Cypress Alley

Chapter 20

"Elijah? What are you doing here?" Wendy asked.

I opened my mouth but found I wasn't able to force out any coherent phrase. Wendy raised her eyebrows and I gulped.

"Uh," I muttered. "I was uh... just... ah... going for a walk."

"Oh... do you live around here?"

"No."

"Then why are you standing outside my house?"

I fidgeted with the corner of my jumper as she tapped her foot impatiently. "I was just visiting a friend," I lied. It wasn't her business anyway, I justified.

"Oh. Um..."

"Yeah..." I turned around and sprinted.

I chanced a look a few moments later, to find Wendy's pale face gawking at me, perplexed. I snapped my head back in the other direction and didn't stop running until I knew I was out of sight. At last, I skidded to a halt outside of Cypress Alley to catch my breath, almost falling forward into the thicket.

Crouching briefly by the shrubbery to recover from the shock, I wiped the sweat from my forehead. That was too close. I could only hope that Wendy believed my story. My throat was dry and I hadn't brought any water, which was a shame, but I couldn't afford to waste any more time getting home. I pulled my hood up and tied my laces, turning back at regular intervals to ensure Wendy hadn't followed me.

Just as I stood up to leave, I spotted a flicker of movement through the branches of Cypress Alley. That was odd. I thought no one went in there anymore. Then again, I had been proven wrong once with Wendy and her friends. I hesitated. I wasn't sure whether I should investigate or not. Though fear ravaged my mind, curiosity got the better of me and I crept forward, hoping my stealth had improved since my encounter with Wendy. I was careful to tread on bare stone, avoiding all littered leaves and twigs.

The click of shoes on cobblestone emerged close ahead and I halted. The steps paused for a moment as I instantly leapt behind a tree. My heart was thudding in my ears as heat rose from my cheeks to my forehead. Who could this be?

I peeked through the shrubbery to see a small, well-covered figure standing eerily to the side of the pathway. They wore a large, impeccably clean, black jumper and beige cargo pants. Their sleek, black boots shone in the morning glow that leaked through the curling branches of the monstrous trees, a large hood shrouding their entire face from my viewpoint. I thought I heard the faint jingle of jewellery but it wasn't enough to be sure if this person was a man or woman. A spade in one hand, and a small, red cloth in the other, they hovered threateningly over a bush. My heart skipped a beat as I came to an unnerving realisation. The figure was standing over North's bush, their feet planted right in the midst of the crime scene. My heart was on the verge of leaping out of my throat and I struggled to catch my breath, yet I kept my eyes wide open to watch.

The figure squatted behind the shrubbery so I lost sight of them for a moment. This was oddly calming – if I couldn't see him, he couldn't see me. A few seconds later, heaving shovels of dirt began to fly past me, so close that they brushed my nose. This guy must have been pretty strong to be able to throw that far.

I felt my mind spin as my legs threatened to give way beneath me so I sat down. Clutching a nearby tree trunk to keep my balance, I tried to gauge my surroundings. But it was futile - I was becoming dizzier with each shovel of dirt flying my way. But I couldn't leave now - he'd see me for sure. I didn't want to die.

Slowly, the figure stood up. I felt a stab in my chest and my eyes momentarily blacked out. The figure clutched a vile bouquet of red knives in their left arm, blades coated thinly with crusty, dry blood. I swallowed a scream. This was them. This was the killer. Shit.

The red of the knives was the only splash of colour in the gloomy alley. They glowered with superiority, hovering majestically over the shrubbery. My brain was sent into a flurry of emotions and thoughts as the knives seethed with hostility, and I clutched my mouth in horror. These were the blades that stripped North of her innocent, fragile life, and this was the person responsible.

I almost lost my breakfast as the figure wiped the knives clean with their cloth. They then pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and tied the cloth tightly inside. Slipping the shovel and knives under their coat, they headed through the thicket towards the school. He was coming towards me now, only a few steps away. In an attempt of muffle a scream, I gasped loudly and choked on my own spit. My vision blurred drastically and I could only slightly make out the killer turning towards me. Their head snapped at the sound of my choking voice, feet racing towards me. I couldn't bring myself to move for all the anxious quivering in my legs and, instead, fell back into the thicket. As he closed in on me, my breath grew loud and ragged. The heat dissipated from my head, bringing my vision to a slow clear. The person seemed to tower over me as I lay pathetically among the shrubs, but I was allowed a small glance at their face. Although thankfully, they must have thought I was dying because they left me almost instantly.

It took me a second or two to register the weight of what I had experienced, but I had seen the face. Her face. It was now engrained deeply into my memory and nothing could erase the dreadful sight. As the villainous footsteps began to retreat from the Alley, stabbing, quivering breaths began to return to my burning lungs. Yet, my heart still raced faster than it ever had. I was shaking. Tears flowed freely down my chin, despite the searing in my eyes. Because I knew that face.

I knew that face.

It was unmistakably that of Jane-Rose.