All Was A Lie E-Book

Everett Cannon

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 144

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Welcome to a seedy underworld of crime and suspense where not everything is as it seems. All Was a Lie is the new collection of crime thriller short stories sure to get your heart racing and your eyes shifting to ensure the windows are locked. Each short story is filled with raw energy and unique perspectives that will leave you clinging to every word. Amber is young, attractive, and in a lot of trouble. While enjoying the scenic view at a lake, she is kidnapped and faced with an impossible choice: fight, or give in to her assailant's demands. Detective James has a problem, and her name is Alice. The woman came into the police station but has no memory of doing so or why. Discovery means a gruesome demise, unless... All Was a Lie will leave you clinging to every word. It plunges you into a world where nothing is obvious and the outcomes are never expected, and where each short story is filled with a unique perspective. Lock your doors and windows and keep the lights on. You never know what might happen.

Leseprobe

For Sandra.

Tu sei la mia vita.

Content

THE MASKED MAN

ALICE

HER

THE SIX

HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING

A BUTCHER'S DIARY

MAYOR

THE BEYOND

VINCE

STALKER

THE ARRANGEMENT

ALL WAS A LIE

THE MASKED MAN

“Do you have any leads regarding who did this?” asks my sobbing mother.

“We are doing everything we can to find him. He couldn’t have gotten far. We have the entire place surrounded. He is bound to show up soon. Your daughter is very strong to have survived as long as she did with those injuries,” an officer responds.

What a load of crap. I’m not strong at all! Naive and stupid is a better description. I just hope they find him before I wake up… that’s if I wake up. Is this what it feels like to be in a coma? It’s the strangest thing; my mind is as active as ever, but my body is just lying here unresponsive. I can’t help but think what would have happened if I had not sent that stupid text. Imagine! I am here because I sent a freaking text message. I mean how ridiculous does that sound? Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we?

×××

“Amber, are you going to the party this Friday?”

“You know I can’t, Emily. My mother doesn’t even let me go to school by myself, let alone a party.”

“Oh, come on, Amber. You could always sneak out. I mean, we’re teenagers; it’s basically a rite of passage for us. Besides, how often do we get invited to a senior’s party?”

“You’re right!”

“It’s even a masked party for crying out loud. It just screams mystery and adventure and who knows, we might even get lucky.”

“Emily!”

“Oh, calm down virgin.”

×××

I’m finally doing it; I’m actually sneaking out. Mother would throw a fit if she could see me now. Emily and I agreed to meet at the park so we could take a taxi together to the party. It’s so cold. Why did I let her talk me into wearing this tiny dress?

Is it the fact that I don’t go anywhere at night or has the park always been this creepy? I take a seat on a bench and wait for the girl who doesn’t know the meaning of punctuality to arrive.

Suddenly, it feels like I have daggers on my back. I feel piercing eyes watching me from behind and this chill in the air is not helping. When you feel like you’re being watched, it is usually when something bad happens. I guess I watch way too many horror movies for my own good.

“Boo!”

“Jesus! Emily don’t do that. I thought you were gonna abduct me.”

“Wow!” she laughs mockingly.

“I’m way too sexy to be a kidnapper and you watch way too many horror movies. You look so hot in that dress, though.”

“You gave me the tiniest dress ever!”

“C’mon, stop complaining. Come on, let’s get a taxi.”

×××

We arrive at the party and I can’t even recognize one person. A guy who looks way too old to be our age walks up to us and whispers something in Emily’s ear. He then takes her by the hand and they leave.

“Have fun, Amber. I’ll come to find you later,” she yells over the deafening music.

It’s strange, I don’t feel so alone. If anything, I feel free. Under this mask, I can be anything. A scream jolts me from my thought. It seems to be coming from outside. Why are there so many people gathering around… Oh no! I get a glimpse of a bloody mask, her bloody mask. There she was sprawled on the floor unmoving.

“Emily? Emily? This can’t be happening. Call 911! Why are you all just standing there? Do something!”

“Calm down; it’s a prank, she’s not dead. Emily, go on, tell your friend to chill. Tell her that it’s just a prank,” says some random person.

I start to shake her body but she just lies there unresponsive. I lean in.

“She’s…not breathing... she has no pulse.”

I hear screaming and shouting as people start to scatter. This isn’t real, she can’t be dead, can she?

×××

“Miss, Miss I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the body.”

“What?”

I didn’t even hear the sirens or notice the police when they came. How? This was supposed to be an epic night out for us but now it’s… she’s…

The police start questioning the people that were left but it seems like no one saw what happened. Suddenly, a hand squeezes something in mine.

“Don’t turn around. If you want to know what happened to your friend, text this number.”

×××

It’s been about a week since Emily died. The police have no leads yet. My mother grounded me for the rest of my life because of what happened. She has always been paranoid, but this just set her into overdrive. I need answers but I can’t find the strength to text that number. What if it is a trap? For all I know, I could be next but it’s Emily. I have to know. I text:

(Me): Hello, you said to text you.

(Unknown number): It took you long enough. Meet me at the lake behind the crime scene.

(Me): You mean the house where the party was held? I didn’t know there was a lake there.

×××

The lake is so beautiful. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was here. In an instant, while I am viewing the beautiful lake, things change to pitch black. A bag is placed over my head, blocking my vision. There is thrashing and struggling until a sharp pain at my side jolts my action. It feels like I am being tossed into the back of a car.

“Let me out! Please let me out!”

“Silence!”

Fear is all I can feel. I don’t want to die. I can’t believe this is happening. The car suddenly stops and I feel rough arms drag me from inside the car. This strange person walks for what feels like thirty minutes until he stops and places me on a chair and ties my hands to it. The bag is violently pulled from my face.

“I have been watching you,” the man says.

“Please, I don’t know what you want from me. I promise if you release me, I wouldn’t tell a soul what happened. I mean, I can’t even see your face because of that mask so I can’t tell who you are. Just release me please.”

“Your friend didn’t talk this much when I had her. She was rather cooperative when I tied her up.”

“A-are you going to rape me?

“Don’t think of me as some low life. Who does that?”

“Oh, just a low life who takes people against their will and kills them!” I yell angrily.

“While I do admire your feisty nature, be careful what you say to me, less you wake up John. Trust me, you wouldn’t like him. Oh, and I didn’t kill your friend, John did. I told him not to, but he just couldn’t help it… apologies.”

“W-what do you want from me?”

“I said I would tell you how your friend died, and now that I have, I want you to do something for me.”

He goes into a room and comes back with a small cagelike thing.

“If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind getting in?”

I look at him in disbelief like what the actual hell?

“Please don’t resist. If you do, John will get angry and bad things always happen when he does.”

He unties me and I notice that the door to the other room is left slightly open. I don’t have time to second guess it. I turn on my heel and make my way for the door.

I wasn’t prepared for what my eyes see next, T…there is blood everywhere. Body parts sprawled everywhere like a sadistic science experiment gone wrong.

“He told you not to resist, didn’t he?!” The masked man shouts.

He enters the room but sounds completely different from how he was earlier. He grabs me by my neck and puts pressure on my neck. I can feel my throat close. He grabs a knife and makes a line on my forehead. I can’t breathe. The blood dripping from my forehead starts to cloud my vision. I close my eyes and welcome the darkness.

×××

I wake up in an enclosed space. He put me in a cage! My whole body feels like it has been pressed together for so long. I touch my forehead only to feel stitches. Why did he cut me only to stitch me back? I wonder.

“I’m glad to see you awake. I must apologize for what John did to you. Although, I did warn you not to make him angry.”

“Why in the world are you referring to yourself in the third person? You fucking cut my forehead!”

“Darling, don’t get it twisted. John did that, not me. You see, John is me but I am definitely not him.”

“I don’t understand how I am the one twisting things. What type of fucking psychopath are you?!”

“Psychopath? Heavens no. Would a psychopath have prepared a meal and a bath for you?”

He comes toward the cage he put me in and unlocks it. I try to stand but my legs give way and I fall on the cold ground. How long was I cramped up in that cage?

“Silly girl, you have been out for two days now., John was getting bored and wanted to kill you, but I stopped him. I want to have you all to myself.”

“I think you understand that if you try to run, John will show you no mercy. Take a bath and eat like the good girl that I know you are.”

John or not John sits down behind me, his eyes looking at me so intently. This is degrading. I can’t run or do anything. I take off my clothes in front of him and enter the bathtub.

“Doesn’t the water feel nice?” he asks.

I get out of the tub and he immediately comes to my side. He starts sniffing me before he dresses me with a robe.

“You smell pure… I like that.”

He sets me on a chair and sits opposite me. I notice a small vase on the table near him. I need to think of a way to escape. I gently walk towards him with a smile on my face.

“I just thought we should be closer,” I say, gently touching his mask.

I take the vase from the table and smash it against his head. He seems to be out cold. I start searching his body for a mobile phone. I hurriedly dial 911.

“Hi, my name is Amber. I need you to track this phone. I have just been kidnap-“

My ears start ringing. How is he awake already? I touch my ears and only feel a shard of glass stuck to it.

“You bitch! I knew he was too soft on you. I should have killed you when I had the chance. It doesn’t matter. It will be fun watching you die from blood loss.”

He picks up the phone and starts cursing before he leaves. I can barely see anything. My vision is failing me once again.

×××

“We found her; she is over here!” Yells one of the policemen.

“Stay with me, miss. Don’t close your eyes.”

That is the last voice I hear before my eyes betray me and close shut. I wonder how long it has been since that day. How long I have been in a coma. Mother comes every day to see me. I wish she could hear how sorry I am. If I had just stayed at home, none of this would have happened. I could have probably talked Emily out of going to that party. We could be in her room right now laughing our asses off. Instead, she is dead and I’m here.

“Amber, please open your eyes,” mom whispers.

I try and bright light fills my vision.

“Amber? My goodness Amber.”

I try to speak but my throat feels dry.

“Don’t try to talk dear. Hold on; let me get the doctor.”

The doctor comes in and tells my mom to please wait outside. I know I have heard this voice before. My head hurts as I try to remember where exactly I did. The doctor walks up to me with a smile on his face but something doesn’t feel right.

“Hello, Amber,” he speaks softly.

John?

ALICE

“Alice! Alice!” Detective James calls out to the woman seated in front of him. Her expression is significantly less frightening than it was earlier when he saw her. He had seen a lot of things in his ten years as a detective, but the sight of Alice an hour ago was alarming.

“Hmmm?” Alice snaps out of her thoughts. “I'm sorry,” she says as she places her palm on her cheek.

“I was told you would not talk to anyone and specifically asked to see me?” Detective James places a notepad and a recording device on the table as he speaks. He notices Alice's attention is focused on the device. “ It’s a recording device. It’s just to make sure I do not forget what you tell me.”

Alice says nothing in response. She continues to rub her cheeks.

“Your jaw still hurting? We can have someone take a look at it if you would like,” Detective James says,

“No…thank you.” Alice is adamant. Since arriving at the police station, she refuses to speak to anyone and doesn’t allow anyone to touch her.

She has no recollection of who she is and how she got to where she had been found. She had woken up a few hours ago to discover that she was covered in blood. The worst part is that the blood is not hers. There is no sign of a struggle according to detective James. Alice tries several times to remember who she is and how she wandered to the middle of nowhere, but no matter how hard she tries, nothing comes to mind.

“Alight…so, what did you want to tell me?” Detective James asks,

“When can I leave?” Alice asks,

“About that…it is not possible until we find out what happened to you and whose blood you had on you,” Detective James responds,

Alice already expects as much. “I already told you. I do not-”

“I believe you…really, I do. It’s just that…” he looks at the window behind him. He knows his boss is standing in the other room watching the interrogation.

“Can I have something to eat? Please? I would really like to get some sleep,” Alice says after a few seconds of silence.

“Uhm…” detective James hesitates for a few seconds agreeing to her request.

“Thank you,” Alice says,

×××

In her cell, the pain in her lower back gum is near unbearable for her. Alice feels around with her fingers the area where her gum aches.

“Hmmm?” Alice feels a weird object where her molars are meant to be. She walks to the mirror and looks through the mirror. It looks like a metal filling, but the only difference is, it is weirdly shaped. Putting her hands around the object which appears to be lodged in her tooth, Alice feels the object move slightly.

“What the…” she curves her finger and uses her nail to pull out the object.

There is a tiny button on the metal device. Alice looks around to make sure no one sees her. She presses the button which immediately causes a faint red light to blink randomly. She holds the device in her hands for a while, but apart from the blinking light, there is nothing else that happens.

Alice, just as she is about to throw the device away, hears a faint noise coming from the device.

“Hmm?” She puts the device close to her ears.

“Alice…can you hear me?” A woman’s voice can be heard coming from the device. Alice is startled. However, there is something about the woman’s voice that makes her feel she could trust the woman.

“Who is this?” Alice asks,

“Oh, thank god! Listen to me, Alice. I know you have no recollection of who you are and how you got yourself into this mess. It was not my idea, it was your idea…” the woman speaks quickly. Alice has no time to process the fact that she has something to do with her predicament.

“Listen, your memories are temporarily blocked. The effects of the drug should wear out in an hour. When it does, you will remember and know exactly what’s happening and why you’re there. Good luck. Oh! Check the reflection of the tattoo.”

As Alice is about to speak and ask who she’s speaking to, the voice disappears,

“Hello? Hello?” Alice is distraught. The one person who could tell her what is happening has disappeared from her.

However, her dismay soon fades as she remembers the words of the woman. In an hour, she will have her memo