For The Love of Murder: The Girl in the Woods
Chapter one: Sarah
As Claire gazed out of her bedroom window, her eyes fixated on the lush greenery stretching towards the tree line. Suddenly, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning!
“Gary, why do I only have two older brothers and no sisters?”
“Well, Claire, I’m not sure you’re old enough to know!”
"I can't believe this! I'm SEVEN years old already! I am NOT little anymore!" Claire fumed, her face flushing crimson and her voice rising to a shrill pitch. She was tired of being treated like a baby and was determined to make her older brothers understand that she was growing up, whether they liked it or not.
“Perhaps you are; I’m not sure. What do you think, Paul? Should we tell her?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. It all depends. Can you keep a secret, Claire?”
“Yes! Why?”
“Well, it’s difficult. You might get upset. Then mum and dad will kill us for telling you maybe if Gary tells you a little bit. I will then tell you the rest.”
As Claire gazed at her brothers, she fixated her attention on them with a newfound intensity. She could sense that they were earnest and solemn in their demeanour. The piercing gaze of each of her brothers was fixed on her without a hint of amusement or mirth.
“You know the woods outside our house?” Claire could hardly speak and only nodded.
“You were only about two when it happened, so you probably don’t remember.”
Paul stood and walked towards the bedroom window where his sister had sat.
“Maybe we shouldn’t tell her. At least she doesn’t remember any of it and won’t have any nightmares.”
“I won’t have nightmares. I’m a big girl!” Claire said indignantly.
“That’s true. But if Gary and I tell you, we must be sure you won’t say anything to anyone. Especially mum, she still gets very upset. Promise us both now.”
“I promise. I won’t say anything. Please tell me.”
“Ok, but no crying. We did have another sister. She was older than you but younger than Paul and me. It happened when we were all on a family picnic in the playing field by the woods.” Paul interrupted. “Shoosh! we should only whisper. Remember, mum, can hear us if we’re too loud.” Gary paused. Before saying any more after lowering his voice, he continued.
“We were all playing hide and seek, running in and out of the woods. When it was time to go. Sarah never came back.”
“Mum and dad searched for hours but could not find her. In the end, we all had to go home without her. Mum and dad have never spoken about her since. And they told us never to say her name. Dad removed all the pictures of her from the house. That’s why there is a small hole in the wall next to the other pictures where hers hung.”
Claire sat there, not daring to interrupt her older brothers as they spoke. “Remember, don’t say a word to anyone.”
Looking out the window towards the woods again, Claire wondered if she would ever meet her older sister and, more importantly, what had happened to her. Her brothers left Claire to her thoughts and returned to their bedroom. They were grinning at each other.
Claire wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth. So she decided to look for clues about her house. The biggest had been there in the room all along. She had a bunk bed, just like her brothers. She had never considered it before and only used the bottom bunk to put her dolls and teddies on. Next, Claire looked at the wall as she walked downstairs, trying to remember all the pictures. Nanny and Grandad, Gary, Paul, and Me. She stopped. Next to her image was a small hole marking where a picture once hung.
Claire stood halfway down the stairs. Silently she looked at the hole in the wall where a picture once hung. Claire had convinced herself that her brothers were telling the truth. She continued down the stairs and into the living room. Mum was sitting in her usual chair, knitting another jumper.
“What’s up, sweetie?” Claire’s face had turned pale, and her eyebrows scrunched together in a frown.
“Mum, can I have a picnic outside on the green by the woods?”
“No! We can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve said so!”
Claire realised at this point that everything her brothers had said now seemed real. Believing she might have now pushed her mum further than she ought to, she said. “My dollies and I are having a picnic in my room. Can we have some lunch, please?”
Mum’s eyes looked warmer, and a smile grew on her face.
“Yes, of course, darling. Come into the kitchen, and you can help me.”
It wasn’t long before Claire returned to her room with her sandwich, bag of crisps and a glass of fruit juice. She had promised her brothers not to cry. But sitting alone in her room, she couldn’t help herself whilst staring at the empty bed.
“It must be true.” She sobbed. “Even mum doesn’t want to talk about a picnic outside.”
Claire was drying her eyes with her sleeve when she decided it was up to her to find her sister and bring her home. Then everyone could be happy again. She thought.
“I must be brave and go into the woods on my own. I can go tonight when everyone is asleep,” she mumbled. Claire pulled her school rucksack from under the bed and placed the sandwiches and crisps into it.
Sarah might be hungry and be glad for a snack. She thought, trying to plan ahead.
Night and bedtime could not come quickly enough for Claire. She lay awake, holding her torch, waiting for everyone else to fall asleep.
When she heard her mum come up the stairs, she knew it would not be long before she could leave for her big adventure. Eventually, after what had seemed an eternity, the house fell silent. Claire got up and put on her warm clothes. Hat, coat and shoes. She picked up her bag and crept downstairs. Claire paused at the back door. She realised that if the door closed when she left, she might be unable to get back in. Claire decided to leave the door open. Hoping everyone else would be ok and no one would notice before she returned.
It wasn’t long before she reached the edge of the woods. Shivering, she turned on the torch. She pushed her left hand deep inside her jacket pocket to keep it warm. After telling herself to be brave, she took her first step inside. The twigs snapped beneath her feet. The woods now seemed creepy. She took another few steps toward a gnarly oak tree. At this moment she realised that she might get lost also.
Claire looked into her school bag. And found some white chalk and then marked the tree with the letter H for home. She turned behind to look at home across the green before venturing inside further. As she continued her quest, every sound seemed loud. Her torch darted left to right at every noise she heard.
Still shivering, Claire adjusted her scarf tighter before pushing further into the woods. Deeper and deeper until she could no longer see her house behind her.
Trembling but determined to continue. Claire knew she could not turn back now. This was her adventure, and nothing could stop her.
In the distance, Claire could see a small light glimmering between the trees and shrubs.
“Hello, It’s me, Claire, your little sister!” She called naively, believing the light to be her sister waiting for her. A crow screeched, stopping Claire in her tracks.
“Hello, can you hear me?” Her tiny voice was slightly more pitched and quivering.
At that moment, Claire thought she might be close to finding her sister. Instead, she could see two shadowy figures stop what they were doing and look directly at her. Fearing they had seen an apparition, the two figures, both men, turned and ran away, knocking over their lamp as they stumbled, not bothering to pick up anything as they left.
With bated breath, Claire crept closer to the source of the light, calling out softly into the darkness. As she drew nearer, she saw the light suddenly tumbling from its perch atop a fallen tree, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. Her heart sank as disappointment washed over her. But her determination remained strong, compelling her to press on and uncover the truth. Ignoring the danger that lurked in the shadows, Claire sprinted towards the fallen light, her heart racing faster than her feet. Suddenly, she stumbled on a twisted tree root, careening forward and colliding with a sharp branch. Her mind raced with fear and uncertainty as she tumbled down a small ditch. Her body lay still, her eyes closed, and her torch flickered out, plunging her into total darkness.
“Gary, why do I only have two older brothers and no sisters?”
“Well, Claire, I’m not sure you’re old enough to know!”
"I can't believe this! I'm SEVEN years old already! I am NOT little anymore!" Claire fumed, her face flushing crimson and her voice rising to a shrill pitch. She was tired of being treated like a baby and was determined to make her older brothers understand that she was growing up, whether they liked it or not.
“Perhaps you are; I’m not sure. What do you think, Paul? Should we tell her?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. It all depends. Can you keep a secret, Claire?”
“Yes! Why?”
“Well, it’s difficult. You might get upset. Then mum and dad will kill us for telling you maybe if Gary tells you a little bit. I will then tell you the rest.”
As Claire gazed at her brothers, she fixated her attention on them with a newfound intensity. She could sense that they were earnest and solemn in their demeanour. The piercing gaze of each of her brothers was fixed on her without a hint of amusement or mirth.
“You know the woods outside our house?” Claire could hardly speak and only nodded.
“You were only about two when it happened, so you probably don’t remember.”
Paul stood and walked towards the bedroom window where his sister had sat.
“Maybe we shouldn’t tell her. At least she doesn’t remember any of it and won’t have any nightmares.”
“I won’t have nightmares. I’m a big girl!” Claire said indignantly.
“That’s true. But if Gary and I tell you, we must be sure you won’t say anything to anyone. Especially mum, she still gets very upset. Promise us both now.”
“I promise. I won’t say anything. Please tell me.”
“Ok, but no crying. We did have another sister. She was older than you but younger than Paul and me. It happened when we were all on a family picnic in the playing field by the woods.” Paul interrupted. “Shoosh! we should only whisper. Remember, mum, can hear us if we’re too loud.” Gary paused. Before saying any more after lowering his voice, he continued.
“We were all playing hide and seek, running in and out of the woods. When it was time to go. Sarah never came back.”
“Mum and dad searched for hours but could not find her. In the end, we all had to go home without her. Mum and dad have never spoken about her since. And they told us never to say her name. Dad removed all the pictures of her from the house. That’s why there is a small hole in the wall next to the other pictures where hers hung.”
Claire sat there, not daring to interrupt her older brothers as they spoke. “Remember, don’t say a word to anyone.”
Looking out the window towards the woods again, Claire wondered if she would ever meet her older sister and, more importantly, what had happened to her. Her brothers left Claire to her thoughts and returned to their bedroom. They were grinning at each other.
Claire wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth. So she decided to look for clues about her house. The biggest had been there in the room all along. She had a bunk bed, just like her brothers. She had never considered it before and only used the bottom bunk to put her dolls and teddies on. Next, Claire looked at the wall as she walked downstairs, trying to remember all the pictures. Nanny and Grandad, Gary, Paul, and Me. She stopped. Next to her image was a small hole marking where a picture once hung.
Claire stood halfway down the stairs. Silently she looked at the hole in the wall where a picture once hung. Claire had convinced herself that her brothers were telling the truth. She continued down the stairs and into the living room. Mum was sitting in her usual chair, knitting another jumper.
“What’s up, sweetie?” Claire’s face had turned pale, and her eyebrows scrunched together in a frown.
“Mum, can I have a picnic outside on the green by the woods?”
“No! We can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve said so!”
Claire realised at this point that everything her brothers had said now seemed real. Believing she might have now pushed her mum further than she ought to, she said. “My dollies and I are having a picnic in my room. Can we have some lunch, please?”
Mum’s eyes looked warmer, and a smile grew on her face.
“Yes, of course, darling. Come into the kitchen, and you can help me.”
It wasn’t long before Claire returned to her room with her sandwich, bag of crisps and a glass of fruit juice. She had promised her brothers not to cry. But sitting alone in her room, she couldn’t help herself whilst staring at the empty bed.
“It must be true.” She sobbed. “Even mum doesn’t want to talk about a picnic outside.”
Claire was drying her eyes with her sleeve when she decided it was up to her to find her sister and bring her home. Then everyone could be happy again. She thought.
“I must be brave and go into the woods on my own. I can go tonight when everyone is asleep,” she mumbled. Claire pulled her school rucksack from under the bed and placed the sandwiches and crisps into it.
Sarah might be hungry and be glad for a snack. She thought, trying to plan ahead.
Night and bedtime could not come quickly enough for Claire. She lay awake, holding her torch, waiting for everyone else to fall asleep.
When she heard her mum come up the stairs, she knew it would not be long before she could leave for her big adventure. Eventually, after what had seemed an eternity, the house fell silent. Claire got up and put on her warm clothes. Hat, coat and shoes. She picked up her bag and crept downstairs. Claire paused at the back door. She realised that if the door closed when she left, she might be unable to get back in. Claire decided to leave the door open. Hoping everyone else would be ok and no one would notice before she returned.
It wasn’t long before she reached the edge of the woods. Shivering, she turned on the torch. She pushed her left hand deep inside her jacket pocket to keep it warm. After telling herself to be brave, she took her first step inside. The twigs snapped beneath her feet. The woods now seemed creepy. She took another few steps toward a gnarly oak tree. At this moment she realised that she might get lost also.
Claire looked into her school bag. And found some white chalk and then marked the tree with the letter H for home. She turned behind to look at home across the green before venturing inside further. As she continued her quest, every sound seemed loud. Her torch darted left to right at every noise she heard.
Still shivering, Claire adjusted her scarf tighter before pushing further into the woods. Deeper and deeper until she could no longer see her house behind her.
Trembling but determined to continue. Claire knew she could not turn back now. This was her adventure, and nothing could stop her.
In the distance, Claire could see a small light glimmering between the trees and shrubs.
“Hello, It’s me, Claire, your little sister!” She called naively, believing the light to be her sister waiting for her. A crow screeched, stopping Claire in her tracks.
“Hello, can you hear me?” Her tiny voice was slightly more pitched and quivering.
At that moment, Claire thought she might be close to finding her sister. Instead, she could see two shadowy figures stop what they were doing and look directly at her. Fearing they had seen an apparition, the two figures, both men, turned and ran away, knocking over their lamp as they stumbled, not bothering to pick up anything as they left.
With bated breath, Claire crept closer to the source of the light, calling out softly into the darkness. As she drew nearer, she saw the light suddenly tumbling from its perch atop a fallen tree, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. Her heart sank as disappointment washed over her. But her determination remained strong, compelling her to press on and uncover the truth. Ignoring the danger that lurked in the shadows, Claire sprinted towards the fallen light, her heart racing faster than her feet. Suddenly, she stumbled on a twisted tree root, careening forward and colliding with a sharp branch. Her mind raced with fear and uncertainty as she tumbled down a small ditch. Her body lay still, her eyes closed, and her torch flickered out, plunging her into total darkness.
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