Chapter 1: Origins

Here, is where my story truly begins. Gotta love that super edgy beginning though, right?
Anyways, I was normal guy. Well, normal-ish. I went from day to day doing a routine. Said
routine being sleeping, eating, watching TV, and even playing the occasional overly violent
video game here and there. It is known fact (if you are one like myself) that insanity is
characterized by the process of repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different
results each and every time. If thats the case, then I could even say that humanity is, as a
whole, well and truly insane. Me, I would represent sanity, as Im doing all these things while
knowing that the result is the same. Yet we are in denial when it comes to that logic, making this
theory of mine correct. Or false, depending on how you look at it. However, this little thought is
merely an inconvenience to both myself and others if voiced allowed. I rubbed the sleep out of
my eyes and sat up, my crappy bed creaking at the slightest motion. Gotta love being in a lifecrisis when you start narrating things and pretending people are listening. And Im not even 45
yet! Stretching out my shoulders, I heard and felt several satisfying pops go all along my back
and arms. Letting out a yawn, I contemplated the idea I thought of a few minutes ago. Deciding
against staying in bed and becoming a musician, I finally got up and decided to begin my day. I
made my way to my rooms bathroom mirror as Ive done for the past four years now. My
apartment is silent, which is a good thing from what I was use to. It wasnt all that great, but hey,
at least it was affordable. As I entered the bathroom, I cant help but grimace at the reflection
staring back at me. It looked half dead with dark bags under the eyes only to be betrayed by the
eyes themselves that seemed to be brimming with life. My dark, black hair seemed to be
sticking up in places that shouldnt be physically possible for it to stick up. Life always seemed
to flip me the bird when it came to physics. Sometimes I just failed really bad. Other times I was
Isaac fucking Newton without even meaning to be.

I decided to rectify my hair as I turned on the faucet to my shower, slipped out of my

underwear, and took half an hour to sit in the shower in a half-asleep, half-awake trance. From
day to day, this was my normal routine. After I had finished combing the jungle that was my hair
I finally decided to check the time. Looking up to my bathroom clock, couldnt help but blink for
several minutes as I contemplated what I was seeing. It was three o'clock a.m. The sheer
confusion of what I was seeing made me confused. I couldnt help but ask myself a single
question that seemed to imply a tone that reminded me of every question Ive ever asked about
life...
Since when the hell do I wake up at three?
Yes, six words always make up the questions I tended to ask myself when it came to
average life. And those words are: Since. When. The. Hell. Do. And I. These words allowed me
to question both myself and allowed me to contemplate my own situation. Yet lately it seemed I
was using my favorite saying less and less. Shaking my head, I proceed to exit my bathroom
while also flushing the toilet with my toe. Yes, the thing about us young adults is that when
were tired beyond the physical realm, it makes us more flexible than a bendy straw. Hell I could
probably give yoga instructors a hard-on if I was a chick. That is not the point however as I just
pointed this out by flushing a toilet, which in of itself is no small feat for the average person. No
really, just go into a public school restroom of a high school or middle school and look in the
urinal. I assure at least one student is too privileged to know a thing about public decency.
Theyd probably think I made the term up.
Moving on...
I plopped on my couch and dug bits of dried gunk out of my ears so the startling sounds
of the outside world could finally be heard with a clarity. Hearing the honking and the sounds of
the city was relief to the unnatural silence that permeated the atmosphere before. Letting out a
much needed fart, I grabbed the remote off my couch stand and switched on the TV. This would
probably be the best spot to do my inner monologue to those who I know are not listening; Im

Jericho Bellum. Teenager, lazy asshole, most likely psycho and or sociopath in the making, and
the one guy you dont want to annoy in the morning unless you want to lose your teeth. Last
part I probably wont do though. Because lets face it, who actually would do that if it would take
time out of our busy live? You can also probably tell by my bubbly personality that Im very
great at parties and an all-around happy, go-lucky guy. Man, my edge is off the charts this
morning! However, if you are as normal and bland as I know I am in reality, then you would be
just like me and probably irritable and talking to yourself in the morning. Then again, normal
people like to use the term pessimist to describe people like me while I, myself, prefer the term
realist when it comes to this fucked up cycle we call life.
Where was I? Oh yeah, waking up early I usually wake up at 5:00 a.m, do my morning
routine, and travel through the streets of New Jersey to a crappy public school that has gang
violence written all over it. Such is the city life of America. Dont believe me? Then I truly am a
pessimist, and you are an idiot savant. I switched on the TV and began to channel surf through
various channels, from cartoons to news to dramas and so on and so forth. I finally rested on a
re-run of some cartoon from the 90s, which in my opinion were the best cartoons. Those shows
knew how to sneak in really messed up stuff. Abortion, sex, attraction to the same gender, etc.
Two mind-numbing hours later, I was filling my backpack with the stuff I needed. Heading out
the door, I switched off the lights. Seriously, one thing Ive learned about living alone is saving
money, and conserving electricity is one of those money saving ways that schools actually got
right with those boring seminars. Exiting the building itself was uneventful. I mean, I could tell
you that I twisted my foot and fell down the stairs while being glad nothing of true importance
was in my backpack, which surprisingly, decided to take up hang-gliding without a glider. But
who would like to read that?
Passing by a student I know who was playing hooky as they would say back in the day,
I said a tired, emotionless good morning. This phrase was responded with the flipping of a bird
and some harsh language. You gotta love the youth of today, so bright and happy with kind

smiles on their faces. It makes me nice and cozy inside. I passed by several franchised coffee
shops before finally approaching the bus stop. Sitting down on the bench, I decided to people
watch to see what kind of weirdos I could spot. In the span of ten minutes, I managed to spot a
drug dealer, a hooker, a royal high gang member, and the occasional species of hipster. Now,
you might be wondering what in the hell is Royal High, and why should you care? Royal High
was basically the largest gang in the city, from drugs to guns, the guys were big. Why didnt I
call the police? Well my dear fellow there are many reasons to that but I think Ill tell you two.
One, EVERYONE fears the Royal Highs. And two, the police are corrupt. Funny thing that
those who are supposed to be protecting the law are easily able to break it without any lashback
that isnt from the civilian population, now isnt it?
Getting onto the bus, the smell of urine and cigarette smoke hit me which immediately
elicit a cough. By cough, I mean the sound of me hacking up one of my lungs. Never could
stand smoking, even marijuana. Tried four puffs of it, got a migraine, threw away the blunt and
went to bed. Cigarettes in my opinion were worse, for they didnt really do anything besides kill
you. I wonder who would want to die like that? Then again, a lot of smokers would probably
criticize and complain that that statement was unfair. Shaking my head I focus back into reality
as I check my watch. The little circular time read 6:03 which gave me just enough time to get to
school and swing by my favorite coffee shop before the bell. Even if I was tired beyond belief
and wanted to shuffle-walk like a zombie. The bus came to a screeching halt as I stood up to
leave. I wasnt the only one to file out of the bus with a backpack but I was the only one who
seemed to look decent as most of the other students were either dressed in pajamas or reeked
of smoke, drugs or alcohol. Thankfully, the coffee shop was right next door so I didnt have to
awkwardly travel with a group of people who just dont give a fuck anymore. The place was a
small out-of-the-way place called Rays Coffee. They sold all sorts of stuff with students in high
school being their main source of income. Pushing open the front door, the aromatic smell of

coffee entered my nostrils filling me with a sense of calm. There was nothing like coffee to calm
my nerves.
Standing in line behind a girl who was texting, I began looking around at the decor to
take the time away. Why? Because it wasnt until I reached into my pocket that I realized I had
forgotten to grab my phone. Yes, shocking I know. The place was squarish with a many tables
surrounding the right side with the front having a large counter that was split half-and-half. One
half had the register, the other half had all sorts of breakfast foods like croissants and stuff
behind a glass display case. The left side of the store was all windows that faced the street I
walked on to get here. The place had a whitish color palate that reminded you almost of an ice
cream parlor, though this one for adults. Instead of the sugary, heart-stopping, brain freezing,
ice cream; one got the mind buzzing effects of coffee. The line moved by one person. I had
decided I was going to get the Ray blast which was basically a frappuccino with black coffee
and honey mixed in. I know it sounds like it doesnt mix well but I like it so you can keep your
opinion to yourself. The girl in front ordered a bagel and vanilla cappuccino that took a rough
five minutes to make. I checked my phone to make sure I still had enough time, the clock read
6:42 a.m. which would give me fifteen minutes to get to school. I would say waking up earlier
than intended had benefits but your not the one wanting to collapse and sleep on a dirty coffee
shop floor. Scratch that, just noticed a janitor mopping it, therefore I would collapse on a
recently cleaned coffee shop floor. When I was finally next I ordered my drink, waited about
three minutes, and then began to exit the shop. I was just walking past a table when I noticed
something stick out of the corner of my eye. Next thing I knew gravity decided to do its job as I
felt the pain of hitting the floor and the numbing sensation of my coffee freezing my chest. It
seems that numero uno dick of the month deciding to trip me. Ouch, that had to hurt, looks like
you got a little shit on your chest ya faggot!

Great. Out of all the mornings that Steven the jackass couldve picked, he had to pick
today. Pissed beyond belief that I didnt get to enjoy my refreshing beverage, I decided to reply
in the most calm, cool, calculated way possible
Fucking asshole! I was drinking that! I yelled as I got up off the floor to glare at Steven.
Oh look! The lil bitch speaks! Here I thought that you wouldve offed yourself like good
little fag. Whats the matter? You look a little red. I wouldve thought that ice shit wouldve made
you blue but it seems that queers dont follow the rules of the universe.
Fuck. Him. If he wasnt twice as big as me, a quarterback football player, and most likely
into drugs I swear to you I wouldve hit him. Seriously. I would.
Turning around, I basically stomped out the door and back onto the streets. Yes, this is
where the whole jock being bully stereotype plays in. Whats funny is its just that. A stereotype.
This means that its based on some form of truth. That form of truth being a popular asshole
making the High School lives of people like me utterly living hell. Just to explain into further
detail of the homosexual name calling, a rumor circulated around the school that I was gay. Now
Im not sure how much you know of public city school, but that basically paints a target on your
head for assholes to swarm around you. Plus, Im not gay. Tried to look at dudes to see if I get
horny, and it didnt really work out. I took a moment to go into an alleyway to try to clean my shirt
up of cold coffee before entering the school grounds. Wiping the goo off my shirt with a dirty
napkin found in a dumpster, I looked at the building that was my school for a minute to
reminisce about its appearance. It was three stories high and made of red bricks. Now, that
wouldve sounded normal if it wasnt for several kids smoking on the campus, a gang sign
spray-painted on half the sidewalk, and the fact that there was a shady guy with a beanie in the
same alley way I was in.
Yo, shady guy says to me as I look at him you wanna buy some pot? Im sellin at a
discount today man.
No thanks, though you got anything that can wake me up? I asked.

What? I didnt really get to wake up too much cause an asshole ruined my morning. Plus
Im pretty sure this guy sold some stuff that wasnt really illegal like energy drinks and stuff.
Actually, I just got some trucker pills if ya wantem. Also got five Voltages and some
tootsie pops.
Give me a Voltage then.
Alright man, one sec.
He walked over to a dumpster and lifted the lid. Now, I know youre probably thinking this
wasnt sanitary. Who am I kidding, youre probably shaking your head right now cause Im
buying an energy drink from a drug dealer, but hey, drug dealers can be some of the nicest
people you know. Unless they force you to buy something, then you run as fast as you can and
hope they dont have a gun. Moving back to the dumpster, the entire thing was actually cleaned
out by this guy and turned into a cooler. Apparently he pays the principle 40% of whatever he
makes in order to keep it running. Now, not everyone in New Jersey is corrupt, were just very
rude to tourist because they ask some of the stupidest questions. And no, I dont have an accent
because its very hard to understand a guy who has one, even as a local. Gotta love growing up
somewhere else.
As the guy came back and handed me a drink, I dug out my wallet. Shelling out about
$10 bucks, I popped the tab as I walked around the corner to the front of the building. The sour
liquid gave me a good jolt and would hopefully be enough to get me through at least half the
day. The hallways were as youd expect from any normal, public high school. People that were
either getting to class or cutting class littered the hallways. And as always you could always
differentiate between the certain social groups that tend to unconsciously form. Thankfully, I was
one of the kids that was always in the background. I laid low, and tried not to get attention of any
kind. This was a double-edged sword, for it meant that I also wasnt popular for any group
either. I wasnt a loser, but I wasnt anybody to remember as well. Entering the class, I
proceeded to sit down at the desk and watch as students of all kinds would enter. A feeling of

sonder hit me as I wondered how everyone elses morning was compared to mine. Breaking out
of my thinking as the bell rung, I immediately started thinking on how bored I was going to be.
Of a class of thirty, I sat where I would sit in each class; fifth row down and second to the left. I
was nearest to the geeks and nerds, so I would hear all of the gossip and rumors about
upcoming games, movies, etc. I enjoyed them, but honestly I wasnt that into them.
The bell rings once more signaling the beginning of classes and our teacher walks in.
Hes a portly man with tannish skin, a full head of hair, and a beard. His name was Karl G.
Rider, though everyone calls him Mr. G.
Alright class, now as you know there was an assignment due yesterday that many of
you-
I tuned him out since he was mainly talking about kids whore just too lazy or
unmotivated to do school work. I honestly just did it out of boredom. When theres nothing to do
besides play video games and watch tv, then you tend to get tired of that same. Damn. Routine.
Every. Single. Day. Seriously, doing English homework is long and tedious at times, but really
easy if you pay attention in class. It had been about half an hour and I was already ready to
leave school. I contemplated just leaving and skipping the day until I realized I didnt really have
anything to do. The thing about modern times, is that there arent places like arcades, or skate
parks that appear to be in every random high-school life movie. With nothing else to do, like
everyone else, I began to search random things on my phone. In fact, I was fifteen minutes into
an interesting article about some local murders when the bell signaled for classes to change.
Getting up, I grabbed my backpack and filed out of the room.
By the time lunch finally hit, I was like every normal student in which I wanted to slam my
head against solid objects repeatedly until I inflicted enough head trauma to put me into a coma
for the rest of my life. Lunch was the one time in school that teens could actually socialize with
their peers and be free to express themselves in the prison-like atmosphere that goes by the
title of Public Education. Teens and faculty would converse with each other in a cacophony of

anecdoche as words would jumble together from the sheer number of conversations. It is also
where if people looked, they would find that I was nowhere to be seen. This is because I choose
not to eat, as I was never really that big of an eater. Sure, I would eat a protein bar or
something, but really I never felt hungry. Never really questioned it, and I never truly cared.
Getting back to my location, I was on the roof. Now, I will point out that yes, unlike in Japan, its
dangerous to be on the roof as they were never really meant to be stood on by people such as I.
Then again, I didnt really care. I sat close to edge to merely just look at the city. From the
viewpoint, I could make out small shops that would get business mainly from the students
amongst some of the skyscrapers. At this time there were thousands of people moving to and
fro on their way to lunch or back to work.
Honestly, they looked like ants. Doing the same exact thing day-in, day-out. Never
changing course from the small, useless, yet happy lives. The insanity of it all would always
make me question if these people realized if what they were doing is insane. Then again, its
said that those insane dont know theyre insane. So I guess it would be appropriate not to think
about it. Looking down, I went back to reading about the murders going on around the area.
Apparently police are saying the killer is either psychotic, or a wild animal that might have
escaped the zoo. There have been no reports though of that, meaning that theres a psycho on
the loose that have been murdering people brutally. I actually cringed when I saw pictures that
were released of some of the more, salvageable victims, and I could see why it would seem like
an animal was doing it. There appeared to be slashes going all around the victims body as they
were bleeding from head to toe. One victim even had his arm or leg torn off, meaning that this
must be one strong dude. Feeling like I might vomit, I turned off my phone and went back to
staring at the city. I was a normal teenager who was on a roof. Why would I even be looking at
this stuff? Its not like I could ever do anything about it
Boy was I wrong

School tends to go by a lot faster for me after sitting down and relaxing. After I
exitted from the roof, I was much more chipper than I was throughout the morning. Whether it
was the effects of caffeine wearing off or the fact that school was ending I wouldnt really know.
Walking the streets would always make me feel calm and relaxed. I would torment myself
occasionally to break me out of my little trances by initiating a form of jouska within my own
mind. Back and forth, back and forth I would go with myself as I would question on things such
as morality, an entitlement of justice or vengeance, to even simpler things such as Law and
Order cases. What if scenarios that I wonder wouldve changed the outcome of such said
things. I had always done this on walks back to my little apartment. Just like the business men
and women of earlier, I never deviated from my course. At least until today, when I noticed
flashing cars that would signal police. Looking at my phone, I read the time was now around
4:45 p.m. Looking back at the lights and cars, I shrugged my shoulders with a frown.
It couldnt be that important, but seeing the news with yourself on it was always an
interesting experience. Walking towards the commotion, I realized how stupid I was being. It
would be just like when people are rubbernecking to see if anyone was killed. Shaking my head,
I turned around and walked twelve steps before stopping. Then again, I was curious about what
was going on. Screw it. Turning around once again, I walked towards the scene that was playing
out. Mixing myself amongst a bunch of people, I immediately saw the yellow tape covering
around an alleyway. Police Officers were already keeping people at bay, and sadly I wasnt
really able to see what actually happened. Sighing, I turned to leave a second time before I
noticed something out the corner of my eye. He was only there for a second or so, but I couldve
sworn I saw a guy amongst a group across the streets who was smiling, at me. Yet when I
turned to look, I saw nothing but whispering people. Now that, was creepy. Shuddering, I began
my journey back to my apartment. When I looked back at my phone it was already 5:13.
I got back to my apartment safe and sound. Though for some really weird reason, I felt
like I was being watched the entire time. That put me on edge. Sitting into my computer chair, I

turned it on to begin researching these murders. I couldnt get them out of my head. It was as if
something was just drawing me towards them like a moth to a flame. Hell, I even looked into a
psychology report about socio- and psychopaths just to get a clue on why the guy might be
doing something like this. For three hours I searched, with nothing but an open window telling
me how dark it was getting. I forgot homework, I forgot TV, I forgot anything that I originally
planned on doing today. It wasnt until it was eleven o'clock at night that I finally decided to call it
a night. Double-checking that both my window and front door were closed and locked, I got in
my bed, re-set my alarm. And let the joy of sleep over-take me.