I inserted a toe filler inside my bunny slippers as I slid my feet into the house slippers and walked downstairs towards the coffeehouse and sat down, facing Aunt Inara and Grandma. With the Children of Balance Bible in her hands, my aunt gaped at me. "Could you explain to me again about this group?" she asked. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvD5taqvAo
"The Children of Balance is a doomsday cult," I reiterated. "Where they believe that their 'messiah', Nathanel Roth would bring balance to the world."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a1TXIxFFk
"That sounds ridiculous," Aunt Inara snorted. "This Nathanel guy is just a con man."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcRg7zNJfk
"Exactly," I agreed with my aunt's statement. "But his followers just believed him like a bunch of sheep."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgo1qWLqsyM
"Idiots. I bet they give up all their money to Nathanel."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmw7tkK3QS
"Nathanel even persuaded his followers to commit murder."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwzOLZS5Px
"Is it true?" gasped Grandma. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvsc6LAAWO
"It's true, Grandma," I nodded. "I was at the cult meeting."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BLgT7QaGx
"First, what are you even doing at the commune anyways?" questioned Aunt Inara. "You could have gotten yourselves killed."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNaNCQVONE
"Well, I encountered the Children of Balance on Naomi's birthday at an abandoned cabin."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQsbdTaSl6
"An abandoned cabin?" she raised her voice. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9cJO9sEUB
"Calm down, Ina," Grandma placed her hand on Aunt Inara's shoulder. "Bugsy, what did you hear at the meeting?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZxfElBe2l
"They planned to wipe out the vermin that caused the imbalance on Earth," I recalled. "Then, we offered a drop of blood on the fountain."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTqjnlaMOr
"What else did you saw?" Grandma held my hands. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyoses4VgL
"They all wear white hoods and chanted on how Nathanel Roth was our saviour and the Chosen One. I almost got caught but Ferdinand, Naomi and Lisa managed to save me."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPVEegzzjj
"Thank God," Aunt Inara sighed in relief. "I'm just glad you're safe."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZ8UzB2tR0
"Aunt Inara," I looked at her. "I know they were responsible for Malcolm's death 29 years ago."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UwgkuNWCs
"The police might not believe you, but maybe they'll believe David."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59vGqihsJl
I raised my eyebrows as Aunt Inara put on a beige coat. "Who's David?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEU0BhYJXiV
"The mayor," answered Aunt Inara. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QnQuMiXkI
"You mean Mayor Yearns?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcTAj6vmtF
"Yes, Bugsy," she waved as she left the Little Owl Coffeehouse. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen, pouring two cups of warm water. I walked towards our seat and placed our warm water on the coffee table. Grandma thanked me as she sipped her warm water. "Grandma, did you know Malcolm Nguyen?" 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7NmLN2nMU
"I knew his parents, Eric Nguyen and Martha Trans. Eric worked as a clerk for the town council. Whenever they came to this coffeehouse, little Malcolm would always jump about."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiCPiix94b
"That's sad. What happened to their parents?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToZft14q11
"I don't know," Grandma sighed. "I never saw them since the boy's death."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYcwFkmLnD
"Do you know anyone else in town who disappeared or killed?" I sipped. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m3IxmzmxZ
"Do you remember Jessie?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr597e6j3V
"I do," I let out another sniffle. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbneG0ddke
"Her parents, Mr Khan and Mrs Abbasi disappeared after her funeral, never to be seen again."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeRrfiFzLk
"I always thought they moved to the city," I stared in disbelief. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69RSkChEw8
"Most of the people I've known personally disappeared, Bugsy. Amara, Zuko, Ezra...."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S4NjrjYAf
I stood up and put on my blue jacket and a white beret as I opened the front door, letting in a breeze of snow inside the store. "I'll be at the archives, Grandma," I assured her. "Be back in a few hours."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTeqtkgVF2
"Wait," Grandma stopped me at the front door. "I'm coming with you."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzSWkvVDKn
"But it's too dangerous," I protested. "You might slip on the icy pavements and break your bones."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN33xa4cvkv
"I'll be fine, Bugsy," she insisted. "Besides, the more the merrier."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9q6V2B6i0s
I sighed as I watched her putting on layers of woolly cardigan around her and walked outside of our townhouse. I closed the door behind me and held her hands as we strolled along the pavements together, admiring the crimson lanterns hanging above us. "Lunar New Year's in another 3 weeks," noted Grandma. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhNpbQ1d4Q
"I know, Grandma," I chuckled. "Can't wait."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzAuOS6KEW
"We should get new clothes for you," she gazed at the store mannequin, clad in rose- red cheongsam with flowery motifs. "You're out sizing some of your clothes."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpUGsO8cMS
We passed the clothing store and headed inside the archives building, only to notice Ferdinand seated on a table in the middle, studying. I snickered as I tiptoed towards him and poked both his waist, causing him to jump from his seat. "Good god, Bugsy," he freaked. "You scare me."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqb7uxcfRE
"But it was funny," I amused. "Your reaction is priceless."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLpeEuTfpD
"Whatever, Bugsy," he rolled his eye. "I'm currently studying cults."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWHMjaDw8b
We sat down, facing him. "Did you find anything about the Children of Balance?" I asked. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1gU7HMVsd
"Unfortunately, no," Ferdinand shook his head. "All I could find was The People's Temple, Heaven's Gate and the Manson Family."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2a9NiQUXD
"Keep searching, Ferdinand, while I'll search for the missing and murdered people in Slaborough."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkaouVrDOO
I walked towards the counter and rang the bell, prompting Miss Yves to put down her newspaper and look at me. "Morning, Bugsy," she greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you today?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNcfF8Ck2b
"I need reports of missing and murdered people in Slaborough from 1969 to present," I specified. Yves got up and walked through rows of shelves while I got back to my seat and grabbed an article Ferdinand was going through.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYhxYRhPub
"SIGNS YOU'RE IN A CULT", I read. "By Amara Onyo."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gKyijlT5l
This must be interesting, I thought as I took out a triple five notebook and a pen. "Absolute authoritarianism, no tolerance for questions," I listed down. "The leader's always right, fear of the outside world, no financial disclosure."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncZR0avOZd
As I read another article, Yves approached our table and placed a pile of newspaper clippings next to me. "These are the one I could find," Yves wiped her sweat with her handkerchief.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxb88R4QvV6
I thanked her as I unearthed each newspaper clippings and filled up the entire table, making Ferdinand remove his articles away. With the dates of the clippings following the chronological timeline, I counted all the people of Slaborough missing or murdered. "There are 35 of them," I stated. 'Ferdinand, could you look at articles about Malcolm?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUA5m9znRmG
Ferdinand took out his magnifying glass and analyzed Malcolm's article. "According to the article, Malcolm was found dead on January 20 approximately at 10.43 a.m," Ferdinand read. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RstNDDu60
"Grandma," I called her. "Do you recognize anyone here who you suspect was taken or killed by the Children of Balance?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKabrIeOmvy
Grandma put on her spectacles and scanned the clippings, placing them on top of each other, making a mini mountain. "I could be wrong," Grandma doubted. "But I think these were the ones taken by the Children of Balance."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9SAo7XPn6
Ferdinand pushed the remaining clippings to the side and spread them out on the table, filling three-quarters of the table. "29," I counted. "29 was the number of years Malcolm was found dead."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxWJcBqnvk
With his magnifying glass, Ferdinand read the second article and jotted down the date on his glitter notebook. "January 20." 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlnUZX8I6L
He goes through the next one, and the next, and the next, until he reaches the last one. "January 20," he repeated throughout the whole time. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgl5fGwd20
"All the murder and kidnapping that the Children of Balance had committed were done on January 20," I noticed. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUKnfmmUjU
"But why the same date?" Ferdinand questioned. "If they wanted secrecy, they could've committed those things randomly."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8kwJjnuEZ
"Good question, Ferdinand. The police would've noticed this pattern by now but yet no actions were taken."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Z1HYxpuS8
"And how did they get the guns?" 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pjPJBRbdK
"What do you mean by guns?" Grandma raised her eyebrows, her hands trembling.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrBv1Nv4Yb
"The other day when we were in an abandoned cabin, we encountered the Children of Balance. They threatened us at gunpoint."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbqzy1FcWW
"But we can't have guns," Grandma expressed her surprise. "How did they get those rifles?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4V7omtK1I
"That is the questions we couldn't answer," I lifted my shoulders. Grandma took one of the newspaper clippings on the table and stared at a picture of a dark-skinned woman, with frizzy hair and a grin on her face. "Who is that, Grandma?" I asked. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXGS4nSb1A
"Amara Onyo. She was always carrying a notebook everywhere."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4tEiE4onD
Amara Onyo. Now that sounds familiar to me.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUjMZU7oT5
"So now what?" Ferdinand wondered.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4MYYpEI4e
We sat at the waiting room just outside the mayor's office, feeling slightly warm, with the sound of the secretary typing on a computer as background noise. Then, we heard the door swung opened, revealing Aunt Inara and Mayor Yearns.798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArWgTORVub
"Thank you for making time with me, David," said Aunt Inara, in a warm tone when she turned around and noticed us. "Mom, Ferdinand, Bugsy," her jaws dropped. "What are you all doing here?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKKPLeYteU
I stood up, hugging my notebook. "I have something extremely important about the Children of Balance," I spoke. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSq9yy1jBX7
"Alright," Mayor Yearns answered. "We'll discuss this in my office."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FCvwCFkEN
I faced Mayor Yearns as he sat down. I slipped a notebook on his desk and opened it, showing and explaining all we've found in the archives. "So you're saying that the Children of Balance kidnapped and murdered 29 people each year on January 20?" he guessed his conclusion. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOX1BN8ud7a
"It's true, Mayor Yearns."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOji1BYHmdN
"If that's so, then why didn't the police noticed this pattern from 29 years?" he placed his clasped hands on his desk. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoOo0CGa6t
"That's what I wondered as well."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAJqdoojeY
"And they have guns as well," Grandma pointed out. "Isn't it illegal?"798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9faVOEmDOZ
Mayor Yearns opened his drawer and flipped the pages of his law book, and showed us the page for reference. "According to the firearm's law," lectured Mayor Yearns. "It is legal for a citizen to bear arms, but they must go through various tests. After they successfully obtained a gun, their guns would be in an ammunition centre. And if they want to use it for practice, the gun owner must inform the police or else face a fine or suspension of gun license."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof7Jsqxg4p
I pouted my lips. "That sounds difficult."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2a6an6f71
"It is," said Mayor Yearns. "Which is why I'm making a police report based on the evidence provided by a witness of the crime."798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdfp4WkRG5
"That's great," Ferdinand gleamed. 798Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxS8J096ea7
"Now all of you just go home and rest while the police would take care of this."
"Yes, sir."
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