Chapter 21: Bad News

"Hah ? mysterious man? Who ? why don't you ever tell me? "It's cool to get a secret fan," answered Heriet, from his voice he looked happy even though he should have been scared. Melisa was silent, she couldn't continue her words.

“Hello…Lisa? Why are you silent ? Come on, tell me.”

“Eh… n… no, there isn't.”

"Why is that ? You don't want to talk, do you? Could it be that the guy you mean is Jack?"

“Mom...no, I'm on the road now. My mother told me to go shopping, I'll tell you later, okay?"

"Oh...okay, be careful, okay?"

"Yes." Melisa hung up the phone, she didn't expect that all the horrors she had experienced recently were all just dreams in broad daylight.

“So it was all just a dream, huh? Very strange, is it because I've never taken a nap before? never mind..." he said to himself.

***

Melisa passed by Rottenbir park, suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck rose. The clock in the park showed 04.30 in the afternoon, no one looked suspicious in the park. The only people seen were children and a few women there. With joy, Melisa continued her journey.

Suddenly a black sedan stopped nearby, the car window was open. A man with a thick mustache appeared, surprising Melisa.

"Sorry Miss?"

"Y...yes?"

“Did you see any little girls in school uniforms around here?”

"Hah ? This guy looks suspicious? asked the little boy, maybe it was a kidnapper. "That mustache is so scary," Melisa muttered to herself.

"Miss?"

"Uh... no... no sir, I didn't see it."

"Okay, if you meet that little girl, please call this number immediately!" said the man while handing him a piece of paper with a telephone number and home address written on it.

“O…okay.”

"Then thank you Miss...?"

“Melisa, Melisa Smith.”

“Oh ok Miss Melisa Smith.” he said as he drove away in his black sedan. Melisa also left that place.

It was already 07.30 at night, Melisa was trapped in a small minimarket on the edge of town. He couldn't go home because heavy rain poured down on Milford. Melisa was not alone, a middle-aged woman and her daughter were also trapped in the mini market. They were forced to wait until the rain stopped a little. A call rang in his pocket.

"Mother ?" Melisa answered the phone from her mother.

"Hello Lisa, why aren't you home yet?" Mother asked, her voice shaking, she must have been very worried.

“Sorry ma'am, I was stuck at the mini market. I can't go home, it's raining so hard!"

"Ouch... how are you? Can you take a taxi?"

“I've stopped ma'am, but everything is full. Now there are no taxis passing by.”

"Okay, just wait there for mom to tell Max to pick you up."

"What ? Max? "No need ma'am, he'll be fussy...!"

"No, what? You, just stay there!"

"Yes...yes, how fierce is that?"

Suddenly a yellow taxi passed by and stopped in front of the minimarket. Melisa felt relieved and she didn't need to be picked up by Max because Max would definitely be angry.

"Ha...hello mom?

"Yes, What is up ? are you still there? wait a minute, mom is waking Max up!"

"No need to wake him ma'am, a taxi has already stopped. I'll just take a taxi!"

"Oh... thank goodness, be careful, okay?"

"Yes ma'am,"

Melisa opened the shop door slowly, the strong wind felt like it was spraying all over her body, the raindrops felt so piercing. Melisa looked at the middle-aged woman and small child standing next to her, they looked strange. Just keep quiet and don't speak at all. They were very stiff, when Melisa looked at them, they only responded with cold and cynical gazes.

"Sorry ma'am, do you want to take a taxi too?" asked Melisa.

"Yes," the woman answered briefly. There was no friendliness at all on his face.

"Then mom, just take the taxi, I'll wait for the next taxi that will pass."

"No need !" the woman answered a little harshly, she stepped back a few steps while pulling her daughter's hand. They looked like they were avoiding Melisa.

Melisa didn't want to worry, she rushed to the taxi and hoped that she could immediately go home and warm herself.

"Where do you want to take you, Miss?" asked the taxi driver, his body was big and his bangs were long and covered his eyes slightly even though he was wearing a hat like other taxi drivers.

“Take me to rottenbir street in the Orchid residential area.” answered Melissa.

"Okay, but it might take a little longer because of the heavy rain so the roads are a bit congested."

"Oh, it is okay."

Melisa sat relaxed, she found a newspaper next to her seat, the newspaper showed the publication date, namely today.

"Whose newspaper is this, sir?"

"Oh, that's the passenger newspaper from this afternoon, he left it here."

"May I read?"

"Of course you can."

Melisa opened the first page, on the first page there was news about the sadistic murder of a small child whose body was no longer in shape. The eyes and other vital organs were removed without leaving anything. It was stated that the perpetrator was a surgeon who wanted to perform an internal organ transplant on his child who had a rare disease, and it was stated that currently the victims had reached 23 people, all of whom were children aged 4-8 years.

On the next page is a photo of the suspect who is now wanted by the local police.

***