Dropping Like Flies...

The murders are getting closer and closer...

I remember when the first death. It had occurred late at night in the town next to mine. I was asleep when it happened. It was an odd occurrence since there was not very much crime committed in this part of the county. I went along with my day, as any regular old day. A few people mentioned it at work. But there was no real discussion about it, and I didn't think much of it. I went home, and on the front porch I was greeted by an unfamiliar black cat. It looked like any regular black cat but with bright blue eyes. It meowed a few times while I unlocked the door. Once I opened it, the cat slipped in and made itself comfortable on the couch in the living room. The cat watched me as I set up a fire in the fireplace. The phone rang suddenly. I never get calls unless it's from telemarketers, so I ignored it. The ringing stopped after a while. After about 30 seconds, it began to ring again. I went and picked up the phone and hung up immediately to stop the ringing. But the ringing came back almost instantly. I finally answered. The voice on the other side sounded a bit distressed. "Mason?", a woman's voice asked. No one has called me by my first name in several years. I had no friends, family, or anyone too close to me to call me "Mason". "Yeah, that's me... Can I help you?"

The woman took a shaky breath before answering. "I don't really know how to say this... But... Andrea is dead. The school is hosting a get together in honor of her. There will be information about the funeral there. I thought you might want to go..."

I had no idea what this woman was talking about, or who Harper was. "I'm sorry to hear that but I think you have the wrong number...", I said, ready to hang up. 

"Wait! Wait! Wait!", The woman said frantically. "Harper Gomez? You two dated in college? It's me, Sam. Samantha Collins? Don't you remember me?" 

I thought for a moment. The word "College" hadn't crossed my mind in several years. I searched the back of my mind for those names. "Sorry, I don't remember. I should go now...", I said, moving to hang up the phone. 

"Wait!!!", The voice became more frantic. "Drew Walker?", She said. 

Chills ran down by back. My twin brother died about 3 years ago. He was brutally murdered by an unknown criminal. He and I were very close. I was helpless when he died. Over time I've tried to block out the haunting memories. I hardly thought about him. Memories flooded my head. I blinked back tears at remembering getting a call from his girlfriend telling me the horrible news. "Hello?" The voice asked. "Sorry, I'm here.", I answered. "When is this little get-together?" 

"This Sunday. I really hope you come, Mason. It would be nice if you did.", The woman said. 

"Alright. Well thanks for telling me. I'll think about it. Have a nice day." I replied, then hung up the phone. I turn around to discover the cat, fast asleep on the couch. I grabbed a few beers, sat down in a chair, and turned on the T.V. I had 3 days to decide whether or not to go. 

I woke up the next morning in the bathroom, laying in the tub in a puddle of my own vomit. It was already noon. There is no point in going into work. I emailed my boss and told him I was sick and needed to take the day off. I dug through my bookshelves until I found a school yearbook. The very first page was covered in signatures, letters, stories, and phone numbers. I flipped through the pages until I stumbled upon a familiar picture. It was one of me and a girl. We were holding hands and walking in a hallway. I recognized the girl instantly. I closed the book. I can't believe she is dead. She must be like 30 years old by now. I was sure to find out what happened to her. I flipped over more pages, collecting memories from each one. Until I found another one with me and my brother standing next to each other after a victorious baseball game. I slammed the book shut, and put it away immediately. Suddenly, I remembered the cat that had come in yesterday. I looked in every room, under furniture, behind doors and on top of shelves, but I couldn't find the cat anywhere. It doesn't belong to me, but over the few hours that it has been with me, I've become a bit attached. After giving up the search, I open the front door to go get the mail. The cat sat perfectly still on the front step, looking up at me. I bent down and picked it up. After getting the mail, I went back inside with the cat. As I started cooking breakfast, I turned the radio on. I was hoping to hear music, but instead the news comes on. "...Are currently working on an another case that occurred last night. 33-year-old Jared Baker was stabbed, strangled and then set on fire at approximately 1:00. So far, there is no known suspect. Further reports are coming in from possible whiteness's." They played music after that announcement. Another murder. I didn't hear where it was. I didn't hear how Harper had died. Could it have been the same person? I ate breakfast while the music played. The cat sat in the chair across from me. While it watched me eat, I began thinking about a name for it. The name Charlie randomly came up. While I tried to be open to other names, it kept coming up. 

Author's Note

This is a work in progress, but I thought I would publish it anyways to see if I could get any advice.