The Creator

by Aj Estelliam

  ‘Alex?’

  ‘Oh my God!’

  ‘You completely left the room! It was so weird to watch!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘I saw him, Dan,’ I said, blinking myself back to reality.

  ‘You’ve seen the killer? Wow, that’s great news!’ he gushed.

  ‘No, no…I was walking in the guise of the killer-it was the victim I saw,’ I told him, positively hyperventilating now.

  ‘Oh really? You could positively ID him?’

  ‘Yes,’ I breathed harshly, ‘because I know him!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It was Billy, Dan…fuck! Our killer has got Billy and it’s all my fault.’

  I rushed off to call Jess and give her the bad news.

  ‘Jess!’

  ‘Calm down,’ she told me immediately. ‘I can barely make sense of your babble!’ she told me as I rapidly told her what I had seen.

  ‘Sorry-I’m just in a state,’ I told her, trying to take a deep breath to calm me.

  ‘Well, stop and breathe. I can’t understand you and until you can make some sense to me, I can’t help you, now can I?’

  ‘No…no…Jess, it’s Billy.’

  ‘Oh yeah! I forgot to talk to him…’

  ‘No, Jess-we’re too late. We’re both too late.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ she asked, sounding faintly annoyed.

  ‘I’ve just had a vision, Jess. I saw the killer and he was getting into a car. He convinced a man to get in with him. When he turned to look at him, I knew it was Billy.’

  ‘The killer has taken Billy?’

  ‘Yes, he has,’ I nodded, holding the phone close to my ear. ‘And he intends to rape him, butcher him and torture him before killing him, Jess. He’ll chop him into tiny little pieces and go into work the next day whistling a happy tune. We need to do something, Jess. I don’t know what it is, but we need to do it.’

  ‘I’ll come and pick you up. We’ll start searching.’

  ‘Okay,’ I agreed, liking the idea.

  ‘Did you see the car he was driving?’

  ‘No,’ I said, disappointed. ‘I mean, I saw it was grey in colour but that was it. Nothing of much use…’

  ‘Okay, well you keep thinking on it and I’ll head out to come and collect you. We’ll go from there.’

  ‘Thanks, Jess.’

  ‘I’ll be there soon,’ she promised.

  I hung up and walked over to the Captain who was still perusing the murder board we had created.

  ‘There’s got to be a clue here…something I haven’t seen,’ I murmured.

  ‘I was just hoping for the same kind of inspiration,’ he agreed.

  ‘I just can’t see it.’

  ‘Do you know where Billy was taken?’

  ‘Other than it being a car park-no,’ I said, shaking my head.

  ‘But a car park-that’s a start, right? I mean, where was Billy headed?’

  ‘The station.’

  ‘So, it might have been the station car park?’

  ‘Maybe,’ I nodded. ‘But I don’t know for sure. What I do know is the sick things that went through the killer’s head once he had him in the car. I can’t let him do those things to him.’

  ‘Do you think we’ve got time?’ he asked.

  ‘I…I don’t know. I mean, I doubt he’d conduct his evil business in the day time from what I know about him but perhaps he’d escalate?’

  ‘Wait for Jess. She’ll know what to do.’

  I glanced at him. ‘More so than you would?’

  He shrugged. ‘Hey, she’s in charge.’

  I sighed. ‘Yeah…and I’m pretty sure she’s not loving that fact one little bit!’

  Chapter 13

  Jess arrived back home ten minutes later and I could tell by her face that she was already stressed.

  ‘I’m sorry…’ I said as she came through the door like a hurricane.

  ‘It’s not your fault we’ve got a killer on the loose! We need to start searching the local area though because I’m not letting Billy die. Hey, what’s this?’ she asked, walking over to where Dan sat with our murder board.

  ‘We were trying to work out what we know and where to go next,’ I told her.

  ‘Oh yeah? Don’t trust I can do the job?’ she questioned, looking from Dan to me and then back again.

  ‘It’s not that at all!’ I exclaimed. ‘But we’re both stuck at home for different reasons and we wanted to put our heads together and help wherever possible.’

  ‘More like you think you know better! For fuck sake, Dan! I didn’t want this role! Take charge again if you’re that interested! This is driving me nuts! I never wanted to be leading the whole thing!’

  ‘Jess, calm down,’ Captain Withers instructed her calmly. ‘I’m not taking over; and you’re doing an amazing job. All you need to do is stop and calm yourself. We’re not trying to interfere-we’re trying to help from where we can-at home. We’re both struggling to be at the station for different reasons but that doesn’t mean we can’t try and be there to help you a little bit.’

  Jess held his gaze for a long moment before sighing heavily. ‘I’m sorry…I’m being an idiot.’

  ‘Yep,’ he grinned. ‘But I understand. It’s not easy being the one in charge-everyone looking to you for answers; especially when you haven’t got any!’

  ‘Exactly! I don’t know what to do! That’s the problem.’

  ‘Which is where I come in…and Alex. Let’s sit down, put our heads together and try and figure this thing out.’

  She nodded, resolutely. ‘Okay.’

  We all sat down on the sofa and stared at the murder board. There had to be some information there; something we hadn’t seen.

  I watched as Jess and Dan discussed what had happened in chronological order and followed their conversation as they began talking in what I considered their ‘police mode.’ Their voices became serious and they began using technical terms and using language they didn’t use in day to day life. As they talked, I found my head feeling a little bit hazy and as I let myself relax back against the sofa, I began to drift.

  The pain was incredible. Pure horror filled me as I watched the huge, carving knife being sharpened before me. Sweat dripped from my forehead in wet droplets as agony from my foot increased. He had sliced off my toe in one, easy jerk of his wrist. Position, brace and down…it was gone. The blood was pouring from my wound and sickness overwhelmed my stomach. He stepped towards me, his identity removed by the blue plastic he wore. All I saw were glasses covering his eyes; aside from that he was faceless. As he approached me with a knife in one hand and an axe in the other, I knew my time on earth was about to end. There was nothing and nobody that could help me now.

  I came too, releasing a scream which sounded feral as it was so high-pitched and wild. The pain which I had just felt in the shoes of the victim I had seen had been intense. I had no doubt the intention of the killer was to kill.

  ‘What the…?’ Jess exclaimed.

  ‘Oh God,’ I murmured, rubbing my head at the pain in my temples.

  ‘What did you see, Alex?’ Captain Withers asked me directly.

  ‘I saw a new victim. The killer had cut off his toe and was coming towards him with a knife and axe in his hands.’

  ‘Oh Christ,’ Jess said under her breath. ‘Was it Billy?’

  ‘I don’t know…it was like it was me so I don’t know who it was. I did see the killer before me but he was covered in head to toe in blue plastic.’

  Captain Withers considered this. ‘Prepared for his killing, I’m supposing?’

  I nodded. ‘The only clue to his identity was the glasses he wore.’

  ‘Glasses?’ Jess noted, and wrote it down.

  ‘Small, round wire-rimmed ones…think Harry Potter,’ I told her, thinking.

  ‘Okay,’ she nodded. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I replied grimly. ‘I think the victim is about to die…come on-I want to go out and search.’


  Within the next half an hour, Jess and I had been back to the station, assembled a team and were out searching. I wasn’t getting any useful information; however, we had decided to search all abandoned buildings, cabins and local places which were deserted. Having found one victim in an abandoned cabin, it seemed like a good idea to search in the same type of place.

  ‘Are you getting anything?’ Jess asked as we drove down another dirt track.

  ‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. You can’t control when and where it happens.’

  ‘I wish I could in many ways.’

  She sighed.

  ‘Do you know what I don’t get, Jess?’

  ‘What’s that?’ she questioned.

  ‘It’s the why in this case. I don’t understand his motives and his reasons for doing this. Yes, I understand the idea that maybe he is supressing his sexuality and all that but I just think…’

  ‘What, Alex?’

  ‘I just think there might be more to it than that.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’ she wondered.

  ‘Because I get a sort of ‘complex’ feeling towards the killer. I feel like he’s angry and he takes that out on the gay men he victimises but I also feel like there’s hate lying elsewhere too…’

  ‘Like where?’

  ‘I don’t know. If I did, I think I’d be able to solve this easier.’

  ‘Hmm…well, maybe if we have any luck finding anything today, it might give us more clues.’

  ‘I hope so. I just want this figured out so it can be put behind us. It sickens me more and more by the way,’ I said, holding my stomach.

  ‘You feel sick again?’ she questioned.

  I nodded, ‘Yeah…’

  ‘That’s interesting.’

  ‘Oh yes? Why’s that?’

  ‘Because before you’ve been getting sick feelings when we’re near a body part. Perhaps we’re near somewhere important,’ she suggested, inching down the dirt track road slowly. The snow and ice made it treacherous and progress was slow.

  I frowned to myself, thinking. I did feel sick and she was right. I had been feeling sick when there was a damn, good reason to.

  I began concentrating on where we were and looked around as she drove. I paid attention to my mind and concentrated a little more.

  ‘Alex?’

  ‘Can you just be quiet for a minute? I think you’re right about the sickness…maybe there’s something here…?’

  Jess fell blessedly quiet and I listened. I could hear something but I couldn’t decipher what it was.

  Jess drove further and the road suddenly opened to a clearing where an old derelict barn building stood. I stared at it, feeling like it was familiar in some way. I knew that I had never been to the building before but that didn’t mean that someone in my mind hadn’t.

  ‘I feel…’ I trailed off.

  ‘What, Alex?’ Jess asked softly.

  ‘I don’t know, Jess. I feel like…like I know this place. That sounds crazy though because I haven’t been here before. I know I haven’t. Maybe I’m seeing something familiar though because it’s been put in my mind as significant?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she nodded. ‘Shall we go and take a look around?’ she asked.

  ‘I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t want to. I will, obviously, but I don’t want to. Plus, I feel sick.’

  ‘Okay…well, let’s consider that as a message that there’s a victim or body part here.’

  I nodded. ‘That sounds sensible.’

  Jess pulled up by a hedge row and we got out. The cars which were following behind us slowed, parked and the people inside got out too. We had three senior police officers, two other officers and the coroner and medical examiner team in tow. All in all, there were nine other professionals with us on our search.

  When I got out of the car, Jess headed over to talk to the others. I found myself distracted and began to wander off. I hadn’t intended to but my legs began moving, almost of their own accord.

  I walked towards the barn but when I reached it and looked up, I realised that it wasn’t where I was directed. Instead, I turned to the right and headed around the building towards the back. One glance back told me that I was indeed being followed by the team who supported me.

  I turned back and continued to walk. I felt like I traced familiar footprints. This had been walked many times by the man I now knew was an evil, disturbed killer. I paused at a circle of tree stumps and sat down on one. Lifting my hand, I held it out and felt the warmth. I closed my eyes and thought. How many times had he sat here and held his hands out to warm them by the fire that he had made?

  ‘What are you doing?’ Jess asked me.

  I opened my eyes and felt faintly embarrassed. The whole team was looking at me and they wore identical looks of confusion and surprise.

  ‘I, uh…the killer used to come here and sit by this fire. He’d warm his hands and use the quiet time to think…and plan.’

  ‘I see…so is there anything here to find?’ she asked.

  ‘Plenty,’ I nodded. ‘But not relevant to today’s problem.’

  ‘How do you mean?’ she questioned.

  ‘This is where it started, Jess. This was the place where he became what he is today. Sat here by this fire, he thought and planned. It was in these woods that he first tried out his ideas. In this forest are the bones and bodies of so, so many animals that he mutilated, killed and chopped up. Animals of the forest, pets of local people and his own pets…they’re all here…’

  ‘So, is it only animals?’ Jess asked.

  ‘I…’ I paused and thought. Was it? I looked out into the forest and felt a shiver rack my body. Despite my audience, the vision came slowly but surely and I watched as it played out before my eyes.

  ‘Come on! It’s the best den ever!’ I shrieked, running through the woods.

  ‘Slow down!’ the smaller boy panted. ‘I can’t keep up.’

  ‘Come on! You’ll love it! I’ve got a fire pit and marshmallows. We can camp out till late!’

  ‘I don’t know, DJ. Mum doesn’t let me stay out that late!’

  ‘Don’t be such a Mummy’s boy!’ I taunted. ‘Live a little,’ I told him and then laughed at my own words, knowing what I had planned.

  We made it to the den I had built and sure enough, he was impressed.

  ‘Ah wow! This is so cool!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘I told you, pussy boy! Sit down, I’ll get the marshmallows.’

  ‘Wicked!’ the boy said, now happy.

  I bent down to where the ice box sat and opened it. The marshmallows did indeed sit inside…along with an axe which gleamed at me. I smiled as I drew both out of the cold chest. This was going to be fun.

  I blinked and shivered as I came to in the snowy, cold forest. I looked up at all the eyes which watched me and felt sure in what I had seen, yet hesitant in front of so many watchful gazes.

  ‘Alex?’

  ‘I…’

  ‘What did you see?’ she asked, looking a little frantic.

  I rose to my feet and turned. ‘Follow me,’ I instructed.

  We walked out into the forest and Jess fell into step beside me.

  ‘Alex? What now? Come on; what did you see?’

  ‘Jess-what do you know about missing persons in the local area? I mean, from the age when perhaps we were about ten?’

  She frowned at me. ‘Well, I…I didn’t live here back then.’

  ‘I know you didn’t. But do you know of any missing persons? Perhaps long, old cases since forgotten.’

  ‘Well, not many…aside from the two missing boys which happened years and years ago. It must have been in the early nineties.’

  ‘What happened?’ I asked her.

  ‘Nobody knows. The bodies were never discovered.’

  I looked over at her frowning. It was clear from listening to her mind that she knew the details of the cases but she was hesitant to spea
k them aloud. Fear held her back. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I…’ she sighed. ‘Two little boys…over the course of one year. It was 1992 if I remember correctly. The first boy went missing walking home from school. He was eleven. The second boy went missing after scouts one night. His mother arrived to pick him up and he had simply vanished. The scout leaders were held and questioned but no-one ever found anything. No bodies were found, no evidence was there to collect…it was like they both disappeared into thin air.’

  ‘And the local area was searched thoroughly?’ I asked her, stopping in the spot I now stood.

  ‘Yes, it was.’

  ‘It wasn’t searched thoroughly enough,’ I informed her.

  ‘No?’ she questioned.

  I shook my head and grimaced. ‘I’m standing above one of them.’

  Chapter 14

  Jess stared at me for a long moment before blinking. I could hear her questions; hear the torrent of overwhelming words she wanted to express and yet she said nothing. When she did, it wasn’t to me.

  ‘We need to dig here,’ she told the coroner and team. ‘This is likely the burial site of a young boy who disappeared many, many years ago…’

  ‘Jimmy,’ I said quietly, and everyone listened on now captively. ‘His name was James Winters. Everyone called him Jimmy. ‘Little Jimmy’ sometimes as he was small for his age. He was eleven when he disappeared. He walked home from school alone and on the day he went missing, he had done the same. Sadly, on this occasion, he had met another boy on the way home. I don’t think he was from the same school…how they knew each other I don’t know. Anyway, he was led here and he was killed here. He’s buried down here…in pieces,’ I said slowly at the end.

  ‘In pieces?’ one officer asked.

  I nodded.

  ‘A child killer cut another boy into pieces?’ Jess questioned.

  ‘That’s right,’ I told her. ‘He was just going to kill him. He had been killing animals for years but now he wanted more. He planned on killing the boy, simply to find out what it felt like. When he had done that, he found it was harder than he imagined digging a hole big enough to encase the body. He took his axe and…’ I sighed, holding my stomach with my hands. ‘He cut him up and the pieces lie beneath my feet,’ I said sadly. ‘They’ll be just bones now.’