There is only one thing i hate more than waking up early, and that thing is being called from work in the morning, because, i know what that means… That i’m going to have a really bad week. I force myself out of bed, knock over some beer cans as  i approach the kitchen, i can’t help to notice how badly this apartment needs a cleaning, but for what or who? Not even my daughter come to visit anymore.

* Hello.

* John, we need you down at the station.

* Do you Albert? Who did those girls bring to our doorstep this time? - I really didn’t care much about police work these days, mostly because it has been all paperwork for the past five years.

* You got it wrong… We have the body of a magical girl in our hands. - This news made me hang up the telephone immediately, a morbid curiosity took over me, for that moment, everything was right with the world.

As i got in the car i notice a message in my phone, a message from my daughter wishing me a good day, i felt ashamed, but duty called. It looked like the entire city was in front of the police station, drawn in like flies to a rotten corpse, and on top of it all the vultures themselves, the TV Stations, glorifying a murder, but this time, i can’t blame them, even i got drawn towards the idea of seeing a magical girl dead. I pushed my way towards the crime scene, i’ve been away from the TV for so long that not even the journalists recognized me, thank god my co-workers did and i was able to enter the place with no hiccups. My hand was sweating with excitement, i can’t deny i had this feeling of anger inside me, in a way this girls took our jobs from us, they created a world so pure and safe that society had no need for us, and that pissed me off more than i liked to admit.

* Well well… Look who decided to show up

* Good morning Lucy - That thick accent never fails to amuse me, it gives this woman an air of innocence that she doesn’t deserve - What you got for me ?

* Maria Ramirez, she was known as Star Smile, twelve years old -

* Wait wait, twelve? Are you kidding me ? It’s a kid!

* Yeah John, looks like some of them are just kids but i think you are missing the point here…

My mind just drifted off when i hear her age, it made me realize how much hate did consume me, the worst part of it was to know that deep inside i was jaded, i didn’t really care if one, ten or a hundred of them just vanished from the face of the earth, the only thing that kept my interest in this case was to discover who killed her, and most importantly how. When i came back to reality Lucy had finished her explanation i brushed her aside and approached the body, but nothing in the world, not even my twenty years working as a detective, twenty-five if  it wasn’t for them, could prepare me for this, in the end of the alley, there she was, her neck wide open like a sinister smile greeting me, as if she was inviting me to enter a new circle of hell. My stomach churned, i never been so grateful for not eating breakfast, but even still, what scared me, what made me shake in fear of the mere thought of what could do this to a little girl was what was written in blood above her head.

“Burn the Witch”, that image was burnt in my memories forever, as if the killer himself had painted it in my brain, that grimm memento mori, i kneeled near the body to luck for any clues, but nothing that could even hint on how she got killed, until i noticed something strange, she was only half transformed, i remembered an old interview with a famous Magical Girl, she said that they had to transform back to normal. This person waited this girl to start transforming back and attacked.

I was so entranced by that scene, that… Painting that i barely noticed Lucy calling me, thank god that voice was there to rescue me.

* John! Are you okay?

* Y-yeah… I’m fine what happened? - Fine? I’ve never told a biggest lie in my entire life, something inside me had woken up, something i was scared it existed the whole time, i was admiring the monster that created this scenario, it was messy indeed, but all the feelings of hate and resolve were splattered all over the crime scene.

* Albert wants to see you, looks like we got hold of her father.

* How you explain this ? - I need a smoke, fast, i felt guilt, i promised i would stop smoking, but, not today, today i need this or i might just lose the rest of sanity i have.

* I’m sorry what?

* How you explain to a father that he lost his daughter? - I felt the walls of that alley closing in, ready to swallow me never to be seen again, the damn cigar just won’t light up, until it did, and the walls returned to their original place just as fast as i took the first drag.

* Hell if i know John, but you are one right? You going to figure it out i’m sure

* Yeah, Father of the year material right in front of you. - The first cigar of the day, it used to have such a sweet taste, almost like the first kiss in the morning, but today i can only taste the blood and guilt.

* You could be if you kept your promises.

* You been talking to my wife again ? - Fucking best friends, can’t believe this sweet country girl could be friends with my wife, huh… I still can’t bring myself her, i would leave too if i were her, in fact i believe i left with her that day.

* And your daughter, she said you would spend the week with her.

* Well Lucy, you know i love you, but you ain’t my mother - I left, i forgot about picking up my daughter, thank God Lucy was here to remember me, she truly is my guardian angel, but for now i needed to talk to Albert and a father.

* But she IS your daughter dumbass!

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Yeah, she is my daughter but i haven’t been much of a father in the past three years, i’m ashamed to face her again, she looked up to me, and now i’m just a empty husk of what was once a man, and so i shambled my way to see my boss, i could see by his face he wasn’t happy to see me back into the field.

* Albert - I sat in front of the man himself, Albert Miccael, the last police chief to accept Magical girls help, and his table still as clean as ever, he handed me the address without saying a word - Not forgetting anything chief ?

* No, i’m not giving your gun back John

* So you want me to go after a dangerous criminal, that killed a magical girl must i add, without protection? - I knew the answer already, a simple and shy “no” and he would give me my gun back.

* No, no Jonathan not at all, of course you will have protection, your new partner is coming to meet you, he can carry a gun

* WHAT? You know i work alone Albert - I stood up in surprise, can barely believe i got phased by that, the already small room seemed smaller, i didn’t want a partner for a damn good reason, the simple fact i didn’t want history to repeat it self.

* Yeah? Well i don’t give a damn John! The kid is one of the best, he’s a pro at these… these magical girls gobbledygook, so you can either work with the kid for good, or get the fuck out of my office and work with the kid anyway!

* Fuck you Albert - I left the office, i didn’t care about Albert or the job, but i was too curious about who killed this girl to let go at all, i opened the door to Albert office once more - Tell the kid where he can find me, i’m gonna talk to this father.

I can’t really blame Albert for not giving me my gun, just the fact i still have my job is nothing short of a miracle, no… Not a miracle, the bitter truth is that i still have my job because of those magical girls and i can’t accept that, but these thoughts will not help me on what i have to do now, finally here, the Ramirez residence,  a small house i must say, not a great neighborhood either, i can feel the back of my head burning because of the looks the locals are giving me, thank god other officers are here already, i just need to ask some questions, search some stuff and get out.

* Mr.Ramirez? - Simple house, reminds me of my apartment, minus all the beer cans and empty bottles, Ms.Ramirez is nowhere to be seen, except for family photos, dead i suppose, that really doesn’t matter now.

* Yes? Who are you?

* I’m officer Johnathan Hammer, i came here to ask some questions about your daughter, i assume officer Douglas and officer Samantha got you up to speed on the latest happenings - A lot of medals and trophies on a cabinet behind him, some washed up athlete, probably can’t leave the past behind, might explain how he didn’t pay attention to his own daughter, heh, like if i’m some kind of moral bastion to talk about the man like this.

* They… They did yes, do you have any clue about who did it? - The man is a wreck, any doubt if he could’ve done it to his own girl is out the window, can’t help but feel bad for him.

* I’m sorry Mr.Ramirez but we still have no clue about who did it, look do you mind if i take a look around? - I didn’t notice until he stood up but this Cuban boxer is twice my size.

* How do you still don’t know? Isn’t finding out who did this your job? - Damn Ramirez, no need to hold me by the shirt so tight, and why now, of all times am i alone with this man? Goddamn it i can’t believe Albert didn’t give me my gun back.

* Now now Mr.Ramirez, i really need you to calm down, i’m here to help - He’s so heavy he barely moved after i pushed him! Fuck… I just noticed, he still in shape what a wonderful day to have lost my gun.

* - Calm down! You want me to just sit here while the person that killed my sweet daughter is out there? Let me show you what i’m feeling right now - What happend? My face is burning… Was that a punch? I didn’t see it, but it feels like i just got hit by a truck, a really big, fast and heavy truck. I… I can barely keep… I’m falling… What is this? Someone is opening the door… So dark...