To Break Our Hearts in Stride
The Investigation Begins.
Gerard’s POV
“Good morning, Mr Way,” said the coroner with a small bow as I entered the crime scene.
“Good morning,” I smiled, tipping my top hat to him. “Where’s the corpse?”
“Over here,” he gestured into the dense forest. My smile faltered slightly.
“Is it quite safe?”
“I should hope so. I don’t think there’d be many vampires here,” the coroner gave a bark-like laugh and led me through the forest. We walked for around half an hour, our path getting darker and darker as the tall trees surrounding us blocked out all the sunlight. The coroner stopped abruptly and I almost bumped into him.
“Where’s the body?” I said, squinting around.
“Down there.”
I looked down and gasped. There was a burial ground in front of us with someone lying in front of one of the many grave-stones. The body was of a woman, dressed in a frock made of fine silks now soiled with the dirt from the forest floor. The coroner turned her over and I felt faint with the sight of the woman. Her face was pale and ghostly and her eyes were open wide, her milky-white eyes gazing fixedly at me. Her mouth was open, as though she was caught in mid-scream and there were a number of cuts along her arms.
The coroner nodded at me and we began our investigation.
“Shoe prints around and leading away from the victim. Signs of a struggle. No obvious signs of trauma and no bruising. Should I see to the body?” I asked.
“Be my guest.”
I checked the scratches and cuts on the arms.
“Cuts made by a sharp object or animal. Possibly claws or a small knife.”
I looked lower down the arms and my stomach lurched.
“Signs of suicide attempts. What do you think?”
The coroner looked at the scars on the girl’s wrists.
“I’d say two attempts.”
I looked in the girl’s frightened eyes and stroked her hair sadly. She could’ve been whatever she wanted to be. Something caught my eye, something on her neck. I removed the hair and felt anguish rush over my body uncomfortably.
“What’s happened?” said the coroner. He saw what I was looking at. “Oh my God, is that…”
We both trembled for we were looking at a vampire bite.
“B-but that’s impossible,” I spluttered. “there’s no such thing as vampires.”
“You’d better hope so, laddie. If there is one, none of us are safe.”
I shivered as an ill wind passed over us.
None of us are safe…
“Good morning, Mr Way,” said the coroner with a small bow as I entered the crime scene.
“Good morning,” I smiled, tipping my top hat to him. “Where’s the corpse?”
“Over here,” he gestured into the dense forest. My smile faltered slightly.
“Is it quite safe?”
“I should hope so. I don’t think there’d be many vampires here,” the coroner gave a bark-like laugh and led me through the forest. We walked for around half an hour, our path getting darker and darker as the tall trees surrounding us blocked out all the sunlight. The coroner stopped abruptly and I almost bumped into him.
“Where’s the body?” I said, squinting around.
“Down there.”
I looked down and gasped. There was a burial ground in front of us with someone lying in front of one of the many grave-stones. The body was of a woman, dressed in a frock made of fine silks now soiled with the dirt from the forest floor. The coroner turned her over and I felt faint with the sight of the woman. Her face was pale and ghostly and her eyes were open wide, her milky-white eyes gazing fixedly at me. Her mouth was open, as though she was caught in mid-scream and there were a number of cuts along her arms.
The coroner nodded at me and we began our investigation.
“Shoe prints around and leading away from the victim. Signs of a struggle. No obvious signs of trauma and no bruising. Should I see to the body?” I asked.
“Be my guest.”
I checked the scratches and cuts on the arms.
“Cuts made by a sharp object or animal. Possibly claws or a small knife.”
I looked lower down the arms and my stomach lurched.
“Signs of suicide attempts. What do you think?”
The coroner looked at the scars on the girl’s wrists.
“I’d say two attempts.”
I looked in the girl’s frightened eyes and stroked her hair sadly. She could’ve been whatever she wanted to be. Something caught my eye, something on her neck. I removed the hair and felt anguish rush over my body uncomfortably.
“What’s happened?” said the coroner. He saw what I was looking at. “Oh my God, is that…”
We both trembled for we were looking at a vampire bite.
“B-but that’s impossible,” I spluttered. “there’s no such thing as vampires.”
“You’d better hope so, laddie. If there is one, none of us are safe.”
I shivered as an ill wind passed over us.
None of us are safe…
♠ ♠ ♠
I got a small idea of this chapter from a CSI episode where two teenagers commit suicide together. Pretty bleak, I know, but it makes good reading. the next chapter will include Frank's thoughts and maybe parts of his past, which should make the plot a little clearer.