Butterfly Dream

By W.S. Chin

Brett Gable is 300 years old. 260 years earlier the English man had accidently released an ‘undead’ woman who had been buried under a boulder for 3 centuries. The woman had granted Brett 2 wishes – to have unlimited wealth and immortality. After 9/11 Gable, now living in San Francisco is severely depressed and wants to die. He attempts suicide several times and naturally fails as he CANNOT die. Finally he realizes that the only way to end his miserable life is to seek out the Specter who granted him immortality. Perhaps she can undo the wishes she has granted him. He goes to England and succeeds in conjuring her. She has one request from him for his wish to be granted. Brett returns home and becomes the most notorious and bizarre serial killer since the City’s infamous Zodiac murders. He attempts his last murder on the Golden Gate Bridge. Only when this has been accomplished would his request to die be granted. Unfortunately, the SFPD finally catches up with him just as he’s about to throw a tourist into the icy waters below.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W.S. Chin
• Release date: Oct 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301416172

Book preview

Chapter 1

Year 1501, in a small town called Timberlake in England

The elderly man and his son galloped at breakneck speed on their horses towards Sheriff Thomas Raffles’ house. Their torches lighted up the darkened roads as several sleeping residents, their nerves already raw from fright and anticipation, woke up to the loud noise of horses’ hooves pounding on the ground.

Steamy white breath from the men and their horses were to be quickly absorbed into the thick foggy air. Shadows created by the flames casted eerie shadows on the ground and houses through the swirling fog.

It was only two hours before the sun rose on that frosty and raw morning.

Their hearts pounding ferociously, they whipped their horses as they impatiently raced on.

As they entered the town center, the fog became even more blinding. Soon they couldn’t see further than several feet ahead. But they knew they were almost there.

Several minutes later as they approached the house they were looking for, they hurriedly descended from their still running horses. After tying their trusted steeds to a horse pole they quickly sprinted to the door.

Bang, bang, bang!!! Sheriff Raffles! Open the door, quickly! screamed the elderly man impatiently as he and his son knocked loudly on the door.

There was no response. The restless horses whinnied loudly as if also trying to alert the people inside.

Sheriff Raffles! Open the door! father and son now yelled loudly in unison as they continued banging forcefully on the door. They were now getting very annoyed by the silence inside.

Just as the son was about to kick in the door, the house suddenly lighted up, as did several other houses in the vicinity. Their occupants had been rudely awakened by all the noise and commotion. Some of them looked out of their windows from the safety of their bedrooms. There was genuine fear in their eyes and some crossed themselves!

WHO IS IT? WHAT DO YOU WANT? demanded a rather annoyed and somewhat nervous male voice inside the Sheriff’s house. I have a long sharp knife in my hand, I am warning you! I will not hesitate to use it!

It’s me William Godwin together with and my son. Open the door quickly! the elderly man blurted out.

All right, all right!!! The door opened a crack and the Sheriff’s sleepy eyes peered out. The Godwins saw the tip of a long knife pointing towards their heads.

Sir, please put your knife down. We’re not here for a fight! the son said gravely.

Recognizing the Godwins, Raffles blinked his eyes while letting out a loud sigh of relief.

What do you want at this ungodly hour, Godwin? the Sheriff demanded grumpily of the elderly man.

Who is it dear? a woman inside the house asked.

It’s all right! Go back sleep, Raffles told his wife.

We found another one, Sheriff! Godwin replied tensely, wiping off sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his coat.

You what? Another one? Where? the shocked Sheriff groaned as he opened the door wide enough to poke his head out.

In the western part of town, sir! replied the son. In the forest!

Good lord! This must be the eighth one! the Sheriff sighed gloomily as he swung the door wide open, exposing his overweight body to the cold.

Hurry, we’ll take you there! the father said.

What were you doing there this time of the morning? the Sheriff asked point-blank.

We were laying traps for pheasants. We always do it early in the morning, the son replied despairingly.

For a few moments, the Sheriff was lost in thought. Then he eyed the two men suspiciously from the corner of his eyes as he scratched his balding head.

Father and son noticed the look on the Sheriff’s face then stared at each other gravely.

Now just wait a bloody moment, Sheriff! the father grimaced. You’re not thinking that it’s us…

It’s not us, Sheriff! the younger Godwin cut in. For heaven’s sake we wouldn’t be here if it we did it, now would we?

Wait here while I get dressed up! the Sheriff said wearily, very annoyed at having to go out on a major investigation on a cold and dreary morning. He was still rather skeptical of the two men.

Several anxious moments later, which to the Godwins seemed to last a lifetime, the Sheriff, all dressed up, appeared at the door again. As they were ready to leave, he said: We’ll have to get my two deputies before we go.

Half an hour later, together with the two deputies, the group arrived at the site on the outskirts of a forest. One of the deputies rode a wagon. If the Godwins were right, they may have to carry a load back to town.

The Godwins led Raffles and his men to a small bundle near their traps. The bundle was carefully and neatly wrapped in black cloth. It was lying in the center of five dead snakes which were laid in a circle about five feet in diameter, their mouths biting the other’s tail. Five burnt out black candles were found inside the circle, near the heads of the snakes.

It was just like the previous seven cases.

We left it the way we found it! We didn’t touch anything! the father said bleakly.

The Sheriff grabbed a torch from one of his men and made a quick observation of the ground around the bundle. Sure enough, there were some shoeprints on the damp ground around the circle. Then he turned towards the Godwins and snapped: Take off your shoes and give them to me!

Father and son tensed up instantly. The son wanted to protest but the father held him back. It’s all right, son. God knows we didn’t do it. Just do as he sa…

NOW! the Sheriff interrupted their conversation angrily. Or I’ll have both of you jailed immediately! My patience is wearing out!

We should have minded our own bloody business! the father scoffed as they took off their shoes and gave them to Raffles.

The Sheriff squatted on the ground and pressed the soles of the shoes onto the ground then compared the prints.

They matched! And there were no other prints.

Raffles put the shoes aside then cautiously stepped inside the circle, remaining quiet and thoughtful as he did so. He removed the bundle and laid it on a rock nearby, the men following closely behind.

Good lord! he gasped as he soon as he opened up the bundle. It’s the Swettenham child! he continued sullenly. Only last night his father had come to me to report his son missing. He was only two years old.

The Sheriff made a quick examination of the naked body. His ribcage has been neatly cut vertically with a sharp object and his heart is missing, he sighed as he continued observing.

It’s similar to the others! he groaned disgustedly a moment later.

Too stunned to say anything, the two deputies quickly made the sign of the cross on themselves.

The Sheriff went to his deputies and urged them a distance away from the Godwins. Speaking in undertones, they occasionally gestured and glanced furtively at the father and son.

The elderly man and his son could only hear whispers from the law enforcement people. This made them even more terrified and it showed on their withdrawn faces as blood drained away. Fidgeting uncomfortably, they looked anxiously at each other.

Raffles approached the Godwins again. Only your shoeprints are on the ground! he blurted out sharply at the father. What have you got to say to that?

It’s not us, sir! insisted the father, swallowing hard. Like my son said earlier, if it was us, we wouldn’t have reported it to you. We’re not that stupid!

Explain the footprints then! the Sheriff’s facial muscles froze as he stared piercingly into the father’s eyes.

The elder Godwin’s face suddenly turned several shades paler as he became increasingly uneasy at the accusing look from Raffles. As the Sheriff’s eyes burned into his, Godwin’s own eyes started darting around uneasily. We saw the bundle so we walked closer to see what it was. That’s why our footprints are there.

WHY ONLY YOURS? the Sheriff snarled.

I shouldn’t have informed him. I sure as hell don’t need this, the older Godwin thought. Here I am, doing what every responsible citizen should do. And now he’s accusing my son and me of being the killers.

After a few tense moments, the Sheriff relaxed his jaws and broke into a half-smile. I was just testing you. I know you’re not the killers. You’re not that kind of people.

As the father let out a breath of relief, the son suddenly charged furiously at the Sheriff but was held back by the two deputies. You bastard! he snapped. I’ll get you for this!

DON’T YOU DARE! I’ll have you put in jail! Raffles warned as he rushed forward to confront the young man.

It’s alright son! the father sighed. After all, he was just doing his job. Take a deep breath. It’s not worth the jail sentence.

A few moments later, everything seemed to have become serene again. Turning around to his deputies, Raffles ordered: Put the body in the wagon!

As they were getting ready to leave, the Sheriff told one of his men to stay behind to check for any evidence that the killer or killers may have left behind.

It was almost dawn when Sheriff Raffles, his deputy and the Godwins arrived outside the Swettenham house with the bundle in the wagon. The fog had lifted and was replaced with a cold, gusty and wailing wind. Tree branches rattled as dust and leaves were sent swirling around the men.

The house was lighted from the inside, indicating that the owners were awake. Raffles, looking pensive and dour, walked to the door. Just as he was about to knock, the Swettenham couple opened the door. Pale with worry, they had been awake all night long.

The Sheriff went into the house by himself and closed the door quietly.

A short moment later, the men who were outside heard wails from the house.

Oh no, my poor baby… cried the wife.

The wailing of the ferocious wind, mercilessly creating clouds of swirling dust, together with the cries from the house together created an eerie, yet sad atmosphere.

Who could have done such a dastardly thing? I’ll get the people responsible for this if it’s the last thing I do! the husband’s boomed bleakly above the cries.

This much, my dear, I promise you!

Chapter 2

The scenic and idyllic town of Timberlake was situated about 120 miles northeast of London. In the year 1501, its population was about ten thousand and the main industry was timber logging and tourism.

During the summertime and most weekends, the town bustled with tourists from nearby towns who mainly visited and picnicked by a lake north of town. The lake, situated in a valley surrounded by hills, beckoned to weary country folk in search of a peaceful setting for a holiday or weekend getaway. The grassy hills, dotted with huge cedar trees, sloped down to the sandy banks of the lake. Sparsely distributed along the shores were several large boulders and trees. Almost everything here was lush and green throughout the year.

It was an ideal place to visit and holiday. The lake usually swelled with numerous kinds of fishes during the warm summer weather and the men would take full advantage of it and bring fresh fish home for their meals. Various kinds of birds would nestle on the trees and their constant chirping added to the relaxing atmosphere. It was an area that had its own character, charm and fascination and an attraction for tourists from surrounding towns and as far away as London.

Timberlake - the town was so named because of the lush forest of cedar and other types of trees for timber and the lake.

The town folk lived mainly peaceful, happy, carefree and unencumbered lives. They were happy, contented country people. No violence from the outside ever entered this remote and peaceful place. A person could feel everything coming alive in this safe and laidback town. Life was truly simple and the people friendly and really cared for one another.

Until a year ago…

That was when tension set in. The whole town was now in total uproar. Fear, accentuated with bouts of panic had taken over the once peaceful town.

There was no longer any trust among the populace.

For the past eight months the people of Timberlake had been suffering a crisis of major proportions. It was a tense, suspenseful and frightening time for the town folk. They had never experienced such trying times before. There was a fearful anticipation mixed with bitter hostility. Within a span of a few short months the fabric of their lives had been totally shattered. The tourists were now staying away and the town’s economy was suffering in epic proportions. There were now many unemployed men hanging idly around the town center or swigging cheap wine and whiskey in taverns. Petty crime, vice and hooliganism due to joblessness were on the rise. Drunken fights were up. Moral was very low. Beggars and homeless people were plentiful. Thieves’ dens, brothels and disease-ridden lodging houses sprouted in once affluent neighborhoods. Young urchin boys, dirty and emaciated, set about burgling anybody with a hint of money in their pockets. These ragged creatures ran wild on the streets, their parents unable or unwilling to maintain them. Some of the more industrious children picked horse dung or even dog feces to sell as fertilizer for a pittance. Girls had a worse fate, often forced to become prostitutes by their parents.

The once prosperous town was now in financial and economic tatters.

No more were the halcyon days when public trust in law enforcement was at its highest. People would jump at the slightest noise or commotion. Active social life, the highlight of families, was now almost non-existent. Stressed-out parents, worried for the safety of their children, were now having sleepless nights.

The unruly and lawless were now roaming the streets vandalizing property. Gangs were formed to abuse, harass and intimidate people for spare coins.

The situation reached the stage whereby out of town folks were now avoiding Timberlake, especially during weekends when they usually made a beeline to the lake.

All because of one reason!

Seven of the town’s children, four boys and three girls, had been found brutally murdered – set upon in the darkness of remote areas! They were victims of attacks so savage and vicious that no sane being could have perpetrated them.

Not only were their hearts neatly cut out, they were also sexually violated.

There was one murder a month! And just this morning, the eighth victim was found. Sick maniacs who practiced the dark arts, they maintained, were in their midst – maniacs who were attacking the young and most vulnerable.

A handsome reward had been offered to anyone who could supply information. Many people came forward with information but all were found to be no more than dishonest people out to make some quick money as none of the facts panned out.

Sheriff Raffles called for an emergency town hall meeting. They always had one after a victim was found. The town elders and the Sheriff had speculated that the children were probably sacrificed during Wiccan or Pagan black magic rituals. Either that or they were offerings to appease Satan.

The heart, not the brain, according to certain folklore at the time, was the seat of the soul. By taking the heart, they also took with them the soul. Why else would all the victims be systematically found with their hearts missing, they asked.

They further suspected that the murders were the work of locals but no one even had any inkling as to who they were.

Yet others thought it could perhaps be people taking revenge on the Inquisitors who had cruelly burned some of the town folk at the stake for heresy. The fathers of some of the murdered children were members of the local chapter of the Inquisition.

Whatever the real reason, the villagers had been so scared that they didn’t even trust members of their own families anymore. Everywhere they went they would constantly look over their shoulders. They took extra care to lock their doors at all times of the day, something they never had to do before. The children were mostly forbidden to go out of their houses, unless accompanied by an adult. Nights became as dead as the graveyard as most town folk stopped going out.

Four months back, Sheriff Raffles had organized vigilante volunteer groups comprising young and able villagers to guard and patrol the streets at night, but they were unsuccessful as the murders continued.

At the latest packed town meeting, some of the town folk started blaming the Sheriff for not doing enough to stop the killings. However a handful supported him and shouted them down. As the opposing noise rose to a crescendo on the back of frayed nerves, the Sheriff decided it was time to defend his honor.

I have had my hands full! There’s only so much I can do! fumed the defiant and angry Raffles. It’s only my two deputies and I. How do you expect just the three of us to solve each and every crime in this town?

Some of the by now out of control crowd groaned, hissed and whistled their chorus of wails and disapproval at the statements while Raffles’ supporters countered by clapping their hands to indicate a job generally well done.

If you can’t solve or prevent the murders, why don’t you bloody well step down and let someone smarter and more efficient than you take over?! screamed a well-dressed young man.

If you think you can do a better job than me, I will resign! the Sheriff retorted as his supporters clapped even louder.

All at once a fight broke out between the two opposing groups after which the small group of the Sheriff’s supporters was forcefully expelled from the hall.

After a few tensed moments of silence following the fight, someone in the crowd yelled: Call in reinforcements from London! as others continued showering a volley of abuse.

STEP DOWN!!! The riotous crowd was now rhythmically clapping and yelling in unison, the noise echoing loudly off the walls.

As the Sheriff was trying to keep order and calm down the supercharged hot air engagements, a woman, holding her five-year old daughter’s hand walked into the hall, stood by the door and interrupted the meeting.

My daughter, she said gravely, her voice booming over the chorus of noisy protests was probably the last to see the young Swettenham boy alive!

At this, murmurs rose from the packed gallery.

The dead boy’s mother who was among the crowd sprang up instantly. WHO IS THIS WOMAN? she demanded sternly of the woman.

My daughter saw the boy talking to a woman just before he disappeared, the woman poured out her story as she walked towards the Sheriff. They were playing together just outside my house when suddenly my daughter had the urge to ease herself. She then went back inside my house leaving the boy alone. Just as she passed by a window in the front of the house on the way to the outhouse, she noticed a woman giving some bread to the boy. When my daughter went back outside a short while later, the boy had disappeared. Thinking that he might have left for home, my daughter came back inside our house.

And who is this woman? Can your daughter identify her? Raffles asked impatiently.

It’s the woman called Asha, the one with dark skin and the long black hair. She lives with her husband Henry in the outskirts of town, the woman continued as she stopped a short distance from Raffles. The hall exploded into a symphony of murmurs.

I always knew she had something to do with it! a man in the crowd said aloud.

We cannot trust any black-skinned foreigners! a woman shouted angrily.

Asha and Henry? the dumbfounded Sheriff said, trying to speak above the noisy whispers from the villagers. Are you sure?

Several people shook their heads in disbelief.

Ask my daughter yourself. Her child answered by nodding vigorously.

And where were you all this time? one of the elders questioned the woman.

I was at the back on the house washing some clothes. I didn’t even know my daughter was out front playing with the young boy. I had specifically forbidden her to go outside. Then this morning, we heard… she groaned as she started sobbing. Getting a hold of herself after a brief pause, she continued weakly: I was at the market with my daughter this morning when I heard the news. My daughter then pulled me aside and told me what happened yesterday.

But Asha and Henry are God-fearing Christians! the Sheriff protested. I have seen them in church. I can’t imagine…

I am only telling you what my daughter told me. The last thing I want to do is incriminate people without reason, the woman said wearily as she turned around and gazed at the crowd. Then looking at her daughter, she told her, Tell the good people here what you saw.

Nervous in front of a big crowd, she remained quiet as she clutched her mother’s dress and again nodded.

The priest of the town’s main church stood up to speak. There are some sects that practice black magic and use Christianity as a front! It’s rare but there are some. These particular sects take the hearts from their sacrificial lambs, then offer them to the Evil One - Satan …then the cult members feast upon it raw among themselves ... he stopped to get a hold of himself, they then drink the victim’s blood. They use the church to disguise their evil activities!

Frightened whispers ran through the crowd.

The priest continued, The driving force behind Satanism is hunger for power, which they believe they can harness from the dead. Their rituals are saturated with sex, blood, strange movements and chanting incantations. Their minds are filled with images of torment, rage, ruin and pain. They unleash their inner tides of hatred and violence towards the victim and the ceremonies gradually work up to an orgy of savagery … then the victim is sacrificed. As they do so, they repeat more powerful incantations believed to attract demons and ghosts of the evil dead. The ceremony ends with the recitation of the Lord’s prayers backwards. The candles they use are made of human fat. They are extremely secretive and little about their beliefs and practices are known to outsiders. I won’t be surprised if there are some of them amongst us here, now!

But there are no signs of Satanism at the places of the murders. What we always see are five snakes in a circle with the body in the center. As for the candles inside the circle, they are always decreasing in number. At the first murder, there were thirteen then 12 till last night’s murder when there were 5. I am sure the decreasing numbers indicate that there will be 5 more murders! The Sheriff’s words sent a chill to the crowd as they began to look at each other suspiciously. Then a strange silence engulfed the hall.

I personally don’t think it is Satanism or the worshipping of the black arts that we are familiar with as there is nothing indicating such, the Sheriff continued glumly. It’s some other cult that worships snakes as they are always found at the sites of the murders. It’s probably a new cult or religion that I haven’t heard of.

Raffles then turned to the priest and asked: Have you heard of any cult that involves or worships snakes?

No, never! replied the priest. If what you say is true, then we are dealing with something new. I shall write to the head of England’s churches to enquire more.

The crowd roared again and demanded the Sheriff talk to the couple.

All right, all right. I shall talk to the couple as soon as this meeting is over, the Sheriff grunted.

I will tell my husband about this as soon as I get home! the dead boy’s mother muttered angrily.

Chapter 3

Asha and her husband Henry was a young married couple. Childless, they were a mysterious but seemingly friendly pair, smiling at everybody and anybody that crossed their path. They didn’t talk much to people and preferred to keep to themselves. Nobody really knew who they were or what they did. They didn’t work but looked like they had plenty of money - enough to live comfortably in a small, solitary cottage house in the southern part of town.

Asha, aged 29 was a tall, slim and fragile, black-haired beauty with dark skin, almond-shaped green mysterious eyes. She talked with such a high-pitched voice that she would sometimes be mistaken for a child.

She had mysteriously arrived alone from the Indian continent five years earlier. The first person she had met on arrival by ship in the south of England was Henry who was working at the shipyard. Not knowing a word of English and without family or friends, she sat down forlornly by the pier until Henry noticed her and approached her asking if she was lost and needed help.

Knowing nothing of her and conversing using simple sign language, Henry took her to his small room and offered his bed to her while he slept on the floor. Henry did notice that she was rather well off as she was wearing a lot of gold jewelry but being the simple man that he was, he didn’t demand or take anything from her.

Henry taught her to read and write English and, being an eager learner, Asha mastered the language in a very short time.

On the streets her exquisite and exotic looks garnered stares from men and women alike. In no time, she was sought out by rich and poor men alike. She brushed them all off as she clung onto Henry.

Henry was a year older and rather plain looking, slightly overweight and had a receding hairline. Painfully shy with women, he was about two years old when he contracted polio, which badly affected his left leg. That caused the leg to shorten several inches, resulting in a prominent lop-sided gait as his body shifted side to side when he walked. About two years after Asha’s arrival, they wed. Soon after, Henry quit his job and the couple moved to Timberlake.

When they first arrived and indeed since Asha first stepped ashore, people were very curious about her. Nobody in the village had ever seen a dark-skinned person before. Some would touch her skin and hair out of curiosity and sometimes men would purposely walk close to sniff her.

One particular man called Drake aggressively pursued her, even in the presence of her husband. Once, on being warned by the couple in front of a crowd that should he carry on with his boorish behavior, they will head directly to the Sheriff and a report will be filed against him.

WATCH YOUR BACK! Drake scowled with a reddened face. I get you if it’s the last thing I do! Nobody embarrasses me in public! He leered at Asha then flicked his tongue in a suggestive manner before leaving in a huff.

A lot of town folk thought the couple was a total mismatch. What was such a beauty doing with a plain, ordinary fellow, they wondered every time they saw the couple. Indeed, there were even some men who would continue showering the married Asha with interest but she would reject them. The only man she would ever love was her husband Henry.

Henry had told some villagers shortly after they arrived that they came from the south. His wife had inherited a large sum of money from his parents and wanted to live somewhere quiet and peaceful. That was why they had chosen Timberlake.

They hadn’t caused any trouble or bothered anyone since they arrived. As a couple they almost seemed too perfect, except for the ‘mismatch’. And soon, they were accepted as part of the village folk.

Then almost three years since their arrival the murders started.

~~~~~~~~~~

Immediately after the town meeting Sheriff Raffles and his two deputies rode their horses to the couple’s house. Henry and Asha, the Sheriff found, could hardly have been more unlike the violent savages that had killed the children. Polite and extremely well mannered, the couple offered the three of them refreshments.

When questioned, they expressed shock at being accused and denied any involvement whatsoever. All questions were replied with a confident answer. They declared that they were delighted to see that the Sheriff was taking an active interest in this matter of utmost importance and asked what steps he was taking to prevent more killings.

It’s an insult to our dignities that people can even think we could be involved in something so evil, heinous and perverted! Asha said plaintively as she walked Raffles and his men to the door.

As he left the house Raffles was totally flummoxed. His deputy who stayed behind in the forest to gather evidence had found nothing at all. The only footprints found at the site belonged to the Godwins. It was as if the killer or killers were floating on air as they committed their grisly work.

But since there was no real evidence that they were involved, the Sheriff couldn’t do anything to them. Personally he didn’t believe it was the couple’s doing.

However this did not prevent a certain group of people from seeking ways to stop the murders once and for all.

Chapter 4

Several nights later, this group of people assembled at a local tavern. Comprising able-bodied men in their thirties and early forties, they decided to form a vigilante group to seek justice. Without any real solid evidence, they decided that Asha and Henry were indeed the real killers. They convinced themselves the mysterious husband and wife were indeed black cultists and the murders were committed by them as sacrificial offers to Satan himself. After all, the wife was the last person seen talking to the Swettenham child shortly before he was found missing.

Who else can it be? I ask all of you, fumed the self-appointed leader of the vigilantes. Don’t you all think it’s time we put a stop to the killings? Our weak and useless Sheriff is not doing anything to safeguard our children. His approach is lame. Eight murders and he still don’t have any suspects. And by the looks of it, at least another five murders will take place. Look at the state of our beloved town! There’s hardly any work anymore. Crime has risen. Look at the number of poor people out begging in the streets now, not to mention the number of people without the comforts a home! Neighbors, blood relatives don’t trust each other anymore! We can’t even have a good night’s sleep! How long more are we going to take this bloody nonsense? Drastic situations require drastic actions, don’t you think? The Sheriff really leaves us no choice but to seek justice ourselves. What do you men say?

Aye! the men responded simultaneously as they hoisted their drinks.

We agree with you! We’ll do whatever you say! the man called Drake said sharply. He was particularly keen on getting even with the couple for embarrassing him previously. And we’ll save the lives of 5 innocent children!

They then discussed their plans secretly among themselves. They decided there and then that the only solution was to kidnap the couple and kill them. After a few more nights of heated discussions they finalized their plan. They will go to the couple’s house in the dead of night and kidnap them.

But first we’ll do a test! the leader sneered menacingly. We’ll throw the wife into the lake north of town and see if she drowns. If she survives, we’ll know for sure she is a black witch. Then we’ll kill her! As for the husband, we’ll hang him by the neck on one of the trees near the lake. This is an ideal time to do it. The lake will be devoid of people, especially in the dead of a winter’s night. It’s another four months before summer. Visitors won’t be back until then, if they ever do. If we don’t solve this problem once and for all, they’ll never return! There is no other way out of our dilemma!

Among the things they would first have to do was to build a small rowboat and leave it by the lake.

Early one night, two weeks later, some of the men were called to an emergency meeting at the tavern.

Is the boat ready? the leader asked anxiously.

Yes! Drake replied.

And the evil couple, are they at home?

I had two men stake out their house earlier this evening, Drake responded. One of them knocked on their door on a pretext then came back to inform me that they’re both at home! The other man is still there keeping watch.

Good! We’ll do it tonight, before another child’s life is taken. We’ll delay no longer. Gather all the men and meet me here in two hours, the leader responded with fiendish eagerness. Drake, you will take some men and go inside the house. You’ll be responsible for their kidnap.

Drake responded by nodding enthusiastically. Thank you for choosing me. It’ll be an honor! I’m eager to do my part in ending this tragedy! he said with a lecherous grin.

Then rubbing his palms together, the leader said sharply: Tonight we’ll become judge, jury and executioner! Come tomorrow morning the town’s problems will be extinguished!

The leader was in a hurry to seek personal vengeance!

Chapter 5

It was almost midnight and the pitched blackness of the town was only slightly illuminated by the full moon. The roads were empty and except from the occasional howl from stray dogs, deadly quiet. Most villagers were already fast asleep. The taverns were virtually devoid of customers as only a few brave souls dared go out for their evening drink. Even then most would go home early.

Seven of the vigilantes, led by Drake, their faces covered up to the bridge of their noses with pieces of cloth gathered stealthily outside the young married couple’s house shortly after midnight. The man keeping a stake out on the house confirmed that nobody had left the house. It was dark inside the well-kept cottage, indicating that the occupants were already sleeping.

All the men were armed with knives and axes. Two of them carried ropes. Among themselves they carried four torches but lighted up just one. Too many lighted torches would light up the outside brightly and may awaken the sleeping couple. They couldn’t be too careful. Perhaps they were not even asleep yet. This was one mission they had to succeed and they only had one chance to do it. If they failed, they all could end up in jail for a long time.

Drake used a small knife to pry open a window carefully and gently. He then climbed over the ledge of the window and quietly slipped into the house.

Once inside he was handed the lighted torch by one of his people. A moment later the front door opened. Drake stood by the door and held up the torch. As the other men entered the house, those carrying torches lit them up using the one Drake was carrying.

They looked all around the ground floor. There was nobody there! Quietly, they then crept up the stairs to the rooms. They opened up one room and looked inside. It was empty. They opened another. It was empty also. The next room was locked from the inside.

Drake nodded to the others.

With a powerful kick from one of the men, the door was flung open.

Arghhhh…! Asha sat up from her bed and screamed at the top of her lungs. Who are you? What do you want from me? she asked nervously.

She’s all alone! Drake, ignoring her looked around the room and fumed.

He turned to face Asha. Grabbing her by her white-colored nightclothes he asked threateningly: Where’s your husband?

He’s not here! He… he… had to leave town on some urgent business ...and he won’t be back for a few days, insisted the frightened Asha.

Drake turned towards the man who had kept surveillance on the house and snapped. You said they were both in!

But… but they were, the man replied. I swear…

Drake replied with a punch on the man’s face which sent him flying across the room.

Drake ordered all of his men to search the entire house as Asha continued screaming for her life. All of you search every inch of the house. He must be hiding somewhere!

Alone in the room with Asha, Drake drew out a knife and climbed onto the bed. Straddling her he sat on her abdomen and held the knife to her neck. Shut up or I’ll cut you up, bitch! Then he removed his facial cover. Asha immediately recognized him as the man who was constantly harassing her. She continued screaming before Drake stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth to muffle her up.

This is for making a fool of me, for embarrassing me in front of everybody! Then he violently raped her, fulfilling his sexual fantasy of her. I told you I’ll get even with you sooner or later! he snarled after he had had his way with her.

The rest of the men gathered back at the room just in time to see Drake getting off the bed and adjusting his trousers. No sign of him anywhere! one of them said disappointedly. With the husband missing, their plan had been somewhat fouled up. However, they had no choice but to carry on with it.

Drake ordered the men to tie Asha’s hands behind her back and her ankles together.

There’s no turning back now! Drake scowled. "We’ll