17 Murder Mystery (17)

Four days have passed since the last incident. It was relieving yet bothering.

It was relieving because nothing uncanny has happened since then. Things were back on the normal track. No threats or strange messages. No nightmares or peeping tom on my window. I was happy for the most part. I attended the school like a normal teenager, paid attention to my studies, hanged out with Cee and slept without any nightmarish dreams.

It was bothering because I was still in danger. Someone was out there waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill me. Though I had been wearing the amulet all the times, i still wasn't sure if it could protect me for ever. As long as danger was lurking out there, comfort was out of question. I didn't knew what to wish for anymore. Of course I wanted trouble out of picture but after coming across those sinister things, I can't go back to how it was before. I cannot turn a blind eye towards it just because things are back to normal. I wanted answers but there was nothing i could do to satiate my curiosity other than wait for Finn Marshall. Moreover, I was worried that my curiosity would waver with time. 

It was Wednesday. Cee and I were in the public library searching for inspiration for our next e-zine article. Our articles were still due for the week and we've been searching for the perfect topics since Monday.

"Guess what's going to be my topic for this week's e-zine article" Cee jabbered out of nowhere.

"umm . . . no idea." I spoke tearing my eyes away from the book I was reading.

"Gruesome murders in Portland!"

"What?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Here!" She turned her laptop towards me.

[Body of a man found in the forest park of Portland, Oregon on November 17. The victim's throat was sliced brutally and the body was crucified to a tree. Apart from that, a bizarre symbol was carved on the victim's forehead. Police investigation shows that the murder is supposed to have taken place during midnight. The victim was a shop assistant in his early thirties and worked in a  in local thrift store.

Shortly after the first murder, another body was found crucified to a tree in the forest park in same condition. The victim was an elementary school teacher in her late twenties. The second murder also took place around midnight.

Police have discovered same kind of gruesome murders ten years ago and five bodies were found in different locations of forest park back then. The case remained a mystery.

Local people have formed their own speculations regarding these strange murders. Some say that it is the work of a serial killer who has awoken from his slumber after a decade and is again on a murder spree. While some speculate these murders are sacrificial and people are being sacrificed to some pagan god for the fulfillment of some ritual.]

Scrolling further through the site I found some frightful images from the crime scene. It can be concluded that these were one of those ghastly crimes ever committed.

"Damn! Why the hell would someone do that?" 

"Sadism babes, sadism. The culprit is a hardcore sadist. Either that, or someone killed these people for revenge and is covering up by leaving the bodies crucified."

"Isn't it odd? People getting murdered like that!"

"Yeah. Especially those nasty symbols on their foreheads. . .gives me the creeps!" She said and scribbled something on her notepad. "I mean look at those, they look like some witch symbols or sigils." 

My body froze at the mention of the word Witch. Is it somehow possible that these murders were tied to the people who were trying to kill me.

"My article's going to be super catchy." Cee interrupted my thoughts. 

"What are you up to?"

"I'm going to state the similarities between these deaths and sacrificial witchcraft. That's going to catch a lot of readers." 

"Okay. . . Stop right there. . . That sounds completely stupid." On the contrary, I believed that it might be true. These deaths might actually have something to do with the witchcraft. I was sure of the fact based on what I've encountered and the speculations I had about it.

"I know right. . . but that's how you spice things." She winked.

"I see. . . so how are you planning to bring it out?"

"Good question." She scrunched her chin while wondering, "So I'm going to talk about those symbols first, and suggest that they can be a witch's doing. Then I'm going to talk about how the victims were crucified which will also suggest about sacrificial rituals and all. I might even add the pagan god theory. The more the spice, the more curious they'll get. A thousand words long article and I'll be done for the week."

"So you're supporting the sacrificial theory. What about the serial killer one?"

"Well I think that these murders are an imitation to what happened a decade ago. I think the culprit killed those people and then carved out those symbols and crucified their bodies just to divert the attention. Think about it, why would a serial killer return to Portland after ten years and would start killing people out of nowhere."

"What if these people were related to each other? What if they had something to do with the murderer?"

"I just got an amazing idea. Why don't we just interview the victim's families and then publish it in the article?" What do you say?"

"What? That's insane. I don't think they would even tell us anything. Moreover, even if we somehow get done with the interview then I don't think we can publish it in e-zine. It can get us in trouble."

"Come on Kat. Let's do this. Don't you want to be a top tier journalist?"

"No, I don't. What made you think of it? I want to be a . . ." I was cut off by Cee' sudden interruption.

"Chill babes. I was just convincing you to do this. Anyways what else will you do at home other than daydreaming."

"Fine. I'm in ."