Detective's curse

Chapter Øne

11:28 AM, 2029. Ravin, who was a detective living in Chicago, had been entering the forest where he believed the criminal he had been searching for had fled to. And the search for evidence on this person had been nearly impossible to find. Multiple search teams had gone around the forest but none of them dared to enter the forest themselves. Suddenly he heared the rustling of leaves and the distinct snapping of twigs.

His heart raced as he knew someone or something was nearby. Ravin slowly drew his pistol, ready to defend himself if necessary.
He quickly looked around to find where it had come from. His senses were on high alert as he prepared for the unexpected, as any detective should. Suddenly, a huge figure stepped out from behind a large tree trunk, causing his heart to skip a beat. It was a man, a very very tall one, dressed in dirty clothes and wearing a ragged backpack.

Ravin slowly raised his pistol to the man, keeping it trained on the man as he cautiously approached. "State your name and business here," Ravin demanded, his voice shaky with adrenaline, 'what the hell, This guy is massive...' Ravin couldn't help but try to stand taller to halt the jealousy he felt a slight tinge from. The man raised his hands in surrender, revealing that he was unarmed.

"My name is Michael." Ravin kept his pistol aimed at Michael as he spoke. "Michael, I'm Detective Ravin. I need to know why you're here and if you've seen anyone else around." Ravin's eyes darted back and forth between Michael and the surrounding forest, always on the lookout for potential threats. 'He might not be alone.' He clenched his teeth as he glared at the man.

This forest had been known to have dozens of murders every month. Most of which had the same brutal marking on them, likely caused by a serial killer. The particular killer that Ravin had been searching for.

As Ravin continued to question Michael, he couldn't help but think about the notorious reputation this forest had for being a haven for violent criminals. The place was known to have at least a hundred murders every year, and Ravin had been warned about venturing into its depths alone by fellow detectives who dared not go into this particular forest.

Ravin couldn't shake the feeling that he was always walking into a trap, but he had to follow every lead if he wanted to catch the genius he was after. "Michael," Ravin said sternly, "I need you to be honest with me. Have you seen anyone else around here?" Michael shook his head vigorously. "No, sir."

„A murder has been recorded to have happened last night, it was a young woman around 25, that went by the name of Lila. you wouldn't happen to know anything about this..?"
Ravin narrowed his eyes, still not fully trusting Michael. There had been numerous murders from inside of the woods in which all of the body's were dumped on the outskirts of the forest.

Michael's eyes widened in fear as he realized the gravity of the situation. "No, sir," he stammered. "I haven't heard or seen anything like that." Ravin studied Michael's face for any signs of deception but couldn't find anything, possibly from the dimness of the area. 'It's been all over the newspapers' Ravin thought and frowned slightly.

Ravin let out a sigh and prepared to continue questioning the tall man with the basics. „What are you doing out here this late." He asked, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, though he was not pleased that he has to ask the man multiple times now.

Ravin let out a sigh, feeling the tension in the air begin to dissipate. He knew he had to proceed carefully if he wanted to get any information out of Michael, who definitely seemed somewhat suspicious in his eyes.

Michael seemed to relax a little under Ravin's less aggressive questioning. "I'm just hiking," he said. "I love being out in nature, you know? It helps me clear my head." Ravin nodded, unconvinced but willing to entertain the possibility that Michael was simply an innocent civilian.

Ravin's eyes remained calm as he asked, "Do you hike here often?" Michael shook his head. "Not really," he said. "This is actually my first time in this forest. I heard it was beautiful, so I thought I'd check it out."

„Stumbling around in the dark without a flashlight is dangerous in general, this is your first time so you should be careful. Also if you heard that it was so beautiful then why would you come here at night." He began to become suspicious. „Not much to look at in the dark..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Something about Michael's story didn't add up. Michael shifted uncomfortably under Ravin's gaze. "I know, I know," he said quickly. "I just wanted to see the stars, you know? It's been so long since I've been able to do that." Ravin nodded, still not convinced at all. "Well, it's getting late." As he quickly turned to leave, Ravin grabbed his arm.

„What do you mean you haven't seen the stars in a while." His Crimson eyes turned cold.
Ravin's mind shifted to what his boss had told him to remember that there was an underground prison in the area not far from where he was. Michael's face paled as he realized the mistake he had made. "I, uh... I meant because of the city lights." He stammered, his wrist tight under Ravin's grip.

Ravin studied Michael's face for any signs of stress and he could already tell this man was not good news "I see," he said, his voice betraying nothing. "Well, I'm going to need you to come with me to the station for further questioning. It's just routine, okay?" Michael flinched but then nodded, his heart visibly racing. Ravin let out a small sigh of relief at how well the huge man was cooperating.

As they began to walk back towards the station, Ravin couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. But for now, he would play it by ear and see where the investigation led him.

His story about hiking and admiring the stars didn't quite add up, especially considering the murder that had occurred nearby. As they approached the station, Ravin decided to play it cool for now. "Don't worry," Ravin said, trying to sound reassuring. "We just need to clear up a few things, that's all. Once we're done, you'll be free to go. (That's if we find you innocent at least)." He added the last line under his breath inaudibley.
Ravin lead Michael into his car and they drove down through the forest and onto the road. The drive was silent and awkward with little to no sounds at all other than the sound of Michael's raspy breathing through his raggy beard.

Michael nodded weakly, not daring to meet Ravin's eyes. As they arrived at the station, Ravin escorted Michael to an interrogation room and left him alone for a moment while he gathered some additional evidence from the crime scene. When he returned, he took his seat across from Michael, who was visibly shaken but trying to maintain his composure. "So," Ravin began, leaning forward slightly.

„Im going to be straightforward with you. I don't think you are the murderer of that girl." Ravin tilted his head with a frown. He then leaned back in his chair and locked eyes with Michael, who had visibly relaxed at the words, not quite believing what he was hearing.

Ravin continued, his voice turning colder. "When we searched your backpack, we found some items that could be connected to a different crime." Michael's heart sank as he remembered that he had had his backpack confiscated and knew what was coming next. "I need you to explain how those items ended up in your possession," Ravin said sternly. "And don't lie to me, because we'll find out eventually." Michael swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He knew he was in trouble but hoped that maybe he could talk his way out of it.