2022-11-19 22:39:23"How did it happen?"
"She woke up early while I was still in bed, prepared my breakfast and went to read in the library upstairs. Hours later, after calling her name without any response, I climbed the stairs up and found her in her puddle of blood."
"Where is she?"
"Come with."
"I hope you haven't tampered with the crime scene?"
"No. I called you instantly and was downstairs waiting till you come. Have called all my children to inform them of their mother's death, and I am sure they were still shocked by the news."
The two police officers followed the aged man up the stairs, arrived inside the first room that served as the inhabitant's library, and were welcomed into a clean room with piles of novels everywhere.
"This is her usual seating spot whenever she came to read, what is unusual is the reason why she banged her head on the wall until she die."The dead woman is in her early sixties, and the freshness of her skin shows she had lived a luxurious life. Like the previous victims of this newly arrived death in town, she had taken her life with a sick smile on her lips.
"The blood on this spot in the wall is the place where she banged her head until her skull cracked," Zuma announced, pointed to a crimson colour on the pink-painted wall, and resumed his speech, "and I think she crawled to this place when she was under the terror of death."
"Did you have any quarrel with her?"
"No."
"Did she has any life-threatening disease?"
"Nothing of that kind?"
"Is she into drugs?"
"No. Please stop. We got married thirty-one years ago and though I can't claim she was a perfect woman because no woman is. But I assure you that I won't have believed she take her own life if someone had visited our house overnight."
"Where are you after waking up from bed."
"I went to smoke at the back of the house. Angela hates the smell of cigarettes and we agree that I should always have my morning smoking outside the house."
"When did you discover she is dead."
"A second before I put a call to your headquarters."
"And what did you do after?"
"Please stop all these questions. There are cameras inside our house that verify all my statements... Angelina killed herself, and I puked when I watched her banging her head on the wall, and smiling like someone under the bewitching of an evil spirit."
"Can we see the recording?"
"Of course. Please follow me."
They were as silent as a mouse when the figure of the deceased popped up on the television set, walked towards her usual spot, placed the cup of coffee in her hand on top of a table, and removed a novel from the lady's bag on her shoulder.
After seating down, the lady sipped the content in the cup on the table, and the satisfaction on her face suddenly become grim immediately after she opened the first page of the novel in her hand. After flipping to the second page, she curled closer to the book on the table in her front, removed the spectacle in her face, cleaned it with an impeccable white handkerchief, and promptly resumed her reading."Angela's only hobby is reading novels, and she always resumes as soon as she prepared my breakfast and her morning coffee."
"I glimpse a sudden grim look on her face some moment ago. Did you insist you didn't have any disagreement with her overnight?"
"No. Even though there is no camera in our room to verify my statement, I assure you that we slept in each other's arms and there is no single reason why she did what she did."
"Let's concentrate on the motion, please."
A second after flipping the third page, the lady stood up, gaping up at the white ceiling for a while, then wandered around the room with arms akimbo."
"Pause and zoom it closer to her face."
"Okay, officer."
"Did you notice that the scleras in her eyeballs had turned completely black?"
"It may be a glitch from the camera. The white part of my wife's eyeballs is not black."
"What is she doing?"
The woman suddenly halted in front of the wall beside the window, trembled like someone in a trance, lolled backwards and smacked her head on the wall.
"Ouch!"
"I burst out in tears when I first watched this. She was so gentle-hearted and can't even slaughter a chicken... Oh my gosh, I can't believe my wife is dead."
After smacking her head on a fixed spot on the wall, the woman wobbled and fell with a loud thud, crawled closer to the side of the wall and tried to raise herself to a standing position.
"I was in the backyard and still enjoying the puff from my cigarettes, not knowing my woman is here killing herself," the man moaned louder when the picture on the television set finally stand up after several attempts that made it impossible to try again.
"I wish she will just walk out of that room and scream for help... Believe me, I had started looking for her by now."
With her sick fixed smile, she raised her head backwards, staggered for a while, regain her stance, shakes violently and smacked her head at the same spot, then fell and lay dead immediately.
"Can you see for yourself? Tell me what is happening on this island."
"We are starting the investigation and will get back to you. Until then, please don't travel oversea without informing us."
"I'm not referring to myself, but to this island in general. Rumours are circulating, and people have started attaching all this suicide to your presence."
"I don't understand what you mean, old man."
"All this death started some weeks after you resume as the boss of this island. Don't you think you owe us some explanation?"
"I owe nobody any explanation, and if you have any evidence against me, please don't hesitate to go to court."
"Oh... No, officer Zuma. This is just fatherly advice. Please don't take it personally."
"I don't. I think we are all stressed up and need to cool our nerves. My team will be here to evacuate the dead soon. Please don't touch anything."
"Thank you, officers. I pray all this will pass away soon. I mean, I have only heard of one suicide attempt since I was born here."
"We will unravel the secret behind all this death. Have no fear."
"We all have our trust in you... Thank you. So sorry for not offering you cups of water."
"Never mind, Mr-."
"Augusto."
"Mr Augusto, we will see ourselves out."
"What did you think?"
"I'm more confused than before. But one thing is certain, whatever is making these people kill themselves is not targeting any class of people."
"You are right. It's a random death, and this is the reason why I am perplexed."
"Let's go and check the next crime scene."
"After you."
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According to Zuma's assumption, the next crime scene visited by him and Isabella was the most horrific of all and the sight of the suicide victim lingered in his mind for a very long time after.She was a newly married lady, full of life and plans for the future, and this was the reason why her death was the greatest shock to her community. He squirmed at the sight of her slashed throat, and the puddle of blood around her seemed to form eerie shapes. And just like the previous suicide victims with sick smiles on their lips and glint of happiness on their faces, she had enjoyed the insane action with pleasure. Like before, all efforts to trace the reason for the startling suicide proved abortive. And after the promise to get to the root of the matter, Zuma and his deputy stepped out of the deceased house and were back in their patrol car a moment later. "This is getting more confusing," Isabella who had been glaring at the moving images as the car raced back to the police headquart
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"One thing is common with almost all the suicide victims that we had visited today," Zuma announced as he stepped into the library, gawked at the dead students, and resumed his speech, "they all die in the library and... Oh my goodness!" "What is it, boss." "I have seen this book at almost all the crime scenes," he paused his speech, stooped down and picked one of the blue cover novels with a picture of a weird girl, stare at it for a while, and then let out, 'it was your suggestions to look for something supernatural that makes me realized this. I think this book has to do with the death on this island." "Where is the librarian?" "Over, here. Mam," the red-eyed lady wobbled into sight, glanced at the dead students arranged in a line and then burst into tears. "I swear before all the gods, I know nothing of their deaths, and the cake given to them did not contain any drug or poison... Let me eat this unfinished one to prove my innocence." "Never mind," Zuma answered back, peered a
LAYLA THE NEW MOON KILLER
The locked door gave way after two shoulder thrusts, and the four people raced inside, then stood horrified at the sight in their front. As naked as a newborn baby, the aged man laid his back on the table, slashed his stomach with a razor and arranged some of his intestines around himself. And as usual, his last smile was that of contentment and not of fear. "Ahh!" "Holy Cross!" One of the teachers raised her two arms and placed them on her chest, then vomited immediately. While the other lady shook and fainted. "He is dead. There is nothing we can do for him, but we need to wake her up." "We need some water. She is still breathing." "Get her out of this room and lock the door. I need to make some calls." "Help me, I can't carry her alone." "Ask her colleagues to help." "She is still in shock and needed help as well." "Oh... Shit!" After minutes of waking the lady up, and another hour that it takes to return sanity to the school, Zuma and his partner sneaked out through t
LAYLA A SHADOW OF ITSELF
The journey takes the whole daytime and the travellers reached their destination when the stars were about to resume their duty for the night.The address leads them to a bungalow on the outskirts of the townlet. And after parking in the parking lot, both officers hopped down the car and walked into the weather-beaten house.""I don't think there is anyone here. Look at the overgrown grasses and the dirty environment.""Let's go inside... Anyone here!""Hello!"The front door was unlocked, and the two officers stepped inside and peered all around. "Anyone here!"The sound of scurrying feet became audible, and an old man with a toothless grin peeked out of one of the rooms, stare at the two intruders and asked, "what did you want?""We are looking for the publisher of this book," Zuma brought out the copy of LAYLA in his hand, walked toward their host, and then stopped when the man screamed out."Take that cursed book off my sight.""Apology," Zuma answered back, put the novel in his
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As soon as Zuma left the presence of the Cumberland state governor, the bearded man was seen smirking at his back, then picked up the novel fling at him and gaped at the picture of the black-eyed girl on the hardcover. He agreed the picture is spooky, and the gawking of the black cat on her shoulder seemed to be boring into his soul. Nevertheless, it's just a novel and there is no reason to be scared " Put the book somewhere and attend to today's chore!" A warning voice sounded in his mind, and the governor smirked for the second time in a few minutes, tossed the book on his hand to the far side of the long table, picked one among the heaps of files in his front and was immediately engrossed in it when a piercing sound of the telephone shattered the serene environment. His hand dashed towards it, picked up the receiver and muttered, "hello." The voice on the other side was weird and sounded like a giggling of a girl, and he shortly banged the receiver on the body of the telephone,
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LAYLA SIGNS AND OMENS
When brightness refused to appear at its due time, the inhabitants of Arkansas Island knew today is an auspicious day. Since the majority of the dwellers of the island were fishermen, the pregnant cloud seemed not to affect their plans for today. And not even the heavy rain that came down after a long moment of winds and whirlwinds made them change their minds.Shapes of men became visible when bright thunderstorms strike in the sky, and their voices came to be faintly audible after. "I suggest we go back home. This storm is a bad omen," the oldest among the pair announced, scratched his scanty fluffy white hair and groaned louder. "No...Why did you always look for signs and omens? We will proceed as planned, and let heaven rain pellets if it wants." "I am feeling a kind of premonition about this storm. Please let's go back home and come when this weather cleared." "Procrastination is a lazy man's apology. Don't forget, tick says the clock-." "Tick-tick. What you have to do, then
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The sun raged in the sky through the day, then the atmosphere became chilly as soon as the sun retire from its duty. A moment later, a twilight appeared from the east, and its eerie brightness kept the darkness away. When nighttime comes some hours later, a big cloud from the east overshadowed the stars and moon, and the gentle wind evolved into a whirlwind, followed by lightning and thunderstorms. "I think it's about to rain," Zuma muttered with a straight face, turned towards the slumbering officers beside him, and let out, "you guys should wake up, we need a plan."The taller among the officer stretched his arms and yawned out loud, and then let out, "you are the boss. Tell us what you have in mind."Zuma bit his lower lip and looked lost in thought for a while. "I can't seem to think straight. I won't ask you for a plan if I have one I ground.""No idea, boss." The officer answered back, and then close his eyes."We will part as soon as we enter Adam's Creek. You guys should kee
NUMBERS 666
The bullet passed Isabella's face in an inch and she smelled the scent of her burnt flesh before feeling the pain from her roasted flesh. "Ouch!" She cried out, and then muttered in anger, "that's too close, John.""I can't shoot you, Bella. My bullet is for that bastard," John yelled, then leapt forward and shoots the dying robber in the forehead twice."He is dead. Stop wasting your bullet," Sampson said."You nearly split my skull. Why don't you push me off the way?" Isabella stood up from her kneeling position and glare at the smiling officer in her front."But I don't. He was about to shoot, and I did the first thing that came into my mind... I thought you will thank me for saving your life?" "Thank you, but don't ever try that with me again. What if I move my head in fright?" Isabella asked."You didn't. The end justifies the means, isn't it?""Of course, it does," Sampson answered back, then peered at the wounded officer and asked, " what are we going to do about him?""Drive
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The unexpected arrival of the man in a police car disrupts the armed men's plan, and the four men open fire on the incoming car as it approached them. The leader of the gang is a tall man with a patch over an eye, and he immediately dived for cover when the man beside him grunt out loud and fell dead. "Shoot that bastard now," he cried out, and then shot several times at the incoming car, but the driver swerve to the right, and then, to the left to evade the bullets. "Ouch! One of the robbers who was shot in the breast where his heart was located looked stunned for a while, staggered backwards and fell with a loud thud."Race for cover and don't stand and get yourself killed," the leader cried out as he raised his hand to clean the sweat off his forehead, and then peered out of cover, shot the man who dived out of the police car door and looked grimly when his shot missed. Zuma was out of the car instantly, and he immediately rolled to the back of a jeep parked beside him and was f
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A wise man once opined that 'humans are the greatest threat to their fellow human.'This saying proved to be the truth when Arkansas island was used as a case study. A few days ago, the island was known as one of the safest places on earth. But now, the opposite is the case. Yet, the reason is not far-fetched. Evil men are now using the disorder on the island to perform their evil deeds. Funny enough, most of the recent death had little to do with Layla, and it seemed the demon girl had decided to take a break for a while and watch as humans bring the awaited destruction on themselves.Isabella's opened her mouth in astonishment during their short drive to the seaside, and she was only able to speak when the youngest officer among her team patted her on the shoulder and asked, "did you think we will win against this evil?" "Yes," she answered back, shakes her head and resumed her speech, "though it will never be the same again. The scars will always remain in the people's minds."
HELL IN A FEW DAYS
Adam's creek is located at the extreme side of northern Arkansas, and the journey from the police headquarters to the creek is over two hours by road. Because of the fear of the unknown, the two officers looked sadly as they walked through the lobby. "They expect you to be there in the next two hours, I suggest I should go with it some officers by a speedboat, while you drive by road and try to delay as much as you can," Isabella announced when the pair emerged at the grassland in front of the main building. "How many hours will it takes you by speedboat?" Zuma asked back. "One and a half hours, if the weather is good.""Then you need to move now. We dont know if they were already waiting for us, or on their way," he paused his speech as they emerged closer to the officers in line, waited till Isabella stepped beside him and asked in a whisper, "how many men did you plan to go with?""Four men, with lots of weapons. You need to go with a gun as well.""I have my weapons inside my
THE END OF THE WORLD
From the port until they reached the police headquarters, the whole street was filled with the corpses of Layla's victims. And the two officers gawked with grief-striking faces when they see the numerous deaths awaiting them.Shockingly as it seemed, the safe island had suddenly turned into a death trap, and the corpses were so many that the municipal authority have no more places to put them. "Wake up, honey. Please wake up." A woman nude except for her black underwear, lay over her dead husband as tears flowed down her pretty face."Repent all mortals. This is the end of the world and the end of all mortals. Come to God now before it is too late." A man in a flowing white gown raised the Bible in his hand and cried out with a loud voice, leapt into the front of the passerby and then resumed his preaching. "The Lord is on his way, and he will soon appear like a thief in the middle of the night... Repent, before it is too late.""My son is dead! Somebody help me please." One hysteric
TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS
Her name was Sheila, and she was his first love. After years of courtship, they decided to get married, and that was when tragedy struck. "Everything is ready. The bride's gown, the cake, the hall and the decoration. I hope you have gotten our wedding rings?" The woman nestling into the chest of her lover asked as she peered into his face. "Of course, honey. They were delivered some hours ago, and it's safe inside my locker." "I pray we don't forget anything," the woman muttered as she raised herself into a seating position, wore her white scandals and stood up with a fixed smile. "Take it easy. I know the wedding is once in a lifetime experience, but that doesn't mean we should go crazy over it... And where are you going?" "To my dad's home. I am not yet your wife until I say I do on the altar tomorrow." "You can't leave me like this, honey." "I will, dear. I need to make sure everything is done to my taste." The man on the bed moaned for a while shrugged and stood up. And a
WILL YOU LIKE TO BE AT PEACE?
"DID YOU AGREE TO LOSE YOUR SOUL FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL SET YOU FREE FROM SEVERAL REINCARNATIONS?" The man seating on the grass cock a smile when he read the first page, shakes his head and mumbles, "what a way to raise the reader's curiosity. Now I am intrigued."He turned to the next page and read out loud."YOU ARE YET TO AGREE!""Hahaha!" Steve burst into uncontrollable giggling and exclaimed, "no wonder they believed this book is cursed. The writer did a marvellous job in increasing the reader's curiosity."Saying this, he turned to the next page, then cursed out loud when the previous message displayed. "Well... Well. Since you want me to say it loud," he paused his speech as the smile on his face became huge. "I agree," he muttered as he turned to the next page, then read out loud. "WELCOME TO YOUR PAST LIFE...!"A man in blue and green scrubs stepped into a large theatre and was welcomed with the smell of drugs, sweat and blood. "Welcome surgeon. We have twenty emerg
TERRIFIC STAGE
"I have heard many unbelievable things in my life, but the thought of getting killed by reading a book baffles me," one of the officers on duty announced as soon as their August visitors were driven out of their presence.""You won't be surprised if you were on this island some years ago. I grow up here and I can tell you much about the power of that evil girl.""You have my ears, though I don't think you will be able to convince me. As I said earlier, I am a sceptical person when it comes to supernatural things," the man announced."Steve is running his mouth because he is a stranger on this island... Let me tell him a story that will give him goosebumps.""You have my ears," the man named Steve answered as he peered into the eyes of his comrades, and the daring glare on his face made them giggle among themselves."If you are as bold as you claimed, then go and read her book.""Of course, I will. I already removed the one inside that chopper, and it's here with me.""You are crazy!"
