Lies, Secrets and Deceit

My mom is a detective, she has been working on a huge murder case. Nobody knows exactly who this guy is, or how he does what he does. Some say it's magical, others call him an evil wizard. Whatever he is, he has murdered over 6,000 people in the last month alone.

One day my mom had heard about a lead. There had been another strings of attacks in the next town over. I was only 10 at the time and she wasn't able to find a sitter. This was the first time I was allowed to go to work with her.

As we started driving my mother started going over the plan with me. She was driving me to the next town and when we arrive I was to check in at the hotel. She was going to be next door at the restaurant asking questions. She was meeting up with her partner, they hardly ever rode together. My dad was always jealous so they compromised. I mean it doesn't help that they had an affair shortly after my mom made detective 7 years ago.

We get to the hotel and my mom takes me in to make sure I am all settled. She got us a room near the top floor. I was told that if anything out of the ordinary was to happen I was to open the balcony door and wait outside. My mom didn't tell me how this guy murdered his victims, just that he was the most dangerous criminal she has ever heard of in all of existence. She took me to the room and told me not to open the door for anybody, then she left.

I mostly just sat around for a while at first. Then I remembered that I had a deck of cards in my pocket. I started playing solitaire, it was one of my favorite pass times. My dad had taught me how to win almost every time. He was also working on teaching me how to play cribbage. I figured I had to do something to pass the time.

After a while I start to hear something in the hallway. I look through the peephole to see what was going on. All of a sudden a bunch of screaming people came rushing through the halls headed for the stairs. I headed towards the balcony, I tried as hard as I could but the door wouldn't budge. I did the next best thing and opened the room door. I started running just like the others.

As I got to the top floor I realized there was only one room, the penthouse. I was almost to the door when I realized what people were running from. The hotel was filling with water. I also realized that nobody wanted to enter the penthouse, they would rather drown. I ran through the door and it was like the water stopped just before the door.

Unsure of what was going on I decided to walk around and search for clues. I walk through the kitchen first and realize my favorite meal is cooked and ready for me at the table. I was taught to be very suspicious of anything out of the ordinary. I walk past the food, although it smelt so good. Next was the living room.

As I entered I first saw my favorite tv show on, Criminal Minds. Then my eyes instantly dart to the couch. There is a strange man watching the tv. That's when he turned around.

"Oh I see you have finally arrived Naomi. We have as much time as you wish. The food won't get cold, and Criminal Minds will not end until you are ready." He was mesmerizing, like perfect everything and so handsome.

"What do you want from me?" I knew to never trust strangers. With my mom being a detective, she was always worried that someone would come after me. I guess she was right.

"I just want to tell you exactly the type of people your parents are, that is all. Now I suggest you start eating those tacos, made just the way you like them. As we watch tv together I will gladly explain everything."

As I head to the table I make sure not to let this guy out of my sight. All of a sudden he disappears and next thing I know he's sitting at the table.

"I figured I would help you carry all these tacos back into the living room."

"How did you?"

"Move so fast? Well it's simply magical."

After eating a few tacos I asked why I was there and what he meant about my parents. He began telling me that there was a specific reason for me being the only one who was able to make it into the penthouse. Apparently my mom had known her partner years before they had started working together. In fact they knew each other about a year before I was born.

He went on to tell me that my parents were having marital problems during that time. It was about fourteen years ago. He then pulled out papers. I was hesitant at first but decided I just need to know. As I looked through the papers I suddenly realized that my mother's partner was actually my father. There were DNA results for both men. I was in shock. Why would my parents not tell me this.

"During the separation your mother got pregnant. As soon as she found out she made things work with your "father" and then told him a few weeks later. She never told either of them her little secret. To this day they still don't know. Many people in this hotel either have secrets, or have family members with secrets that they have kept for years,"

I began to resent my mother fast. How could she keep something like this from me? I got so angry. Next thing I knew the tv shut off.

"My job here is done, wait in here until you start hearing people running again. Then you will be free to open the door. I will see myself out now."

He disappeared again, it was as if he was never there. The only thing he left behind were the papers. The room started filling with more and more papers. After about twenty minutes I heard the stomping of others throughout the halls and stairs.

I open the door and I see a bunch of people just standing around. More people start flooding through and a lot of them are instantly crying. After looking around I see bodies lying on the floor. Some people just start walking away, others start screaming but it seems like nobody hears them.

I see my mother running through the hall, she falls to the floor right in front of me. I look down and realize she's holding my lifeless body. I had so many mixed feelings running through me. She was still my mother.

I fell to my knees and started yelling at my mother.

"I am right here. Mom I'm right in front of you. I forgive you. Please just talk to me."

No matter how hard I tried it was pointless. I was dead. Unable to tell my mother about the man who spoke the truth. I began to realize that I was not being punished, but instead it was my mother and all of the other family members of those in the hotel.

I followed my mother around for weeks. Weeks turned into months, months to years. She never showed my father the papers. I thought she would at least spare him some pain.

They never caught the murderer. He ended up killing over seven million people, then all of a sudden just disappeared. It was as if he had never existed. Many people around the world left with unanswered questions. They all had one thing in common, but nobody was willing to admit there secrets.

I now spend my days just wandering around, there is nothing left for me to do. Stuck in between worlds for as long as I can remember.

Next time you want to keep a secret, just remember he may be watching.