Karma&Joker:Finding the truth

The Unseen Witness

Chapter 10: The Unseen Witness

The sun had long set by the time Karma and Joker found themselves sitting across from Mrs. Hawthorne, the medium known throughout Eldridge for her ability to communicate with the other side. The room was dimly lit, filled with the scent of sage and a palpable sense of anticipation.

"Anna," Mrs. Hawthorne began, her voice soft, yet carrying a weight that filled the room. "We seek your guidance. Speak through me, let us help you find peace."

The air grew colder, a silent testament to the presence they had invoked. Joker, skeptical yet respectful, watched intently, while Karma held onto hope, her heart aching for any piece of Anna's story that could lead them closer to the truth.

Suddenly, Mrs. Hawthorne's demeanor changed, her body tensing as if a force had taken hold. "Karma," she said, but the voice was not her own—it was younger, filled with a haunting melancholy that could only belong to Anna.

Karma leaned forward, her breath caught between hope and heartache. "Anna, is there something in the grove that can lead us to you?"

"The grove holds memories... and secrets," Anna's voice echoed through Mrs. Hawthorne. "Look beneath the elm, where the earth whispers my fears."

The connection was fleeting; Mrs. Hawthorne's body relaxed as she returned to herself, the chill in the air dissipating as quickly as it had arrived.

Karma and Joker exchanged a look of mixed emotion—hope, fear, and determination. They thanked Mrs. Hawthorne, leaving her home with a new destination in mind: the grove Anna loved in life.

The grove was silent when they arrived, bathed in the ethereal glow of the moonlight. They moved through the trees, guided by instinct and Anna's cryptic clue, until they found it—an ancient elm standing solemnly, its branches reaching out like hands frozen in time.

Joker began to dig at the base of the tree, the earth cold and resistant. Minutes stretched into eternity until his shovel hit something solid. Carefully, they unearthed a small, metal box, its surface aged and weathered by time.

Karma opened the box with trembling hands to reveal a journal, its pages yellowed but the writing still legible. Anna's poetry spilled out, each word a testament to her inner turmoil and fear.

Karma read aloud, her voice breaking as Anna's emotions flowed through her words:

"Shadows lengthen, reaching for my soul, in the darkness, I lose control. A secret kept, a story untold, in his gaze, my fate was sold."

Tears streamed down Karma's cheeks, each poem a window into Anna's haunted soul. Joker wrapped his arm around her, offering silent comfort. The depth of Anna's pain was overwhelming, a shared sorrow that bonded them even closer.

They knew they were on the right path, the journal a beacon in the dark, guiding them toward the truth. The night grew deeper around them, but within, a light had been kindled—a light of hope, determination, and the unyielding pursuit of justice for Anna.

As they left the grove, the elm stood watch over them, its secrets unearthed, whispering of sorrows past and a future where truth might finally bring peace.