Imagine... if you dare

IMAGINE

 

Three Children Killed

Today the third missing child was found dead by the local train station. Nancy, age 12, was reported missing two nights ago, and her body was spotted by the ticket guard late last night. Security cameras showed a man in his mid-thirties talking to her, before he pushed her onto the tracks. The suspect has ginger hair and is tall and scrawny, and a scar that goes across his right eyebrow. Profilers suspect that he was, or still is, abused and bullied from a young age, provoking him to strike out. He is thought to be local and have grown up in the area of Arundel his whole life. If you see this suspect please call 999-123-321

 

The boy, Steve, put down his newspaper and turned to his friend. The sky was flocked with brooding, grey clouds and the wind whipped harshly at his boyish features. The usually crowded park was empty as the rain sputtered against the ground. Ever since the first body was found, it seemed like the little town had gained a sort of menace. The weather seemed to also reflect the recent murders, what with the thunderstorms every night.

“Isn’t this just horrible?” 13 year old Sam said in disgust. “Who could do such a thing?”

Steve’s face darkened as he just shook his head at his friend, “I’m sure he had a good reason.” Sam shot Steve a surprised look, unable to believe what he had just heard. He started backing away slowly, knowing that it somehow wasn’t safe and that he didn’t want to be here anymore. “Where are you going? I thought you wanted to come and play? Or do you just want to go back to you popular friends?” Steve’s eyes flashed with anger as he shouted, whilst Sam continued to back away. Steve knew it was too good to be true when someone else from the ‘popular’ group had said that they wanted to play with him.

Suddenly Sam tripped and his neck got caught in the rope swing behind him. His face started turning a gruesome blue and purple colour as the air failed to get to his lungs. He tried to call to Steve, to anyone, for help but he couldn’t form the words. Steve stood there unmoved; unsure what to do as a lone tear trickled down his face. Finally he turned and ran for his life.

People stared at Steve in annoyance as he raced down the high street, cutting off cars and busses as he crossed the road. Everyone in Arundel thought he was strange, even as a young child. The buildings towered over him as if they were impersonating the bullies that had tormented him for years. A light mist had descended from the sky, leaving a spine tingling chill in the air.  As he rounded the corner, he saw the ‘popular’ group. He stopped dead in his tracks.

They were some of the many people who called him weird or a ‘freak’ as they put it. They thought it was odd to have imaginary friends when you’re older than years of age, but then everyone did. Even Steve’s mum thought it was odd but then she didn’t understand, no one did. What put the icing on the cake was when they started dying. It wasn’t long after the first murder of the girl that his imaginary friend dropped dead. Now the second had died soon after the second boy had. Steve knew he was doomed to never have any friends because even his imaginary ones left him.

Then he noticed the popular group pointing and laughing at him. His face turned red, part from embarrassment, part anger. But what happen next, he did not expect. A girl came out of a nearby alleyway. She belonged to the popular group, what was she doing walking towards him? To taunt him, the talk to him for a dare? She had pale skin and long blonde hair. When Steve look into her welcoming, slightly glazed over, eyes, he knew he would be happy.

“Hello would you like to play?” She said randomly as she took his hand in her delicate one, whilst Steve nodded enthusiastically. “Maybe at the train station?” He beamed at her and she started off with him in trail. Again people turned and looked at Steve in annoyance, seeing only him and not his new friend that accompanied him. But he did not care, not when he had her here to replace Sam.

Steve looked at the reflection in the window of a closed down show and saw his reflection smiling back at him. He first of all admired his tall, scrawny body and his ginger hair, and then his eyes turned to look at his right eyebrow. He was proud of his scar it showed his bravery. A sadistic smile came across his face and his brown eyes hardened. He glanced at his hand that was joined with the little girl’s.

The girl felt his gaze and looked up at him. “Oh and by the way, I’m Nancy”

Steve’s smile widened…

 

… Never in his 36 years of life, had he been so happy.