Chapter 5

Yes I killed Lyle. But in my defence, he was getting too intangled with some main characters, and for the sake of the main story line, Lyle had to go. But don't worry, read this and it wiĺl all end well
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Luna sat on her bed, inbetween sobs looking at the article again and again. "Its *sniff* all a bad dream I know it." She reassured herself. She didn't want it to be Lyle, and she refused to believe it was Lyle. But before she could do anything else...

Knock knock knock.

"I'll get it!" Yelled Lincoln. He opened the door to reveal a man in a trench coat and hat. The man took off his hat and introduced himself. "Hello son, I'm Detective Neff with the RWPD. Are your parents home?" Lincoln, a little confused, replied, "No, but they will be soon. Do you mind to wait?"
"No not at all. May I come in?" Neff asked.
Lincoln gestured to the living room where the detective got confortable in a sofa chair.
"May I ask what your doing here?" Lincoln said suspiciously.
"You may." Said Neff. "But I won't say till your parents get here."
Disappointed, Lincoln went to go upstairs to his room. As he passed by Luna and Luan's room, he could hear the older girls consoling Luna.

"Luna, its ok. I'm sure it wasn't Lyle. Lyle was a bright kid he wouldn't get himself killed." Lori, the oldest sister said.
Luna just sniffled, "But what if it was him?"
"Oh come on. What are the odds?! I'm mean Lyle isn't the only 15 year old boy out there you know."
"Yeah," piped up Luan. "Plus Luna, I don't see what your so upset about. You just met the guy yesterday. You hardly knew him."
"But..."
"No buts, it'll be ok. We're here for you. Everything will be fine." The girls got up to give Luna her space and some alone time.
Luan had a point. Luna didn't even understand it herself. She had just met him yesterday, and still she felt like she knew him for a lifetime.
Luna stared longingly at the door. "But..." she whispered. "I did know him..."

The Loud parents returned home to find Neff sitting in their chair, waiting to talk to them. He introduced himself and asked if they could talk in private. The Loud parents took the detective outside.

"What is this about?" Lynn Sr. asked Neff.
"Sir, I'm apart of the case of the murdered teen. And one of your daughters may have been involved."
"WHAT?!?" Cried Rita.
"Ma'am, please calm down. I'm not saying she was actually involved in the murder. But she may have known the boy in question." Neff explained. "Would you mind if I asked her a few questions?" The Loud Parents looked at each other and then agreed. "Which daughter is it?" Asked Lynn Sr. Neff pulled out a notepad and read off the name; "Luna Loud."
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Luna sat at the end of the table, while Detective Neff sat on the other. He had an open file, looking through papers and statements. While sifting through the nonsense, he asked, "So, you are Luna Loud?"
Lune just nodded.
"I assume you know why I'm here?"
Luna sat for a moment head down, the slowly nodded.
Neff continued, "I need you to identify this boy to me if you please." He pulled out a photo, and slid it towards Luna. She took it and looked at it. The photo contained what she feared most. A lifeless body lay on the ground. It had on jeans and a shirt and... "flat cap." Luna whispered as she put a hand over her mouth to hide her dismay. She looked at the face. It was just lime the face she looked at yesterday, except for the bloody mouth and blackened eye.

She flipped the photo over and covered her eyes. Neff took the photo and stuck it back in the file. "Does he look familiar to you?"
Luna just nodded her head and tryed to fight back tears. The detective pulled out a paper and began to read it aloud. "King, Lyle. Age 15, 5' 11" brown hair, blue eyes. Ring a bell?"
He looked up to see if Luna would respond to this. She still sat with her hands on her face. Neff went back to asking questions. "Miss Loud, did Lyle steal anything from you?" Luna peeked out surprised. "No. He would never do a thing like that!" She protested. Neff looked at her in disbelief. "Really?" He asked. "Because we found this in his bag." He reached into his file and pulled out a book. But no ordinary book, it was Lyle's sketchbook.

Luna was confused. That was Lyle's sketchbook, not hers. "Your mistaken detective." She insited. "That was Lyle's sketchbook."
"Oh?" Neff said. "Then why is your name on the front page?" He opened the book to show her. As she looked, she could see in big letters 'Property of Luna Loud'. Neff handed the sketchbook and went on to the next subject. "Miss Loud. One more question. Did Lyle ever mention gangs, drugs, that sorta thing?"

She looked at the detective. He seemed stern, and unaware that his questions were insulting her and Lyle. "Lyle was a good person," she said. "Polite and kind to everyone. He had problems just like everyone else. But assuming that is just direspectful." Luna glared at Neff. The old detective was unfased by her, having been in the same senario several times before in his career. He just rolled his eyes and continued. "Thank you for your time Miss Loud. If theres anything I can do let me know." He packed up his files and grabbed his coat and hat. He was about to walk out the door when Luna stopped him. "How did he die?" She asked. The Detective looked puzzled. "Excuse me?" He asked.

"How did he die?" She repeated. The detecive, not being completely heartless, said, "Miss its not important, shouldn't keep yourself up all night with the coulda shoulda wouldas ." Luna looked up at the detective. Her face nowed streamed with mascara and tears. "Please..." she whispered. The detective stopped and stared. This was bizzare, even for him. She barely knew him... and yet she acted like she lost her closest friend.

He exhaled deeply and turned back to the door. "Hemothorax." He said as he opened the door. He looked back one last time. "Shot in the chest, lungs filled wih blood." And with that he shut the door and left.
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Lyle walked downtown. Home wasn't what he called it, because he knew home was where love was, and any love that existed here was for druggies and freaks. Like him. He shook his head. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he thought about something else. His day... yes his day acceptable. He had some decent drawings. He pulled out his notebook and flipped through his drawings.

Quickly scanning each drawing then moving on, he eventually came to Luna's picture. He stopped. Fingers ready to flip the page but- they wouldn't. He couldn't help admiring the photo. It was perfect. He felt strange. Like he knew a good secret that only he would enjoy. He smiled a bit. What's wrong with you his mind asked. He just smiled and said, "I think I'm in like." He turned down the alley that he had crossed a thousand times before. And in all those times before, he had never met anyone or anything of any importance.

But tonight there was some someones lingering in the alley. Lyle didn't notice though, being distracted, walked down the alley. "Ey! You!" A voice yelled. Lyle stopped dead still. His heart sank. In all his years of living downtown he forgot the number one rule that was cardinal; Never. Ever. Go on gang turf.

"Boy, what you doin out here?" Asked a thug. Lyle turned. He gripped his pencil tightly in his fist. "Just headed home. I got no beef with you guys." One thug (Lyle assumed was the leader) shook his head. "But you do." He said "Your on our turf. Our land. You is a stranger here. And its gonna cost you." He held his hand out.

Lyle gave him a hard look. "How much?" The thug smiled and said, "Either everything you got, or..." He reached behind him and pulled out and pistol. "Your little dumbass."

Lyle pulled off his jacket. He knew he wasn't out of this through diplomacy. "I understand." He muttered. "But don't you know?" The thug looked confused. "Know what?" Lyle stepped closer and said, "In order for you get anything from me..." In a flash Lyle's hand flew under the thugs chin. He squaled and felt something sticking out. It was a pencil. Lyle stepped back and finished with these words, "You'll take it from me motherfucker."

Guns went off.
Silence.
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Propped against a wall. Lyle felt tired. No suprise having been shot three times. One in the chest and twice in the waist and stomach. The other thugs lay dead. Lifeless. Lyle started to chuckle. "I guess the pen is mightier than the sword." He coughed violently. He was having trouble breathing. Liquid filled his mouth. Blood. Great.

Lyle knew he was gonna die. He didn't want to but there was nothing he could do. He looked and saw his sketchbook. He reached for it and dragged it into his lap. He took his last pencil and wrote in big letters on the inside cover of his book. There. Now, a farewell.

He found a blank page and began to write. He didn't know what he was writing but he hoped it settled things with everyone. When he wrote his last word, he collasped. Exhaustion and tiredness overtook him. Sirens wailed in the distance. He threw his head back with the last bit of strength he had to see the starry sky.

"Elijah?" He whispered. His body slumped. Lyle left.
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Luna flipped the page of the sketchbook. So much talent wasted. She thought to herself, "What if he was just a nobody?" Then saw it. A page dripped in blood, but with writing. She read it, and it said, "To whom it may concern, If you are reading this then I am dead. Don't be alarmed or sad. I'm in heaven! Well at least I am. Anyway, the point of this letter is to say goodbye and settle somethings. First, if your reading this Luna, i want you to know that in the short time we had together, you showed me that life isn't so bad. And I thank you for being a true friend. My best friend. And given more time, maybe even more. Don't cry for me either you'll get my book all messy. Anyways, I want you all to know I'm doing alright and I'll see ya later. Now go get famous rockstar! The one and only, Lyle."

Tears dripped on the paper. She laughed a little and cried. Closing the book she picked up her guitar and began to play. She played day and night, and then wrote words. Soon she had a song, and she named it 'Passerby'. It was about how someone that you wouldn't 2 thoughts about, could end up changing your world. It became a hit and set off her rock career.

So the lesson of this story is to never take anyone for granted. Even if its someone you passby on the street, or catch a glance on the bus. Never consider them a nobody. Cause in their world, you could be the one to change everything about it.