What Lies Beneath

Chapter- 17 (ii)

The air that was only carrying the fragrance of blood till now has mixed its texture with the burnt flesh. Becoming inconvenient for tracing the others. But surprisingly, Ishaan didn't have to do that anymore because in front of him, there was something he wasn't expecting to see so soon.

At the end of the street was a crossroad leading to the other three directions. On one corner of that crossroad stood a tall street pole and smashed to it was a car, whose lights kept flickering beside the lamp situated on its top.

The bonnet of the car wasn't only just bent, but completely destroyed. Smoke leaking from every escape as it wasn't only caused by the impact of pole, but the boundary situated on the corner as well.

By just looking at it made it clear the person inside driving couldn't be alive anymore. Ishaan didn't hear a heartbeat anyway so examining it from afar, he moved on.

Though his eyes remained focused on searching for the same marks on this body, he was lowkey assured when he found none. This may mean that Ryan might not have caused this accident, but Ishaan didn't want to believe that as his intuition tells otherwise.

Leaving the mess for his own good, he headed straight on his way as the distant wailing of sirens started to grow loud, indicating someone was coming to rescue the accident soon.

With his hands stuffed inside pockets, Ishaan walked like a very common pedestrian passing through the road. However, coming further his reassured feet trembled again when he was about to collide with a body lying openly on the ground, covered with blood and open wounds, seeming like someone has dragged it up here.

Again, lifeless.

He somewhat sighed mentally for only coming across with the dead today. On observing this body, he found out this corpse was of a girl's having the same bruised bite marks on her neck like the first one. Drained of blood and no signs of breathing or so, she was also a victim of tonight's tragedy.

With a click of his fingers, he places the deceased in a corner and sets it on fire as it will give some time for it to deteriorate before someone could get their hands on it; erasing the proof.

Done with the third corpse, Ishaan thought he had done enough for today. Truthfully he has. He had found pretty odd things which he wasn't expecting to see as there was this one thing he had found common in all. Maybe it was not what he's thinking but for some reason, he felt like delivering this information to the King as soon as he got off here.

Strolling on the road further, he decided to go back to his home but being caught by an appetising, mouth watering sight on the left of the main streets, his feets betrayed to keep moving on as he halted in the middle.

It was a food cafe selling instant snacks under a stall outside the shop. Who doesn't want to give themselves a reward after all the heavy work, afterall, never say no to food when it comes to you.

Ishaan quickly made his way to the stall and ordered himself a hamburger. After a few minutes his order was ready as he received his packet and began his journey again.

Tasting the crunchy patty with spicy sauces on his tongue, he took every bite of it delightly as its savoury flavours released sparkly dopamine in his mind.

He enjoyed it.

Munching on his meal bit by bit he has come far from the main roads, stopping near a small dustbin to throw its remains as he was just about to take the last mouthful of the burger again. That only then a bone chilling whirl of wind blew across the path carrying a tempting scent with its flow, enough for him to pull that piece out of his mouth and avert his head in that direction. Feeling called.