Carvings That Bind

The Old Dog's Training

Alyssan

We get to the sole church in town quickly enough and begin looking around. Luckily for Sawyer and I, no one is around to question us or, rather, him since no one would see me, anyway.

We search the church top to bottom and even around outside, looking for anything that could link my killing with the building in some way. I even search under the pews.

Nothing is found and I can feel the determination I'd built up earlier quickly depleting. By the time the clock is striking 10 we're both tired from our search and walking back to Sawyer's house.

"Don't worry," Sawyer says and I look up at him as we walk. "We'll find something. We kind of just jumped the gun back there without really thinking too much on the matter. The carving could mean a grave yard, too. I mean, it does have the devils numbers, so maybe it has to do with the dead." I know that he's only trying to help, but I can hear the forced cheerfulness in his voice.

He probably thinks this is a fools quest, looking for a body that went missing over three months ago.

I sigh and don't answer him as we walk up the stairs of his front porch and into the house. All of the lights are on, making it feel warm and welcoming. My chest aches at the feeling and I wish that I were walking into my own home, being greeted by my parents.

We're walking past the living room where Sawyer's dad is resting when Sawyer stops in his tracks. I stop walking as well and look up at him in question. He doesn't say anything to me and, instead, goes into the living room.

"Hey, dad, what were you saying earlier about the victims of that killer?" I follow closely behind Sawyer into the room.

His dad looks away from the football game on tv and up at his son before looking back towards the game. My stomach tightens slightly at that, but I ignore it.

"You gonna run away freaking out like a little girl again?" His father asked and I note the annoyed tone he uses with Sawyer. Sawyer just brushes it off like its the most normal thing in the world.

"I wasn't exactly ready for the picture you were going to show me earlier. A little warning in advance would be appreciated next time." His father doesn't say anything to that. He just remains quiet. The only sound in the room comes from the fans cheering for their teams on the tv. The tension grows to the point where it could be cut with a dull blade. "Come on, dad. I really want to know about this case." His fathers eyes flicker from the tv to his son before he sighs and leans forward in his chair. He grabs a filled folder and hands it to Sawyer.

"Sit." He instructs and Sawyer and I both take a seat on the couch. "That folder is basically the entire case on this killer that showed up half a year ago. Normally, I wouldn't be showing this to someone outside the department, let alone a civilian, but since you're my son and also going to be head of the department someday, I'll let it slide." I hear Sawyer snort under his breath at that. "It outlines the similarities we've found in each of the victims along with possible suspects."

Sawyer begins flipping through the pages and I lean over to look at them. My breathing stops altogether when the first image of a young woman appears. She's completely cut up like me. Her hair is cut short, stopping at her chin, the ends of it dyed red from her own blood. Her green eyes are wide with fear and pain. She has slashes on her cheeks and bare arms. Her long fingers are bent out of shape and her clothing is in tatters.

It's the carving on her neck that has me entranced, though. A small little bird.

"That's Mykayla Darsing, the first victim. She was found beside a tree in the park by a couple out on their morning stroll." Sawyer flips a couple pages ahead to the picture of the next woman. "Brittney Cole, the second. Found inside the church lying beneath the alter." His finger comes out and he points to her cheek where a carving of a cross is placed. Sawyer flips to the next female. "Tabitha Kennley, the third." He points out the carving of a male symbol on her forehead. Sawyer moves ahead and he lands on the picture of the girl we'd seen yesterday. Both of our eyes land on her mouth where the symbol of an apple is located.

"She's the fourth?" Sawyer asked and, when his dad doesn't answer, we both look at him.

"I'm not too sure."

"You think there's someone else before her?" When I look at Sawyer I see something flash in his eyes and his mouth tightens into a taught line before he speaks. "You think Alyssan is the fourth victim." After a moment of silence his father nods. "Why are you lying to everyone, then?"

"Because no body has been found." Sawyer wants to say something, I can see it in his eyes, but he refrains and looks back down at the folder.

"So each victim has a carving on them, but each carving is different. It must mean something." I catch his father nodding out of the corner of my eye.

"We think it pertains to their life in some way. A bird, a cross, the male symbol, and an apple."

And the number 666 with a church.

The five symbols align in my head and I wonder what they could mean. Sawyer continues flipping through the folder until he comes to a sealed letter. He picks it up and examines it, before opening it.

"Hey!" We both jump when his father yells at him. "What do you think you're doing? That's evidence that I just received earlier today. You can't go around opening these things."

"Then you should probably have it in a plastic baggy or something." His father grumbles something under his breath about prints, but Sawyer and I ignore him. I watch as Sawyer pulls a letter from the envelope. "Well, read it, might as well if we're this far along." Sawyer's eyes flicker to mine briefly before he looks back at the letter. He clears his throat before reading,

"Having fun my hounds? Running around like dogs, sniffing the ground for clues. I know I am. The satisfaction of watching their skin carve like butter sends chills down my spine with every slice." Sawyer's eyes cut to mine once more before continuing. "I enjoy watching them squirm. Watching you squirm as you try to find clues to connect me to my name.

I assure you, my hounds, they are there, right under the noses you so lovingly put to the ground." Sawyer's father grips his hands into tight fists. "It's a shame, really, that you've yet to discover my identity. My name. Almost laughable how hard you're trying while I'm dancing and carving away at the girls right in front of your eyes. Maybe it is impossible to teach an old dog new tricks.

Let's try anyway, shall we?

In exactly ten hours from when you read this note a new body will surface. Find me before the body appears.

How will I know if you're reading it? Because I'll be reading it with you.

The clock has started it's countdown.

Go fetch." Sawyer quiets after reading the note and the room is silent except for the noise coming from the tv. After a moment his father stands and leaves the room in a scarily calm manner. One look at Sawyer and I can tell he's as freaked out as I am, but there's something else in his eyes, too.

Excitement.

"Looks like we've got ten hours to stop this psycho from killing another girl. If we can stop him I'm sure we can find you're body." He said, suddenly looking at me. A lump forms in my throat at the prospect of catching the person who killed me, but the excitement and certainty I see in Sawyer's eyes at helping me calms my nerves slightly.

"Then I guess we better start deciphering these carvings."