Midnight Murders

Prologue

"Why have you stopped here?" she whispered, as the car came to a halt in a small clearing in the woods. Branches dangled over them like skeletons, their creaky bones tapping and scraping against the roof.

The driver switched off the engine and turned to face her. Even in the black of night, she could see the sorrow that shadowed his face.

"I have something to tell you." He spoke with a seriousness that flung her onto the edge of her seat.

"What is it?" she asked, her dusky eyes flashing in the moonlight.

"There's no easy way of saying this, but I have to be straight with you. Things aren't working out between us. I think it'd be best if we broke up."

"But ... I don't understand. Why?" Her voice grew louder with each word.

The driver shushed her quickly and ran the back of his fingers along the contour of her cheek. "Don't worry." He smiled.

"Why shouldn't I worry?"

Cold hands crept around her throat, and a husky voice whispered close to her ear, "Because you're dead."

The words echoed in her mind. Her heart began to pound. What? she wanted to say, but it snagged in her throat and rasped away.

Adrenaline blasted through her and she struggled to free herself. Her feet thrashing against the footwell, fingernails biting into her own flesh as she tore at the bony hands that proceeded to crush her windpipe.

Her efforts of escape were useless. Her squirming gradually ceased.

Soon, all that remained was the still of the night.

***

He wrapped the corpse into a dust sheet promptly and mechanically, being careful to avoid its glassy stare. After tying the ends of the bundle with cord, he hoisted it over his shoulder and carried it to the boot of the car like a sack of toys on Christmas Eve.

"Another one for the collection," his companion, who had been watching him all along, said proudly. "Are you pleased?"

"Yes, but we have to make a move before someone sees us."

His companion grinned and slammed down the boot with the body stuffed inside. They headed around the car in silence, slipped into their seats and closed the doors.

"Come on," his companion spoke through a satisfied sigh, "let's go home."

The engine rumbled to life. A few minutes later, they were travelling down the main road at a steady speed.