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MillionNovel > Poetic ways to slaughter > A painting of a corpse

A painting of a corpse

    Artemis was alone.


    That''s what he convinced himself, what he couldn''t convince was the aching paranoia that gnawed at every fibre of his being. A sleepless night seemed to be on his agenda.


    As the morning sun came up, Artemis couldn''t help but laugh at the reality of the situation. He was scared of utterly nothing. A nothing that meant everything to him. Nothing so nonexistent that it terrified him.


    Rubbing his tired eyes, he collected all the energy he had to his work, his face stone cold whilst he wouldn''t show the obvious fear that had enveloped and taken hold of him. His being scared wouldn''t help the case and surely wouldn''t stop the killer.


    With his nerves on edge and face carved into a perfect image of a blank slate, a painting waiting for its colour, he got himself prepared for work.


    ~???~


    “I feel so bad for her children,” Juliette started, hoping to break that dreaded silence that constantly washed over them.


    Currently, the three of them had entered the interrogation room, Zahra wearing a dark turtle neck alongside long, deep red trousers almost as if mourning. Juliette kept her colours as bright as she could, her hair tied back with a pink clip, a white blazer and cream trousers accompanied by pink heels. Artemis kept his outfit plain, the same as normal, only the colours changed from deep brown to a dark navy, the only pop of light came from his natural, radiant, hazel eyes. It was almost as if he defied nature, covering himself in a mask of darkness.


    “This is sick asking them to relive their trauma,” Zahra gagged on her guilt, choking on it as it was forced down her throat. Juliette nodded in agreement, drifting around the room as a means to distract herself.


    “I do believe this choice isn''t the best, but in this case, it is deemed essential. I feel it to be unnecessary to cause anyone else such pain due to this… mass murderer, if we can gain some useful information, we could stop the spread of such an abhorrent emotion due to a man out of his wits,” Artemis methodically clarified. His voice cracked ever so slightly, yet he managed to cover it up with his own steps pacing around the room.


    They all suddenly turned to the sound of another pair of footsteps, loud and harsh, contradicting the soft clicking of Juliette''s heels and the taps of Artemis'' shoes.


    “The victim''s kids are ready for you, all in separate rooms. I would be gentle,” a jagged voice of an officer filled the empty air, his appearance scruffy but obviously empathetic to the situation at hand.


    “Right, thanks officer,” Juliette turned around to where Zahra and Artemis now stood side by side, oddly still, “Should we all take one each or should we go one at a time together?“


    “For the sake of time and my sanity, we should all take one,” Zahra sounded exhausted, an aged sapphire.


    Artemis nodded listlessly, picking up what was left of all their saneness, they stepped towards the doors containing one of each of the 3 children, the only legacy Carmilla Jackson had left behind after her unfortunate demise.


    ~???~


    “Hello, my name is Zahra, what''s your name?“ She started with the basics, a cool, bleeding shiver ran up her spine as the girl in front of her looked up, eyes red from crying, blonde hair dishevelled with her mascara running carelessly down her full, doughy cheeks. She sat down in front of her, the squeak vibrated around the stoic, lethargic room.


    “Don''t you have that in your file already?“ The girl tried to add some humour to the already awful conversation, death was never meant to be heartening.


    “That is true, but you might prefer being referred to by another name, best not to assume,” Zahra beamed at her, earning back a fragile smile her way.


    “My name is Adelaide Jackson, I am also 18, so I''d rather you wouldn''t treat me as a child,” Zahra felt her back straighten, jumping in surprise at how quickly Adelaide had picked the pieces up to her soul and identity, however her confidence wasn''t unwelcome.


    “Well, Adelaide, could you possibly answer some questions linking to your mother''s murder? This conversation is being recorded but you have no reason to be forced into answering anyone if you feel you can''t.“


    A sniffle came from Adelaide as she wiped away the remaining tear, more threatening to fall to hear her mother''s name be said in a categorical sense, just another death to them, just another name, “I''ll try my best.“ Although, Adelaide knew there was practically nothing she said would help in the case.


    ~???~


    Soft clicking heels filled the room, a room already suffocated in heaves, sobs and wretches as a girl, no older than 16, tries and fails to function. Juliette''s eyebrows furrowed, her own eyes swelling at the nauseous sight. No dead body could make her blood run as bitter as raw, unadulterated human agony.


    Looking at the utter misery the girl was in made Juliette feel unable to truly comprehend that she had felt more torture than this sweet, innocent victim. One that laid her emotions on the stone, smokey grey table right in front of her.


    “Hello, my name is Juliette I have some questions for you.“ The tone felt more like a question within itself than a statement, she sat down in front of her, tentatively.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    “I just,” another heave, hiccup and a long, shaky breath, the girl fanned her face with her hands, “I just- can''t- won''t - I, oh god, I-” another anguished sob escaped her lips, unable to catch her breath again.


    “Hey, you don''t have to do anything, I''m here to help you, not to intimidate,” Juliette''s words rang in the girl''s mind. She looked up at her, eyes stained a ruby red tint, the same scarlet that blushed her cheeks, her hair dishevelled from her pulling on it in hopes of calming down the attack so unjustly placed upon her.


    A long deep breath, a rugged exhale, “My- my name is Harmony. I um, I am sorry for, ah, my um outburst. I just- just God I can''t get my words out,” her frustration felt familiar. Juliette smiled thoughtfully, yet full of sombre which almost made Harmony burst out in tears again.


    “Harmony is a beautiful name, fitting to a girl such as yourself,” a cheap compliment, but Juliette meant every word as Harmony looked up at her again through her glassy, fragile eyes. She could almost sense the years of damage and naivety practically evaporate from Harmony like a sad melody. A melody one would listen back on and get that deep feel of nostalgia now inaccessible to this youthful soul.


    “Thank you,” she hiccuped, pausing between words to take in breaths struggling to keep her alive, “My brother and I have matching first letters in our names, us being twins made our mother- God our mother- she''s dead.“ She laughed, whipping her head up to look at the ceiling, clenching her hands into fists so tight they were turning white.


    “My mother is dead,” tears welled up again, “And there''s absolutely nothing I can do,”


    ~???~


    “Good evening,” Artemis started gradually, his voice levelled but thick as he advanced towards the weak, plastic chair, sitting down, back straight in front of the boy. He looked deep in thought as his rich blonde hair covered his face, eyes focused on the table, unmoving. The boy was stiffer than a corpse.


    “Who are you? What do you want from me?“ Artemis was taken aback by the hostility leaking, polluting the air around them with tension thick enough to be sliced and served.


    Clearing his throat and fixing his tie, he began to speak softly, “My name is Artemis Nektarios, I am here to ask some questions regarding your mother.“ As apathetic as the outside shell Artemis tried so hard to keep intact, he let some empathy glimpse out from beneath the cracks, he was convinced he did it for the sake of the boy.


    “What is there to ask? She''s dead. Isn''t it pretty cut and dry?“ Artemis sighed, the boy hadn''t looked his way, keeping his gaze glued to his own hands which were twitching, spasming being his control.


    “I would appreciate your cooperation, what is your name?“ Artemis toned down his way of speech, simplicity suffices in matters so complicated on occasion.


    “Harvey.“ He scoffed.


    “Harvey, could you tell me anything about your mother?“ Artemis enjoyed the name as it rolled off his tongue, “I do quite enjoy your name,” he spoke before he thought, clasping his mouth shut and squeezing his lips into a tight line.


    “What''s with the fancy talk? Thanks anyways I guess,” a couple of tears feared to roll off the boys'' puffy cheeks, which were already carmine glazed, “uh- my mum. She- Well, she was… Jesus Christ I think I just realised she''s actually dead. Like- she- God, I- what was done to her?“ Harvey was desperate by now, begging Artemis for answers, such as he was entitled to.


    “…She was found decapitated, her body yet to be found,” Artemis paused as he watched realisation practically pour over Harvey, his expression melted from hostile and bitter, to sombre to utterly distraught. Letting out a cursed sob, he cupped his face in his hands and cried, he wept and sniffled.


    “Holy- I- what. There''s no way. No- no she can''t be dead, I saw her just yesterday, or was it two days ago? Wait- I,” Harvey was rambling, meshing his words together in a fabricated manner. His words were barely that, yet Artemis wrote down whatever he could scrounge up from the heap of emotions displayed upon him. Still, he felt there was nothing he could do to help the boy, who had finally registered his mother gone, forever.


    ~???~


    Sitting in the same police office as they once began their day with, all three of them gathered what notes they could from Adelaide, Harmony and Harvey. Zahra''s glow appeared ever so slightly, more pronounced than earlier before the interviews, on the contrary, Juliette looked exhausted. Her eyes showed a hint of red, her mascara faintly smudged against her cheek.


    “Well, Zahra what information have you acquired from,..Adelaide was it?“ Artemis started before that creeping silence enveloped them once again.


    “Yeah Adelaide, she was very cooperative, she had informed me that their mother had gone missing for 3 days, which was normal for them because she works many different jobs and comes back very late and gets up early,” Juliette seemed distracted but tried to listen, looking at her feet while Artemis started jotting down whatever Zahra had been saying.


    “They only ever heard from the police that she had been found dead, Adelaide didn''t tell her siblings how, but in general she didn''t have much to say, it was a normal day for them.“


    “Did she mention time?“


    “Unfortunately not, I asked but she didn''t know,” Artemis let out a hopeless sigh, leaning back on the wall behind him, folding his hands delicately across his chest.


    “What did the others say?“ Juliette shook at this, yet it went unnoticed by Zahra and Artemis as they tried to place the puzzle pieces together to solve the murder.


    “Harvey was very hostile, it only took 2 minutes for him to truly break down into a fit of sobs. He had told me he thought he saw his mother 2 days ago so his perception of time has clearly suffered. Anything he had informed me of has to be taken with a pinch of salt,” he ran through his sentence smoothly, avoiding the uncomfortable situation of Harvey''s clear panic attack, fortunately, Artemis had helped him through it yet that didn''t give them any information. Gloating that he helped a grieving child wouldn''t help the case in general.


    Zahra just nodded at the information, motioning to Juliette, “What about you?“ Juliette had been startled, her head flew up.


    “I didn''t get anything from her,” Juliette was snippy, short with her answer. Zahra''s gaze flew to see the state of her, eyes red, swollen with old smudges of mascara that were desperately swiped at. Her whole world shattered, for reasons unknown. She watched Juliette''s breathing hitch, chest rising and falling with more and more haste from the look in her eyes. She could taste the salt. The salt of the tears that stained Adelaide. Harmony. Harvey. She wouldn''t -couldn''t- let anyone else be swallowed whole by one of mankind''s worst inventions. Grief.


    Running, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. Juliette''s hands were cold. Her face was warm and wet. She was in her arms. She wasn''t a victim, she wasn''t at work, she wasn''t home. She was in her arms. She was alive.


    Zahra whispered anything yet nothing, so sweet yet powerful which succeeded in Juliette calming down. Her breathing was haphazard, yet it was comforting, coercing Zahra''s heart into a sense of security. A sweet lullaby. Juliette is alive.


    Artemis watched in utter shock, mouth agape with no thoughts running through his mind for once. He blanked.


    A destitute, lonely silence broke each of them in ways deemed so torturous that the poet<u> </u>would''ve been jealous. They were all alive.


    But at what cost?
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