- Chapter one - THE CRIME

Phoenix’s POV

I opened my eyes, my eyesight was blurry, but it became okay little by little. 

I am here in a hospital, and many things were injected into me while lying on the bed.

A few minutes later, mom entered the room. “You’re finally awake,” she said while walking towards me, “I’ve talked to your doctor earlier, and he told me that you have selective amnesia, and until now, your older brother is missing,” she added that made me frown.

“Older brother?” I asked her. I am not going to lie; I am confused right now. Based on the way she acts now, I know she cried earlier.

I have selective amnesia; I cannot remember some details about my life, including what happened before I was diagnosed with having it. 

“Your brother’s name is Nate Keehl,” she said to me, “He was missing since your prom night last Friday,” she added.

Older brother? “Nate Keehl?” I asked her again. I am annoyed with myself because I don’t want to see my mom sad.

“Phoenix,” she said, and she took a deep breath and continued to talk, “What happened during your prom?” She asked me.

I forced myself to remember every detail that happened during prom night, but I cannot remember any, “Mom, I’m sorry, but—” I did not manage to continue speaking when she started to talk.

“I understand,” she said and smiled at me. I know my mom, and I know that her smile is fake. Sadly, I cannot do anything to find Nate Keehl, and I don’t even know who he is.

………………………………………………………………….

I was discharged from the hospital Monday morning, and even though my mom told me don’t go to school, I still went because I did not want to stay home.

I am a grade twelve student at Emmanuel High School; I have created beautiful memories in that place. While walking towards my classroom, I saw many students standing outside of its door, and it seemed like they were watching something inside of it that made my curiosity force me to go there to see what it was.

Many police officers are in the classroom because a man wearing formal clothes is hanging inside, but his feet are touching the floor. 

A few minutes later, a policeman walked towards me, “You must be Phoenix Keehl?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I answered. I feel like I know the person hanging in the classroom.

He raised his hand, “I’m SPO2 Patrick Smith,” he said. I did not touch his hand, so he just lowered it, “Look, I know you have selective amnesia, you don’t remember some details in your life, your mom told me, but I want you to know that the man hanged inside is Nate Keehl, your older brother,” his revelation made me close my hands.

“Impossible!” I said to him, and I entered the classroom to come closer to the man’s corpse, but some policemen stopped me, “Let me come!” I pleaded.

He can’t die! I am sure mom will be sad once she learns what happened to my older brother! A minute later, my tears started to fall because of the emotional pain I was feeling. Honestly, I cried; I cried like a toddler. Even though I don’t remember him, I’m sure we are connected, and he was in my heart.

“So, it’s true,” I heard a woman’s voice coming from the door of the classroom. My heart became broken even more when I saw mom there, she was crying while pleading to the cops to enter, but they were not allowing her to do it.

“Let me in!” She said to the policemen while crying, “Please!” She pleaded while students outside of the classroom were whispering with one another.

A few minutes later, mom passed out, so cops helped her. It cannot be happening! I ran towards her and helped the policemen to carry her.

I know and feel that what happened to my brother is not suicide, so I promise mom that the person who did this to him will pay a heavy price! He will rot in jail!

We took her to the school clinic, “Please, help my mom!” I pleaded to the nurse there while crying, so they entered mom in the clinic.

I was about to enter also, but it did not happen when the nurse I talked to earlier stopped me, “Sir, just wait outside,” she said, and she entered the clinic and closed the door.

I am so annoyed! I cannot do anything! Thirty minutes later, the nurse and my mom left the clinic, so I hugged mom tightly, “Are you now alright?!” I asked her. I am so worried about her right now.

“Yes, Phoenix,” she answered. I know that she is still sad about what happened to my older brother.

A minute later, the nurse took a deep breath, and she spoke, “It will be better for Mrs. Keehl to go home and rest,” she said that made us look at her.

Mom looked at me, and she spoke, “Yes, I just need to rest,” she said, and she smiled bitterly. She was about to leave, but she stopped when I talked.

“Mom, I am coming with you,” I suggested, so she looked at me and spoke again.

“No need,” she refused, “I just want to be alone,” she added, and she left as quickly as possible.

After what happened, I returned to the classroom and sat beside its door. I looked at nowhere while cops were doing their best to find out what happened to my brother.

What did my brother do for him to experience that?

A few minutes later, Patrick came closer to me, “Hey,” he said that made me look at him, and I returned looking at nowhere.

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked him.

“Sure,” he answered, which made me take a deep breath, and I spoke.

“Why do some people can kill others?” I asked him.

“I don’t know,” he answered me, “Maybe because they don’t have a conscience,” he added and sat beside me, then he talked again.

“Don’t worry, I know someone who can help us to find out what happened to your brother,” he said, which made me look at him.

“Who?” I asked, so he smirked, he was about to talk again, but he stopped when someone suddenly spoke.

“Me,” a man said in the door.