Skylar said as she tried to pry Hanks window open. She made it on the roof just as the office door swung open, which meant she had no time to close the window.
“Oh shit,” she said as she made the fatal mistake of looking down.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” she sang as she slid farther down the wall of the building on the little ledge of the office roof.
“I’mma die, I’mma die, I’mma die,” she said as she attempted to turn the very slight corner that would place her outside of Naveen’s office.
Just as she had gotten her footing right where she had wanted it she was able to see Hanks head looking out of his window before he slammed it close. No doubt he knew someone was in his office Skylar just hoped he didn’t know that it was her.
Skylar swung her leg over the bar that stood in her way and cracked Naveen’s window but Naveen’s voice stopped Skylar before she could slide in.
“Ok calm down I’ll do it,” she said frantically sounding close to tears.
“Please don’t hurt them, I didn’t know I swear,” she said and know Skylar was pretty sure she was crying.
“Ok, ok, ok, ok, “she said.
Skylar peeked her head into Naveen’s now opened window and she could see Naveen sitting behind her desk frantically clicking away at her computer.
“I don’t know,” she cried again. “It’s not here,” she said as she slapped her tears away so she could see better. “Ok I’ll do it but…just please don’t hurt them,” she whispered before she hung up.
If Skylar had to ask herself one more time what the heck is going on she might not be able to use any other words beside those.
Naveen placed her head on top of her desk and just cried. Not a silent cry a body shaking heart cramping cry.
Skylar snuck past the slight opening of the window she had created and snuck past Naveen and out the door before she could lift her head and see that Skylar was there.
