| Fan Fiction |
by DTLCT
“You look awful,” Kevin said. “How was your day?”
“Full of dramas,” Wallace summed up.
Kevin smiles, thinking Wallace’s joking. “That good?”
“What drama?” A voice behind them asked.
They turn around to see Ray.
“You finally decided to get out?” Kevin asked.
“Very funny.” He turns to Wallace instead. “You look terrible.”
“It’s a long story,” Wallace said.
“Oh?”
The elevator door opens at that time and they all step in before resuming their conversation.
“So, what dramas have you been through?” Ray asked, turning to Wallace again.
Wallace tells them both what happened on the elevator ride and right to the point where they reach their apartments.
“So they’re still trying to find your friends?” Kevin asked after Wallace’s finished.
“Yea,” Wallace said.
“Cops are useless,” Ray remarked. “They’re just making empty promises. I bet you find your friends’ bones before they get it moving.”
“Ray!” Kevin exclaimed.
“What?”
“You’re not being helpful.” He turns to Wallace. “Just try to rest and we’ll see if we can help tomorrow.”
“Thanks guys. See you tomorrow.”
They all open their door and go into their apartment.
*****
“Ge!” Alice called out upon seeing her brother. “What happened?”
Wallace crashes down on the couch and rests his head a bit before sitting straight up again to tell Alice the story.
“Wow!” Alice said. “That was scary.”
“Yes. I hope Vincent and Alyssa are okay.”
“You should hope they’re still alive. I bet they’re being tortured at this minute.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Come on, ge! They’re robbers, how could they be gentle on Vincent or Alyssa?”
“You’d been watching too much movies.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I’m going to shower and try to get some sleep.”
“Not eating?”
“No. Not after what happened.”
“Okay.”
They turn off the lights before going into their rooms. Wallace takes his shower after Alice is done brushing her teeth.
*****
“What did you do that for, man?” Kevin asked.
“What?” Ray asked back.
“You made him more worried. How’s he going to sleep now?”
“What? I’m just stating the truth. Besides, I’ll help look tomorrow.”
Kevin gives up and goes into his room.
“You’re starting to act like Jessica.”
Kevin continues to ignore him for the rest of the night.
Kevin is about to turn off his light and sleeps when he hears some knocking sounds. He throws the cover off and heads out to the living room again. Ray’s already there, trying to turn on the light before opening the door.
“Coming!” Ray yelled out. “Quit knocking! God!”
The knockings stop at that time. Ray swings the door open to see two frightened faces in front of him.
“What are you two doing here?” Ray asked, surprised.
Kevin steps up to the door. “Charmaine? Mandy? What happened?”
“Someone died.”
“What?!?!” Kevin and Ray exclaimed out at the same time.
“It’s not a cat again, is it?” Ray asked.
“No, it’s quite serious this time,” Charmaine said. “Come on! We need to gather down at the lobby for investigation.”
Before the guys could say further, Mandy goes to Wallace’s door and starts to pound on it.
Alice appears at the door, wearing pink pajamas and white slippers. “What are you guys doing? Midnight party? Ge and I aren’t interested, especially ge. He had a tough day.”
“It’s going to get tougher since we’re wanted down in the lobby for investigation,” Ray said.
Alice rubs her eyes. “What? How?”
“No time to waste. Let’s get going before we draw suspicions towards ourselves.”
Kevin grabs the key from the table next to the door and locks it after Ray had gotten out. Alice disappears behind the door to call Wallace.
Wallace walks out a minute later wearing a gray shirt and black shorts. His hair’s all fussy since he just managed to fall asleep. “You guys serious about the murder? ‘Cause I’m not up to any jokes now.”
“It’s really serious this time,” Mandy verified.
“And we can’t lose time,” Ray reminded them. “So come on!”
“He’s right. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” Alice said. “Let me change first.”
“Don’t,” Charmaine said. “‘Cause they want us to be in the same clothes that they found us or they’ll be saying you got rid of evidence or something.”
“All right, let’s go,” Wallace said.
“Wait, I want to get my bathrobe and drape it over,” Alice said. “Don’t want to appear like this.”
“You look cute, though,” Ray commented.
Mandy turns to look at him, giving him the evil eye.
“What?”
“That wasn’t nice.”
“I was being nice. You just didn’t see it.”
At that time, Alice comes back out with her bathrobe around her. Wallace locks the door and the group heads towards the elevators.
When they’re down at the lobby, they could see a large group gathering around Stan.
“As I told the others already, the cops are coming soon,” Stan *explained upon seeing them approaching the crowd. “Please be patient and wait since this is serious matter.”
Wallace nods towards Stan and stops a couple of feet near the large crowd to wait.
“What is going on here?” Alice pondered aloud. “I swear this place is creepy.” She turns to Wallace. “Did things like this always happen here?”
“No,” Wallace replied. “Just since this week.”
“If I didn’t know better, I thought you two started this,” Ray said, looking at Charmaine and Mandy.
“What?” Mandy jumped in. “You’re accusing us?”
“Hello! We’d been happy living here and then you two showed up. And boom! All this…” He waves his hand around for emphasis. “…is happening.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kevin said, stopping Ray from spouting nonsense.
“We don’t know them much, okay?”
Wallace yawns before saying, “Wait a minute.”
The others turn to look at him.
“What floor did this happened again?”
“Fifth,” Alice said.
“Exactly.”
“What?” Ray asked.
“What happened the other day? Who was the victim? Or at least the victim’s owner? What floor?”
“I’m seeing a pattern here,” Kevin said, getting it.
“Don’t tell me Annie’s dead,” Ray said casually, feeling chills running up his spines since he just talked to her this morning.
“No,” Charmaine and Mandy answered at the same time.
“How do you know it’s not?”
“Annie’s walking up behind you,” Mandy clarified.
Ray turns around with a start.
“Hi Annie,” Kevin greeted her.
Annie smiles at Kevin before addressing the others. She joins them, stepping into their little circle, next to Kevin.
Ray turns back to Wallace. “So you think this is related with Annie?”
“What?” Annie asked, confused.
“No, we’re not accusing you,” Ray clarified. “We’re just figuring out if someone’s trying to target you.” He turns back to Wallace. “Well? What do you think, Detective Huo?”
Before Wallace could answer Ray, Ray’s phone rings. He picks it up at once since he has been playing with it the whole time. “What’s going on with your side, hun? We’re trying to wait for the cops to come over my side.” He pauses to listen. “No, it wasn’t me. It’s even more serious.” He pauses again. “No, I don’t think you can come over since Stan’s guarding the door. I doubt he’ll let you pass.” He hangs up after that.
“Jessica?” Kevin asked.
“Yea. She told us that Mr. Cho wants to meet with us tomorrow.”
“But it’s Sunday.”
“So? Don’t tell me you have church.”
“What I want to say is Mr. Cho told us he’s going to leave town on Sunday.”
“Oh yeah. Probably change of plans.”
“Where are the cops anyway?” Alice whined. “I’m so sleepy now.”
“Quit complaining,” Ray said. “Like the rest of us aren’t.”
Alice sticks her tongue out at Ray.
“Sis,” Wallace warned.
Alice looks at Wallace. “But ge, he’s being mean.”
Kevin remembers something, so he turns to Ray. “You were sleeping half of the day, how come you’re tired?”
“I got up after you left and called up some old friends,” Ray recounted. “We hit it off until 3 this afternoon. Then I went on some adventures with Jess.”
“Rock climbing?”
“No. Fishing.” His voice full of sarcasm.
Kevin chuckles. “She likes to fish?”
“No, I do,” Ray said in monotone.
“Like I know her that well, she’s your girlfriend, remember?”
“Not after 5 hours of fishing. I don’t want to remember.” He looks at Wallace again. “Oh yea, we want to hear your theory.”
“I don’t know what’s going on but it has something to do with Annie for sure,” Wallace noted.
“So, got any enemies?” Ray asked, turning to Annie before Annie could protest.
“This sounds strange and somewhat like some cop drama,” Annie said, not believing her ears.
“Just answer the question, sister.”
“Ray,” Kevin interfered. “Knock it off.”
Ray leans in whispers to Kevin, “You’re changing your target?”
Kevin shoves him out of the way before walking towards the entrance to see if the cops are coming yet.
“Blue shirt, go persuade him before he changes his heart,” Ray said.
Mandy gives him a dirty look.
“What? I’m trying to help you here, little sister.”
“What? Don’t call me that.”
Charmaine puts a hand on Mandy’s shoulder.
“Well, lucky you’re not my sister or….” Ray blurted out.
“Or what?” Mandy asked, cutting him off.
“You guys shouldn’t start this when we’re in a hectic situation,” Charmaine reminded them.
“I’m not dead,” Ray said. “End of story.”
“You’re so selfish,” Mandy snapped. “You know that, right?”
“Obviously not.”
“Either adopt her or shut up man,” Wallace snapped, his voice edgy.
Ray turns to look at Wallace, surprised that he should use such words.
Wallace ruffles his hair a bit. “I’m sorry man. Just that…” He waves his right hand. “…so much things happened today.”
Ray doesn’t want to mess things up anymore. He just sighs out and gives Wallace the thumbs up signal.
They wait five more minutes before there’s any sign of cops. Kevin comes back to the group also, standing between Mandy and Charmaine this time.
Alice tugs at Wallace’s shoulder, “Ge, he looks so handsome. Hope he’s not a cop.”
Wallace snaps his eyes open. “Whoa.”
Alice turns around to face him. “What?”
“Kenneth and Joey.”
“Who?”
“Your handsome guy.”
“You know him?”
“Them to be accurate. I was with them today. Well, half of the day anyway.”
They see that Kenneth’s giving the crowd directions to gather around in front of him. The crowd of course has dispersed awhile back since the long wait. Wallace and the others stay towards the back of the whole crowd. Wallace waves to Kenneth as he looks to the back. Kenneth just smiles back and looks towards Joey to start.
“All right,” Joey began, calling for attention. “Since there are this many people, Lieutenant Ma and I will look at the body along with two more of our fellow officers while the rest of the officers here will ask you questions regarding your whereabouts when it took place.”
“Witnesses, please stand to the right and the rest of you, left,” Kenneth commanded.
Most of the people on the fifth floor stand to the right, except for Annie and others who just come back from elsewhere. Wallace and the others step to the left also.
“He has such a strong voice, ge,” Alice whispered to Wallace as she walks.
“Cork it,” Wallace warned his sister. “I think he has a girlfriend already.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s too good looking not to have one,” Mandy said.
Alice turns to see that somehow Charmaine, Mandy, Kevin, Ray, and Annie had form a circle again. Mandy’s next to her so she must have heard Alice.
Kenneth and Joey walk by with two officers and Stan at that time.
Kenneth looks at Wallace. “Tough night, eh?”
Wallace just shrugs.
The group gets into the left elevator that’s going to take them up to the fifth floor.
Wallace’s little group resumes their conversation.
“Ge, do you think you could set me up with him?” Alice continued with her questions.
“Wallace said he’s taken,” Ray reminded Alice.
“Unless I see a ring on his hand, I won’t give up.”
“My! You’re desperate. You should learn from Mandy. Be patient.” He puts on his sly smile. “Besides, your brother needs to get married before you could.”
“Forget tradition! And I didn’t say I want to marry him. Just want to date him, that’s all.”
At that time, two officers walk towards them and break them apart to take statements. Wallace and Alice go first, next Kevin and Ray, and finally Charmaine and Mandy. Annie was taken somewhere else by another officer when Wallace and Alice had their turn.
© Monday, May 11th, 2007
Re-posted: Saturday, October 10th, 2009