Unfinished

Chapter 1 - The Funeral

Sarah stared at the lifeless form of her best friend Emmaline, lying in the open casket. The funeral was a bleak affair, held in a dimly lit, old cemetery that had seen better days. It seemed fitting, given the grim circumstances surrounding Emma's death. She had been the most celebrated horror writer of her time, known for weaving tales that sent shivers down the spines of her readers. 

Emma's last manuscript was the talk of the town. It was said to be the most horrifying, spine-tingling creation she had ever penned, and her eagerly awaited its release. But something had gone wrong, nobody knows what. A dark cloud hung over the manuscript as if it held the key to her death.

The rumors had begun innocently enough. The ARC Readers claimed they heard faint whispers emanating from its pages, as if the story itself was alive, whispering secrets of the unknown. Then, strange occurrences followed. Those who had read even a few pages spoke of nightmares that left them drenched in cold sweat. Some reported seeing grotesque shadows in the corner of their rooms, watching them with malevolent eyes. Everybody became increasingly paranoid.

The whispers grew in an uproar right before Emma's death. Emma's work was said to be cursed, and it seemed to be driving people insane and claiming the lives of those who dared to read it. The news of these horrifying events reached Emma, and it consumed her. She closed off and stopped responding to the rumors. Some said that she became obsessed with the sinister aura surrounding her own creation, locked herself and her story away from the world.

And then, her untimely death. An "Eventful" death, as the news headlines put it. Emma had died in her study, a room filled with handwritten notes, crumpled pages and the supposedly cursed manuscript. The police could find no logical explanation for her death. But some believed that the curse had claimed her. 

Sarah's thoughts were disrupted by the mournful voice of the priest as he delivered the eulogy.  She listened, half-distracted, her mind wandering to the manuscript which was rumored to be locked up as evidence with the police custody. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Sarah picked it up. 

"You have to listen to me. The book is cursed-" someone yelled though the phone.

Sarah promptly cut the call within few seconds. She wouldn't deal with the fanatic fans who claimed to be seeing things after reading an excerpt of the story.  She blocked the call and sighed.  This wasn't the first and would certainly not be the last call. But she would rather deal with the calls later than during the funeral. 

"Miss Harper?" Someone said from beside her. She turned to see two men approaching her. 

"Can I help you?" She askes them and they flash their badges. "I'm Detective O'Connell and my partner Detective Campbell. We are assigned to investigate your friend's death. Can we ask you a couple of questions?"

"During the Funeral?" Sarah asked incredulously. 

"We'll keep it short." one of them promised.

"How do you know Emmaline?" 

"We went to the same college and shared a common interest in writing which brought us together."

"How long do you know her?"

"About 6 years."

"When was the last time you spoke to her?" 

"About 4 months back." 

"What did you guys talk about?" 

Sarah paused for a second and took a deep breath.

"She called to catch up and we did. We chatted for a while and she told me about the new story she was writing." 

Both the detectives exchanged looks. "The Cursed one?" one of them asked. 

"The one everyone is claiming to be cursed." Sarah said in annoyance. "You don't believe it?" the other one asks. Without answering his question, she continued.

"She told me she is halfway though and needs to make some changes here and there and told me to ARC read it for her and give my opinion." 

"Did you read it?" they ask. 

"I didn't. I told her I would read it later and get back to her. Then the whole cursed fiasco happened and you know the rest." 

"Did you-" 

"Finn," the other detective stopped him. He muttered something under his breath and left. 

"Thank you for your time Miss Harper." He said and was about to leave.

"Why are you investigating my friend's death?" Sarah asked him. "It's classified." He replied crisply and continued walking.

"That's bullshit." She exclaimed and he sighed as he stopped on his tracks.

"I can't explain in detail but the ARC readers who read the script have gone insane and some had died as well due to inexplainable circumstances. Now we have reasons to believe that someone might have come after her-"

"-and killed her." Sarah completed. The detective nodded his head. "It could be a homicide and we're trying to collect evidence to prove that it's not paranormal activity. Afterall, many people are out for blood for the death of their loved ones due to the assumed cursed manuscript." 

"I have been getting calls stating that the book is really cursed and that the real book must be destroyed."

"They could be calling to lure out people who are involved in the making of the book."  

"Here, this is my number," he hands her a card with his name and number. "If you need any help, if you find something unusual and if you receive any information that might be helpful to us, please call."

"Thanks Detective."

Sarah stayed and watched the detective leave. After the service, Sarah stood near Emma's grave, deep in thought. Her curiosity about the manuscript gnawed at her, but she couldn't bring herself to mention it to anyone. Perhaps it was time for Sarah to confront the ominous legacy Emma had left behind to solve the mysteries revolving around it.

She decided to read the manuscript herself.