A Family's Fragile Hope
In the quiet town of Eldridge, nestled among whispering pines and shadowed streets, lived a small family of three: John, a sixteen-year-old boy, and his parents, Luna and Noah. John was their only child, the heartbeat of their modest home, and the embodiment of their hopes. Responsible beyond his years, John carried the weight of his parents' love and expectations with a quiet grace. Luna, with her warm smile and gentle demeanor, and Noah, a man of practical wisdom, cherished their son fiercely, shielding him from the world's cruelties as best they could.
Their home, perched on the third floor of a four-story building, was a sanctuary of routine and comfort. A single entrance led to a narrow hallway, which opened into a cozy drawing room without a door. The drawing room, where John often slept on a single bed, was the heart of their home, filled with the soft hum of daily life. Beyond it, another hallway led to a combined dining area and kitchen, where the family shared meals and laughter. A modest bedroom, where Luna and Noah slept, completed their small but cherished space.
The day began like any other, bathed in the ordinary rhythm of family life. But twelve hours later, it would unravel into a nightmare that would shatter their world.
A Parting Promise
As evening fell, the air grew heavy with an unspoken tension. John stood in the drawing room, his brow furrowed, watching his parents prepare to leave. "Mom, where are you going?" he asked, his voice tinged with unease. "Is Dad going with you?"
Luna turned to her son, her eyes softening with a mix of guilt and reassurance. "Yes, sorry, son," she said, her voice steady but apologetic. "This is the third time in a row we have to go, but stay here, okay? Do not open the gate for anyone. This will be the last time. We won't go after today, I promise. Have fun."
Noah, adjusting his coat, added, "Bye, son. We're just going to a relative's house. It's adult talk, nothing for kids. If you had a cousin there, I'd take you along. Sorry."
John's heart sank, but he masked his disappointment with a forced smile. "Okay! Bye!" he called out, his voice betraying a hint of hurt.
"Bye!" Luna and Noah replied in unison, unaware that this simple farewell would echo as their final words to their son.
Noah paused at the door, his expression grave. "We'll be back in two hours. Remember, John, there are a lot of crimes happening around here. Don't become a victim. Take care of yourself."
John nodded, watching as his parents stepped out into the night, the door clicking shut behind them. Alone in the house, he settled into the drawing room, the familiar hum of the television filling the silence. His favorite anime flickered on the screen, an action-packed series that always held his attention. A thrilling fight scene unfolded, the clash of animated swords drowning out the quiet of the empty house.
A Sinister Intrusion
Thirty minutes later, the comfort of routine was shattered. A loud *bam* echoed through the house—the unmistakable sound of a door being struck. John froze, his pulse quickening. The noise was too deliberate, too forceful to be accidental. His eyes darted toward the hallway leading to the entrance, where shadows seemed to shift in the dim light.
"Someone loves to watch anime," a voice whispered, low and menacing, from the darkness of the hallway.
John's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't made the mistake of leaving the door unlocked—had he? Heart pounding, he stood, his feet trembling beneath him as he peered into the shadows. A figure stood there, cloaked in darkness, their presence chilling the air.
"Who are you?" John demanded, his voice shaking but defiant. "Why are you in my house?"
The figure stepped forward, just enough for John to catch a glimpse of a black mask covering their mouth and full-sleeved black clothing concealing their form. No weapon was visible, but the stranger's presence was threat enough. "Ha ha!" the figure replied, their voice sharp and mocking. "I am someone who is the last drama of human beings. And I am here to kill you."
Before John could process the words, the figure lunged. Instinctively, John swung a fist, aiming for the intruder's face, but the stranger dodged with unnerving ease. A swift counterpunch from the figure sent John stumbling back, pain exploding in his jaw. He fought to stay upright, but the intruder was relentless. Another blow landed, and John crumpled onto the bed in the drawing room, his vision swimming.
The stranger loomed over him, hands closing around John's throat. John clawed at the air, gasping, but the grip tightened. His struggles weakened, his world fading to black. Within moments, John, the last hope of Luna and Noah, was gone.
A Calculated Deception
The intruder moved with chilling precision. From their pocket, they produced a note written in an incomprehensible script, a cryptic message in Braille:
⠠⠊ ⠁⠍ ⠺⠕⠗⠞⠓⠇⠑⠎⠎ ⠁⠝⠙ ⠓⠕⠏⠑⠇⠑⠎⠎ ⠁⠝⠙ ⠠⠊ ⠛⠊⠧⠑ ⠥⠏
Translated, it read: *I AM WORTHLESS AND HOPELESS AND I GIVE UP*. The note was a cruel fabrication, designed to mislead.
The stranger then retrieved a rope, securing it to the ceiling fan in the drawing room. With meticulous care, they staged John's body, tying the rope around his neck to mimic a suicide. The note was placed on the floor beneath his feet, a final touch to complete the illusion. Every trace of the struggle was erased—no fingerprints, no signs of forced entry. The door, still intact, suggested no break-in had occurred. The intruder locked it from the inside, then slipped out through the balcony, vanishing into the night.
A Heartbreaking Discovery
Two hours later, Luna and Noah returned, their footsteps heavy with the fatigue of their visit. As they stepped into the drawing room, Noah's voice shattered the silence. "What the hell is this?" he gasped, his face draining of color. He stumbled back, retching onto the floor as the sight of his son's lifeless body hit him like a physical blow.
Luna's scream pierced the air as she saw John hanging from the fan, his body still and cold. Her hands shook as she fumbled for her phone, dialing the police and ambulance with trembling fingers. Her eyes fell on the strange note beneath John's feet, its raised dots incomprehensible to her. She clutched it, tears streaming down her face, unable to decipher its meaning but sensing its malevolence.
The police arrived swiftly, their flashlights cutting through the dim room as they secured the scene. Paramedics confirmed what Luna and Noah already knew—John was gone. The note was taken as evidence, its cryptic message puzzling the investigators. The scene appeared to be a tragic suicide, but something felt wrong. The locked door, the absence of forced entry, and the eerie precision of the setup gnawed at the officers' instincts.
A Family Shattered
As the police questioned Luna and Noah, the couple clung to each other, their grief a tangible weight. Luna recounted their last conversation with John, her voice breaking as she repeated his final words: "Okay! Bye!" Noah's hands trembled as he described the advice he'd given his son, a warning about the crimes plaguing their town. The irony was unbearable—John had become a victim despite their caution.
The note, written in Braille, was sent for analysis, but its meaning remained elusive. Was it a suicide note, as the scene suggested? Or was it something more sinister, a clue left by a killer hiding in plain sight? The police promised to investigate, but their assurances did little to ease the agony of John's parents.
The house, once filled with warmth and laughter, now stood as a hollow shell. The drawing room, where John had watched his beloved anime, was now a place of unspeakable loss. The dining table, where the family had shared meals, would never see them together again. Luna and Noah were left to grapple with the unbearable question: how had their son, their last hope, been taken from them?
A Mystery Unfolds
As the night deepened, the town of Eldridge buzzed with whispers of the tragedy. The police cordoned off the third-floor apartment, their investigation just beginning. The note, the locked door, the absence of a struggle—all pointed to a carefully orchestrated act. But why? Who would target a sixteen-year-old boy with such ruthless precision?
John's death was not the end but the beginning of a dark mystery. The Braille note, with its haunting message, hinted at a mind far more calculating than a random intruder. Was the killer someone John knew? A stranger with a vendetta? Or part of a larger pattern of crimes plaguing the town?
Luna and Noah, consumed by grief, vowed to uncover the truth. They would not rest until they understood why their son had been taken, why their home had been violated, and what the cryptic note truly meant. The answers lay hidden in the shadows, waiting to be uncovered.
Chapter 1 ends
To Be Continued