Scarecrow of 1889
Chapter 40: What happened to first love?

Chapter 40: What happened to first love?

"Behaving like he’s the damsel in distress, while we are the ones who took the burn for him all those years. Fucker doesn’t give a shit if we die with him!" Ricardo continued to rage in anger at Sylvester’s action. "The truth is that he is weak and cannot handle any of us."

"Calm down, Ricardo," Dr. Hall tried to pacify the alter ego, who now fumed. "You should understand where Sylvester is coming from. He has been left in darkness without knowing the truth, and the past has shocked him."

Both Sylvester and Ricardo were starkly opposite, and it was because of how they balanced each other. One shied away, while the other was headstrong enough to face things.

"You want us to unify. You think he can handle every detail that has taken place until now?" Ricardo questioned, and the alienist knew he was talking about the murders that had occurred.

"He will be ready for it when the time is right. We aren’t in a hurry, if you are willing to help, Ricardo. Will you help him?" Dr. Hall asked him. "He needs your help more than anyone."

Ricardo gritted his teeth, his eyes fierce, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Do you know what would be better, doctor?"

"What?" Dr. Hall asked, as his gaze met his patient’s, who only stared at him. But the answer never came.

"What do you want from me apart from making sure Sylvester doesn’t try to kill me and the others?" Ricardo demanded, who had considerably calmed compared to a few minutes ago.

"I want you to walk me through the murders that have been committed in the past. The woman whom Sylvester loved and believes he couldn’t hold a relationship with after her."

"You really want to know," Ricardo hummed as he remembered that night and said, "Sylvester and Samantha had this big plan of travelling the world with Delilah. Samantha wanted to be an actress too, while Sylvester wanted to do... well, what he is doing now."

"He did tell me that in our earlier sessions," Dr. Hall nodded, before saying, "He also said he visited in the morning and found her body. What happened?"

Sylvester climbed out of the carriage that he had ridden himself in and decided to park it, but then he changed his mind

He returned to Maeve’s mansion, where he believed the rest of his co-workers were there, and also where Samantha was. It was past one in the morning, and most of them were wasted. Some were mumbling something in an intoxicated state. He took a quick look around the living room and walked up the stairs when he heard,

"It was a good one, Sam!" with an intoxicated voice that belonged to the man who stepped out of the room. With the lanterns that had dimmed down, the man couldn’t see Sylvester standing at the end of the corridor. "The most enjoyable last one. I can’t believe we will stop here once you leave to travel the world with Vester."

A woman’s laugh was heard from inside the room, and it belonged to none other than Samantha. She said, "Consider it a parting gift. But it is only for a while. His mother has rich connections and it will be only a matter of time before I have a name as big as hers."

Though Sylvester couldn’t see clearly, he heard the sound of pants being zipped, and the man walked past him with drunken steps. Sylvester’s hands had grown cold from shock, and his head started to ache badly. He didn’t want to believe it.

He walked into the bedroom and caught Samantha’s dishevelled hair and clothes. Upon seeing him, her face slightly paled before she asked,

"What are you doing here, Vester? I thought you went home." She looked nervous, not knowing if he heard or saw as she fixed herself. "I was just going to bed. I am glad that you are here, we can sleep now," she smiled at him.

And then it happened. Ricardo took over Sylvester as an intense pain flashed with his mother’s voice at the back of his head. The soft features on Sylvester began to change and morph into something vindictive. He

"A little promiscuous to be sleeping like that, si? It is funny how he came here all the way, as if wanting to take you with him." As he walked past a stand where the fruits were kept, his hand picked up the knife.

By now, Samantha knew she had been caught and she said, "Vester, I can explain... It is not what you think."

"Shh, there’s no need to explain," Ricardo said, reaching to where she stood next to the bed. "Unfortunately, I cannot go to sleep. But I am here to tuck you to bed so that you don’t betray anyone again."

The next moment, Ricardo had slit her throat while anger consumed him. Blood dripped out of the young woman’s neck, making it impossible for her to scream, as she was in pain now. He watched her with cold eyes, and stated,

"You betrayed the trust. The faith that was put into you. Women like you need to be punished." Ricardo wasn’t done with her, and he raised his hands one more time before he carved her out.

"The next morning, Vester woke up. It is funny how he has been trauma dumping everything on us, while being oblivious. Also funny when he freaked out on seeing the wet footsteps," Ricardo laughed in dry humour.

Dr. Hall quietly sat there, hearing Ricardo recollect the night. The rage that Ricardo had stemmed from the hate that came for Delilah Swan. And that was the anger that had to be controlled and brought down.

"I read the reports that it was a single slit to the throat and it was your first murder, right?" Dr. Hall inquired. "Was it a fluke that you got such an easy kill?"

"Yes, my very first," Ricardo’s voice held no emotion in it. "And no. My father was a rich man, and rich men like you have rich hobbies, some of which can be sadistic."

"He taught you how to kill..." it sunk in Dr. Hall’s mind, as this information was something he didn’t have access to.

"All you have to do is slant the knife at the side of the neck, where the jugular vein runs and you cut it. Then it is only a matter of waiting," Ricardo explained it with precise details as he actioned it with his hands. He then dropped his hands and said,

"Father didn’t like that Sylvester used to dance or apply powder on his face. He believed it was a woman’s thing, and men were supposed to be a certain way. He wanted to be proud of me, to be the son he wanted and he tried hard. I wonder...if he would be happy that all my kills have been smooth."