Jackal’s Journals – Prelude 2

Don’t remember when I became Jackal exactly. But remember when I stopped being someone else. Memory is clear.

Body of dead girl lying in alley. Rain falling. All evidence of killer washed away. Leon sensed he was missing something. Looked closer… Something about the eyes bothered him. Open. Staring. Rain fell on them and pooled there. Eyes are supposed to blink when water splashes in them. These didn’t. They just kept staring. Looked closer… Found gaze uncomfortable. Accusing. Overpowered misgivings. Looked closer… Saw phantom shape, barely visible on milky surface. Perhaps an after-image of killer’s face, captured at moment of death. Looked closer… Recognised truth. Was not as had imagined. But murderer was clear. Was own face reflected in dead girl’s eyes. Thought back. Earlier same night.

Inside club, noise was deafening. Amps thundered. Bodies jerked crazily under strobe. Leon was watching Dead Girl cavorting to music. She wore ripped jeans and a BITE ME T-shirt. It didn’t look like she was wearing a bra.

“I’m going to fuck her”, said a pale-skinned guy standing nearby.

Leon turned. Looked at him for first time. Guy wore black jeans and a jacket. No T-shirt. Pale stomach moved in and out as he breathed. Had short, dark hair. Hollows under eyes were blackened with what might have been charcoal. He was a Nova. Though not a powerful one. You can tell.

“That girl you’re looking at, I’m going to fuck her tonight”, the pale guy repeated.

“She’s with someone”, Leon observed.

“Doesn’t matter”, he said. “No contest. Wanna know why?”

Leon didn’t.

“It’s coz of my powers” he went on. “There’s something about my eyes. I’m not bragging it’s just what they tell me. They’re kind of hypnotic.”

Leon looked hard at his eyes. They looked slightly pig-like. Pupils were small and black. Whites looked plastic. They weren’t anything special, just fibre and jelly. The charcoal made him look like a racoon.

“Name’s Romeo” he said, extending a hand.

Guy was irritating. Was beginning to sour Leon’s whole evening. Wanted to kill him but it seemed arbitrary. Couldn’t think of good enough reason so let him live.

“Why are you bugging me?” Leon said.

Romeo’s jaw dropped.

“Fuck you man. I thought you were different”, he snarled, “but it’s the same old shit. You base-lines feel threatened coz you know we’re the next phase of evolution. You just can’t handle it. Well I got news for you pal, you’re history, you’ve been replaced.”

Encounter with Romeo ended. But was already too late for Dead Girl. Leon realised that now. Had committed sin of omission. Had seen place for Romeo’s death in the pattern of world, but had left it out because he was Leon not Jackal. Leon hadn’t understood why Romeo had to die. Now reason was obvious.

He walked away. Went home. Looked in mirror.

He could see Dead Girl struggling, pushing Romeo away. Could see him pressing up against her, hurting her, holding her down. Could see marks where hands went around her throat. Could see her flailing, scratching. Her thrashing becoming weaker. Was all too clear. He thought of Zoe. If he had killed Romeo when he should have, Dead Girl would not be lying naked in the rain. He had murdered her by letting Romeo live. It wouldn’t happen again.

Two weeks later Jackal found Romeo in a neighbouring state…