Lost in Blue

𝕹𝖚𝖑𝖑 : Salvage

𝕹 𝕴 𝖃𝕰 𝕿 𝕺 𝕽 𝕰 𝕿𝕰𝖄

"Humans salvaged two bodies from the sea,

punished by its waters, cursed to never be free.

At sunset, the merciless currents of the Rhine,

as time goes on, will slowly make you mine.

Following its call, I will lead you into the abyss,

Humanity is something you shall never miss.

Enjoy the last of your freedom, my child,

six months it takes for you to be exiled.

Whatever it takes, you belong to the sea,

no matter, how many times you plea."

𝕹 𝕴 𝖃𝕰 𝕿 𝕺 𝕽 𝕰 𝕿𝕰𝖄

Rhineland-Palatinate. 10th of April, 2017.

It was only 8:30 am on a regular Monday morning and the police department of Sankt Goarshausen already found themselves in an uproar. Several calls were hastily being made, all kinds of divisions contacted, while German bureaucracy operated at full stretch against all expectations due to unforeseen circumstances.

Near the slate rock 'Lorelei', the scene had been put under security with the famous yellow and black 'Keep Out' signs, guarding what had been found in the waters of the Middle Rhine from curious civilian eyes.

Officers flooded the site, one after another coming and going, among them a 1,80 meters tall, athletic, dark blonde, brown-eyed male in his mid-twenties, dressed in his uniform: German policeman Henning Dorn.

The young man got out of the car and set foot on the area, his sight set on the recovery ship waiting at the dock in front of him. The sun's beautiful, warm rays shined on the rivers surface, reflecting its greenish blue hues. Taking in the scenery for a short moment, he sighed.

Dorn simply felt that the vicinity with its laid-back citizens was too peaceful for it to be a crime scene - and yet, just the opposite had come true.

Without wasting any more time, he made his way forward down the stairs leading to the site. With each step he took, his mind wandered, carefully going over all the facts he had been provided with - he had been briefed about the case beforehand.

At approximately 7:05 am in the morning, the salvage team had started their day and set out into the Rhine's waters, until they made their discovery at 7:30. Ten minutes later, at 7:40, the first call was made, 110 dialed and the salvage ship returned at the dock at 7:50 in accordance with the station's orders. Forensics were dispatched, concluding the collection of evidence at 8:20, ten minutes prior to the detective's arrival.

What had been supposed to be a salvage for an accidentally sunken steamboat, turned out to be a case in need of police investigation.

Slightly nervous about the find, he passed a row of startled people, members of the rescue team, only to be greeted by a middle-aged, maroon bearded man clad in an orange uniform that failed to cover his protruding potbelly - an effect commonly linked to beer consumption - and a yellow helmet rested on top of his bald head.

"You're the policeman we've been waiting for," he stated calmly, taking a pull on his cigarette, squinting his eyes as a cool April breeze passed by.

"Yes, Henning Dorn, police department Sankt Goarshausen. I'm here at the behest of inspector Wolfgang Eckert, he might be a bit late, I'm afraid," he gave his opposite a firm handshake while introducing himself, as his eyes wandered to the ship in front, secretly yearning to get business done as soon as possible.