Killing by the Alder / Chapter 1 / Part I

Chapter 1: the unintentional witness

Part I

It was a dark, windy night, being the first snow of the fall, it was chilly inside my room though I was still burning up. Tried relaxing onto the bed but I was getting restless, so I decided to distract myself. I grabbed my laptop, rings and fleece jacket, and snuck out the window, as quietly as I could. 

There was this spot by an Alder tree where I usually sat down and wrote. This time was rather unusual. On my way to the Alder, I heard a scream. I mean it was the middle of the night, could’ve been anybody or nobody- I don’t know why it had me intrigued but it did so I pursued it. As I got closer to my remembrance of the scream I started hearing a buzz. Not a bee buzz more like one exerted by a vacuum cleaner. I had reached a daunting yet discreet street with two diverging paths. It reminded me of a poem by Robert Frost- The Road not taken. Another scream was heard, trailing one after the other moreover it seemed to be an echo. Everything went blank for a minute and it seemed like I was going in circles when I saw the Alder spot right in front of my eyes, but wait something was different. A man came up behind the tree with a container in one hand and a hammer in the other, followed by another holding a woman in restraints. I observed carefully for the nearing hours. It was moreover the same thing as a cassette on loop. 

3:37 AM. The first delinquent. A rather peculiar bloke he seemed to be, though behind the mask he could’ve been anyone. What half a semester of psych class had taught me was enough to analyze who this man was. Bout 6’-6’2 a more limping than chiselled look wearing a jacket not too far off mine. What set him apart from the other gentleman was his worried shoulders, he didn’t want to be there, more of a bystander perhaps. Still, accessory to murder had a hefty sentence. He was the one dragging the guillotine and doing a lame job at that too. Was it out of fear of getting caught or out of fear of the man three feet away from him? He had earned himself the name Pete short for Peter- the trembling moron. Seems a bit harsh, no? 

3:42 AM. Peter had taken too much of my time but the real story was yet to be revealed. The other disguised man or Raquel as I decided to call him was the one holding the victim in restraints. He was the boss man, I presumed. Broad shoulders, heavy steps with a leather jacket, and gloves of the same material. Black or brown, I couldn't tell, wasn't enough light for that. He gave firm orders and could be compared to the jock bully who picked on freshman back in junior high. Moving onto his size, this man and I kid you not was humongous. Must’ve been 6’7 or taller but he didn’t scare me since he had a noticeable soft spot for the victim. He carefully brought her to the tree and helped hold her still while they tied her temporarily. He might’ve just made the perfect murderer. So, I decided to change his name a little. He was now Rafael- the walnut leader, hard on the outside with a softer soul. 

The clock struck 4:18 AM and I was infuriated with myself as I fell asleep. Of all places, I crashed behind a bush, though the more appalling thing was the mysterious disappearance of Peter and Rafael. They had left something back, a headless body of the victim embedded into the tree and her head hanging off the branch of the Alder tree. Gutted by such an unfortunate turn of events I ran home as fast as I could. I managed to reach home in one piece, nonetheless sleep wouldn’t come easy as there still was a thought stuck in my head. Something which would get me arrested months later as a suspect of the “Jane Doe” murder case, even though all I was, was an unintentional witness. 

The next morning came sooner than later, though last night’s events were still a blur and it seemed more like a dream than reality. So, I went on with my usual day, brushed, got ready for school, poured my cereal and turned the television on. 

Breaking news. The body of 17-year-old girl, Maddison Tillworth, was found nailed into the infamous Alder tree, early Monday morning. Maddison has been missing for a week. The missing complaint lodged by the girl’s mother stated that Maddison had gone to meet up with her friends, but never returned. Police suspect that she had been murdered by a gang of drug dealers since she was a recovering addict. Maddison’s body was spotted by locals on Birmingham St, who called 911. Sheriff Maxwell said the body was subsequently sent to the GMC, for an autopsy and that further investigation was underway. 

My heart started pounding out of my chest and my hands started shaking as it all came back to me. There was no way that the police could connect me to the murder, but I was there. Unintentional? Yes. Nevertheless, I was a witness. The perplexity of this situation had me all riled up and before I knew it, the time had come, I had to go to school.