WHERE IS THE MONSTER'S BODY?

Officer Daniel took a deep breath first, trying to choose his words carefully. "We acknowledge your trauma, Gia. We will help you however we can because we have a responsibility as diligent police officers to uncover the truth. I mean, we all believed you killed him. Maybe we thought wrong. Just maybe. I am not confirming that he is actually alive.”

I scoff; my frustration is palpable. "Just maybe? Well, that can do. At least you are giving room for my claims. And I believe everyone is intelligent enough to know that all these coincidences have a reason behind them. And that Ejay! I have no other enemy as far as I know."

Detective Ramirez leaned forward, his eyes reflecting empathy. “This will not be easy at all, especially now that the general is against it. We may not be able to help much, but we will do our best.” He said it with a heavy voice.

My voice and expression soften at the sense of his sense of humor. He and his team are willing to risk it all for me, even though this might get them into serious trouble. “I appreciate your help, officer. I need your help to understand how this could have happened. This all seems like a dilemma to us all. If he is alive, this does not only pose danger for me and my sister. A lot of people will be in great danger. Now if the general cares about the well-being and safety of the people that he is supposed to protect according to his sworn duties, he will not contend with this. Unless…” I pause.

Everything stands still as a very strange sense lingers in my mind. A beardown thought is banging on my head. This man, the general of police, why is he contending with all this when it is so obvious that there are factors that need to be carefully and thoroughly considered? Why did he order immediate closure of the case even with all these loopholes? Even with all that is happening, why can’t he give a chance for further investigations?

All this gives a rippling ripple of dubiousness about this so-called general. I know it is wrong to jump to conclusions, but this officer is acting so strange.

“Unless? Unless what, Gia? What are you thinking?” The officer asks.

I take a deep breath. These are officers bound by law. There are things they will not entertain, like a mere whim. They do not work with urges but prove them. And this is their boss. I need to be utterly careful. There are battles that you can only fight alone. And this, in general, is something that I need to look up on my own. “Unless, as you said, officer, That we all thought was wrong. That monster did not die that day, which pauses a lot of questions, like, How? Did he have a bulletproof bag inside? If so, how? My head is banging with a whirlwind of questions. There is one thing I would like to know first."

“What is it?” The officer asks.

“Like, who took Ejay’s body from the scene? And where was it taken to, and what happened after that? Maybe that monster has been watching my every move and making a good mockery of me all along.” I say.

“Like I said, we will explore all possible aspects of this case as much as we can. Do you recall sensing anything suspicious after that day? Anything at all.” The officer asks.

I pause, my brows furrowing in concentration, as I try to recap all the events of my short-lived days of peace. Nothing suspicious comes to mind, though. Nothing at all. "No, nothing. I was certain he was gone. I didn't imagine or hear anything out of the ordinary."I respond.

Detective Ramirez nodded thoughtfully. "We'll investigate further, Gia. But we need your patience and cooperation. Sometimes, in complex cases like these, things aren't as they initially seem. What we can do is try as much as possible to keep you safe. I will review the case and ask the general to let us permanently assign officers to watch over you and your sister."

I clench my fists tight, struggling to contain my emotions. The mere mention of that general is giving me bad chills. I don’t trust him as early as now, and I cannot put my life in his hands. “I will hire my own bodyguards, officer. As it is, I might have been wrong, thinking that I only had one enemy.” I brat out calmly, expressing my distrust.

“You need our help on this, Gia. The police will be better than any other security that you could ever hire since I know you are a good person.” The officer remarked.

Well, at this point, my goodness does not matter. I do not care who I hire as long as I and my sister remain safe.

"Can you blame me for taking precautions, officer? Tell me, how can I trust this? You're telling me to trust the system that failed me before? I sacrificed so much to see that man dead and gone from me and everyone else for good. And not just me. Even innocent lives were lost in that course. Yet, out of the blue, he is alive, all because the police departments failed.

How can I lay my trust in you again?” My whole body is on fire. Thinking about all the sacrifices made to close that ordeal makes me want to die. If there is a person responsible for this conspiracy, he better pray to the heavens that we never cross paths.

Ramirez leaned forward, his voice reassuring. "I assure you, Gia, we'll take every precaution to ensure your safety this time around. But we need your trust to solve this mystery. Your tormentor's reappearance is as much a puzzle to us as it is to you. Trust me. Trust my team. We will see to it that it is resolved soon."

Trust?

Can I really do that? Can I bank my all in the m once again? What if the same mistake repeats itself again because there is indeed something fishy about the rebirth of that monster? Or what if something even worse happens this time around?

As the interrogation concludes, my sister and I finally get a chance to get out of the room feeling a maelstrom of emotions—anger, fear, and a profound sense of disbelief. The torment that we thought we had escaped has returned, shrouded in an enigma that begs for resolution.

My journey is far from over, as I am now faced with a reality that challenges everything I have believed. The resurrection of Ejat poses questions that linger, demanding answers I am uncertain exist. As we walked away from the police station, determination was sparking in my eyes. I vow to unearth the truth, whatever it might be, to reclaim my peace and ensure that justice prevails once again. This time, for real!

The perplexing saga of the resurrection of the monster and me has just begun.