"During times like these in Murderville," said Noah, opening his podcast, "I ask myself: 'Are monsters born or made?'"
Brooke nodded to Acosta constant questions as he led her to an ambulance.
"If they are born, what makes them monsters? Their parents? Something wrong with their mental stability from birth? Or maybe it's all part of some plan; but what if monsters are made? Are they made from fear?"
Scott woke up violently from another nightmare, waking Gabriel and Gabriel rolled over to go back to sleep.
"Afraid that they are powerless and need to assert some sort of dominance over others?" Noah looked to a picture of him and Scott on his phone. "Maybe they killed someone justifiably and grew a taste for the kill. Or maybe it's like what Frankenstein's monster says, they're made from a lack of love. I could go on, but if I do, this may get a bit too heavy handed for The Morgue." Noah chuckled. "How about I continue in a live feed with my…girlfriend Brooke? That sounds like fun." Noah said his goodbye into the microphone and ended the recording.
Brooke sat in the back of an ambulance, answering the same questions to another officer writing down her answers.
Fear. Anger. Guilt. Shame. Emptiness. All these emotions and more swirled inside Brooke.
She glanced back to her home and remembered everything that has happened to her…
This…, She thought to herself, this is nothing in comparison! I refuse to let what he did to me change how I act, feel, think, or see the world.
"Nothing has changed," Brooke accidently said out loud to herself.
The cop quirked a brow at her. "What was that, Ms. Maddox?"
Brooke cleared her throat and told the cop to ignore what she said.
Acosta made sure to be the only one to ask Audrey and Emma questions.
After they answered him, he went back to be with Brooke.
"How is she going to come back from this?" Asked Emma.
Audrey shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know that she's strong. Arguably stronger than the both of us."
Emma lightly chuckled. "Yeah." Her face turned solemn and she lowered her head, clearly downcast. "I'm not that strong, Audrey."
"What do you mean?"
Emma turned back to Audrey with tears in her eyes.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Audrey put her hand on Emma's shoulder.
"I decided to not put myself in danger anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Emma glared at the night sky. "I mean: I chose to not investigate outside of the comfort of my home."
"Okay," Audrey replied, leaning to Emma, looking for more answers.
Emma looked at Audrey with pure astonishment. "'Okay'?"
Audrey shrugged again. "Yeah." She then stood directly in front of Emma. "I understand why you would want to do that, I really do. Hell, I've thought about doing that with Noah before."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because you were out there and I didn't want you to be alone."
The two shared somber smiles and hugged.
They then went to Brooke to check on her, but were interrupted by Acosta.
"You two can see her tomorrow at home," he said. "She will definitely not be going to school tomorrow." He lead her back to his car.
"See you tomorrow," said Brooke in a sing-song manner.
"See ya," said Audrey and Emma.
Author's note: I'm sorry for how short this chapter is, but I felt as if it needed to end here. There will hopefully be more in the next chapter!