Author's Note: This is a short story I'm writing while I'm taking a break from "The Chronicles of Elge." Don't worry, those of you who have been reading The Chronicles. I will continue it soon. This is just a side-project for the time being, and as I have said, is only going to be a short story. Nothing too long. Enjoy.

Written by M.J. Siciliano

The Ripper Reborn

"Eight little whores, with no hope of heaven,
Gladstone may save one, then there'll be seven.
Seven little whores beggin for a shilling,
One stays in Henage Court, then there's a killing.
Six little whores, glad to be alive,
One sidles up to Jack, then there are five.
Four and whore rhyme aright,
So do three and me,
I'll set the town alight
Ere there are two.
Two little whores, shivering with fright,
Seek a cosy doorway in the middle of the night.
Jack's knife flashes, then there's but one,
And the last one's the ripest for Jack's idea of fun."

A letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper to the Whitechapel police; no date available.

Prologue

The New York Times, Saturday,July 2,2005

Bizarre Murder Committed On 52nd Street

NEW YORK CITY – The mutilated body of twenty-seven year old Victoria Sweeny was discovered sprawled behind several dumpsters in an alleyway on 52nd street. The landlord of the apartment building right next door discovered the body when he went out on Friday morning to dispose of his trash. He told investigators that he "smelt something awful coming from behind the dumpster" and that he at first paid no attention to it, claiming that "...it was just trash, after all. It's supposed to smell bad." It wasn't until he was going back inside when he noticed a dried-up puddle of blood at the base of the dumpster.

Mr. Mitchell, 42, immediately called the police after he had seen the body. The NYPD rushed over to investigate the scene and the body before taking it away. The body of Ms. Sweeny, who was reportedly a prostitute around Central Park, was found nearly naked with a large cut going across her entire neck, through her Adam's apple. Other minor cuts and bruises littered her body as well, but nothing as severe as the gash upon her neck. It was suggested that the killer had "raped Ms. Sweeny before brutally slitting her throat," the police said. Upon further investigation of the scene, the police found what appeared to be a message written at the very base of the apartment building, where Ms. Sweeny was found. It was very small and almost unnoticeable, and was later discovered to have been written in Ms. Sweeny's very own blood. The message was short but baffling, and simply read, "I'm back."

The police will further investigate this case in hopes of tracking down this killer before – and if – he strikes again.

The New York Times, Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Another Victim, Another Clue

NEW YORK CITY – The body of twenty-five year old Marissa Harbinger was found on the morning of July 5, in Central Park, by a couple who were simply passing through. The Husband, Mr. Dane, 45, told the police, "My wife and I were just out for our usual walk when she noticed something in the bushes. It looked like a red sweater of some sort. And it wasn't until we approached the bushes that a horrible stench came over us, and we noticed what was actually inside." Ms. Harbinger was stripped of all of her clothes except for that red sweater that Mr. Dane and his wife saw, and much like recent victim Victoria Sweeny, Ms. Harbinger had a large cut across her neck with other minor scratches on her body. Police firmly believe that it was the work of the same person.

What's more baffling to the police is that unlike Ms. Sweeny, Ms. Harbinger's mouth was taped shut, and it appears as if she had been bleeding profusely from her vagina. Doctors determined that something sharp had been forcibly inserted into her vagina, and then turned several times before being pulled out. Police Chief Manuel Gonzalez told reporters, "We've established a common theme with this one, and that is he's targeting prostitutes around the Central Park district. As well, he takes pleasure in raping these women before he kills them, much in the same fashion, by slitting their throats. The other cuts and scratches on their bodies appear to have been caused by a struggle between the killer and his victims, but this man, or woman, is obviously stronger than Ms. Sweeny and Ms. Harbinger were."

One last thing left the police baffled even more so. Another message was left at the scene, this time written on what was an old, torn piece of paper, likewise, in Ms. Harbinger's blood. The message read, "Tell Mr. Lusk I said hello."

The New York Times, Friday, July 8, 2005

George Lusk and the "Autumn of Terror"

NEW YORK CITY – After several days of confusion, police Chief Manuel Gonzalez has discovered a small break-through in the Central Park murders. The killer's latest message to the police stated, "Tell Mr. Lusk I said hello." After extensive research into who Mr. Lusk was, Officer Drake Nickolai came across the name. George Lusk was the president of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in 1888 in London, during the time of the Whitechapel killing spree done by the infamous Jack the Ripper. Upon this discovery, police Chief Gonzalez instantly regarded the recent killings of the two prostitutes as "history in the re-making."

He immediately held a press conference to the public, addressing this matter. "We believe that this serial killer has some obsession with the 19th century murderer known only as Jack the Ripper. He kills in the same fashion, and much like Jack the Ripper, is taunting the police with messages and letters. We also have come to the conclusion that this person suffers from schizophrenia, as he believes himself to be the Jack the Ripper, suggested by his first message, which read "I'm back." Myself, along with the rest of the force, wish only for your safety, and that is why we are asking everyone to remain cautious; never go out alone at night during this time. If he is following in Jack the Ripper's footsteps, then it is suspected he will only target prostitutes. But there is no telling what he truly has in mind, which is why we are asking everyone to be on their guard in the next few weeks, at least until we catch this man."

Chief Gonzalez immediately left the scene after he finished speaking, as Officer Nickolai took the podium for questions from the press.