Nashra couldn’t sleep after what happened a day ago. She ordered some of her devoted followers to search for the reptile, but they couldn’t find him. It was like he disappeared, but she knew better. He was there, scheming while she tried to enact the second phase of her plan. There was no evidence on the crime scene, no one could find any suspects that could be tied to the murder, nothing. She couldn’t find anything that could help calm everyone, even if she knew who did it. The best she could do was use the murder to spark further division towards them and the rest of humanity.
Yet outside, she could hear the sounds of fear. A killer was on the loose in their sanctuary. Someone capable of such brutality, they couldn’t be human. Not entirely at least. Nashra could tell people are doubting the safety of Atlantia. She couldn’t blame them, if they knew the true danger of the threat they would naturally leave. But she couldn’t let them leave, not until she got what she wanted.
Jamie walked into her office, and Nashra could tell something was wrong with him. ‘You okay?’
He hesitated to reply; he sighed as he sat down in front of her. Jamie only spoke when he rubbed his teary eyes. ‘It’s screwed up. I don’t know how this even happened, no one knows who could’ve done it. It doesn’t make sense.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He was walking with his wife for the entire time. They only separated when she went to go to the bathroom while he waited outside for her. She was only in there for two to about ten minutes, and when she came out, she found him hanging from the post. Whoever did this knew what they were doing, they knew when to kill him, when to do it at the right time, and how. It’s sick!’
‘What about the SLPD, do they know anything about the murder?’ She asked, the last thing she wanted to deal with was the local department. She knew their presence would only complicate her plans.
Jamie turned to her in delight and shook his head with a prideful grin. ‘No, no one knows outside of this place. I made sure of it. However, for all I know, I think they might have something to do with this. They have to, it only makes sense why they want to ruin our efforts.’
‘It is possible they are involved,’ she lied, feeding into his conspiracy. ‘But regardless if they are or not, we still need to take steps to find the killer. People need justice after what happened, an example that we must stand together and not be divided. So far, the lead is Nathen who came here a day ago. And since he is mysteriously missing, I have a feeling he might be involved in some way.’
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Jamie smiled, confident that they would find someone under her leadership. But that smile died as soon they heard screams coming from the makeshift hospital. Nashra ran to the scene with Jamie right behind her, she knew what happened. At the middle of the day, 50 people were near the hospital, 10 people were inside. Yet the reptile struck again. Nashra hoped someone had caught the reptile in the act, some evidence to justify a swift and deadly punishment, a kill on sight policy that could put more pressure on him and whatever plans he had for her..
The moment she arrived, her hope was shattered. Everyone looked around the crime scene, all confused on what happened, how the next victim was murdered.
On the operating table was a woman with her rib cage ripped out from under them. Chunks of flesh and meat scattered all over the room as it looked like the murder was done by hand. The body was stiff and cold, their heart and lungs dangled from their chest. Nashra noticed the room was also ransacked, like the reptile was searching for something, or gathering ingredients.
‘Find them!’ Nashra ordered, ‘they shouldn’t be far.’ Everyone scattered, trying everything to find any evidence of escape.
Nashra searched the room thoroughly, she looked for footprints but found nothing. She checked the windows to see if he escaped or entered that way, only to find that the windows were welded shut. There was nothing, it was like the reptile used some sort of magical spell to kill his victim without a problem.
‘The chimes!’ She remembered, ‘the reptile used the fucking chimes.’ She looked out of the window that faced towards the forest out in the distance. Behind the shrubs and trees she saw the reptile looking back at her, like he was taunting her. Nashra knew she couldn’t do anything to reach him because he had the advantage. So all she could do was prepare to calm everyone and build her defences while the reptile prepared another attack.
‘Hey, is everything okay?’ Jamie approached her.
Desperate, she needed her flock’s help. She needed to do everything they could to stop that reptile, even if it would mean the reptile would retaliate. ‘I need to gather everyone, I need to talk to our people to prepare to defend ourselves against this fiend. No one is allowed to walk alone, everyone must be prepared to fight if they see the criminal. And everyone should know who the suspect is. If we are to win this day, we need to do everything we can to stop their butchery of our kind.’