How did we get here? Rain found himself asking that a lot. He hated the unknown like an unbearable evidence of vulnerability. He absolutely hated it.

Even more than death.

Death that stole everything from him. Today, he works with it. He feeds it. It is better than not knowing.

When he first met with death. He was childish. He hid a washing machine during hide and seek. His friends hid in better spots. All got caught, except him.

That's when he first met the thing. The thing was a man. The thing had two heads. No, one. The other head was in its mouth. It took Rain a while to realise the head wasn't sown the thing's body.

Blood and saliva dripped, trickling all the way to poor little Rain, as the thing sniffed him out.

Forward to a decade later, Rain doesn't consider himself lucky. But rich, he should have been. Such spectacle deserves a million views; not migraines that prevent you from attending to your girlfriend's needs.

"Rain!"

"Ya?"

"I'm hornyyy!"

"I know."

"What ya going to do about it?"

Rain chuckles, spins in his chair, and looks Kiko dead in the eye. Her pupils have never been as beautiful as today, glowing underneath the fluorescent bulb . She has on a see-through nightie.

Bad timing.

"Where's your roommate?" Rain turns back to his laptop.

"Adja? I think she's with her sis."

"Ah. Infamous Ayo."

"They are on a true crime detective mission."

"Sounds fun." Rain asks, "Why didn't you join?"

Kiko shrugs. Rain can't tell if she's even that close to Adja in the first place, and nothing about her demeanour seems to prove otherwise.

Or maybe they are close, but with her dating him and all, she hasn't had time for Adja.

"You should check out how she's doing, though," Rain remarks. Kiko cocks a brow to this and then rummages through her bag for her phone. As she begins texting Adja, Rain can't help taking a peek. They wait for Adja to reply to 'hi'.

She doesn't.

It's when Farley calls that Rain restains his curiosity, pulling out his cell to answer. A groggy noise akin to inebriation floods the line. Panting at the end, Rain hears Farleys tears like a hot spring from afar, its warmth travelling to Rain's cheeks.

"What the fuck? Farley, are you ok?" Rain jumps up. "I'm coming to you."

*

It doesn't take him long to locate Farley via Snapchat. The issue lies in the sight before him; a body clad in mud. Rain frowns at it till a bentover, teary faced Farley rolls the body to face Rain. It's a girl. A pretty girl.

"I can't-" Farley croaks. Rain freezes, never mind the whirlstorm brewed in his cranium. Bending to grab the girl's hands, Rain drags her unto a mat, rollsher in it and looks up. Farley isn't even helping. He's still crying.

"You know her?"

"Just got to."

"Ow."

"Ow?!" Farley barks. Rain flinches.

"I'm tired of this shit," the latter says with a flail of his hand. "I'm so tired, Rain."

"Ok... we should...quit?"

Dead silence erupts. A moment. Of consideration? Maybe. Of dread?

Definitely.

"Don't be stupid, Rain." Farley stands abruptly. The pain his eyes have vanished so fast, even the birds are flying off. Rain winces at the sound of their flutter, whereas Farley gets to work. His stupor is even gone; Rain reckons this from his partner's sudden movements. After disposing the body, the duo hit the hay in Farley's van.

Two seconds later, Rain starts burning with curiousity again. His mind won't let him rest, though he knows better than to  inquire about Farley's affiliation to the girl. It's a risky move for business.

It's business.

But...but him and Farley were friends before. They used to be able to talk about anything. Rain turns to Farley only to realise he has been staring. Their eyes blink simultaneously before Farley turns around in his reclined seat.

"Stop looking at me like that, Rain."

"Let's talk."

"About what?"

"I...I don't know."

Farley turns back to him, chuckling, "We talk a lot. We are wasting time talking."

"What should we be doing then?" Rain sits up.

Farley does too, sinking his teeth into his arm. With a bloody-enamelled release comes the words:  "We should plan how we'll kill him after taking all his money."

The words. The words. Rain gasps. The words; he said the very words Rain has been ruminating over for years.

However, what about the mystery of his being?

"I don't think he's human, Farley."

"Don't be ridiculous." Farley stretches his legs in sudden amusement. Leaving Rain in the car, he mutters, "He is not our only client."

"So ... he shape shifts?"

"Rain, are you high? There are movies of rich wierdos like him. He's not all that mysterious and scary like he wants us to think."

Nodding like he agrees, watching his bemused friend take a piss, Rain muses, "Let's wait to be certain of what he is."

"...Ok."

*

The moment Adja returns to her room, her jaw drops. Someone spray painted on the walls, "MIND YOUR BUSINESS!!"

Ayo comes up next, stops to read and then walks past her sister like there is nothing there.

"It's time."

"Ayo can't you see -"

"It's time to make that blog." Ayo cuts Adja off. "If you are getting threats, it means you are on to something they don't want you to know."

Before Adja can contend or suggest reporting this, Ayo yanks out her laptop, asking for her password. Reluctantly, Adja types it for her.

"Great!"

Ten minutes later, Ayo re-exclaims, "Great!" Adja rests her face on her wrist waiting for more 'Greats'. The roudiest one will mean she is done.

They are still in the room when a loud knock echoes. Instead of waiting to be let in, Kiko bangs the door open.

"Who the fuck did this?!" She points to the red paint. The sister shrug.

"And- how are you two chill about this?! Are you aware that this shit happened to Sarah before she died? Who are they threatening?"

The sisters turn to each other wide-eyed. Kiko grimaces, but they dare not look at her until Ayo gasps, "Done!",hitting the enter key of the laptop hard.

"What do you mean by this happened to Sarah?" Adja stands.

Kiko licks her lips to answer, "There are rumours that someone was stalking her and writing shit on her door."

"Her roommate didn't tell us that," says Ayo.

"No shit!" Kiko laughs. "It just came out, after another bitch was reported missing and her roommate said someone spraypainted their door. Then Sarah's friend came out to say the same shit happened to them a week before Sarah died."

Now is Adja's turn to grimace. "Sarah's roommate didn't tell us that. Did she even report when it occurred? Who is to say she didn't make that up for attention?"

"Well, that-" Kiko points to the door yet again. "That doesn't look made up! Whatever shit you guys are up to, you better stop -"

"Too late. We have 14 views already." Ayo shows them the screen. The number increases.