The cannibals

chapter 3 : Joyce

20th July 2017. 3:35 a.m.

Panting, I woke up. I had the nightmare again and this time more vivid than ever. It always began with Nancy running frantically in fear for her life with a man steadily coming after her. It always ended with the same dreadful scene, her choking to death and lying haphazardly on the floor.

It's the same man from four years ago whom I see.

. . .

The following day, 1:00 p.m.

"We got the weapon, more like a contraption rather than a weapon actually, that was used to kill our first six victims. Four enormous blades hanging from the ceiling were joined perpendicularly - like a square - used to cut the head, arms, and legs at once. We got it from our killer's barn. However, the killer gets into an accident, right before getting caught by the police, and dies afterward," officer Byles muse. Playing with his marker as he concentrates on the whiteboard.

"So Chief, do we close the case?"

"No. John Liu killed the first six victims, but someone else chose the victims for him. According to forensic reports, he wasn't feeding on human organs. Someone else was with him when he killed these victims, that person left Campanula flowers on the victims. And our mastermind used someone else to kill Nancy and her parents'. Then comes our Trumpet Creeper Cannibal. He killed one person and hasn't killed anyone after that."

Quin receives a call and looks at Officer Byles.

"He just killed his second victim. The Trumpet Creeper Cannibal."

. . .

1: 15 p.m.

Police guarded the garage, our new crime scene, when we get there.

On a table, we saw a man in his early 30s lying in a pool of blood. Instead of his eyes, we just saw more blood. The killer had gouged his eyes. The victim's body had been stabbed by a screwdriver, drilling machine, knife, scalpel, welding machine, numerous pins, and a few other things that we have not identified yet. There was, of course, a Trumpet Creeper placed on his chest.

"He has been stabbed in selective areas. The killer was careful to avoid targeting his vital organs for as long as possible to keep him alive. He has been tortured to death," I muse as I examine the body.

Officer Byles observe in silence.

. . .

"Joyce, let's grab dinner together tonight?" Angel asked, hopefully.

"At 8?" I say, almost instantly.

. . .

21st July 2017.

"Did you find something, Joyce?"

"Officer Byles. You're here early," I say to him as I concentrate on my monitor. "We found the same fingerprint on all the weapons. The fingerprint is not our victim's, and it is not in the criminal record database either. And this time, half of the liver is missing."

"Chief, another body has been reported. It's a Trumpet Creeper," Angel says.

Officer Byles leaves the lab with his team members. Angel winks at me before leaving. I can't help but smile.

. . .

This time the victim was a Priest.
His eye sockets were flooded with blood. The killer poked out his eyes just as he did to the previous victim.
The priest's body had been etched with crosses of all sizes.