"Green represents the dead image of life." - Rudolf Steiner

1

Here lies Damsel number... Well, it doesn't matter who came first or who will come last, as my hand executes judgment upon them. Now I know what you're thinking, what an envious thing, that I could be the one to strip them of breath and all things green.

To take all that the trees offer and give my tribute back in the form of early decomposition. Not my decomposition, but you get the point.

She had forest eyes and they yearned to be returned to where they belonged. Now I'm no monster. I wouldn't do something so heinous and just bury a body. So if you think I will get caught, sorry, wrong story, wrong person, wrong time.

Let me take you back a few hours because, despite my exterior, I am no monster. I was having a good day just like everyone else. I was at my favorite coffee place, the Olive Branch. And that is where I saw her.

Who she is doesn't matter, so we'll call her Damsel. But what she is, does, for her aura, is today's color, green. And as I adorned myself in her wave of sage ecstasy I hadn't noticed the waitress calling my order out.

"Matcha latte, hold the foam! Going once, Going twice."

"Wait!" I exclaimed. Hand reached out to grab onto the last remnants of jade going by. This Damsel was cute, she actually responded to my outburst, but as she turned to see who was yelling for her, I quickly grabbed the matcha from the cashier, threw some cash down, paying no mind to the change that halted to the floor, and rushed into a booth.

Let's not be reckless. I have no way of getting caught, but I will not make it easy, simply for the sport of it all. Police have been searching for me but they are unwise and unwelcome in this game I created. So I refuse to be seen giving them any leeway.

The chime of the door is made, and as she walks off, I proceed to toss my untouched drink in the trash. As I walk out myself, I look down to see a fully rusted penny roll out the door, and an idea creeps with the smile plaguing my face. I now have a method, a gift to the trees, and a way to get my forest green.

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2

"Dispatch said they haven't found a body, just some clues and a bunch of pennies. What does it all mean?" I roll back into my chair and tap my temple in thought.

"Diaz" calls the Lieutenant. "This is the fifth missing girl this month. There doesn't seem to be a matching motive or anything that ties these girls together with the rest."

"And pennies, not even dimes or nickels for these poor women. Cheap bastard."

"That's not funny, Campbell. They have to mean something; everything left behind has to mean something. He is questioning us, telling us to keep up." I sigh.

"Yeah I know, it's just the news won't get off our back and I am getting fed up. Take a look at this photo of pennies lined up in a question mark. Nobody in the forest, how does this Q. guy do it?" Campbell retorts.

Yes. Q. We have no description, no name, no face to paint with this crime, so the public has begun calling him Mr. Q. I don't understand the national high people get on fictionalizing real killers with silly names, but now the police have "Q." to thank for that.

"That's it!" I exclaim, jumping into the air.

"What, have you found our guy?"

"No, but I have a hunch. What do forest and pennies have to do with each other?"

They get green. They age and rust and can provide life and death. I hope I'm on the right track here.

"Green," smiles Campbell. "They are green, what is that stuff on pennies called again?" He asks into his phone.

"Verdigris." I state.

He used verdigris and poisoned that woman. Where can one even find a load of that? "And that doesn't answer where the body is, or the motive," I huff as I slide into my chair again.

Campbell pats me on the shoulder, his face directed towards the door.

"Well as you continue to think I have to speak to a suspect down the hall. Lewis is probably trying to intimidate them, the old bat. Keep me posted on your progress."

"Will do, thanks, Lieutenant." As he winds down the hall, I scribble the color green down on my notepad. I will find you Q. Because you took from me something no one can replace, and that's a promise. Turning to my computer I begin to zone out as the door down the hall opens and a voice in the distance says, "One, I don't have a motive, two I want my phone call, there he was wearing blue, navy blue."