Elliot Grey Solves a Murder

Chapter 5: Hi it's me, the unreliable narrator

"This is insane," I don't know where Garth got self preservation I don't.
"Someone bullies Elliot and now they disappeared? We're four for four," Fallon grows yes Fallon is involved as well.
" 'oh by the way we forgot to mention we almost got murdered out there whoops you might want to check'," Simon does a good imitation of I think me.
"We have to hurry, if we're wrong then it doesn't matter but if we're right then we'll get to him faster than a search party, by the time we get through explaining it something terrible could have happened," Jaden says.
"There's safety in numbers, and you can make your whole body a weapon. And if questioned we all forced you to do this it's fine," Fallon says, he has a flashlight and a bat. I don't think he's supposed to have either of those. Not against campus policy but he looks like he shouldn't have those things. For reference he's cargos, trainers, and a wife beater. The rest of us are in various brands of zip ups and hats. Apparently he's 'naturally warm' and 'was planning on going for a late run anyway'.
"I just really think we shouldn't be wandering into the woods at night," Garth says.
"By the time admin actually sees us, and takes us seriously, something could have happened. Fallon's right there's five of us," she says.
"I have deadly aim," Simon holds up his paintball gun.
"Do we seriously think that Lucas is involved? How would he even know about the fight on Monday?" I ask.
"Someone told him if he is a student?"
"He was watching?"
"Someone videoed it and put it on YouTube and I didn't bring it up till now because I thought it would relive the trauma and also it's been taken down I don't know a lot of ways," Garth says all in one breath.
Fallon and I both shine our flashlights in his face, "What?"
"How did you know it was on YouTube?" Simon asks.
"My dad texted it to me 'is this you'," imitating SenatorDad, "He had it taken down. But it already had some views."
"That's why my sister texted me 'stop choking people'. I thought it was just something she thought to say," Fallon says, quietly.
"Likely—it's down now," Garth says.
"Okay, so he could have found out, but why? It's a long way to go to hunt down my bullies and —murder them," I mutter.
"Agreed but there's a bit of a connection here," Garth says.
"Why are we even this worried about the stupid bully?" Simon asks, "I'm all for the adventure not gonna lie but like why are we risking our necks to save him?"
"Because it's the right thing to do!" Garth says.
"We have to!" Jaden says.
"Our tournament might get cancelled if someone actually dies!" Fallon says.
We all look at him.
"What?" Fallon asks.
"I don't care about the tournament—ow—but I'm with him we can't let someone actually die, and if Lucas is even a little involved then maybe we can reason with him or help him or something."
"Agreed, we know someone was at that beach so let's just see if there's anything going on—are you recording this, Garth?" Jaden asks.
"Yeah on my GoPro," he says.
"He's always recording us," Fallon says at the same time.
"How did your dad find it on YouTube?" Simon asks.
"His press office scans that sort of thing especially to do with the school, so anything of me gets pulled down, or better sued," Garth explains, "Really it was up for a couple of hours. I thought many of us might have seen it it wasn't worth mentioning."
"Again with your experiences not being universal. But I wish they were," I mutter.
"Okay, we're nearly there, let's not go down to the beach let's just look and—-," Jaden breaks off as we clear the trees.
Before us, in the moonlight, is the clearing before the cliffside. And in the center of it, someone has driven a stake into the ground. And on the stake is the head of our former classmate.
His decapitated head is stuck on the stake, eyes gouged out. A raven sits ontop of the head, pecking at the eye sockets. The rest of his body is on the ground, arms and legs severed off and stuck up right in the ground. The smell of death hits my nose and I resist the urge to gag. The raven caws at us, eyes glinting an eerie red.
It is at this point, that I recall I am not a reliable observer. Of anything. Ever.
"I have been diagnosed with childhood schitzophrenia I'm going to need someone to articulate if they see—," I begin.
"Oh thank you for sharing with us!" Garth says.
"YES THERE'S A HEAD ON A STAKE!" Fallon and Jaden and Simon scream at the same time.
"And arms stuck in the ground? Oh my god I'm going to be sick," Garth says.
"Ah how about a creepy ass bird?" I ask.
"With red eyes, sitting on the head, staring at us," Jaden says, gripping my arm.
"On it," Simon levels his gun at the bird.
The bird caws once again as he shoots a paintball at it. The yellow paint explodes on the black feathers, and the bird swoops up at us, and we all scream, hugging each other.
"What was that?" Simon asks.
"That wasn't—it's eyes—shouldn't look like that," Jaden says.
"911? My friends and I were out walking for amorous purposes we believe we've come upon human remains," Garth says.
"Fuck," I breath.
"Don't need all of us—go," Jaden says.
Garth nods at me.
"Come on," Fallon grabs my arm, "We'll meet you in their dorm."
"Are you sure?" I ask.
Garth nods.
"Go, you said you're already in trouble," Simon shakes his head.
"It's fine, we'll talk to them."
I have no interest in encountering the police. And I'm well aware that my mental history is only going to complicate matters. Fallon thankfully knows the way and has a bat, he tucks his flashlight under his arm and drags me by the arm till I'm following reliably.
"Can you describe the raven—?" I pant.
"Had red fucking glowing eyes not at all normal also it looked right at us," Fallon says, he's not even panting damn I am out of shape.
"What—what the fuck?" I mutter.
"Yeah, Garth probably has video of it. Come on."
We beat it back to Lion Lodge without much more conversation. I buzz us in and we hurry to my and Garth's room to wait up for the others.
"We're on the videos coming back so if they ask I was making you go on a forced hike through the woods because you have the endurance of a five year old this is very believable of me," Fallon says, opening the window so that the others can come in. Girls and freshmen aren't allowed in the dorm, after hours the front might be watched.
"Okay," I say, leaning over, head in my hands. I sit on my bed. He sits on my desk, feet on my chair, texting. I don't ask who. I look down at my phone. Missed call from my dad. I text him that I fell asleep studying I'll call him back soon. He replies that he'll be up. Good.
The others return surprisingly quickly. Garth is beet red and clearly fuming. Jaden and Simon just look relieved.
"They didn't keep you?" Fallon asks, "Out after hours usually means a call home."
"Someone's really cool fucking parents, fixed it," Simon points at Garth who is completely red.
"So his dads already told the school that should he actually be found engaging after hours amorous activity like we were claiming, it should be let go, for the price of hefty donation," Jaden smirks, "So they took our tip, and they let us go."
"It's completely embarassing I can't believe them," Garth cries, completely upset, "I'm going to demand this is brought up in therapy! I really thought they were getting better. I'm sorry, Elliot, the others know this, my dads are rather protective of me. In years past they were known to pay my roommates and classmates to protect me from bullies."
"So—I take it you believe that they no longer, do that?" I ask, slowly.
"Oh my god," Garth breaths.
"I never took the money, brother. I protect you because I love my team," Fallon says.
"I took the money I'm not going to lie," I say.
"Good! Those idiots! I'm demanding we go back to therapy for this they are so embarassing," Garth says, hands over his face.
We are all silent.
"You know we have shitty families dude," Fallon says.
"Yeah I mean I'll take them," Jaden says.
"They can adopt me it's fine," Simon shrugs, "But. Before he dies of embarrassment. About the haunted raven?"
"Nobody's humoring me? You all literally saw that?" I ask, looking at them.
"I would never humor you I don't like you," Fallon says.
"We all saw that, Elliot I promise," Jaden says.
"I have pictures in a minute," Garth is getting out his laptop, "J—tell them what you realized while we were walking back?"
"Elliot, that picture of Lucas you have, are you sure you took it and it was never enhanced?" Jaden asks.
"Yes," I say, "I was just messing around, it was dark I snapped him smoking."
"Because I finally realized what was so off about it," Jaden says, holding out the picture for Simon and Fallon see. "Look at the pupils."
"What?" I frown.
"Animal eyes, like cat eyes, get that green glint in the dark. Human pupils widen but—," she frowns. "They don't do that."
"Really?" I ask, "They don't at all?"
"No," Jaden says, so nicely.
"Human eyes don't reflect light, cats and to an exent dogs do," Garth says, so patiently.
"How do you not know this?" Fallon breaths.
"I don't pay attention to things! And in my defense I wasn't at my most observant last year," I sigh.
"Look, same reflective properties, it was reflecting our flashlights, but bird eyes don't do that either," Garth turns around his laptop, to show a picture of the raven.
"So what—what are we saying?" I ask, looking around at my friends.
"Grey, how did you meet this person?" Fallon asks.
"He doesn't have to talk about it," Garth says.
"Lucas is—potentially—killing people, we kind of have to talk about this, and safe to say this lead, is not going to sound normal," Simon points to the laptop.
"It's fine. I want to tell all of you," I sigh, "So, here's what happened last year. I'll tell you everything."