Killer Perspective

“Ahhh!” The little one’s shriek echoed through the dense forest walls. Her plump face squished in those brutish hands. The grimy concoction of crimson and sweat rubbed onto her fair skin. Her pleas continued, strong as they came and fainter by the moment. Those hazel brown eyes obscured as tears welled up. She veers her face away from him, catching glimpse of herself from the bedside mirror. It was a mess. That could have been the only thought in those once pretty eyes. If only they weren’t black and blue.

The vision goes awry. I could only see the wooden floor, the girl quick on her toes, and the mirror. It reflected a middle-aged man, naked and stripped down to his bare minimum. Clutching onto his aching family jewels. It was his sight that I was seeing. His eyes were now on the standing level.

“Azul!”

Those peepers getting obstructed with a pistol’s backside.

“AZUL!”

The vision jerked and there it is. Her jet black hair accentuating the bloody hole in her skull.

“AZUL CEZAR MATA!”

“What?”

“We’re here.” my partner pointed at the city’s gymnasium as he continued tapping the steering wheel. “What the hell was that? You would think the new police chief would be in his right mind for his own promotion.”

“A vision.”

“I can still clearly see your blue eyes.”

“I was just remembering the last murder that he did.”

Silence fell within the car. For as long as I can remember, Marco is the only one who knows about my power. Awkward moments are the reason why I shouldn’t have told him in the first place.

“No need to mope around, Chief. Your promotion ceremony awaits.” he cheerily declared.

Then, he knows how to pick me up when I have to bear with these visions.

“Chief Azul, what do you intend to do as the city’s youngest police chief in its history?” the lady reporter questioned.

“Along with our city mayor’s advocacy to rid the city of criminality and corruption, I intend to do as she wishes for the betterment of our city and fellow citizens.”

“Next question, please. The male reporter with the blue tie.” Cassian, our reception desk officer, moderated the conference.

“Good morning and congratulations to your new position, Chief Azul. How is the investigation going on the child molester and serial killer, Reynaldo Cruz, after killing six young girls in the past year?” the reporter asked with his eyes seemingly intent of burning a hole through the back of my head.

“I can’t go into the details of that, Mr. Reyes. But, I can say…”

I paused mid-sentence as the reporter was no longer in my sights. Instead, I saw myself on stage. My eyes rolled back, giving way to the fullness of my sclera. I laid my head on the table. Trying to hide what was happening to my eyes.

“That concludes our press conference, today. Please leave through the gates in an orderly fashion. Good morning, everyone.” Cassian saved me from this problem. But, as I felt people leaving, whoever this person was, their sight was still focused on me. Even as I was aided by Cassian backstage, his vision was clear and unmoving.

When I got back, my vision was restored to my own. I was already in the backstage dining set that some of the officers set up earlier.

“Here, sir. Have some water and pie. It was supposed to be for later when it was the exact time for Pi Day, but you need to it more.” Cassian offered to me.

“Again with the weird holiday, Cassian.”

“It’s a math-related celebration, Chief.”

I ate the coconut pie and remarked that it was good.

“Chief, may I ask what happened back there?”

Before I could even answer, I hear the incoming and thumping footsteps that were smacking on the concrete floor.

“Sir Marco S. Catacutan…” Cassian saluted as my friend entered the room.

“Azul, are you okay? And Cassian, just greet me, normally, please.”

“Hi, Azul!” Portia, Marco’s girlfriend, came into the room. She struts herself near his boyfriend and clings to him.

“Portia, may I speak to Marco, alone? Cassian, please entertain the lady.” I told as I dragged my friend from her clutches and went into the comfort room for some better privacy among ourselves.

“Was that a vision?” Marco aggressively whispered to me.

“First of all, why is Portia here? You know that I don’t like her.”

“She’s my girlfriend, Azul. What did you think?”

“She’s an ex-convict and I was the one to capture her myself.”

“Not really the point, Azul. What do you want me to do, break up with her for you? You’re insane to think that.”

“You just have a weird taste for women.”

“And you don’t?” I laughed.

“Yes, it was a vision. This time, the eyes were staring at me.”

“So, someone’s planning a murder inside the gym, earlier?”

“Most likely.”

“Any detail that you caught from our future culprit?”

“No, he just stood there.” I sat on one of the toilet seats as I laid my hand on my head. “I can’t believe that I have to deal with this again. I haven’t got over that previous rape and murder by Cruz.”

“I think you should go home, for now, Azul. I’ll drive you to your apartment.”

“Stay here and manage the station for me. I’ll go home on my own.”

“But, what if you’re getting another vision? You’re blind and vulnerable during those moments.”

“I’ll manage.”

Passing through the church, the people leaving from the last mass had caused a bit of traffic. I wasn’t patient enough to wait this out in the taxi and left the driver be. It’s been a long time since the last time that I came here. Out of instinct, I went into one of the confessionals.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”

“By what sin?”

“Inaction.”

The church bells quickly rang into a different tune. One marked by its significant gaps and slow, low tone. It was as if the dead has come in and that no note can save the hearts of the bereaved.

“Should that be playing?”

“Pardon me. I have to tell the acolytes about it,” the priest leaves me in the confessional. The eerie atmosphere continued as the bells rang low. The mahogany walls getting closer at each clang of the bells. Running breathless from that coffin-like box, I opened its door and falling on the church’s old floor. I looked up and saw the pale face of a bloody girl. Once, I saw through her hazel eyes, a frightening shrill and loud shriek echoes through the church. Her jaws snapping out of place as her chin drooping down the floor.

I woke up to the deafening silence of the night. My body stuck to the numbing terror of that nightmare. Only moving to check my phone and reading the time is 3:15 am.

Terrified to even go back to sleep, I raised myself from my bed. Walking around my room as I lost vision of my white room, I saw a cyan hue. Whoever they were, they had their eyes on the ceiling. It seems that they can’t sleep. Their vision shifting as they rumbled on their bed. The next thing, I see is the framed picture of Portia and Marco.

I was right that slutty convict is up to something. She might even be trying to kill Marco for whatever inheritance the Catacutan family has. I took off as that immediate thought came into mind. Marco would need evidence that she can kill someone. Right, the station, there should be some files left in there. I looked through the archives and got a case of Portia and her friends murdering someone.

“Good morning, Chief!” Cassian called out to me. “Chief… What time did you arrive?’

“You could just greet me with your weird celebrations, Cassian.”

“Chief, I don’t think the Ides of March should be celebrated unless you’re a Roman loan shark.”

“Good, it’s a deadline.” I walked out of the archives room and Cassian following my trail.

“Good morning, Azul! What’s up?” he said as I slammed Portia’s criminal record onto Marco’s table.

“There.”

“Chief? Sir Marco S. Catacutan?”

“Get out, Cassian!” both of us shouted as Cassian snuck out of Marco’s office.

“Are we going through this, again?” Marco sighed and peacefully drank his coffee.

“I saw your room, last night. I got to see through her eyes. She’s out to kill someone. You know how this works, Marco. I’ll get to see through their eyes until their victim dies.”

Silence befalls on us, again. Up until Marco begins to laugh reverberating across the station.

“You are paranoid after getting that last murderer and that position. The world doesn’t revolve around you or your stupid power.” Marco threw the folders at my face before leaving for his door. “And if you want me to ever forgive you for this stunt, apologize to Portia.” He said slamming the door right behind me. I slumped on the floor, regretting what I did.

It was already night time when I gathered the confidence to apologize to them. I knew that they would be at Larry’s Restaurant. They usually have their dates, there. When I arrived, it was already empty with only the two in the middle of empty tables.

“Hey, Azul!” Portia yelled in an ear-splitting tune. I’ll never recover from that voice.

“Hey!”

“Did you come here to say something, Azul?”

“What’s happening, love?”

“Azul? Anything?”

“Portia, I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Didn’t hear that. Come again?”

“Portia, I’m sorry.” This time my voice going above the audible level.

“What for, Azul?”

“Yes, why so, my dear friend?”

“I accused you as a murderer because you’re an ex-convict. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you with my friend.”

“Just that?”

“What?” Marco and I curiously responded.

“I get that a lot. Come have dinner with us.”

“If she’s already okay with you, Azul. Come on, sit down.”

I gladly sat down. I’m relieved that our fight turned into the worst-case scenario. We ate together throughout the night. Merrily drowning ourselves in the bitterness of our alcoholic drinks. Until we came to the end of the night, Marco drove Portia to their house, first. And we drove to my apartment next.

“You know, Marco, thank you for giving me a chance.” I groggily said.

“Come on, enjoy the view for a while. I don’t want to carry you to your bed.”

I tried to look up the window but I can’t really see anything from my perspective. Instead of the drowsy and spinning images of the world, it was just steady and the road straight ahead.

“You?” As soon as I said that, a pistol cracks in preparation.

“Why not, Azul?”

I rushed to get out of the speeding car. Rolling in that high velocity was not the best of my decisions especially that my vision was not with me.

“Don’t make this hard for me, Azul!”

Marco had already got out of his car. As I limped to lose him, I can only see his sight continuing to focus on me.

“Let’s talk about this, Marco!”

“Damn with talking, Azul! You didn’t even listen when we just let that girl die. When you just let those girls die.”

Marco shot his first bullet. I could feel my thighs bleed through the forest floors. His vision can clearly see my blood spill onto the soil.

“You had the power and for what, your promotion.”

I stopped at a large balete tree, lying on its roots. I couldn’t continue to run, anymore. Marco showing up, in the nick of time.

“I’ll surrender myself for my inaction, Marco. Please don’t shoot.” I saw my face scratched from the road, my blue uniform in shreds from the thorn bush that I went through, and how my ankle had twisted itself in the wrong direction. My hands held up, clasped together, in a plea for his mercy.

“No one will believe your power, Azul.” I could see through his eyes, my hands lowering as I felt hopeless from those words.

“I really regret letting those girls die for my position.” My blue pupils having already rolled back and tears welling up in my sockets.

“Regret does not kill six young girls and have a grudge against an ex-convict.” I could hear the pistol click as it prepared to fire. “Safety’s off.”

“We know each other since we were children, Marco. Please have mercy on me.” I bowed down to the lowest that I can. His vision could see the back of my head, my hair ruined from all the mud that has accumulated.

“And I know enough about your power.”

“I didn’t wish for this power.”

“Then, at least, it’s not my face that you’ll last see.”