"Eleven-fifteen at midnight, the dead body of a girl was found at the City-Highway. Doctors say the victim was brutally molested right before she was stabbed in the back. Cause of death- suffocation, followed by stabbing. Here is a picture of the victi-..."

*Knock Knock*

At the centre couch of my typical apartment's messy hall with dim light from the T.V. illuminating the gloominess, I and my best-friend Arya were resting by the couch, watching TV as we ate potato chips.

Arya got up to address the knocking door. She was nineteen at that time; probably wearing a pink summer top with a blue pajama, her long jet black hair dresses into a pony. She looked alluring, as always.

Standing at the door was a guy, blonde hair and a buffed giant physique, a black t-shirt, and ripped pants, Brook.

Alongside him stood a cool lad with trimmed army cut and a relaxed expression, he always carried the resting-bitch expression and was a total badass, the younger brother of Brook, and my good friend- Cynthia. 

Cynthia's black ripped t-shirt appeared dusty, and the netted t-shirt beneath it revealed his chiseled abs, despite the fact that he appears thin, had a slouching posture, and was slightly shorter in height than the Arya.

He sighed and stepped inside; Arya slid by to let him in; she returned her attention to Brook, his face still furious, and his eye piercing making him appear even more intimidating. He finally smiled, Arya smiled back. They trudged into the hall.

Cynthia glided onto the couch, taking a seat next to me, I had changed the channel to watch a football game instead of lame news. I was a total boomer back then, dressed in a checkered shirt over a white t-shirt and a standard pair of trousers. My hair is well-rooted, spiky, and combed to the left.

"Yo, Alan, can you bring me some coffee, please?" Arya pleaded as she sat on the sofa chair next to the couch. 

Finally moving away from the T.V., I turn to the guys, Cynthia shakes his head in refusal, Brook nods, in his deep voice he says, "yeah, but with less sugar"

I then turn to Arya. She smiles, "you know how I like it", Cynthia deliberately coughs, probably trying to tease Arya and me. 

****

My slender fingers had been reaching the switch, the kettle sitting on the slab between me and the blue-tilled wall of the dark kitchen. As I pressed the button, blue sparkling took over my body. 

****

"When you pressed the switch, a current passed through your body. Fortunately, your girlfriend was next to you, she barged the connection with the use of a wooden stick." 

"She's not my girlfriend", I said, shy as I looked. I was sitting in a doctor's cabin, a handsome doctor sitting in front of me. He smiled, "well, I am not to speculate that".

He extended his hand to hand me over a slip of prescriptions and the fee. "You may leave, and is the house rental?" he asked, I nodded. Adjusting his seat, he said with a smile, "well kid, try and earthen it, the landlord must have forgotten".

**** 

Roaming past the corridors of the hospital, I noticed a reporter standing by the reception at a distance from me. So, I slowed my pace. There were three more reporters standing nearby. Since its the only hospital in the entire town, I could guess whats the tumult all about.

Uneasily trodding past the reception, I heard the words, "Is Siya Braun's body still in the hospital?" Those words seized me in indispensable terror. I furtively ambled back to the bleached corridor. Therein, I saw a policeman walking out of the last room.

I approached the Sheriff, "sir, did anyone from Siya's family appear till now?" 

 The sheriff shook his head in refusal, "are you a reporter?" he then asked.

I took a deep breath and earnestly revealed, "I'm Alan Wright. A brother to Siya. We never talked in years, not after our parents got divorced. I was sent to an orphanage, she was a grown-up, went to a boarding school."

The sheriff straightened his back in eagerness, "Siya is a Braun", he then quoted. 

I exhaled, "I never use my real surname sir. Don't remember it. Maybe I did, but I chose to live with a different name. My real name is Light Braun." 

"Light Braun? Sounds kiddish and made up. What was the name of your sister's boarding school, Braun?" he asked sternly.

 "I don't know, it was in South of Celi I remember, nothing more." The Sheriff took a deep breath and picked out his walkie-talkie, "can I have a status on the victim's family? A guy by the name of Alan Wright, or Light Braun, in front of me says he is a brother to her.... Yeah, a sibling". The sheriff looked back at me for an affirmation to the latter, I nodded. 

"I'll send him in."

Before walking in, I stuttered, "who murdered her?" My lips dried out and deep inside, I couldn't stop shaking.

"Murdered her?" the sheriff questoned with a shriek. "She died in an accident, she was drunk driving and rushed into a tree at the isolated highway. I'm sorry if it sounds harsh but she killed herself."