THE AFTERMATHS

the-aftermaths

"The Aftermaths" is a thrilling and harrowing tale of a young woman named Luna, who becomes involved in a dangerous game of deception and terror.

 

“d (1) d x = 0.”

This is what my teacher wrote on the blackboard. But the number zero is what drew my attention. Zero seems to describe a lot of things in my life these days. Like the number of sh*ts, I give about my hair, school, and people but most importantly the number of dates I got for the past five years. The only thing I was good at was being a professional third wheel. I seriously need to request God for my documents to be rechecked in case I mistakenly signed to be a volunteer celibate.

"Luna wake up" someone whispered to my ears. And to my dismay it was Aron. Aron was one of the boys who could make every girl in school fall head over heels in love with him. He appears to have charming looks, deep-set eyes, and an infectious smile. It's unfair how God spent a little extra time crafting him. Nonetheless, I am pretty much convinced that God needs to send an apology note to his mom as his almighty forgot to put some brain in her kid's head.

"Class is finished. Why don't you give me the privilege to buy you lunch today eh?"

"Yeah sure"

"Are you for real?"

"Yeah, Annon" I rolled my eyes.

"it's Aron" He bit out his words.

 I normally reject his offers, but I was starving If I stayed a little longer my stomach would digest itself.

We went to the cafe near our campus. I was peacefully eating my meal pretending to hear Aron rant about his beauty privileges and why I should be his girlfriend. Until a black t-shirt with "proud cannibal" written on it caught my eye it was the same t-shirt I saw yesterday in the bookstore.

" Could it be the same guy?" I murmured.

"Luna !!" Aron waved his hand in my face.

"What!"

"Why are you staring at him like this. You are making him uncomfortable."

" I was not staring at him, Aron. I just zoned out" I grabbed my burger and took a big bite. The juicy flavor hit my tongue and I sighed in satisfaction. This stranger made me forget my growling stomach for a minute.

"Hey Aron, it's been a minute "A voice startled me from behind that I almost choked. The same voice said "Are you okay" yesterday in the bookstore.

I glanced over my shoulder only to find a pair of beautiful crystal-clear amber eyes looking at me. It was him; the cute stranger from the bookstore. He had these Mysteriously alluring eyes. He wasn't conventionally handsome but there was this eccentric attractiveness that blindly hypnotized me.

They were hugging. They seemed well acquainted.

"This is Kyne" He looked at me. "He is my best friend from high school."

"Hi k…" didn't get to finish my sentence.

"And you must be Luna."

"How did you know my name? "I eyed him puzzled.

"Honestly, I had no idea. You just reminded me of the moon and wanted to call you Luna"

 

 

 

If I screamed right now; my voice would be measured at 1000 decibels if not a million.

My heart was singing.

 

"Honeybee

I can't imagine how my life would be.

If all the gravity did not hit me

 Oh, don't you see,

Darling, my honeybee?" 

 

 "I am messing with you." he smiled " I just found your library ID card in the bookstore and your name happened to be written on it." 

I felt like a hammer dropped from the sky and smashed my head and crushed my heart. I just pictured our wedding and was singing my dream wedding song only for him to say I was just kidding. How rude of you Kyne.

 He gave me my ID.

"Ow thank you" I fumbled.

 "See you around" He hugged us both and went.

"He is in our class by the way" He drank his milkshake.

"What!!!" I spat some of my chips into his face.

"Why are you screaming like this? Is he your crush or something? "He wiped his face.

"Yes! I saw him yesterday in the bookstore and he is such a dazzling man. It's hard to find a bookish man in this world full of cringe boys."

 

It is hard to believe it's already been three weeks since Kyne asked me to be his girlfriend. I remember his words to this day.

" Having you in my life is a beautiful blessing I cherish every day. My most precious queen. will you be my girlfriend?"

 Dating him is just like the romance novels of Lisa Kleypas except the main protagonist is me now. I felt like daisy bowman. Kyne fits all the characteristics of Mathew Swift.

 

Aron was so disappointed because I refused to accompany him to the party that he was sure I would accept. He thinks the whole world revolves around him. Why would I spend my day with some airhead arrogant boy in a room full of superficial people? Kyne planned a candle night date in his place.

All I had to do is choose the right dress and head out. it took me an hour to get ready and another two hours to choose the dress. I finally got ready. And someone was knocking on my door. The last thing I want is a knock on my door. It was my father's friend, Daniel. He had never given me a visit after my dad passed away. We talked for an hour and offered to give me a ride to Kyne's place. This man successfully made me late. Good thing he offered a ride. He saved me some Uber money.

I opened the door. He already gave me his keys. He decorated the house so well. It was so beautiful. Candles, roses everywhere. It smelled like a flower shop.

 " I think I need to get my eyeglasses. Your beauty is blinding me" He gave me a peck kiss. I suddenly felt the urge to puke but I suppressed it. This happens every time I feel nervous.

I have always felt butterflies in my tummy whenever I see him but this time it felt different. Maybe it was because I have never been to a man's place. My heart was beating fast. What the heck is happening to me? He was wearing a suit and smiled at me. I don't know why I have not noticed it before, but he looked like Aron. as though they were close relatives. How odd.

"This way princess" he ushered me to the dining table.

"You look so handsome," I said with my dry throat.

"Let me get you some water" He made his way to the kitchen.

The painting on his wall was weird. It did not look like the house of a nerdy guy. There was scripture on the wall. They were the same words that were written on his T-Shirt, the first time I saw him. I felt my blood go cold.

"Here you go sweetheart" He hugged me from behind while he handed me a glass of water.

"Thank you, darling" The glass smelled weird. It smelled like his mouth. I wanted to puke. He had never smelled like this before. He probably forgot to brush his teeth.

"I prepared a feast for you. I hope you like my food preference. Even though am quite sure we have different gastronomic choices". he had an ear-to-ear smile. It oddly reminded me of the wolf in the folk tale of little red riding hood. he is right. Kyne never ate anything with me. He always ordered coffee on our dates.

"Why don't you pour us some soup darling? Start from the red saucepan for now. We have all night to savor all the flavors." I was about to open the lid, but Kyne got up and stood behind me. He slid his hand around my waist and was sniffing my neck. "You smell so good, darling. I can't wait to eat you" He chuckled " Don't let your dirty mind wander off darling." he held my left hand.

I opened the lid. I felt as if my soul left my body.

"Aren't I a good cook" he tilted my face to him "Why this face sweetheart? This is just an appetizer. I didn't know you would be this shocked by my cooking skills." The saucepan was full of uncooked big, chopped onions, tomatoes, baby fingers, and some nails sprinkled all over them. I was frozen.

He opened another pan. it had rice with human ears arranged in a heart shape. Some of the ears had white hair. It belonged to an old man. He opened all the lids that were covering the dishes. All of them were filled with human body parts. Boiled eyes, and toasted tongues of different sizes. He then opened a big pan. There was the head of an eyeless little girl with an apple stuffed in her mouth. and chicken leg stuffed in her ears. Her head was bald in the middle. It had a tattoo. "Hail Cannibals"

I felt my body did not belong to me. I was in hell.

"And guess who is the main dish," said with his devilish voice. A scary laugh came out of the kitchen.

"YOU!". I could not believe my eyes.

"You should have chosen me, darling. What did you see in him? I am so handsome than him. I can't believe you let my little brother play with you" Aron pouted his lips. He came close to me and burped in my face.

"Oops sorry for the bad breath I couldn't resist the feast. I ate some before you came. I apologize for my rude manners. You must thank me, Luna." His voice I changed " I introduced you to him. Am sure you are grateful that enjoyed some romanticism before your death " They were both laughing.

How could I not suspect him? He read a lot of books about serial killers. He talked positively of the famous psycho B.T.K. I was blind.

Kyne tied me to a chair. He was sharpening his knife. I saw Aron eat the apple from the head of the little girl. I vomited in Kyne's foot.

"Oh, darling I would have slammed you to the wall, but you are Luna. I would love to spare you this torture, but I can't. Am a cannibal after all and I need to survive."

 I started to cry. I would never forget this night.

The door suddenly crashed open.

"Daniel" I cried.

A group of men came behind him and took hold of "Aron and Kyne."

"You bitch" Aron was yelling.

Daniel untied me. "Good job girl. Your dad would be proud of you. Too bad he couldn't see his brave daughter finishing his mission. you saved thousands of peoples' lives."

" If you were two minutes, you would have found me cooked in that pan. " I was screaming.

"You were protected from the start darling. we have been spying on you guys for almost a month. You are a brave girl. I did not think you would accept this mission, but you astonished me."

 

The next day a poster with my picture was pasted onto the wall of my classroom.

  • "On a Saturday evening, a brave girl named Luna helped catch two known serial killers, Kyne and Aron, who had been involved in several death cases. Kyne and Aron were also known to be involved in multiple cases of fatalities. These two serial killers named themselves H.F.E bros (Human Flesh Eaters). The police had been searching for them for quite some time, and their capture was seen as a significant triumph for both the police and the people of the city. In this report, we will outline Luna's involvement in catching the two criminals and the crucial role she played in bringing them to justice."

 

"Give a big applause to Miss Luna Ramona. Daughter of our city's hero P. I Ramona Zachariah." said my professor looking at me with proud teary eyes.

I forced a smile. It was hard for me to smile. After that night. I don't think I can be Luna again. I was a soulless body. I could not eat. Lost meaning in the world. The image of the dead people and Aron eating them was Ineradicable.

 

 

 

28th September 2002

Dear, Diary you know what I have been through. My life had changed into a nightmare after that night. And today I decided to finish all the trauma that has been torturing me for months. I decided to take a vacation out of this city. I hope you don't miss me.”

 

 

Epilogue

 

Police Report: Deceased Person

 

Name: Luna Ramona

Age: 22

Occupation: A sophomore student at Venus University

 

Date of death: September 28, 2002

Time of death: 4:30 PM

Location: 123 Street

 

Details:

On September 28, 20o2, officers responded to a call from neighbors regarding a possible suicide. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, later identified as Luna Ramona's daughter of the famous private investigator in the city, deceased in her bedroom using self-inflicted injury.

 

Evidence at the scene suggests that Luna had carefully planned her suicide. A note addressed to her family was found in her bedroom, detailing her reasons for choosing to take her own life. Additionally, she had prepared her home for her final act, with locked doors and a note on the front door prohibiting entry until the police arrived.

 

The investigation into Luna's death is ongoing, but at this time, there are no indications of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The victim's body has been removed from the scene and sent to the coroner's office for further investigation.

 

The death of Luna Ramona is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. Suicide is a serious and complex issue, and we remind the public that help is available for those who may be struggling with mental illness or thoughts of self-harm. We encourage anyone who may be experiencing a crisis to seek help from local mental health resources, or to contact The Ethiopian suicide prevention Hotline number 922. Available 24\7. The investigation will remain ongoing, and further details regarding Luna's death will be released as they become available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

" She died. No!!!!"

"I would have been surprised if she didn't after all this," said Carla closing the book with the title " THE SURVIVORS"

" I don't think I could read another chapter of this book. I wish this was fiction. How can there be this kind of human being? They are all devils." said Dalya.

" I am afraid you are wrong. Just like Elbert Hubbard said "Man creates both his god and his devil in his image. His god is himself at his best, and his devil himself at his worst." don't blame it all on the devil. We are the devil darling."

“Dalya and Carla! Come on down, Dinner is ready.” Their mother called.

 

 

 

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