Primrose

Flowers have been his little paradise. An escape from the reality of a life filled with lies and sorrows. He could still remember the way they comfort him in a place where his mother used to punish him.

The comfort he longs to have from his parents was found from the flowers he watches grow. He sighs in frustration as he walks down the dark alleyway and into an abandoned building. He peeks outside to see the children laugh and play.

All he wanted when he was a kid was to play with other kids in a playground. But his mother won't let him play so he was stuck at home. He sighs for the nth time and walks inside the building. The sound of water droplets falling one after another echo inside the building.

A heavy footstep and silent huffs were also heard around the building. He hums a song slowly while he walks down the dark hallway of the building. He walks and walks and walks until he reached a small room far from the entrance.

He stood by the door and quietly sings the lyrics to himself.

"Ding dong, I know you can hear me. Open up the door, I only want to play a little," he sings as his grin widens every second pass.

"Ding dong, you can't keep me waiting. It's already too late for you to try to run away," he sings again.

There is a small hole at the door and he tries to peek inside. He shows a sardonic smile when he saw the man he is looking for. He tries to open the door but the knob was jammed.

"I see you through the peephole. Our eyes are locked together. I can sense your horror though I like to see it closer," he said as he tries to open the door.

He was beyond pissed this time so he slams his whole body into the door in an attempt to destroy it. The frantic man went inside the closet and tries to call the police. Three rings before a male dispatcher answers.

"Help, help," the frantic man said quietly. "Help me, please. I can't talk for too long. He is already by the door. He is trying to break in, please send help immediately," he said while trying to suppress his fear of going to get killed.

"Can I ask for your name, sir?" The dispatcher asks. "Keya Gul," he said while shaking. "Please, please hurry," he begs. He bravely looks outside to see if the guy who was chasing him earlier was inside the room.

His fear becomes worst when he said that the door is destroyed and the guy is removing the dust from his coat. The guys still hum the song from earlier. He heard the song before but he can't remember where he heard it or who sang it before. "Sir, can I ask for your location?" The dispatcher asks. The thought of talking while the intruder is inside making it merely impossible for him but he tries to answer as quietly as possible.

"Sir, I can't hear you," the dispatcher said. He groans quietly rethinking all of his life choices. Ranging from his childhood to the time when he made a decision of coming to Emir City to start a new life.

Moving to this city was a very bad idea, and he just knew that after Ms. Sorrel's death. He should've known better. He quietly clears his throat and answers the dispatcher. "An abandoned building near Granson's Cafe. Please hurry up," he said but as soon as he said that the closet door opens and he screams.

He could see the man's sardonic smile from underneath his mask. He looks devilish and scary. He tries to get away from him, but the guy is so strong that one punch could kill him. "Please, don't kill me. Please," he begs.

"I have a family and they need me. Please, spare my life," he begs again as he tries to hide his phone from the guy hoping that the police might save him on time. "Tch, tch. Ssshhh," the man said and throws the guy onto the wall dropping his phone away from him. The man grabs the phone and sees who is he calling.

"Police?" The man said in a very low voice that sends shivers to the dispatcher on the other line. The man chuckles and asked the guy groaning in pain on the ground, "Do you think they will find you before I kill you?" He said as he tries to suppress his laughter.

"Mr. Gul, they didn't even know who killed Ianthe," he said. But the time he said the name Ianthe, the call already passes down to Lilibush's phone. Chief Moss and the other officers heard the conversation.

Everyone is on the edge of their seat and not knowing what to do. "They haven't found the others, Mr. Gul. And they won't," he said as he chuckles while Mr. Gul winces in pain. "Spare my son's life, please," Mr. Gul begs.

"Of course, I will. He is my employer," he said with a sigh in his voice. "He is the one who asks me to kill you and your mistress," he added as he pulls Mr. Del's collar he whispers a bit louder so even the officers could hear.

"Your mistress is the one who killed Ianthe, Mr. Gul. Yet you still deny the accusations against her, you even paid the local newspaper to reveal that Ianthe killed himself. Aren't you a bit bad, Mr. Gul?" He reveals.

A few gasps and a silent cry coming from Mr. Gul were heard all throughout the conversation. Chief Moss asks the cover unit to locate Mr. Gul's phone through GPS and asks Lilibush and the others to join him in finding who the hell is Mr. Gul when the man speaks again.

"Don't go yet, detectives. You won't even find him alive when you get here. Stay and hear his story as to why his mistress killed Ianthe. It's a very sad story, by the way," he said sadly then he turns to Mr. Gul to proceed with his story with a smile on his face.

Mr. Gul shook his head and the guy scoffs. "I will tell thee," he suggests. He ties up Mr. Gul and proceeds to sit on a rusted bed near where he tied him. "Mr. Garance is very nobleman. He has many businesses and establishments under his name.

For the past few years, he gains tons of money and royalties from other business owners. He fell in love with a guy but since his father is a police officer and he hates to humiliate him. He hides their relationship from his family until Mr. Gul's mistress finds out about it and threat Mr. Garance to spread the truth behind his sexuality.

Out of rage, Mr. Garance fired the mistress from her work and threat her to be killed by the city's monster if she spread anything. She didn't actually believe that so in every party she attends. She tells the story of Mr. Garance and his secret lover," he said as the officers rush to where Mr. Gul is together with Lilibush and Chief Moss himself.

"So, how did Mr. Garance die you asked? Well, he died from food poisoning after the mistress feeds him with rat shit and dead cockroaches. The End," he added. He stands up from the bed and crouches down in front of Mr. Gul.

"Didn't he warn you to never mess with people of Emir City, Mr. Gul?" He asked. Mr. Gul grimaces as he tries to remove the ropes that bind him. "The last question before I go, how do you think Ms. Sorrel died?" He asked and smiles as he walks away from Mr. Gul and into the darkness of the hallway.

~0~0~0~

The early morning of Wednesday has been a very good day for him. Ren Sage really loves morning even though he is not a morning person. The sweet scent of flowers is what he loves the most in the morning.

He yawns and stretches before heading out to the back of his store to pick up scraps and flowers. He hears sirens from afar and just smiles to himself. 'Mr. Primrose has a very late night,' he thought to himself.

He went to the back and as he sat down, he saw Mrs. Prime at the corner of his eyes. She looks like she just woke up from her slumber. "Good morning, Mrs. Prime," he greets with a smile on his face. Mrs. Prime looks at him and smiles. "Good morning to you too, young man," she said as she waves at him.

She left the window and Ren proceeds to whatever he is supposed to do that day. The day went by slowly at the shop but he does not care because he will have a wonderful time tonight. He feels very excited, so he decided to close down the shop early so he could prepare. He was about to go to the back to check his flowers when he hears the welcome bell dings.

He turns around and sees the man he just longs to see. "Hello to you, too," he greets. The man nods at him as he sat down and removes his coat. "Tough day?" Ren asks. The man just looks at him as he removes his mask.

"As tough as Keya," he answers with his deep baritone voice that sends shivers up Ren's spine, and felt something wet underneath his pants. He gulps before talking to the man again. "Well, what do you expect? He is Keya Gul at all counts," he said.

The man just shrugs the thought about Keya Gul and looks at the florists in return. "You look blooming. Did something happen?" He asks. Ren was a bit shocked about the question but did not show his reaction to the man.

He felt danger just by hearing the man's tone when he asked the question. Minutes passed and Ren hasn't given the man answers to his question. He stands up from his chair and stood beside the counter. He forcefully lifts Ren's chin to face him.

"I asked you a question, Orch," he growls as he grips Ren's chin tightly. Ren whimpers and gasps suddenly. The man chuckles and whispers in his ear. "Are you horny, baby?" He asks. Ren moans and whimpers loudly before holding on to the cashier table for support.

"Answer me then. You might get a reward," the man said. Ren is about to answer when he put his finger on his lips. "On second thought, nevermind. I already know it by the look in your eyes. Just make sure you will win at the end of this, honey. I don't want to lose you just because you got fooled by a stupid detective," he said as he removes his grip from Ren's chin and walks towards his coat.

He puts it on and as he walked out of the shop, he turned around again and said, "Let's make this city ours again, baby." Then he walked out of the shop and into the crowds. Ren gaspingly sat down as he felt his legs tremble in fear.

"He is dangerous as he is seductive," he whispers to himself. "And I am loving it," he giggles to himself. The thought of him might punish him if he didn't win this stupid game is the only fear he has for as long as he could live.

He stood up again and fixed himself. He needs to be ready for this date. He closes down the shop and proceeds to the back to prepare everything he needs for this date.