It was three thirty on a Saturday at Wammy House for gifted children. That meant that there were no evening classes. So most kids were either outside playing or in their dorms studying. The playroom, however, was mostly empty. Well, except for a red haired boy curled up on one of the recliners playing some sort of handheld video game. It was amazing he could even see the pixilated characters through his goggles, tinting everything orange.
"Come on you bastard, die already!" The boy growled under his breath, mashing the 'A' button on his game continuously. "Wait, no! Don't do that!" He continued pounding the buttons on his consol in seemingly random orders. "Ha! Take that!" His victory was apparently short lived as whatever imaginary foe he was fighting gained a power boost. "No! I only had two lives left you ass!"
Matt might've played his game in his dorm, instead of coming to the other end of the orphanage to hide out in the playroom if not for his roommate. Matt usually did just about anything to avoid the rampaging blond when test scores came in each month. It was like Mello's PMS time or something. Mello almost always had the second highest scores, and coming in second never exactly pleased him. Matt deemed it safer to just avoid the other boy.
"I can't believe that little shit!"
Well that plan just when flying out the proverbial window.
Matt curled up tighter into his little ball and tried to become invisible. How was he supposed to concentrate with his roommate bitching in his ear?
Did Mello have some kind of 'Matt radar' or something? Maybe he uses the foil wrapping of his chocolate bars to create some sort of device that can pick up signals from Matt's gameboy…
Or maybe Matt read too many science fiction books.
"Look at this!" Mello growled, "Just look at it!" Mello shoved one of the papers he was holding under the red head's nose. "We gave the exact same answer! The same fucking answer and he still beat me! Tell me, how the hell does that work?"
Matt glanced at the sheet, managing to fall into a pattern with his fingers that would keep his character alive for a few minutes. It appeared to be an old case and you were supposed to write an essay on how you would go about solving it. Matt could guess that Mello had given the answer he knew his teacher would be looking for, while in reality he'd go about the case in a more Mello-esque fashion, but Near would go with what he wrote down. Mello got less points on his because he wasn't being true to his personality.
Of course, Matt didn't mention this. He wouldn't be able to finish his game if he were suddenly decapitated. So instead he muttered a quiet, "It's bullshit," for his friend's benefit and returned his attention to the glowing two inch screen that held everything he cared about in the world (at the moment).
Mello was about to say something else when he was (thank god) interrupted by a group of five children rushing into the playroom, looks of utter hysteria and panic on their faces. The leader, who Matt recognized as Linda, was holding a news paper in her hand.
"Matt!" A little brown haired boy called. "Oh my god you're still alive!"
"Mello's not that dangerous guys," Matt said casually, finally turning off his game and giving up on all hope for privacy. Seriously, did everyone get Matt-dar installed while he was sleeping?
The blond shot a brief glare at the younger boy. "What's up with you guys anyways?" He asked, turning to the group. He crumpled the grade papers in his fist and shoved them into one of his black jeans' many pockets.
"You two have to read this!" Linda gasped out, shoving the papers into Matt's hands like Mello had done previously.
Serial Killer At Large!
"What a pleasant title," Matt murmured.
"Just read it!" A girl shrieked impatiently.
Four days ago on August 2nd 2003, a seventeen girl by the name of Emily Weston was found dead in her room in Winchester, England. She had been slashed with a knife of some sort no less than twenty five times, it also appears that she had been drugged and did not wake up during the attack.
Emily's parents refused to communicate with the press, but her funeral is set for sometime next month.
Unfortunately, Ms. Weston is not the only victim. Michel Sampson, a forty three year old waiter at a local restaurant was found killed in and identical way two days earlier. His body discovered about half a day after the deed according to forensic investigators.
But the most recent and by far chilling of the murders is of twenty two year old David Wright, a college student from Ireland who had been on a summer road trip with his best friend (Cody Bryant) and his girlfriend (Cheryl Brooks). The three pulled up to a convenience store to get some gas and snacks. Wright had apparently fallen asleep in the back of the car while his two mates went inside. When they returned the windows had all been smeared with blood and the David was dead. All the doors were locked and the windows were rolled up. The police claim they found no evidence of a break in or a struggle on Wrights part. It is assumed he was killed by the same person or persons who killed Emily and Weston.
Cheryl shakily informed investigators that they had only been in the store "for fifteen minutes, tops" and knew nothing of the previous murders. So far no charges have been filed against the two students and they are not suspects in the murder.
The three victims seem very different. But they all have one thing in common. All of the people killed so far have had red hair and green eyes. The serial killer is still at large and so far the police have not informed the press of any leads they may have.
The article went on about warnings to the public to lock their windows and doors at night. Matt looked up from the paper to the worried faces of his fellow orphans.
"…okay," he said. "What about it?"
Mello snatched the paper from the other boy's hands and began reading.
Linda rolled her eyes and grabbed Matt's goggles, snapping them over the bridge of his nose. "You idiot. You fit the descriptions of the victims! And it's happening near here!" She growled. Matt rubbed face, glaring at the artist.
"We were worried about you…" A black haired boy muttered.
Matt was about to reply when he heard the crinkling of paper. Mello passed the article back to Linda, rolling his eyes. "You all are overreacting." He drawled, annoyed. "Matt hardly ever leaves the house. It's not like the killer would even know he exists."
"Yeah but-"
"No buts!" Mello snapped. "The police will catch the killer eventually, you don't have anything to be panicking over."
"Yeah," Matt said, "It's fine guys. We don't have anything to worry about here." He reached for his game and stood up. "Besides, if he were to even try to kill me, I'd use my mad gaming skills to send him crying into the night." With that he walked out of the play room, patting one of the kids on the head as he left.
"You know, Matt, life isn't like a video game!" Linda called after him, "You don't get any free lives."
"Don't need one! I'm just that good!" He called back, voice already distant.
--
Later that night, Mello and Matt were getting ready for bed.
"Hey, do you think L will take the case?" Matt asked suddenly, as he slipped off his goggles.
"Huh? What case?" Mello pulled a dark blue night-shirt over his head and gave his friend a confused look.
"That red head killing case." The other boy replied, "You know, the one Linda and the others told us about earlier? It seemed like something he'd be interested in."
"Dunno." Mello admitted, "Why do you ask? Are you scared? Hoping L will catch the bad guy before he sneaks into your bed and cuts you up like a turkey?" He teased, grinning to reveal pointed teeth.
Matt threw one of his shoes at the blond. "No." He growled, "I was just curious."
"I think you're scared."
"Whatever."
Mello began to make clucking sounds, but Matt threw his other shoe at him.
"Ha! Now I have both your shoes! How are you going to escape the killer now Matty? You'd need your shoes!"
"Go to bed you dork." Matt grumbled, flopping down onto his bed, still half dressed. Jeeze, how many chocolate bars did Mello have today? The boy wondered to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
Mello waited until he was sure that Matt was off in Gamer La-La land before getting out of his bed. He stalked soundlessly over to the other boy's side of the room, shutting and locking the window.
"Idiot…" He muttered, unsure whether or not he was talking to himself or the red head sleeping peacefully a few feet away.