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Chapter 22 - Doesn't this seem familiar?? | s3 / c4

( Some words may be sensitive to some people. )

.....

2006 –

Parker was playing with his girlfriend, Maya, in the park near their homes. The sun was warm, the sky clear, and the trees cast long, gentle shadows over the grass. The sound of birds blended with their laughter as they ran between the trees, playing hide-and-seek like they did almost every day.

Parker: Found you! Haha.

Maya: Oh! I didn't think you'd find me.

Maya stepped out from behind a tree, her cheeks flushed from running. Parker grinned, his eyes shining with innocent excitement. They sat on the grass for a while to catch their breath, talking about small school matters and simple childhood dreams. As days passed, their bond stopped being just an ordinary childhood friendship. Strange, unfamiliar feelings began to grow in their small hearts—feelings they didn't fully understand, yet showed clearly in their glances and the way they cared about each other.

One quiet evening, as they sat near the park fence, a brief silence fell between them before Maya spoke softly.

Maya: Parker, I love you.

He froze for a moment, surprised. He didn't fully understand what love meant, but he felt warmth in his chest whenever she was near.

Parker: I love you too.

Maya smiled brightly. She felt overwhelming happiness, and the other children nearby continued playing, not understanding the weight of those words. To them, it was just something sweet and harmless.

But one day, everything changed.

The sky was cloudy, and the park felt unusually quiet. Parker approached Maya slowly. His face looked different—blank, almost distant. His hands trembled slightly, and in one of them he held a small knife he had taken from home, without truly understanding its danger.

Maya: Parker? What are you doing?

His voice was low and strange.

Parker: I love you, Maya. I really love you.

Maya: I love you too, but why--

She didn't get an answer.

In a sudden moment, he lunged forward and stabbed her. She fell to the ground, her eyes wide with shock as blood slowly spread across the green grass. Parker stood there, staring at her small body. His clothes and face were covered in blood, yet he didn't understand the magnitude of what he had done. He didn't understand death. He didn't realize Maya would never wake up again.

Time passed, and the news spread quickly. When his family found out, shock filled their home. His mother cried endlessly, unable to believe her child had done something so horrifying. Maya's family was consumed by grief and anger, demanding justice.

Because Parker was so young, he could not be sentenced to prison or death. After long discussions and deep desperation, his family decided to send him to a mental institution, hoping he would receive treatment and supervision.

He stayed there for months, surrounded by cold white walls and the heavy smell of medicine. Some of the staff mocked him and bullied him for his silence and distant stares. Confusion and anger quietly built inside him. When he was eventually released, he did not return home. Instead, he secretly went to Maya's parents' house and managed to take a gun without being noticed.

Late at night, he returned to the institution. Moving through the dark hallways, he opened fire on the workers who had bullied him. Gunshots echoed through the building as most of them fell to the ground. Before anyone could react, he fled.

The institution staff immediately called the police, while his family began searching for him everywhere.

Criminal Investigation: Most of the shootings appeared random. The shooter did not seem to be an adult or someone who carefully planned the murders, yet there was no clear indication of the suspect's identity.

Police patrolled the surrounding areas, searching forests and side roads. Meanwhile, Parker hid deep in the woods, running between thick trees as he heard sirens approaching. Thinking quickly, he knocked down a coconut from a tree, cracked it open, placed the gun inside, and threw it beside the trunk before running off.

Despite what seemed like a clever plan, police dogs were brought in. It didn't take long for them to detect the weapon and identify Parker's fingerprints on it.

His identity was finally exposed, and a new chase began. While running, Parker spotted an abandoned laboratory and rushed inside. Suddenly, he collapsed and lost consciousness.

When the police raided the lab, they found nothing.

Parker woke up outside the same laboratory, as if days had passed. His head throbbed painfully. When he looked at his reflection in a broken piece of glass, he froze in shock. His skin had turned completely white, and his hair had become pink. He had no idea what had happened, but he realized his appearance had changed drastically.

He kept this new look, and it protected him from being recognized by the police or anyone else.

2013 –

He could not return to his family, fearing they might somehow recognize him despite the change. He lied about being an orphan and spent time forging a new identity. Eventually, a family adopted him without suspecting anything.

They enrolled him in a middle school. His strange appearance attracted attention. He looked unusual—both beautiful and unsettling at the same time. Some students were curious about him, while others whispered behind his back.

One day, he felt that some older students were looking down on him. He waited patiently until they entered the school bathroom. The space was nearly empty, with only the echo of running water in the background. He pulled out a knife he had been hiding and suddenly attacked them.

They tried to defend themselves. Their screams echoed against the tiled walls as their bodies slammed into the sinks and stalls. But they couldn't stop him. Within minutes, they were all dead. The white tiles reflected the red blood, making the entire bathroom appear stained in crimson.

Before anyone could discover what had happened, he slipped out through a green gate at the edge of the school yard and disappeared.

End of Part…

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