Entry 2

It was silent for a moment as I blinked back at the woman in front of me. Her icy eyes never left my gaze while she waited for a response.

"I—" I paused, not knowing exactly what would be an appropriate answer. Surely she couldn't be serious. "I certainly hope you aren't considering something so dangerous. You could get seriously hurt. Or even killed!"

Shirleigh's eyebrows drew together and she sat back in her chair, clearly disappointed in my reply. The blue orbs in her head focused on the fireplace. She crossed her arms and one of her legs bounced rapidly, I could nearly feel the vibrations through the floor. I was unsure if she was upset with me or if she was once again lost in her thoughts.

"Would you like me to come with you?" I finally brought myself to ask. I decided to interpret her question as an invitation for me to accompany her on her next excursion. This sort of question should at least provide me with some clarity on the matter.

"No."

I threw my hands in the air and slouched in my seat. Becoming slightly frustrated, I felt a headache coming on and I rubbed the temples on either side of my face in a hopeless attempt to dull the severity.

My eyes observed Shirleigh as she returned to her original position of lying across the armrests of her chair. She rested her hands on her stomach and I watched as her chest steadily rose and fell. There was something remarkably serene about her when her eyes weren't piercing through me or when she posed absurd queries.

Closing my eyelids, I pondered her question for a bit longer. My thoughts were interrupted, however, by the pizzicato sounds of a violin and when I opened my eyes, Shirleigh was plucking away at the strings just as she had earlier. Only this time, one of the strings did indeed snap and struck her just above the jawline. Her hands retracted from the instrument as she let out a rather disgruntled groan.

Jumping to my feet, I rushed over to her side. Her eyes widened when she noticed my presence and I would say she appeared rather shocked, but of course, her expression returned to how it normally was and she diverted her gaze elsewhere.

"May I see?" I asked, gesturing toward the hand that covered the site of injury.

Her eyebrows angled inward and her eyelids lowered, giving her an annoyed look. She shifted a few times and shot me a glance before removing her hand from her face.

Leaning forward to get a closer look, my mind wondered if she truly was upset.

"Yikes," I mumbled, standing upright. 

"Is it that alarming?" Shirleigh asked flatly.

"No, it actually isn't bad at all," I smiled jokingly.

I was met with quite an irritated look and I promptly apologised.

"Wait here, I'll be back with something to help the swelling."

After excusing myself from the room, I searched the first aid kit I had placed in the kitchen cupboard and retrieved an ice pack as well as an alcoholic cleansing wipe and a bandage.

When I returned, Shirleigh was sitting upright in her chair and appeared to be patiently waiting. She tapped her fingertips together in a seemingly rhythmic pattern that only she understood. As I approached her, her head lifted and her attention landed on the ice pack in my hand.

"What is that?"

"Hm?" I looked at the nondescript package in my possession. "It's ice. For your injury. It's squeezed to activate it, that way you don't have to worry about freezing, re-freezing, et cetera."

Kneeling in front of her, I motioned for her to turn her head, so I could see the wound.

"I'm going to clean it, okay?"

"I recall you saying it wasn't that bad."

"It's not," I answered, opening the cleansing wipe. "You did break the epidermis, however, so I have to disinfect it before placing anything on it. Don't worry, I will not allow any scars to be present on your face, you are much too alluring."

As she was readying herself to say something, I pressed the wipe against her skin and she slightly twinged in pain. After placing a dab of antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the broken skin, I squeezed the ice pack and held it up to her jaw. I took her hand and pressed it against the pack to hold it in place.

"All done!" I rose to my feet and stepped back, placing my hands on my hips. "You did great. I'm afraid I do not have any rewards in my possession, though."

Shirleigh stared at the ground and I fell back into my chair quite pleased with myself.

"Alluring...?" Shirleigh mumbled.

"Oh!" I sat up, shaking my head. "Apologies, that may have been a poor choice of words on my end. I just meant to say that it would be a shame if anything happened to your face. You are quite beautiful."

Shirleigh's reaction caught me off guard. She seemed to shrink into herself as one would do when they were embarrassed. Her free hand tugged at her nightgown and her toes curled.

"Thank you..." she murmured.

I smiled and stretched my arms out in front of me.

"Does it hurt anymore?" I wondered.

Shirleigh shook her head.

"You have my gratitude."

"It's nothing, really," I said. "I am simply doing my..."

I trailed off and I could feel my smile fade. My leg throbbed and I clenched my teeth. I was no longer able to do my "job". My passion. The ability to help others has been taken from me ever since that incident. Assisting others in times of need fills me with joy, that alone was enough reason for my wanting to become a doctor. Even now, I was filled with an overflowing sense of purpose when I tended to Shirleigh's wound. Even if it was something minor.

"Would I..." I started. "Would I have the opportunity to help others if I shadowed you?"

"You would be putting a halt to criminal activity and thereby preventing aspiring criminals from pursuing their dreams," Shirleigh stated. "I believe you would be assisting more people than you would even realise."

"Then I shall-" Hesitation took hold. "Then I shall accompany you."

"Splendid!"

Shirleigh jumped to her feet and faded into the bedroom hallway. The sound of a door opening and being shut echoed throughout the flat and silence settled in afterward.

Staring into the hallway, I wondered if Shirleigh was going to emerge from her room or if she had turned in for the night now that I had given her a sufficient answer. I sighed.

Moonlight poured in through the window and gave the room a surrealistic atmosphere. The open window allowed noise from the outside to filter in and provided enough background noise to gently lull me to sleep. The cool wind whistled as it seeped through the mesh and I allowed myself to become completely relaxed. Slowly closing my eyes, I drifted to sleep.

"...son."

Someone was speaking. Who, I am not entirely sure. I have always had difficulty focusing on subjects in my dreams. Lucid dreaming was something I wanted to become more proficient in, simply because it shows just how powerful the human mind truly is.

"Watson!"

I was jolted awake by the sound of Shirleigh's voice. The moon was still high in the sky, barely visible behind the heavy grey clouds. If I had to guess, I couldn't have been asleep more than thirty minutes.

"Whatever is the matter?"  I asked as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. "What's happening?"

My eyesight became adjusted to the minimal lighting and I could see Shirleigh's silhouette in front of the window. She had walked over to close it and as she turned around, the moonlight illuminated the attire she had changed into.

The outfit in question was of a monotonous colour palette consisting of browns, beiges, and tans. A brown knitted sweater was paired with an argyle pencil skirt. Sand-coloured high tops adorned her feet and a leather crossbody bag slung over her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she sported gold accessories that accented the neutral colours quite nicely. I would have mistook her for somebody else if it weren't for the bandage on her face.

"You look nice," I commented, groggily. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Let us make haste," Shirleigh stated, heading for the door.

"Wait, now? Right now?"

"Time is of the essence, Watson."

She opened the door and headed down the stairs to the main floor. Realising she was not going to wait for me, I snatched my cane off the floor and threw on a coat. After locking the door behind me, I tried to catch up with Shirleigh without disturbing the other residents. I reached the front lobby but did not see any sign of Shirleigh, so I slipped out the large front doors and bumped right into my flatmate who appeared to be surveying the area when I stepped back from her.

She pivoted on her heel and strode off in the direction of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The park I had visited after my arrival. I gave my best effort to keep her pace, but it felt impossible with my prosthetic and cane in hand.

"You can just call me Juniper, by the way," I called out, hoping that conversation would slow her down.

Instead, Shirliegh turned down an alleyway causing me to lose sight of her. When I reached the alley, I peeked around the wall but she was nowhere to be seen.

I leaned my body weight against the wall to rest my leg. Using a prosthetic I haven't had the proper opportunity to get used to put a lot of strain on my right leg. It feels as though I am constantly dragging a hunk of metal behind me rather than using it to walk. It was more of a burden and a hindrance than something that was supposed to help me. I clenched my walking cane in my hands and a feeling of frustration washed over me. Just as I felt my eyes begin to water, a creaking sound came from above that drew my attention.

Shirleigh was atop the building across from me, her hand reaching toward me. I looked down at my cane and hung it around my wrist. When I looked up, Shirleigh was still waiting, so I inevitably took her hand and she assisted me up the rusty ladder that scaled the side of the wall.

After reaching the roof of the building, Shirleigh walked over to the south side of the structure half-crouched, keeping her profile low and her steps light.

The wind was stronger up high. It howled in my ear as I crawled behind Shirleigh to keep myself from being toppled over. Clouds occasionally passed in front of the moon, dimming the environment before everything was lit up again when they dispersed. The street lamps gave the alleyways an unnatural orange glow. Gooseflesh covered my arms as I suddenly recalled the reason for my being here.

Rubbing my arms, I watched as Shirleigh jumped from the roof. A gasp escaped me and I scurried over to the ledge. There was a connecting building where Shirleigh had landed. She was inspecting something on the ground but I was unable to see what it was because of where she was standing. Her back was turned to me and her fists were placed firmly on her hips. Her ponytail danced in the breeze as she remained still a few moments longer.

When she moved, I covered my mouth with my hands and stumbled backwards. I had never seen anything so grotesque. There was a body. A person's body lay in a pool of blood on the cold, hard rooftop of the neighbouring building, completely mutilated. Attempting to shake the awful sight from my mind, a wave of nausea took hold and I was unable to keep myself from vomiting.

"Watson?" Shirleigh quietly called out.

I crawled back to the ledge, my arms shaking as they held my weight. Slowly lifting my gaze, I tried to keep my attention away from the horrific scene that lay merely a few inches from Shirleigh's shoes.

She stared at me with an expression that I interpreted as mild concern and I gave her a pathetic thumbs-up, my other arm nearly buckling underneath me.

"Come down," she gestured for me to join her on the other rooftop.

Unable to voice my protest, I threw my legs over the ledge and dropped down falling to my knees. Shirleigh bounced on her toes impatiently. Picking myself up, I used my cane to support my body to hopefully keep myself from crumbling to the ground again.

Shirleigh faced me and silently motioned toward the body.

"I- I'm afraid I don't understand," I managed.

"Are you able to ascertain the cause of death?"

"The cause of death?" I gave a weak laugh. "Look at them."

Shirleigh's eyes gleamed in the moonlight as she glared at me. I shivered.

Hesitantly, I stepped toward the body and tightly shut my eyes at the sight of the pale skin that glistened in the light of one of the lamps above a door that led inside the building. The body belonged to a young female, around my age. My stomach turned as I examined her wounds. Her head was almost completely severed from her body and her abdomen was poorly dissected. Multiple stab wounds covered her centre mass.

"Whoever- Whoever did this was left-handed," my voice hitched. "The wounds. They are angled downward and to the right. The weapon has to be some sort of...serrated knife, judging from the, the jagged wounds. I am not entirely certain, but that is what I can ascertain."

Shirleigh gave what sounded to me like a satisfied humph.

"Watson."

As I turned away, she called out to me once more and I exhaled a shaky sigh.

"What do you make of the abdominal wounds?"

Shirleigh crouched beside the body. Just below the navel, there was a gaping hole created by the same weapon used to end the victim's life. The bowels could be seen from the outside and slightly protruded.

"I am unsure," I said, feeling a bit faint. "It feels deliberate. Almost as though they were looking for something. What they could be looking for in a human body, I cannot..."

I froze. Shirleigh looked up at me, her eyes glowing. I drudgingly stepped toward the body and collapsed in the pool of blood. My eyes grew wide as I stared at the innards of the corpse.

"It's gone..." I murmured.

"What is?"

My mind raced. Why would someone take such a thing?

"Watson," Shirleigh snapped her fingers to get my attention. "What's gone?"

As I opened my mouth to speak, a noise came from the alleyway and rain came pouring down. Shirleigh clenched her fists in frustration before she leaned over the ledge to find the source of the sudden disturbance. She turned to me and signalled for me to stay where I was. She made her way to the door on the roof and unlocked it with ease. Slipping through, she vanished into the building leaving me alone with a rotting corpse. Lovely.

Mere moments later, I heard voices from below and I peeked over the side to find Shirleigh speaking with a hooded figure. The way she acted seemed strange, almost like she was drunk even though I knew well that she wasn't. Watching her provided a distraction from the deceased person behind me. It was interesting to see how her entire demeanour had changed and the way she stumbled was incredibly convincing. She would giggle and laugh obnoxiously and while I knew they weren't genuine, I found myself captivated by these new expressions. My mind wandered and I couldn't help but want to hear her real laugh or even see her honest smile.

Shirleigh tripped and landed in the arms of the mysterious figure, snapping me back to reality. A strong gust of wind came through and I held my hair back so it wouldn't obscure my sight. I really should have braided it. The hood of the figure fell and I could hardly believe my eyes.

"Evelyn...?"

Something whirred by my face and I scuttled backwards, splashing in newly formed rain puddles. A sort of throwing knife clattered beside me and I realised that the hooded figure may very well be our culprit. It also occurred to me that the face of the mysterious person belonged to one of my closest friends. The only friend I had here in this country.

"Watson!" Shirleigh called my name.

Scrambling to my feet, I breached the rooftop door and nearly slid down the staircase. I turned the corner and broke through the exit that led to the alley and Shirleigh rushed over to me. I glanced behind her to see Evelyn on the ground. She looked up and we locked eyes, blood was dripping from her face. I wanted to run over and help her.

"We have to go," Shirleigh said, grabbing my wrist. "We mustn't be here with you looking the way you do."

Looking down at myself, I realised that my hands and shoes were stained red. My dress was soaked in blood and rain and the hem was slightly torn. I was an absolute mess. To make matters worse, sirens sounded in the distance.

Shirleigh pulled me by my arm and I staggered before finding my footing. We sprinted around the corner and down the sidewalk, kicking up the water that pooled on the pavement, never stopping until we reached the Palace. We must have run for miles.

We slipped through the front doors and leaned against them to catch our breath. I placed my hands on my knees, my breath laborious. I cannot recall the last time I ran so much. I could feel my blood rushing through my veins. There was something exhilarating about running from someone who chased after you. Something about evading the danger tonight thrilled me. Even though I was exhausted, I was full of energy all the same.

"Are you alright?" Shirleigh asked in a low voice.

I nodded and slid down the door. Sitting on the cold marble floor, I laughed unexpectedly. I heard a snicker and looked at Shirleigh who covered her mouth with a fist. She sat down beside me and we rested for a minute. It felt more like an eternity.

We exhaled in unison.