Headlines

Investigation

  A blazing headline shone back in your face as your eyes went wide.

 Gruesome Family Murder Brought Back to Life; it shone off your screen in shocking blue text contrasting with the white background of the browser. Your cursor immediately clicked on the article, desperate to get any information possible. You checked the date and saw that the article was from nearly eight years ago when you were still just a kid. You scrolled desperately down until you found the start of the story.

  'A gruesome family murder was brought back into the spotlight after the final surviving victim passed away this week. Danny Johnson, aged 16, passed away from his wounds in Cucurabita County Hospital only a week after being rescued from his kidnappers.

  This story only brings about more tragedy, as ten years prior, the Johnson family was brutally murdered. This included Sally, Danny's mother, and Rebecca and Andrew Johnson, the boy's grandparents. Investigators say that the crime scene was nothing short of awful, as every person had been stabbed at least ten times. 

  Upon investigating the scene further, they had found a note saying that the Johnson's had been eliminated, except for one. When law enforcement found this note, they had hope for Danny. 

  Danny's room had been ransacked as if a struggle had taken place there. Investigators put out a reward for anyone who had clues to where Danny could be, but nothing had turned up. They assumed that Danny had been disposed of and closed the case due to a lack of leads.

  However, on the tenth anniversary of the murders, a note written in the same handwriting was sent to the Cucurbita Precinct asking for ransom money for the life of Danny Johnson. The kidnapper was asking for 10,000 dollars, and the police were reluctant to pay the fee, as they already presumed Danny to be dead.

  But this didn't stop the townsfolk. The town gathered 10,000 dollars amongst themselves and the ransom was paid. Danny was delivered to the precinct but no one could find the person who dropped him off, despite their constant surveillance. Through aged photo progression, they were able to identify this person as Danny Johnson. Despite his extensive injuries, they were able to make out his most signifying facial features, such as his blue eyes and freckle on his nose.

  Unfortunately, Danny's injuries proved to be too much for his body, and the town mourns once again.'

  Your breath hitched as you finished the article, unaware of how breathless you had been the entire time. As you scrolled further to search for the sources, your eyes were brought towards something else. It was a photo of the family together, the same as the one in your locket. In this one, however, you could make out the details of Danny's face. Danny had beautiful blue eyes as the article had said, but something about them seemed to be so familiar. You wished you could see them now and in person, to understand why you felt a sense of closeness to him.

  There's no reason for you to recognize Danny. Cucurbita was in a whole other state, one you hadn't visited since you were five. You suppose that you could have seen Danny then, but how would you have? Danny would have been missing by then, as he's three years older than you according to the information you have.  But something about those eyes is so haunting to you, like a whisper in the back of your mind trying to give you a message.

  You jolt as a knock reverbs through your entire house from the front door. You quickly scan your eyes in the direction of the stairs, patiently waiting for another noise, but it never comes. With a heavy sigh, you get up to go to the door when you freeze. You turn to grab the letter opener off the desk across the room from the door. You creep downstairs to the front door with a death grip on the letter opener, ready for a fight.