Nethania

Chapter 23: Vile Acupuncturist

AUSTIN

LOOKING at the dead girl's body reminded me of previous murders that have happened on these past few days. The six coffins of dead students were not yet buried six feet below the ground and this girl wanted to follow them to their destination.

I was standing at the corner, watching the crowd silently before me. The campus police arrived and some of the Student Council officers tried to make people disappear from the place. I saw Avia's clique and they were walking away from the scene.

I thought this was the end of killings, but I was wrong. I guess the game was just getting started and we have to face every occurrence that may come our way. I've been discharged from the clinic, not because they wanted me, but because I myself insisted on going back to our dorm. My wound still hurts, but I could manage to walk and move anyway.

I got so curious about this case. The girl was murdered inside the restroom, and if we consider the suspect, it would be most likely a woman, as only a woman could enter a ladies' restroom. But if the killer is either a she or a he and he wanted to kill someone then he would kill in whatever manner and wherever he likes.

Yet I'm convinced that the killer is a she.

I simply held my chin up and looked for any cameras. I found one and it faced the hallway heading to the restroom. I squinted my eyes when I saw something strange. I stepped my foot forward while looking intently at it. As I got nearer, I saw a strange thing was getting clear in my sight.

What is that? I asked myself. Why was there a white sticky thing that was spread all over the camera lens?

I quickly turned my body and rushed to the spot where the officials were standing and investigating the scene.

I stood behind Alexandra and sighed before I touched her shoulder.

"Uhm... Can I talk with you?" I asked when she turned to me. She was just standing and observing the officers and every now and then, she was giving orders to her constituents.

She raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah, sure. What's it all about?" she asked.

"I saw something strange at the camera," I began, pointing my finger where the camera was attached. "There's a white sticky thing that was glued on its lens. I don't know what it is. Can you take a look?"

She widened her eyes. "What? Okay, let's see it."

We began walking toward the post where the camera was cohered. We swerved the students who were strolling around the area. We reached the post and we both looked up. She squeezed her eyes to scrutinize the sight above her. "Freak! What's that?" she asked while pointing her finger at it and staring at me. I shrugged my shoulders and looked up again.

"Wait, I'll call Officer Suarez," she muttured and skedaddled the spot.

I inserted my hand into my pocket. That was a part of the killer's tactics. Of course, she didn't want the camera to witness what she was about to do, so she put something on it. What thing could it be? A glue? A wet tissue paper? No, it was easy to dry off. A paint? Alternatively, wet mashed white paper.

"Officer, we have seen something on the camera. Can you check it?"

"Of course."

I turned my head behind me when I heard Alex's voice. She was with Officer Suarez. He was holding his clipboard while spinning a pen in his hands.

"Good morning, Officer," I smiled and said as they approached me.

He eyed me. "A pleasant morning, Austin. I'm sorry for your friend," he responded.

I just nodded to him.

"Where is it?" he asked, eyeing the two of us.

"There," Alex said, pointing her finger at the camera, and we all stared at it. "Austin saw it and told me about it."

He wandered his eyes around and grabbed a chair resting in the corner and positioned it beside the post. He gave his clipboard and pen to Alex and he stepped on the chair and pulled his body up. He began to examine the thing on the camera. He took out a pair of plastic gloves from his pocket and put them on. He took a pint-size specimen of it and scrutinized it.

I cringed when he sniffed it. Good thing he didn't taste it. We didn't know if there was a poison mixed in it or what kind of thing was that.

He stepped down and looked at us, presenting the pint-size specimen he got from the camera. "A thick amount of mashed marshmallow was adhered to the camera to cover the lens. And I am sure that the killer did this to prevent the camera from recording the whole event," he explained, taking off his plastic gloves.

We nodded and Alex handed back the clipboard to Officer Suarez.

I was correct to deduce that the killer used it to restrain the camera from recording the incident, but I wasn't expecting that she would use a marshmallow.

"Clear now," Alexandra commented, "This will be added to the investigation."

Officer Suarez nodded. "Yes and thank you Austin for telling us about this," he said.

I smiled. "Glad to help, Officer. I'll get going now," I said and turned my back to them. At least I helped them with the investigation of this case. But another thing that was bothering me was the message that the killer left in the bathroom.

I'll do what you did to me. What's that? Will she do what we did to her? Was that the meaning? Or she meant something else? The real question is, what did we do to her that she should return to us? We didn't even know her. By name, yes, but we didn't know her personally.

I walked cautiously along the hallway with the other students, avoiding making a bump with them or tripping over something that would make me stumble down. The doctor firmly advised that I should watch my every move to avoid unnecessary damage. I needed to watch my movements and I needed to be more careful since I have a pretty huge wound in my abdomen. It hurts sometimes when pressure is applied.

I looked ahead and observed my surroundings. Students were pacing back and forth. The classrooms were getting filled with people who were eager to learn something. I must go to our classroom now.

"Austin!" A masculine voice reached my ears. I spun around and faced the guy who called me.He was sprinting toward me.

I smiled at him. "What?" I asked.

He halted and held his chest. He panted and breathed deeply. "We visited you in the clinic and the receptionist said you were discharged."

I sighed. "Yeah, sorry for not informing you. I went directly to the dorm and attended the program."

His breathing went back to normal and pinched his nose. "We've been looking for you, yet you're just here. Where are you from?"

"From the crime scene," I jerked my thumb right behind me. "Looking for some juicy hints that may lead to the killer's identity."

He sighed and pointed me out. "What I told you before: don't interfere with cases which you're not involved."

"Okay, okay," I surrendered.

"Let's go, we still have our first subject class with Miss Jane."

We walked together on the pavement and reached the main building. Nico offered himself to hold my bag while climbing up the stairs, since my wound hurts when my body moves continuously with great force, espeally when exerting a huge effort such as climbing the stairs. I may be weak this time, but this won't last long.

I placed my hand on the railing and leaned against it when I felt a sudden stinging pain in my abdomen. I bit my lower lip and slightly bent my body to adjust to the pain I was feeling right now.

"Are you gonna make it? We'll stop right here for you to rest," Nico asked, bowing his head to see my face.

I looked at him. He was creasing his forehead and I saw worry in his eyes. "No, the classroom is just a few steps away from our spot."

"Okay, but make sure you're feeling alright before walking again."

I let five minutes pass and then the pain I felt lessened. I stood up straight and began stepping my feet down the hallway. Little by little, I could make it.

Nico turned the doorknob and opened the door for us. The classroom went silent and all eyes twitched and nailed at us. The element of surprise was visible in their faces, and some of them, their eyes widened and their mouths were gaping.

I walked toward my seat and sat on it. Nico gave me my bag and he settled into his chair beside me too. I looked where Avia was sitting and our stares met. She raised her eyebrow like she was telling me 'where the crap did I go?'. I just smiled and averted my gaze away from her.

Miss Jane entered and began her lesson discussion. She once had a viral video containing her s****l affair with her student who was much younger than her. Lucky her, due to scarce evidence and it being proved that the video was photoshopped, her case was dismissed and she continued her teaching career. Others view her as a pity lady who has been wrongly accused of something horrible, but I believe she was doing something terrible hidden in plain sight.

How can I say? Because I knew her. She was my father's secretary before and my mother got her fired for you know why.

Our class ended and the next subject followed. After one hour of listening and taking down notes, I felt tired and hungry. Our teacher left the classroom after giving us a bunch of assignments.

I heard thumping heels toward my location. "Where have you been?" Avia asked, sitting beside me.

I looked at her. "I've been to the crime scene—"

"Why didn't you tell us that you had been discharged from the clinic?" She blatted out. "We could have helped you move out and brought you to your dorm safely."

I chuckled and looked away. "Thanks for thinking about me, but I can manage myself. I don't want to bother you anymore."

She sighed. "Don't ever do that again."

"Okay."

She stood and left me. Our last two subjects ended and we had our lunch together. That was a tough morning, actually. We had a funeral program, and another murder followed, and I hoped that this day would end without any harm being executed.

We went back to our classroom after our lunch and our first afternoon subject began. Another hour of listening and taking down notes and it was comforting to know that our second afternoon subject was vacant so we could enjoy some free time for ourselves.

We'd been settling into our chairs since it was our vacant time, and we were tired of going around the campus when Alexandra stood in front of us with a worried look, lips curved downwards, and eyes gleaming with anxiety.

"Did you see Nathalie?" she inquired, looking at us one by one while interlacing her fingers in front of her.

All our eyes stared at her and some of us began whispering to their seatmates and shook their heads as their responses.

I nodded too. "No, why?" I asked.

She glanced at me. "She's been out for one hour and a half and until now she hasn't come back," she replied, and went in my direction.

I closed my notebook and adjusted my sitting position. "Maybe she went somewhere and settled something," I opinionated.

"No." She shook her head. "She would have told me where she was going."

"Maybe she forgot to tell you about it." We glanced at Vino, who shared his own thoughts.

It had been an hour and a half after she went out, and she hadn't come back. An hour and a half, of course, was a long time for someone who was waiting for her friend to come back.

"What did she tell you before leaving?" Avia asked, joining our conversation while sitting on a chair beside Vino.

Alex sighed. "She received a text message after we had lunch and then she left me straightway without giving me a clue where she was going," she informed, eyeing us one by one.

"That's weird," I commented, "I wondered what her text message says."

Yeah, that was quite intriguing.

"Does she have a boyfriend?" I asked.

"No," she answered.

"Then try calling her number," I suggested.

She took out her phone and began tapping the screen. "Okay, I'll call her."

We went silent and were just staring at her, waiting for an answer from Nathalie. After a few seconds, she just put down her phone and clicked her tongue, tapping it with annoyance.

"Where is she?" Avia asked?

She pocketed her phone and looked at us. "She didn't answer but she just texted me."

"The location?" I asked.

That's weird. She didn't answer the call but she just texted her? What was that? Was there something wrong?

"Yes," she answered.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's in the abandoned room," Alex replied, eyeing us one by one, and her brows began to knit.

"No way!" Avai exclaimed, pulling our attention to her. She stood up from her chair and her eyes screamed how disturbed she was when she heard what Alex said.

"Okay, I'll fetch her there," Alexandra said, leaving us behind as she rushed to the door.

I looked at Avia and I felt something was off with her.

"What's bothering you?" I asked.

She looked at me and sat again on the chair. "I don't know," she said, shrugging. "When I heard about the abandoned room, my creeps began crawling all over my body. You know how that place gave me chills and creeps."

"Yeah, I know that place gave you a huge chunk of chills, but—"

I stopped talking when my phone vibrated. I inserted my hand into my pocket and took it out. I saw Alexandra's name on it and quickly tapped the answer icon. I put the call on speaker mode.

[Guys! What the freak I discovered!]

"What is it?" I asked. The classroom went silent and all our classmates' attention was focused on us.

[Nathalie was found laying on the floor, bloody and horribly murdered!]

"What?" I gasped. Our classmates began mumbling and gathered closer to us. "Can you take a picture of her and send it to the group chat?"

[Of course, simply wait.]

"Open our group chat, guys," Vino commanded.

I opened my group chat and saw a bunch of Nathalie's photos. She was bloody on the floor and a red satin curtain was around her neck tightly. She probably was choked to death. Her whole body was filled with barbeque sticks that punctured her skin deeply. Blood was still flowing out of it and, if I would estimate, there were approximately a hundred pointy barbeque sticks all over her body. Her face, arms, legs and torso didn't escape from the bloody piercing of the sticks.

Some of my classmates screamed and others cried. I saw Hilary going out with Avia.

[Take a look at what I discovered on her phone screen.]

Alex sent a photo of Nathalie's phone screen and there were words written on it.

"The chapter of her life ended and yours might end soon."

Oh, crap, that gave me a bunch of creeps.