《The Bystander Effect》


 Chapter 1: Eli

    1


    How would one know if a damsel is in distress? I felt a shiver run up my back. He''s really getting in there. Why me? Why this time? Why of all days do I have to be witness to something so vile? "She isn''t technically in distress if she isn''t breathing," I whispered to myself. That''s not funny, E. The man in the navy blue was good. Too good for this to be an accident. Too good for me to get away if I run. Too good if I say anything. Should I say something?


    I backed away slowly as the man in navy blue pulled the lifeless woman''s head up from under the basin of water. She was dead, and I was a dead man walking if I got a call, as I realized that my phone isn''t on silent. Mom told me not to take shortcuts in life. I assumed she spoke of things figuratively, but an alleyway downtown could be my demise, and that would be my final thoughts given to this world.


    What should I do, Wisdom? Can I call you that, since you and I are both witnesses to what is happening?Yes, you, the one reading as I jot my thoughts down and mark them in my brain. Wisdom is a good name, I wonder what her name was. The woman lying on the ground, still as the killer rolled her body in blue tarp to put in the trunk of some stolen sedan.


    Why blue, out of all the tarp colors in the world, why would anyone choose blue? He''s also wearing blue... Wis, can you remember that for me? I might need that info later. And the car, black, no license plate. The woman, cold, but looking further, I could tell that she was kind. This stuff doesn''t happen to bad people. Maybe that is why I am here watching, observing.


    Maybe I am next, and it will be my kind, game over.


    This isn''t a game, E.


    I shake my head, making a grimace as I recognize that I am still here with the killer, and should probably call 911. I forgot, my phone isn''t on silent. I know what you''re thinking, just turn it down, sadly no, I had to change my keyboard to that typewriter sound everyone uses, and unfortunately it''s loud. Too loud for the situation I am in now.


    Should I cause a distraction? What would that Batguy do in this situation? He probably would fight the man in blue. I wish I took a martial art when I was younger, but no, I had to learn piano. See Dad, jazz can''t save me now.


    Can you save me Wisdom? Am I going to die?


    As I creep behind a trashcan, I can''t help but hear a siren in the distance. Thank goodness for the police. Despite the social turmoil and constant injustice my people face, I am happy to hear that sweet screech coming closer.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Police! Put your hands up!" I sigh in relief as I take another step back, but when I look up, there is no killer in sight. Just two cops, me, and a cold puddle on the ground where that damsel once laid. How did he even get away in the car that quickly? The man in blue. The man in navy blue.


    Gone.


    2


    "I didn''t do anything," I dejected. You believe me, right? I mean, you were there with me, so why am I in this cold room, with these frigid people staring at me.


    Am I a suspect?


    I''m not a killer, I even do my due diligence of letting ladybugs out of the house when they get in. Not spiders, though, because those are vicious animals. Again, this only seems to happen to kind people. Because something so cinematic as this can''t happen to the bad guys. Right?


    "Why were you in the alley, kid? Do you work with Mr. Q.?"


    "Mr. Q.? Who even is that, and why is his name so lame?"


    Can that even be considered a name?


    "Plus, I was promised a phone call, and my lawyers will be hearing about this blatant discrimination against the youth." Why do I always get paired up with old people, like I was destined to encounter only those who never even try to see from my lens as if they weren''t young and dumb before.


    Just answer the question, kid. Why were you in the exact location as a notorious killer? "Notorious," I thought. Only the police would give such a profound word over to someone who murders in the middle of the day. "What makes you think I would associate with such a person? One, I don''t have a motive, two I want my phone call."


    3


    "You believe me, right? Good. Now hand it over. I won," I cheese.


    "Ugh, you always win our bets," yells Daniel. What a sore loser. "And now you hand it over."


    " Fine, but technically, you weren''t being detained, just questioned," ejects Hope.


    " Ha. A technicality you say. Whatever. I will enjoy the smell of victory while you haters count your losses."


    Those are my friends Daniel and Hope. They are the cynical type and love to think that I will lose on one of our bets, one of these days, but that day is not today.


    Who knew out of the three of us I would be the first to go to jail or be arrested. I always suspected Hope, because she was so far left it just felt right. As I grab my bag from the lecture hall and pocket the cash, I can''t help but feel that there is something behind me. I turn around and look closer to the window. A shadowy figure passes by, and I can''t catch anything but the color of his shoes. Blue.


    There it is again. Wis, there is that color. What do you make of that? Me?


    I think it''s a coincidence to think about for another time.

 Chapter 2 - Mr. Q

    "Green represents the dead image of life." - Rudolf Steiner


    1


    Here lies Damsel number... Well, it doesn''t matter who came first or who will come last, as my hand executes judgment upon them. Now I know what you''re thinking, what an envious thing, that I could be the one to strip them of breath and all things green.


    To take all that the trees offer and give my tribute back in the form of early decomposition. Not my decomposition, but you get the point.


    She had forest eyes and they yearned to be returned to where they belonged. Now I''m no monster. I wouldn''t do something so heinous and just bury a body. So if you think I will get caught, sorry, wrong story, wrong person, wrong time.


    Let me take you back a few hours because, despite my exterior, I am no monster. I was having a good day just like everyone else. I was at my favorite coffee place, the Olive Branch. And that is where I saw her.


    Who she is doesn''t matter, so we''ll call her Damsel. But what she is, does, for her aura, is today''s color, green. And as I adorned myself in her wave of sage ecstasy I hadn''t noticed the waitress calling my order out.


    "Matcha latte, hold the foam! Going once, Going twice."


    "Wait!" I exclaimed. Hand reached out to grab onto the last remnants of jade going by. This Damsel was cute, she actually responded to my outburst, but as she turned to see who was yelling for her, I quickly grabbed the matcha from the cashier, threw some cash down, paying no mind to the change that halted to the floor, and rushed into a booth.


    Let''s not be reckless. I have no way of getting caught, but I will not make it easy, simply for the sport of it all. Police have been searching for me but they are unwise and unwelcome in this game I created. So I refuse to be seen giving them any leeway.


    The chime of the door is made, and as she walks off, I proceed to toss my untouched drink in the trash. As I walk out myself, I look down to see a fully rusted penny roll out the door, and an idea creeps with the smile plaguing my face. I now have a method, a gift to the trees, and a way to get my forest green.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    2


    "Dispatch said they haven''t found a body, just some clues and a bunch of pennies. What does it all mean?" I roll back into my chair and tap my temple in thought.


    "Diaz" calls the Lieutenant. "This is the fifth missing girl this month. There doesn''t seem to be a matching motive or anything that ties these girls together with the rest."


    "And pennies, not even dimes or nickels for these poor women. Cheap bastard."


    "That''s not funny, Campbell. They have to mean something; everything left behind has to mean something. He is questioning us, telling us to keep up." I sigh.


    "Yeah I know, it''s just the news won''t get off our back and I am getting fed up. Take a look at this photo of pennies lined up in a question mark. Nobody in the forest, how does this Q. guy do it?" Campbell retorts.


    Yes. Q. We have no description, no name, no face to paint with this crime, so the public has begun calling him Mr. Q. I don''t understand the national high people get on fictionalizing real killers with silly names, but now the police have "Q." to thank for that.


    "That''s it!" I exclaim, jumping into the air.


    "What, have you found our guy?"


    "No, but I have a hunch. What do forest and pennies have to do with each other?"


    They get green. They age and rust and can provide life and death. I hope I''m on the right track here.


    "Green," smiles Campbell. "They are green, what is that stuff on pennies called again?" He asks into his phone.


    "Verdigris." I state.


    He used verdigris and poisoned that woman. Where can one even find a load of that? "And that doesn''t answer where the body is, or the motive," I huff as I slide into my chair again.


    Campbell pats me on the shoulder, his face directed towards the door.


    "Well as you continue to think I have to speak to a suspect down the hall. Lewis is probably trying to intimidate them, the old bat. Keep me posted on your progress."


    "Will do, thanks, Lieutenant." As he winds down the hall, I scribble the color green down on my notepad. I will find you Q. Because you took from me something no one can replace, and that''s a promise. Turning to my computer I begin to zone out as the door down the hall opens and a voice in the distance says, "One, I don''t have a motive, two I want my phone call, there he was wearing blue, navy blue."

 Chapter 3 - Wisdom

    1


    "Can''t you see? I can see it all; it had to be you Wisdom." The Damsel in the chair squirmed and muffled a scream under the sunshine duct tape.


    "I can feel the warmth emanating from you, it burns, and it leaves me dying of thirst."


    A tear fell caressing the cuts upon her bruised cheek, as she continued pulling at the rope around her wrists.


    "Huh", he sighs, "I didn''t want to hurt you yet, but you left me no choice. I abhor when people interrupt me, it''s a rather rude habit to adopt."


    The man, now donning an amber sweater, paced, took a far skip and landed deep into the sand.


    "I am having too much fun!" He twirled. "Aren''t you happy Wisdom? Can I see that sunny smile? For you give my awful world color, and as I said before, I hate when people interrupt my space, my plans, and my peace."


    I know it is a little risky to kill someone at the beach, as an onlooker can always find me. But I like tempting fate, because like I said no one will catch me, they lack resolve and like my dear Wisdom here, I see more than meets the eye.


    The Damsel realizes that she isn''t going to make it by the end of this moment, so as the rays pine harder upon her and the heat peels at her skin she sobs, trying harder to pull on the ropes holding her back.


    "I will amuse you," chimes Mr. Q, as he loosens the restraint upon her mouth. "But as I give you a fighting chance, please dear Wisdom listen to my tragic tale."


    "My name isn''t Wisdom! Sir, I don''t know what I did wrong but-," he puts the tape back onto her screaming, shaking his head disappointingly.


    "I told you that I am not pleased to be interrupted and you must listen before your golden end arrives."


    2


    "As all backstories begin, I am an orphan, I''m sorry, I lied, I''m not, but with a mother like mine, I made it be.


    She was a person like you, Wisdom, embellished in self-righteousness, and through her doctrine chose to dish up judgment, based on what she saw and what she heard."


    Mr. Q sat in the warm sand and drew a question mark on the ground. Face strewn in a sea of discontent.


    "She, like most people in this rainbow world, had something wrong with her. Her cards were dealt badly, and I was not the ace she had hoped for. Maybe I was her Jester, like the guy that Bruce Whine dresses up as a bat to fight," he uttered.


    "Nonetheless, her gift of seeing colors as those around her spoke words into existence, made her feel as if she obtained a superpower." But there was a weakness to being special, too hot to touch, aflame because of me, Wisdom.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    He pulled at the shoulders of the Damsel and the victim froze in fear of what would be coming next. As she tried once more to scream for help, the man in the amber sweater threw her head back and stood up.


    "Now the real kicker is the teachings she laid upon me. One day, it turned for the worse. I was being innocent because I am no monster, no villain. And I decided to sing. Just a simple tune, the world has conditioned us to recite;


    Twinkle, twinkle, little me.


    And I guess my mother decided I was too much. She grabs me by the neck and holds me close to the point that all the color rushes to my face.


    Of course, I cry out to her but what gets me shut up, to stop interrupting her once and for all, is when she turns to me and says, "I can''t see it. You hold no color. You have no place."


    Mr. Q paces the floor, anger rising to him as he remembers this tale. He jumps to the side and kicks some sand in the direction of the victim.


    "This was the usual occurrence, I have felt her kicks and punches, and dealt with broken bones to satiate her disgust with me. But I thought it was a way of showing love.


    "But," he stammers, "Wisdom her telling me that I have no color was the heartbreaking point. I HAVE COLOR! Don''t I? Ha, guess not," he chuckled.


    "And one night, I decided she saw and felt too much, so all the fire and warmth I mistook as love from her, I took it back and... Well I won''t tell you what happened next, I''m no monster, so I''ll spare the details, " he laughed.


    "But just like my sun, my mom who my world orbited, you are getting on my nerves and I decided it is time for your end too."


    The damsel began to cry, head falling hopelessly low.


    "Don''t shed tears, I hear there is a light to see at the end of the tunnel, and yellow it gives and yellow it shall receive," he spat as he grabbed a shell from the ground and pierced the Damsels'' neck whispering, "Wisdom, Wisdom."


    He stood up, disregarding the woman, while heat fell from her nape, spilling the rest of her gold. He strode to the black car, no license plate, and threw the shell into the trunk.


    " Can others see you? Can you hear them as well? Are they special too? Or am I colorlessly alone, Wisdom?"


    3


    "Guys, we can''t go, I have an exam tomorrow. Gotta study, or my parents will drive up here and wonder why I didn''t make Varsity," Eli spoke, as his friends dropped their cheers and turned to him.


    "First, you won''t tell us what you got arrested for. Now, we can''t go to the beach to hang out like usual. We already missed out three weeks ago. What next, you have imaginary friends you talk to?" chimed Hope.


    "Pfft, the only friends he has are us. Because that would be messed up, E."


    I can''t tell them Wis, you understand, that it''s just me that talks to you?


    As Eli turns to face his friends he pulls a coin out of his hand and tosses it in the air.


    While midair, Daniel snatches it and gives it a turn. "Where''d you find such a dusty penny?"


    Before E can grab it back Hope interjects, "That''s gross guys don''t you know you can catch diseases from that?"


    "Right," Daniel says, throwing the coin to the ground.


    "Bro, that was mine, found it in front of some cafe." as Eli picks it up, he can''t help but get some of the residue on his fingers. Wonder what this stuff is called, do you know Wis?


    "I heard that all that rust can give you tetanus," voices Daniel. "My sister told me it makes your fingers turn yellow," adds Hope.


    Eli makes a face and throws the penny in the trash before wiping his hand on his pants, leaving streaks of evidence behind.


    I don''t want to be sun-stained, right Wisdom?


    Can you hear me?