Durham Killer

9

Durham, Ontario

August 10, 2023

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A tow truck slowly tugged the smashed vehicle from the steep slope.

"Slowly. Slowly, now." Logan waved his hands to show Max where he was tugging. Ambulances and police cars scattered the crash scene.

"A violent crash... Yes, in a car." Officer Zacek spoke into his walkie talkie.

"Officer, the brake is broken. The driver, Renae Stutzman, seemed to not know she needed to fix her brakes." Leonardo, one of the mechanics, told him.

"No, she goes to me every Monday at 10AM to check her car. They were fine on Monday. They couldn't have broken so soon." Another mechanic named Joshua said.

"Well, then someone must have done something, or something happened. I don't know much about cars, but I want you boys to figure it out this week. Call me when you figure it out." Officer Zacek remarked.

"Yes, sir." The two men went away to help Logan. A doctor from the ambulance where Renae was in came over to the Officer with some bad news.

"Officer, this isn't an accidental crash. Someone purposely did this. Both Leah and Renae's seatbelts were cut from a switchblade," The doctor informed him.

"What about Maria?"

"Well, her seatbelt choked her, and she passed out from not being able to breath. She'll be okay."

"What about the other girls, are they okay?"

"Not like Maria. Leah cracked a bit of her skull and broke her wrist. She lost a bit of blood from her head. It will take some time, but it will be fine. Renae, not so much. Since her seatbelt was cut and the car was flying down the hill, she was probably thrown into the passenger seat. What looks to have happened was they were driving, Renae was, and then the brakes stopped working. The mechanics told me that. Then they lost control of the car. Parts from their car, like their taillight and bumper were next to a tree above us. They probably crashed into the tree, and fell down the slope, crashing into the creek," the doctor explained.

"As they were flying, Leah and Renae's seatbelt was cut, and Renae flew into the passenger seat and broke her back." Officer Zacek continued catching on.

"Yes, officer. We aren't 100% sure, but this is our theory. Do with that what you will."

"Thank you, Safara." Officer Zacek read her nametag and smiled gratefully. "Take care of them!"

Safara walked off to her ambulance.

"All ready, let's get moving!"

The ambulance's engine started and drove away with sirens running loudly.

Grace was still at school, but wasn't focusing on the topics, but on her missing friends. Today was the last week before the end school and there were exams to be done. She was also scared, because her friends never missed a call (except Maria, who never answered her phone) and never missed school (except Renae, who seemed to always be sick). They would also tell Grace if they weren't going to be at school the next day.

Each girl lay in the same room on different beds. The doctors thought that when the girls wake up, they'll want to talk to each other, if they're able. Quickly and swiftly, the doctors did surgery on Renae's back. Other's fixed Leah's broken skull and put a cast on her wrist. Not much was to be done to Maria, but they cleaned her wounds and put a special diagnosed gel on her neck and arms for the rashes she got. Renae's leg was put in a cast.

After about two hours, the surgeries and other medications were finished. Leah was the second to wake up. Maria was sitting up against the board of the bed reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Leah lifted her tired body up, so it was also leaning against the backboard. Her head ached severely. She touched her head gingerly and felt rough cloth. Her head was bandaged from the surgery.

"Hey, Maria." Leah greeted. "Do you know what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Maria asked.

"Well after the crash? Were you awake? I know Renae passed out before me. She's still asleep." Leah looked over at the sleeping girl in the bed next to hers. Maria nodded.

"Yeah, she passed out before me too. So did you. The seatbelt was choking me, so I eventually passed out. The doctors told what happened. But it's a long story and your head hurts. My neck hurts too and I don't feel like talking." Maria explained and went back to reading her book.

Leah acknowledged that and looked around the hospital room. The walls were a milky white with few paintings. One was of a little brown dog playing chess with a hot pink cow. Another was the prime minister, Justin Trudeau standing beside his ex-wife. Wooden columns sprung high up to the ceiling in each corner of the room. The floor was silky white tile. Machines that Leah didn't know the name or use of any were scattered like dust across the room. A loud beeping noise made Leah jump and whirl her injured head towards the noise.

"Owww..." She whined as she touched her head softly. Renae's monitor that was attached to her was beeping loudly. A female doctor, the same one from the crash scene, Safara, rushed in with several other doctors. "What's happening?" Leah asked confused and dazed. She looked at Maria who was STILL reading her book. She didn't even look up. Leah turned her attention back to Renae who was being mobbed by doctors and nurses and tools. I need this. I need that. It seemed to never end. Leah glanced at the door of the hospital room. A mother and father were standing there looking in and crying. It was Renae's parents. Two other sets of parents squeezed in to look at their daughter. Leah's parents knocked on the glass and mouthed,

"Be safe, we love you. We are outside waiting." Then a doctor took them away. Leah blinked slowly and a tear was shed. It rolled like a marble down her rosy cheek and fell silently like a feather to the floor. Loud beeping kept ringing in Leah's ears. She shut her eyes tightly and wriggled under her covers. She suddenly burst into tears under her blanket and gasped for air. An alarm rang above the beeping and clamouring and crying.

"Intruder!" Safara cried out. "Everyone hide!"

She shut off the lights and still started working on Renae, just silently. Several gunshots were heard, and a scream rang out. Right after, Renae's monitor stopped beeping and she drew in a sharp breath and sat up. The doctors cheered in excitement. Safara shushed them immediately.

"There's still an intruder in the hospital."

Heavy footsteps were heard outside the room. Leah swiftly drew a breath in. A gun being cocked sounded right outside the door. An ear-splitting squeaky noise like nails on a chalkboard came right after. Everyone in the room cringed at the sound and bent down.

BANG!

A little fiery bullet sprang through the door and smacked a doctor in the chest. Renae screamed and started choking because of her throat injuries. Safara calmed her down by drawing circles on Renae's back with her hand and whispering gently to her. A sizzling black hole left room for the intruder to peek his bulging eye, so he could see inside.