College Curse Murder

by Candy O'Donnell

  “You know they found her body in the pond, right?” Sandy grimaced.

  “Yes, the police informed me a few hours ago, and my mother is absolutely beside herself.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about everything concerning your sister.”

  “Thanks, you know, bad people exist everywhere, and I know Patsy would have wanted me to help those less fortunate than me. That’s what I’m doing.” She sounded sad, in a way.

  “Are you okay?” Sandy asked.

  “Yes, I’m just wondering what you wanted.” Patty’s voice was wavering.

  “Who would you point the finger at? Hubert or Samuel?”

  “That’s a tough question. Hubert was creepy as heck. He had a way of making your skin crawl, and Samuel was quiet and watched you from the shadows.”

  “Did Patsy tell you this?” Sandy asked.

  “Yes, she didn’t like either one. Both creeped her out. Around Halloween of every year someone goes missing so please be careful and tell all the girls there to be extra careful. That park should be shut down. That’s where the curse began. It’s a scary place at night, especially now.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about the curse, Patty.”

  “Take it seriously. If you have never had anyone go missing, then you need to be extra careful.” Patty pressed Sandy.

  “I lost my sister too, Patty. It wasn’t that long ago.”

  “I’m terribly sorry to hear that, Sandy. Have they found her yet or do the police have any leads?”

  “No, nothing yet. We are definitely taking precautions here at the college.” Sandy felt like the conversation wasn’t going anywhere fast. She thanked Patty for her time and hung up.

  “What do you think?” Rena crossed her legs at the ankles.

  “I’m not sure. Patty doesn’t have much information about why Patsy went missing. The two men in question might be the killer. We need to delve deeper I think.”

  “Let this go, Sandy. Please let all this go.” She yawned and stood up. “I need a nap before we hit the library. Get some rest too.” Rena was out the door as it shut behind her.

  “I’m not so sure I can, Rena.” Sandy continued to ponder what else she could glean out of the situation. When nothing came to her an hour later, she rested her head and fell asleep.

  Chapter Six

  Sandy raced over the dirt early the next morning through the park. A few runners were already out tempting fate with the weather and the still damp ground beneath their feet. Treetops swayed with the swift breeze that swooped through their branches causing odd noises to occur over Sandy’s head. It was just the wind, she breathed to herself.

  With school, homework, and the ancient murders behind her, Sandy kept her mind focused on her run and how fast she was moving. Arms swung by her side, and her feet slammed against the dirt with exact timing. It was not a typical day for her, and with impending weather rolling in, Sandy wished to keep going until what rain those clouds held would hold out until she was finished with her run.

  Without advanced notice, three runners ran past laughing. Their loud tones clapped Sandy’s ears. These three guys were on the college running team, and she knew them by name. They utilized the park daily for their workouts, and when they spotted Sandy, they waved and called her by name. She returned the wave and kept going.

  One of the guys warned her, “Be careful, Sandy. There’s a storm brewing overhead.”

  With her careful observation, she took note of what he said and waved once again at them. Without a desire to run and keep her body in shape, Sandy usually found herself feeling out of sorts and without the will to exercise. After a head shake and a smile, her legs kept moving her forward under cover of low hanging tree branches now dipping due to heavy moisture.

  Sandy wasn’t without precautions. Her innate knowledge of the park and her surroundings never went unchecked. Every corner, every rock, and every curve embedded in her mind where she never forgot what she had seen before and when Sandy entered the area. Sandy hesitated and slowed her pace when she rounded the bend. No one was observed, and no one was heard when the rain came streaming down around her.

  After a few moments, her hands pulled the hood over her head, and her eyes were rubbed numerous times, she decided to turn around and head back to the college when she saw movement not far from where she was located on the trail. It wasn’t something she was used to, and when a growl came at her, Sandy jogged along the path in the original direction she was heading. Whatever it was it was tracing after her.

  Before Sandy could do anything, a gunshot rang out, and whatever the wild animal was, it deserted its impending prey. Sandy looked up to see an elderly man holding a shotgun in one hand and a frown written on his face. “It’s okay, he yelled. The bear is gone!”

  “What…” she stammered over her word. “It was a bear behind me.” Sandy almost ran into Robert Fry when he grasped her arm and held loosely.

  “My grandfather has been tracking it for a time now, Sandy. Luckily, he was here to stop it before it attacked you.” His eyes were shielded by his own hood.

  “Thank you, sir.” She glanced from one male to the other. “I could have been eaten.” Sandy didn’t wish to think about what else could have happened to her.

  “Yep.” The older man took his gun and wheeled from her. His back was all she saw when he disappeared through the trees.

  “Grandpa doesn’t like outsiders in his forest. It’s really just a park now, but back in his day, it was a huge forest. He used to tell me stories about bears, deer, and raccoons in the area. They were in abundance, and that’s what they ate for dinner daily.”

  “That’s pretty incredible, I’d say. Your grandpa knew a lot of people around here then.” Sandy pressed for answers.

  “Not everyone. People stay clear of him because he carries his shotgun with him. The police never bother him because it’s for protection and nothing else. He has actually helped some folks take down bears before they have a chance to eat their kids or pets.” Robert shook his head. “He’s a good man, Sandy.”

  “I can tell.” She craned her neck to watch the area the old man vanished into.

  “He won’t be back. The good deed is done, and now he will track it back to the forest over there.” Robert pointed at the more substantial part of the forest not far from where they were.

  “I heard it’s protected now and no one can build on it.” Sandy nodded and looked up when rain fell harder. Every leaf sang with the sound of rain toppling off it.

  “Yeah, pops purchased it. A conservatory now takes care of it. It’s all about protecting the critters, grandpa says.” Robert smiled. “I hope someday my kids will see the good things in it.”

  “Tell him I said thanks for saving my life, Robert.” Sandy grinned.

  “I will. Pops is not one to brag or anything. Grandpa just wants people to see the natural beauty the forest holds. Not many folks see that. I do now that he pointed it out.” He went to turn and leave.

  Sandy watched him go. She was left with the pounding rain all around her. It was magnificent to hear and see when she started back down the trail to the college. Along the way, she embraced the sights and sounds of the small forest Robert’s grandpa so cherished. Sandy caught a glimpse of what once was and what still is. “Progress is not what it’s cracked up to be.” She whispered to herself.

  A distant voice whispered back, “Yep.”

  “Grandpa Fry!” She hollered. Nothing came to her in return. Sandy felt it might have been him though.

  After an hour or so of wandering along the now soaked path she was running on, Sandy saw the dorm building of the college come into view. It was a pleasant sight and a sad one. It meant her time within the trees had come to an end.

  ~~~

  Sandy sat before her board and stared down at it with sullen eyes. After curling her legs beneath her and glaring at it one last time, her phone chirped. Her eyes caught sight of Ralph’s message.

  Hey, Sandy. We are investigating
someone who might be the culprit in the killings of the young girls. He might just be our guy.

  She texted back. Who might that be?

  Samuel. He was there back then, and we believe his previous activities have to lead us to him.

  Sandy didn’t tell him Samuel wasn’t on her list. That would be interfering. She stayed out of it, for now. Instead, she texted him back and gave him a nod of inspiration. Whoever the killer was, it wasn’t Samuel, according to Sandy.

  “Sandy,” Rena knocked on her bedroom door. “Can we talk?”

  “Sure.” Sandy went to her door and opened it for Rena. “What’s up?”

  “I’m not sure how to tell you this.” Rena twisted her hands around one another. Her eyes refused to look at her best friend.

  “Okay, what are you not telling me, Rena?” Sandy rolled onto her butt. “What’s going on, Rena?”

  “Your mother called me just now. She’s so worried about you and those bodies that were found in the pond. I think your mom wants you to go home and attend school nearby.” She was about to release tears when Sandy lifted a hand before her.

  “Not a chance. I’m not going anywhere, Rena. I’m staying right here with you. Wild animals cannot drag me away.” Sandy was on her feet and sitting near Rena on the bed. “It’s going to be okay.” Sandy never mentioned the bear from earlier.

  “Are you sure. It doesn’t feel like it.” Rena’s eyes looked up at her like a lost dog.

  “I’m sure. Let’s hit the library tonight so we can get some studying in.” She hugged her friend and smiled at her. “You worry too much.”

  “I know. I get it from my mother. She worries about those animals at the clinic, she worries about me, and she definitely worries about you too.”

  “Are they talking again?”

  “Yeah, I think so. My mother mentioned how she had a long, drawn-out conversation with your mom last night.” Rena winced with lips pulled back.

  “Great.”

  “They’re at it again, Sandy. Our moms are tight as rain, and you know that.”

  “We’ve known this ever since we were kids, Rena. My mom will bring up a problem and worry your mother to death, then they will switch the following week.”

  Sandy nodded. “I remember.” She immediately changed her thought pattern, and Rena noticed too.

  “What are you thinking now?”

  “Rena, remember when Ralph and others talked about the college curse?”

  “No, no, Sandy, we are not discussing this whatsoever.” Rena was on her feet pacing the room like a caged animal. “I hate all this Halloween stuff.”

  “Every year a girl goes missing and winds up in that pond. I think we could catch someone in the act and show the police who that person is. We could be bait.” Sandy grinned slyly.

  “That’s a bad idea, Sandy. Please don’t.” Rena stopped walking, lifted her chin and looked at her best friend.

  Sandy bobbed her head up, then down. “You’re right. It’s a horrible idea. I could get hurt or even killed. Good advice on your part and I’ll stay out of this.”

  “Good, let’s head to the library and get some studying done. I have another test to take tomorrow.” Rena exhaled and twisted from Sandy. “I’m tired of tests, Sandy.” Rena dropped her head and pouted.

  “Tests are a part of life, Rena. We have no choice but to take them to achieve the next level.” Sandy actually surprised herself with her words.

  “You’re right. You are absolutely right. That course in psychology has upgraded your vocabulary and your thought processes. I’m so proud of you, Sandy.” Rena threw her arms around her friend then scampered from the room.

  Sandy quickly grabbed her book bag and hurried after her friend as they headed to the library. A light rain began to fall over their heads when a shadow traced after them from building to building.

  Chapter Seven

  Sandy entered the police station with hope filling her mind. Ralph texted her that morning and asked her to come in and speak with him. She was about to go for an early morning run before her classes when he informed her that he had information about who the other girl might be.

  Ralph greeted her in the front lobby and walked with her back to his office in silence. Other officers around them held stoic expressions as a quiet filled every hall and office they passed by. Sandy thought it was odd when she entered his office and saw her mother, Agatha was there with a Kleenex held tight in one hand. Her head raised and she looked up at her daughter when they entered the office.

  Sandy watched Ralph close the door behind them and move around to his desk where he sat down and pushed a couple of clear plastic bags to Sandy. After lifting a plastic bag up and inspecting the contents within, Sandy recognized the silver bracelet with the purple unicorn charm hanging from it.

  “What’s this? It looks like Monika’s bracelet.” Sandy glanced at her mother, then back at Ralph.

  “It’s Monika’s jewelry, Sandy. We believe it might be Monika who was in that pond.” Agatha wiped her nose with tears streaming down her face.

  “What? Monika never attended this college, mom. She was miles from here.” Sandy picked up the other bag and felt her heart hit the floor. It was definitely Monika’s necklace. It had the word Sisters on it. Breathing became difficult, and after her lungs fill with sorrow, Sandy couldn’t sit still. She moved her legs beneath her, and her eyes couldn’t stay focused on either person there.

  “I asked you here to let you know that after finding these objects it doesn’t mean she’s not alive.” Ralph wanted to encourage them.

  “No, my oldest daughter is gone. I felt it soon after she went missing.” Agatha was holding back a floodgate of tears.

  Sandy dropped the bag onto the desk, stood, and fled the office after flinging the door open. She jogged back to the front of the police station and out the door where she began to run faster toward the park. After entering the treed park and racing over the trails, Sandy’s head didn’t feel as heavy after finding out her sister was gone, and her body might be among the dead found in that pond. When Sandy arrived at the waters of the dead, sorrow floated up within and poured out. That was when she verbally screamed at the murky waters and continued to run through the park.

  She headed up a different trail this time. Without the thought of where she was going or who might be around, Sandy was on a mission to dismiss what she engulfed back at the station. All she wanted to do was relieve herself of this pain and misery she now felt.

  After a mile or so her feet slowed down to a slow jog. With lungs that felt as if they were about to burst with grief, Sandy stopped and held both hands on her knees as something unrecognizable escaped her lips. It was crying and bellowing that fell out of her. This was not supposed to be. Monika wasn’t supposed to be a victim like this. She was supposed to live her life without ever knowing what it was like to be murdered.

  Sandy cried outward and found herself alone in the woods with an inner stabbing she couldn’t get away from. It followed her no matter if she ran up one trail or down the other. That despair only ascended to agony and more distress the more Sandy fought against it. Her suffering was not going to leave her anytime soon as she willed her legs to move faster beneath her. Her only hope was to run as far as she could away from it.

  After a few minutes, Sandy had the misfortune of running past another jogger wearing black leather gloves who noticed her melancholy and who heard her wretched gloom towering through the treetops. With a grin, this hunter turned around and carried his body after her. When Sandy wasn’t paying attention to who was tracing after her, this unknown assailant grabbed her from behind and placed a yellow cloth over her mouth as he dragged her into the tall trees of the park.

  ~~~

  Tunnel vision was what Sandy had when she roused from her slumber. After rotating her still groggy eyes around her vicinity and seeing four solid brick walls, Sandy’s suffering was only beginning. A dread was fed into her entire body, and there was nothing she could
do to help her situation after discovering her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were bound together with rope.

  Sandy closed her eyes and listened for any familiar sounds that might penetrate her ears. Nothing recognizable came to her. She established the difficulty she was in. Sandy realized there was no way out and after mulling over the fact that this might have been the way her sister met her demise, she attempted a scream which came out all wrong.

  When she heard heavy footfalls coming closer to where she was locked in this small room, Sandy closed her eyes and wanted to be somewhere else. The steps halted before her after the heavy door was opened then closed. This person cleared their throat, but no words came out. Sandy thought the person actually whispered words she didn’t quite understand.

  The scent of motor oil and lilac came to her nostrils, and she inhaled unknowingly that the stranger was watching her. When she opened her eyes and saw a person standing there wearing a Halloween mask, she held her breath when their light blue eyes gazed down her face. She knew those eyes. She knew who this man was. What she didn’t know was who was walking toward her as she lay on the cold, hard cement flooring.

  “What should we do with her?” A masculine voice questioned.

  Sandy held her teeth together and listened intently to the voice. It was not someone she had heard before. When she looked up at the man with the unknown voice approaching, she knew immediately who he was. It was Hubert. The man she thought was behind the murders so long ago. But why was the blue-eyed man here with him? Were they working together?

  “Yes, Sandy, you know who I am.” Samuel removed his Halloween mask that represented Jason from Friday the 13th. “I’m sorry to say that you will be our next sacrifice tonight. You are it, honey. You are going to be the last.”

  “You killed my sister long ago.” Sandy spat. Tears of pain raced down her face and onto the floor where they gathered together.

  “I’m not sure who that might be. There have been so many.” The other man took his mask off as well. Hubert glanced sideways at Sandy, then back at Samuel. “I suppose your sister might have gotten herself caught up in all this.”