Midnight Crusader – The Conclusion

Jugular, Part 5

The Conclusion

What was her name? Mary? Christine? He kept thinking about that question as he rode to the police station in the cop car. The officer looked nervous as James pointed the gun at cop’s head. Why am I doing this? Because I love her.

James kept the gun pointed at the officer’s head as he walked into the police station. The other cops automatically pulled their guns.

“Freeze.”, said a cop.

“I’m not a bad guy. I just need whatever you have on Jugular and I’ll let this guy go.”, said James.

“Hold on. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. A witness just came to us who saw a man with bloody hands leave the scene of one of the murders. Here’s his description.”, said a cop.

The witness described James.

The memories came flooding back. He was at a club and saw a beautiful woman sitting alone. He imagined he was a lead singer in a rock and roll band who went down to greet her. But then her boyfriend came.

And James was angry.

James followed her home and slit her throat. He then painted, with her blood, the word “Jugular” on the wall.

And then he felt bad.

James went back to his apartment and the phone rang. It was his father. He wanted to see him. James went to his father’s house. It was a run-down apartment in the middle of a ghetto. Richard was an addict.

James refused his father’s numerous pleas for help and soon left. But between his father and Mary, James’ emotions got the better of him and he began pounding his shoulder against a wall. His arm broke. James went to the hospital and while he was laying there, getting a cast on his arm, he suffered a further psychotic break. He decided on a way to make Mary proud of him. James’ father, when he was clean, used to tell him stories of his grandfather, who was a hero called the Midnight Crusader. James would be a new Midnight Crusader, and catch Christine’s killer.

James made a mask and bought two guns. He decided to shave his hair into a mohawk to further disguise himself. James made up his bandmates, who tried to stop him from going after Jugular. He dreamed of his first date with Christine as he drove around aimlessly. And then he saw the cop.

James came back to reality. He was Jugular. Not the Midnight Crusader. He threw the cop down and ran out of the police station. The police quickly go after him. Jugular makes it to a bridge, his back to the water. Cops surround him.

“You know, I thought I was the hero of this story. Doesn’t that count for something?”, said Jugular.

“You’re going to jail for a very long time.”, said a cop.

“Nah.”, said Jugular.

Jugular jumps off the bridge and into the water.

Cops look in the river and around the river but do not find Jugular. Weeks later, a young man and his girlfriend are walking home from a movie Suddenly a man jumps up from behind and takes a knife to the man’s throat.

“I’m baaack!”

THE END