Aronville (BEING EDITED)

P R O L O G U E ✅

There was not one free table in The Café when the small television above the order counter was turned on and nonchalantly flipped to a news channel. The disregard to all the high schoolers in the small - biggest in Aronville - cafe was magnanimously reciprocated by them absolutely ignoring the rambling on the television, clearly the weather was not half as interesting as a possible significant other sitting opposite them.

Contrary to the young love shenanigans, one particularly aged couple, who were far too much still in love for the waitress to refrain herself from offering them a complimentary desert treat, was intently observing the weather lady on the screen and when she was done suggesting that the next day would be excellent for picnics and outings, the aged lady leaned towards her husband to say something in a hushed voice.

A man sitting by the big, glass window, alone, observing the old couple, decided that he would like to think that they were planning a romantic picnic for the next day and breathed an audible sigh at his lonely fate but one certain woman sitting equally alone in another corner of the cafe chose to be smitten by the beautiful man sitting by the glass window. Little did they know that Aronville was soon about to become a place where the weather would not be the only concern to plan an outing.

The weather forecasting programme had turned to some cheesecake commercial advertisement when the man in a sombre blue hoodie finished his coffee. His impatient tapping on the cup went unnoticed in the crowded chatter, the sugary automated voice from the cheesecake advertisement being only a notch louder than them. His inconsistent tapping was slowly losing vigour. Until it entirely stopped when the news came back up on.

The opening intro of the news channel ensued to reveal Justice Troy, which arose a few gasps from around the coffee shop because as the majority of Aronville knew, Justice had transferred to a big name news channel few years back and as quick as word spread around Aronville, nobody seemed to be aware that she was back in town. Her signature short hair and highlights outshone the blinding lights of the studio as she started speaking, her constant frown unchanging over the years. Her distinct voice boomed through the television.

"At KVC Exclusives, we have a shocking news at our hand. A murder has occured in Aronville, around Derby Lane."

The coffee shop echoed gasps and murmurs filled the air, the panic slowly settling in them. Some people even went as far as leaving immediately, presumably for the safety of their home. The servers exchanged nervous glances as Justice continued.

"A woman in her mid-thirties was found dead in a children's park in the block. While we are yet to decipher her identity, there is a possibility that the woman is from the Derby Lane neighborhood, herself. The body was discovered this evening by a park maintenance employee who instantly called the police. The cops have sealed the scene with immediate effect. Our reporters on the scene are trying to grasp as much information as they can at the moment.

This news is definitely groundbreaking because this is the first murder in Aronville in decades. Is the safety of the citizens now at risk? Will a blood splotch form on Aronville now? Keep watching as we bring to you the exclusive."

The outro of the news channel signalled the end of the segment for now and people took that as a cue to increase the volume of their expressive worry. With the shop emptying in an impressive flow, little attention was given to the man in blue hoodie as he slipped into the night.

Not too far away from downtown, Lillian Victor breathed a sigh of relief as she entered her neighbourhood. Her house was just a few more blocks down. Havoc wrecked in the office as soon as the news of the murder aired. In the rush of her coworkers' violent urge to return home, Lillian almost missed out the small voice of Jackson, her colleague-next-desk, calling out to her. The conversation was short but the motive was more than clear.

"The new ice cream parlour down the avenue has this amazing combination which I know you will love."
"There is only one way to confirm."
"Sunday, around 7? I'll pick you up."
"Date sounds good."
Her clever statement sparked a dazzling smile from Jackson that not even a violent shout from Mrs. Bensen could subdue and her own cheeks glowed a soft pink even when she returned from her flashback as a cold breeze drifted past the loose end of her braid and she remembered where she stood.

A step forward and a leaf scrunched under her foot; the sound surfing through the quiet night of early fall like wildfire in drought. This was a wordless reminder to Lillian, of the alarming number of calls that she had received from her mother since evening. While initially dismissing her worry as the usual motherly paranoia, when another cool breeze wafted through her thin sweater, her mother's request to come back early did not sound so insensible as it did before. With a shudder she continued walking with a slightly increased pace.

That's when she heard it. The first crunch. Followed by another. From her peripheral vision, it was clear a person in a hoodie was walking behind her. She slowed her pace to let him pass and ease her anxiety. To her surprise, the person behind slowed as well. Her stomach dropped. Then she increased her pace, her feet on the verge of tumbling over each other and to her utter horror, footsteps behind her hastened too. The hair at her nape stood on ends and a shudder ran down her spine. The safety that she had always envisioned around herself when she walked through these familiar streets suddenly seemed vague and the distance to her house felt like oceans that she had to swim to cross. As much as she wanted to turn around and confront, something in her stomach told her not to. Her gut lurched ominously. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Lillian chose the only option that blinked at her. She broke into a sprint.

The curtains of the fourth house of the block slowly parted. Lillian was visible. She had stopped in the middle of the street. Her face frantic with emotions. She bent down to touch something on the ground and immediately stood back up, turning around. She did a complete circle on her spot, fidgeting inside her pocket, probably trying to grasp her phone. She turned back, again, except this time, when she looked forward, she broke into a run.

The haunting tune of Beethoven's sonata filled the air and the parted curtains were drawn just when Lillian could be seen mouthing off something, the music completely drowning her voice, as a hand slowly muffles the scream, she was about to muster. The music stopped. The curtains parted again. But the street was empty, just a small speck of white lay on the empty street.

The curtains closed again.

EDITED as of January 17, 2022

And so it begins! Hello readers and THANK YOU for giving this book a chance!
*weeps*
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