I’m currently sitting in my office, wondering when I last went bowling with good ol’ Moe when suddenly one of the officers, a teal colored ankylosaur, bursts into the room. He excuses himself before closing the door, he better has a damn good reason for this. I hate it when people surprise me like that.

“Sir, we just received confirmation that a shooting took place at the school of your daughter. She’s apparently the prime suspec-“ I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Did he just say my daughter was involved in a terrible crime at her school? “Officer Darren! Did I just hear you correctly? You’re saying my daughter did WHAT?”

“Apologies, sir, but I’m merely reporting what I’ve heard. I thought you wanted to hear about it before they actually bring her in, after all you’re her father.” I’m at a loss of words, the mere implication that my dear Lucy could be a coldblooded killer chills me to the core. We might’ve had arguments at home but that’s to be expected from a teenager who wants to break her boundaries. Things like changing her name, pretending to be a rock star and hanging out with odd friends. However that doesn’t explain how she could suddenly turn into a murderer. This has to be a terrible misunderstanding, it simply has to be.

“Officer, I do appreciate you telling me about this. I realize that my… personal link… to a potential suspect might discredit me heavily.” I’m sure that some higher agency is going to dispatch their own team to take over the investigation very soon. Not like that’s going to stop me from fighting for my daughter, but first I need to gather intel. I need to know exactly what happened. “I’m grateful for your confidentiality, officer Darren. Could you please let me know as soon as she’s here?” – “But of course, commissioner. You can count on me.” The ankylosaur disappears as quickly as he came. I better start taking some notes, I need to be as well prepared as I can be for what’s about to come.

 

 

Ten minutes later I finally receive the confirmation from officer Darren that Lucy Aran has been brought to the station, she’s currently on her way to interrogation room B. I take that as my cue to meet her. I make sure to turn the sign at the door to let them know that I don’t want to be disturbed.

Unlike those dimly lit cells from these crime movies our interrogation rooms are as bright as it gets, after all you don’t want to miss a single detail once you’re in with a suspect. And that’s without mentioning the psychological effects caused by this type of environment. I’m finally face to face with my daughter. Her eyeballs are red, her hair is a mess and the ink of her makeup was reduced to a pair of smeared lines flowing from her eyes. My own expression is understandably grave. I got my notepad ready, I made sure to write down the most important questions while also staying ready to take notes of what she’s about to tell me.

“Lucy… I need you to be honest with me. You know I love you and I’d do anything to help, but first I need to know the truth. The school shooting… did you do it? Yes or no?” I immediately skip to the matter of guilt, without a doubt the most pressing topic right now. Lucy meanwhile is staring at the desk, too afraid to look at me. She remains silent for at least a minute before she finally responds. “Yes… I did it…” This has to be the worst day of my life.

My own daughter just confessed to committing manslaughter. I need to know more. Where did the weapon come from? Why did she do it…? “Lucy, what were you thinking!? How did it come to this? Did you get into a fight with someone? Did someone maybe threaten you?” Wait, was it possibly related to this Anon kid? Did he do something to her!?

“Dad, I did it because they… deserved it. O-Or so I thought. When I pulled the trigger everything changed, I wasn’t thinking straight afterwards.” – “What do you mean, they deserved it? Did they hurt you?”

“Listen… dad… do you remember prom-night, two days ago? When me and Anon went to school that night?” But of course, it’s this kid’s fault for screwing up my dear Lucy. I’m sure he’s the one behind all of this. “Please go on. I remember that you didn’t come home that night, what happened to you?” Please give me something to hang onto, any sliver of hope. There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this.

“Dad, I didn’t come home because I felt like no one understood me except Anon. Me and my band were supposed to perform that night but it all went wrong. The humiliation I felt was simply unbearable! This was going to be my chance to prove them all wrong but in the end it didn’t even matter!” Lucy is visibly shaking now, looks like this really set something off inside her. “Lucy… I didn’t know. Why didn’t you at least tell mom about it? You know she’s always there for you. Even Naser always wanted the best for you.”

The mention of my son’s name seems to have chilled her to the core. What on earth did happen between them? “N-Naser… oh god, Naser…” Her muttering quickly develops into bitter weeping. “Oh god… w-why did it have… to be… Naser?” I dread what I’m about to ask but I need to do it. “Lucy, did something… happen… to Naser while you were at school?” After several attempts she finally gathers the strength to respond.

“D-Dad… I’m so, so sorry… He got in the way… I really didn’t want to do it… I swear, it was an accident…” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Lucy! Did you shoot your own baby brother!?” Slowly but surely she regains her voice. “He simply dropped to his knees… I think he spent his last moments trying to call for me but all I could hear was a whisper. I couldn’t bear seeing him like this so I ran away. I just wanted to disappear from this world. I was ready to die today, dad.”

Oh god, why did the initial report not mention Naser? This revelation alone is enough to make me rush out right now but I can’t quit. This is perhaps my only chance to get some answers. “Lucy… where did you get your weapon? What did you use to… punish these people?” My daughter looks at me with a pained expression mirroring my own distress. “Dad… I used your personal revolver. The one you keep at home. I took it when you went to bed early last night.”

The murder weapon is registered to my name and holds the fingerprints of two Aran family members. The evidence couldn’t be any worse. I might as well turn into the subject of an investigation myself. “Lucy, is there anything you still want to tell me? Is there something I can do for you?” My daughter simply looks at me while I’m trying to decipher what’s going through her head right now. After a moment she finally speaks. “Dad, I love you and mom so much. I’m so sorry for having been such a terrible daughter and an even worse sister. I just wish I never was born.”

To be sincere I’m almost considering agreeing with that last part, I can’t believe things could have turned out this bad but that’d be selfish from me. Children are the product of their parents, the failure is equally mine. If only I would have tried to understand her struggle better, maybe then I could have avoided this terrible tragedy. “Lucy, please don’t say that. You are my daughter and I will always love you, infact I should be the one apologizing. I promise to you that I will do everything in my power to help you through this. Please stay strong, for mom.”

I thought her tears had already dried up by this point but she still manages to unleash one more torrent. I approach my daughter and embrace her for the first time since years. Despite everything she’s still my little Lucy, my precious angel.

 

 

After leaving the interrogation room I immediately rush to the office complex in charge of gathering reports. I’m cursing the elevator for taking so long, I quickly decide to take the stairs instead. I’m almost out of breath when I finally arrive at the maindesk. “I need information on the list of victims related to the school shooting incident at Volcano High today. Do we have names?”

“Sir, we have seven names so far. Five students were fatally shot, two were injured while one remains in critical condition. The fatalities include…” Wait, did that clerk just tell me that there are survivors? “Excuse me but could you simply tell me the names of those who were injured?” – “But of course sir. Their names are Anon Y. Mous-“ But of course, this damn kid is like a cockroach. “…and Naser Aran, sir. Excuse me for asking, but are you related by chance?”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. My son is still alive!? “Did you just say Naser ARAN? What was his state again!?” – “He got shot in the chest but still managed to stay awake long enough, they immediately brought him to the Volcadera Cross Hospital. He’s most likely undergoing surgery right no-“ I immediately rush down the very same stairs which I’ve conquered earlier, my body rejuvenated by adrenaline and the sole goal to get to my beloved son. I can’t risk losing a single second. I rush to my car and speed-dial Samantha as I start the engine of my car.

“Ripley dear, did something happen at work? I was just about to prepare our meals…” – “Listen Samantha, our children are fighting for their lives right now! Lucy got arrested for accidentally shooting her brother, I’m on the way to the hospital right now!” I better omit the fact that Fang shot far more people than just her baby brother today.

“Wait, Lucy did what!? And dear Naser…!? How did this even happen!?” – “I’m still trying to figure that out! Please understand that I’ll do everything in my power to save both of them. I’ll call back once I’ve checked on Naser. I love you.” I hang up as I return my attention to the road, I wouldn’t want to end up in a car accident while my son is possibly bleeding out in a hospital bed. Every single second counts now.