"Everybody is on edge because there are demons threatening everything we have ever known! The elders over there were taken over before my blessing could take effect, sadly. Now stop disturbing me! I have to finish this before." The sentence was called sort by somebody yelling.




"Father William! I told you to get this line cut the hour ago!" Officer Michael appeared from behind us. "You are blocking the road!"




"Yes, and I recall you being a little more polite the first time," the father said without even turning.



"Ugh! Look Kevin already has his hands full with the report, I can't be out here doing traffic control! How many do you have left? You know what I don't care. Cut it!"


"I just have the people who are here still, and that should be everybody except Alyssa."


"Everybody else has been blessed with the water?" I interrupted.


"What about my mom?" And so did David.


"Yes!" Williams turned to me, anger clear in his voice now.


"O right, David, your mom went to the big town; she should be back in the afternoon, maybe a bit more?" Michael explained.


"What why?"


"She insisted we called for help with the case. Something about feeling bigger than it is? Kevin didn't want that, said something about a psychopath looking for treasure." I noted his words; that was oddly specific.


The official continued on. "Long story short, see insisted and went herself. Now, father! Since this is the last group to take them in the church, do the prayer there; people need to use the well!"


"Fine!" Father Williams said and turned to address the crowd.


I stopped paying attention to my surroundings and subtracted to the deep edges of my mind. I only came to when David shook me awake.

"Hey! What are you thinking? I let you do your thing, but it's been like 10 minutes."


"You remember John from school, right?"


"Yeah, why?"


"He always carried a black notebook around! "


"What of it? "


"First of all, it's super rare to find black leather; second, didn't you hear the rumours from school? < If you want to get your mind off the pain, go to John. He had drugs! Believe me, it took a lot of asking around to find that out."


David stared at me in a mixed expression of suck and light frustration. "Of course you asked around about that." He whispered,


"Anyway, drugs would explain everybody's weird behavior!"I said.


"Wait," David interrupted, looking at me with wide eyes. "Are you saying Father William might be drugging people with that water from the well?"


I hesitated, my mind still racing. "It’s possible. Maybe that’s how he's controlling everyone—making them act strange or...docile, like the elders. And if John's notebook had info on how to get those drugs, it would explain why he was so secretive about it. But I am not convinced something isn't right."


David frowned. "The black notebook. You think it could be connected? Maybe John knew something, and that’s why Billy had it. But what is Father William planning? "


I looked around; everyone had either gone to the church or back to their homes, so I lined over the well and whispered, "And what about Officer Kevin"


"Again with that? "David said, a little irritated.


"Why would he refuse the help? This is serious—there’ve been two murders, possibly the same person behind both!"i snapped


"Pride, maybe? I agree, though, he's not great at his job," David muttered, clearly frustrated.

"You know, it could still be demons..."


"Absolutely not."


"How sure are you about the drug thing? We barely know John, and the drug rumours could be just that—rumours. What if all this really is happening because the village is cursed?"David's tone was a mix of sarcasm and doubt.


"Want to go down the well and find out? "I challenged, raising an eyebrow.


"You know what? I might. Where's the bucket?" he asked, scanning the area. We looked around, but it seemed like Father William had taken the bucket with him. Disappointed, I leaned over the well again, and that's when I saw it. "Is that...a bag? "


"Huh? "David leaned over beside me.


"Yeah, that’s a bag! Like one of those farm bags."


"You mean, like a wheat sack?"


"Exactly! See it? It’s barely floating above the water,"


David squinted. "Yeah, I see it now... I guess I’m doing this after all! Hold on to the rope." He started getting ready to climb on the well.


"Wait, are you sure? "I asked, grabbing the rope as instructed.


"Come on, it's not the first time we’ve done this! "He laughed, and I couldn't help but chuckle too, remembering all the trouble we'd gotten into as kids.


But just as David was about to climb into the well, a voice interrupted us. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Officer Michael shouted.


We both froze, caught red-handed. Guess we were a little too wrapped up in the mystery to notice who was around.


An hour later, I sat on the cold metal bench in the small holding cell, his back against the wall. The dim light flickered slightly overhead, casting uneven shadows across the room.


David paced back and forth, muttering under his breath about how they had gotten caught. I, on the other hand, was leaning back, eyes half-closed, waiting for the inevitable.


"Sit down, you're giving me a headache." I tell him,


"Easy for you to be so relaxed! Your mom will be here in a bit to bail you out; mine has gone over to a different town! "David snapped back.


Before I could respond, the door to the holding room creaked open. Officer Kevin walked in, his expression tired but somehow more relaxed than it had been earlier. He had his hat on even indoors properly to hide his residing hairline. He sat down across from us, rubbing his temples before glancing at them with a weary smile.


"Listen, boys," Kevin began, his voice lower than usual. "I don't want to be the bad guy here. But you two, you're sticking your noses into things that aren't your business. And it’s going to get you hurt—or worse."


I focused on his eyes. They were clear, not glazed over like the villagers who’d been drinking from the well.


"I'm sure I’d be less curious if there was more information being shared." I tested my luck, keeping my tone casual. "Like Billy's description of the monsters. Shouldn't that be the first thing made public?" Unfortunately, a hint of resentment did slip out.


The officer was scared of me; a hint of frustration was visible on his face, then he sighed.

"Four legged masters with puffy long tails and fair in the colour of fire. That's what Billy said."


"That sounds a lot more like foxes than monsters," David admitted, scepticism creeping into his voice.


"That will explain who attacked Billy; the doctor said he had bite marks; doubt they are the murderers though." I added,


"You see why we kept it quiet? We don't want whoever did this to know where after them."


"You have a suspect..." I muttered, watching his expression closely.


The officer didn't miss a beat. "Considering where Michael arrested you, I say you have one too,"


Father Williams. The name floated in my mind. Was he trying to control everyone with drugs from the well? Maybe he killed John, but Miss Sandra witnessed it, so he went after her too. But why bring her to the steps? Why drink the water himself if he knew it was drugged? And there's also what David said! Something isn't adding up.


"We don’t have enough to arrest him," Kevin continued. "Michael’s been keeping an eye on him, but for the past hour, all he’s done is pray in the church."


"No, it can't be, the father I saw-" David started, but I cut him off.


"Are you sure you’re not chasing the wrong lead, officer?" My voice rose slightly, frustration bleeding through. "Where were you when all this went down? You should’ve seen something if you were at the station."


Kevin met my gaze, his expression softening, almost pitying. "I was in the forest. I heard her screams, but by the time I had gone in to look for her in there... the alarm rang and I had to get back. You know the rest. Look Evan."

He paused, his voice lowering now, making direct eye contact with me. "I know you don't like me because of what happened to your father. My job is to protect this village, and that includes you two. People had to talk Billy down from the well because of what he saw. I don't want more people to get traumatised and start playing with their lives."


I felt a strange pang of guilt. Kevin seemed genuinely concerned, not just for the town but for us too.


"Billy tried to drown himself?" David asked hesitantly.


"The important part is that he's with the doctor right now. And you do need to stop playing detectives and leave this to the professionals," the officer demanded his voice from.


With that, there was a knock on the door. "Your mom must be here, Evan, David. You're going to have to wait. Miss Alyssa was really persistent about getting more help on this."


He stood up, opening the door for me. "Come on."


"Tell mom I'll be there in a sec. I have to talk to David about something."


"Have it your way." With that, Kevin walked out, leaving the door slightly ajar.


I turned to my best friend. "Are you sure you saw Father walk in from the cemetery?"


"As clear as I see you right now," David replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.


"Then they have to be chasing the wrong guy," I said, more to myself than to him.


"Shouldn't we tell them that?" "


I don't know anymore." I rubbed my temples, frustration boiling over.


"Evan, come on, he looks really genuine about wanting to solve this."


"That's what's conflicting me! Ugh! Just give me a bit of time to chase down this gut feeling, ok? I’ll probably be back here in no time, and you can mock me for being completely wrong."

My friend silently stared at me. "


I'm just going to talk to Billy and be back before your mom gets here." I continued.


David studied me, thinking it over. "I’ve known you forever, man. Your gut's usually right. So, if you don’t come back?" His face turned to that of concern, and I stayed silent for a bit.


"If I'm not bake in like 2 hours, go to the telegram and dial for help from the town; this would also get your mom to get here faster. It's one thing a villager asking for help in another if it's a police station."


David gave me a long, concerned look. "Don't you dare do anything stupid without me," he warned.


I grinned as I headed for the door. "Fine, I promise!"


Before I could do anything, I had to face my biggest challenge first: my mother's fury. I could feel it without even looking at her. It was enough to make me believe it in spirits for a minute.


"You're not done yet, are you?" were the first words she spat as we stepped out of the police station


"No, not yet," I answered honestly, meeting her glare head-on. She sighed and turned to me, her eyes still blazing with anger.


"You, me, David, and his parents are going to have dinner together tonight. And you two, I got to sit there and hear all about how dangerous that was. Understood?"


"Understood! Thanks, mom! I exhaled, grateful to get off relatively easily, though I wasn’t looking forward to that dinner.

"I know better than to stop your father's blood."


With that, she waved me off, sending me on my way. With everything that had happened, it was about mid-afternoon now.

Miss Alyssa, it would be back in about 3 hours or so. I have to be done by then; otherwise, I would never hear the end of it.


As I jogged toward Dr. Phillips’ house, something caught my eye—someone slumped against the side of a building. "Jake?" I called out, recognising him, and he ground in response.

At least he wasn't dead, and whatever had drugged him earlier seemed to be wearing off.


"Cheer up; you'll be better in a bit." I reassured him, but then paused. It couldn’t hurt to ask. "By the way, have you seen Billy around?"


"Mh? Billy? Oh yeah, he was talking with officer Kevin; I saw them in an alley about half an hour ago," he responded.


I sighed. "Great..." So Billy had moved again.Do you know where he went? I'm looking for him."


"Yeah, yeah, he went to Dr. Phillips house. Actually, that whole thing was weird. It looks like the officer gave something to Billy then said something about a treasure. I'm meeting him in the cottage." Jake started rambling.


"Treasure?" Where have I heard that before?


"Yeah! Weird right? O God, what if there is a secret treasure in the village and that's what the demons are after! Oh, we are all doomed!Jake’s voice grew more animated, almost comically so.

I couldn’t help but chuckle before insuring Jake that we would be fine. It was good to see him back to his old self, however.


Without any more interruptions, I made it to the doctor's house. I was about to knock before I noticed the job was slightly arrogant. My stomach dropped. Every instinct I had was telling me that something was wrong.


Without hesitation, I turned and shouted for help. "Someone get the police!" There were a few people nearby who immediately took off to find the officers. My screaming was interrupted by a sound of glass breaking from inside. Gathering every ounce of courage, I stepped inside.


The light filtering through the half-drawn blinds cast eerie shadows across the room, accentuating the disorder. A faint chemical odour filled the air, sharp and sterile, but tainted by the unmistakable scent of coppery blood. The office was a chaotic mess, the smell of antiseptic mingling with something far more sinister—blood.

Papers were strewn across every available surface, spilling from the desk, crumpled on the floor, and stacked in disorganised piles on shelves. Medical notes, prescriptions, patient charts—each one seemed to have been thrown in a hurry or during a frantic search.


And then there was Dr. Phillips. He sat slumped in a chair beside his desk, his head tilted forward, casting his lifeless face in shadow. The gruesome sight of his stomach brutally cut open made bile rise in my throat.

His insides had been crudely exposed and scattered. It was as if whoever did this was looking for something, even if they had to look inside the doctor.


I stood there, frozen in place. I barely registered Officer Michael as he ran past me, Father Williams following behind. The others must have told them I was the one who called for help because they didn't question my presence. Looking around for clues, I noticed a drawer that should have been locked, wide open, and its contents clearly missing.


The next few minutes were a blur as my thoughts raised. Billy did this? He was the only other person who was supposed to be here. But how—why? Drugs. He stole the drugs; it was probably the same case for John and Miss Sandra. Billy threw his stash in the well, regretted it, and came to get more. He had no intention of killing himself, only others!

Anger boiled inside me, the unnecessary cruelty of it all sending sivers down my spine. And then I froze for a different reason.


"Officer Michael, where is officer Kevin?" I asked desperate.


"He went to check on Billy; we said we would do that every hour after the morning incident. Why?" Both he and Father Williams looked at me confused.


"He is in danger! Billy is the one who did this! He is the only one who was supposed to be here!" I tried explaining.


"That's not true. We told Billy to stay at his house; he had no reason to be in the village." Michael explained, "I understand this all might be quite sucking for you, Evan; let the professionals deal with it. Kevin is an officer he has trained for encounters with criminals." He said calmly, and he turned his attention back to the scene.


My father was a police officer too. And he's no longer with us. I have to do something

Father William started praying again, they're not going to believe me. I have to go to the cottage myself. Sorry, David, it looks like I'm breaking our promise.


I went outside and sprinted towards the forest. I felt like I was running out of time; I had to warn Kevin. Maybe I’d been too harsh on him in the past, but he didn’t deserve to end up like the others. None of them did.


I went in the forest without a second thought. The smell of leaves piercing my nose. Suddenly, I was yanked back, my head spinning, and I realised I’d been bound to a tree.


Standing over me was a gaunt, sickly figure, his bald head showing clear signs of trauma, scars running across his scalp. Dark bags under his eyes and deep lines on his face bore witness to years of hardship and suffering—a war veteran nonetheless: Billy.


"Damn it, damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen! You're not supposed to be here!" He yelled out, waving the knife frantically.


"So it was you, you killed John for his drugs, Miss Sandra because she witnessed it all, and Doctor Philip to get more!" I confronted him, trying to hide how scared I was.


"Shut up! Shut up! You don't know anything!" he spat, pressing the knife closer to my throat.


"You going to cut me up too? You get some sick joy at seeing people's insides? You're evil." I stared in the eyes of the mad men; he then started panic.


"NO! I needed it!" he stammered. "They had swallowed the drugs and the key!" trying to explain yourself for some reason.

As he was distracted, I punched him in the face and made a run for it. But he was faster. He yanked me back by the collar of my shirt, pulling closer to him.


"Dr. Phillips helped you! How could you do that to him?" I tried again.


"I didn't want to! But that guy wanted the drugs, and I had already gone and rid of John's!" He continues his explanation, threatening the knife at my back. "Damn it! What am I going to do now?!"


Panic came with me with waves, following every breath I took. The only thing you could think of was all the promises I made and broke on my way here. "Please, I'm on my mom's left. Please don't kill me."


I cried out. I didn't even realise your support rolling down my cheeks. For a moment I felt his grip loosen. Maybe, maybe if played on his humanity—could buy time—the help would arrive. Somebody must have heard us by now—we weren't that far in.


"Stop it!" I heard a family voice. Officer Kevin was standing in front of me, a gun pointed in our direction.

The light of the setting sun hit his face, covering it in a golden glow, the wind picking up and wrestling his clothes, every other sound of the forest becoming quiet in a second. The scene was almost divine in nature.


Relief washed over me; I was safe. And the real corporate was caught; in a few minutes I would be apologising to David and my mother (again), and then we would all have dinner together.

After that, I could take my exams and move to the city to become a detective, just like dad!

Everything was going to be fine; officer Kevin would save me.


But then I felt something pierce my chest, and my ears started ringing. I look down to see how right where my heart would be, the exterior of my shirt getting darker, now painted with a bloody red.


Gazing back up, messy smoke came out of Kevin's gun. His face was stoic, nonchalant, almost pleased. I fell face first on the ground.

I don't even have the time to process what happened before the pain hits me. I try screaming for help, I try pleading with them, I try breathing, but nothing comes out.


All the panic, fear, and eventual relief I felt turned into blind anger. Anger for the betrayal and for myself, for not trusting my instincts from the beginning, for charging into this without thinking. He couldn't get away with this. I couldn't end like this. Facing dad after dying like this?

I was not proud of it.


I hear they're muffled arguing above me. They are distracted right now. Using every strength I had left in my body, like crawling to the nearest tree, and using my own blood from my chest, I started writing his name on it.

David would understand what happened; he knows me best. I'm sure he would have called for help from the police station by now.


Everything starts to give out; I couldn't feel my body, and my eyesight had turned black. The last thing I remember was hearing more shouting coming from a different direction, but I wasn't in pain anymore.

I wish I could have said goodbye to my best friend and sorry to mom, but now I get to see his dad! Hope he's proud of me...