Murdera

Chapter 8: Mint To Be

Indie and Emma sat on a bench in the park, munching on chicken wraps and sweet potato fries from a nearby food truck. Indie took a bite, her expression thoughtful.

"I'm stuck, Em. I don't know what to do next," she said, frustration creeping into her voice.

Emma's eyes narrowed, concerned. "What do you mean? You're making progress, Indie. You're getting closer to figuring out what's going on."

Indie shook her head, taking another bite of her wrap. "I don't know... it just feels like I'm running in circles. And I'm scared, Em. I don't know who to trust."

Just then, Emma's phone rang. She stood up, moving a few feet away to answer the call. "Sorry, I can't hear you... yeah, okay..."

As Emma walked further away, Indie's gaze wandered around the park. That's when she saw him - a figure hiding behind a tree, camera in hand. He was dressed in black, blending into the shadows.

Indie's heart skipped a beat. She felt a shiver run down her spine. But as she looked closer, the figure seemed startled, quickly hiding behind the tree.

Indie hesitated, wondering if she had misjudged the situation. Maybe he was just a random person enjoying the park, taking photos of nature.

Emma returned, still chatting on her phone, and Indie didn't mention about the figure hiding behind the tree. She didn't want to overreact or seem paranoid. Yet, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

Indie stood up, brushing off her pants. "Let's take a walk."

Emma nodded, still chatting on her phone, and followed Indie as they strolled through the park.

As they walked, Emma asked, "Why don't you visit your old home, Indie? Maybe you'll find some evidence or clues there."

Indie's pace slowed, her eyes clouding over. "I've been planning to... but I can't. I just can't do it. Going back to the place where my parents...my Luna...."

Emma noticed Indie's mood shift and quickly intervened. "Oh my gosh, ice cream! Let's get some ice cream!"

Indie's gaze snapped back to Emma, a small smile on her lips. "You're ridiculous, Em."

Emma grinned. "Hey, who doesn't love ice cream?"

Indie chuckled, and the tension was broken.

As Emma turned to buy ice cream, Indie saw him again - the guy with the camera, dressed in black, hiding behind a nearby trash can. This time, she reacted.

"Hey, what's going on?" Indie shouted, her voice echoing through the park.

The guy's eyes widened in surprise, and he took off in a panic. But in his haste, he forgot to watch where he was going. He turned to run, but his face directly hit a poster on the park's bulletin board.

The impact was loud, and Indie winced. But the guy didn't stop. He stumbled backward, clutching his nose, and kept running.

Indie gave chase, her feet pounding the pavement. "Hey, stop! What do you want?" she demanded.

The guy kept running, his camera still clutched in his hand. He leapt over a bench, but his feet got tangled in the legs, sending him tumbling. Still, he scrambled to his feet and kept going...

As he ran, a child on the swing came flying towards him, legs straight out. The guy tried to dodge, but it was too late. The child's feet hit him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground.

As the guy struggled to get up after being hit by the swing, Indie caught up to him and pinned him to the ground. "Who are you? Why are you following me?" she demanded.