The Plague of the Shadow Usul
Chapter 1: Detective "Denver" Draik
About 20 minutes later, three police cars and an ambulance showed up at the scene of the murder. The people of the coffee house had bustled out to see what had happened. There, in the middle of the street, lay a Bruce. She looked about the same age as Trista and her friends. She had a silver coat, and she had a surprised look on her face. There was no blood, but she was definitely dead. When Trista looked at her, a chill went up her spine. She didn't like this.
"Step aside" said a chia cop. He pushed Trista out of the way, and looked at the dead body.
"Yep, she's dead alright" he said.
"We know that!" the victim's brother said, "But who killed my sister!" he began to tear.
"Well, whoever did it was a professional. I can't seem to find any evidence that shows she was murdered. She could've just dropped dead."
"Nope, that's not how it went down" said a voice from inside the crowd. The crowd parted to reveal a Neopet standing still as a statue in the middle of the street. He had on a brown cloak, and a hat covered his face. He was flipping a neopoint with his fingers.
"Who are you?" the Chia cop asked. The Neopet lifted his hat, to reveal that he was in fact, a Draik. He had red scales, and his eyes were a deep blue.
"My names Draik. Denver Draik."
"Denver Draik?" the Chia inquired.
"Got a problem with it?" Denver said smugly, "I'm a private eye. Now show me the victim." The Chia cop stood aside, and let Denver Draik through. He looked down at the victim. 30 seconds later, he smiled and whispered, "Just as I thought. . ." He turned to the crowd.
"This may shock you, but this woman was not killed by anything . . . living." There were gasps from the crowd. But the Chia cop laughed.
"That's impossible! He's crazy!"
"Actually, I'm not" Denver Draik said, "This woman was strangled to death by the Shadow Usul. See this" he pointed to the victim's neck. Trista pushed past and looked at the neck. There was a ring of dark color around her neck.
"Those marks can only mean one person" Denver said, "Shadow Usul."
"Who's Shadow Usul?" Ashton asked.
"You've never heard the tale?" Denver asked. "Then I guess it's time to explain."
"A long time ago, there was a woman who decided she wanted to own an Usul. She found this beautiful Usul. It's coat was luminous, and it had a ring of blue fur that almost glowed. Even her shadow was beautiful. So the woman named her Shadow Gazer. Shadow Gazer loved her owner, and Shadow Gazer's owner loved how beautiful Shadow Gazer was. She didn't really love Shadow Gazer.
One day as Shadow Gazer and her owner were walking down the streets of Neopia, they saw a flyer saying the first annual beauty pageant was to be held in Neopia square. Try outs would be held that afternoon. Shadow Gazer's owner knew how beautiful Shadow gazer was, and immediately entered her in. She made the cut of course, and went on to win not only best of her species, but first place out of all species. For the next 10 years, the other pageant contestants would lose to the legend that was Shadow Gazer. Then, the eleventh year, Shadow Gazer was beat by a Gelert named Fire blazer the fire Gelert. Shadow Gazer's owner was furious, and decided the only way to make sure Shadow Gazer saw how serious her "sin" was, was to take a large baseball bat and hit her until she bled. Shadow Gazer believed the pain she was experiencing was her fault, and she submitted to every blow. Every time she got even first runner up to the small pageants she practiced in, she would be beaten till she bled. Finally, the 12th annual Beauty Pageant came around, but Shadow Gazer's coat was no longer luminous. The ring of blue fur around her neck was coming out , and blood clots could be seen everywhere from her coat, to wedged in between her toes. Her eyes had become blood shot, and it was said that even her shadow fled from her in horror. She didn't even make the cut that year. Her owner gave her twice the beating that day, yet Shadow Gazer still believed it was her fault. That year, Shadow Gazer was nominated for the ugliest pet alive. Shadow Gazer's owner had gone mad with fury. That night, there was murder. Shadow Gazer was found in her neohome, strangled to death, and her owner was no where to be found. Since then, Shadow Gazer has walked the streets of Neopia Central, whispering words of death to all who dare listen, speaking of the day when justice will be served. The day for Shadow Usul's justice has come."
"But, why did she choose my sister!" the Bruce yelled, in agony.
"I don't know. There's something not told here" Denver said.
"What shall we do?" said a panicked Cybunny.
"I don't want to be strangled to death!" shouted a Lenny.
"I've studied this Usul before. It only shows up at night. Shop in the day, lock your doors at night. And stay in numbers. Until we discover the reason this Bruce was killed, no one is safe" Denver said, getting up, "I want this body inspected, everything she had with her, everything in her neohome, there must be some clue. . ." With that, Denver got up, got onto his bicycle, and rode of into the night. Everyone at the crime scene was silent.
"There's something in her pocket!" the Chia cop exclaimed suddenly. He reached in and pulled out a shard of glass.
"It's a piece of a mirror. . ." he said stunned. Trista had a bad feeling in the gut of her stomach. Just this evening, she had gotten her new card, she had her Christmas shopping all done, she had a great coffee, and now, she was being told that she could die any second now.
"Ashton?" she said. Ashton came back from the trance he was in.
"Yes"
"Take me home. . ."
Chapter 1: Detective "Denver" Draik
About 20 minutes later, three police cars and an ambulance showed up at the scene of the murder. The people of the coffee house had bustled out to see what had happened. There, in the middle of the street, lay a Bruce. She looked about the same age as Trista and her friends. She had a silver coat, and she had a surprised look on her face. There was no blood, but she was definitely dead. When Trista looked at her, a chill went up her spine. She didn't like this.
"Step aside" said a chia cop. He pushed Trista out of the way, and looked at the dead body.
"Yep, she's dead alright" he said.
"We know that!" the victim's brother said, "But who killed my sister!" he began to tear.
"Well, whoever did it was a professional. I can't seem to find any evidence that shows she was murdered. She could've just dropped dead."
"Nope, that's not how it went down" said a voice from inside the crowd. The crowd parted to reveal a Neopet standing still as a statue in the middle of the street. He had on a brown cloak, and a hat covered his face. He was flipping a neopoint with his fingers.
"Who are you?" the Chia cop asked. The Neopet lifted his hat, to reveal that he was in fact, a Draik. He had red scales, and his eyes were a deep blue.
"My names Draik. Denver Draik."
"Denver Draik?" the Chia inquired.
"Got a problem with it?" Denver said smugly, "I'm a private eye. Now show me the victim." The Chia cop stood aside, and let Denver Draik through. He looked down at the victim. 30 seconds later, he smiled and whispered, "Just as I thought. . ." He turned to the crowd.
"This may shock you, but this woman was not killed by anything . . . living." There were gasps from the crowd. But the Chia cop laughed.
"That's impossible! He's crazy!"
"Actually, I'm not" Denver Draik said, "This woman was strangled to death by the Shadow Usul. See this" he pointed to the victim's neck. Trista pushed past and looked at the neck. There was a ring of dark color around her neck.
"Those marks can only mean one person" Denver said, "Shadow Usul."
"Who's Shadow Usul?" Ashton asked.
"You've never heard the tale?" Denver asked. "Then I guess it's time to explain."
"A long time ago, there was a woman who decided she wanted to own an Usul. She found this beautiful Usul. It's coat was luminous, and it had a ring of blue fur that almost glowed. Even her shadow was beautiful. So the woman named her Shadow Gazer. Shadow Gazer loved her owner, and Shadow Gazer's owner loved how beautiful Shadow Gazer was. She didn't really love Shadow Gazer.
One day as Shadow Gazer and her owner were walking down the streets of Neopia, they saw a flyer saying the first annual beauty pageant was to be held in Neopia square. Try outs would be held that afternoon. Shadow Gazer's owner knew how beautiful Shadow gazer was, and immediately entered her in. She made the cut of course, and went on to win not only best of her species, but first place out of all species. For the next 10 years, the other pageant contestants would lose to the legend that was Shadow Gazer. Then, the eleventh year, Shadow Gazer was beat by a Gelert named Fire blazer the fire Gelert. Shadow Gazer's owner was furious, and decided the only way to make sure Shadow Gazer saw how serious her "sin" was, was to take a large baseball bat and hit her until she bled. Shadow Gazer believed the pain she was experiencing was her fault, and she submitted to every blow. Every time she got even first runner up to the small pageants she practiced in, she would be beaten till she bled. Finally, the 12th annual Beauty Pageant came around, but Shadow Gazer's coat was no longer luminous. The ring of blue fur around her neck was coming out , and blood clots could be seen everywhere from her coat, to wedged in between her toes. Her eyes had become blood shot, and it was said that even her shadow fled from her in horror. She didn't even make the cut that year. Her owner gave her twice the beating that day, yet Shadow Gazer still believed it was her fault. That year, Shadow Gazer was nominated for the ugliest pet alive. Shadow Gazer's owner had gone mad with fury. That night, there was murder. Shadow Gazer was found in her neohome, strangled to death, and her owner was no where to be found. Since then, Shadow Gazer has walked the streets of Neopia Central, whispering words of death to all who dare listen, speaking of the day when justice will be served. The day for Shadow Usul's justice has come."
"But, why did she choose my sister!" the Bruce yelled, in agony.
"I don't know. There's something not told here" Denver said.
"What shall we do?" said a panicked Cybunny.
"I don't want to be strangled to death!" shouted a Lenny.
"I've studied this Usul before. It only shows up at night. Shop in the day, lock your doors at night. And stay in numbers. Until we discover the reason this Bruce was killed, no one is safe" Denver said, getting up, "I want this body inspected, everything she had with her, everything in her neohome, there must be some clue. . ." With that, Denver got up, got onto his bicycle, and rode of into the night. Everyone at the crime scene was silent.
"There's something in her pocket!" the Chia cop exclaimed suddenly. He reached in and pulled out a shard of glass.
"It's a piece of a mirror. . ." he said stunned. Trista had a bad feeling in the gut of her stomach. Just this evening, she had gotten her new card, she had her Christmas shopping all done, she had a great coffee, and now, she was being told that she could die any second now.
"Ashton?" she said. Ashton came back from the trance he was in.
"Yes"
"Take me home. . ."