Prologue

Caution tape was wrapped around tree trucks, securely surrounding the crime scene beyond the woods of James Peterson High school. Where two twisted bodies of a girl and boy were entangled in each other, a look of perpetual fear was placed upon each of their faces, as blood oozed out of the puncture wounds that gaped open where the victim’s hearts should be. Sheriff Cornelius stood over the bodies, poking and prodding them with a long stick that he had found a few feet away. He cocked his head to one side, like a curious puppy, as he staggered a little closer, making sure not to lose his balance and fall over.
“This here was a sure stabbing,” he grumbled ferociously under his breath. Cornelius was a big man that had obviously eaten too many donuts in his lifetime. His brown curly hair was sticking to his glistening forehead in the late summer heat, as the shinny golden badge he wore on his shirt, glinted off the early morning Floridian sunrise. He gave the resemblance of a grumpy grizzly bear awoken from hibernation, but as his cadets knew, the sheriff was softer than a roasted marshmallow.
“Sir, should you be messing with the evidence?”
“You worry too much Benson,” Cornelius dropped the stick wiping his hands upon his pants before he turned to struggle over the yellow warning tape.
Benson, seem to choke each time his gaze fell upon the two teens laying in the grass, with sweaty palms he held a red bandana to his gasping mouth, trying desperately to push the image out as he looked towards the school. All the windows were dark, giving the school that eerie sense of vacancy, until suddenly a light was switched on at the far right of the third floor. From this far away, you could just make out a shadow of a person peering through the window, before the outline melted into the room.
“Ummm…s…s…sir.”
“Benson, stop your fidgeting, it’s giving me the hebee-jebees.” The sheriff shook his body slightly, like a dog would after a bath, as he sat in the driver seat of the little police car. In a gruff voice he talked into the microphone where an incomprehensible voice responded back, “where’s the, fucking CSI creeps…well tell them to move faster…I don’t care…I want them here now, before the trail is lost…Bring the dogs ASAP…got it?…good…oh, and I and congratulations on the new edition to your family…of course, I can‘t wait to come over to see the little tike…”
“Sir, look!” Benson pointed towards the window.
“What?” when Cornelius finally set his gaze to the school, the light was cut out leaving the building looking empty as ever. “Are you feeling ok?”
“But I saw…”
“Come on Benson, it’s ok to admit it, you look completely drained. When CSI gets here take the cruiser and go home? Go sleep in your bed next to your wife… what’s her name again?”
“Lillian,” He replied.
“Right, Lillian…” But the sheriff was distracted as flashing lights could be seen pelting over the grass towards them.
“You know what, I’m going to take that offer, Chief…”
“Oh, yeah, right…I’m glad you see it my way.” he grunted, before directing his next comment towards the black cars. “Finally those sons of a bitches are here, took them long enough.” Cornelius placed his hand defiantly on the butt of his gun, as he turned around.
The unlabeled black cars came to a stop, leaving tire marks in the grass. A group of people, who resembled much of “men in black”, started spreading out around the perimeter of the murder scene.
One of the black suits, took notice of Ben, and started to make his way towards him, giving a head jerk greeting as he said, “Hey Benny, late night isn’t it, where’s the sheriff? I thought Cornelius was going to be down here,” he started to take off his black suit jacket before rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, studying the crime scene from afar.
“Hey John,” Benny replied absentmindedly as he turned his head, and realizing that the sheriff was no longer next to him.
Jonathan took not of Bensons precarious glances, “What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Oh nothing…hey, I’m going to head home, if you see Cornelius tell he took the cruiser, he’s here by the way, probably fiddling with the crime scene.”
“Your not going to stay and watch?” Jonathan raised an eyebrow.
“Uh, no thanks, I don’t do well with dead bodies, I’ll see you around.” Benson got into the police car, starting the engine, John just waved him away as he stepped over the yellow tape heading to the investigation spot. Benson drove silently home, you could say he rode away into the sunset, since the sky started to brighten slightly and the clouds were a pearly pink color in the sky.