Starry Night by Edgar Allan Poe

“Daddy! Daddy, come race with us!” Cherry yelled to me. I’d much rather prefer sitting on the sidelines, but I would do anything for my girls, so I got myself up and ran to their side. I honestly didn’t care if I was allowed to do this or not, because I was determined to make this a fun experience for them.

“On your mark, get set,” one of the teachers said, raising her hand up in the air. “Go!” Then dropped her arm down and I started running, my girls trailing beside me. I smiled over at them, watching how determined they were to get there together. They were holding onto each other’s hands, telling me that they’d never leave each other behind, and that gave me relief. Even if something happens to their mother and I, I know they’ll always have each other. Eventually, we make it to the other side of the field and my girls come in second, together. I was glad that the teachers here haven’t corrupted their way of thinking about one another by comparing the two, because that would only cause problems later on in their life. My wife and I felt stalwartly about that to the point where neither one of us has told them who was born first, even if it were a few seconds apart.

“Daddy, play the jump rope competition with us next!” Lily said cheerfully. I gave her a warm smile and kneeled down to her height with Cherry standing right behind her.

“Daddy’s getting old, sweetheart, so I can’t. But I’ll watch you two from that spot right over there beside that tree,” I said as I pointed to the spot right in front of my car. “Lunch is in a few minutes and since you girls are doing so wonderful in the games, would you like something from McDonald’s?” As I asked this, their eyes lit up and they squealed happily. I smiled at the two of them as I got back up to my feet. I never really let them have anything from a fast food place, because it’s supremely unhealthy, but whenever they do well in school or with listening to me and their mother, I do get them a happy meal and maybe an Icee, which is an amazing thing to dip your fry into.

“Thank you, daddy!” They said in unison, which makes me smile even wider. They truly were everything to me. I walked back over to my spot under the tree as they’re called for the Jump Rope competition and sat on the railing separating the parking lot from the football practice field, which is also where they hold the school districts field days. Soon after the teacher blew the whistle, I felt my phone vibrating against my leg and froze, because it wasn’t my personal phone, it was my work phone. No one ever called for a clean-up during the day because it was too risky, but I normally carried it on my person in case Bob called for a meeting. I knew it wasn’t him because he’d informed me yesterday that he would be leaving for a week to give away his daughter and then spend some time with the family, so could only mean a day clean-up. It was much more dangerous because it meant that I couldn’t get rid of the bodies until night, meaning that I will have to hold them in my car until then. Snapping from my thoughts, I pulled the phone out and answered it.

“I sincerely apologize for calling at this hour. It is very disrespectful and, for your troubles and risk, the pay will be upped pleasantly by a satisfying sum. 1549 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Fifth house on the left. I left the back door unlocked and it is very secluded. Two men. I’ve left your pay in the living room wall atop the television. Thank you and I apologize once again,” He explained and then hung up, allowing me no time to answer. La Artista never allows himself to hear my voice. It was as if he wanted no other connection to me other than my phone number, and that hurt me more than I was willing to admit. I put my phone up and looked over to my girls who were already sweating profusely, but wearing smiles on their faces. I walked over the one of the teachers and tapped on their shoulder.

“Excuse me, I have to step away for a moment, so would you be so kind as to explain to my daughters that I went to get them some food?” I asked, smiling politely at the fairly young women.

“Of course, sir. Your daughters are Cherry and Lily Iero, yes?” She confirmed. I nodded, looking over at them.

“Yes.”

“They’re very lovely girls. You did a wonderful job in bringing them up,” she complimented.

“Thank you.” I smiled. “Please tell them I will be back within the hour.” Then I bid her goodbye and got into my car. What I loved about this car was the fact that it had a hidden compartment in the trunk providing a suitable place for my cleaning tools. The only thing on my mind, heading over to the home, was what la Artista had created this time. That questioned was answered when I stepped foot into the silent house in broad daylight. One man was tipped over on his side and tied to a chair with his head leaning back, and judging from the slash across his throat, it was obvious what happened. What threw me off was the other man’s whose face was caked with dried blood and his eyes were wide open, because this meant he was drowned in blood. What was obscene was that it was with the other man’s blood. There was a small container filled with it laying right next to the man, whose arms were crossed over his chest. This entire scene tells me that the man who was drowned watched la Artista kill the first man, drain his blood into the container, and then the last thing he saw was a thick red. On the wall above them, was a recreation of Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Crows, and I was awestruck. It was only until recent that he began recreating famous portraits, but this was the second time he’d used one from the same artist.

“I need to meet this man,” I mumbled to myself as I got to cleaning, with the first thing on my list to wrap up the bodies and set them aside for now. Even though my life and job had gotten better with la Artista coming into my life, I still felt myself wanting to quit the business so I could settle down and enjoy watching my girls grow up. The only thing I wanted to do was meet this man and I could retire in peace, with my family legacy coming to an end. My family could rest in peace knowing it was all over and no more Iero men would have to be sentenced to Hell, if you were religious. I wasn’t really, but I felt that Hell was more likely to be real rather than Heaven. I was well aware that if there were one then the other would have to exist as well, but I still found myself believing more in the existence of Hell. It would be suitable to men like us. After scrubbing everything five times over for good measure, I dragged the bodies over to my car and put them in the trunk with a tarp laying over them. I usually wrapped them in that before taking them to the place where I dump them.

Unfortunately, I didn’t live anywhere near the ocean so I couldn’t dump them, instead I was just as creative as the next guy. We lived near a forest, so naturally I would bury them out there in different places, but absolutely nowhere near my cabin just in case the police or FBI came to investigate. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what case my wife and the team she’s a part of was working on and I knew she was growing more frustrated as no evidence was left anywhere. I never really asked her any questions, but did tell her that any secrets were kept safe with me, and she usually told me some things here and there.

The less I knew about where they were, the less paranoid I would be. If I knew they were closing in, I would become sloppier and I really don’t want to pour acid on my face. It doesn’t sound ideal. After clearing the house, I checked the spot he told me to for my pay and, sure enough, it was a satisfying raise for this risk. Honestly, if he knew how much I admired him, he could probably get away with talking me into doing it for no pay. But I wasn’t stupid enough for that. I drove off and headed in the direction of the closest McDonald’s, ordering the girls their meals and Icee’s, ordering me my salad and an Icee- to balance the diet out, and made my way back towards the school.

“Daddy!” My girls yelled happily as I parked the car. They were waiting by the tree we’d been near before.

“Hey, girls. Is it lunch break already?” I asked, stepping out of the car with the bag of fast food. They nodded, making small grabby hands at the bag. I handed them each their own boxes and they favorably dug in, and then I tapped their shoulders to get their attention to the Icees I was currently holding.

“Yay! Thanks, daddy,” Lily said first.

“You’re the best ever, daddy!” Cherry said next.

“You’re very welcome, girls. And thank you for making me feel so loved,” I responded, giving them my biggest smile. I watched them eat and talk to one another for a while, thinking about how I must have done something wonderful to be blessed with daughters. Maybe this was God having mercy on my family? Who could really say, though.

I took out my salad and poured the dressing on, mixing it well before stabbing the lettuce and meat with the fork and finally eating. Eating was something I enjoyed to do when I could, but without my job, my ability to stomach things became weary. I loved food and I loved eating, but I also hated it, because I would vomit up most things, especially having to clean up a violent murder. Thankfully, though, I admired La Artista’s work and didn’t find it disgusted, but rather beautiful in a twisted way.

I shook the thoughts of my job out of my head, and focused back on my children, watching them finish the last of their fries before getting to work on their last nugget. The thing with Cherry and Lily, is that they eat their sides first, occasionally taking bites of the main thing on their plate. For example, they ate most of their fries before their nuggets and saved the last until after they were completed finished with the salty side. It wasn’t exactly a big deal, but it was enough for me to noticed that they had some habits other kids didn’t really do. It didn’t matter, though, they were special anyways.

“Hey, daddy, me and Lily want you to meet our teachers!” Cherry said, wiping her clothes down to get rid of any unwanted crumbs. I took another bit of my barely touched salad and nodded. I chewed and swallowed before giving them an answer, because manners were a very big thing for me.

“Sure,” I eventually said. The girls finished their Icee’s just as I was putting my empty plate away and slurping down the rest of my own drink. “All right, I’m ready.” I stand up and they both lead me away by each hand grasping mine. I loved it when they held my hand, because just feeling how small they were made my heart swell with love and pride.

“Mr. Stump, Mr. Stump!” They girls yelled, catching the attention of a man shorter than me, sporting a cardigan and black slacks. His hair was light, blond and his face was slightly round, bringing to my attention that he’d recently lost weight from the sunken look of his eyes. He smiled softly at them before looking up at me and giving a small, shy wave. I gave him a polite smile in return, since both arms were currently occupied. “This is our daddy. Daddy, this is Mr. Stump; he teaches us English,” they introduce. I let go of Lily’s hand and stuck it out.

“I’m Frank. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stump,” I say smoothly. If I wasn’t mistaken, either it’s hotter out here than I thought or he was blushing when he took my hand and shook it.

“Please, call me Patrick. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” he said. His voice was rather nasally, but not displeasing. It was light, feathery, if I could say that. “Cherry and Lily are top of my class and wonderful to talk with during free time,” he complimented. I smiled, looking down at my girls. They were once again talking to one another, completely ignoring the two of us.

“Well, then you must be wonderful at what you do.” I don’t exactly mean to flirt, but his flushed face was too delightful to pass up. His face turned really red and I smirked at him.

“No, no. It’s all them, I just help to guide them,” he said. I chuckled, shrugging my shoulders. “Anyways, it was wonderful to meet you, but I need to get back to my assigned group. Maybe I’ll see you around,” he said, softly, lingering as he walked away. “Hopefully,” he added. I gave him a nod, smiling softly.

“Of course. Maybe next time you can meet my wife,” I said. His smile faltered, but he nodded and turned away, walking back to a group of children sitting in a circle and talking away. I stared at him for a few moments before the girls pulled me in another direction.

“Mrs. Ballato, come meet daddy!” Cherry yelled to this woman who looked a little older than me, but it wasn’t really noticeable. Her bright red lipstick is what caught my eyes; it suited her really well. She looked at the girls and then at me, just as Patrick had.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Ballato. I’m Frank,” I said, introducing myself. I held out my hand for her to shake and she took it, giving me a warm smile.

“Nice to meet ‘ya, Frank! I’m Lindsey, the girls’ history teacher. They certainly started my class this year knowing their stuff. I’m really impressed,” she said cheerfully. I felt like the proudest father and was delighted to call these two my children.

“Yeah, daddy really loves history, so he teaches us plenty at home.” I smiled down at them and blew them kisses.

“My husband is here somewhere. He’s the principle,” she says vacantly, looking around, searching for her significant other. “Oh! There he is. Gerard!” She called out. I followed her line of direction and found my eyes on an average-height man with dark hair down to his neck. It was messy, and yet, with his formal attire, it still suited him. He didn’t look like he was trying too, rather pulling off the formal punk-looking style. At hearing his name being called, our eyes met and he made his way over to us.

“Everything okay?” He asked, his voice coming out smooth and cheerful. My ears perk up. There was something about his voice that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“Yep! I just wanted to introduce you to Cherry and Lily’s father, Mr. Iero,” Lindsey said, gesturing toward me. The man, Gerard, looked over at me and gave me a warm smile.

“Please, call me Frank,” I say, sticking my hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for insuring my both of daughter’s safety.” He takes my hand and shakes it firmly.

“Wow, you’re very polite. I can see where the girls get it from,” he chuckles, the sound comfortable against my eardrums. Some men are too attractive for their own good. I smile at his compliment and thank him, our hands dropping back to our sides. He and I keep eye contact for a moment before breaking away and looking back at his wife.

“So, Frank, where’s your wife?” She asks abruptly. Although this question would normally be considered rude, I shrug it off, knowing she means no harm.

“She’s currently at work. She’s a detective, so she’s always busy,” I explain, looking down to make sure Cherry and Lily were fine. They were.

“A detective? Wow, that’s really interesting!” She said, a huge smile on her face. “And what is it that you do?”

“I’m just as accountant,” he said, giving a little shrug. “Since Jamia’s career is very demanding, I mainly stay at home to watch the girls,” I explained a little. Both Lindsey and Gerard nodded their heads in understanding.

“Well, you’re bringing them up very well,” Gerard complimented. I looked into his eyes again and lost my breath for a moment before quickly looking away. I was attracted to him, that much I knew. I gave him a polite smile.

“Thank you. Maybe next time you can me-” I was interrupted by a shout of my name from my girls. I looked down at them.

“Babies, what did I tell you about interrupting while people are talking?” I asked. I never really asked them in a condescending way, but more as a genuine question.

“To wait until they’re done before speaking, even in a argument so there won’t be a bigger misunderstanding,” they said together, slightly struggling with the word ‘misunderstanding’. I smiled and kneeled down to ruffle their hair.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m proud of you for remembering. Next time, make sure to let daddy finish his sentence at least, okay?” I said. They nodded. “So what did you want to tell me?” I asked, looking between the both of them. They gave me huge smiles.

“It’s time for the next game! Frisbee! Come play with us, daddy,” he pleaded. I shrugged and stood straight up to stretch my back.

“Okay. I’ll play.” I cracked my back and my neck, before turning back to the married couple. “It was very nice meeting you both,” I said, sticking my hand out for them to shake again. They each took it, Gerard once again squeezing a little tighter and holding on for a second longer than necessary.

“Yeah, definitely nice to meet you!” Lindsey exclaimed. I smirked at her free-spirited way.

“Likewise,” Gerard said, his tone a bit darker than before. I gave them one last smile and allowed myself to be dragged by my hands to the field.

Notes

Let me know your thoughts on this story! Very excited for your opinions <3

Much love,
-OAIF <3