Special Chapter III: Home Is Where The Head Is (Part 1)

"Rainstorm is expected to pass through these areas tonight, expect some power outage in some areas. For the areas that are prone to mudslides, we advise you to evacuate immediately. This is Neal Phalls, live from the weather-."

The lights suddenly went out suggesting that the power outage had begun.

"Well there goes the power, Chad fetch the flashlights from the kitchen."

The child went to the kitchen to get the flashlights when he heard a knock on the window. He looked over the direction of the window but it was too dark to see.

"Who's there?", the child asked.

No one answers, all he can hear is the wind rustling the leaves from the trees and the rain pelting the window. A lightning struck illuminating the other side of the window. The image the child saw burned into his mind, a large man holding an axe knocking on the window.

The child ran back to his parents and told them that there was a man outside their window. The mother held the child in her arms while the father made his way into the kitchen, but when he arrived in the kitchen there were no signs of the man the child was talking about. He fetched the flashlight from the drawers and shone the light on the window to make sure no one was there.

He was about to return to the living room when someone tapped his shoulder. He looked back at the person behind him and the light showed a man dripping wet from the rain, his face covered by the hood of his black raincoat. The man swung his axe right to the father's clavicle. The father fell on the floor but the man with the axe didn't stop he swung his axe again but this time chopping off both the father's hands. The man with the axe moved to the living room and saw the mother with the child in her arms.

"Please don't! Please!" the mother said sobbing holding her child thighter protecting him from the man with the axe. The child too was sobbing, his face buried on his mother's chest.

The man didn't stop, he swung his axe and chopped off the mother's head. The man approached the mother's severed head and grabbed it by the hair. The man held it higher and laughed. He chopped the father's head too and with both heads with him the man left the house.

Later that morning

"That was one heck of a rainstorm."

The police officer poured coffee into his mug and took a sip.

"You've said it, thankfully there were no reported crimes."

"I might have to disagree on that", the inspector said as he came in with a folder in his hand.

"A family was attacked last night, both parents are dead and their heads are missing. I don't know if this will be good news to you, the kid survived but is traumatized by what he saw. I need you to go to the crime scene", the inspector continued.

The two police officers put down their coffee and hurried heading to the crime scene. As soon as they left the building someone came in. A high school student, named Ranvier Salamat.

"What are you doing here?" the inspector said.

"Come on inspector, do you really think I'll pass on this opportunity to demonstrate my skills in crime solving?"

"No, a kid like you needs to stay away from other people's business. This kind of environment isn't suitable for you."

"You're naive inspector, how many cases have you solved with my help?"

The inspector hesitantly looked at Ranvier.

"I'll make you a deal inspector, let me in this case. If I solve it then expect me to up your business the whole time, but if I can't then I'll stop bugging you and mind my own business. What do you say inspector?"

The inspector is still hesitant looking at Ranvier, but he knows that he'll solve this in no time, and though it was hard to admit they need his help.

"Alright, but if you don't solve this one then you'll leave us alone."

"So a house was invaded last night, both parents are dead, headless, and the child was left unharmed."

"How- Where did you get that?" the inspector looked at Ranvier quizzically.

"I've done an overall look at the crime scene earlier. Don't worry I didn't touch anything and besides the crime scene investigators are already on the scene."

Ranvier and the inspector went to the parking and stepped inside a car and drove to the crime scene. On the car Ranvier checked the facts with the inspector

"There were no signs of forced entry on any of the doors and windows, the suspect might be stalking this family a couple of times. He might have a duplicate key or made one, suggesting that he had contact with the family prior to this case."

"Wouldn't the same be achieved bylock picking?"

"Considering the time the child saw the killer it might be impossible to pick the lock in the given time frame. He could've done that earlier but I doubt that's the case, the lights are still on, he wouldn't take the risk of being caught lock picking, and it didn't fit his preliminary profile."

The inspector pulled the pictures of the victims from the folder and gave them to Ranvier.

"What do you think about the victims?"

"The father dealt more injuries than the mother suggesting that the killer might have some kind of anger towards father figures."

"But why did the killer take the heads of the victims?"

"The heads might be some kind of trophy for a successful kill. Based on the muddy footprints the killer left, he's sloppy at his work might be his first kill but skillful enough to wield an axe. Like I said it doesn't match the profile that he wields an axe and picks the lock. He could use the axe to break his way in but he didn't."

"So we're looking for a male that is skillful in handling an axe?"

"And or hunting."

"Hunting?"

"Like I said earlier the killer took their heads might symbolize as a trophy the same way hunters take the animal's head and display it."

They arrived in front of the house where the killings happened.

"Then how about the child?" the inspector asked.

"What about him?"

"You said he wouldn't take the risk of someone seeing him"

"Oh that, the killer might have some kind of remorse towards the child, he might be seeing himself as that child. If we consider that, he might be repeating something from his childhood that he wants to relive, and if that's the case I'm afraid it might happen again."