Chapter 3 - Suspect
Nick fled the scene before he could face any more of these accusations. Burning tears streaked down his face from behind his glasses, his eye-liner running in tangent and obscuring his vision. He had no idea of his destination - his mind was already fully occupied by the thought of refuge. How had he ended up like this? His fury only made him flee faster, his emotions welling up from deep within his soul.
Asphyxiation would have claimed Nick's life had he not stopped to rest. He hung from the branches of a tree, too exhausted and weak to haul himself the rest of the way up. He was left with only the company of the dying leaves and his own thoughts. What had he done to deserve this? His eyes were scarlet; they had no tears left to weep. He screamed into the chilling air, his anger overriding his fatigue.
"Why, why...!?"
------------------------------------------------
Two men joined the growing crowd outside the electronics shop. One was tall and muscular with a shredded pair of black jeans. He was wearing a t-shirt that looked like it might have once been green under a long black leather jacket reaching down to a chunky pair of grey boots. He wore shades as black as his hair, hiding his identity with a veil of anonymity. The other was shorter in comparison, but still tall by most people's standards - 5' 10" at least. He was dressed in a black suit with a red tie, exuding a formal, yet intimidating aura. His emasciated face was also framed by sunglasses - stainless steel frames, the most professional and expensive in the range. The light from the television in the window deepened the shadows in their faces. A wave of unease started to wash over the crowd as the news report was resumed.
"Updates on our main news bulletin: the victim of the Azure University has now been identified as Miles Anderson, a beloved member of the university well noted for his contributions to the community. Nicholas Black, a fellow student at Azure University, has been named as the main suspect for the murder. Rewards of considerable value have been offered for his capture or information of his whereabouts. Our next report is about a new..."
"Ready for some hunting?" leered the shorter of the two men.
End of chapter 3