His Conundrums

Chapter 29

Forgotten

“Thanks, Sirius, for helping us out with this case,” Harold told him.

Two days after they discovered the dried ice remains under Mr. Sting’s bed, they had Hiro Takishima and Elmer Mordan under further investigation. They suspected Hiro has the intent to kill Mr. Sting and Elmer Mordan has the same.

He nodded his head. They were at the bench outside their department, waiting for Alex to wrap up everything with them.

“Want a light?” Harold asked him.

“No, thanks.” He replied.

Harold lit up his cigarette and blew off a smoke. There was a long silence between them. Sirius never felt a connection between him and this guy. He bet they were never close before the incident. Harold took another blow of his cigarette and let the smoke free in the air.

“That’s another year less in your lifespan.” He told Harold and wished he never told him that. Harold laughed.

“Do I need to care?” He asked in between his laugh. Harold lowered his head and put both of his hands over his knees. He tapped his cigarette and let the ashes fall on the ground.

“For a man who only has himself, a year less… doesn’t mean anything, isn’t it… Sirius?” He faced Sirius and looked him in the eyes. Sirius saw a man who’s been alone for so many years. His brown eyes can tell so much about him, exhaustion, fear, jealousy, sadness, longing for something he’ll never have. Harold looked at the car that passed by.

“Sirius… the brightest star, no wonder your career has gone this far. Should I change my name if your fate is based on it?” He blew his cigarette.

“If it works that way, I guess I couldn’t thank my parents enough.” Sirius finally spoke. Harold smiled.

“But you know what the most famous star is?” Harold asked him. Sirius knew the answer but let Harold answered his own question.

“The north star, Polaris.”

Harold threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it to put off the fire. Sirius's heartbeat went faster. His mind went blank. He could only hear a whistle intensified, and it went louder and louder. He covered his ears and almost curled up on his knees. He quickly looked at Harold to ask for help, but he looked at him like a statue, emotionless.

“Hey, Sirius!” Alex called him.

Sirius was out of breath. He looked at Harold to found out he wasn’t there. He looked around, dumbfounded.

“Hey, Sirius!” Alex called him again and tapped his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Y…Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Go inside. We’ve wrapped up the case. You can have your things and go if you want.”

“Harold?”

“Is there any problem?”

“No.”

-0-0-0-

Joe saw Sirius looking like a lost puppy. “Hey bud, anything wrong?” He asked him.

“No, I was just…” He looked at Joe, who waited for him to say something. “What?”

“…nothing. Did Mr. Takashima confess?” He asked Joe.

“Yup. He did try to kill Mr. Irvin Sting.” Sirius nodded his head as he knew it all along. “What about Mr. Elmer Mordan?” He asked again. “He also did,” Sirius smirked.

“Mr. Sting died from the digoxin found on his body, and it came from the dry ice fumes he inhaled, so probably it was Mr. Elmer Mordan who killed him. Mr. Takashima is his scapegoat,” Joe told him.

“Okay. Let the police handle them. Our job is done.” Sirius told him. He put on his coat and waved goodbye to Alex and Harold.

“Finally,” Joe said.

-0-0-0-

He was alone again in his room. He didn’t even bother to turn on the lights. He loves the moonlight as it gives him peace. He laid his back on his bed. Finally giving himself a rest from all the things that happened today. He closed his eyes, praying he could at least have this night as peaceful as he wants it to be. He let himself fall into complete darkness. What dream awaits his broken heart?

-0-0-0-

A familiar scent he may have forgotten makes everything feels like yesterday. The sun shines like everything was fine. Everything was in place. He wore white long sleeves paired with his khaki pants. He was barefooted, lying on the Bermuda grass his mother loves. The wind blows, carrying a few dandelion seeds. A book flipped its pages on his left made him turn his head. He sat on the ground, took the book, and checked the cover.

“It’s blank.” He said to himself. The book is covered in white hard paperback, estimated to have at least 500 pages. He flipped all of its pages, but it has nothing written on it. His eyebrows furrowed as he saw a drop of blood on the last page.

“What the—“

“Sirius!” Someone called his name. He turned around and saw a young girl smiling at him at the doorway. She has freckles around her red cheeks. She has this lovely brunette waves that compliment her bright gray eyes. She was wearing her maroon dress and a pair of boots.

“Who are you—“

“Sirius, what kind of books are you reading today?” Another young man called him again. He was sitting under an old oak tree where daisies bloom. He was wearing his school uniform and round glasses.

“I—I don’t know…” He tried to explain the weird book he was holding, but it was gone. He faced the young boy, but he’s not there anymore, nor the little girl in the doorway. He rose to his feet and looked around, but he was alone. The dark sky slowly covered the bright sun. Thunder roars not too far away, and the wind blows in the opposite direction.

“H-hello?” He tried to go inside the house, but it seems like his feet glued on the ground.

“Is anybody out there?!” He called, but no one answered? “Little girl? Where are you?” The storm was about to fall, but he can’t move. “Boy?” He called, but instead, he heard a rumble of thunder.

“Help!” He cried along with the first drop of rain fell on the tip of his nose. He wiped it off and saw it’s not water, but instead it was thick red.

“Blood?” He looked up in the sky, but the surrounding went completely black. He can’t see anything, and his body felt numb. He heard someone whispered in his ears, “Do you know the most popular star?”

“…Polaris…”