Lillian
A slow, silent breeze drifted through the cracks in the wooden walls of the deteriorating cottage. Mostly damage and falling to pieces, the cottage stood, mangled and smelling of death: dying slowly.
During the hot summer days of August in 1948 the murder of a young woman took place which removed another person's existence from planet Earth. Unbeknownst to the victim, her past would bring her horrors more than she could have ever imagined with her death being dreadful and full of pain. Furthermore, twenty years after the first murder another young woman will be removed from existence in the same circumstances as the first.
On Sunday the 22nd August 1948, Lillian Woodlington was strolling along a dirt track within a sunlit forest. She was eighteen years old and had nothing to worry about in her present day life. Gazing up through the gaps in the forest trees, Lillian hummed merrily as she stared at the gleaming blue sky which was home to lily white clouds which drifted aimlessly around the planet.
Lillian's life was almost perfect before World War Two. She grew up in London with her Mother and Father during the 1930's, but disaster struck during the Blitz when Lillian's world was delivered a terrible blow. She was shipped off away from her parents to live in the country with an old man and his house keeper. She had many fabulous imaginary adventures while she was stuck in the country away from devastation filled London. As the war came to a close, Lillian returned home to London unaware that her return would come with a great shock.
As Lillian arrived back in London in 1945, the news of a final bomb explosion quickly travelled around the capital. There were only two victims during the explosion.
The parents of Lillian Woodlington.
As all of her grandparents were already dead and there being no other family, Lillian had no one and was forced to live on her own from the age of fifteen. She took all of the money her parents had allowing her to start making her dream a reality. Returning only twice to her parent's home after their deaths, Lillian collected her belongings as well as some pots that her Mother had made and some of her Fathers favourite records which she stored in the spare room of her cottage. During the following months after her parent's death, Lillian spent most of her time travelling around the country in order to choose some objects that would truly complete her dream home.
The shock that Lillian received, although heart breaking, had allowed her to put her dreams into action and become an independent young woman. She was able to buy the cottage of her dreams with her inheritance: a home all to herself on the outskirts of a forest with a garden full of flowers, several vegetable patches, with a few chickens in a pen to provide fresh eggs and streams of ivy growing up the sides of the building. The inside was decorated with several photographs of her childhood and an oak wood dining table just to the right of the front door.
The morning sun glistened through the curtains of Lillian's bedroom, illuminating her face which brought her out of her baby like slumber. Lillian thought of what plans she could conjure up for the day as she pulled herself out of bed. It was a beautiful Monday morning near the end of August, the warmth of summer was fading whilst the blustery winds of autumn were settling in. Lillian stepped from her bedroom wearing her nightgown and began to climb down the stairs.
Downstairs, Lillian set the kettle on the hob before she collected her mug and prepared it for a morning brew. She sank into the sofa sipping her tea still pondering on the thought of what she could do today. The young girl sat for several minutes tapping her nail on the side of the tea mug during which she took sips of the hot liquid it held. After finishing her steaming tea, Lillian took to her feet, set the mug in the sink and made her way back to her bedroom to choose her outfit for the day. She picked out a white dress with a large green leaf pattern, replaced her nightgown with the dress and slipped her feet into some black pumps.
Lillian slumped onto her wooden stool which sat in front of her dressing table. Set upon the table was an array of different make-ups, perfumes and hair accessories. The young girl brushed her hair through and through to rid it of knots before she styled it into a ponytail. Then she added slight blusher to her checks and a light pink lipstick to her pale lips before standing up, smoothing her down dress and leaving the bedroom.
As she descended the stairs for a second time, Lillian stared out of the window opposite and spotted a small boy standing at the entrance to the forest. He was staring straight into the part of the forest that the sunlight had not penetrated, not moving, as if he was frozen in fear. Curious to find out what was wrong with the boy, Lillian took hold of the patterned doorknob, pulled open the oak front door and stepped over the threshold into the garden.
She stood and watched the small boy gazing into the dark abyss for a moment.
"Young man!" she called. "Young man, are you alright?" But there was no reply from the child. He didn't more a single inch.
Lillian slowly stepped down the hard stone path and placed her hand on the light brown, flower covered gate. Cautiously she took hold of the lock, unlatched the gate and headed towards the small boy, leaving the gate open behind her. Glancing around she snuck towards the place where the small boy was standing.
"Young man… is there something wrong?" Lillian said in a soft voice as she approached the boy. But still he stood, frozen to the ground, eyes fixed on the inside of the forest. As she got nearer to the boy, Lillian noticed that he was clutching a gold locket that reflected the rays of the sun.
"Don't come near me" said a small peaceful voice.
"There's no need to be afraid… I just want to talk… my names Lillian Woodlington, what's yours?"
For the first time, since she had seen him through the window, the small boy moved. He turned around and looked straight into Lillian's eyes. The sun light struck his eyes revealing their deep blue colour.
"C-C-Cra-Craig… Craig Livingston" said the small boy.
"Well hello Craig Livingston, what a pleasure it is to meet you" said Lillian with a gleaming smile and holding out her hand to shake his. But Craig didn't take her hand. Instead he coward a backwards a few steps and dropped his eyes to the ground.
"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you."
The boy hesitated before looking back at Lillian. With a small movement of his lips, the small boy smiled and took Lillian's hand.
"How about we go back to my cottage and have a biscuit?" Lillian asked. Craig nodded and followed her across the field, through the gate and over the threshold.
Lillian filled the grey metal kettle with water before she placed it on the stove and sat down at the table with a tin of biscuits. Craig, who hadn't sat down, was standing by the door with his eyes fixated on the wooden floor of Lillian's living room.
"Craig... I've told you that there's no need to be scared. Why don't you come and take a seat, have as many biscuits as you want." Lillian opened the lid of the biscuit barrel and pushed it to the other side of table in front of him.
Although he hesitated, Craig stepped forward, perched on the edge of the wooden chair and took hold of a biscuit.
"So Craig would you like to tell me about yourself?" said Lillian in a quiet, cheerful voice.
Craig didn't answer back straight away. But then after a few seconds of silence, Craig began to open up "Well… Erm…"
"There's no need to rush. I know what it's like, having to talk about your family and yourself." Lillian reassured him.
"How do you know… how it feels?" asked Craig.
"Well when I was fifteen, my Mother and Father were killed in London during the war."
"Were they soldiers?"
"No. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I miss them though … all the time… But I cope; it's allowed me to get this place, the cottage of my dreams."
"I'm sorry" said Craig with a tear.
"What have you got to be sorry for?" asked Lillian curiously.
"I… I erm… I was the reason my parents… di… died." Nervously, Craig looked up to see the shocked look on Lillian's face.
"How could it have been your fault?"
"I ran up to a cliff top and my Mummy and Daddy followed me. I sat really close to the edge and when my Mummy went to grab my arm… she slipped and fell. My Daddy tried to save her but he fell too. I heard the thud and crunch on their bones as they hit the rocks." Craig burst into tears, his head thumped onto the table. Lillian shot from her seat to comfort Craig, cuddling him, stroking his head. "You mustn't blame yourself. It was a tragic accident! You didn't cause it and you couldn't have prevented it, just like I couldn't have with my parents."
Lillian continued to comfort him until his tears had subsided.
"Why don't we take you for a bath? You could do with a wash."
"Lillian?"
"Yes Craig?"
"I want you to have my Mummy's locket" he said as he held up the gold object to her.
"No… I couldn't"
"Please?"
"Well, okay then. Thank you Craig." Lillian took the locket from the boy and fastened it around her neck. "Now, let's go and get you cleaned up."
Craig took her by the hand as she led him up the stairs and into the bathroom.
Later that night, long after Lillian had gone to bed, Craig rose from the living-room sofa, where she had laid him to sleep. He stood very still, listening for any sounds coming from upstairs. When he was satisfied that Lillian was in a deep slumber, Craig changed from the night clothes Lillian had dressed him in, slipped on his shoes and snuck out of the front door, leaving it wide open.
The cold night sky was full of clouds. With no moon, there was no visible light, except for a tiny flicker of orange coming from the outskirts of the forest.
Craig slowly crept forward reaching out as he tried to find the gate. He felt the flowers that grew on it tickle his arm. For a few seconds, Craig searched around for the gate lock, until something stone cold knocked into the side of his hand. As quietly as he could, Craig lifted the lock allowing the gate to swing open before he ran across the field towards the faint orange glow.
When Craig reached the orange glow, that turned out to be a fire, a man and a woman, who were about thirty years old, were pacing around the fire keeping warm.
"Hello son" said the man.
"Hello Dad" said Craig as he smiled and sat down.
"Am I right in thinking she fell for your sob story?" questioned the woman.
"Yes… I told her that you and Dad had fallen off a cliff and died" answered Craig.
"Well done. Did she take the locket?"
"Yes Mum."
"Good. Trust is key with this operation" said the Mum in a sinister tone.
"When you can, you will lead the woman up to this spot. Is that understood? Try tomorrow night just as the sun goes down."
"Yes Dad… But she might come sooner than you think because I left the front door open for the cold air to drift in hopefully that will send her into shock and have her come running straight to my aid."
"Clever boy" replied the Dad as he patted his son on the head.
Back at the cottage the cold air had drifted through the open door and up the stairs. The soft wind slithered across Lillian's face like a snake. "Huh" she moaned, as she began to awake from her night's sleep. Lillian opened her eyes and looked around, noticing nothing. Suddenly a gust of wind struck her in the face. Like a bolt of lightning, she shot from her bed and stood glued to the floor.
"Craig?" Lillian yelled as she hurried down the stairs. "Oh no!" she cried as she realised the front door was open and Craig was gone. As the realisation of what had happened, Lillian hurried out of the door as she screamed "CRAIG!" Her voice echoed throughout the land that surrounded her cottage.
"Quick son now is our chance! Make her come to your aid!" whispered Craig's Mother.
"Lillian!" he screamed. "Lillian help me!"
Lillian listened hard for the direction of Craig's voice. She took off at a speed across the field towards the place Craig's voice had emitted.
"Quickly Lillian! HELP! They're hurting me!" he yelled.
Lillian continued to race towards the sound of Craig's voice. Upon reaching the spot, she froze in horror as she saw Craig with his arms being held by a pair of mysterious black-dressed adults.
"Craig! Let – him – go!" she cried.
"Why would we do that? We are his Mother and Father after all" announced the woman.
"What? But…"
"But we're dead? Well, not exactly. See we needed a way of luring you to take our son in so he could earn your trust and we could get to you. Then we could lead you to your absolute doom."
"Wait I recognise… Who are you?" said Lillian with a questioning look.
"Oh, how rude of us. I'm Victoria, this is my husband, Patrick and obviously you know our son Craig. You do know me and Patrick, we used to baby sit you and we were friends of your parent's."
The frightened look on Lillian's face had vanished and been replaced with a look of shock. "I don't understand. Why did Craig lie?"
"Well you see your Mother and Father betrayed our vowel of loyalty in 1940 when they had us arrested for a so-called looting operation. So when we served our sentence and got out of prison in 1945, we returned to London to repay the favour, become equal if you like, and therefore we killed them. The war was a perfect cover up" exclaimed Victoria. "And we're just back now to complete the job of destroying the remaining family… you."
"You evil, murdering scums! And using your son to do your dirty work, that's just sick!" Lillian yelled.
"Yes, well, you won't be around much longer to worry about it now will you?" Victoria stated.
"No, that's where you're wrong!" Lillian screamed as she turned to run. But her efforts to escape were ruined as Patrick grabbed hold of her yanking her back.
"You're not getting away that easily" he sneered before he threw Lillian, with all his force, at a tree trunk. Her body ricocheted off the rock hard trunk, flopping onto the forest floor. She lay motionless on the ground with a trickle of blood coming from her head.
Patrick grabbed some rope from his bag and aggressively tied Lillian to the trunk of the tree, cutting into her wrists more and more as the rope got tighter.
When she was secure Victoria slapped Lillian hard across the face waking her with a start. Lillian was drowsy, her eyes flickered as her surroundings came into focus. The sudden realisation of the horror that now affected her present life dawned on the poor, defenceless girl. "P…ple…please…don't hurt me" she bleated. Lillian was dazed, her vision still partially blurred. "You… can't… do this… to me…"
"Oh, I think you find we can, a bit of revenge never hurt us. When we spent those last four years in prison after your disgraceful parents had taken our son, myself and Patrick were beaten black and blue. I was almost killed and my husband was hospitalised seven times!" Victoria screamed as redness took hold of her cheeks.
A puzzled look had appeared on Lillian's face at the mention of her parents taking Craig. "I have… one question… why did… my parents… take care… of your son?" she asked between large intakes of air.
"We knew neither my family nor Victoria's would ever have him, so we gave him to the only people we could think of" Patrick stated. "They took care of him thinking we'd never get out. They were hoping they could divert him from going down the same path as us. Well they had a nasty shock when we were released." A sly smile appeared in the corner of his mouth.
Craig moved slowly out from the shadowy background and came to put an ice cold hand on Lillian's knee.
She shivered.
"Thank you Lillian, for making this an easy job for me." Craig's sweet, peaceful voice had turned dark and sinister.
"Craig… how… old are… you?" Lillian asked still gasping for air.
"Eight" he said proudly. "I was born in prison and lived there for a year, then your Mother and Father took me in as Dad said. Pretty smart for an eight year old aren't I? Yeah, I've been told." As he got up, he swung his hand and struck Lillian hard across the face.
Lillian screamed in shock as her eyes filled with tears.
"Craig, my boy. You'll grow up to be just like your old man here" announced a proud Patrick. While Craig's face lit up with a gleaming smile, the flow of blood from Lillian's head had increased and now streams of blood were travelling all over her face.
"Craig, can you go and fetch some more wood to use on the fire, please?" Victoria asked. "We will probably need it to burn evidence later on."
"Yes Mum" said Craig before he ran off into the dark off the forest.
Several moments past as Victoria and Patrick stared menacingly at the blood-stained face of Lillian Woodlington, their evil, twisted minds plotting silently.
"I can't stand to look at this miserable bitches face drooping any longer. Patrick, hand me my favourite murder weapon." Victoria reached out her hand to the side as Patrick pulled a large black handled knife from his belt and handed it to her. Victoria held the knife in her hand and jolted towards Lillian. The knife lightly touched her dress. Victoria smoothed the knife over Lillian to make her face screw up with terror.
"Try not to fight death, it hurts less" and with that Victoria plunged the large, sharp blade deep into Lillian's stomach.
Lillian howled in pain. Her screams echoed throughout the vast, unpopulated land. Her eyes flickered as her breathing got heavier, shorter and sharper. Lillian's, now weightless head, rocked from side to side. More blood gushed out of the stomach wound which was made by the knife. As Lillian felt her life starting to drain from her, she clenched her fists in an attempt to cling on to her existence. The blood that spilled from her head increased the drowsy sense that had taken over her body. Victoria twisted the knife in Lillian's stomach allowing more blood gush out of her body.
Craig returned with a handful of wood as his mother requested. Setting it down in a pile next to the fire, he glanced over at the poor imitation of a human that has bound to a cold hard tree. There was no remorse in Craig's deep blue eyes but a sinister gaze. As Victoria slowly pulled the knife from the depths of Lillian's stomach she said "There is just one more thing I'd like to say to you before you go Lillian. I hope you burn in hell just like vindictive parents and may the fires of hell scold the flesh from you dirty bones."
Pulling together her remaining strength, Lillian gasped, "You'll… never… get… away with… th… is" With a few short gasps for air, Lillian's fists slowly unclenched as her remaining life escaped from her body.
Lillian's deceased body sat, slumped up the trunk of the great Oak tree. The family stood staring at the body with a look of triumph smeared across their faces. "Collect her" Victoria ordered. After taking the blood-covered knife from his wife, Patrick moved closer to Lillian's body and begun to slice through the tight ropes that bound the girl to the tree. The ropes dropped to the floor allowing Patrick to hoist Lillian off of the ground and drape the girl over his shoulder. He turned and started towards the cottage closely followed by Victoria and Craig.
Crossing the threshold, he carried Lillian up the stairs dropping her on the bathroom floor before allowing his wife to take over once more. Setting down her rucksack, Victoria began to undress Lillian's lifeless body along with the removal of the locket which lay on her chest. She filled the bottom of the bath with some water which enabled her to clean the deep red blood off of her victim's stomach. Redressing her in a clean night gown, Victoria made a slit for the knife in the front of it. She slowly packed Lillian's blood-stained dress, sponge and towel into her bag. Meanwhile Patrick stood at the bottom of the stairs awaiting his next command. After cleaning her family's fingerprints off of the handle of the knife; Victoria aided Lillian's limp hand to mark her prints on the weapon used to end her existence.
"Patrick!" Victoria cried. "She's ready."
The knocking of Patrick's boots against the wooden floors echoed throughout the cottage as he moved closer to the bathroom. The door swung open to reveal Victoria grasping the deceased hand of their victim which kept the knife in place.
"Make sure you don't touch it."
Patrick took hold of Lillian's hand, lifted her body and cradled her in his arms. Victoria marched from the scene of the clean-up carrying her rucksack followed by her husband, leaving a valued item behind. At the top of the stairs they stopped as Victoria suggested, with a sinister tone, "Dropping her down will manipulate minds into believe her untimely, but fortunate, death was a pure accident."
Patrick removed his arms from under Lillian's dead-weight body, allowing her to fall a short distance onto the wooden staircase. Her deserted body began to thud and bang on the stairs as it descended to the floor below. Her head knocked into the banister causing further damage to her fragile skull. Lillian's body caused noise to echo throughout the house. The sound ceased as her soulless body lay heaped at the foot of the stairs, with terror implanted in her eyes, the knife resting on her fingertips.
The family of murderers left the cottage strolling carelessly to their previously lit fire, marvelling in the fact their plan to eradicate their ex-friends family had been accomplished. Throwing Victoria rucksack containing all of the equipment used in Lillian's murder onto the fire, Craig gathered the wood he had collected earlier, dumped them on the small flaming pile and allowed the inferno to rise again.
"All of those years of planning three perfect murders were worth the satisfaction that we all now feel flowing through our veins." Victoria spoke with a hint a pride in her sinister voice.
"Nothing makes me more proud that to see my family coming together to take revenge on that family." Patrick announced.
"Time for a fresh start away from England, how about America boys? The land of new beginnings."
"We'd follow you anywhere Mum."
Patrick and Craig took hold of Victoria's hands and wondered off into the brightening forest.
A small tear dripped from Lillian's petrified eye as her decaying body lay at the bottom of the stairs undisturbed for twenty years.
Eve
Unbeknownst to Lillian, the village of Roseview stood only a few miles away from her cottage. Haunted by an old superstition about a murdering witch, the residents of Roseview had never stepped foot in the forest that separated the village and the cottage. Lillian had only ever stayed on the outskirts of the forest, afraid to venture too far inside.
"Eh, Henry, have you heard the latest news?"
"Indeed. Poor woman. Such a shame a young life was taken like that, Viv." Henry replied.
"They say she was carrying a knife when she fell down the stairs, went straight into her stomach. If it weren't for that, she would probably have been alright." Vivian said as she continued to dry the washing up.
"You never know Viv, she may have committed suicide."
"An eighteen year old committing suicide! Whatever for?" she questioned.
"Well she did live alone, isolated from the world, maybe it got to her."
Just then a beautiful, brown haired, young lady stepped into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Eve" said Vivian cheerfully.
"Morning Mum" Eve replied. "What are you two gossiping about?"
"We were talking about the human remains that were found in a collapsing cottage yesterday afternoon" Henry replied. "It's all over the paper and the radio.
"What? Where?" Eve face was plastered with a puzzling look.
Henry passed the morning newspaper to Eve. She stared at the front page which held the article about the findings.
Roseview Gazette
Human Remains Found and Identified
Yesterday afternoon the skeletal remains of a woman were discovered in an unknown cottage by local villager Daniel Harven, aged 41.
After searching through a cluttered room in the rotting cottage, belongings were found which allowed the remains to be identified. Jane Doe was identified as eighteen year old Lillian Woodlington. She is thought to have died between nineteen and twenty years ago. Forensics say that the young woman received un-fatal blows to the head, which she had likely received from her fall down the stairs. There was also blood stains found on the floor as well as a blood stained knife which was found with the remains.
Police say the woman may have committed suicide or her death could may have been accidental. Police also say that there is no evidence to suspect foul play.
Daniel had this to say -
"I'm new to the village, moved in last year. I've been wanting to go on one of my Hike Days since I arrived. I asked some of the locals if any of them had ever been to the other side of the forest, but they all said no. So I planned to be the first person to go there. As I approached the other side I could see something that looked like an old barn, so, out of curiosity, I headed for that. It was a very crude sight. It wasn't a barn, but a cottage. The wood had partly rotted and the window panes had either cracked or fell out. I strolled over to the gate, pushed it open and then something cracked beneath my feet. I looked down and I found that I was standing on Chicken bones. It didn't bother me so I continued to the door, which wouldn't open so I gave it a good, hard kick. I stepped inside and saw a rather disturbing sight. As I stepped in there was a rotten oak table to my left and to my right there was a pile of bones in a rather pretty, but holey dress. I didn't take another step. I ran straight back to the Local Police Station and alerted them".
While Eve read the article, an expression of pure shock appeared on her face.
"That's truly terrible! Poor Lillian." gasped Eve.
"I can only imagine the horror of finding the remains. Just think, if someone had had the guts to go through the forest, she might have been saved" said Vivian in a saddened tone.
"Yeah, well, no one who's heard the Old Wives Tale will go into that forest" murmured Henry.
"What Old Wives Tale Dad?" asked Eve with an intrigued expression.
"Well, I've been wondering when you'd ask" said Henry as he clapped his hands. "It all starts five-hundred years ago when Kassandra Williamson arrived in this very village. She was apparently a very beautiful woman with deep, ocean blue eyes and long, wavy black hair. She was said to have lived in a cottage in the darkest part forest. Since her arrival many married men had fallen in love with her and their wives had mysteriously vanished. Villagers caught on to the fact that all of these strange happenings started when Kassandra arrived. It was shortly after this that they discovered that Kassandra was a witch! After the heartbreak and disappearance of Elizabeth Robinson, the villagers stormed, with flaming torches to Kassandra's cottage and set it on fire. During the blazing inferno, legend says that Kassandra screamed "You'll never get rid of me! I will remain in this forest killing every man and women who enters!" Then the cottage exploded. Many people say they have seen her ghost wondering around the forest looking for men to love her and women to kill".
"But that can't really be true, can it? I mean, witches and ghosts?" Eve asked with a puzzling look.
"No one actually knows. No one's had the guts to go into the wood." Henry exclaimed.
"Although I'm guessing it isn't true as Daniel Harven has been through there," Vivian said with a small smile.
Eve sat and pondered the idea of there being a witch in Roseview forest. The idea stayed with her for a while. She must have sat, starting at the kitchen table for a long time as when she looked up, her parents were nowhere to be seen. She stood up from the table and dragged her feet into the hallway.
The house was silent. Eve opened the front door, the village was silent too. "Where is everyone?" Eve thought. Just down the road she could see a small gathering of people stood by the forest.
Eve started towards where the group of people stood.
"It's an utter disgrace!" moaned an old, hunchbacked lady. "How can a young girl like that be left all alone?"
"I suppose she was orphaned." This voice was emitted from a taller man with deep blue eyes that glinted in the sun.
"Well whatever she was, she should never have been able to live alone," barked the women as she turned and hobbled away.
Eve moved closer to the tall man, staring at him as she moved.
"What's going on here?" she asked.
"We're all just trying to find out more information about the human remains that were found in that cottage." replied the man.
"Oh right, that's erm… nice" Eve mumbled. "I don't think I've ever seen you around the village before".
"No, I'm just passing through; my mother sent me to make sure everything was okay with her special place."
"Special place?" Eve said curiously.
"Yeah, it's not that exciting" said the man. "I'm Craig by the way."
The man put up his hand to shake Eve's. Taking his she replied "I'm Eve. It's nice to meet you Craig."
"Eve. Such a lovely name. It's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to cut this short. I hope to see you again."
"Bye Craig" said Eve as she smiled and loosened her grip on Craig's hand.
Craig turned and walked back into the village while Eve stared into the forest. When he was out of view of the villagers, Craig began to run. His run turning into a sprint as he headed for his home just north of the village of Roseview.
The door of the Livingston household burst open as Craig rushed inside gasping for breath.
"Mum! Dad!" Craig shouted.
"Craig? What the hell if wrong with you" Victoria questioned.
Still gasping for air, Craig began to explain the news. "I was down in Roseview, just like we all were twenty years ago…"
Victoria interrupted "What the hell were you doing in Roseview! We told you never to go back there after we ridded the world of that girl."
"That girl, mother, has been found. When I say found I mean her remains, obviously."
The shocking news that the body of the girl they had killed two decades ago had been found didn't look like it had any effect on Victoria or Patrick.
"Well we all knew that she would be one day" announced Patrick.
"I know we did. I just thought you'd be shocked for it to happen so soon."
"Craig, we need you to go back to the village and make sure the police haven't found any evidence that could link us to the murder" Victoria ordered.
"Why? The police say they aren't treating it as suspicious"
"That isn't the point. That may change. If anything crops up, try and destroy it."
"I'm twenty-eight and still taking orders from my parents." And with that Craig turned and left his home, strolling back to Roseview.
Eve lay in her bed that night imagining the pain Lillian would have gone through after accidently stabbing herself. Her body lying at the bottom of the stairs with her breath slowly leaving her lungs and blood leaking out of her onto the floor. Then her dead, decaying body remaining in the cottage without being discovered for twenty years. The newspaper gave details of her supposed accidental death, but Eve wasn't sure that it was accidental. "What would someone be doing carelessly walking around the house with a knife?" Eve thought. "I'm going to do some investigating of my own."
Eve rose from her bed, slipped on some clothes and sneaked down stairs as quietly as she could. As she entered the hallway to pull on her shoes, the grandfather clock that stood as bold as brass, chimed eleven times.
When she opened the door, the chilling breeze punched Eve in the face like a bully would punch their victim. Ignoring the fact that the air was icy cold, Eve started towards the forest that was completely covered with darkness. The silvery moon that hung in the clear night sky was shining down on the village. Including the street lamps, there was enough light provided to guide Eve along the path which led to the forest.
The village was silent except for the clipping of Eve's shoes hitting the stone path. Everyone was tucked up in bed, not giving what happened to Lillian a single thought. But it was all Eve could think about.
The entrance of the forest now loomed over Eve. Although it was the middle of an icy night, Eve thought the forest looked more peaceful in the dark with glints of light from the moon penetrating the darkness which lay ahead. Eve strode off into the forest heading for the other side.
Lillian's cottage was coming clearer into view as Eve approached the clearing. The police lines that surrounded the cottage preventing anyone from taking a look inside were coming clearer as well. Clear enough for Eve to be able to identify what they were. She stepped out from the covering darkness and stared over at the cottage which could be seen by the light of the moon.
Aloud, Eve said "Right Lillian; let's see what I can find out about your death." With that she set off away from the forest and towards the cottage.
The grass was damp as Eve may her way across it. The damp covered her shoes and made her feet feel like as icy as the night sky.
Crunch.
Eve stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of the noise. She held her breath as she tried to come up with a logical explanation for the noise. Her eyes moved around the area in front of her but Eve turned around but could see nothing. When she was satisfied that it the noise must have been made by an animal she continued towards the cottage.
The police barriers were now upon her. She squatted under them, moved past the gate and stood on the cracked stone path. The path was surrounded by mud and bits of rotten wood that had fell from the cottage. Slowly, Eve crept towards the door and placed a hand steadily on the handle and pushed it open. The door opened with a loud, echoing creak, as it revealed the moulding inside of the cottage.
Eve stepped inside and caught the whiff of damp, rotten wood. Every floorboard creaked under her feet. The cottage was full of mould and crumbling furniture. The sofa cushions had been eaten away, the table had collapsed when a leg had crumbled and the stove and pots had turned to rust. The only thing inside the cottage that wasn't rotten was the white outline of where Lillian's remains were found.
Icy cold wind was blasting through the holes that had formed in the wood of the cottage walls. Moonlight floated in and out of the cottage as the clouds moved across the sky. The soft banging of the remaining window panes echoed in the cottage as the few doors that were still on their hinges, creaked whenever they were caught by a gust of wind.
Eve bent down around the white outline and examined the floor. She knelt and observed the shape for a moment, but unable to find anything she straightened up and carefully crept up the stairs.
Eve managed to reach the top of the stairs unharmed after avoiding the cracks in the stairs. There were only three rooms upstairs, a bedroom, a bathroom and a spare room full of Lillian's belongings. There was a box of photos in the far left corner of the spare room. Eve opened it and took out the top picture. It was a photo of a man, a women and a young girl. On the back of the photo there were three names which read Thomas, Dorothy and Lillian.
"She was a beautiful young woman" Eve thought as she returned the picture to the box. Steering her way back through an obstacle course of boxes, Eve made her way back to the landing to be able to explore the rest of Lillian's cottage.
Suddenly, the floor just outside of Lillian's bedroom gave way. Eve spun round and dropped through the hole but managed to grab hold of the spare room doorframe in an attempt to stop herself from falling. Her breathing became sharp as panic had started take hold. She pulled and pulled on the door frame while her feet dangled, frantically swaying through the hole in the landing floor. Fortunately, Eve managed to pull herself onto the floor of the spare room where she lay trying to catch her breath.
After she had regained her breath and strength, Eve stood up, still shaking. She turned and avoiding the hole, moved towards Lillian's bedroom, climbing over the door that had fallen off the hinges. Just like the other furniture in the rest house, it was mouldy and rotten. Eve walked around the room looking for anything that could help her find out if Lillian did accidently die. As Eve looked around the room it became aware to her that the police hadn't been in here.
The room was a light shade of pink covered in mould and growing moss. The wooden floors were brittle in places, the ceiling was crumbling and the bed looked old but still recently slept in with an indent on the pillow from Lillian's head where she took her last sleep. With the torch light catching glimpses of the metal base of the lamp, which had fell on the floor after the bedside table had collapsed; Eve saw a small black book lying there on the floor with a single white feather sitting on top. With caution, Eve approached the book trying not to fall through the floor again. She reached out for the book, seizing it and the feather. She studied the perfectly white feather for a moment and then pinned it into her skirt waistband. She opened the book to where the slither of ribbon lay and began to read.
Monday 23rd August 1948
Dear Diary,
Today I met the sweetest of boys. He had amazing blue eyes that glinted in the sun and shiny blonde hair. He must be about seven or eight not old enough to be without parents, but he was all alone. He was staring into the darkness of the forest that had not been pierced through the leaves of the tress by sunlight.
I called out to him although it had no effect. I walked over to the young boy, whose name I later learned was Craig, and invited him into my home after I had earned his trust.
He sat at my table and told me the most terrible and upsetting story.Craig spoke of how he had run and sat on the edge of a cliff when he had run away from his parents. When his Mother came for him she had slipped off the cliff and so had his Father who had tried to save her. It was a sad tale that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
I'm going to take care of Craig; he's sleeping on the sofa tonight and for a while until I can buy him a bed.
Goodnight, Lillian.
"This is what I've been looking for!" Eve shouted with a hint of joy in her voice. Eve flicked through the following pages of the diary. "There's nothing else in here. This must be the last thing she entered before she died." Eve had discovered that Lillian had died exactly twenty years ago. "Hold on a moment!" Eve cried. "If this Craig was seven or eight when she died then, he should still be alive!"
She shut the black diary and held it tightly in her hand. Eve lifted the torch and shined the light around the room a final time. Unable to find anything else, she moved towards the door, crouched under it and returned to the land. Eve stood balancing on the edge of the hole which she had recently hung from. Staring through it, she saw the brittle pieces of wood lay on the floor below in between the sofa and the kitchen cabinets. Eve edged around the hole to enable herself to enter the bathroom.
The taps had gone rotten, the bath was cracking and the lid to the toilet had split and fallen slightly. The light from the torch was rebounded off of a gold object which was partly concealed under the bath. Eve reached out her hand and took hold of the item. It was an egg shaped locket with a red ruby heart incrusted in the middle. The chain was long and slightly rusty. Eve outstretched the chain, lifted it over her head and rested it on her chest.
A loud creaking noise filled the night air. Eve lashed her body around to face the landing. She fumbled with her torch, trying to turn it off.
It slipped from her grip.
The torch smashed on the ground. The glass from the casing around the bulb covered the floor around Eve's feet. Her eyes widened, breathing deepened, sweat protruded from her forehead as she stood frozen with fear.
Footsteps thumped against the wood of the floor below. Eve crept to the doorway of the bathroom; a dark shadow was growing on the wall as the unknown being was ascending up the stairs. The shadow grew nearer and nearer to the top of the stairs and ever closer to Eve. She backed away towards the wall behind the hole. The unknown being now stood at the top of the stairs, the face was being shadowed but the moon was shining directly onto Eve's face revealing her terrified expression.
"Eve?" the being questioned.
"Who's that?" Eve replied in between deep breaths.
"It's Craig" said the being. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question" she said straightening up.
"I wanted a closer look at the cottage which, I'm guessing, is exactly what you wanted as well. Anyway, I was walking towards the cottage and I saw a light in the top room, so I came to investigate."
"Well, that fantastic… there's no need for me to stay so I will be leaving" announced Eve as she stepped towards the hole.
"So soon?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it is way past my bedtime."
Eve shuffled around the hole which brought her face to face with Craig.
"Goodbye Craig." Eve started to descend the stairs when Craig seized her arm and yanked her backwards. She tripped over the top step, spun in the air, falling face first through the hole in the floor. Her screams filled the icy, cold night air. She crashed with an echoing bang onto the floor below.
Eve's screams stopped immediately. She lay on top of the brittle pieces of wood with blood trickling from her head.
Eve started to stir. She lifted her head and began to open her eyes as a voice spoke from within the shadows spoke.
"Now that was a very silly thing to do wasn't it, Eve?"
"Huh?" murmured Eve as her head swayed from side to side.
"You fell through that hole in the ceiling and landed with an almighty bang down here on all this rubble. Look at all the cuts and bruises that you're now covered in." Eve couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but she knew exactly who it was. It was Craig.
"Wha…What have you… done to me?" she questioned.
"I simply delayed your exit by causing you some pain."
Staring into the darkness in front of her, Eve tried to move, but she was unable to. Her arms had been tied behind her back and her legs bound together.
"Sorry darlin', but you aren't going anywhere" Craig announced.
"What have I done to you?" Eve asked.
"You came snooping around a place that isn't yours to snoop in!"
"It's not yours either!" Eve cried.
"It's more mine than it is yours" said Craig in a sinister tone.
"What?" A puzzled look had appeared on Eve's face.
"This is part of my mother's secret," Craig revealed. "I was here once before, twenty years ago to be exact, slept on that very sofa, walked on this very floor and now I'm back to make sure no one screws up my life now she's been found."
Eve stared up at Craig, shocked by what she had just heard.
"Oh my… you're the Craig from Lillian's diary!" Eve cried as she glanced at the small black book that lay beside her. "You killed Lillian!"
"Well… not exactly, I was only eight; it was my mother who killed her with mine and my father's help."
Eve began to panic. She shuffled with frustration as she tried to loosen the ropes. "HELP! HELP!" Eve's shrieks of terror were filling the cottage and the surrounding land. Craig jolted forward as he raised his hand and struck Eve across the face. Her body was catapulted sideways onto the floor. She didn't try to sit back up; she was too scared to even think about it.
Craig stepped in front of Eve, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back up to her previous sitting position. Eve sniffed as she tried to keep the tears from escaping from her eyes.
"I got to watch my mother plunge a knife into Lillian's stomach, now I'm going to get the chance to do it you, with my own knife."
"Crai… Craig… please don't…"
"Stop begging! Have some dignity girl!" yelled Craig.
Eve's eyes fell to the ground as Craig reached into his bag. He pulled out a long metal object that glinted in the moonlight. It was a long, shaped bladed knife. The reflected light of the moon bounced off the deep blue colour of Craig's eyes as he crept towards Eve. He crouched down in front of Eve and lifted her chin with his finger. Their eyes met, illuminated by the moonlight.
"It's no wonder I turned out like I have with my parents being three time murderers on top of the fact I grew up for a year in a prison cell. I don't know whether I will feel any remorse after you've died. I mean I didn't with Lillian so why should I with you. I also wonder how long it will be until someone finds you. Ten minutes? Ten hours? Ten days? Ten weeks? Ten months? Ten years? I'll find out when they do of course, it will be all over the papers. They'll be quotes from your parents joined with a mystical theory of how you died. Fell through a hole maybe? Stabbed yourself with a knife and fell down the stairs. Almost the same as Lillian. You both received a cut on your head then got stabbed and took a tumble down the stairs. By the end of the night you and Lillian will have died in the same circumstances." Craig's voice was soft but sinister. He balanced the tip of the knife on Eve's leg while he was wearing a sinister smile. Eve's face crinkled up with fear. She tensed her body in an attempt to prepare for what was to come. Craig took one last look into Eve's fear filled eyes before he gripped his hand tightly around the black handle, then he plunged the knife deep into her stomach. Eve let out a terrifying wail which was muffled by the hand that now covered her mouth. Craig twisted the knife allowing more blood to pour from Eve's body.
Eve's eyes flickered as the life drained from her body. She clenched her fists as she tried to stay alive. With the remaining strength she had, Eve spoke her last word "Maybe… Lillian… will finally… get some… jus…justice." With a few short gasps for air, Eve's fists unclenched as her remaining life escaped from her body.
Craig untied Eve's hand and legs before he carried her up the stairs. Dodging the hole that she had created in the floor, Craig entered the bathroom and laid her down on the floor away from the shards of glass. He put the plug into the bath and turned the tap on.
"I'm surprised the water still works" he said. Craig took off Eve's clothes and began to clean the blood from her body. The water in the bath turned blood red. The cut from the knife made it almost impossible to clean around the wound. Craig took a mouldy nightgown from the laundry basket and dressed Eve. He made a slit in the front of it where the knife would have penetrated the dress and allowed the stab wound to leak more blood on to the clean dress. Craig cleaned the handle of the knife before using a towel to grip the knife within Eve's hand to leave only her fingerprints. He picked up her bloody dress and tucked it partially into his trousers.
After following the exact routine that his mother had used on Lillian's, Craig carried Eve's body to the top of the stairs. He dropped her body which flopped onto the top step. As her body descended, Eve's head banged against the cracked banisters. The knife flipped from step to step following Eve's body. After breaking a few steps, Eve's body lay heaped at the bottom of the stairs with the knife propped up against her leg. Craig cleaned off his fingerprints from the floors and door handles, stuffed the ropes into his bag, picked up the rucksack, slung it on his back and with a final glance at Eve's body he said, "You look so much like Lillian." and with that Craig left the cottage running off into the night. The pure white feather that had previously been attached Eve's belt floated peacefully down through the hole in the ceiling and rested on the cottage floor.
As Eve's deceased body was lying at the bottom of the stairs decaying in Lillian's cottage, back at her home her parents were worried sick at the fact she was missing.
"Where do you think she would have gone?" asked Vivian shook up and full of panic.
"If I know our Eve as well as I think I do, she's probably gone running off to see if the legend of Kassandra is real, then onto the cottage where those remains were found." Henry's voice was soft and calming.
Vivian's arms were flying frantically around her body as she shouted at Henry. "How can you be so calm at a time like this? Our daughter is missing, out there all alone; she could be dead for all we know!"
"I'm staying calm because at least one of us should! We're doing Eve no good if we're here shouting and doing nothing to help her."
Sitting down, Vivian said "Yes, yes, you're quite right. Staying calm is the best possible way to move forward and find Eve."
"Okay, now," pointing at Vivian, "you should stay here just in case Eve returns and I will go and ask around the village and get the police to check out that cottage."
"Yes, good plan. Good plan, Henry." There was a sense of madness in Vivian's voice as she sat at the kitchen table rubbing her hands together. Henry rose out of his seat, kissed Vivian on the head and left the cottage.
The village was quiet. There was no sign of life except for a Sparrow that was sitting on top of the post box opposite Henry. He stepped forward off the door step and onto the pavement. Henry headed for the entrance to the forest where he spotted a young man.
"Excuse me young man" said Henry. "I was wondering if you'd seen my daughter. She has shoulder length, curly brown hair, fair skin and deep brown eyes."
"Well yes I have, but not recently. I saw her last night coming out of a house just down there. She walked into the forest and as she continued to make her way to the other side, a brilliant white light came darting out of the darkness straight at her. There was a loud, short-sharp scream then she vanished along with the light."
"Oh god. My darling Eve." Henry's eyes filled with tears as he fell to his knees. The young man with deep, blue eyes that glinted in the sunlight, turned and walked away from Henry. He gave quiet chuckle as he left the village.
Vivian came storming from her home and raced over to Henry.
"She's dead Viv. Our baby girl" cried Henry.
"Don't be silly!" snapped Vivian.
"A young man told me a white light took her in the night."
"You're being ridiculous!" she shouted. "Look how the tables have turned Henry. I'm the calm one and you're being hysterical. Let's go through the forest to see if we can find her."
Henry took hold of Vivian's hand as he stood up. Apprehensively, the husband and wife strode off into the forest.
The forest was lit up with the light from the sun, which reflected off the droplets of dew on the leaves. As Vivian and Henry reached the other side of the forest, with no sign of Eve, they noticed that the door to the cottage was wide open. Their faces dropped, their mouths hung open. The pair shared a look of pure horror before they sped off towards the cottage. As they approached the rotten gate, Vivian and Henry stopped dead in their tracks. Hand in hand they cautiously stepped towards the open front door.
Inside the cottage Vivian and Henry glared around the room until their eyes met the deadliest site they've ever seen.
Vivian screamed "EVE!"
A slow, silent breeze drifted through the cracks in the wooden walls of the deteriorating cottage. Mostly damage and falling to pieces, the cottage stood mangled, smelling of death: dying slowly.
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