July 2004- Corpse Wood, Reagan Falls204Please respect copyright.PENANADutqEpMTXW
The trees shifted endlessly in the breeze, as Kathleen Engers continued on jogging. She ignored the growing number of goosebumps on her arms, making sure that her workout music was pumping hard to her ears. She realised that even for a summer's day, the weather just didn't feel like summer at all. The route was always sticking to the path. However, she did like to jog over a small wooden bridge located across a creek. The shallow waters were clear and moved steady much to her relief.204Please respect copyright.PENANALzYJ2pizCY
As if by magic, one of her headphone wires seemed to break, causing sound to be lost out of one of the earbuds. Kathleen cursed loudly as she tried to twist the wires back into place but to no avail. Feeling a little chilly due to the cold breeze, a decision was made. No more jogging without music on. Luckily, a bench was nearby and she dumped her now broken headphones down onto the wood with a thump.
"Hey Susan, your headphones suck!" Kathleen shouted down the phone to her bemused friend, "Remind me why you always seem to go for the cheap ones?"
Susan on the other end of the line laughed, "Well, I'm trying to budget you know. Next time, look for your own pair!"
Kathleen groaned, flicking back her long blonde ponytail as she did so, "Fine, but may need your advice again."
Both close friends, yet at times feeling more like sisters, she smiled after she ended the call and sat down to sip some water. The woodland seemed empty to her, no happy young families gathered together and exploring the surrounding nature. No loud voices or the tingle of bicycle bells. It was dead, very dead.
Taking some time to herself, Kathleen finally stood up and dumped the broken headphones in a bin, but noticing something strange off the path. A part of her inside was forcing her to go near the strange item. The rest of her was screaming to run far away and never look back.
"Um, hello?" whispered Kathleen as she tiptoed towards a tree branch with displayed the strange object. A pink, knitted cardigan splattered in blood. One sniff, fresh blood.
"Is this some sort of a prank?" said Kathleen, this time in full voice. But was met only with the sound of the trees rustling close together. The path still empty, the cardigan on the tree branch. She was about to turn away when she noticed a white shoe from a nearby bush.
It wasn't very far walking until she realised the ugly truth. Kathleen was starring down into the face of a bloody, female teen's body tucked in some bushland. The next minute she knew, she released a scream. She was murdered, discarded like trash all alone. A life stolen away. The phone signal was dodgy at times throughout the woodland but Kathleen knew what she had to do. She called the Police to report the discovery.204Please respect copyright.PENANAtXPvwCY66u
The passing time was the worst. Tears prickled at Kathleen's eyelids, having never seen something so disturbing and gory as a body in Corpse Woods. Keeping the Police on the phone, she gave them details for her family and asked for a safe ride home. Knowing full well that sleeping wasn't an option.204Please respect copyright.PENANAeD12kMM5Dh
Good evening from Channel News 49, your local source of information for the Reagan Falls area. We bring you some breaking news coming live from our reporter down in Corpse Woods. The discovery of a young girl's battered, bloodied and bruised body off the main path by a jogger earlier on this afternoon. Randy, what can you bring us?204Please respect copyright.PENANAuJWIJZt3Ov
Thanks Sara. The sad news today is that a body was found by a jogger who was making their way down their normal route, completely unaware of this disturbing find until a set of headphones broke. It was when she noticed an item of clothing on a tree branch, that her day changed drastically for her...204Please respect copyright.PENANASOtYeHmKP2
"For Pete's sake Ellen, don't let Lissa watch that on the TV!" yelled a male voice from the family kitchen of the Ross household.204Please respect copyright.PENANAcKGOvB23tz
In front of the television set, six year old Lissa sat cross-legged, staring hard at the screen and witnessing the flashes of emergency lights from the squad cars at the scene. People in tears as they spoke of the sadness and shock of this young death.204Please respect copyright.PENANARqNLHRnyhB
"Ellen, turn it off!" yelled the voice again. Ellen who had been looking out the window suddenly jumped over and switched off the set much to Lissa's annoyance.204Please respect copyright.PENANA0Vfm75G93M
"Oh Mum, I was watching that!" she wailed as her Dad finally walked into the living room.204Please respect copyright.PENANAQJ6i8946WW
"It's not suitable for a young girl like you," remarked Ellen back towards her young daughter, "There's nothing on."204Please respect copyright.PENANAfsnNVI2Hjn
"I always watch the set at six in the evenings! Why not tonight?" sobbed Lissa, "I haven't done anything wrong."204Please respect copyright.PENANAHuHFhtjJHk
"We are going to do something different tonight." Ellen replied, "And that's that!"204Please respect copyright.PENANAM0uqBg7nf6
Being lead out of the room, Lissa found herself sobbing. She really wasn't trying to be a brat, but if there was one thing that she hated, that was change.204Please respect copyright.PENANAn6QkxN3htF
Hey readers,204Please respect copyright.PENANABqfofrFi1a
This is my first time writing a YA Crime Thriller novel. Since being diagnosed with Asperger's, I wanted to include a character with it in my own writing. Lissa isn't diagnosed until age fifteen when she is still at secondary school. I'm hoping to turn this into a four or five book series, depending how the writing process goes for me. Thank you for stopping by and giving my writing a chance! Don't forget to follow me to be notified of new uploads and writing progress.204Please respect copyright.PENANAl6pf6pVT9X
Alice x
ns 172.69.59.89da2