The Murder Story

The Cult of the Gods

Francesco crouched in the bushes with his camera, snapping pictures of the strange symbols and candles that Kezia was setting up in the classroom. He was sure that this cult was the one responsible for the murders, who else could it be? He hadn't seen Vivien yet, but he was sure that when she arrived he would finally get the proof he needed to show people they were the murderers. He heard a twig snap behind him, and whirled, expecting to see a teacher or a student dumb enough to return to the school, but instead, to his horror he saw Vivien, standing there in a dark blue robe. Before he could even cry out, she blew some kind of pink powder in his face, and everything went dark.

When he finally came to he realised that his hands and feet were tied, and his mouth was gagged, and he looked around to see that Kezia and Vivien were arguing. 

"We can't kill him!" Kezia protested, the hood of her robe falling down. "We are supposed to stop the murders!"

"This will stop the murders, the gods need a sacrifice, they need to be appeased, and besides we need to stop him from telling anyone about him."

"Vivien, we cannot kill him."

"No, you cannot, I can and I will," Vivien said determinedly, and unsheathed a curved, jewelled knife from her belt and marched toward Francesco, who immediately began to struggle and squirm away, but Vivien grabbed his chin, holding his head up. "Gods, accept our offering and end our torment!" she shouted, then ran the knife across Francesco's neck, from ear to ear, and he choked on his own blood, and fell dead in the circle of candles and symbols.

Kezia covered her face in horror. "What have you done! I can't be a part of this, you- you're a monster!" She went running from the room but Vivien caught her arm.

"You can't leave Kezia, I need you."

"I'm not staying," she cried, and tried to rip herself from Vivien's grip, but Vivien was stronger, yanking her back and plunging the knife into Kezia's stomach. Kezia faltered, not understanding what was happening until she touched her hand to her side and it came away bloody. "What did you do," she whispered before blood began to drip from her mouth and she crumbled to the floor, dead. 

"No, Kezia, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, don't leave me," Vivien sobbed, clutching her dead body. "What have I done?"

She looks down at her bloody dagger then up again when she hears footsteps outside the room. "Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust and let me die."

(stabs herself with her own dagger and dies)

...

Jack walked into the room with his thermal garrote in hand but then frowned at the bloody mess on the floor. He shrugged and pocketed the garrote, dialling the number on his phone.

"Is it done?" she asked.

"Sort of, they're all dead, if that's what you're asking."

"That's good enough for me. You're finished. Collect the money tomorrow at noon at the school."

And the phone went dead.