The Wards' Mystery

Chapter 10

"A tragedy strikes the quiet town of Ripon.

Bodies of three children were found in the haunted house's well. A work of a vengeful spirit or of a heartless killer?"

Jay was drafting her article in her head for a while, when suddenly a realisation hit her. She glanced at her hand. It was free.

"Daina?" Jay returned to the road. Thunder cracked in the distance. The storm was coming her way.

"Daina!"

Jay did not remember when was the last time she felt scared. The feeling was so foreign almost unrecognizable, but it was definitely there. It was one thing to look at the ones who could not be saved; it was another to lose someone you could have saved.

The relief washed over her, as she noticed fresh footprints on the road. Daina went back to the manor. She was fine. Well, as fine as a child could be after discovering the bodies of her friends in the well. Jay would better hurry up after her.

Jay did not go far when the sound of slow clopping hooves came her way. It unnerved her. She did not understand why. After all, it was just a carriage. But all her instincts told her to hide. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the stress. Maybe the ghost stories finally got to her. Maybe she already knew the reason and just needed the realization to hit her. Whatever the reason was, she had a habit of trusting her instincts. Jay got off the road and slipped behind the trees.

The post cart slowly passed by. The streak of lightning illuminated the wrinkled face of the postman. There was no worry, no fear, no irritation or any other emotion that would meet the man in the storm. That was the face of a man who had the eyes of the dead.

Driven by some unknown urge, Jay reached for her pocket watch. It showed half past eight.

"Of course, Jay muttered, Milly and Paul disappeared around seven in the morning and Ada past seven in the evening. Both match the times of post delivery. And the postman is a familiar face the children would not feel threatened by." Jay scolded herself for not thinking about it before. The cart stopped next to the well. Jay's bones turned to water.

The postman circled the cart and with one rapid movement removed its cover. Jay was not the most compassionate person. She was not even a kind one. But when she saw the small body of Daina in the clutches of this man something stirred inside her. That same thing that made her destroy things and shout and curse at her father, as he let them take William away. She held her trembling hands to her mouth and made a long dismal howl. The postman halted.

"You don't like this sacrifice." His voice was as hollow as his eyes, "I know she is a bit old...but please forgive me. I don't have anyone else." The man was a total lunatic. Jay took a long deep breath.

"The child shall live," she commanded with a low ethereal voice. The truth was that Jay did not know if Daina was still alive. She just did not want to contemplate the alternative. The postman

started to lift Daina down. And stopped. Jay took a letter opener out of her purse and made a step forward. Another step and she would be out in the open.

"I can't... She will tell everyone," he whimpered. Jay squeezed the letter opener's handle. The blade was sharp. One quick thrust in the right spot was all she needed. A sudden flash of movement. A cry of pain. Jay lowered her blade. An elegant pen with golden vines stuck out of the postman's neck. His hands darted to the wound. Free from the postman's grip, Daina leaped into the forest. Jay grabbed her hand and they ran.

The branches slashed their faces and scratched their hands, but they continued to push deeper. Only when they were out of breath behind an old oak tree, did they realise that no one was chasing them.

"The postman. He killed them. Do we need to.. help him? I may have killed him. Someone needs to call a doctor. Will they arrest me?" Daina's voice shook with wild panic.

"No one is going to arrest you. I will make sure of that," Jay said.

***