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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Aug 14, 2017 14:00:32 GMT -5
Literary Mosaic 4
Blizzard of the Forgotten
Part One: Into the Blizzard George and Ethel Smith lived alone in a cottage near Dartmoor. The two had been there for a long time. They were essentially cut off from the rest of the world, due to the moor, which no one but they knew how to travel over (which they needed to do for groceries), and though they did not get visitors very often, they seemed to be satisfied with life.
Our story begins during one of the worst winters Dartmoor had ever seen. A raging blizzard had truly cut them of from everything. They didn't mind though. A stocked-up pantry, a fire in the fireplace, some hot cocoa, and a good book were all that was needed to keep them satisfied.
One evening during that winter, they were reading together, when the phone rang. "I'll get it," said Ethel. She picked up the phone. "Hello?" No one answered, but she heard a buzzing noise in the background. "Hello?" she said again, but the buzzing noise went on. She was about to hang up, when she heard some chilling words: "Captain Trevelyan is dead..." Then the line cut off.
Ethel was thoroughly frightened while she related it to her husband. "Who," he asked, "is Captain Trevelyan?" "I haven't the slightest idea," she replied. They looked out at the blinding snow. The blizzard was getting worse. George stood up. "I'm going to go to Exhampton and see if they know anything about this 'Captain Trevelyan' fellow." "In this weather?" "I think I'll be able to make it. It's only six miles anyway." "But the moor..." "Don't you worry. I promise I'll be back." And then he set off.
As he made his way to his car, he had to fight the wind just to open the door. He got in, and tried turning the key. The starter would go, but the engine would not start. After three or four tries, he was convinced his car would not start. "Oh, bugger," he said to himself in frustration. "What do I do now?" He decided the best way would be to walk. He would have to be very careful, because one wrong set in the moor, and he was done for. He put on some snow boots, and started on his way, trying to fight through the raging winds and blinding snow. His only navigatiinal clue was that the small, unremarkable road that went from his house to the rest of the world was essentially a clearing, with some trees on either side. "Just follow the clearing," he thought to himself. The road would stand out that way. Therefore, he reasoned that as long as there were trees on either side, he was going in the right direction. He knew also that he shouldn't step into the stream that ran through the clearing, as it would undoubtedly be frozen over now, and he didn't need to fall in this weather. With everything covered in snow though, everything looked like a white blanket on the ground. "If the stream is frozen over... Oh dear, I hope no one else travels up this road," he said to himself. Luck was on his side for the moment though; in just 20 minutes, he managed to travel the first mile. He didn't know this though; he still struggled on to Exhampton, hoping to get there within the next few hours.
He kept walking through the storm. All the way, he couldn't shake this feeling that he was not alone. Every now and then, he'd look through the snow, and he could swear he saw figures in the distance. Not necessarily following him, but also fighting through the storm in the same direction. "Bother this storm; making me see things that are not there," he said to himself. Then he heard something he knew was real - the howl of a wolf. "Oh, this is not the time for something like this," he thought to himself, and he hurried on. As he powered on, he saw something that made him realize where he was. On top of a hill was an old mansion that was in serious disrepair; a fire has ravaged it years prior. "The old Eldbridge place; ok, I'm halfway there," he said to himself, now having a rough idea of where he was.
As he kept walking, he could not help but think to himself, "The wolf howl, the ghostly figures.... No, that's ridiculous; ghosts are not real." He hadn't forgotten. Another family long ago had lived in this area. The Wolff family, parents Wilbert and Rosa, plus their five sons and two daughters. Wilbert lost his wife and children to the Spanish flu epidemic, then days later "died of grief" himself. Some suspected foul play, because their house was secluded like the Eldbridge place, but it was never proven. Locals said that their ghosts still haunted the countryside, but most dismissed it as urban myth. "I'm sure the Wolffs will pay me no bother," he said to himself. He powered on through the storm as he heard the wolf again.
As he walked on, he saw an old looking house... but he couldn't recall seeing it before. "That's odd," he said. "The lights are on... maybe I can go in just to get out of the cold." As he came to the door, he went to knock. "It is a storm; but I shouldn't just barge in; common decency and all," he said to himself. He prepared to knock. "Hello? Anyone home? Please, could I just come in a few minutes? My car is broken down and I don't want to get lost," he called out. From inside he heard a bell toll, and ominous chanting. The door suddenly opened by itself.... He walked inside and into the foyer. He did not see anyone around, and was confused. "I...I won't stay long! I just want to rest a little and then I will be on my way," he said, believing someone had heard him.
Then, he saw a fire in the fireplace suddenly appear.
Then a voice spoke softly as the lights dimmed.
"We've been expecting you..."
*** Ethel was concerned when her husband never came home. "He should have been back by now," she said to herself. She looked out the window; the snow was still falling but not as hard. "Well, at least the storm is dying down; maybe he was just waiting for a break in it so he could travel safer," she reasoned. There wasn't anything to worry about for now, she thought. But there was a strange feeling she could not shake off. So she waited... and waited... and still, hours later, he still hadn't returned. "Hmm... I think I'll go looking for him," she thought, and so she set off.
Following the same path her husband had taken, she proceeded down that road, through the clearing. Eventually, she came to the old Eldbridge place, just like where her husband had come to hours earlier. "Well, I'm halfway there. I wonder... could he have tried to take shelter in the Eldbridge place? It's still solid for the most part; perhaps he went in there for shelter." So she started to make her way up the hill towards the abandoned home. But no one was there.
Continuing on the road, she saw the place that her husband had seen - the house that they'd never seen before. "That's strange, I've never seen this before. Could George have entered it?" So she went inside.... Inside the foyer, she tried to make sense of where she was. All she could tell was that it was clean, meaning that if this place was abandoned, it had not been for long, and the fact that the air felt warm meant the nearby fireplace had recently been used, and someone had been here. "Oh dear; where could George be?" she thought. Then, in the middle of the floor, she saw a dark brown hat. She picked it up, and inside saw the initials "G.S" that she had sewn in for her husband. "Oh my goodness! George! He was here!" she exclaimed. Around the foyer, she could see several ways to go. One door went back outside... she was not about to leave without her husband. One door went to a library, another went to a dining room. There was a staircase that went upstairs, and there was a door that appeared to lead to a closet. "Where should I start?" She asked herself.
She decided to try the library first. However, there was no one there. So, she went upstairs. She opened the door, and there to her horror, was George's dead body. His throat had been ripped out. She screamed. Then, the closet door opened, and a demonic figure whispered, "We've been expecting you..."
*** Sgt. Johnson and Lt. Conrad had gotten a call from an old building in the middle of the moor. "I didn't even know there was a house there," said Conrad. "Neither did I," replied Johnson. They were driving their squad car to the location that had been described to them. Apparently, there had been a complaint about a "smell of death" coming from the house, and there was concern that a dead body was on the premises. "I talked to a few colleagues before we left; I made it clear that if we don't get back to them within 15 minutes of arriving at the house, they are to send back up immediately. Cordon off the area, and search for clues," Lt. Conrad explained. "Very well sir," Johnson replied.
At 1 p.m. they arrived at the house. Conrad made the call on the radio. "This is Lt. Conrad, we've made it to the house. If I don't report back in 15 minutes, assume something bad happened and send for back up," he said into the radio. After getting a confirmation over the radio, they entered the house. "Scotland Yard, Lt. Conrad. Anyone there?" he called out. But no one answered. The two men checked over the house, and found a terrible site upstairs - the bodies of a middle-aged man and woman. Their throats had been ripped out. "Holy..." Conrad radioed Scotland Yard. "Send some more officers, we've found a grisly sight here...."
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Aug 14, 2017 14:52:53 GMT -5
Part Two: Enter Stein Within the next hour, nearly two dozen officers and investigators had arrived on scene. With the area secure, the medical examiner took action and looked at the bodies. "It was a painful death, but it was quick. Going off the algor mortis and rigor mortis, I'd say he's been dead at least twenty hours, and she's been dead at least eight," the examiner explained. "So he arrived first, then she came later," Lt. Conrad said. "It's pretty hard to tell what the weapon was... we're looking as some form of blade here, but it's not a clean slice. It was a ripping sort of cut. Enough to open their throats," the medical examiner continued. "I'll go to the museum in town; perhaps they can offer insight to the weapon used," a detective said before he left. The medical examiner went on. "They were not killed here; there are blood spots here and there that suggest the corpses were moved." "So we're dealing with a killer that likes to display his victims," Conrad concluded. "Were there any witnesses?" another detective asked. "Other than the murderer himself, it doesn't look like it."
Congrad and Johnson decided to look around the house. It was as old inside as it was outside. The house was old, but there was one detail that threw them off - it was clean (minus the blood and crime stuff), indicating that someone was living here recently. But then the most bizarre thing happened... an old man, in ragged clothes and disheveled hair ran up to them screaming. "They're here! They're here I tell you!" he screamed. "Who? Who's here?" Johnson asked. "Sir, are you ok?" Conrad asked. "The Wolffs! The Wolffs haunt these halls!" the old man screamed. "Bloody hell, not that old legend again," Johnson said in frustration. "What are you talking about?" Conrad said. "The Wolffs! They are taking revenge for their lives cut short! Now they cut the lives of others short!" the old man said. "The Wolff's were killed by the Spanish flu... and the father died of grief!" Johnson fumed. "LIES! ALL LIES!! The Wolff's haunt these lands I tell you, and now they haunt these halls! You are warned, they have taken the lives of the Smiths, and they will strike again until they are avenged!" the old man said before he ran away, and turned into a hall. Conrad and Johnson gave chase... only to find the hallway empty when they arrived. "This is rather... odd," Conrad observed. "Bloody fast for an old man," Johnson said angrily. "Wait... how did he know that it was the Smiths that had been killed? We only just found that out." "Hmm... I think we'd better take him in for questioning." "Yes... but we'd better find him first!"
The duo looked around for a bit, and discovered strange footprints and claw marks all over the floor and walls. "What are these markings? Footprints?" asked Conrad pointing to the floor. "And are these claw marks? Could that strange way the victims' throats were cut not actually be a knife then? Some sort of strange creature, right Jeremy?" asked Johnson as well. "I don't know Eric, but I think I know someone who might be able to help on this case, let me give him a call..." replied Lt. Conrad as the duo left for a phone.
*** One hour later, a special car drove up to the snow cover area, and a man proceeded to exit and walk in front of the two officers. "Hello Gentlemen, my name is Detective Anthony Stein, so what can I do for you?" asked the man. "Beg pardon, but isn't Stein a German name?" asked Johnson. "Yes, my father immigrated from Germany after the war, he married a woman from London so that's why I speak with an accent like yours. I can also speak fluent German if you were wondering. Anyways, what seems to the problem?" asked the detective. "Well, I know of your 'history' dealing with these supposed 'supernatural' cases, and it seems our case is turning into one of the ones you're famous for solving..." replied Conrad. "Ah, well I believe all problems are rooted in this world and are rarely ever actually caused by supernatural means," responded Stein. "Wait, what do you mean by rarely?" asked a curious Johnson.
Before Stein could answer, a scream was heard, so the trio ran towards it. The trio found a young officer, a rookie by the looks of it, standing near the stream by the side of the snow covered path. "I-I-I was surveying the area like I was asked an-and I ff-ff-f-f-f-found this..." said the rookie with a scared and freezing tone in his voice. The trio looked down onto the stream's bank and saw a half frozen body stuck in the ice, with the same gruesome cuts on the throat as the victims inside. "Damn ,before I even get to look at the other victims we find this. Whoever tossed this body was either a genius or an idiot," said Stein as he took out a cigarette and began to light it. "What do you mean that?" asked Conrad. "Well water is a great preserver, it may bloat the body a bit, but it keeps it in relatively good shape. Though the water messes when we try to find a time of death. The bloating might of caused it to get like that, or the killer can't throw worth a damn," answered Stein. "How did you figure that out?" asked Johnson. "Well the ice around the body is slightly cracked, looks forcefully done. Seems the killer tried to hide the body in the water, but either the hole was too big and the body floated to the bank, getting half stuck like that, or the killer threw it, and like I said before, had horrible aim and missed the hole. Should have thought of weighting it down," replied Stein with a puff of smoke. "This is a completely different from the bodies inside, those seemed like he was presenting them, but here it seems he tried to hide this one, why could that be?" asked a confused Conrad. "I can think of many different reasons, but the only thing that comes to mind right now is this case just got interesting," answered Stein with a puff and a grin... "What do you mean? What's your theory?" "Well, it seems this man was either a witness who had seen the killer, or more likely, an accomplice," answered Stein. "An accomplice!?!?" shouted the duo. "Seems the most believable currently. Right, YOU, the one who seems to have pissed his pants, go alert the other officers and med examiners of the body so they can drag him out in one piece, and change your pants while you're at it. Anyways, gentlemen, take me to the first victims," said Stein as the trio soon left for the house.
They came to the old house. "Wow!" said Stein. "Looks creepy! Sorry, I've developed a liking towards old locations like this while on the job, and sometimes I just can't help myself... Anyways, the bodies, gentlemen?" said Stein as the trio proceeded onto the crime scene. They went inside to see the bodies... the medical examiner was just finishing up with his work. "Take all the time you need; I'm done here," the examiner said as he packed his things. The victims were still there, as the police were still examining the place. Stein gave a whoop, and then said sheepishly... "Ah, Sergeant, you stepped on my foot..." "My apologies," replied Johnson "Anyways, the bodies," responded Stein as he got on one knee to get a closer look.
"Do you need my findings, or can you handle this on your own?" the medical examiner asked just before he was about to leave. "Yes, or at least your notes on if death was caused by these wounds or not," replied Stein. "Right, here is a copy an assistant took, but I'll be outside looking over that other body you Gentlemen just discovered. Cheers," responded the Medical Examiner. "Bloody hell, word travels fast," said Johnson. "Focus, Sergeant! Anyways, Stein, have you found anything?" asked Conrad. "It seems these wounds were not made by any sort of blade... But what looks like... teeth?" questioned Stein. "TEETH!?!?!" shouted the duo. "Yes, and from the notes the ME took, it seems no outward signs indicate it was a poison or some sort of deadly injection," answered Stein. "So could it be something... supernatural?" asked Johnson. "Don't get you're hopes up Sergeant, until the lab results sent to the local precinct come back, I can only rule it as some sort of death by animal," replied Stein. "Death by animal?" questioned Conrad. "Yes, but the 'bite marks' as I'm calling them, they are no normal humans, but are definitely some sort of mammal, anyways let's proceed to the body we found, shall we?" said Stein as the trio went back to the stream bank.
On their way, a couple officers came up to them; they had the old man in handcuffs. "Found the crazy old man you ran into; wouldn't you know, he ran straight into a suit of armor, and thankfully we stopped him before he could get the shield and sword," one officer said. "Please! You must leave this place! The Wolffs will get you if you don't!" the man said again. "We'll take it from here," Conrad said. "Who is this?" Stein asked. "This crazy old guy broke into the crime scene to warn us that the Wolff family's spirits were going to attack us and kill us," Conrad said. "The Wolff's?" a confused Stein asked. "The Wolff family - do you know the story?" Johnson asked, hiding his annoyance that it came up again. "No, I don't," replied a curious Stein. "Well a few years back a wealthy family's members all but the father caught the Spanish Flu from that Great Epidemic back then, and out of grief the father, Wilbur, committed suicide over the loss of his wife and seven children. Legend has it, the Wolff Family still haunt the moor, and they used to live in the old Eldbridge place," answered an annoyed Johnson "Really now? You know, Johnson, never shrug off local beliefs, even the superstitions, you never know when they'll come in handy. Anyways, you sir, why do you specifically say they haunt this place that wasn't their own. Actually, I"m sorry for not introducing myself, I'm Detective Anthony Stein, and you are?" asked Stein The old man answered, "I'm John Stylerton, and why I say so is because of what happened a few years ago..." "What did?" Stein asked. "Six years ago a young couple got lost and drove down this road by mistake. A heavy snowstorm was coming in, and they decided to take shelter rather than crash their car. They entered the Eldbridge place, hoping to wait out the storm." "And?" Stein asked. "They never made it through the night. That next morning I was out hunting quails when I smelled something coming from the Eldbridge place. I looked through a window, one of the few not boarded up... and to my horror, there were two bodies, laid onto chairs, their throats sliced open." "And what makes you think it was the Wolffs?" Stein asked. "When I tried to go in... I heard children's laughter. Then it felt like everything froze around me, and I heard a voice say, 'Why do you live? Our lives were cut so short, it's not fair! join us! join us! JOIN US!' "I was so terrified that I ran out of the place and never returned. Now, it is said that during any snowstorm, and when the wolves howl, the family's spirits wander the region, killing people out of spite since their lives were cut short," Stylerton finished. "That is most peculiar. I wonder if-" But Stein's musing was broken off by a fearsome wail, and the sounds of wolves. Suddenly, there was a loud shriek of pain, and then silence. "What in God's name was that?" "I don't know!" "Let's leave," Stein said. "I do this for a living, and even I'm getting creeped out!"
The bodies were loaded onto a wagon and taken to Scotland Yard's morgue, where several officers who were in disgrace were made to attend the autopsy. Among them were Officers Mรผller, Hemsworth, and Gent, all of whom noticed something peculiar about the bodies and pointed it out at the exact same time. It was a most unusual trend among the three dead bodies. In addition each being killed by the throat ripping, it looked like the bodies had been cleaned. "Look; a rip in the neck like that, for how long the bodies were sitting, surely they would have soaked in blood. But they did not. It is almost as if these bodies were intentionally cleaned after they were killed," Gent pointed out. "Cleaning bodies would fit the idea of displaying them; the killer wanted the bodies to be displayed, but not have a huge mess on his hands," Muller added. "Could... could we be dealing... with a serial killer?" Hemsworth suggested. "From what I know, it's possible that we're dealing with a homicidal maniac... so, yes." "But why does he kill the people he kills? How does he get them to come to him?" "Well, based on the circumstantial evidence" Conrad said, who had arrived, "it looks like we're dealing with someone who preys on unsuspecting travelers. They take shelter for the night in the house, then they are killed once inside, where they are cleaned and displayed." "He could strike again at any time," Gent observed. "Quite. Now then, I'm calling the higher-ups to recommend a seal-off of the road. We can't let anyone else get killed, and we'll flush him out," Conrad said.
So they did... but as it turned out, the next body was found 52 miles from the others. However, this body was in, as the medical examiner described, an "advanced state of decomposition" and it would be difficult to determine if it was connected to the three bodies already found. "Let us focus on these three for now; there's got to be something about this building we have not figured out yet," Stein concluded. "Yes, and that new body was found in the neighboring precinct; they have jurisdiction over that case, not us," Conrad explained. "So what do we do next then?" Johnson asked. "Anyways, it's possible the body was ditched further of the stream and it floated down getting caught on the bank, but it's in such close proximity that it must be connected somehow. Also, I've still to look conclusively at that third one, shall I take a look then?" asked Stein "Of course, certainly, right this way..." replied the medical examiner as he led the three men to the waterlogged body. Stein examined the body and spoke out his thoughts, "Well, it certainly is by the killer, the gnashed throat is the giveaway, but the way we found the body was almost like the killer tried to hide his murder, unlike the couple who were left presented like he wanted us to find them. How's the luck on identifying the victims?" asked Stein. "Well, the couple is confirmed to be a Mr. and Mrs. George and Ethel Smith, a famous couple in Dartmoor for being the only ones to still occupy the moor, while the third victim is confirmed to be not be a local, since no one was able to really recognize or remember him, so for now we'll be calling him John Doe," answered Conrad. "A non-local is the third victim... This is getting interesting. This means why he was hidden all the more clearer, he was killed because he was an unforeseen witness to the crime, and he was killed to be silenced, but why was Mr. Doe there in the first place?" questioned Stein.
Just then, an officer came running in, shouting, "A fourth victim has turned up, and she happens to be alive!" "A fourth victim!?!?" yelled Conrad. "A she?!?!" shouted Johnson. "She's ALIVE?!?!" screamed Stein as the trio rushed out of the morgue, hopped into Stein's car, and were raced off to the crime scene...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Aug 14, 2017 15:20:18 GMT -5
Part Three: Into the Silent Snow The trio of officers soon pulled up to the scene, sometime after one in the morning (the attack had happened earlier in the night), emerged out of their vehicle, with some shouts of "You can't park there!" thrown in, and proceeded to speak to the victim who was currently resting on the back of an ambulance getting her wounds treated."Hello Ma'am, we're currently investigating a case and your attack seems to follow a trend in the area, so can you explain the details of your assault and the reasons you're on a closed crime scene?... I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Lt. Conrad, this is Sgt. Johnson, and finally the man behind us is the one in charge of the investigation, Detective Stein," said Conrad."Well then I'm Helen Wiltshire, and I came to the moor in search of my husband, Stephen. Last night we were going to visit his aunt and uncle, the Smiths. We were driving to their home on the moor until the a blizzard buried our car in the snow. He told me to stay in the vehicle while he went to deliver some important news to them. The car proceeded to be buried and I was trapped till this afternoon, I went back into town to get something to eat, then I proceeded to walk back towards the moor just as the sun was setting," replied Mrs. Wiltshire."Wait, what was this important news your husband had to deliver?" asked Johnson."Stephen's father, Jerome, passed away recently, and he felt like he had to give Ethel, Jerome's sister, the news personally. Anyways, I set off down the moor in the dark, in hindsight not the greatest decision, and passed a few police vehicles, not giving them any mind, until I reached an area seemingly with no one around near a few abandoned buildings. A few minutes after coming to this point, a shadowy figure and some sort of 'beast' lunged at me, with the beast on top of me seemingly trying to bite at my neck. I struggled against the monster, I screamed, but it seemed like a waste of energy at the time against this beast as the 'shadow' just watched making sure nothing went wrong. I grabbed one of my sewing needles, which I carry with me, and stabbed the monster and it whimpered off of me, but not before biting a chunk out of my arm. Then some rustling in the bushes alerted the 'shadow and beast' to flee in a hazy direction, as some of your officers found me... I was then treated awhile later and then you gentlemen arrived," responded Mrs. Wiltshire."Mrs. Wiltshire, can you describe your husband for us?" asked Stein."Yes, he's about 6 feet tall, brown hair, and was wearing a red jacket the last time I saw him," answered the woman."Alright then, just stay with the good doctor here and you'll be okay, we;ll need you down at the station for a bit, so please hold on," said Stein as the trio began to walk away.."Stein, why didn't you tell her that the man she described is exactly like the Mr. Doe we have in the morgue right now as the third victim?" asked Johnson."Because, Sergeant, telling her that might put her in some sort of shock that might not be good for the doctors, so after she's fully treated, she'll learn the sad but hard truth," answered Stein as an officer walked up the the trio."Detective, I'm one of the officers who found the victim, she as you just interviewed her, is there anything you need me to clarify?" asked the officer."Officer, the victim said she stabbed the 'beast' that attacked her, so isn't their a trail of blood leading to where that attacker is?" asked Stein."I'm sorry detective, but snow was falling at that moment, so finding that trail will be harder now. But I do know the rough direction the attacker ran," replied the officer."How so?" asked Stein."Well when me and two other officers found the victim, I noticed a few broken branches in a way that seemed as if someone had run from the scene, since we had so few officers on hand at the time and the victim was in a dire state, I wasn't able to act on it," responded the officer."So what direction was it in?" asked Stein."The direction seemed to be heading towards the old Eldbridge Place," answered the officer."Thank you officer, we've finally got a lead to where this killer is! I want you stay with the victim, your testimony will be very important. If my associates and I are not back in half in hour send backup!" shouted Stein as he ran towards the Eldbridge Place with Conrad and Johnson reluctantly chasing after him."Hey! Don't go running off like that!" shouted Conrad."Shouldn't we wait for backup!" yelled Johnson."Thank you Detective, I'm Officer Colt by the way!" shouted Colt as he watched the trio of investigators head to the abandoned building, as a mysterious snowfall and an eerie wolf howl followed after their departure...They eventually reached the building. While standing near the front door, they once again heard the wolf howls."Oh blast that cursed myth; makes people get the wrong ideas," Johnson grumbled."I don't know; the Wolff family might be haunting us as we speak," Conrad observed."Don't push it!" Johnson fumed."So what brings us here?" Conrad asked Stein."Yeah, the first murder didn't even take place here.""I've got a hunch," replied Stein, and he walked inside."Well firstly, where else would you seek shelter in a blizzard if you wanted to hide away from a crime scene? Obviously in a place the police wouldn't want to search," said Stein."Whatever," huffed Johnson, who was responsible for the first comment.The trio entered the manor's foyer, bigger than any of them expected."Wow it's pretty enormous," said Conrad."Well the Wolffs were quite rich after all," replied Johnson."Focus you two, if my hunch and the evidence is right, then a killer is in this building somewhere, be it a man or a monster," said Stein as the doors to the building eerily began to close, eventually with a slam..."What was that?" asked a worried Johnson."It was probably just the wind," answered Conrad."Well, whatever is here definitely heard that, so there goes our element of surprise," spoke Stein as a shadow ran across an upper hallway."You shouldn't have come here!" shouted the mysterious shadow as the hanging chandelier began to fall towards the officers."DODGE!!!" screamed Stein as he tackled Conrad and Johnson away from the falling crystal ornament, just as it crashed into were they had previously stood."That was close..." said Johnson."Don't just sit there, we have to arrest that thing!" shouted Conrad as he pulled out his revolver and opened fire.The shadow dodged Conrad's fire and disappeared down the hall."After him!" yelled Stein as the trio began the chase after the mysterious entity.The trio soon began their chase after the 'shadow' until they arrived to a halt."Where did that thing go?" asked Conrad as he searched around frantically."I don't know, but keep your eyes peeled, we've found the 'shadow' Mrs. Wiltshire mentioned, now all we need is the 'beast'," said Stein as he withdrew his revolver as well.A rustling noise was heard by the three men, until some entity lunged onto Johnson."AH! GET THIS OFF OF ME!!!" shouted Johnson, who was now on the floor trying to defend himself from the beast."ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!" barked the 'beast' as it tried to bite at Johnson's neck."Open fire!!!" yelled Stein as he and Conrad began to fire on the monster, filling the creature with lead. until it filled keeled over on it's side, dead."What the hell was that thing?!" panted Johnson."From the looks of it, a trained dog, a German Shepherd to be precise. It seems the killer died this mongrel's fur completely black to blend into the night and make it's features hard to see. Seems he trained the dog to attack human necks to kill his victim's swiftly, leaves more but less evidence than a normal weapon, he must have been able to clean up the crime scene pretty well, we never really ever found dog hair. It must be the cause of all the howling, this dog seems to have some damn good lungs," commented Stein."Alright so we killed the weapon, now what?" asked Johnson, almost recovered."Well we find the killer of course. He must of left the dog loose, so he should be nearby somewhere," answered Stein, as the group set off to find the 'shadow'.The walked down a few more hallways until they were back on the first floor, and that's when they saw it, the 'shadow' making a break for the door."There he is! Stop him!" shouted Conrad as Stein shot the area around the 'shadow' and they cornered it at a dead end."There's no escape! You're under arrest!" said Johnson."That's what you think..." said the shadow as he tried to bolt past the three officers, but was tackled by Johnson instead."Now we'll see who you are..." said Conrad as he went to pull away the black snow mask covering the shadow's face."And the culprit is... No one we know of..." deadpanned Stein."I think I can answer your questions..." said a new voice, revealing a new figure."Mr. Stylerton!?!?" shouted the confused trio.."Wilbur?!?!" shouted the confused shadow."Wait Wilbur, I thought your name was John?" asked an even more confused Conrad."I guess the secret's out, no harm in telling you gentlemen since it's so important to your case, but I am actually Wilbur Wolff," answered Stylerton."What? But I thought you committed suicide?!?!" questioned Johnson."Well I contemplated doing so after losing my family, but my wife Rosa wouldn't have been proud of me if I actually followed through, so I faked my death and became John Stylerton the hunter to start my life anew and in solitude. I made up that story about the haunting of this place to keep people away, because I see it as their final resting place, but that 'shadow' over there took advantage of the story I made up," replied Stylerton."You said you could answer our question Wilbur, so why is did this man kill those three and how does he know you?" asked Stein."It's rather simple, when I faked my death, I left everything I owned to the Smiths, they were my only friends after I lost Rosa and my children, and they inherited my entire fortune, since I had no remaining family, except for one person. That person was my estranged brother who constantly asked me to pay off his debts until finally I cut off contact with him. It seems he found out about this, and plotted to kill the Smiths, using his abilities training dogs he got from the war. And my brother is the man Sgt. Johnson currently is pinning down, Nigel Wolff," answered Stylerton."Damn you Wilbur! If it wasn't for you being such a good person, I could have claimed your whole fortune and nor have to have done what I've done!" shouted Nigel."Quiet you!" said Johnson as he pushed Nigel's head into the floor."From the information you've given us Mr. Wolff, you're saying your brother trained a killer dog to pretend to be a supernatural entity based on a story you made up to protect the area where your family perished so he could claim your fortune you left to a couple you had been friends with?" said Stein"Precisely," replied Stylerton."Why did he do it so elaborately then? And why did he kill Mr. Wiltshire?" asked Conrad."You killed Mr. Wiltshire because he heard the screams from the Mrs. Smith's demise and saw you leave the building, which would make any plan you had of claiming your brother's fortune impossible, so you killed him and itched the body because you needed the other two to die, but not him, right? And you made this plan so elaborate because you were hiding from a group you owed money to, and this was the only way you could think without attracting your criminal friends while hiding from them too, correct?" asked Stein."Grrr.... Fine, yes! If it hadn't been me losing all that money in the Stock Market and if brother had just left me his money in the first place, those people wouldn't be dead!" shouted Nigel."That's all we needed to hear, cuff him Eric," said Conrad."Right Jeremy, back up should arrive soon, I'll wait in the foyer with Mr. Wolff here until they arrive, finish up with Mr. Stylerton, then I'll see you in a bit," replied Johnson as he handcuffed Nigel and shoved him towards the entrance.Just then, a wolf howl was heard once again, and the men in the room heard an unexpected sound... children's laughter."It's not fair!" a young boy's voice said."Our lives were cut so short; why should you get to live?" a young girl's voice said."Join us! join us!" a chorus of children's voices said."It's the Wolff's!!" A shocked Conrad said."Ha ha, joke's over, you can end this now Nigel," a visibly annoyed Johnson said."But... I'm not doing this..." Nigel said. Johnson looked more annoyed than ever."Oh for Christ's sake this has gone on long enough!" Johnson said as he pulled out his revolver and shot three times into the air."The jig is up! Show yourselves now or leave immediately!" He screamed.There was total silence. Johnson, with a look of victory in his eyes, holstered his revolver.Johnson took Nigel away, while Stein and Conrad noticed a change in Stylerton."Mr. Stylerton, what's wrong?" asked Conrad."My children... They're still here... After all these years..." said Stylerton as he began to walk towards downstairs in a daze."Wait Mr. Stylerton, what do you mean by your children, were those your children's voices?" asked Stein."Yes... I must be with them... Sorry gentlemen, but the information I told you can be found at my home in the forest, but for now, farewell..." replied Stylerton as he walked out of the back door, into a blizzard that had just begun..."Mr. Stylerton, come back!" shouted Conrad."No, this is the only way I can be with them once again, they were calling to me..." replied Stylerton."What do you mean? Mr. Stylerton just come back!" yelled Conrad as he began to chase after him, until he was held back by Stein."No, it's to dangerous to go after him, you'll freeze to death if you go out into this storm. That man has made up his mind and seeing his brother again finally did him in... Just let him go..." said Stein as Conrad gave in and the duo watched as Stylerton disappeared into the blizzard mist...
ูู ุงูุซูุฌ ุงูุตุงู
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Aug 14, 2017 15:23:57 GMT -5
A Conclusion Left with no other choice, Stein and Conrad waited out the blizzard until it was calm enough to go. "It's no use, with how much snow fell he should be buried somewhere in the the forest, we wouldn't be able to find Stylerton's body until Spring. Let's head back and go get what he left at his home after bringing in Mr. Wolff," said Stein as he and Conrad returned to the Eldbridge Place. The duo soon arrived back to Johnson and noticed that back he had indeed arrived and was now taking Nigel Wolff away. "Well now that he's taken care of, let's go get the information at Mr. Stylerton's home," said Stein. "Hey, where is Mr. Stylerton anyway?" asked Johnson. "Um... He's disposed of at the moment..." replied a nervous Conrad. "Come on let's go," said Stein as the trio soon left for Stylerton's house in the forest...
*** The trio soon came upon an abandoned shack inside the forest that looked even more run down than the Eldbridge Place. "Could he really have been living here?" asked Johnson. "I don't know, but let's go inside and see..." replied Conrad as the group entered. They saw a falling apart building with a single table, knocked over chair, and rotten bed in the corner. On the table was a stack of papers and on top was a note left for the trio.
Gentlemen, I thank you for solving this case, and since my children beckoned me to go back to them, from my temporarily departure that my wife asked me to go on to help you, I have returned back whence I came, but here is paperwork from my lifetime that tells all the information I have given you and can beneficial in solving your case, though I recommend you say you found these papers in public records and captured Nigel through the testimony of 'Mr. Stylerton' who passed away before he could be called to court... I am sorry that my foolishness caused these murders, Rosa has even reprimanded my idiocy already, so I hope all is forgiven.
- Wilbur Wolff "What does that letter mean?" asked Johnson. "How could he have written it, this shack is no where near the direction he walked off into... And that storm... How is this possible?" asked a confused Conrad. "Well Gentlemen, I did tell you sometimes, a case with supernatural entity does truly have one, just not in the way you expect," answered Stein.
That, Gunnarson, is the summary of the Eldbridge Case, my dealings with the supernatural only get stranger the longer I'm on the job. Anyways, Mrs. Wiltshire found out about her husband's death and slowly is recovering from it, so I've heard, and she even testified in court. I myself testified in Mr. Stylerton's place, leaving out the 'ghostly appearance' of him of course, and mentioned how the hunter was a close friend of Wilbur's and was keeping his final wishes by creating the story and holding onto the documents. Surprisingly, the defense didn't call me out on my editing of the truth a bit (I wonder why), but Nigel was sent away on triple manslaughter, assaulting police officers, animal mistreatment, fraud, and a few other things. Well Gunnarson, I hope you're doing fine on the Mainland and those rumors of that Hitler fellow making a name aren't all that true, I recommend you come here if it ever gets too dangerous for you, but anyways, I am looking forward to your reply.
- A. Stein This is one of the many letters Gunnarson received from Mr. Stein that he asked me to transcribe, telling me all cases are unique, even if the circumstances seem impossible. Stein's cases always seem intriguing to me, and Gunnarson has no doubt they are always true, even if they do sound far-fetching at times. I wonder if those two have some sort of history together? Anyways, this is only the first of Stein's adventures I've copied, and it seems a few of his friendly faces I have met with Gunnarson on occasion. Who knows how much more of the duo's work has intertwined over the years, but it seems they are both their own entities as well. I foresee the day I will finally meet Detective Anthony Stein as intriguing none the less... Transcibed by: Assistant Hartley
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