Chapter 23: Bloodlust

A rich, gentle aroma floats out of a store titled "Ebott Coffee Bean Co." A thin female reindeer of average height is one of the first customers of the day. She wears a green and red checkered shirt paired with a dark blue skirt. Her red nose glows in the sun as she opens the door for her father, who stands behind her. He wears a plain white shirt with a bright blue jacket over the top. His black hair gently sways in the wind, and his complexion is bright and cheery.

"You go first, Dad," the young reindeer says as she bows, holding the door.

"Thank you, Noelle. But, you don't need to be so formal," Rudy says.

He shrugs as he walks into the coffee shop. Noelle blushes and rubs her cheeks. "I know, Dad. But I wanna help you in any little way I can, especially with, well…"

Noelle's face falls. Rudy turns around, smiles, and gently rubs his daughter's back. "Noelle, I'm fine now. And the police are searching." Noelle continues to stare at the ground, and a pair of tears appear in her eyes. Rudy hugs his child more tightly. "We can't give up. We'll find Dess, I'm sure of it."

Noelle nods and dries her eyes. "As soon as the homicide rate increased, Dess disappeared." Noelle's voice still trembles. "And we just got you out of the hospital. It's like…I…" She sighs. "You just finished your chemo, but now my sister's missing. I'm in a never-ending maze."

Rudy bites his lip, and his hands tremble as he holds onto his younger daughter. "I'm scared stiff, too. But we can't lose hope." He closes his eyes, sighs deeply, and walks up to the counter. "Noelle, please grab a table for us. I will purchase our food and beverage."

Noelle glances up at her father again; his arms tremble. After a few moments, though, he stiffens his posture. While he approaches the counter, Noelle nods and has a seat at the closest table to her. She stares out the window, listening to her father's conversation at the counter. "Rudy! Congrats on the cancer remission," one of the baristas says.

"Heh, thanks. It was pretty touch-and-go, but I'm still kickin'!"

Noelle smiles softly and taps her finger on the table. (At least Dad is still with us. But where is my sister? There has to be something…right? Some clues? Rumors? Anything?) She stops peering out the window and lowers her head to the table. (So many sleepless nights in a row. I can't take this much longer. How does Dad deal with it…if he even is?)

From across the restaurant sit two officers decked out in their gear. They have a few papers on the table and sip intensely on their coffee. "Harlow, do you have any leads on the missing monsters?" Sterling asks.

"A bit, ma'am. The top suspect looks more like a teenager named 'Kris Delta.'" Harlow regards his superior, rubbing his chin. "Two vegetoids and an ice cap were among the deceased. And we still have to locate Dess Holiday."

"At least Undyne gave us that file copy, and was very helpful in giving us details on this person. Now we have more hardline evidence to issue an arrest warrant."

Harlow chuckles. "It took her long enough to cooperate."

Sterling sternly sips from a large cup of black coffee and grunts. "Do any of the deceased or missing have a connection to Frisk Dreemurr?"

Harlow shakes his head and rubs his right temple. "Not certain. Very unfortunate. Plus, while Kris Delta does match our witness sketches to a T, we still have yet to find his location or living quarters. He hasn't been spotted at the orphanage where the monster Susie lives. None of the caseworkers or managers of the orphanage have seen him, either."

Sterling shakes her head. "Someone had to have seen him by now. How could he live off-grid at such a young age?"

Harlow shrugs and shakes his head as he takes a gulp from the coffee. "You can never be too sure. We can't rule out theft from various restaurants and thrift stores as the reason for survival."

Sterling nods. "That's true. Well, we have a name and a face. But does anybody know what his eye color is yet? That's another factor that could help us."

Harlow looks up at the ceiling and rubs his chin again. "According to Susie, his eyes are blood red. But, with the sketches, they're seldom seen. Kid needs a haircut."

Sterling nods. "Even still, you've done solid work. We have enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant."

From outside, a figure walks past the café quickly. He wears a hoodie, and sunglasses cover his eyes. He moves past the café, but not before Sterling stares intently at the figure. She hums to herself and Harlow looks over at her and takes another swig of coffee. "Ma'am, what is it?"

Sterling chuckles and folds her wings confidently. "Harlow, I want you to track that person that just walked by the café. If you see any suspicious activity, report back to me."

Harlow nods and quickly moves out of the restaurant. "Understood. I won't let them spot me!"

Sterling nods, smiling. She slowly rises from her spot and stretches. "Well, I've got to get back to the precinct and file some paperwork." She goes for the door and sees a pair of reindeer seated at the table, who carry mixed emotions. Sterling lowers her head slightly, then approaches them delicately.

"Hello, Holiday family," Sterling says.

Rudy looks up first, and his smile plasters on his face. "Officer Sterling! Long time, no see. You staying out of trouble?"

Sterling nods. "Real funny. There's been a lot of work lately, given the case and our rapid population expansion over the last year. But I'm holding it together."

Rudy smiles and lifts his coffee cup. "I'll drink to that."

Sterling nods. "Certainly."

Sterling then looks over at Noelle, with the reindeer grabbing her small cup of coffee, head lowered. Sterling's smile fades, and she takes a couple steps closer to her. "We'll find your sister soon."

Noelle tightens her lips, rubbing skin against skin. Her eyes tremble, and her voice flows in a low, slightly crackly tone. "You better."

Noelle taps the top of her coffee cup, then sighs, with her eyes misting slightly. "I'm sorry; I don't mean to be impolite. I'm just really worried about my sister."

Sterling shakes her head and lowers her gaze, preparing to head out. "No, it's alright. I understand."

Noelle looks up at Sterling again, her eyes dazed by the lights in the coffee store. Sterling closes her eyes and tightly grips the doorknob. She coughs, speaking with a crack in her voice. "I lost my sister as a kid."

Noelle gasps. "Really?"

"It's why I joined the police, and I understand your fear. However, we will find her, and I won't rest until then."

Noelle lowers her head back to her cup of coffee. She pushes it away and gently places her left hand on her stomach, feeling very ill. Rudy gently extends his hand and holds Noelle's hand.

Sterling walks out the door without another word. She looks around Ebott. (The investigation should come to a close soon. Cross-checks have been completed, we can issue an arrest warrant, witnesses…all that's left is gathering even more evidence to make sure that it's case closed.) She stares at her feet and observes her reflection in the rain puddle formed beneath her. (We have to hurry.)

Just one street beyond where Sterling is standing, Harlow looks around for Kris. As he peers from behind a tree, Kris marches towards the woods that lead to Mount Ebott. As he walks through the rain, Harlow's eyes pierce into Kris' figure. He bites his lip as he walks, ripping off his hoodie and revealing a blue shirt underneath. He then slips on a small purple hat from his pocket.

"I see," Harlow mutters to himself. "Why throw the hoodie into the grass during the rainstorm? This is getting more suspicious by the second." Harlow lowers his head, chasing Kris into the trees.

…

The clock turns back 7 days. It is approximately midnight in the town of Ebott, and two figures are standing against each other behind the walls of the local Italian restaurant. One figure is a tall, very skinny human in biology, but metaphysically, one wouldn't be sure what they are. The other is a critically injured monster whose figure is obstructed by the shadows of the alleyway and the darkness. The human holds a knife above the monster as the monster holds his hands over his wound. He kneels on the ground as the human tightens his grip around the monster's neck. The citizen coughs and his eyes wet when he looks up at the one with the knife.

"Why…w-why are you d-doing this?" the monster asks.

The figure lowers his head and growls. "Kill or be killed, kid."

The figure slashes the monster. The victim coughs and falls to the ground. He gives up his soul, and as the victim's body is reduced to dust, Kris chuckles and thinks to himself. (ANOTHER soul.) He shrugs. (I'm not as strong as I want to be, but all this DETERMINATION will be fortified. Once I reach LV number 20, I'll then be able to kill Frisk for sure. That's a little far away, though.) His hands shake as his breaths become shallow. (No matter. The stronger I am, the easier it'll be to finish the job. All of this HP, LV, and DETERMINATION will shoot my strength through the roof! He won't know what hit him.)

Kris lets his knife dangle beside his body as he looks down again into the dim lights of the town. An unsuspecting vegetoid passes by, one of the many monsters in Ebott. Kris' brow furrows. "More," he whispers.

In one sweeping movement, Kris manages to pin them against the alley wall while brandishing a real knife against the carrot-like body. He growls. "Do you support Frisk Dreemurr, your precious ambassador of Ebott and the monsters of the Underground?"

The vegetoid looks left and right. Her body shakes, and she begins to cry. "W-w-what is this…no, you c-can't."

"ANSWER ME!" Kris roars.

The vegetoid lowers her voice and gently speaks. "Yes."

With a quick slashing motion, the victim falls and gives up her spirit, soul breaking. Kris looks up at the moon and shrugs, his red eyes burning into the craters. (Well, another one bites the dust.) Kris then looks over at the pile of dust, narrowing his eyes. (This plan is going better than I thought.)

…

The clocks move forward seven days, back to where things were before. Kris looks up past the collection of trees and he spots a decrepit, shady house seated on a hill and runs towards it. "This will serve me well."

From behind Kris, Harlow darts from tree to tree, scribbling notes as he moves back and forth between the trunks. He stares up at Kris from the trees closest to the house, lowering his posture and sniffing. Gently tapping on the door, he takes a step back and then shoves himself into the house. Harlow dashes toward the house, then positions himself below the window pane, listening to Kris' footsteps.

Kris waltzes around the dilapidated living room. A cold autumn breeze flies through the walls of the house. Many boards cover the various windows. He walks into the bathroom, shuts the door behind him, and stares at himself in the mirror. His hair covers his eyes, and his skinny frame looks like a pencil in the mirror. After nodding, he quips, "time to change my appearance again." He takes the scissors from the counter and clips the bangs away from his eyes. Kris' cheeks blush with excitement and vigor as his eyes gleam.

(Step 2 is complete), he thinks to himself. (It'll throw them a little more off the trail.)

While Kris continues to stare at himself, Harlow hovers from beneath the window, scribbling. "Off the trail? Changing his hairstyle?" He nods. "I'm close. If I can just get one or two more clues, not even the best lawyer in the state will be able to defend this guy."

Kris wipes his head with a raggedy towel in the corner of the room and throws it on the floor, heading for the door. Harlow presses his cranium against the house's siding. As he listens to Kris' footsteps, he hears him walk into the room next to the bathroom. A creaking can be heard, which springs and sways. Harlow moves to the next window beside the bathroom window and pulls out his microphone and a recording device.

Kris collapses on the bed in the room next to the bathroom. While it does creak, it doesn't break. Kris stares up at the ceiling and sighs, resting his hands behind his head while crossing his legs. "They won't find me here."

Harlow nods and subtly places the recording device on the window pane next to the mattress. Kris chuckles to himself, speaking louder. "Man, taking out all those monsters was as easy as cake. You'd think they would put up more of a fight."

Harlow's head spins 360 degrees. He holds his hand over his mouth and listens for Kris' voice, and it comes into earshot again. Kris' voice rolls off of his tongue in eerie tones. "Who knew killing could be so easy, yet so invigorating?"

(JACKPOT,) Harlow excitedly thinks to himself. He takes the voice recorder and places it back into his pocket while pressing the "stop" button. Once it's firmly within his pocket, he runs off into the woods back into the town of Ebott.

Kris' ear twitches, and he shoots up in bed. "Who's that? Who goes there?" Kris lowers his head, snorts, and narrows his eyes. He thinks for a moment and tabs his chin. (That better not be whom I think it is). He rushes to the front door and throws himself onto the grass. Looking left and right, no figures come into view.

Kris shakes his head, sighs, and waltzes back to the mattress. He holds his hands behind his head and stares up at the ceiling. Grunting and sighing, he closes his eyes again and drifts off to sleep. The sun rises high in the sky now, with the rays from the sun flying over the town of Ebott and strengthening their potency.

…

"8…9…10!" Susie looks down at Asriel, who rises from the bench and flexes his biceps. He smiles and throws his right fist into the air victoriously. "How about that?!"

Susie nods and folds her arms as Asriel takes a big gulp of water from his water bottle. "Ya see? Now you're looking stronger than before. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Asriel smiles and rubs his neck. "Thanks, Susie. You've been a huge help."

Asriel walks over to Frisk, with Susie following suit. Frisk studies and stares at two diagrams, depicting human and monster anatomy. Susie looks at the charts and chuckles. "How's the nerd stuff going?"

Frisk looks up at Susie and smiles politely. "It's going pretty well. I'm learning a lot about how humans and monsters function, which will make it easier for me to know what I need to do to keep you all safe."

Asriel leans over at the notes, rubbing his chin curiously. "Oh yeah, like what?"

Frisk smiles and points to the charts. "Well, monsters and humans process food differently, especially with monster food vs. human food that have many details contrasting each other."

After thinking for a moment, Frisk remembers what his doctor mentor told him concerning keeping energy up in battle. "Asriel's a different case, though. While his body is still of the monster type, most of his soul energy is from me. He has a remnant of his own monster soul, of course, but now he has half of my own soul in his body. It's mostly human soul, which means he might react to monster food and human food differently than other monsters. I'm still trying to figure the details of that out."

Susie leans forward further, with her eyes getting slightly cloudy. "So…what does that mean?"

Frisk looks at his brother gently, in an attempt to reassure that these details weren't too serious. "Azzy might feel similar effects that humans do when it comes to how our bodies function, whether or not he eats human food or monster food and no matter what kind of injury he has." Patting his goat brother on the back, Frisk continues. "That's why my brother needed some stomach medicine during that one previous training session."

Asriel chuckles embarrassingly and pats his stomach gently. "Yeah, that's true. I've also been in situations like that before, too. Now, it's making more sense than ever."

The ambassador continues to explain. "We'll have to keep this in mind when I bring food with me in my med kit. And, since Asriel has human soul energy in him, he can feel illnesses in nearly the same way as humans. Monsters with standard monster souls still get sick though; just look at what Rudy went through. But, some of the finer details of those illnesses may be different."

The goat child interjects. "No matter what though, we'll have to be careful and work with the little info we have, so that me, Susie, and the rest can stay healthy."

"Right on, Azzy," Susie affirms, with a smirk on her face.

Frisk takes a moment to breathe, thinking about what's to come. "Asriel's body still leaks dust instead of blood, too. No matter what though, I'll have to adjust my medical practices for all of you based on each of your needs and body type."

Susie nods. "Gotcha. Well, I know that with all this research you and the doc have done, it'll help us stay protected against Kris and bring him down."

Frisk glances at Susie, with reassurance covering his face. "Yup. As soon as we know it's safe to corner him and bring him in, we should be good to go."

"Heh, sweet."

As Asriel pulls up a chair and sits next to Frisk, Susie feels a buzzing in her pocket. She looks down at her jeans, pulls out her phone, and stares at the screen. "Crap…it's Noelle", she says under her breath. Susie walks a few paces away, and Asriel and Frisk look at her out of the corner of their eyes. Susie lowers her head and stares to the side as she speaks into the phone.

"Yo, Noelle…dude, it's a Saturday. Why the heck are you at school?...Oh…oh, right…yeah, gotcha." Susie's hair covers her eyes. She grits her teeth so harshly, the gums begin to bleed. "That sucks…hope you find her soon…yeah, yeah…see ya around."

Susie sighs and shoves the phone into her pocket. She walks with her hands in her pockets back to the table and climbs onto the tabletop, her sneakers partially covering the diagrams. Frisk moves them quickly, and Susie places her hands behind her head. "Sucks what she's going through."

Asriel raises an eyebrow and leans forward. "What's wrong, Susie? Is Noelle not well?"

Susie shakes her head. "No, man. She told me a couple weeks ago that her sister, Dess, is missing. And they still haven't found her."

Asriel gasps and Frisk slowly looks up from the diagrams. "So that's why Mrs. Holiday's been so stressed lately…I really hate what's going on and I don't want to see my friends hurt like this, or any citizen in town."

Susie rubs her neck and grimaces. "Noelle and her Dad have been looking everywhere." Asriel lowers his head and sniffs. Frisk looks over at him and frowns, gently patting him on the back. Susie shakes her head. "What's your deal? It's not your fault."

Asriel stares up at Susie through angry yet concerned eyes. "Why didn't…she tell us?!" he bites back. "I wish I would've known! I wanna see…if we can help her with anything…"

Susie looks to the side and clicks her tongue. "Noelle told me you'd be upset. She said to tell you and Frisk that she didn't say anything because she didn't want to place a bigger burden on you."

Asriel lowers his head and tries to let go of his worry and frustration, rubbing his paw quickly through his tuft of fur. Frisk sighs and rubs his hand through his own hair, mussing it. "I understand how Noelle is acting," Frisk says as he lowers his head. "However, we're her friends. I wish she told us earlier so we could help her more." Frisk lowers his head, pushing the diagrams away. "She's been acting very sad in school lately, and I've asked her what she's struggling with a couple of times. But whenever I ask, she shoots it down."

Susie walks towards the staircase, head sunken with her hands trembling in her pockets. Asriel rises from the table and reaches out his hand. "Susie, where are you going?"

Susie shrugs. "Getting a drink from the sports pub. You want anything?"

Asriel stares at her like a deer in the headlights. Susie chuckles and waves her hand. "I was just joking, little buddy. I get you're underage, and I know it wouldn't be your thing anyway. I could still bring you something like juice or cola or whatever if you want it."

Asriel rubs his hand through his fur and frowns slightly. "No…I'm fine. Thank you, though. But, aren't you also…"

"Frisk," Susie interrupts as she looks at Frisk. "Do you want anything?" Frisk doesn't reply. Susie chuckles and shrugs. "No problem. I'll be back in a while."

Susie walks up the stairs with a smile on her face at first. However, when she reaches halfway up, her teeth become clenched, grimacing. A growl rolls from her mouth. However, her limbs do not tremble. Before she leaves the vicinity, Asriel looks up at her, his eyes covered with worry.

"Did you see her face?" Asriel asks.

Frisk nods and strokes his chin. "Yeah, I saw it."

Asriel shakes his head. "I'm really worried about her. Do you think she's hurt? I wanna see if we can comfort her, or see if we can help her somehow." Asriel taps his fingers together and sinks his head. "I wish I could help her more. I just don't know what to say to comfort her."

Frisk smiles for Asriel and lightly hugs him. "It's alright. You're doing your best, and that's all you can do. Don't beat yourself up."

Asriel sighs. "I hope so. I'm scared that our friend is going to be hurting a lot more than she already is."

Frisk nods. "I feel you. Just give her time to herself, and she'll be alright."

…

The late afternoon has dawned. Kris stirs and he sniffs the air, then opens his eyes. Staring up at the ceiling, he quietly says "much needed rest." He slowly rises from the mattress and saunters towards the front door. (I should probably change my residence again), he thinks. (First the hidden basement underneath the sports bar. Then, the abandoned basement. Then, just random trees in the woods. Now, this house.)

Kris pushes the front door open and walks down the hill through the forest, humming a cacophony of notes. The sour notes fly into the air and sing for the trees as he approaches the outskirts of Ebott again. (Hmmm…there should be something viable around here.)

After several minutes, Kris closes in on the street in front of him. He hears a pair of familiar voices coming from the opposite direction and ducks behind the closest building. Peering from around the corner, he sees two pairs of antlers — one taller, rugged-looking male and a smaller, purer-looking female. He winces. (The reindeer family! That's right; their family member is the same one I kidnapped a few weeks ago and interrogated.) Kris shakes his head and rubs his forehead. (Shame she was of no use.)

Rudy pats his child on the back, voice echoing in golden tones. "We will search again tomorrow, Noelle. How about we look right after youth group?"

Noelle lowers her head and holds her stomach. "Dad, I don't wanna go to youth group tomorrow. I either wanna be searching for Dess or be back home."

Rudy rubs his daughter's head and sighs. "I'm worried sick like you are, too. But perhaps your friends could instill some jolly into your heart. Maybe get your mind off things." Noelle stars at the ground as they walk past Kris. Kris ducks further behind the building as the two reindeer continue. "What about that Asriel kid, Noelle? You're friends with him; he seems nice. And Frisk, our ambassador…he's certainly a good friend. Maybe he could counsel you; wouldn't you agree?"

Noelle stops in her tracks. Her golden blonde hair sways and flies over her eyes. "I didn't want to burden them…with my problems. They've been through enough." Noelle sighs and kicks a rock into the gutter beside her. "Azzy has a lot more faith than me, just in general. But…even with that, I'm not sure if he could bear my burden right now. Frisk is either at home sleeping or in his small office in the Ebott town hall whenever he's not in school or training. I can't bring more trouble to them."

Rudy's brow twists with sadness. "My child, you are a sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you. To see how you've grown into a fine, young woman brings joy to my heart. However, I'm also sure that you wouldn't burden those brothers at all if you leaned on them. They're good friends; remember to trust them, ok? We all need friends like that, and I don't want you to fight this burden on your own."

Noelle smiles. "Thanks, Daddy."

Rudy hugs Noelle. Kris moves behind the building further, and Rudy's ear twitches. He stares at the building and snorts. "Huh…weird. Anyhoo, maybe we should try looking into that one place next? What's it called…Seven Souls?"

Kris crouches on the ground and listens in. "Seven Souls…do they suspect I've killed at least seven monsters?"

Kris leans in more closely. Noelle walks backward and nods, with her eyes once again drying off. "Yeah, Seven Souls Yoga Studio! Dess used to hang out there all the time."

Rudy nods and smiles. "Yup, I know it. Heh."

Kris' eyes narrow, and he nods. (I didn't kill her in that building. Although…they might have information. I should probably get out of here and run back into hiding.)

Kris begins to walk away from the building he's using as camo. As he walks, Noelle and Rudy start crossing the street and approaching the Seven Souls yoga studio a few buildings down from the corner.

Noelle looks up at the yoga studio and smiles. The front window has a pattern on it with seven hearts in the front, each matching a color of the rainbow from red to violet. The orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet hearts are all painted in a circle pattern, with the red one located at the center. The letters that spell "SEVEN SOULS" are bright red in color. "I remember Dess telling us that the instructor believes that every being has seven distinct souls that can be aligned through yoga, achieving inner peace."

Rudy scratches his head and tilts it. "I thought every humanoid being only had one soul?"

Noelle shrugs. "Well, yes…I do agree with you. But it did help my sister find something to do, what with her mood and all."

Rudy chuckles. "Yeah. Your older sis always had a fun yet fiery personality."

Before they enter the studio, Rudy sees that his phone is ringing. He pulls it out, flips it open, presses the "Answer" key, and speaks. "Yes, hello? Oh, hi honey!...yes, we're just taking care of things here…thank you for checking on us…yes, yes, maybe next time…love you, bye."

Rudy takes his phone and closes it, placing it back into his pocket.

"Was that Mom?" Noelle asks.

"Yes. She was just seeing if we were doing well with the search."

Noelle rubs her arm and bows her head. "I was really looking forward to the family camping trip, Dad, with you and mom…and Dess…and Belle."

Rudy nods and sighs deeply. "Sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you have to adjust."

Noelle touches her fingers together, and Rudy rubs the top of her head. "We'll find her, my honeybun. And when we find Dess, we'll have the best camping trip ever, filled with giant bonfires, s'mores, and ghost stories!"

Noelle forces a chuckle. "Yeah…it's gonna be fun."

Noelle sees a purple-coated figure dashing towards the woods out of the corner of her eye. The figure looks at Noelle briefly, then turns his head back towards the trees, knife in hand. Noelle feels her heart beating out of her chest. "No…no…Frisk…it can't be…wait!"

Rudy, who had his hand on the door bar on the front door of the yoga studio, turns around and stares at Noelle. "Uh, what's the matter, kiddo?"

Noelle points in Kris' general direction. "I saw a person running with a blade…the face was off." Her mind races. (It can't be Frisk. But, that figure weirdly resembled him… maybe… no, but maybe…)

Rudy walks up to Noelle and places his hands on his hips. "I didn't catch them, sweetheart. What struck you as off?"

Noelle makes hand motions to describe Kris. "The blade was in their hand, and if they placed it into their pocket, it would be sticking out." Noelle lowers her head. "And, they were wearing purple and blue. Blue shirt; purple hat."

Rudy tightly hugs Noelle. "Noelle…who are you talking about?" Rudy's stern voice covers the sidewalk. "Are you safe?"

He readjusts, placing his hands on Noelle's shoulders, staring at her intensely. "I am safe, Dad. And I know it can't be Frisk! But…I caught a glimpse of their face," Noelle reveals.

"And?"

"It looked similar to that one sketch going around, except for the hair." She gulps. "Not to mention, I g-got an uneasy f-feeling."

Rudy nods. He furrows his brow. His tone lowers from baritone to low bass. "Noelle, I have a job for you to do. Well, we have a job to do."

Noelle looks up at her father, eyes widening. "What is it, Dad?"

Rudy nods. "First, I will call the police and let them know that you may have seen the person all over the news lately." He sighs and rubs his neck. "I will mention that the shady character ran into the woods with a weapon. Besides, who carries a big knife with them wherever they go? Makes no sense unless they're deranged."

Rudy hunches over and gently holds her right shoulder. "You will call your friends and tell them to stay safe. If this is true, they darted into the woods, which may be toward them if they're out in that area of Ebott right now." Rudy breathes deeply and nods. "I will also call Mom and your sister back home, telling them to stay indoors. The police should be scouting this area soon enough. Do you understand?"

Noelle silently nods, eyes drooping. "That's my girl," Rudy says. "Now, let's hurry."

Rudy walks a few paces away and pulls out his cell phone, Noelle with him. (My dad is a retired detective for a reason. His hunches are never wrong, and this might be the time when it's just as right as it can be.)

The ringtones of cell phones begin blaring wildly. Noelle and Rudy chatter hurriedly over the phone. After calling the police, Noelle changes the hand in which she's holding her phone and places a personal number into her phone. She holds it up.

"Azzy, hi. Is Frisk with you?…Susie?…Alright, call her and let her know that she needs to regroup with you guys; I think I found the attacker…yes…the woods…the woods at the foot of Mt. Ebott…they have a knife, yeah. The police are on their way…yeah, I hope the attacker receives justice soon. Please stay safe." Noelle's voice quivers as she finishes her chat over the phone. "Please…s-stay safe."

Noelle hangs up. She turns around to see her father with his hands on his face. Sergeant Sterling stands in front of him with a deep frown. She gently approaches Noelle, holding a bright yellow piece of paper. Noelle calmly looks up at Sterling. "Um, hi."

Sterling nods. "I already informed your father that we have an arrest warrant for Kris Delta. Harlow called me and informed me that he's hiding in the woods."

Noelle smiles slightly. "That's good…I saw him move into the woods a minute ago." She sinks her head slightly. "But…"

"What is it?"

"Why are you telling me that he has an arrest warrant? I'm not an officer like you are."

Sterling lowers her head. Shadow covers her eyes. "Noelle…I tell you this because this arrest relates to Dess."

Noelle takes a step backward. She looks at her father; his head is in his hands. She then spots a few tears leaking from his fingers. Noelle holds her hand over her mouth and begins to cry. "No…no…no. It can't be."

Sterling sighs and shakes her head. "I'm deeply sorry; I have some terrible news to share." Sterling takes her cap off her head and holds it over her chest. "Your sister is dead."