Coffin Scent: A Testimony

Chapter Eleven - Blood Ties

BLOOD TIES
I was never a hero. And I'll never be indeed...
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Adrianne sits with Laura in the police station. They already gave their testimonies to the police. Adrianne claimed that Alan had been meeting up with his girlfriend, Lisa, for a long time. She would always provide him with the money, alcohol, and pleasures that he needed. However, when he found out that was married and had a child, he became violent with her. She then threatened to leave him, so he killed her. Adrianne tried to stop him, but instead got beaten up, too. That made her run away from him and hide in the woods. When she went back to the cabin, her father was gone, so she continued to live there alone for a couple of years after, it being the only place that she knew. Years later, when Alan was released and all suspicions about him were gone, he found her again. He seemed to be nice at first, but she soon found out that he was killing people and that he had not changed at all. She did not confront him about it, for fear of being beaten or losing her family again, but he could tell that something had changed, and so he became violent with her again. That day, she did not know why, but he had kidnapped a little girl and brought her to the cabin. When he realized that the police had come after him, he slit her throat and buried her in the underground tunnel. He also pulled Adrianne's hair and dragged her with him. She didn't know about the tunnel before that.

Laura, on the other hand, explained everything she knew about the dissociative personality disorder and her recent fallouts with the man. She said that she wasn't surprised that he was a serial killer, but she was very disappointed. "At last, he will get what he deserves."

Alan, on the other hand, insisted that he was innocent. His lawyer advised him to plead guilty, but he refused. Every time he went to court, his daughter would be there. And, every time their eyes met, he could see a small smile form on her face. He knew that she was the one who had killed all of these people, but he dared not say it. The evidence showed that some of the corpses had died while Alan was 'happily married' but that did not help his case because he was presumed to be killing ever since.

Now, Laura looks at Adrianne and reaches out to touch her hand. "I know this must've been very rough for you, Adrianne," she says. "The things you have been through are way too horrific, and no child should be subjected to that."

Adrianne does not reply. Instead, she keeps her head low bound and averts her eyes, feigning fear and sadness. "Hey, look at me," says Laura. "He won't be able to hurt you anymore. You will be safe with me. From now on, I will take care of you like I would my own daughter."

Adrianne finally looks up at Laura. "Thank you," she says, a small smile brightening up her face.

"We will be a happy family," says Laura, cupping Adrianne's face. What Laura does not notice is that Adrianne's eyes momentarily shift to those of a serial killer at this, but that's all that Adrianne lets slip.