Murder and Betrayal

Chapter 1

Murder & betrayal

Flashback

"Scott! Wake up! Scott, I mean it, wake up now!"

"SCOTT, I'm not going to ask you again. You have to stop sulking, and get over her man." Becoming agitated at the lack of response, Elliot proceeded to pester his best friend, hoping he'd listen and wake up. "You're better than this. Don't let her get to you. Come on Scott; get up before I throw things at you. Fine. Your choice. Here comes the book..." BANG "...here comes your shoe..." BANG "...next the water is coming"

"STOP!" Scott shouted. "I'm awake, man. What do you want? Wait... how did you even get into my apartment?!"

"I'm your best friend. I have my ways..." Elliot marveled. "Don't doubt me! Look, I understand you feel heartbroken... used... but she's gone, and there is nothing you can do about it... so just try to forget it. Move past it. – Look, there's a party tonight, okay? New girls? New adventures? It'll be fun! Just be ready for 6. That's an order, not a request. I'll come pick you up. Dress smart, we have girls to impress" Elliot commented before disappearing out the door.


January 12th 2018

Palms sweaty, breath uneven, I stood, frozen. I looked over my best friends body. Not a single muscle able to move. Unable to breath, unable to move, I felt paralyzed. The marks on his neck told a story. He was strangled. My eyes filled with water as I tried to breath. I couldn't. I tried to gasp, hoping some form of air would release from my lungs. Still nothing. Question's filled my mind - How did this happen? Who did this? Why did this happen? I can't believe it. Falling to the ground, a deep breath escapes my lips. Looking over his body. Scott's body. This can't be real! I held his wrist hoping, praying I could find a pulse. He's my best friend. This is my best friend. Holding his wrist longer, hoping, praying I find a pulse. But nothing. No pulse, not even a faint little beat. Letting his arm fall, that was it. He was gone. I'd never see him again. Never hear his voice. Resting my palms on the ground, I sat, unable to move. It felt like hours.

Wiping the tears off my face, catching a breath, I stood. who could have done this? I need to know. Taking my phone from my pocket, eyes blurry from tears, I call the police. I wait. Anger filling my veins, I stare down at his body. This can't be real. No, this isn't right... It just doesn't feel right. The blood. So much blood. Leaning down closer, I squinted. This wasn't right. There was something odd about his body. Where was this blood coming from? There were no wounds. Placing my phone on the ground, I leaned in closer. I couldn't find anything. Never during my time at medical school had I seen something like this. We learnt about how and what wounds looked like, and right now, I could not see one. Either this blood wasn't Scott's, or I was missing something. I didn't want to touch his bare body, risk having my fingerprints on him.... What was I supposed to do? Retreating away from the body, I stood tall. Pushing my fingertips into my hair, I took another look at the body. Scott. What happened to you?

Walking away, I walked towards my car. Opening the front door, leaning over, I took my medical bag. Looking through, profanities leaving my mouth at my failed attempt, I looked through my lab coat. A slight arch forming on my lips, BOOM. Taking the latex gloves from my pocket, I stepped away from the car. Locking it, double-checking the door, I let out a breath. Covering my hands in the gloves as I ran towards my best friend, faster than I had ever ran, I stopped. The slight of him alone made tears form in my eyes. Who would do this to him? Why would they? Kneeling down by him, pushing his hair out of his eyes, a chill ran through my spine. I'd seen my fair share of dead bodies on the job, but this was different. He was my friend. My best friend. My closest friend. Hovering over his body, pulling him up by the shoulder, I gasped. The sight of blood pooling from his back, I couldn't. What kind of monster would do this to Scott? Tearing his shirt, I leaned away a little. Not in disgust, not in fear, rather in anger. He was tortured. Marks, words engraved into his back. This wasn't right. Like I thought. A monster. A psychopath. A crazy person. Someone had gruesomely engraved into his skin. Cut open my best friend's flesh for his or her own pleasure. Words and symbols bore into his skin. What were they? What did they mean? Letters, symbols... maybe some sort of clue. A signing card? Mocking me from whoever had done this to him. God knew how long he'd been laying here in a pool of his own blood. The blood and tissue damage was already too excessive. I could hardly identify a single carving. If I wanted to understand what they said, I would have to clean his body up. I would have to wash my dead best friend's body for him. My DEAD best friend. Dead. I couldn't call the police. I had to know what it said. I had to know who did this – why they did this? I had to solve his murder. It's not like the movies though. Maybe I should call the police. Let them find the symbols and the words, let them find the monster who had done this to Scott. But would they? He was my best friend. I should. I can. I needed to find who did this. I needed to move his body. Thankfully it was dark out. I could clean the blood up in no time. Some bleach and a mop. I watched that on Law and Order. A murder in a medical school. The irony. Covering his body as well as I could, I ran. Faster than before, fastest I could, I took all the short cuts I could. Finding a body bag from the medical department, I ran back. Scott's apartment. Where he was. Where his lifeless body laid.