Doomsday Wonderland c1-855

by N. Heller

  She looked up at the night sky revealing her saggy, fair face. That woman was Annie Chapman.

  Lin Sanjiu gasped and looked at the young man instinctively. At that moment, it was obvious that the latter was also puzzled. He stared at the p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e for a long time without turning his eyes away.

  Annie Chapman, in her old faded skirt, shot a glance at them. She turned around and headed in the opposite direction. There wasn't even a single wound on her body. When Lin Sanjiu considered the situation, she couldn't help feeling perplexed. "What's going on?" she whispered.

  "I...I don't know," the young man answered anxiously. She couldn't tell if he was happy. "Does this mean that the two brothers have nothing to do with Jack the Ripper? If… If that's the case, let's continue to follow her…"

  Lin Sanjiu couldn't help feeling a little restless. She looked up and noticed that another person had already approached Annie and was talking to her. The man that approached Annie was holding an umbrella. Hidden in a shadowy corner, they could only see his black silhouette. Annie was whispering to him and suddenly laughed. Then, she wrapped her arms flirtatiously around the man. Next, they disappeared into the street corner.

  "Quick! Let's follow behind them!"

  Jolted, the young man sprinted. Lin Sanjiu rushed over and saw Annie following behind that man, whose face she failed to see, entering a dark alley.

  "That man might be Jack the Ripper!" the young man was so excited that his voice grew sharp. Before Lin Sanjiu said anything, he had already slipped into the alley.

  The alley was dark so they could only use the little light to see the path ahead. The young man was running not far ahead of her but she could barely see him. She could only hear the shuffling sounds as they moved.

  "After everything, we're back to square one," Lin Sanjiu sighed and followed into the alley.

  "Let's forget it," Lin Sanjiu was already feeling a little disheartened. After all, she wasn't really that interested in catching a serial killer from a few centuries ago. "Why don't we go back first?" she asked the young man ahead of her.

  The young man nodded in the darkness. He turned around without saying a word, but he was visibly disappointed once again.

  They didn't see a single lit window on their way back. The drizzle made everything dark and blurry. Stumbling through the dark, their journey back was quite tiring as they had to avoid the watery potholes and paraphernalia in the alley. They couldn't help feeling a sense of relief when they saw the yellow light streaming from the entrance of the alley.

  "Finally, we're almost out of here," Lin Sanjiu ranted, "To be honest, even if I see Jack the Ripper next time, I'm not going to chase him through these alleys—"

  Before she could finish her sentence, she was startled by a sharp shriek which rang out from a distance. This time, before the shriek faded, they heard the footsteps of multiple people. This was followed by various inquisitive inquiries and shouting. Apparently, the shriek had caused quite a commotion.

  Lin Sanjiu ran quickly toward the main road. Quite a crowd had gathered on the main road with street lamps. Their faces were filled with fear. When two men walked passed the alley entrance, she overheard their conversation, "I heard there was another dead body there…"

  In the end, Annie died anyway!

  If Annie was killed the moment she entered the alley, there was enough time for her body to be disposed by the road and be discovered while the young man and she tried to chase after her unknown killer.

  There was light where they were standing now. She could see her own shadow and another long shadow on a pothole in the cobblestone street. The shadows quivered as the rain hit the ground. The shadow of a hat appeared above the man's head.

  But, the young man did not wear a hat...

  Chapter 542 - Meeting Annie Again

  When Lin Sanjiu saw the shadow of the man's hat, she leaned forward and fell into the pothole in front of her. Water splashed everywhere. She twisted her body around and felt a warmth spreading across her back and then pain. Apparently, she had been slashed. Before she even turned her head, she threw a kick behind her. As the man behind her staggered backward, Lin Sanjiu pushed herself up and ran.

  There was a black silhouette standing in the shadows of the alley behind her.

  Wearing a hat and hiding in the shadows made it difficult for anyone to see the man's face. However, when the man thrust his knife down and realized that he missed the woman, he was taken aback. The person gasped once before he finally turned around and rushed back into the darkness behind him. He disappeared in a blink of an eye.

  Lin Sanjiu wanted to chase after him, but she stopped immediately. It was a dark and rainy night so the alley was simply too dark for her to see anything.

  Additionally, her abilities were sealed, and that man had a knife.

  Panting, Lin Sanjiu touched the wound on her back. Thanks to her quick reflexes, the knife only tore her clothes and grazed her skin. Even though it was only a superficial wound, there was a burning sensation as blood seeped from it. Her hand was smeared with blood after she touched the cut.

  Lin Sanjiu stared down the small dark alley, hesitating. She wondered what had happened to the young man. Her assailant was tall and muscular, so he certainly wasn't any of the posthumans with her. She wanted to call for the young man, but she suddenly realized that she had not even asked him for his name. Thus, she didn't even know how to call out to him.

  Lin Sanjiu listened hard. The alley was completely silent. She couldn't hear a single voice, let alone a scream. On the contrary, there were more and more people gathering on the main road behind her. Lin Sanjiu contemplated for a moment before she walked back to the lit main road. She followed the crowd, along with their buzzing conversation, toward the source of the commotion.

  The fine rain fell against the background of the yellow glow from the street lamps. It fell, creating a reflective sheen on the road. People, one after the other, joined the crowd which surrounded the end of the road. There were so many people that a few horse carriages were forced aside. The crowd was like bees in a disturbed hive. They discussed in whispers and jostled each other. Occasionally, there were a few people who turned pale and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

  Exploiting her superior strength, Lin Sanjiu pushed aside the people blocking her path, paying no heed to their complaints and protest. She finally managed to squeeze to the front.

  The police were still on their way so there was no one to keep the crowd in order. However, everyone instinctively kept a significant distance from the dead victim on the ground as if they were all shaken by the horrific murder scene.

  "Quick! Someone has fainted!"

  "Don't let any of your ladies see this."

  Such muffled conversations punctuated the raining soundscape around them.

  Through the black curtain of the night, she could only see a bloodied figure on the ground at first glance. Someone seemed to have thrown some ropes on the victim's body. However, when Lin Sanjiu walked closer and had a better look, she finally saw the scene clearly.

  The woman's skirt was missing, and her legs were wide open. Blood and globular clumps of flesh gushed from the gaping hole that had been dug between the woman's legs. The 'ropes' that were on her body were, in fact, her bloodsoaked intestines which had been pried from her body. Her intestines seemed to go on forever; the multiple loops of intestines rested on her body.

  Even though Lin Sanjiu had witnessed quite a few gruesome scenes, she couldn't help feeling nauseous. She swallowed the bile which had reached her throat, turned around, and walked away from the crowd. She tossed a final glance at the corpse and suddenly froze.

  " That corpse isn't Annie Chapman. Did Annie managed to escape? "

  Lin Sanjiu was momentarily baffled by the situation. She quickly squeezed out of the crowd. She decided to return to the previous dark alley to investigate but she had barely walked when she noticed two familiar faces heading toward her. She stared at them blankl
y— it was the potato brothers.

  "What's wrong? What happened there?" the older brother immediately asked Lin Sanjiu.

  "A p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e died. It must be the same killer."

  The two brothers blinked, they stared back at Lin Sanjiu blankly as if they couldn't understand what she had just said.

  Lin Sanjiu sighed. She didn't want to explain too much so she simply asked, "Did you see the young man that was with us?"

  "We saw him," the younger brother answered as he eyed Lin Sanjiu, "When we heard the commotion and came over, we met him coincidentally. He has been looking for you."

  After getting directions from the brothers, Lin Sanjiu hurried over to look for the young man but couldn't track him at all. When she wanted to turn around to question the potato brothers again, she realized that they had disappeared. More and more people gathered on the main road as the police finally arrived. Sirens screeched and galloping sounds from horse carriages filled the air. Everything seemed chaotic. Lin Sanjiu search for a little while, but she couldn't find anyone. In the end, she walked back to the Dalton brothers apartment.

  While they were chasing Annie Chapman, Lin Sanjiu didn't realize how far they had run until her journey back. As she walked, it seemed very far. When she finally reached the door of the apartment and was about to push open the door, she heard an abrupt voice beside her.

  "Hey!"

  Lin Sanjiu turned her head and realized that it was the coachman living in the adjacent apartment. He peered out with his shining bald head that was decorated with a few wisps of curly hair. His round face was red and ruddy, and he reeked of alcohol.

  "Carlo, why are you sneaking back again?" he shouted before laughing out, "The Daltons just left. Did you see them leaving and returning to steal again?"

  Lin Sanjiu suddenly remembered that she was a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e here.

  The balding coachman seemed very interested in Dalton's financial situation. Asking Lin Sanjiu if she had stolen any money, he also stuck his head into the apartment to take a look. When he brought up the topic that his wife was also prostituting and asked her to introduce them to more business, Lin Sanjiu finally couldn't stand him anymore. She walked into the apartment and slammed the door behind her, leaving the man's voice outside.

  The candles in the living room were not lit, so the room was extremely dark. Lin Sanjiu felt for the candles and found matches in a drawer. She started lighting the candles one after the other.

  Under the candlelight, Lin Sanjiu swept her gaze around the apartment. Confirming that nothing was out of place, she relaxed a little. She really had enough of being surrounded by darkness.

  The sound of rain from outside the window, the occasional 'snapping' sounds from the candle wicks, whispering human voices from who knows where, the smell of damp mold, and the pungent stench from horse urine caused by the rain… Lin Sanjiu didn't know how long she sat on the sofa alone. Resting in this less-than-ideal environment, she sat quietly feeling the exhaustion in her body.

  The person that tried to attack her tonight was probably Jack the Ripper. Annie was supposed to be the third victim, but the third victim changed perhaps due to their intervention. It was recorded that Jack the Ripper killed five people. Right now, there were already three victims. This serial killers simulation seemed to be ending very soon.

  Based on the person's stature, none of the posthumans could possibly be Jack the Ripper. Since the people around her weren't Jack the Ripper, she really didn't need to worry about anything. Since catching the real murderer wasn't one of the requirements to end the simulation, Lin Sanjiu naturally did have much interest. She could just leave the problem to the young man!

  After making that decision, Lin Sanjiu laid back on the sofa and felt that she finally had the opportunity to relax for a bit. After she rested for a while and felt her stress ebbing, she felt a little hungry. When she was in the village, she and her grand prize had eaten such a great variety of food that she got her appetite back. Now, she felt a little unaccustomed to the feeling of not having eaten for quite a while.

  As she thought of this, she looked around and saw the black bread wrapped in paper. It was on the low coffee table. He had eaten half of one loaf and had not touched the other. When Lin Sanjiu leaned over to reach for it, a penny rolled out from her pocket. Clink . The coin rolled under the sofa.

  Lin Sanjiu followed the coin into the dark space under the sofa and suddenly found herself staring at a snow-white face.

  Chapter 543 - 19th Century Journalism

  The pitter-patter of rain continued outside. This night seemed neverending.

  The candle lights wavered against the rainy backdrop. There was a grave silence in the apartment.

  Lin Sanjiu sat on the floor. Her fingers trembled slightly. Her heart palpitated as she stared at the woman in front of her. The low coffee table had been knocked over by Lin Sanjiu after she was startled. After she called out to the woman a few times without a response, she finally dragged the sofa aside revealing the pale-faced woman.

  Annie Chapman's face was still covered with a thick layer of make-up. Her crimson red lips were slightly parted. Her eyes bulged from her eye sockets as if they were about to pop out.

  She didn't look any different from before except for the deep purple bruises around her neck. As her bruises had already begun to swell, Lin Sanjiu had to scrutinize them to see the two handprints around the woman's neck. The corner of Anne's skirt was still wet due to the rain and she was missing a shoe. The toenails on her wrinkled barefoot were covered in mud.

  Lin Sanjiu couldn't help drawing a quick breath before she averted her gaze. When she looked at Anne again, she saw the woman's statuesque face, frozen by death, staring blankly back at her.

  "How did Annie die? Why is her corpse right here at Dalton's house?"

  Lin Sanjiu stared at the female corpse on the floor. She was befuddled. Just when she was at a loss for what to do, she heard the door unlock. Someone entered the apartment.

  "So, you're back," the young man said harshly. As he spoke, he approached Lin Sanjiu until he suddenly noticed the female corpse on the floor. His expression instantly changed. He staggered back and knocked over the coatstand by the door. Voice quivering, the young man pointed at the corpse and asked, "What… what's that?"

  "I didn't kill her!" Lin Sanjiu retorted hurriedly, "I just came back and found her under the sofa."

  "Under the s-sofa?"

  The young man froze. At that moment, a bewildered expression crept across his face. It was almost as if three words he repeated were a huge mystery to him.

  "Yes," Lin Sanjiu stared hard at the young man. "Only the four of us have been in this place—"

  "I didn't do it!" the young man yelled suddenly. It startled Lin Sanjiu. The anger he showed while he was at the front door gradually returned. His veins on his forehead bulged, "Why would I waste my time to do this! I… I…"

  The explanation of his extremely odd behavior soon revealed itself. The young man kicked the coatstand on the floor. Along with a thud from his kick, he grumbled furiously, "I can't believe I missed Jack the Ripper!"

  Lin Sanjiu immediately read the situation.

  The young man cursed quietly under his breath while he glanced occasionally at Annie. It took quite a while before he could calm himself down. Then, he began muttering something under his breath.

  "There are a few horse carriages next to the corpse," Lin Sanjiu had no idea if he was talking to himself or if he was talking to her, "Yes, yes, yes… that's right, this is it. Before coming in, I kept thinking that Jack the Ripper is a coachman. The body we found on the road must have died a long time ago; the woman wasn't killed tonight. This is the same as what I have thought. After he killed his target, he kept the corpse in his coach so that he could move the body without anybody noticing. Besides, coachmen are usually bigger, and they are pretty strong…"

  Without giving Lin Sanjiu a chance to talk, he grabbed the raincoat on the floor and turned o
ut of the door.

  "Hey, where are you going?" yelled Lin Sanjiu as she followed after the young man.

  But the young man paid no heed to her call. He kept striding forward. Just when Lin Sanjiu was going to go after the young man, the potato brothers returned. They pushed the gate opened and hurried inside.

  The two duos met each other midway, and they stopped. The rain was getting heavier. The raindrops were so big that they stung their eyes. Wiping his face with his hand, the younger brother stared blankly at the duo and asked, "What are you two doing out here?"

  "Nothing," the young man replied solemnly. He walked around them towards the gate.

  "Are you going after the murderer?" The elder brother asked.

  "Yeah,"

  Lin Sanjiu was momentarily stunned, then the scale dropped in her eyes. Since Jack the Ripper failed to kill her, it was natural for him to search for his next target. She walked closer to the young man and realized that the young man was blue around the gills. It was apparent that he couldn't believe that he missed Jack the Ripper again.

  "The woman is dead," the younger brother continued after stealing a glance at the young man, "The murderer stabbed her before running away. Maybe he did not want anybody who has seen his face to live to tell the story."

  In other words, five people had died!

  The moment the thought surfaced in her mind, Lin Sanjiu couldn't help sighing. She had long been confused by the game, and she wanted nothing more than to leave this simulation as soon as possible. However, she seemed like the only one amongst the group who was relieved. The elder brother cursed aloud out of frustration, while the young man's expression was as gloomy as the cloudy sky above the city.

  "Let's go in and wait until the game has ended," the younger brother sighed. He walked towards the house, sounding a little unconvinced, "But I have to say that the murderer is fast."