Whispers of the Night

Chapter 4

On the next day, Detective James was discussing with forensic doctors and received unsettling information about some weird marks on the victim's throat. According to doctors, the attacker grabbed the victim's neck, and that's how the marks appeared. By looking at the marks, it was deduced that the attacker has irregularly long fingers with sharp nails that were dug deep into the victim's neck, but doctors were still unable to find the cause of death. For them, it seemed like all the functions of the victim's body stopped at once. These findings sent a shiver down the detective's spine, stirring a sense of unease that he couldn't quite shake off.

As the detective pondered the implications of the medical findings, he was informed about a headless corpse found on the bank of the river near the village. Detective James wasted no time in mobilizing his team. Racing to the scene, he found a group of villagers gathered around the horrible sight, their expressions a mixture of fear and disbelief. The detective approached the body cautiously; he noticed that the corpse was wearing a long, dark red jacket and had knee-high black boots. James noticed that this body was not contorted like the other victims and was also missing a head. As the detective crouched, something horrible caught his attention. He noticed that the victim's hand looked peculiar. It appeared extensively charred; even the nails were black. Fingers were unusually elongated, and nails were sharp. The detective was easily correlating this with the description provided by forensic doctors earlier this morning. He asked his forensic team to examine the body. Meanwhile, he started searching the surrounding area for any potential clues or witnesses. The villagers, though shaken, provided little information beyond the grim discovery itself. Forensic doctors informed the detective about the resemblance between marks found on the necks of bodies found in the forest and the finger of the headless corpse found today. Another finding that shook the detective was about the feet of the headless corpse. They had animalistic features that resembled the paws of a wolf: hairy and webbed.

Through the revelations governed by the forensic team, pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together for Detective James, leading to a rigid conclusion. It was clear to him that the headless corpse found may be the killer of villagers found in the forest. Also, he was pretty sure that the footprints found just outside the ruin could be from the same corpse.

"Sarah is lucky to be alive," he thought.

"It could be that this killer was following her the other night when she went inside the ruin. If the killer was there and Saraha was alone, then why didn't he attack her?" another question for which the detective had no answer. Clearly, something was missing in the whole picture for him. His suspicion started lingering on Sarah. To his surprise, at that same instance, he got a call from Sarah, who wanted to see him to get more details on the recent deaths. He asked her to meet him at the police station. After giving some regular instructions to his team, the detective left for the station.

Sarah was waiting for the detective in the police station; her demeanor was a mixture of anxiety and determination. Her posture was tense, and her hands were clasped tightly together. Despite the turmoil swirling within her due to the nightmare, there was a steely resolve in her gaze, a determination to uncover the truth behind the grisly deaths that had shaken the village to its core.

"Sarah," James greeted as he arrived, his voice calm but tinged with urgency as he approached her. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I was at the crime scene." Taking a seat across from her, James leaned in slightly and recounted the latest developments on the case-the discovery of the headless corpse, the peculiar markings on the victim's throat, and the unsettling resemblance between the injuries with the descriptions provided by the forensic team. He also told her about footprints outside the ruins and their similarity with the corpse's feet. Sarah was apprehensive. This whole situation was escalating rapidly.

"Do you think this killer was outside the ruin that night?" her voice shaken.

The detective wanted to discuss exactly this point with her. "Based on evidence, yes, I think so," he said.

"Sarah, you told me you sensed something rushing inside the ruins, right? And now we know there was no animal, but it was this man or whatever creature he is. I think he is behind all those murders in the forest, as per the evidence. Still, you escaped from the ruin unharmed. Is there something you missed telling me?" he asked, looking at her intently. Sarah's gaze was dropping to her clasped hands before she spoke again. "I told you everything, detective, and I wasn't alone in those ruins on that night," she said.

"Do you mean the shadow behind the ice? How can I trust that, Sarah? How is that possible?" James questioned her. His expression was troubled.

"Detective, you just witnessed some gruesome murders that aren't humanly possible. You also saw a corpse with wolf feet and blackened fingers. Do you still think there is anything that is not possible?" Sarah sighed. "When that ice broke, I fell into the cavity. I was drowning in the water. There was someone else in that water. Possibly that shadow in black robes. I saw it before passing out. When I got up, I was in the hospital wing, and nobody knows how I got there. I really feel...that the shadow saved me that day. From the water, and maybe from that monster too," she murmured.

Detective James leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as he processed Sarah's words. If there was indeed some supernatural force at play, it would explain the inexplicable aspects of the recent deaths. He wondered if the shadow was the missing piece to solve this puzzle. If yes, then where is he now? And did he kill that monster?

Sarah was now thinking about the nightmare. She was trapped in the fire, and then someone saved her. She was sure that she saw a silhouette. Not clearly, but she saw it. In the forest, she heard whispers, which led her to the ruins and the ice. There was a strange feeling she had that night, like someone was calling her. She wanted to share it with the detective but decided otherwise. She didn't want to add her worries to his bucket. He was clearly tensed about the recent incidents.

"I think I should leave now, Thank you for sharing these details with me. It will help in my news report" said Sarah.

Detective James nodded, his mind still grappling with the newfound information. "No problem Sarah, you may leave" he said sincerely.

As Sarah rose from her seat, the soft light filtering through the windows of the police station seemed to cast a gentle glow on her. Her features, framed by tendrils of hair that cascaded in loose waves around her face, exuded an air of quiet elegance. Detective James couldn't help but be struck by her beauty in that moment. Realizing he was getting distracted; James redirected his attention back to the task at hand.